ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Bridge construction is a complex construction project that requires planning, implementation, and management. Contractors and government officials have been in an intense debate on better options for bridge construction, repairs, and maintenance. This paper evaluates the conventional and accelerated bridge construction methods based on cost, safety, and impact on public space. The prefabricated bridge component is a primary design of the accelerated bridge construction method (ABC) for new construction project, renovations, and replacement work (Alashari 50). PBES are structural elements manufactured off-site and transported to the project site for installation. These components include attributes that enable rapid construction and are fabricated with prime performance materials for strength, quality, and performance. Manufacturing off-site components permit contractors to operate at a steady state. Accelerated Bridge Construction Employee and Public Safety A bridge construction project under hostile conditions is dangerous and complicated. For example, project activity on active highways creates traffic challenges for motorists and site workers. Site workers are forced to work under such conditions, and it affects the quality of work, productivity, and human safety. As a result, building workers are killed in work zones, making security a focus of transport agencies. Vehicular movement is influenced by the shift in the present transportation change and the consequences of on-site construction action (Jia et al, p. 7). Such development reduces work rate and efficiency among workers. Under the ABC methods, employee safety is guaranteed, and vehicular movements are unrestricted. Thus, the ABC method decreases the vulnerability of employees and drivers in dangerous situations. The most crucial method to enhance employee safety would be to eliminate traffic from on-site activities through a short-term diversion using ABC. Bridge constructions could bring significant consequences to utilities, road use, and the environment. ABC may be utilized to lessen work during sensitive allowable intervals. Project Cost and Safety Infrastructure projects such as bridge construction are expensive. However, the advantage of the finished project outweighs the expenditure. The fiscal costs of bridge constructions could be quantified by the cost of delivery and impact on economic growth. Under the ABC method, prefabricated components lower the project delivery time. By implication, the ABC technique reduces the financial cost to society ( Accelerated Bridge Construction ). The prefabrication process decreases the building cost through repeated use and a change of work environment from a dangerous work zone to a safe off-site location (Newnan et al, p. 350). Bridge construction jobs have a substantial effect on highway movement, delivery, and vehicular transport. Delays caused by building congestion and detours influence loss in earnings for road users. ABC can be deployed to mitigate such adverse impacts by re
Introduction The force of a hurricane makes a devastating influence on the infrastructure of small island countries, leaving people without electricity, drinking water, and roads. Over the past ten years, the level of damage caused by floods and hurricanes amounted to more than $ 21 billion (Schwartz et al., 2018). The patterns of human health are also largely impacted by this natural disaster. It is possible to expect the onset of such infectious diseases as watery diarrhea, respiratory complications, and vector-borne diseases. In addition, the compromised critical facilities, including communications, hospitals, and gas, can deteriorate the state of people with chronic conditions. This report aims to shed light on the potential diseases that may appear as a result of the hurricane in order to provide feasible recommendations on their prevention. Destroyed Infrastructure Threats The hurricane that flooded the given island country largely affected buildings and facilities that provided services to the population. Considering that many buildings were flattered, it created the additional threat of their destruction due to cracks in the walls. Accordingly, people who were not evacuated and those who sought to be sheltered in them tend to be at a risk of injuries and death. McMichael (2015) claims that the surrounding standing water contaminated with sewage since this system is broken, which is likely to lead to tuberculosis, meningitis, cholera, et cetera. Since many people have to stay in camps or buildings without proper sanitation, it causes the endemic infections that are known to flourish after disasters. In other words, even one person having an infectious illness can contaminate others (McMichael, 2015). In this case, it should also be taken into account that the treatment plants are inoperable, which is associated with greater risks for the population walking in this contaminated water to have typhoid and hepatitis. The collapse of communications, electricity, and gas deprived people of the ability to warm themselves, boil water for drinking, and call for help. This is associated with the threat of dehydration, chilblain, diarrhea, fever, and skin diseases (Saulnier, Ribacke, & von Schreeb, 2017). In addition, the fact that the roads were blocked without the opportunity to ensure vehicular traffic creates the difficulty with the transportation of injured persons and those who were locked in their houses. The water that submerged the roads and bridges degraded their integrity and left many people without the means of moving from the devastated area. Impact on Infectious Diseases and Chronic Conditions Water pollution is one of the key public health concerns since raw sewage spilled into the streets and buildings where the population should stay for a long time before the evacuation. The non-operational nature of treatment plants along with untreated sewage impacted the recreational water and reopened the most of shellfish water
Introduction Porter (1999) asserts that operational efficiency carried out in a particular way can achieve immeasurable success but that does not fully work in the long term. He allows that the best way to achieve organizational success is by utilizing strategic positioning. The Reconstructionist strategy that Agility DGS plans to use involves utilizing the available company’s resources to win the consumers back. Agility DGS has also thought of redefining a new strategy to aid the company to gain a successful market re-entry as well as competitive advantage. In line with this, Agility DGS plans almost change the entire business to enable the company to deal with new market conditions such as new type of consumers. Reconstructionist strategy: Outcomes Pros and Cons The Reconstructionist strategy, like other business strategies come with both pros and cons when applied to specific business. Agility DGS has suffered from employee layoffs and lack of revenues and needs to utilize the Reconstructionist strategy to bounce back into the market. The company is considering re-entering the previous market in defense and governing services but in a different way. This is an advantage for the company, as it will enable it to differentiate itself from the current and potential competitors. Agility DGS outsources its services to third-party suppliers and wants to utilize its influence on its suppliers to ensure quality service to the final consumer. The company has decided to reevaluate its relationship with suppliers and other partners through mergers and acquisitions which will enable it to get better terms. It also will offer additional superior logistical utility services to DLA at a low price. This will win back DLA’s confidence in Agility DGS as well as leveraging on the price and better competent suppliers. Additionally, bulk purchase from suppliers will enable the company to gain a competitive advantage against the competitors. However, Agility DGS may suffer in the short term in giving high quality service at low prices to DLA even though the strategy is viable in the long term. The company has decided to keep its mission and vision in its Reconstructionist strategy. This is a bad idea as the employee are already feeling demoralized. What the company requires is formulation and implementation of a new strategic vision and mission, to show the employees that the company is committed towards success. This is supported by entry of new players in the market. By offering specialized supply chain services at reasonable prices, the Reconstructionist strategy will work to the advantage of Agility DGS by differentiating itself from competitor. However, this is subject to faster and successful imitation by competitors. The opportunities and expectations with partner organizations will foster and strengthen the relationship through periodic evaluation of the business. This is an advantage for the company as it will be ale to anticipate future needs and thus mana
Summary This research study was carried out on market orientation of small and medium businesses in Ghana with consideration of marketing concept. Marketing concept holds that achievement of an organization principally depends on satisfaction of the needs of the client better than competitors. Small scale ventures have interested policy makers in an attempt to speed up the rate of development in low income-earning countries and in this respect; they have been recognized as development engines in Ghanaian growth objectives and in the country’s development plan. From the government registry, approximately 90 percent of registered companies in Ghana are small and medium enterprises, contributing more than 80 percent of economic growth. Due to their rising significances, there is a stretched history of government initiatives in promoting and financing their activities. Methodology used in this research study offers data collection methods which includes sampled interviews of twenty prospective respondents. Out of these, only fourteen managed to respond willingly. In the findings section of the research on information collected from the field, aspects such as employee involvement was taken into consideration with demographic distributions in customer orientation in one street of Ghana. The paper concludes that market orientation organizations need monitoring systems in setting customers’ needs and placing concern at the highest point of organizational arrangement. This is expected to greatly influence resolution of the impact of changes in client satisfaction (Ebo & Mahmoud, 2011, p. 35). Literature review Marketing concepts and recognition of their importance boost company knowledge and skill in product design. These concepts may not always meet customers’ needs. Assessing customer wants is usually taken as the initial step in customer satisfaction (Teeuwsen, 2004, p.18). On the same note, market orientation can sometimes be referred to as organizational decision-making progress which commences with information and progresses to execution. Infiltration of information in every firm is extremely important in handling technical tasks and making strategic decisions in regard to business practices in order to meet customers’ needs. This study has indicated that market orientation has given it a clear definition with an inclination towards organizational culture, which creates basic and essential behaviors for a conception of greater value for customers and thus making a cutting edge in business competition; a claim which is partially true. With it as part of organizational culture, Singh (2004, p.45) argues that market orientation through performance and coordination within workers is extremely fundamental for any organization’s continual survival. In this regard, market and orientation as regards small businesses is the same a
Introduction Short stories refer to academic works, basically in narrative formats, but written in prose. These are stories that are characterized by a single plot, setting, and few characters and usually have a shorter duration of time span. Just like other normal literature works, short stories climax, crisis and their starting and ending are usually sudden. These stories usually fall under wide range of styles as well as genres. For example they can be science fiction stories, parables, romance stories, myths apologue among other genres. Discussion There are various reasons behind which people read short stories. These stories are read to inspire, educate, enlighten or even to entertain people. Short stories in the genre of fiction are primarily read for the reason of enjoyment. A story is pleasurable if it entertains readers, or it makes them enjoy during the reading process. Badman 2008 outlined several pleasures of reading a short story. A reader derives pleasure from reading a short story which has an aspect of suspense. Readers’ quest to want to know” what happens next,” gives them a lot of pleasure. Humor is another aspect of pleasure derived from reading a short story. People read stories to laugh grin or chuckle. The aesthetic value, i.e. beauty in a short story, contributes to people’s pleasure in their reading. The beauty can be brought about by factors such as thematic relevance, an interesting form or even the reader’s perception on the literature works of a story, or a specific genre. Several forces are involved in influencing or affecting the pleasures readers gain from reading short stories. The gender status of a reader is one of the factors. Linda Leith claimed that she derived her pleasure in reading short stories edited particularly by male authors who have died, particularly the “A&P” short story by John Updike. She comments that it’s a bittersweet joy in re-reading John Updike’s short stories (Leith 2009). Other readers will gain their pleasure from reading stories which magnify the positive side of their gender, and those stories which do not reveal their negativities. The theme of the stories themselves also influences the pleasure of reading a short story. For instance the short stories authored by Henry James, portraying, critiquing and perpetuating ideologies based on gender among the bourgeois, have had great impacts in influencing pleasure among women readers. Pamela 2004 noted that Readers enjoyed Donatella Izzo’s study works of short fiction stories of James, particularly on gender and representation. Izzo has excellently examined the representation of women, as well as representational issues in Jame’s fictional women, particularly in the review of “Portraying the lady: Technologies of gender in the short stories of Henry James.” (Pamela 2004, p.199). The pleasure of reading Jame’s stories comes particularly from his self-same idea and his idiosyncrasies style. Female readers were much exhilarated by James’ stand on representation of women in the society, a factor which definitely impacted positively on the feminine gender in terms of appreciating and gaining pleasure fro
Introduction International trade is the trade that occurs between one country and other countries in the world. International trade is usually expected to be free. However, countries do come up with measures to restrict trade for various reasons. For this reasons, China has sought to restrict trade with Japan. China, who happen to be the largest producer of special earth’s stones has thought of enacting quotas and embargo of the selling of stones to Japan. Due to the policy of China, they already began restricting selling the stones some European countries. Due to the responsiveness of the price of the stones on demand, the prices of the rare stones have increased. Embargo of the special stones on Japan will lead to the worsening of international trade between Japan and China. This paper examines the economic impacts of restricting trade of rare stones between china and Japan in terns of price elasticity of demand, quotas and the consumer and producer surplus. China embargo on special stones to Japan The article is about the embargo that China is likely to implement on special earth’s stones to Japan. According to Hornby, it is still not official that China is implementing the embargo (para 3). The country is likely to implement the embargos basing in the arrest of Chinese trawler captain. Rare earth’s stones are group of some elements that include yttrium and lanthanum that are used in the enhancement of batteries, weapons and computers. The elements are mined together are then separated according to the element type and use. China is the largest world supplier of the rare earths stones with a 97% of the total supply of the stone throughout the world in 2009. Since the country enjoys the dominant supply of the stones, the enactment of quotas for a good part of 2010 led to the increase in the price of the stones. According to Hornby, the quotas on exports came unexpectedly and rapidly getting traders and users unawares and resulting in soaring prices of earth’s stones. The argument of the Chinese government on the embargos of the stones to Japan is the Chinese government began sometimes back to exercise export quotas to Europe an
Literature Overview Brisbane is one of the most populous cities in Australia that is often identified as city of South African young adult migrants. In fact, for almost century immigration in Brisbane has remained predominantly South African young adults apart from white and English speaking people who have some political and historical links to Australia, and freedom of choice prevailed towards acceptance and settlements of the new arrivals. The main assumption was South African young adults apart from refugees arrived in Brisbane to take up some of the jobs that were available. Settlement, assimilation and acculturation issues of South African young adults gained some significant recognition towards the end of the twentieth century due to the removal of the traditional source country bias, and agreement to introduce the point-based method made things much easier for the immigrants than before. Taras examined that the newly introduced laws changed the face of Brisbane economic situation since the young adult immigrants brought skills and knowledge that was added to the existing human capital, thus the city did not only realized significant improvements in human resources capital, but also the financial capital (Taras, 2007). According to Berry, the effects of the new immigration policies in Brisbane were neither anticipated nor planned for, they were important in the city’s immigration history (Berry, 2006). During the last decade influxes of refugees in Brisbane were on the rising trend and a lot was needed to be done to assimilate, settle and acculturate them in new ways of life. Importantly, the new immigration policies in Australia had some of the major repercussion in the country’s ethnic composition of that particular society, especially in Brisbane where the influx of South African young adults was very high, and this put a major test on the city’s ability to absorb the immigrants with lots of ease considering that they are highly educated and culturally different. Arguably, the social cohesion of Brisbane society was indeed stained by the immigrants who wanted some reforms to be realized in the city’s by-laws, bicultural identity, security, and rapid restructuring processes (Berry, 2006). Besides, they wanted to see that the immigration policies put in place were only focusing on entry requirement procedures and not based on settlement provisions after arrivals and possibly to do away with some of the multicultural policies found in the city. But, interestingly enough, issues such as brain drain and foreign invasion can never fail to take both the public and political centre stage in many discussions on this field of knowledge (Clark & Hofsess, 1998). Clyne studied that the assimilation, settlement and acculturation of South A
A common trend in most societies has been to segregate athletes using the sex/gender variable with the view to ensuring fairness in sports and other physical competitions (Bialystok, 2016). However, this perception is increasingly losing currency as transgender and intersex individuals are now competing in sports and other recreational activities more than ever before (Oakleaf, 2015). The case example provided underscores the importance of drafting a policy aimed at directing the participation of transgender individuals in recreational sports leagues in Los Angeles. The best way to go about drafting the policy is to relax perceptions of sex segregation in recreational sports leagues by virtue of the fact that these sports are more about fun than about ensuring fair competition. Available literature underscores the “growing recognition that strict sex segregation threatens to exclude from competition those who are transgender, transsexual, or intersex, which is itself a form of unfairness” (Bialystok, 2016, p. 605). Drawing from this elucidation, the proposed policy statement on transgender participation in mixed leagues will not require transgender athletes to prove their gender identity through the testimony of professional experts and psychologists; on the contrary, the policy will aim to address the rights of transgender players by adopting a more inclusive approach to participation in recreational sports leagues. Specifically, the proposed policy will encourage transgender players to participate in the recreational sports leagues based on how they identify with their respective genders in order to reduce any perceptions of discrimination or unfair treatment (Bialystok, 2016). In instances where the decision to participate based on how transgender players identify with their respective genders may conflict with the interests of other “normal” players, the proposed policy will follow a set of predetermined standards to decide the issues on a case-by-case basis. This will entail making a determination on whether the sex change is a result of hormone treatments or surgery, the length or duration of hormonal treatments, and the inspection of birth certificates to determine gender at birth. Under the proposed policy, male-to-female or female-to-male transgender players under medically prescribed hormonal treatment for the desired sex change will be allowed to participate in mixed leagues at any time since the games are not competitive in nature (Wahlert & Fiester, 2012). Lastly, the proposed policy will underscore the need to not only preserve the medical privacy of transgender players within the community but also to treat them with kindness, dignity, and respect (Bialystok, 2016). As such, the policy will have educational and awareness-creation components to ensure that these needs are successfully met. The factors that need to be considered in drafting the policy include making a determination of how the transgender status was reached, explori