ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The financial crisis of 2008 hit the planet hard. The existing paradigm of the natural balance of the financial market had been proven to have flaws, which provoked debate, speculation, and interest in revisiting and reworking the existing economic theory. The book written by George Soros, titled “The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and what it Means” provides a refreshing critical view of the existing free-market economics. However, while the book is thought-provoking and offers new insights on global financial markets, it does not provide the actual new paradigm upon which the financial markets can be built and analyzed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the book within the scope of financial and economic events of the last 8 years and determine the viability of the theory of reflexibility in comparison to the classic free-market theory. Book Summary The book is separated into two parts, with the first part dedicated to introducing the theory of reflexibility in comparison to the classic free-market theory, whereas the second half is related to the application of the theory in order to explain the events that led up to the financial crisis of 2008. Soros begins his book by describing the limitations of the free-market system, which operates on a postulate that the market itself can do no wrong and eventually balances itself out. His understanding of how markets operate is based on the fallibility of markets and regulatory bodies alike. The second half of the book describes the boom-bust model as a convincing example of the theory of reflexibility in action. The author highlights eight steps of the process, starting with the prevailing bias and a prevailing trend behind every bubble. During the second stage, the process reaches the farthest point from the equilibrium necessary for the self-balancing market. The third stage is classified as a testing period, which is characterized by temporary fall in prices. Should the bias survive the testing period, the high prices for a service or product are normalized in stage four. The crisis begins with stage five when the market starts realizing that the existing model cannot be sustained within the normalized price range. The twilight of the financial bubble continues throughout the sixth stage, where the participants on the market continue to utilize existing prices, though they no longer believe in them. The market starts falling into a downward spiral in stage seven, with the prices finally crashing in the eighth stage, signifying the end of a fi
Today, there are thousands of opportunities to become an entrepreneur, and yet it can seem incredibly intimidating. With millions of companies in existence and hundreds emerging every day, some people might think like starting an entrepreneurial business could feel like inventing a bicycle. However, the world in everchanging, as are people’s preferences and needs. Therefore, there is constantly new areas of demand that have not yet been explored by others, and with a little attention and the right business strategies, these gaps in supply can become prospering businesses. Most people, when they think of entrepreneurship, immediately associate the term with start-ups or companies started from scratch. However, it does not have to always be the case. Corporate entrepreneurship, or that inside an already existing large company, is a promising and advantageous field. Starting an entrepreneurial business within a large corporation has both upsides and downsides, and it is vital to be aware of both before committing to it. First and foremost, what does it actually mean to become an entrepreneur within a large company? In simple words, it is the establishment of a new business within an existing organization (sumit). Mostly, this means addressing a particular part of the products or services offered by the company using innovation. For example, if a large fertilizers company recognizes the need for digitalization of its service in order to stay modern, it might encourage an internal start-up creation by entrepreneurs. In this case, the new business would have access to the resources of its parent company, but it would also be limited in its purpose. Therefore, although there are definite benefits, there are certain limitations as well, as mentioned previously. Firstly, the numerous advantages include resource availability, brand reputation, and an existing team, to name a few. Unlike for those who attempt starting an entrepreneurial business from scratch, creating a start-up within the established company, especially a large corporation, allows for a bigger budget. Furthermore, it increases employee morale and job satisfaction, since they are in charge of all the innovations that benefit both them and the company (sumit). Furthermore, although fewer than 1% of U.S. corporations are considered “large businesses,” this means that they are likely to be highly recognizable (“4 Types of Entrepreneurship: Tips for Women to Succeed in Business”). Hence, there would be less difficulty gaining the necessary attention from customers for the start-up. Nevertheless, there are also some disadvantages and pitfalls of such a venture that aspiring entrepreneurs must be aware
Introduction Genetic technology has opened a new platform in medicine because it aids in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. With the help of genetic technology, healthcare providers can accurately diagnose genetic diseases and provide effective therapies, which have been lacking in the past century. Moreover, genetic technology enables the cloning of tissues and organs for transplant, and thus averts the conventional way of generating tissues and organs through donation. The Human Genome Project provides the basis for studying the human genome, and is thus central in the evolution of genetic technology. Projections show that by the 22 nd century, genetic technology would transform the realm of medicine since genetics would be the markers of diseases and targets of therapies. According to Oliveira and Oliveira (2012), the evolution of genetic technology and norms will pave way for the revelation of mysteries, which have perplexed humans for centuries. Therefore, this essay forecasts the advancement of genetic technology in the 22 nd century in aspects of gene therapy and eugenics with the view of assessing its potential benefits and dangers. Gene therapy Gene therapy entails the use of genes as pharmaceutical agents for treating genetic diseases and disorders caused by defective genes. The application of gene therapy is central in the treatment of genetic diseases and disorders such as hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, x-linked severe combined im
Introduction The effects of World War II on civilian populations were both long-run and devastating. New military tactics, extended mobility, and the shifting balance of firepower fueled by ideologies that were deemed to be in combat with one another led to the killing on an unprecedented scale. Unlike World War I, World War II was associated with mass murders of civilians—the Nazi regime systematically targeted Gypsies, Jews, homosexuals, and other ‘undesirable elements’ (Cole et al. 623). Also, many regions were torched and leveled. The aim of this paper is to explore the suffering of civilians in the pursuit of victory in World War II. Discussion War and Occupation The war became global after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 (Cole et al. 631). The allies were able to quickly reorganize, thereby halting the brutal warfare. However, in Europe, many countries were occupied with some such as Norway and the Netherlands being divided by occupation (Cole et al. 634). Collaboration and resistance took extreme forms. In Denmark, citizens smuggled Jewish population out of occupied territories. In France, on the other hand, the Vichy regime actively helped the Nazis in criminalizing Jews. Also, the Nazi army regularly supplied Germany with products and manpower. According to Cole et al., in the period between 1942 and 1943, more than two million people were imprisoned in forced labor camps (634). The brunt of the civilian deaths was borne by the Soviet Union in which thousands of capable officers were murdered during the purges of the 1930s (Cole et al. 635). The Nazi troops captured and imprisoned citizens of the Baltic States, Byelorussia, and Ukraine. Ethnic Cleansing and the Holocaust World War II was thought of by the Nazis as a fight against the Untermensch or ‘inferior people.’ Jews, Slavs, and Gypsies were deemed inferior to Aryans; therefore, Hitler used the Nazi propaganda to justify the redrawing of the racial map of the world. After Poland had been conquered, a program of massive population transfers started (Cole et al. 635). Following a brutal campaign against Poles and Jews, hundreds of thousands of Germans were settled in Western Prussia (Cole et al. 635). The inmates of mental asylums were not spared in the war. The Nazis transported Poles by the thousands to forced labor camps. Death squads
Introduction Various groups have emerged with the aim of destabilizing governments across the world. The groups use terrorist activities to force governments to comply with certain demands. Terrorism activities have been on the rise in the modern times and they have become a means of communicating people’s needs to governments across the world. Terrorism allegedly communicates certain message to the governments of the day (Crenshaw 386). The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) will be used to illustrate the nature of terrorist groups in the world. PIRA was a terrorist group that sought to destabilize the Northern Ireland’s government, which was under the British colony (Jackson et al. 111). The British Government of Ireland Act was enacted in 1920 and it divided the country of Ireland into two, viz. the Irish Free State, which had 26 states, and the controversial Northern Ireland (Jackson et al.110). The partition of the country into two marked the beginning of violence in the country since the natives were opposed to the move (Crenshaw 381). The main objective of the group was to bring independence for all Irelands (Sanchez-Cuenca 301). The group used terrorist activities to drive away the British authorities from Ireland. Initially, PIRA used weapons from local supplies by its members (Sanchez-Cuenca 295). The weapons were not as effective as the modern weapons and thus they could not cause great damage. The weapons included plastic explosives, guns, and timing devices (Horgan 83). In addition, PIRA manufactured certain explosive weapons that were used in place of bombs. This paper will analyze the reasons why PIRA resorted to less violent activities in the push to have the British leave Ireland for the natives to rule the country. Overview of strategies The group’s main objective was to use force and other terrorist activities to cause inclusion of the native people in the government (Sanchez-Cuenca 300). The activities were meant to cause the government of the day to collapse so that the Irish natives would have control over the country (Bosi 373). The group comprised Irish volunteers who were recruited and trained to cause chaos in order to force the British out of the country. The violence started after the British opened fire and killed innocent Irish citizens in what is popularly known as the ‘bloody Sunday incident’ (Horgan 89). PIRA received financial and military assistance from countries such as Libya and the United States (McSherry 54). The group consented to a ceasefire in 1975 after a series of attacks directed to the British officials. The ceasefire agreement signed between PIRA and the British government required the group to refrain from terrorist activities (Jackson et al.117). However, the agreement remained effective for only a short period after which PIRA went back into violent activities. The group argued that the British rulers were neglecting the natives by forcing them into politics without meeting the pertinent issues affecting the
Political parties play an important role in the political system of the world today. They play the role of bringing together people with similar political positions and interests. Through political parties, the power game in politics is executed because for one to become a political leader, the channel is via a political party. Similarly, in most cases, voting by the elector is usually based on ideologies that are shared by a political party and not necessarily the individual contesting for a position. Usually there are two major political parties in any election contest in a two party system and the presence of third parties only has some effect on the entire process but can never win an election. There has been substantial development of political parties with change in era and time. This paper highlights some of these developments with a detailed look at some of the major political parties of the world today and their policies on foreign affairs, economy and balancing of the budget. It also touches on the role that third parties play and the impact they have to the political system. To support this, the focus will be on the political system and political parties of the US. In the United States, the two major political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The third parties in the US are several and the three major third parties include constitution Party, Green Party, and the Libertarian Party (Crane , 12). Currently in the US, the federal government is administered by the Democratic Party with Mr. Obama as the president and head of state. The party shares several ideologies and beliefs of social liberalism. It has ever supported minority groups that include farmers, labor workers and minority religions and minority ethnic groups. Most people of black American descent and Latino Americans share the same positions and interests with the party’s and therefore a huge number of them belong to the party. The party also opposes ideas that create unregulated business operations in the US. They have sponsored several bills in the senate that supports increase in minimum wages. The 2007 Fair Minimum Wage Act is one of the bills that have been supported by democrats and passed. The Democratic Party believes in a structured tax system that reduces inequality in the economy (Grigsby , 106). The republicans during the Bush regime, created cuts in taxation for rich and wealthy Americans including the middle class. But to create equality and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, the Obama administration has allowed tax cuts for the rich to expire so that they pay more tax. At the same time taxation cuts for the middle class has been allowed to continue. There is a general support for more budgetary allocation to departments of social services such as health care, and welfare programs. Removing these services from American citizens is like
General Motors Corporation has Toyota Motors and Ford Motors at present as main competitors. Both of them are multinationals. General Motors is headquartered in USA was founded in 1938 by William C. Durant. In the year 2008, General Motors stands as the world’s largest automaker firm according to industry statistics around the globe. (Bunkley) it is present in around 35 nations and has 284000 people at present. The brands sold by the firm are Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Opel, Pontaic, Saturn, GM Daewoo, Cadillac, Holden and Saab. (About GM) As a publicly traded company it is the fifth largest in the world as ranked by Fortune Global 500. General motors at the moment have reached level of maturity in the business cycle. This cycle is called election cycle at this level the firm has borrowed more or credit than they use equity shares this cycle in the business requires reinvention and reinvestments in order to remain competitive if the firm does not take care they will find themselves closing the shop because of credit facilities that they took this cycle of bankruptcy under which general is at with makes them loss a lot of business because customers will not willing to transact business with a bankrupt institutions. However, most firms in the united states of auto industry are facing similar circumstances what it means is that the automobile industry in the United States has reached this bankruptcy level. When the firm reaches this level it starts experiencing diminishing returns if technology and competitiveness is not embraced. The cause of diminishing returns for firms such as general motors is inability to use factors of production well the share holders of the company should inject new capital, to inject liquidity and remove some unwanted debt. Ratios Analysis All figures in millions Liquidity                                     2007         2006         2005        Current ratio                       60403        64480        99414       Current assets              1.06:1  70338        69036        113943      Current liabilities                 =0.86:1      =0.93:1      =0.87:1     Quick ratio                         60403-20222  64480-20046  99414-33384 Current assets-stock        0.85:1  70338        69036        113943      Current liabilities                 = 0.57:1     =0.64:1      =0.58:1     Cash ratio                          24,817+2139  24123+138    30726+19726 Cash marketable securities  n/a     70338        69036        113943      Current liabilities                 =0.38:1      =0.35:1      =0.44:1      On short term financial stability, the current ratio indicates that the firm is not financially stable since in 2005. This ratio was 0.87:1 in
Introduction One of the mounting crises in the educational system in the current world has been the problem behavior exhibited by certain students in the learning process. Student disruption, aggression, and academic failure due to specific behavioral characteristics, etc are issues that the educational systems of every nation face. Studies in the area suggest that the students with behavior problems encounter subsequent issues in academic, social, familial, and personal levels. Such students with behavioral issues not only pose problems to themselves but the school administrators, teachers, fellow students, etc and they require modifications in the school environment and even curriculum. The traditional response to such problem behaviors, i.e. some type of punishment, has been found ineffective, though may serve the short-term solutions. It has been commonly accepted that some more effective strategies other than the reactive approach to behavioral management are indispensable to ensure the smooth functioning of educational activity. As Deanne A. Crone and Robert H. Horner suggest, “multiple behavioural interventions other than detention and suspension can successfully reduce problem behaviour in children. In fact, schools currently have access to some of the most effective strategies for behaviour support ever available.” (p 4, Building Positive Behaviour Support Systems in Schools: Functional Behavioural Assessment, By Deanne A. Crone, Robert H. Horner, Guilford Press, 2003) In this paper, the emphasis has been on a detailed analysis of the problem behavior exhibited by a student as well as an investigation of the desirable intervention strategy about the theoretical framework. Functional Assessment: Part A The researches in the area of problem behavior and subsequent educational challenges have often indicated the usefulness of functional behavioral assessment. It is often remarked that the most effective intervention programme result only in an effective analysis and assessment of the disruptive behaviours. “Functional behavioural assessment (FBA),” as Heather E. Sterling-Turner et al remark, “is one method of assessing variables associated with the occurrence of disruptive behaviours. FBA is a process of determining the function of the target behaviour through the use of a variety of procedures ranging from indirect (e.g., interviews, questionnaires) to direct (e.g., observation, experimental manipulations) methods that are designed to assess the impact of environmental variables maintaining target behaviour. The information derived from the assessment can then be used to develop effective, individualized interventions.” (“Functional Assessment of Distracting and Disruptive Behaviours in the School Setting” by Heather E. Sterling-Turner et al, Journal Title: School Psychology Review. Volume: 30. Issue: 2. Year: 2001. Page Number: 211.) In this functional behaviour assessment, the data collected through direct observation, reported response, and functional assessment interview funnel to the preparation of the most effective assessment of the problem behaviour based on sound theories relating to the
Introduction Self-management is a process that revolves around behavioral intervention or change that teaches students to recognize their behaviors, strengths and set behavioral goals to improve their focus on their studies (Borich, 2007). This plan targets 8 th grade students between the age of 13 and 14 years. The strategy aims at helping students manage their time adequately, complete assignments on time, stay organized and learn how to record their grades. However, this intervention plan becomes effective when there is the cooperation of students who need these skills to improve their studying programs. Self-Management Strategy Borich (2007) articulates that the strategy is to teach students how to become more self-directed learners through nurturing motivation and behavioral changes, which will enable them to attain study skills, and consequently, enhance self-management. Time management is all about self-discipline whereby one sets a well-structured work schedule that they ought to follow. The students should always prioritize activities in a way that the more demanding and difficult tasks are worked on first and the rest later (Slavin, 2009). A student should come up with a strategy that is effective in helping them complete and return assignments on time. They also need organization skills and strategy that will help them in recording their grades. The strategy revolves around a sequence of processes that will cultivate self-drive and desire for an individual to succeed academically. All these processes are the ones that encompass self- management, which effectively helps students to master and practice purposeful learning and study. Behavioral change is the major drive in this strategy; it involves changing one’s character and having a positive attitude towards life (Smaldino, Lowther & Russell, 2008). Time Management Creating a simple schedule like a “ to do list ” is effective in helping a student. For example, a particular student can plan, prioritize, and break things into smaller and manageable subprograms. The student will ensure that all-important tasks are accomplished on time. It is through this that students will become time conscious since they are their own managers, and can be able to set time for their undertakings by themselves. The teacher should teach students how to make the “ to do list ” telling them how it works. This would be like;   * Explaining the contents of the “ to do