ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping is a novel about two sisters, Ruth and Lucille, who lived with her aunt, Sylvie, after their mother, Helen, committed suicide. Since Ruth and Lucille are the novel’s main characters, it is not a surprise that the literary work dedicates sufficient attention to the topic of sisterhood. However, a more detailed analysis of the novel reveals that this theme is also found in a relationship between other characters. A close reading reveals that Sylvie’s oblique description of her sister, Helen, allows for supposing that broken sisterhood is what will happen to Ruth and Lucille. In the beginning, it is necessary to explain what passage is under analysis. The focus is on the moment when Ruth and Lucile meet Sylvie and ask her a myriad of questions about their mother. Sylvie’s answers were short and restrained, and she limited herself to statements like “she was nice,” “she was pretty,” “she played the piano,” and others (Robinson, 2004, pp. 38-39). That description did not satisfy the girls, and Sylvie explained that it was “hard to describe someone you know so well” (Robinson, 2004, p. 39). That statement significantly shocked Ruth because she believed that she would never forget her sister’s appearance and character traits. In the novel, this conversation is followed by Ruth’s thoughts about how she and Lucile followed a woman in a train window to a lake’s shore. When the train entered a bridge, Ruth suggested that the two could walk across the lake, but Lucile stopped her because it was cold. This information is essential, and further analysi
Periodontal Disease and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes While the exact mechanism has not been clearly defined, there has been mounting evidence that there is a positive relationship between chronic periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Such include pre-eclampsia, where the maternal blood pressure increases and protenuria during the period of gestation; and premature and low birth weight (LBW). These conditions pose a risk both to the mother and especially the baby; since the latter is likely to be born with poor development of the lungs with a good proportion ending up in the neonanatal intensive care unit (NICU) (Yiorgos et al , 2006). Periodontal disease has a prevalence of over 23% among women aged 30 and 54; and it involves invasion of the gingival crevices by bacteria, in particular, Porphyromonas gingivalis , Tannerella forsythia , and Eikenella corrodens (AAP). These organize themselves into a bacterial biofilm and produce many factors that trigger an immune response from the body aimed at eliminating the infection; but which also results in further destruction of the periodontal tissue. The bacterial is also thought to be able to enter into the bloodstream and/or shed these factors therein; resulting in a systemic rather than a local response (Yiorgos et al , 2006). As mentioned before, the exact mechanism that links periodontal disease with adverse outcomes of pregn
Introduction Scholars indicate that employee’s performance is a fundamental aspect of organizational success. For an organization to enhance its performance, a need arises to embrace divergent recommendations to add worth to the organization. As such, performance management should influence organizational processes through individuals and teams. Enhancing individual motivation and performance Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) should boost individual motivation and performance, which are essential aspects that affect the competence of the organization. Individual motivation should be managed to reduce the process loss and increase synergy. Additionally, management should comprehend that enthusiasm amidst workers involves sacrificing individual’s interests for the good of the whole company. The organization should use the competitive compensation method to motivate every worker. The competitive reward method involves awarding persons when they successfully perform in a group. Further elaboration indicates that people in a team receive rewards basing on their performance. Indeed, the rewards vary depending on the routines (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). This system is effective since it enhances group productivity by focusing on the idea that admirable group performance needs every member to do his/her best. It involves recompensing individuals who accomplish more, especially as compared to their peers. The system offers a strong incentive to individual efforts, thus enhancing productivity. This method is appropriate for lowering task interdependence and enabling members of a group to work independently. In this case, competitive rewards motivate high personal performance, thus leading to the augmentation of group productivity (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). In most organizations, reward systems are instrumental in the attraction, maintenance and inspiration of qualified employees. The organization’s reward structure must be unbiased and reliable to ensure equal treatment and compliance with the law. Compensation should be fair for the individuals’ contribution to the company. Moreover, the system should be competitive in the outside labor market for the organization to draw and maintain proficient workers in suitable fields (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). The organization should choose the level performance necessary to supplement a reward system since the appropriate behavior often recurs. An effective reward method must consider volatile economic issue
Executive Summary Baskin Robbins has the plan of expending its products in retail stores, shelf product in the grocery stores freezers differently from the its ice cream stores. The premium ice cream is a highly competitive product that correlates to healthy living as its has low sugar icing and fat content. The targeted population is the working, middle and high class which includes almost 90% of the whole population. The marketing objectives is to introduce the product and gain most sales that its competitors during the first financial year. With high competition expected, the company will use valued added pricing to gain the required market share. Objectives and Issues Statement of Marketing Objectives for first year only:   * üBaskin Robbins aims at expending its products into retail stores in the first year.   * üDuring Baskin Robin’s first year operations in the market, the company aims at selling more than its competitors.   * üExpand the companies products in shelf product in the grocery stores freezers and have a differentiation between its products and thhose found in their ice cream stores. Issues In achieving the objectives, the major issues is the challenge to compete with the already existing products which could act as substitutes. The company has to measure products awareness as well as its response for marketing strategies adjustments. Issues That May Hinder Marketing Objectives   * Disease outbreak related to dairy products such as mad cow disease.   * Social cultural ethics from some areas that do not allow the consumption of ice cream.   * Economic recession that has affected the globe will have potential effects on the company’s budget plan for marketing.   * global fluctuation in food prices.   * Competition from various key players in the market which have potential effect in the implementation of ma
Introduction Culture is defined as “a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that, taken together, constitute a design for living” (Vance & Paik 2006, p.39). In the past century, scholars have directed commendable efforts towards understanding various cultures and their impact on global human relations. As a result, concepts, theories and principles have been developed in this regard. This paper shall set out to explore various terminologies used in studying culture. To this end, a brief description of these terminologies shall be offered and an illustration of the same given. ‘Culture is ordinary’ This is a saying formulated in 1958 by the famous theorist Raymond William. This dictum means that society develops from the common meanings and directions that its members’ share and it grows due to the pressures that arise as a result of contact learning and discovery. For example, in the Chinese culture, the concept of loosing face is core to the livelihood of the Chinese people. Fang (1999, p.143) observes that in Chinese tradition, losing face is “equivalent to [literally] losing one’s eyes, nose, and mouth.” As such, every activity carried out by the Chinese people is geared towards saving face. This practice therefore holds a shared meaning and has grown in the Chinese culture through learning, experience and contact. Cultural identity Cultural identity can best be defined as the way individuals define themselves in regard to their cultural norms and beliefs (Adair, 2009). It is a relatively new concept in cultural studies that aim to analyze the effect of various identifiers to culture. Cultural identity helps people understand themselves and how they relate to others around them. As Adair (2009) states, cultural identity contributes significantly to the wellbeing of a society. The author attributes this to the fact that it gives people a sense of belonging and security. High context culture/low context culture These are terminologies developed by famous anthropologist Edward. T. Hall back in 1976. These terms refer to a situation whereby a group of people that have similar experiences develop a new mode of communication that only them can understand and decipher. As such, high context culture refers to a communication routine in which few words are used to communicate complex messages within the in-group. For example, people who use e-mailing as a mode of communication use words such as ‘ASAP, LOL’ and ‘TMI’ to shorten the message. People outside the group may not understand the meaning of such words but those within the group do. On the other hand, in low context culture, the communicator has to communicate more explicitly since the value of a single word is not as important. As such, in this culture, more words are required to give a message its meaning. Social field The social field theory was devel
Quality Initiatives Hospital quality improvement often involves the implementation of a range of protocol bundles. Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) takes part in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI’s) multiple quality initiatives. First, SBUMC has adopted a two-level sepsis treatment bundle to curb inpatient cases of sepsis and sepsis-related mortality rate. The first protocol covers initial response/actions (first six hours) after a patient presents with sepsis, while the second one provides for 24-hour treatment actions. Following the implementation of this bundle, the hospital achieved a 33% decline in sepsis mortality and a three-day reduction in length of stay (LOS) after a year (Swensen, Dilling, McCarty, Bolton, & Harper, 2013). Second, SBUMC has also implemented an evidence-based protocol to reduce central line infection rates in ICU. It involved a standardized method for accessing and evaluating central lines as well as for tubing (Swensen et al., 2013). As a result, there was a 41% and 66% decline in the central line infection rate in the pediatric ICU and surgical ICU, respectively, between 2012 and 2013 (Swensen et al., 2013). Third, the facility has established ‘an exemplary clinical unit’ modeled around the ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ methodology to reduce inefficiencies and medical errors. The quality initiative has led to reductions in falls, medication errors, and mortality. Reduction of Health Care Costs Quality gains and cost reductions result from well-executed initiatives that improve clinical efficiency and reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and readmission rates. The factors that can help SBUMC achieve a reduction in healthcare costs without compromising quality relate to co
Introduction The Idea of the Middle Class: White Collar Workers and Peruvian Society, 1900-1950 is a 266-page book authored by D. S. Parker and published in University Park, Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania State University Press in 1998. The book gives a detailed history of Lima’s middle class in the period between 1900 and 1950. Parker gives a reflectively inventive and comfortably familiar assessment of the Latin American Society, specifically the Peruvians. His clear account follows the creation of the middle-class, its economic and cultural aspects, its political activity, and the way in which it evolved as Lima’s demographic and economic growth changed the city’s labor structure. For these grounds, The Idea of the Middle Class enjoys a wide audience from diverse population groups: economists, social historians, among others. Parker analyses Peru’s middle class community by combining the techniques of social historians with interest on language as he examines the factors that led Peru’s white-collar employees to identify themselves as members of a special middle class. He follows the foundations of this new class identity and demonstrates the long-term effect that the phenomenon had on Peruvian economy, politics, and customs. Summary The Idea of the Middle Class centers on the intricate interaction between ideas and structure, between the personality of white-collar employees and how state mechanisms strengthened and articulated that personality. White-collar employees, locally known as empleados , viewed themselves as privileged members of the society, separate and superior to the blue-collar masses, known as obreros. The beliefs of this middle class was not a universal idea aimed at restoring Peru’s image in a democratic bourgeois revolution, instead, the middle-class’ aim was to guard their privileges and hence their social dissimilarity through political means. Therefore, the middle-class’ plan led to a struggle to employ state mechanisms to strengthen, articulate, and guard their priviledge, instead of creating an alliance with the lower-ranked members of the society to depose the oligarchy. The distinction between the privileged and unwas
Introduction All living organisms are vulnerable to substances that cause harm. Most of these organisms can protect themselves against health threats with chemical and physical barriers. Although pathogens are potentially harmful, they cannot invade or attack living things since the ability to attack requires susceptible victims (17). For example, the viruses causing infections such as AID in human beings may not affect animals such as mice or cats. Similarly, humans are not susceptible to infections that hurt some animals, and this variation is explainable by the immune response. Immunology is the study of the immune system in humans, and this is a vital and complex branch of biological science (8). Many variables interact to balance an immune system, including diet, medical interventions, and age. The purpose of this paper is to address the effects of age and aging on the immune response to diseases such as COVID-19. Immunology and Immune System Before addressing human immunity, it is vital to acknowledge the discipline that deals with the immune system and the study of variable factors. Individuals who work closely with animals are exposed to risks of contracting zoonotic illnesses, which are infections transmissible to humans (17). As stated earlier, immunology is a branch of science concerned with the function and structure of the human immune system (8). In this field, the focus is on maintaining and restoring a natural balance of human immune response by engaging in public health initiatives such as vaccination to promote a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, diseases caused by immune system dysfunction are studied, and new treatments to manage or cure conditions are developed by altering immune system functionality. Usually, immunologists have a crucial role in developing and testing vaccines, and currently, the main effort is directed to develop a cure for COVID-19. Human beings possess a primitive response to diseases to which they are susceptible. Such a defense is known as natural or innate immunity. The immune system refers to a network of cells, tissues, and organs working to protect the body against invaders. External threats are primarily from microbes such as germs and infectious organisms, including bacteria, parasites, or fungi (17). Since the human body has an ideal environment for multiple microbes, they attempt to break in while the immune system works by keeping them out. In case of dysfunction by the immune system, a torrent of diseases such as allergy, AIDs, or arthritis can be unleashed. The secret of response success is elaborated by dynamics communication between networks in multiple cells. Typically
Introduction What does the emergence of historical consciousness in modern Judaism entail? It is a western civilization that took place sometimes back and transformed the older version of Ashkenazic Judaism into modern Judaism. It was more of a change that occurred in the way we look at things or simply our perception. The values, institutions, and ideas became modern and westernized after this transformation occurred it is like it became a platform for the translation from the past to the modern ideologies, values, and ideas. The main focus of the essay will be on the emergence of the historical consciousness in modern Judaism, which is the sole purpose of this research. Main text The historical awakening is what led Jews to change their way of thinking. People started thinking of ideas that were not known there before. The argument was that history was not simply the act of putting down data for the sake of being read in future but it was recorded so that we could be able to look at the past transactions and analyze them so as to come up with the results to the disturbing future questions. The Judaism of the past was destroyed by the wissenschafts ideas. It rendered the former way of thinking weak especially when Gans released his Hebrew chronicle that comprised of two parts. This chronicle successfully became the bridge that was formerly used to shift from the past to the modern times. This made the Gentile Jewish history to be forgotten and then was replaced with the history of his time. Also, the Azariah De Rossi’s essay collections played a part in making people start being less influenced by the Jewish sources of history that have been preserved in the books that were written by the Jewish Writers. All past works and languages that existed in Jewish history from this time were depicted as awkward. The two writers in their documents restricted the misuse of traditions, which were no longer useful they instead reasserted the messianic influence and the sacred practices for the past times so that they could be used in modern times. However though this strategy for the intellectuals still worked, it only produced excellent results when applied to a new Jew who had not been ‘spoi
Introduction Cheddad, Condell, Curran and Kevitt (2010) allege, “Steganography refers to the art of covered or hidden writing” (p. 752). The primary objective of steganography is surreptitious communication to conceal a message from unauthorized parties. Steganography is different from cryptography, which is an art of hidden writing that aims at ensuring that a third party does not read a message. While steganography hides the presence of a secret communication, cryptography leaves it palpable. Despite numerous distinctions between steganography and cryptography, there are numerous similarities between the two. Some scholars treat steganography as a method of encryption. Nevertheless, this article will tackle steganography as a distinct way of ensuring information security. Even though the term steganography was invented in the early 16 th century, the use of secret communication dates back a couple of millennia. Before the innovation of steganography, people could “tattoo messages on the scalps of slaves or hide information in the stomachs of rabbits” (Cheong, Ling, & Teh, 2014, p. 3566). Students and kids have been using indiscernible ink for hundreds of years. Besides, terrorists and spies have for decades used the concept of concealed communication to perpetrate serious espionages (Cheong et al., 2014). Despite steganography hiding the hidden message, it is easy to note that two parties are communicating. The process of steganography entails inserting covered communication in a particular transport means, known as the carrier (Cheong et al., 201
Introduction Since 1995, Amazon has been a dominant player in the online retail market. Among its primary products and services include the sale and distribution of books, mp3s, and electronics. The company is mainly based in Washington USA and has a significant presence in other parts of the world. Part of Amazon’s success can be attributed to its unique vision, mission and the support of its primary stakeholders. According to Byers (2006) Amazon’s vision is “to be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online” (p. 3). According to Amazon’s founder (Jeff Bezos), the company’s mission and vision statements have guided most of his managerial decisions and indeed, Byers (2006) agrees that part of the company’s success can be attributed to the company’s strong commitment towards realizing its visions. Part of Amazon’s success can also been attributed to the seamless relationship between the company and its key stakeholders (some of the company’s key stakeholders include its customers, suppliers, financiers, media, community and employees) (Byers, 2006). The support from key stakeholders and the company’s commitment to its vision is responsible for Amazon’s success. Five Forces of Competition Amazon’s five forces of competition are mainly defined by the supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution and the threat of new entry. Like other companies, Amazon is not immune to these forces. The supplier power affects Amazon’s activities in different ways. Advantageously, Amazon has used its influence in the retail market to maintain a good working relationship with its suppliers. For example, the company only makes payments to its suppliers once purchase is done. Similarly, payments to suppliers are only effected about 35 days after the sale of the products (Bali, 2009). Even with such terms in effect, Amazon’s suppliers have still maintained a good working relationship with the company. This good working relationship has accounted for Amazon’s success. Buyer Power Buyer power also affects Amazon’s activities in different ways, but largely, the company has been able to use its low-pricing strategy to create a loyal customer pool. It is perceived that Amazon’s products are fairly priced, such that, when customers purchase their products from the company, they find it difficult to strike similar bargains from other companies. Therefore, low prices have been Amazon’s selling point and consequently, the company has been able to make the buyer power work to its advantage (Bali, 2009). Competitive Rivalry Amazon has been a pioneer in its industry. Considering the fact that the company was among the first online retail stores in the market gives it a competitive advantage over its rivals. However, over the past decade, Amazon’s competitors have becomes increasingly fierce. Now, Amazon is fighting with other retail giants like Wal-Mart and best buy for a share of th