ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Death is an inevitable event in the life of every living being, and it usually scares people. Medically, death means stopping life’s functions – breathing, blood circulations, and others. However, such an understanding can be questioned due to the invention of life support devices and the development of the death of the brain concept (“Philosophical definition of death or the scientific version?” 2019). Such inventions are bringing scientists closer to philosophical reflections on what death is. At the same time, various philosophers have distinctive views on this issue. For example, Plato believed that death is the separation of the soul from the body, and Epicurus saw it as nothing (“Death: Philosophy definitions,” n.d.). Thus, ignoring various philosophical and religious views, death can practically be interpreted as a complete cessation of the body’s vital functions. When faced with the death of loved ones, as well as with other traumatic events, a person usually experiences grief. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified and described five stages of grief in 1969 – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Gregory, 2020). Their manifestation can be considered using the example of the philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff, who devoted a book to his experience of grief. He lost his son Eric, who died in an accident at the age of twenty-five while rock climbing. The book’s uniqueness is that it does not describe grief as a psychological phenomenon but immerses readers into the real-life experience. This feature helps grieving people find a response and comfort in it, rather than the detached narrative. The death of his son shocked Wolterstorff, which is a sign of denial along with confusion. He describes these feelings in this way: “It was like being toss
Background Kripsy Kreme Company (KKD) currently with headquarters in North Carolina was established in 1937. The company specializes in production of baked products such as doughnuts and supplies various retail shops and groceries. There was great improvement in production processes when the company adopted mechanized and computerized system of making doughnuts. However, it was until early 1990 when the company embraced public domain through its operation system. The move attracted investors who were interested in purchasing franchising rights facilitating penetration within various parts of United States, Canada and other international markets such as Australia. The company underwent some difficult season in the year 2005, since main franchisee branches in Arizona and New Mexico were declared bankrupt. The same scenario happened to stores within Canada and Far-East including Hong Kong (Anderson). The objective of KKD was to be an excellent business entity with constant and quality supply of doughnuts and other food products. Recommendation For the purposes of achieving Earnings before Interest and Tax of over 12%, KKD requires complete overhaul in pricing strategy. Such case requires utilization of penetration pricing method since sale of doughnuts require intensive distribution channels within target markets. Their products should have distinctive taste and produced in various attractive shapes (Burbridge and Coleman). They should as well offer integrated services to for purposes of reaching international market. Other applications should involve working together as a team across employment settings and sharing roles adequately for the purposes of advocating company’s integrity. At the same time, KKD products should be recognized as efficient and cost effective by the public. The strength of scope is realized in its size and diversity as well as ability to attract and maintain solid relationship with the public (Burbridge and Coleman). There are various skills required from every employee for the purposes of maintaining safe and healthy work environment. There should be details on advocacy skills and explanation on how KKD employees could utilize their ability to maintain daily routines through education and management skills. There are various challenges and their effects on work environment. However, such challenges as described also present equal opportunities for employees within KKD which ultimately provides enhanced image for the
Introduction This solid and quite engaging book written by Donald T. Phillips has been a good masterpiece in various fields as a subject matter of critical analysis of both history and character. The book has been of importance in several fields including general leadership like in the case of politics, sports and business. The book is broken up into key lessons, each of which is a representation of a facet or a feature of President Abraham Lincoln’s style of leadership. These aspects of his leadership styles are those expressly brought out through his actions as well as through his words. This beautifully organized and intimate history is a real show of Lincoln in action. The debate clearly discloses how the same principles used by Lincoln can be appropriate for any leader in areas of communication, people relation, character and endeavor. Therefore the book becomes an immensely vital companion for any individual who has interest in Lincoln as a leader, in general history and in leadership. Main body In this short report, the summary will shade light on (as brought out in the book) how one can become an inspirational leader by adopting Lincoln’s principles of leadership and what principles to adopt. The book Lincoln on Leadership also reveals why one should be very cautious when choosing fights but still act resolutely on any decision made. By reading the book one also becomes acquainted with the reason why good commu8nincation skills are fundamental to any leader wishing to succeed in leadership. Several factors contribute to Donald Phillips carrying out an insight analysis of personality characteristics of President Lincoln’s leadership that made him succeed as a charismatic leader to that extent. President Lincoln was faced with great challenges as a leader in his days, challenges that would definitely be complex to the present leader. Just ten days to his taking of the oath of office, the Confederate States of America formally withdrew from the federation and took all the arsenals, federal agencies and forts within their territory. That was in 1861. By the fact that President Lincoln was elected by a minority of the popular vote and he had no training in relation to military skills, he was direly spurned by many people, even his own advisers. In addition, Lincoln did not have much managerial or political expertise, and he had limited financial experience. Amid all these, he was here faced with the challenging task of saving the nation from tearing apart. The book reveals further that the critical leadership skills taught today were actually used by leaders like President Lincoln in the past days of history. Lincoln on Leadership gives an unparalleled view into the leadership style applied by Lincoln and which made him triumph despite the highlighted challenges. The book uniquely infuses Lincoln’s outstanding traits in a contextual sense of today’s leadership styles. In analyzing the people skills and management techniques used by Linco
Sense of Taste The taste bud also referred to as the receptors of taste is mainly found on the tongue as well as the upper side of the mouth close to the pharynx. The basic tastes are bitter, sour, sweet and salty. In line with Crooks and Baur, the sensitivity to amino acids causes a different sensation called “umami” (2010). The nerves below the taste glands transfer sensations to the brain, therefore the functioning of the sense of taste correlates to that of smell. Greater number of taste buds enhance better tastes since it increases sensitivity, for instance, women have more taste glands that men and are thus more sensitive to taste and smell than men (Crooks and Baur, 2010). The lining of smell receptors in the nose cavity also has a link to the olfactory nerve that transmits sensations to the brain. The structure of the nose is special and according to Kar and Kar, the structure makes the organ to be termed “vomeronasal” due to suspicious of influencing the reproductive system (2005). Human nose is thus the main organ that determines taste and smell. Brain’s Chemical Reactions to Taste and Smell The body’s natural lubrication and smell of sexual fluids determines attraction as well as partiality to the sexual partner. These are body chemical substances that the sexual partner either perceive or imagine through the smell or taste. The cavity is made of sensitive nerve endings that receive and transmit the pleasurable stimuli to the brain. Origin and Existence of Sexual Stimuli Most sexual stimuli originate from central nervous system but the most fascinating factors involve how the brain is able to organize the sexual behaviours. Taste is one of the main factors that influence sexual stimulation. Both men and women experience stimulation very differently due to the differences on the concentration of taste buds. The differences are both psychological and physical as more discoveries emerge in the haunt for understanding the causes of sexual dysfunctions. The studies are providing chances of exploring and discovering how various components of sexual arousal can occur. One of the main influences of sexual arousal is taste, which as discussed above has a very close link to smell. The diagram below shows various parts of the brain and the responses to stimuli. Taste and smell initiates the mediation of the thoughts, emotions and fantasies required for arousal. A smell can also trigger the memory of an exiting fantasy. According to Kar and Kar, the limbic system, hypothalamus is a predominant part of the human brain that plays a vital role in sexual arousal (2005). There are neurotransmitters that receive stimuli from various sense organs such as the nose and tongue, which have high inf
Introduction Sociology is a branch of science derived from the word society; it is the study of human character and behavioral conduct. Usually the surrounding society and environment defines an individual’s behavior especially after one reaches adulthood. However, some people argue that economy and political surrounding nurture one’s behavior. Genetics and sociology The writer of the essay describes nature as the genes one inherits from their parents. However, from my personal knowledge and exposure, his/her definition of nature is a ‘new’ ideology. Nature is the physical composition of either plants or animals. Although both external and internal features of an individual like skin color or intelligence are inheritable, exposure to harmful substances like chemicals, medicine and processed food can alter the skin color or health. Furthermore, the writer describes inheritable diseases like cancer as natural asserting that the infected or affected persons pick up different behavior from experience. I do not concur with the author’s assertion that chronic illnesses like cancer or diabetes originate from nature; I think they originate from modern unbecoming lifestyles. Additionally, familial diseases like cancer and diabetes do not influence the behavior of an individual; they only change one’s lifestyle. Although all the aspects in the society affect one’s character, diseases can never define the behavior of an individual. Scientists like Kleinsmith posit that every human being has cancerous cells (67). However, the cells become malignant only when the immune system is unable to control their growth due to poor eating habits. Sociological theories A number of sociological theories like the rational choice theory examine the impact of environment on one’s behavior. The theory relates social behavior to other factors like economy and politics whereby the urge to perform a specific action or task by an individual is not behavioral. Before someone steals or become a politician s/he focuses on achieving a certain goal. The person usually ignores the methodology or means involved when pursuing his/her goal. Therefore, the urge to achieve a personal goal cannot determine ones behavior. From the description of the sociological theories, the term sociology can take a wide range of definitions and not only on impact of society or environment has to human behavior, but also on the past occurrences. On the other hand, the author of the essay bases his/her definition and understanding of sociology on interpretive theory. Although family, especially parents determine the behavior of their children; politics and economy rarely change or determine the character of a child. In sociology, politics determine the character of an individual when he/she is born within a political family (Na
Abstract The events of September 11, 2001 undoubtedly forever changed the perception of terrorism among Americans. This paper explores the significant changes that occurred with regard to terrorism following the events of 9/11. A brief introduction to terrorism and the various forms of terrorism that have been practiced through the years will provide a rich backdrop from which the discussion on the characteristics of terrorism before and after 9/11 will be discussed. By focusing on the differences between the pre and post 9/11 terrorism activities, the new features that emerged following the actions that were precipitated by 9/11 will be discussed. As such, the paper will highlight the role that 9/11 played in necessitating this changes. An elaborate discussion following the facts advances that while there have been gains from the war on terror, an overemphasis on the military approach to dealing with the problem may lead to an indefinite end to the war. Introduction While acts of terrorism are as old as human civilization and the United States has always been prone to the nefarious actions of terrorists, the horrific events of 11th September 2001 (9/11) brought home the painful reality to Americans of the capability of terrorist attacks to disrupt society life. Terrorists had achieved the unthinkable on the very soils of America causing massive losses of life and property. On that tragic day, the Al-Qaida terrorist group who are sworn enemies of the Western civilization in general and the United States in particular proved that they did not just trade empty words but were capable of striking on American soil with devastating results. From that day onwards, modern day terrorism emerged as the most perilous global problem and nations in the world are still struggling to end this vice for the safety and freedom of humanity. Gearson (2002) documents that this new age of terrorism is characterized by fanaticism and religiously motivated groups wh
Introduction Alitalia is one of the largest airlines in the world and is currently ranked 18th in terms of fleet size and the amount of countries that it currently services. From an operations perspective, the company currently services both the domestic market within Italy as well as several locations within Europe, Asia and the Middle East (Stefania and Chiara 2010). Do note that since 2008 the company has been undergoing a considerable level of restructuring given its previous debt obligations as well as issues related to the proper management of the company. In 2008 the company was actually close to bankruptcy if it was not for the intervention of a group of Italian investors that absorbed Alitalia into the “Compagnia Aerea Italiana” (CAI). Since then, the company has experienced a considerable amount of shortfalls related to management issues, decline in profitability as well as various issues related to its viability as a business (Alitalia – Compagnia Aerea Italiana S.p.A. SWOT Analysis 2013). In fact, by 2013 the company was once again facing potential bankruptcy with Eithad Airlines potentially stepping into to invest into the company to save it. Upon examination, the primary reason behind Alitalia’s financial issues can be traced to a considerable reduction in its net operating income by €119 million (Alitalia – Compagnia Aerea Italiana S.p.A. SWOT Analysis 2013). This was due to the declining number of passengers that chose the airline as well as the current proliferation of budget airlines that have far cheaper prices as compared to Alitalia. Overall, when taking the current financial position of Alitalia into consideration, this report assumes that it would not be a viable investing for Etihad in the long term despite the potential the deal has for enabling the Middle East based airline to expand into Europe. Consumer Targeting Based on recent data examining the type of consumers that Alitalia targets, it was noted that business class customers were the primary consumer group that the airline was after. Issues with Alitalia Simply put, the Italy based airline has not been a viable source of income for its owners since its 2008 bankruptcy restructuring since it is finding itself in the exact same situation a few years later. In order to resolve such an issue, the company is trying to sell a portion of itself to Etihad airlines, however, some of its creditors are hesitant if not outright against a debt restructuring deal (Barnard 2014). Combined with the various demands of Eithad in the form of assurances from the Italian government
Introduction Firms, which operate in the film industry such as Hollywood, are now embracing social media and viral marketing to create publicity and high prospects to their audiences even before releasing their films. This paper investigates the effectiveness of viral marketing strategies through social media in the film industry by analysing and criticising Adam Mills’ article titled Virality in Social Media: The SPIN Framework. Informed by the case study of the success of Old Spice Brand’s viral marketing strategies with the aid of social media that was integrated in traditional platforms, the SPIN model proposed by Mills (2012) establishes a theoretical architectural framework in the development of effective social media marketing campaigns. In the evaluation of the impacts of social media and viral marketing on the movie industry, the paper defines social media and viral marketing in the context of application of the terms in marketing before critically analysing the SPIN model. In the last section, it addresses the influence of social media and viral marketing on various stakeholders in the film industry. Social Media and Viral Marketing In the context of this paper, social media refers to any Web 2.0 application that permits the two-way interaction between people, organisations, or a combination of the two in an online environment through which an intended audience has the capacity or no capacity to make modifications or even design and produce marketing contents before transmitting them to other people, organisations, or even groups of individuals. This case suggests that the effectiveness of social media in marketing depends on mass collaboration of the participants in social conversation through Web 2.0 social media platforms (Olauwuyi & Mgbole 2012). These platforms include MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube among others. The degree, rate, and extent of spreading marketing information over these platforms define the viral nature of a given marketing advertisement. In the medical and computing world, viruses refer to ‘things’ that are capable of regenerating and spreading rapidly without necessarily requiring the efforts of their creators. In viral marketing, an advert is designed to simulate a virus as understood from computing and medical context. In this sense, viral marketing can be defined as a form of advertising through unpaid internet-based platforms for sharing ad’s information between people who are connected through one social media platform or interconnecting through different social media platforms. From a medical or computing perspective, viruses are capable of spreading from one host (a computer, person, or an animal) to another through media. This situation underlines the relevance of incorporating social media in the definition of viral marketing as the term applies in the context of subsequent sections. Analysis of the SPIN Model The success of marketing campaigns depends
Thailand Wages and working hours in Thailand The labor market laws in Thailand are based on the “Thai Labour Protection Act of 1998”. The legislation stipulates the employees’ and employers’ rights in working environments. These include wages and salaries, overtime, working hours, leaves, and other basic workers’ rights. All business and nonbusiness organizations have the legal obligation of strictly following the legislation. The “Department of Labour Protection and Welfare”, a department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, has the responsibility of enforcing and administering labor-related laws. The legislation applies to all employees and employers in the country. The law has specific guidelines on the working hour’s regulations. The standard working hours for a worker in Thailand are a maximum of 48 hours per week, that is, eight working hours per day. However, in occupations that are considered hazardous, the working hours can be a maximum of 7 seven hours per day. Additionally, employees are entitled to one hour, and one day rest every day and week respectively (International Business Publications, 2007). Employees are also entitled to overtime pay, but the employer should obtain prior consent to work overtime from the employee. Employees are also entitled to paid public holidays (minimum of 13 annually), annual leave, sick leave, and maternity leave. There are also laws that govern the minimum wages depending on the location. For example, the minimum wage in Bangkok is 175 baht per day (about 4.38 US dollars) while in some provinces, the minimum wage per day is 137 baht (3.43 US dollars). Employees are also entitled to workmen’s compensation which varies depending on the injury suffered (International Business Publications, 2007). In my own opinion, the wages and working hour’s laws in Thailand are ethical since they take care of the welfare of both the employee and employer. Moreover, they are concurrent with international labor laws (August, Mayer, & Bixby, 2009). Environmental regulation in Thailand To avert the environmental problems in Thailand, there are laws that have over the years been enacted by the government. Environmental regulations and laws in the country can be traced back to the mid-1970s when the Improvement and Conservation of Environmental National Quality Act were enacted. The law formed the National Environmental Board whose mandate was to address the environmental issues affecting the country. This involved the formulation and implementation of environmental policies as well as environmental standards and monitoring systems (Harding, 2008). Towards the end of the 20th century, more environmental management concerns were raised which led to the enactment of the “Enhancement and Conservation of National Environment Quality Act of 1992”. There are other legislations that were enacted in the 1990s that have a direct impact on environmental management and regulations. Some of the most important acts include the Factory Act and the Energy Conservation Promotion Act. There are several factors that have necessitated the need for the amendment of environment management laws in Thailand. This includes the r