ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Material handling is one of the most sensitive operations in construction. This is because it involves human capital which is the most valued and fragile resource that exists in any construction process. Proper material handling principles are very important as they ensure employee safety and thus cut potential costs in the form of accident covers and insurances. In Melbourne for a person to work on a construction site, he has to be well trained on the proper material handling systems and accident prevention methods. The person should also be preferably trained by a certified construction school (Bailey, 1998). Many injuries result from improper material handling. Back pains are caused by repetitive and heavy jobs in unnatural positions. This is the most common construction-related injury. Strains in the hands, legs and other parts of the body are caused by continuously working the body without allowing it time to recover. Accidents such as falls are also caused by improper material handling. The Melbourne authorities have issued specific guidelines to all construction personnel to aid in their work: Material lifting requirements Loads should always be lifted when the back of the operator is straightened; all heavy loads should be lifted from a squat position. Personnel should always avoid lifting loads that are heavy; in such a case the operator should call for assistance or employ the use of lifting machinery. Lifting of loads from a low point should always be done using the legs, the legs should serve as a lifting mechanism to the operator at all times. Jerking motions and twisting motions while lifting or carrying a load is ill-advised (Chew, 2000). The construction personnel should be provided with grip aiding gloves and equipment so as to eliminate the possibility of accidents occurring. Material carrying requirements The operator should ensure that he can properly see where he is going and that his vision has not been
To begin with, I am the type of person who is keen on reading. More specifically, books have begun forming my world vision at the very beginning of my life. My father told me many stories when I could not read myself, but as soon as I understood the technique, I have dived into the world of books, which I personally consider “another universe.” To my way of thinking, good writers enable the readers to understand their opinion by using simple signs on the paper so that they influence readers to develop their thoughts and continue increasing their analysis capacity. The Book That Changed My Life After a certain amount of book reading experience, I began developing my preferences for the book genre, volume, and utility. Consequently, sociological books became the most appealing ones due to their significant influence on my world perception. While investigating how deep inequality affects our society, I understood that my future job would be directly connected with analyzing the inequality effect in any sphere of our life. When I was in high school, the book “Why nations fail” was recommended by many scientists and businessmen as a “must-read” for those who want to learn something new about inequality, so I immediately bought it (Acemoglu and Robinson 1). From the first page to the end, the authors represented the most fundamental analysis of life inequality in every part of the world. I was impressed how they coped with describing such complicated phenomenon by using just written words. However, after some time, I realized that possibly it is due to the authors’ cutting-edge ability to represent their thought after a deep an
The topic on gay marriage whether it should be legalized or not has been a huge topic all over the world. There are those people who view gay marriage as sin hence strongly against it. There are those people who however believe that marriage is all about love and support hence should not depend on gender and that is why they support gay marriages. This shows that everyone has their own different view on same sex marriage which makes it hard to come up with a solution on whether to legalize it or not leaving many people on dilemma. There are those people who believe that denying gay marriage will violate religious freedom. Religious beliefs of a person is protected by First Amendment of United States Constitution hence it will be wrong to deny gay marriage based on the fact that religions view same sex marriage as sin. Denying same sex marriage is a way of discriminating the minority in the society. America is a nation that was found on the concept of majority rules and protection of minorities which are clearly stated on the Bill of Rights (Gerstmann 2011). Denying same sex marriage is more like disagreeing with Hispanic couples marriage. Other people believe that marriage should be about love hence two people who love each other should not be denied the chance to live happily together. Gay people should be given legal contracts, financial benefits and similar living wills as other normal couples since they all fit in the society. Same sex marriage should not hurt anyone or the society since marriage is a union and a relationship between two people who love each other. Those people who are not involved in the union should not be hurt in any way. This is because same sex marriage is a personal commitment which should not bother anyone or the society itself. The society and the church should not dictate other people’s decisions and choices. Homosexuality is viewed by religions as sin hence unacceptable in the society. Gay marriages are offensive and robs religion its freedom. These are some of the reasons why Christians do not advocate for gay marriages. If gay marriage is legalized in the society, it will weaken the respect and definition of marriage. Marriage is an institution which is sacred hence should not be joked with. The society considers marriage to be between man and woman (Jean 2006). A marriage between a man and a woman makes biological sense since the two can pro-create. The issue of adopting children especially by gay couples draws a bad picture to the children. It in fact confuses them concerning gender roles and what to expe
Overview The heinous slaughter of 100 dogs from a pack of 300 by Howling Dog tours shocked the world revealing a dirty secret of the dog sledge industry. Related to lesson 4 about animal rights, this case study involves the slaughter of 100 healthy sledge dogs by Howling Dog Tours in Whistler, British Columbia (B.C.) that took place between the dates of 21 and 23 April 2010. After the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, there was a drop in the sledging dog business; thus an employee of the Howling Tour Company slaughtered 100 dogs to make the business more cost-effective. The allegations of the slaughter started after “a WorkSafe document leaked to the media in January 2011” (“Update on Sled Dog Investigation”, par 15). The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, (SPCA) launched investigations after the employee “filed a claim with the Worker’s Compensation Board of B.C. for post-traumatic stress, after being ordered to kill dozens of dogs” ( 100 healthy Sled Dogs Slaughtered in Whistler, B.C., par 3). This involved hiring a team of forensic experts to collect evidence “from bodies of more than 56 dogs exhumed from the mass grave (“Update on Sled Dog Investigation”, par 7). The forensic evidence gathered from the grave was used in the case against the tour company. After the incident, there were demonstrations with people calling for tougher laws against animal cruelty, which had not changed since 1892. Currently, B.C. has the toughest animal cruelty laws in Canada, with imprisonment of 24 months instead of the previous 6 months and a maximum penalty of $75,000 from the previous $10,000 (Pemberton, par 1). Challenges/Opportunities The slump of business after the Winter Olympics proved to be a challenge for the tour operator to maintain the pack of dogs. This led to the slaughtering of the animals after it became a problem to find new homes for them ( 100 healthy Sled Dogs Slaughtered in Whistler, B.C., par 1). According to Moriarty, manager at SPCA, it is “legal to shoot an animal, as long as it dies instantly” (par 12), a task that became challenging on the large pack of dogs. This inhumane act proved so when the employee used a knife to kill an aggressive dog after he ran out of ammunition (par 6). He also “describes a dog that survived a shot to the face: “its eye was hanging off, and it was still running around” ” (par 5). Whistler did not have any legislation concerning animal cruelty, but there were provisions in the SPCA act that allowed Criminal Code charges. Previously, animal cruelty was difficult to be accepted by Crown prosecutors as a criminal charge (Cooper and Sullivan, par 22). To prove the dogs were killed in an inhumane way, SPCA dug up the mass grave to compile forensic evidence for its investigation. The slaughter of the 100 sledge dogs provided an opportunity for strict laws against animal cruelty. Currently, the Preventio
Rate parity is the practice of including a fixed price across all sources of customer attraction into the agreement between a hotel and a platform. Its inclusion in contracts between hotels and the leading online travel agencies (OTAs), such as Expedia, Priceline, and Booking.com, became a controversial topic for discussion in the hotel industry. Booking.com, being the largest platform of that type, holds up to ~40% of the booking market in various countries (Davies, 2015). The article by Phil Davies provides an analysis of the situation with rate parity and related antitrust concerns, which puts OTAs in a dominating position and allows them to control prices in the market. It describes the recent deal between Booking.com and antitrust commissions and its consequences. This report aims to assess the necessity of the agreement between Booking.com and several EU authorities regarding rate parity across all distribution channels. Prior to this agreement, Booking.com did not allow hotels to use different prices on other platforms. Essentially, this meant that hotels were unable to control the lowest price they were able to give to a customer. Rate parity has been implemented as a tool to regulate the relationship between hotels and OTAs since both parties need each other (Nicolau and Sharma, 2018, p. 525). However, as the platforms continued to grow exponentially, their leverage has increased to the point where they became able to control the market. Nowadays, Booking.com stays the number one platform for booking services, while smaller companies struggle to increase their market share. The article gives an in-depth look at the state of the hotel industry. The author makes it clearly visible that the current state of OTAs, especially Booking.com, gives them an influence that prevents the market from operating in favor of its customers. There are several considerations to the changes that are introduced by European authorities that make these new regulations ineffective at their task (Davies, 2015). Several sources mentioned in the article argue that new laws will not promote competition, instead, they will further increase the expenditures of hotel owners and increase the influence of the top OTAs on the market (Davies, 2015). In general, the article presents substantial concerns regarding the efficiency of the new policy against OTAs and Booking.com in particular. There are several key issues that put Booking.com under the suspicion of antitrust agencies from many countries. The largest online travel agency has been targeted by European authorities for being too restrictive in regard to price competition (Davies, 2015). Its behavior made it impossible for other platforms to compete against Booking.com successfully due to the fact that fixed prices would hurt hotels that use multiple OTAs with varied rates. Moreover, the website produces more favorable results in terms of scoring for hotels that choose to adhere to its strict rules about pricing. Figure 1 show
Tunneling engineering requires comprehensive planning and blueprinting concerning evaluating the anathemas associated with the construction of the infrastructure. Many factors have contributed to the detriments relating to tunneling, this consists of underneath in torrent, beneath settlement, tilting sands, boulders, methane, elevated plastic silt, railway concrete, and interred hindrances that include wooden stockpiles, railroad trestles, coastal maritime perimeters, ballast, and other structural rubbles. This paper delves into the exposition of potential threats associated with upshots, concurrencies, mitigation dimensions, and anticipated expenses that follow conduit construction, Gärber R. & Labiouse V. (2003). A conduit running 20 meters below a railway is constructed, architectural blueprint for this infrastructure is somewhat distinct in the sense that height is confined by the requirement for gravity discharge. Nevertheless, research shows that the railway would not confirm unwrap-cut building, owing to the interference of its functions on the central plank and impel pathway in this region. Engineers should be apprehensive that tunneling is rather a challenging phenomenon, owing to the sensitivity of the railway haulers above, in addition to the fill substance the conduit would require while constructing. The requirements aforementioned above are important when carrying out geomechanical navigation. Mair, R. (1979): The railway traversing conduit configuration is in a riverside region that was previously tidelands and refilled as time went by. Coupled with impediments that could not be rebuffed using TBM technology; underground water condition that can interfere with impediment removal; assorted soil state owing to the tunneling infill substance settlement or jam-packed of the railway haulers. In constructing tunnels some of the techniques employed include infiltration grouting that is positioned in the tunnel corridor to restrict
People are recognized based on different aspects of their personality such as culture, language, religion, behavior and education. However, in most cases identities founded on these aspects may be deceiving. For instance, a person may opt to assume an identity that guarantees them a comfortable and cordial existence in a given society. This is the typical scenario that befalls both Dumas and Maalouf; who are two female immigrant writers entangled in a social dilemma of whether to stick to their original cultural identity or embrace a new identity in order to fit in society. Although the two have used their respective learnt languages to emphasize the importance of identity, there are significant differences in how they define identity in terms of their personal experiences and perception towards the society as a unit. Similarities Dumas and Maalouf are both immigrants whose first languages are totally different from their countries of migration. Dumas moved from Iran at the age of seven to America while Maalouf moved from Lebanon aged twenty-two to France. In both cases, the two ladies had to learn different languages. Dumas, who initially spoke Farsi learnt English while Maalouf had to learn French besides her native Arabic. Another similarity between the two writers is that they both use their learnt languages in explaining their life events. Dumas uses English to elaborate her plight and experiences at the hands of Native Americans while Dumas vividly elaborates her experience with the French. Perhaps they intentionally do so in order to reach out to the Native American and French society. The other similarity between Dumas and Maalouf is their emphasis on the importance of identity and subsequent effects of adopting a new identity. Dumas narrates how her family names which had well intended meanings in Farsi became a source of laughter and embarrassment when translated into English or when people opted for a homophone since they could not correctly pronounce her names. On the other hand, Maalouf recalls how she constantly found herself in a dilemma when asked to explain her identity since it is an indirect question prompting her to choose between Lebanon and France. Differences The two authors hold different definitions of identity. Maalouf argues that both Lebanon and France form her identity (Maalouf, 2013). She says that although Lebanon is the country of her ancestors, she can no longer be a foreigner in France. More so, when asked whether she is French or Lebanese, her answer is always “Both”. On the contrary, Dumas says America is a foreign country and Iran is the country of her Identity and she only opts to embrace American culture as the last option. For instance, when she can no longer withstand people laughing at her name she adds “Julie” which is an American name to her Farsi name (Dumas, 2013). She also does the same when no one is willing to employ her on grounds of her Iranian background. However, she is quick to denounce the American name and retain her initial Farsi name once she is married. Therefore, according to Dumas a person cannot have dual identity since they must always re
There are many philosophers who have speculated on the account of ethics and morality. Their views are mostly similar, agreeing on the concept that morality is a necessary part of human life and it should be guiding the actions and thoughts of every person. Immanuel Kant was one of such philosophers who greatly valued morality and the reasons for it. He contemplated why people do things that are ethically and morally right or wrong, considering human emotions and thoughts. John Stuart Mill has also devoted a lot of time to ethics and how it can be defined but has taken a somewhat different approach through utilitarianism. Kant’s ethics are more acceptable, as they are universal and stable while Mill’s utilitarianism is dependent on perspective and individuality. People often, find themselves in situations where they must determine what the best thing to do is. As every individual is different, their view of morality is somewhat different. There are many issues that arise when analyzing the relationship between necessity and ethics. Kant wrote about the person’s responsibility towards others as the highest good. He established that there are universal laws which guide people to be morally correct using the rational thinking. Their reasons might be related to the reward of “a good feeling” after they commit a good deed. Or they might feel a moral obligation to help someone because they have the ability and ways to accomplish that. For some people, it becomes a lifelong quality and it is part of their character, so that in time, a situation when someone needs help presents itself, they help without thinking and on an instinct (Ward, 145). Comparing necessity to morality, Kant’s view is that a rational and universal law makes it a must for one person to help another or commit an act that will be moral by the highest standards. Kant also talks about innate good that people have and the feeling of kindness towards the fellow human being. The ethical and moral codes set out by the government in a form of laws, reflect the general concepts of goodness and ethical attitude and behavior. The duties and responsibilities are based on the moral codes which require respectful and equal treatment to all. These ethics reflect the qualities that every person possesses. But, the unfortunate fact is that there are circumstances when it is hard for people to be ethical or morally correct. This is why it is important to create a system that bases its laws and regulations on highest moral standards of ethics and equality. John Stuart Mill’s ethics are based on the principle of morality being defined by the promotion of happiness. It is the fou
Researchers define leadership as a strategic approach towards coping with current and future challenges; it is an essential element of business success (Redman 2006). Similarly to business strategies, leadership strategies focus on the detailed analysis of the conditions and information about the dynamics and changes in the environment (Hellström 2005). Only in this way it is possible to attain the necessary knowledge needed to close the gap between the present situation and the desired future goals. For a long time, the evaluation of leadership strategies is of significant interest for business practitioners and researchers. Nowadays, many different styles and approaches are known, and each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this paper is the evaluation and comparison of two leadership models: Fiedler’s Contingency Model, and the Normative Decision Model by Vroom and Yetton. The models are based on distinct principles and highlight different aspects of decision-making and analysis. Understanding of the models’ main features my assist businessmen to select the strategy that is more appropriate and effective in a particular context. Fiedler’s Contingency Model The model is based on the presumption that the subordinates’ productivity highly depends on the leaders’ ability to control and influence the subordinates in particular situations. According to Fiedler, the main factor for the leader’s success is the management style that may be either task-oriented or employees-oriented. To identify the leadership style, Fiedler elaborated the employee survey that helps to define the least preferred co-worker (LPC). The survey includes 16 bipolar definitions by which the respondents describe each of their colleagues (Stewart & Latham 1986). Fiedler believed that is a person describes LPC with positive definitions then she is primarily interested in the establishm
Introduction Developing an effective childhood education program and addressing children educational needs is not an easy thing. However, the effectiveness of a good childhood education program is dependent on a number of factors such as staffing, appropriateness of the environment for learning and growth, norms observed by the groups involved, activity scheduling, and the involvement of the parents and the community at large (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf, 2009, p. 2). Decisions about these factors ought to be made early in advance (before the childhood education program is in motion). In addition, these factors have broad ramifications and they affect all parties and aspects of the childhood education program, including the children, families, school and even the entire community at large. The importance of an effective childhood education program has often been researched and its benefits highly publicized to all concerned individuals (Knopf, et al., 2009, p. 5). However, in as much as childhood education programs play an important role in the development of children, not all children enjoy these benefits. Schweinhart (1988) (cited in North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1999). affirms that: “Long-term benefits result only from high-quality early childhood development programs–ones characterized by a child development curriculum, trained teaching staff, administrative leadership and curriculum support, small classes with a teacher and a teaching assistant, and systematic efforts to involve parents as partners” (p. 7). To ensure that all pertinent issues are addressed in a childhood educational program, it is important to first establish a taskforce that looks into all these matters. This taskforce needs to consider relevant stakeholders without excluding the input of the parents, educators and responsible community members. Some of the primary functions of the taskforce should be the establishment of the best practices in childhood education, the confirmation of the details to be considered in the overall curriculum plus the consideration of the learning environment and all other factors that are of importance in program formulation (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1999).