ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Singapore is an Asian country that has a population of approximately five million people. The country has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world. Since its independence in 1965, the country has taken several steps that have led to significant improvements in its healthcare system. In 1983, the government developed the National Healthcare Plan. The aim of the plan was to provide a roadmap for the development of the healthcare system for the next 20 years (Meng-Kin 17). During this period, the government introduced several programs that targeted various groups of people. In 2002, the government introduced the ElderShield plan. The aim of this program was to improve the healthcare of the elderly and disabled. On the other hand, the US healthcare industry is more than two centuries old. The US government spends vast sums of money on healthcare provision. Medicaid and Medicare account for the lion’s share of government expenditure on healthcare provision. This necessitates the US government to formulate strategies that would help in reducing the cost of healthcare provision. Increase in the proportion of the elderly to the total population necessitates the US government to take urgent steps to prevent further escalation of the healthcare budget. The US government should formulate a strategy that would help in replicating the strengths of the healthcare system of Singapore in the US healthcare system. Healthcare Regulation Singapore’s healthcare system has three pillars. The healthcare system strives to improve the general health of the population through various preventive healthcare programs. In addition, the healthcare system puts great emphasis on the personal responsibility of individuals towards their healthcare. The government strives to reduce the cost of healthcare services by subsidising healthcare in public health institutions. The Ministry of Health (MOH), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) are the main health regulators. CPF is a social security savings plan that enables Singapore nationals to support themselves in their old age (Ho 95). On the other hand, the US has one of the most complex healthcare regulations in the world. Numerous agencies help in regulation of healthca
Introduction Agricultural production is highly dependent on soils structure and fertility. For centuries, farmers all over the world have relied on wastewater biosolids to enhance soil structure and improve their yields. Essentially, biosolids are organic matter obtained through the treatment of wastewater and used for beneficial agricultural purposes. Biosolids provide a safer, cheaper, and easily accessible soil enhancer, which is a viable alternative for inorganic fertilizers. Over the years, agriculture has suffered from a severe resource strain, especially in terms of fertilizers and groundwater, calling for environmental-friendly measures to address these deficiencies. Although inorganic fertilizers have been used widely, they are harmful to users necessitating the search for an alternative. In the era of global warming and climate change, there is an emphasis on environmental conservation while ensuring human health is not jeopardized. This essay demonstrates that biosolids are safe, beneficial to the environment, and essential for enhancing the soil structure while providing a better alternative to inorganic fertilizers. Soils Structure Enhancement Biosolids enhance soils structure properties such as texture and water-holding capacity. Soil texture serves man purposes such as determining the type of crops grown. One of the key determinants of crop growth is the ability of roots to hold firmly to the ground, failure to which they can be uprooted by wind resulting in significant losses. According to Chow and Pan (2020), biosolids are essential in the agricultural sector due to their role in adding and replenishing lost soil nutrients, improving soil structure. Soil organic matter is the main component that holds soil particles together, giving the soil a good texture suitable for plants’ growth. The application of biosolids enhances soil’s water-holding capacity and minimizes soil erosion, which is crucial for plant growth, especially in terrestrial lands. One of the effects of global warming is long durations of sunlight that increase the chances of soil losing water. In many terrestrial lands, the ability of soil to retain moisture is the most crucial factor that determines whether crops grow or not. In some cases, crops die even in heavy rains because soils lose up to 50 % of water through evapotranspiration, a challenge that can be mitigated by application of biosolids in drylands (Barbarick et al., 2017). By holding soil particles together, biosolids enable soils to retain their humus and water, providing long-term support for plant growth. Environmental Sustainability and Human Health Biosolids pose negligible risks to human health and contribute to environmental protection and sustainability. Exposure to chemical pollutants is a major health hazard that contributes to many illnesses and complications. Through the Environ
When Robert Kolker set out writing his article entitled “The Madoff Exiles” for the October 5, 2009 issue of New York, he made it quite evident that he strove to put faces upon the little known and acknowledged Madoff scheme victims. Those people whose voices remained unheard by the powers that be because they did not invest multi-million or multi-billion dollars in the longest-running Ponzi scheme of all time. These are the people in the middle-class population, those who believed that they had invested wisely so that they could finally retire when they finally got tired of working. The most painful part of the Madoff scam is not the fact that these people lost their lifetime of savings to a man who sold them broken promises and air-drawn dreams, but rather that he and his cohorts robbed them of their hopes in life and got away with it. True as it may be that Bernie Madoff shall spend his last breath within the 4 walls of a prison cell, most of his victims feel that this punishment is not enough. Quite frankly, I agree with them. For even though he shall never see the light of freedom again, neither will the people he conned of their hard-earned money ever see a penny of their capital and promised earnings either. Thus, it would seem like the perpetrators of the crime got away with a “perfect crime”. That of divesting people of their money and finding protection within the government beaurocracy to protect themselves from suit. The true antagonists in this setup are not limited to Bernie Madoff and his family. No. For anybody who works to prevent the people from reclaiming that which is truly theirs in one way or another should be called an antagonist. In this case, I believe that they are represented by the SEC, SPIC, Irving Picard, and the IRS, who are all to blame for this fiasco. They all dropped the ball in one way or another over the past 16 years. They all saw the signs of a scam and chose to ignore it. Kolker, in his investigative piece, carefully laid out for his readers the details by which these “watchdogs” could have and should have caught Bernie Madoff and his cohorts in their scamming ways. As I continued to read his article, the one question that kept running through my mind was “How could they have ignored all of the signs?” Even the hedge fund managers could be said to be at fault because, being trained professionals, they should have known that the deals being offered were too good to be true and should have acted conservatively on their clients’ behalf. It is highly unfair of the government to make it so difficult for the victims of the Madoff scam to recover their principal investments sans projected earnings. Just as we are expected to tell the truth on our tax forms and pay the proper amounts to help our country with its fiscal expenses, so must the taxmen be fair to the people of the country who, it is now apparent, paid the government in good faith for something which was a fraud. The middle class and senior citizens who invested their life savings in the Madoff funds must be properly remunerated by the IRS if only t
Introduction For a health pyramid plan, what is important to consider is to assess oneself first, know some health histories and other significant information that will be detrimental in planning to execute the health pyramid plan. Thus, below are some of the information, which, I think, are necessary for my health pyramid:   * I am 34 male 240lbs   * I work at hence I mostly sit at work   * I have 2 kids, 2 boys one is 2 and the other is 9 so they keep me busy   * my blood pressure is a little high due to my asthma   * My asthma is not real bad anymore so it just bothers me a little   * My normal diet (food) include pizza burgers and chicken   * I need to walk more and have some form of exercise. Considering some of the information I listed above, I believe that I need to know some more information regarding my asthma and my tendency to have high blood pressure. Based on the research that I read, asthma is defined as the occurrence of dyspneic bronchospasmodic crises that are linked to bronchial hyperreactivity (BH). As an autoimmune disease, asthma is a chronic disturbance of immunological function that can be controlled to some extent, but not eradicated, by modern drug therapy. In other words, asthma does not just refer to the attacks instead, asthma is considered as a chronic disturbance of the immune system. The attacks are the “tip of the iceberg.” Hence, any treatment aimed only at relaxing airways and relieving symptoms, be it orthodox or herbal, is superficial and will not change the chronicity of the disease (Germouty J. et al., 1988). More so, asthma is an inflammatory chronic public health problem throughout the world affecting people of all ages, which can result in variable restrictions in the physical, emotional, and social aspects of a patient’s life (Bousquet, et.al. 1994). It is estimated that around 300 million people in the world currently have asthma (O’Byrne, 2006). The prevalence of asthma increases as communities adopt modern lifestyles and become urbanized (Bousquet, et.al. 2003). With the proportion of the world’s population living in urban areas projected to increase from 45 to 59% in 2025, there is likely to be a marked increase in the number of people with asthma worldwide over the next two decades. It is estimated that there may be an additional 100 million people with asthma by 2025 (Masoli et. al. 2004). As for my high blood pressure, I found out that uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke. Thus education and lifestyle changes are only part of the solution. It also requires providing equitable access to early detection and treatment, specifically screening, medications, and follow-up care. The serious challenge for me is to find ways to provide adequate access to the medical care needed to control high blood pressure and the health problems that can result from poor management. Identification of the health/nutrition problem targeted With all the above-stated information, I am certain that I need
In order to develop the entire home network that can be actively used for performing different tasks, it is important to plan to purchase the appropriate hardware and focus on the issues of security management. Orienting to the available budget of $1,000.00, it is important to describe the required hardware and the network system; to select concrete items to be used for completing the home network; to discuss the approach to beck up devices, and to suppose areas for the further improvement of the network. The Required Hardware Assuming that such computer components as a monitor and keyboards are ready to be used, it is important to purchase the Dell Precision PC with the installed video card and Intel Processor. A network card is also installed on the computer. This computer is cost-efficient and characterized by access to wired and wireless networks. The DDR3 SDRAM memory and hard drive in 500 GB are appropriate for the chosen type of the network. In order to provide an additional workplace and access to the home network, it is necessary to purchase a Dell Inspiron Laptop. The additional memory card should be purchased to guarantee effective and quick work with a lot of materials daily. It is also important to focus on selecting the Dell External hard drive for storing and sharing the materials within the network (Gillooly, 2011). The other important component of the network is a printer (Table 1). The selected wireless all-in-one printer is an appropriate choice because it allows avoiding the use of the additional print server and other technologies and devices. The most important aspect of the home network is the provision of the wired and wireless Internet connection. The broadband cable modem is selected for this network because it enables wireless connectivity and wired connectivity while having the in-built router and many ports for effective device connectivity. The wired components of the system should be connected with the help of appropriate cables. While focusing on the use of the broadband cable modem with the in-built router, it is possible to guarantee that all the selected hardware devices have access to both wireless and wired connections, and the broadband connection is provided. All the selected components can be purchased while using the budget of $1,000.00. Table 1. The Costs of Required Items at Amazon.com Required Item                                                                                             Amount  Price at Amazon.com Dell Precision T350
Nassim Nicholas Taleb article, Scaring Us Senseless reflects how humans have failed to use relevant statistics to perceive danger. Instead, people react to emotions and perceptions, which lead to immediate overreacting and later under reacting. Shock and fading memory control these reactions. He acknowledges that people cannot respond rationally to instances of terrorism. Therefore, terrorism relies on human weaknesses in controlling perceptions about strange phenomena. First, Taleb notes that neurobiologists and behavioral scientists have observed that risk avoidance does not depend on reason, cognition, and intellect of humans. Instead, risk avoidance depends on emotional systems of humans. As a result, terrorists have exploited this human frailty. Second, Taleb shows that emotional reactions do not account for statistics. This could be due to complexity of terrorism in a complex environment. Emotional systems serve humans in simple environments with simple dangers. The vulnerable nature of the emotional system makes it tolerable to shallow, social, and anecdotal information rather than abstract data. This inhibits humans’ abilities to cope with highly complex dangers that exist in the modern environment. Emotions dominate humans’ reasoning abilities. This hinders one’s abilities to make rational decisions. For instance, people would tend to spend much on terrorism insurance than on general insurance. Taleb observes that the use of the word ‘terrorism’ evokes emotional reactions in people and creates anxieties. This may distort one’s ability to make decisions on abstract data. Third, Taleb notes that people choose to reward behaviors and act on perceptions differently. This may depend on sensational nature of a given behavior. For instance, one may perceive and reward heroism acts of people who leap into action in unusual events, but ignore those who advocate for prevention. According to Taleb, an act of prevention is an abstract concept while an act of heroism is in simple narratives that human can easily grasp. Context influences how one reacts to unusual events. For instance, Taleb observes that humans’ emotional systems react to concrete and proximate events. Moreover, the reaction depends on anecdotal information that may influence how fast one reacts and forgets the risk. Media have ethical responsibilities when reporting unusual events like terrorism. Taleb notes that media can strengthen emotional distortion. They can use images to affect the brain by magnifying images that appeal to the emotional brain. In this context, the
Introduction Despite reforms efforts by most of Latin American countries in the last three decades, the economic and social improvements are still wanting. Chile stands out to be an exception with increased economic growth of over seven percent, significant reduction in poverty rate amid average income levels and high employment rates (Corbo, Hernández and Parro 8). The paper will be concentrating on the economies of Chile and Peru and critically examining their similarities and differences. While the economies share several aspects that are common, they are driven by diverse variables that contribute to the differences in growth and strength. The two economies are primarily driven by mining and agricultural activities. However, during the transformations, the two countries pursued diverse policies that caused economic differences in terms of growth and stability. Depending on the current literature that emphasizes on the significance of policies and institutions, the argument is that Chile’s better economic performance was due to its economic policies that were broader and inclusive. Essentially, during the economic reforms, Chile ended up with better macro-economic fundamentals including better policies and strong institutions that resulted in the implementation of the strategies (Acemoglu, Johnson and Thaicharoen 52). On the other hand, Peru economic transformations have been riddled with weak institutions and lack of political will to transform the economy. Despite these challenges, Peru’s economy has been recognized as one of the most significant in the region. Comparing and contrasting the two economies Historically, the two economies have been growing steadily over the last three decades though at different rates. Essentially, after 1940s, the Chilean and Peruvian economies g
Structural changes in policies and a number of laws caused dispute among the Australian pilots in 1989. One such law is the Accord Mark VI. This law had resulted in the altering of long-established working conditions and practices where employers (Wilson 1998:551; cited in Learmonth, 2005) were able to exploit the workers by paying them little and expecting them to give maximum productivity according to AFAP (O’Connell 1988:10; Learmonth, 2005). These legal implications arose following the breakdown of negotiations, resulting to the longest and most bitter dispute between the AFAP and the Australian government. The laws before the adoption of the Industrial Relations Reform Act of 1993 did not allow workers to strike, and hence AFAP could not seek this as the option. The pilots were left to, one; hope that the government and the airlines would reconsider their attitudes. This would make them place their superannuation, savings and family home in jeopardy. Secondly, pilots had the option to resign in order to guarantee the safety of their family assets, and according to Takver (2004), this is the alternative they took. The Hawke government had introduced the Prices and Incomes Accord in 1993 and this, according to M. Browne, had played an important role in the 1989 dispute. This accord was perceived to put a constraint and avoid the ballooning of wages which would lead to inflation, which would in turn affect the economy. The impact of the accord was the decline of pilot wages from 1983. Two major factors have been attributed to leading to the dispute on pay increase: one is that pilots got dissatisfied with the announcement which was made in the middle of 1989 that a 15 to 20 % salary increase would be given to them. This is because they felt that this would equate them to judges and made them be dissatisfied. The second factor that contributed to the dispute was that Ansett pilots were being paid better. The salary for the Australian Airline pilot Captains had gone down by 23% and that of First Officers by 21% according to Takver. The dispute did not only cause a problem amongst the pilots but also affected negatively the Australian economy and those industries relying on airlines. Moral and legal issues associated with the dispute can be contemplated; one, the airline industry would suffer by loosing skilled pilots to oversees markets. Secondly, the 30% increase in pilot wages through the Prices and Incomes Accord, would not only impact negatively to the economy, but would also set a precedent for other employees in different industries. The
Terry Orlick’s book In Pursuit of Excellence is primarily intended for professional athletes who strive to attain the best results. However, it can also be of great interest to people who want to achieve success in a certain professional area that may not be related to sports. Furthermore, this book can benefit to people who support the idea of life-long learning. This paper is aimed at examining the main lessons that can be derived from this text. One can say that some of the suggestions offered by Terry Orlick may appear to be self-evident, but they are often overlooked even by experienced professionals. Additionally, they can be useful for avoiding various pitfalls, such as the loss of motivation or inability to cope with stress. This is the main argument that can be put forward. One of the most important points is that the pursuit of excellence should be based on the rational choice taken by an individual and his/her positive outlook. First of all, people should clearly identify meaningful reasons that prompt them to display their best qualities and reach the highest performance standards (Orlick, 2008, p. 5). In turn, the inability to identify these motives is the main reason why some athletes become less competitive in the long term. This is one of the main points that can be made. So, one should clearly understand why he/she intends to gain leading positions in a certain field. This principle can be applied to people who work in other areas. Moreover, many individuals can lose motivation provided that they pay attention only to hardships or challenges that they have to struggle with. Instead, they should focus on the positive aspects of their improved performance or the results that they can obtain (Orlick, 2008, p. 5). This is why it is critical to remember about the rewards of becoming the leader. This issue should be considered by people who intend to display excellent results for a long time. In my opinion, this lesson is important because it helps an individual to retain the motivation for pursuing professional growth. In the future, I will rely on this recommendation provided by Terry Orlick. In particular, it will be of great use to me when I may struggle with some professional difficulties or challenges. This is why this point should not be disregarded. Apart from that, in his book, Terry Orlick emphasizes the importance of distraction control which is critical for people who want to be top-performers. The author provides several examples to illustrate this point. For instance, he speaks about the changes in the schedule, conflicts with teammates, financial difficulties, educational concerns, and so forth (Orlick, 2008, p. 89). However, his recommendations can be of great value to other professionals. The problem is that in many cases, people’s performance declines, and this decline can be attributed to the changes in external environment or sudden stressors. For instance, it is possible to mention that people can become less attentive to his/her work due to some emotional problems or interpersonal conflicts which have an adverse effect on a person’s professional r