ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The depletion of the ozone layer is of great concern to many scientists and policy-makers who have to find ways of stopping or at least reducing this process. Researchers have detected a great number of ozone holes and they can pose a significant threat to the health of many people and animals (Becket and Gallagher 197). They can also damage various plants that are important for ecological sustainability (Becket and Gallagher 197). Furthermore, this issue is relevant to a great number of countries. This paper is aimed at discussing the causes of ozone depletion, its impacts on environment, and strategies that can be used to address this problem. Overall, it is possible to say that to a large extent, the origins of this problem can be traced to human activities, especially the use of chemical substances. Moreover, it requires close international cooperation of environmental agencies as well as political leaders because the depletion of the ozone layer can have significant implications for nations. Ozone depletion and its causes First, it should be noted that the ozone layer is a very important component of atmosphere because it absorbs the ultraviolet light emitted by the Sun and protects livings beings from this dangerous radiation (Tobin 595). One can say that it acts as a shield that protects the Earth. Furthermore, ozone can interact with various chemical substances that can reach the stratosphere (Tobin 595). Scientists believe that that the existence of ozone holes can be attributed to a variety of factors. One of them is the presence of chlorofluorocarbons in the upper layers of atmosphere (Tobin 595). The problem is that the gases containing chlorine dissociate when they are exposed to ultraviolet light; as a result, the atoms of chlorine enter into a reaction with ozone and its
The explorers are members of the Speluncean Society. The explorers knew the danger of their work in the caves. Whetmore Roger led the Speluncean explorers. The mission went wrong when a landslide occurred during their exploration. At the time of the incident, the explorers were trapped in the mouth of the cave. The effect of the landslide blocked their escape route. The entrance caved in trapping them inside the cave. The men carried little food supplies. Their absence prompted a search and rescue team to explore their cave. The rescue operations took longer time due to the occurrence of more landslides. Communication was established with the trapped men and support rendered through verbal assistance to the wounded and starved. The trapped men ran out of food and asked the rescue team to speed up their work. They asked the rescue team if it is right to eat their kind. The rescue team declined to give any answer to their question. Whetmore led the team and took charge during and after the communication. He declined his initial decision to cast lots in the team. The team member agreed to cast lots and Whetmore was killed afterwards. The men survive twenty-five days in the cave after killing their colleague. They trapped men regained freedom after ten more days. They were later charged with the murder of Roger Whetmore. The trial of the Speluncean explorers is not about natural law or positivism. By law, he who kills another will be killed. The Speluncean case was about the philosophy of life. The tendency of being unfortunate was the cause of their actions. The judge found the defendants guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The judge explained his stand on the principle of the law and not by interpreting the law. Another twist to the verdict lies in the opinion that Whetmore was guilty of a criminal offence. Roger Whetmore agreed to use lots in solving their situation. He is part of the team and should be part of the defendants. During their communication, roger question the rescue team and devised the idea of casting lots. Roger became desperate to solve their problem by any means available. This is the only solution at their disposal and the men knew this fact. Compare and contrast The verdict given by different judges correlated another. The opinions of the judges differed based on personal conviction. The law governs the people and the people decide who govern them. Their leaders must follow the wishes of the majority. If the masses believe the defendants should be set free, the law must set them free. The verdict would be set aside and public opinion enforced. The defendants fought a fight for survival. They risked the life of one man for the safety of the remaining teams. If the testimony of the four accused members could not change the verdict, the judge must have followed natural law. The Speluncean case is complex. The judge has a duty to give a verdict but the reason for the verdict should not be technical. The decision of their conviction is
Introduction Zara is a global retail brand that designs and sells clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children. The brand is a part of Inditex, a retail corporation that also features other clothing brands, such as Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, and Massimo Dutti. Zara was initially developed as an affordable brand with a strong focus on fashion. Most of its operations, such as production and distribution are based in Spain and the nearby European countries. However, as the brand has developed a strong presence in the global research market, it might be beneficial to transform operations and allow for a significant degree of decentralization. The present paper will seek to provide an analysis of the case study by identifying and assessing the key issues affecting Zara, as well as providing recommendations for future development. Identification Zara was created in Spain, which remains the principal location of its operations. However, the company has also developed a truly global image, with thousands of stores all over the globe. The retailer operates both online and offline and has a robust supply chain with well-established suppliers. The company’s main strategy is to remain flexible in its operations, promote sustainability, and deliver excellent value to customers all over the globe. However, the implementation of this strategy is affected by several important issues. Zara has three large distribution centers in Spain, which arrange for shipments to other locations. The production of the brand, however, is decentralized, with factories in a variety of European countries. The different levels of centralization in production and distribution are the main issue faced by the company, as they contribute to transportation costs while also contradicting the brand’s sustainability strategy. Given that the three distribution centers in Spain serve all of Zara’s stores, including its online stores, the complex transportation chain also creates a risk of delivery delays and stock-outs, thus impacting its global sales and revenues. Another problem that was identified based on the information from the case is that Zara’s online store does not offer any significant benefits compared to other brands’ stores, thus relying on customers who are already familiar with the brand. This problem could affect the future of Zara’s online sales and thus needs to be addressed by the management. Analysis and Evaluation In order to judge the brand’s financial performance, it is critical to perform a ratio analysis. Zara’s financials are included in Inditex’s consolidated financial statements; however, as the
Introduction Kuwait is a small Arab country that is located on the Persian Gulf between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The population according to an estimate is around 2.6 million, with more than fifty percent population comprising of immigrants. Social issues Kuwait is predominantly a conservative country with controlled democracy. Under the kingdom rule, the ultimate power rests with the royal family of Kuwait. Some legislative powers nevertheless are assumed by the elected representatives. The social issues and problems vary from gender issues, a high proportion of the foreign workforce, joblessness to the environmental and ecological problems created due to rapid industrialization. Among the frequently highlighted issues in the country, one is the low productivity among the local workforce due to the high influence of favoritism and nepotism in promotions and merits. As mentioned earlier, a high proportion of the workforce in the country comprises foreigners. The executive positions are mostly assumed by personnel from Europe and the USA, while almost whole of the labor and blue-collar jobs are taken by the workers from third world countries. To safeguard the interest of the native workforce, the government of Kuwait has long been following the policy of Kuwaitization. This process is aimed at favoring the local workforce to compet
Entrepreneurs use a set of approaches and tools to assess the viability and potential of ideas and profit from them by developing and launching products. Cooper’s stage-gate model is one such approach that is key to any product or service in the commercial or non-commercial sector. Cooper’s stage-gate model is critical to the processes and performance of an organization as it reduces production errors and therefore saves the company from losses. Cooper’s stage-gate model is one of the most frequently used tools in the project development process. This model is based on the fact that any project is broken down into stages that make up a cascade, and to move from one stage to another, managers must go through the “gate” (Cooper, 2010). These gates are critical points for deciding whether to proceed to the next stage. Simultaneously, decisions made at these gates have such options as “go”, “kill”, “hold”, or “recycle” (Cooper, 2010). Each of the options should have clearly defined criteria. In other words, a project can move to the next stage, be completed because it is not profitable, withheld to resume at a more appropriate time, or sent back for revision. Cooper’s stage-gate model is critical because it saves companies the cost and time of developing failing products. According to the model, the zero stage is “discovery”, that is, determining a need for a new product and its central concept (Cooper, 2010). The first stage is “scoping” when the company analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the idea, the competition in the market, and the value of the product (Cooper, 2010). The gate after this stage is more difficult to pass since many factors can indicate the failure of the concept. For example, creating a new brand of smartphones may be a good idea; however, high competition requires unique qualities of devices attractive to the audience and significant resources to overcome Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung. Consequently, if the company cannot offer such attributes, the project should be closed, since its continuation requires resources, but it will fail. The next step is developing a business plan that describes in detail the features of the product, the necessary financial and human resources, and legal and regulatory aspects (Cooper, 2010). Using the example of smartphones, the gate after this stage may not be passed due to legal regulations or too high a cost that would be disadvantageous to the company. However, if the company moves to the next stage underestimating certain aspects, the project will fail and incur losses. The next stage is product development, which can also have sub-stages. Its result is the creation of a working prototype of the product (Cooper, 2010). All the intended functions and features of the product must work for the project to move to the next stage of tes
Introduction The presented advocacy initiative stems from the campaign carried out by the Canadian Association for Equality (n.d.), which is aimed at attracting public attention to violence against men. It is suggested to advocate for a non-discriminatory approach to domestic violence and abuse (DA) victims promoted with the help of a healthy relationship (HR) education. The recent event that prompted the proposed advocacy is the criticism of a banner that depicts a man as the victim of abuse. It indicates that society denies the fact that various groups can be victimized (Reddekopp, 2015). Therefore, the goals of the advocacy include education, public opinion formation, and the educational policy changing. Figure 1. Canada legislation that is relevant to domestic violence and abuse. Environmental Scan Key Decision Makers. Internal and External Alliances As Figure 1 shows, family violence is regulated by the Canadian federal legislation that is complemented by the territorial and provincial ones in most provinces. All the provinces and territories have specific laws for child protection (Department of Justice, 2015a). The victims receive help from police and local victim services (629 agencies), hospitals and religious organizations, and personal doctors and nurses (Department of Justice, 2015b). The research on abuse is supported by the Alliance of Canadian Research Centres on Violence (The Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women and Children, 2015). In other words, the issue is being addressed through governmental and non-governmental efforts. Canadian Women’s Foundation (2015) promotes advocate for the rights of female victims, and the Canadian
Introduction Erickson (108) notes that it is important for any country or region to be aware of disasters that can occur and be prepared against them. Lack of proper disaster preparedness skills may lead to major calamities in the event of risk. Hence, this is the reason why there are myriad of risks and calamities that are studied in environmental geology. Some of these calamities include landslides, earthquakes, flooding, mountain eruptions and wildfires. It is imperative to underscore that no particular area is immune to calamities. Some areas have already been identified to be more prone to certain natural calamities. For example, regions close to water bodies are usually vulnerable to floods. On the same note, if an area is close to an active volcanic mountain, there may be likelihood of eruptions (Erickson 117). This paper offers a succinct analysis of three major calamities that have occurred in Ventura County in Southern California. These are earthquakes, wildfires and flooding caused by tsunami. Besides, strategic measures that can put in place to manage these disasters have been discussed. Earthquakes in Ventura Earthquakes are common occurrences in Ventura. They are listed among calamities which are capable of causing massive destruction. Earthquakes are not only frightening, but also very destructive in large scale. However, academicians have come up with ways of measuring possibilities of an earthquake occurring in an area. According to Kusky (252), 90% of earthquakes occur due to the random movement of the earth’s tectonic plates. In most cases, these movements oppose each other leading to a massive rapture. The latter explains the reason why there are myriad of impacts caused by various scales of earthquakes. For example, the convergent-plate margin often causes compression of the tectonic plates. The basic understanding is that whenever an earthquake strikes, there may be some damage that cannot be quantified prior to the calamity. The following are some of the earthquakes that have occurred in Ventura region. Santa Barbara Earthquake- 21 st December 1912 This earthquake lasted for about 15 minutes and sent alarm to residents who started to flee from all buildings. There was only one fatality reported; however, there were various major destructions that were reported. Buildings sustained cracks while a chapel was flattened. A lot of property was damaged largely due to the fact that there was lack of thorough preparedness before the disaster. Santa Barbara earthquake, 29 th June 1925 This earthquake confirmed that Santa Barbara is one of the areas in Southern California that is vulnerable to spontaneous movements of tectonic plates. This was the second earthquake that occurred in this region after many years. Although this area had already been noted as one of the disaster prone spots, it was apparent that the state of preparedness was low. Oxnard-Port Hueneme- January 20, 1999 For close to two months, this area experienced minor quakes. Even
Vocational high schools offer vocational education, where the trainees are prepared for job opportunities. This training is non-academic and very specific to a job. The instructional workshops offer this training in vocational high schools. However, politics and the need to control vocational education have affected the functions of vocational training institutions (Kliebard, 1999). Instructional workshops lack amalgamation between vocational and academic education. Vocational education system has put in place a structure where the poor students are secluded into programs offering shallow skills. This will prevent them from participating in democracy (Grubb, 1997). The level of training in vocational workshops lack academic skills. In the 21 st century, education is paramount and non-stop; the certificates play a major role in one’s carrier (Jacobs & Grubb, 2003). There have been calls for reforms in the vocational education on the need of bridging a gap between secondary institutions, tertiary institutions and workplace. This will sustain the integration of the vocational and academic education (chappell, 2003). There is a rapid change in the place of work. Vocational training is not adjusting to these changes fast enough. It lacks economical and technological literacy training which is very relevant in the rapidly changing work environment (Oakes, 1986). The current vocational training programs are classroom based with minimum out of class lessons. This limits the exposure levels of the students. The students will understand the practicability of what they are learning if they are offered lessons at work place (Senge, et. al., 1999). If a student is offered work-based training, his experience will have a well-built intellectual constituent. Shop classes have been eradicated in most schools due to the budgetary cut-down. Those schools that still offer such courses, they minimize on practicals. The lack of practicals in shop classes has rendered its teaching and application almost impossible. There is a decline in the level of skills in the shop classes. Students are in most cases taught what those instrumentations are rather than being shown how they work, at a high level of vocational high school. The advancement of social networking has kept the students so occupied that they do not care about anything in shop classes. These means develop a generation with no mechanical skills, t
The vulnerable population is becoming a more and more serious challenge for the healthcare and medical spheres. The world faces the problem of human aging, and it causes an increase in the risk of mental diseases. Despite technological advances, there is still no treatment for personality disorders. One of the most widespread illnesses of the elderly is dementia. It is described by a continuous decline in cognitive activity with the loss to some extent of previously acquired knowledge and practical skills and difficulty or inability to learn new ones. The purpose of this paper is to describe the ways of supporting older people with dementia with the use of several strategies. It is possible to aid the elderly by providing direct care, reducing the level of their stress, organizing their schedule, and establishing national governmental programs. For a person with a mental disease, it is hard to perceive reality in the appropriate way. There are many issues that are stressful for people with dementia but ordinary for others. This is the reason why understanding the way of thinking of an older person is so crucial. First of all, they face the problem of getting access to medical aid. Not all of them live in specialized organizations or are being looked after by a caregiver or a nurse. A new way of contacting the hospital should be provided. It should be taken into consideration that for people with dementia, it is difficult to leave the house, not to mention medical facilities. What is more, medicine and drugs for dementia are expensive. Older adults with the mental disease are disabled, and the pension is not enough to cover all the expenses concerning the illness. There is no special governmental program to support them financially and psychologically. It is also important to mention that to make the disease progress slower, it is necessary to attend special classes and to work with the psychiatrist. The hypothetical counseling program might be focused on opening several centers with free activities for people with personality disorders. Mental disorders are among those diseases that hardly can be treated. One of the most common situations that are likely to develop problems for older people with dementia is asking for help. Depending on the level of progress of the illness, the human does not remember the number, cannot find the telephone, or forget the process of the conversation. However, there is a solution to this problem – all people who have such a diagnosis should be provided with the tracker on their hands. It looks like a bracelet or a wristwatch; and works in a very efficient way. Once a person with dementia needs some aid, he or sh
Case Brief Arabic BlackBerry: Adapting to the Language of the Market is an article that presents the case of a mobile phone maker, namely BlackBerry. The company has been at the forefront in creating mobile phones that have an Arabic language interface as a strategy to enter the Arab World (Armstrong et al. 150). The company has achieved considerable success in the Arab World, especially the UAE. This move is a major success for the company that has been trying to expand its market base from its traditional US and European markets. In its effort of introducing phones that feature the Arabic language, the company has collaborated with key stakeholders in the region such as Etisalat. Its goal is to offer more diversified options and phone applications such as the email, which is a major selling point for the BlackBerry (Armstrong et al. 151). The company is a pacesetter in the telephony world since it has established products that enable users to type and/or view Arabic websites. Another important highlight of the case is the current trend towards ‘the push email’ on mobile phones. Blackberry and other mobile phone makers have noted this application. Hence, the company is keen on implementing it in response to the market demand, especially in the corporate world. Overall, the case provides important insights into BlackBerry’s efforts towards establishing a market base in the Middle East. It also highlights key emerging technologies such as the push email, which other mobile vendors are also developing. Stages of Decision Process of Buyers The consumer is a critical part of a successful market. However, understanding how a consumer thinks before making the final decision to buy or decline a product remains an elusive aspect (Solomon 25). Despite these uncertainties, several approaches have been suggested towards understanding consumer’s decision-making process. The following are the five stages of buyers’ decision process: Problem Recognition A buyer’s decision-making process of begins with the presence of a problem that he or she wants to address (Sheth 46). For instance, in the case of BlackBerry, a potential buyer may realise that he or she needs a portable device to send and receive emails. Until such problem is fulfilled, the buyer will not be comfortable. The Search Process Once the buyer decides on what is required, he or she must address the problem. The customer then moves to the next step of searching the products or services that will adequately address the identified problem (Kalaycı and Potters 14). In the search process, various tools and approaches are applied (Hawkins and Mothersbaug