ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Failures in the field of engineering are a common occurrence. From the Johnstown Flood that occurred in 1889 to the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, engineering disasters have always originated from the contravention of engineering ethics. Common causes include poor designs, neglect of safety protocols, unethical cost-cutting measures, and poor construction procedures. In many cases, miscommunication, ignorance, and negligence are often cited as the causes of disasters. Ethics in engineering can be divided into two groups: micro and macro ethics. Micro ethics encompass all personal decisions that are connected to careers and lives. These include values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, adherence to safety, competence, and ensuring quality. Macro ethics in corporate decisions are connected to the social responsibility of the engineering profession. Examples include product liability, public welfare, environmental protection, sustainable development, and bioethics. The Bhopal disaster and the 1975 Banqiao Dam failure are two of the most devastating disasters that occurred due to gross violation of engineering ethics. The Bhopal Disaster The Bhopal Disaster is cited as one of the most devastating industrial disasters that have ever occurred in the field of chemical engineering, it took place in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh state in India in the year 1984. On December 3, approximately 45 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from an insecticide plant and spread over the densely populated neighborhoods in the surrounding areas (Rajkumar, 2017). As a result, more than 600,000 were exposed to the highly toxic gas. Several estimates of the casualties have been released since the incident. For instance, immediately after the catastrophe occurred, 2,259 people died (Pitta, 2015). In 2008, the families of 3,787 people who lost their lives due to the incident were compensated by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. A 2006 record released by the government revealed that 558, 125 people suffered injuries, both minor ad serious. (Rajkumar, 2017) Victims of the leak reported burns in the eyes and throats and nausea. Statistics estimate the death toll to be between 15,000 and 20,000 (Taylor, 2014). Survivors of the incident have reported several side effects, including blindness and respiratory complications. The disaster was caused by the poor quality of the facility, and the
Introduction Economics is one of the bases on which modern human society is built. The levels of people’s wellbeing, their incomes and expenses, the rates of industrial and agricultural development, and many other factors depend on and derive from economics. At the same time, there are serious threats to this basis of the proper social development that Sloman and Hinde (2006) call the “traditional macroeconomic issues” (Sloman and Hinde, 2006, Chapter 6). These issues include unemployment, the unequal balance of payments, problematic economic growth, and inflation. The latter is the most dangerous issue in many respects. First, inflation means a decrease in the value of the local currency. Second, inflation is caused by increased spending and leads to increased prices. Third, inflation slows down the economic growth of the country. Therefore, national monetary authorities should react properly to higher inflation rates. Literature Review The review of the relevant scholarly literature allows coming closer to defining the techniques that monetary authorities can use in situations of inflation increase. Thus, Begg, Dornbusch, and Fisher (2008) focus predominantly on the meaning of inflation for the overall bargaining power of people. More specifically, these authors connect the uncertainty regarding inflation rates with the uncertainty that people experience regarding the real values of their incomes (Begg, Dornbusch, and Fisher, 2008, p. 506). Therefore, what monetary authorities can do in this situation is provide people with actual inflation projections and specifically designed strategies of inflation reduction, which will be a monetarist approach allowing the economy to recover through its resources. Critical Analysis Further on, Griffiths and Wall (2004) consider the importance of regulatory policies implemented by the government, and the monetary authorities it controls, for developing people’s confidence during inflation (Griffiths and Wall, p. 414). Thus, the uncertainty associated with inflation can be reduced when people see that the authorities work on solving the problem. An example of such a policy is the Keynesian approach taken by the Bank of England that establishes interest rates about the national economic goals, participates in the international economic transactions, and maintains “confidence in the note issue” (Griffiths and Wall, 2004, p. 414). Moreover, McAleese (2004) expresses an interesting point of view according to which inflation is first of all the product of governmental activities. Monetary authorities, as the bodies that are usually subordinated to the government, thus also play an important role in inflation emergence and elimination (McAleese, 2004, p. 282). According to McAleese (2004), inflation is sustained when the money supply is accompanied by permanently increasing spending levels (McAleese, 2004, p. 283). Therefore, the best alternative for monetary authorities to react to higher inflation is to reduce its
Introduction Living in the era of information technology implies that the majority of transactions are digitalized. These changes have influenced many spheres, and it could be said that they were the primary drivers for the development of various types of digital currencies (Chuen, 2015). These categories of money can be actively used to purchase different goods and services online while being considered as reliable financial instruments. Bitcoin is one of the well-known currencies, and it has worldwide recognition. It is the central player in the market of the digital currencies and can be considered as one of the concepts that have an impact on the development of the modern e-commerce (Tschorsch & Scheueramann, 2016). Overall, it could be said that this trend is one of the main concepts of e-economy, and it shows that the financial world continues to evolve and takes advantage of various innovative financial principles and novelties (Chuen, 2015). Speaking of the value of this topic to businesses, platforms like Bitcoin offer more opportunities to companies that operate in different industries. For example, they ease transactions by making money transfers fast and secure. At the same time, due to the rising popularity of digital currencies worldwide, the companies have to monitor any changes in demand for these financial tools and be prepared to modify their payment methods to stay competitive and be attractive to their customers. As for society, active involvement of the Internet in everyday activities implies that digital currencies such as Bitcoin may become more popular, as they ease the purchasing process. Overall, digital currencies are important to consider in the context of this case study since they have a critical impact on consumer behavior and the economic environment. Case Study Analysis As it was mentioned earlier, the central aim of this case study is to focus on digital currencies such as Bitcoin. The concept of Bitcoin was developed in 2009 by Nakamoto, who introduced the idea of the decentralized currency (Tschorsch & Scheueramann, 2016). This idea implies that the issue of bitcoins is not controlled by the authorities such as banks and other legal entities, but all transactions are transparent and publically visible. It could be said that the primary reason for creating this digital currency is the need to introduce a new universal financial instrument that can be discovered as an equivalent to gold (Popper, 2015). Nonetheless, this matter implied that only a limited number of bitcoins are released a
Introduction Nigeria detected its first HIV/AIDS case in 1986, and since then, the country has gradually registered HIV/AIDS statistics that qualify for an AIDS epidemic. In 1991, the prevalence was 1.8%. In 1996, it shot up to 4.5%. In 2001, it recorded a high of 5.8% and finally in 2003, the figure was 5%. The decline that Nigeria registered in 2003 is an improvement in its health standards, but it is still far from leaving the epidemic zone. Unfortunately, sub-Saharan countries such as Nigeria are more susceptible to breeding the virus because of certain circumstances and conditions, which are prevalent in them but absent in other systems. The way people live, work, feed, school, and even engage in recreational activities determines how their health shall fare. Moreover, HIV/AIDS awareness programs are on the increase and a country like Nigeria is yet to reap the fruits of the knowledge dispatched by such programs. It has become apparent that the government alone cannot possibly bear the burden of a nation’s health crisis. It requires all the assistance it can get from the civil society, nongovernmental organizations, and other parastatals. However, Nigerians are presently experiencing health inequalities that the government, with the assistance of the civil society, can easily alleviate if they collaborate to put in place a self-sufficient system of health that will serve its population adequately. Thesis This paper reviews the Nigerian system of health from both the governmental and nongovernmental perspectives giving special attention to the activities of two civil society organizations in Nigeria, GHAIN-Global Health Action in Nigeria, managed by Family Health International FHI and HALT AIDS. There are numerous repercussions of having a HIV / Aids epidemic in a nation but due to a limitation of space and subject, this paper shall only handle issues on HIV / AIDS and infant / mortality rate in Nigeria. Of specific interest will be the causes, effects, and prevention, as well as treatment strategies adopted by the various civil society organizations to reduce infection, maintain the sickly, and cater for orphans and vulnerable children, (OVC). It shall also address possible solutions to the various problems that these civil society organizations face. It is important to note that these two health issues are somewhat related and so for the purposes of this paper shall be studied as an integrated problem. HIV/ AIDs is a major cause of infant / maternal mortality with other factors also being major contributors, but likewise, these other factors, such as early sexual encounters are also causes of HIV / AIDS prevalence. The Commission’s final report on Health Inequity According to the Commission on Socia
Review of parameters For an article to fit the parameters of primary research toxicology, it must describe the adverse effects of the hazardous substance being studied. The study of adverse effects of the substance could be conducted in vitro with the use of animal models. In addition, the paper should address some gaps in the area of toxicology (Kasperczyk et al., 2013). For a paper to fit the parameters of primary research epidemiology, it must provide essential epidemiological information about a hazardous substance. It must also describe health effects and strategies to avoid chemical exposures (Riedt et al., 2009). Important exposure pathways for lead Lead enters the body through three exposure pathways. If lead is inhaled, it gets to the lungs via the mouth. From the lungs, it enters the blood stream which transports it to other parts of the body like the bones. It could also get into the body through ingestion. From the stomach, the ingested lead enters the blood stream. This is the fastest pathway of accumulating lead in the body. Absorption is another exposure pathway whereby lead gets into the body via the skin. From the skin, it is absorbed into the blood. High levels of lead cause adverse effect to body organs and tissues (Riedt et al., 2009; Kasperczyk et al., 2013). Article description on Riedt, C. S., Buckley, B. T., Brolin, R. E., Ambia-Sobhan, H., Rhoads, G. G., & Shapses, S. A. (2009). Blood lead levels and bone turnover with weight reduction in women. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology , 19 (1), 90-96. The primary research epidemiological study aimed to determine whether an increase in bone turnover linked to loss of weight could increase blood lead levels. The researchers measured blood lead levels in 73 women before and after weight loss (severe and moderate). Blood lead levels were also measured in women who did not lose weight (Riedt et al., 2009). The study found that bone turnover correlated positively with weight loss. The results have practical implications on epidemiology because measures could be adopted to reduce the amount of lead released into the blood stream when there is high rate of bone turnover (Riedt et al., 2009). Article description on Kasperczyk, A., Dziwisz, M., Ostałowska, A., Świętochowska, E., & Birkner, E. (2013). Function of the liver and bile ducts in humans exposed to lead. Human & experimental toxicology , 32 (8), 787–796. The primary research toxicological study aimed to determine the effects chronic lead exposures on functions of the liver and bile ducts. The study participants (n=145) were selected because their occupations exposed them to significant amounts of lead (Kasperczyk et al., 2013). The shapes of the liver and bile ducts were determined through imaging procedures. To assess the functions of the bile ducts and liver, the enzymatic activities of particular enzymes and amounts of bilirubin were determined in blo
Introduction Meeting deadlines is an integral part of work life. However, failure to meet deadlines for projects by employees may result in mistrust between them and their employers, demotion, or loss of jobs. Such aftermaths of deadlines cause stress on employees. This study presents the strategies that can be executed to alleviate deadline-associated stress and conflict in the workplace. Strategies of meeting deadlines To avoid the occurrence of intrapersonal and task-related conflict, employees can embark on the following strategies. First, Waller, Conte, Gibson, and Carpenter (2001) assert that employees can negotiate early with their bosses concerning unrealistic deadlines. This negotiation can be done when setting deadlines. Employees should communicate openly with their supervisors on time allocation and availability of the required resources for a timely accomplishment of projects. According to Alper, Tjosvold, and Law (2000), employees should avoid negotiating for deadlines when they are due. Secondly, employees should take all deadlines seriously to ensure personal accountability. Waller et al. (2001) further affirm that deadlines that are set for all tasks should be strictly planned for and adhered to. In most cases, employees are unable to meet deadlines for tasks that seem small or have a lot of time since they put them aside in the hope of accomplishing them in the future. Procrastination of tasks should be avoided since it disrupts time management towards meeting deadlines. Alper et al. (2000) recommend that employees also need to be accountable for the tasks they set to accomplish and/or commit to deliver on time. Accountability ensures that workers plan for all the time they have according to the tasks that are ahead of them. Personally responsible They should be personally responsible for any perceived failure to achieve deadlines that are set for various tasks. Responsibility drives commitment towards accomplishing tasks on time. Thirdly, plans such as keeping a calendar on the desk and highlighting important deadlines help in avoiding deadline-related stress. A calendar that indicates deadlines for various tasks should be displayed on a clearly visible point to remind the employee of the urgency of the task. This strategy enables the employee to prioritize tasks that are more urgent. Waller et al. (2001) assert that prioritizing ensures that tasks that are more urgent than others are accomplished first to avoid deadline stress. The employee can also set alarm as a reminder of time lapse. In case they realize that they are embarking on a task at the expense of another urgent one, they can stop and work on it (the urgent task) to curb any deadline-linked stress. Fourth, Alper et al. (2000) confirm that employees should break the tasks into segments and set deadlines for each segment. It is
Introduction Discrimination at workplaces is not a new phenomenon as it has existed in various fields for a long time. Basically, discrimination occurs when an employer holds certain prejudice against a certain employee or a group of certain workers based on reasons that are superficial. These reasons may be on basis of age, race, sexual orientation, class or even disability among others. As a result all the employees though they possess equal qualifications are treated differently since the employer treats some less favorably than others. This may be in cases of promotion, pursuing some training of even payment among many others. Discrimination in a working environment may take various forms depending on the way it is carried out. Types of discrimination The various types of discriminations in the workplaces include; direct and indirect form of discrimination, harassment, and victimization. Direct discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee less favorably for reasons like race difference, disability or the other reasons stated above. For example such a case would be experienced where a position in a workplace is only open to individuals who are of a certain race. Indirect form of discrimination on the other hand occurs when an employer or the management places some conditions that are not universal where those conditions may disadvantage one group of people within the working environment. For instance, when the management or the employer places a strict rule that workers must dress in a certain way, some members of certain religions might feel disadvantaged. Harassment in the work place is also viewed as another form of discrimination. This is where a worker is exposed to intimidating language or behavior like racial language with an aim of humiliating or undermining him or her. Victimization on the other hands involves treating an employee in a less favorably manner since he or she tried to make a complaint about a certain form of discrimination in the organization. Practices that have promoted inequality in workplaces The current increase in the temporary, part-time wage work and other forms of employment that is not covered by labor laws and policies in Canada has contributed a lot to cases of discrimination and other irregularities in the Canadian labor market. Different practices are used by employers and these organizations to maintain forms of inequality for a particular category of employees or group of workers. In Canada the standard employment relation which took root after the Wo
Introduction Automotive industry is rapidly growing due to increasing demand for new car models. Such a situation on the market has brought dramatic shift within the industry with the major multinationals, strategizing their businesses for the purposes of enhancing the market share and their global presence. Concurrently, there exists emerging markets for multinationals within developing countries. There is clear evidence that manufacturers nowadays try to improve sales rate of their automobiles, augmenting revenues, hence realizing their remarkable profitability (Norcliffe 2006, p. 56). Demand for automobiles has reached a high record within the international markets despite increased competition. This calls for enhancement of production processes through the use of cost effective concepts within supply chain capable of meeting changing market demands. In the year 2009, automotive industries within the United States encountered one of the most detrimental crises in history. Statistics shows that varying changes on automotive sales have always occurred in the industry at different periods. Multinationals dominating the industry, such as General motors (GM), Ford, and Chrysler (the Detroit), had been gradually experiencing drastic drop in sales and market share until it became evident in late 2008 (Bennett, 2005). How might the governments in the developing and developed economies seek to impact the automotive industry? The effect of 2008/2009 recession was felt globally due to globalized financial sector as well as strong international linkages (Van Biesebroeck & Sturgeon 2010). The effects were severe on global value chains leading to reduced demands for automobiles in the United States as well as in Europe. This directly affected developing economies based on various linkages through production steps. The crisis forced Western governments to seek for solution within the financial sector (Van Biesebroeck & Sturgeon 2010). There were cases of propping up firms from manufacturing sector for the purposes of avoiding large-scale bankruptcies (Van Biesebroeck, & Sturgeon 2010). The program included many automotive firms, which were to be protected from sinking through cash infusions, subsidies as well as cheap credit. Foreign direct investments within developing countries were first exported back to developed countries (Van Biesebroeck & Sturgeon 2010). However, the situation changed when local markets were also considered. In case such kind of global value chain is taken into consideration, innovation and design functions usually remain within industrial countries and developing world used for production purposes