ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The development and implementation of a VoIP system are quite challenging for companies that have not dealt with such a system before. It is apparent that Butler University needed to shift from the analog telephony and network system to enhance the quality and speed of communication, but the plan did not highlight the long-term costs and goals. The challenges that faced the company emanated from the lack of development of a financial strategy that would meet the short-term and long-term costs of managing the VoIP system. As the situation stands, the company has limited options, and this paper looks into the respective options to highlight its viability in solving the prevailing issue. Staying with the current plan The current plan entails managing the in-house system that integrates the telephone and data services through the PBX system. The various support systems within the network must be included in the budget, and the institution needs to maintain the current support personnel from the various vendors. The company must ensure that the network does not crumble as it did during the first trial of the implementation process. Seeing that the analog system was already scrapped out after the implementation of the PBX system, it would be devastating for the current system to break down (Brown, 2007). Staying with the current plan means that the institution will have to find a long-term solution to the budgetary deficits. Butler University will have to pay more to continue enjoying the services offered by the VoIP. Managing an in-house system is quite expensive. Closing down the company Closing the company is an alternative option that can eliminate the current issues are Butler. The essence of the VoIP was to enhance the quality of communication and data management, but it proved to be a costly system, and the institution was not ready to meet the extra cost. The institution did not expect such escalated costs in maintaining its system. Butler would work better with the previous system, whereby it would pay monthly fees to an outsourced service provider. This option is not feasible because the company has already spent too much money on software and hardware; however, it is still a viable option when considering the long-term costs of managing the VoIP network (Brown, 2007). Selling the company Selling the company is one of the most feasible approaches to solving the financial issue because the company would retrieve the money used to build it. The money would be used to finance a network outsourcing platform. The company has demonstrated its inadequacy of financing to run the company; hence, selling it would bring new prospects to outsource services from the prospective buyers. Managing the VoIP network is quite costly; hence, Butler University should stick to outsourcing networking services. The economies of scale associated with outsourcing will enable the company to lower the cost of maintaining an in
Introduction The US authorities pay much attention to addressing the health issues with the help of developing such national programs as Healthy People. One of the important issues presented in the program is the problem of tobacco use in the United States. To respond to this issue, the authorities determined a list of objectives according to which the program is realized and implemented in society. These objectives are the reduction of tobacco use among adults and adolescents, the focus on stimulating smoking cessation among adults, and the development of tobacco-free environments and effective tobacco control programs ( HealthyPeople.gov , 2014). However, the success in achieving the program’s objectives depends significantly on the authorities and public’s activities in the concrete community. That is why to respond to the program’s effective realization, it is important to discuss the particular features of the target population in the definite community of Wisconsin; to focus on the community-based response to the issue of smoking, and to describe the role of the economic factors and social marketing in addressing the issue of tobacco use in the community. Although the national programs state the objectives for the whole American population, the realization of the programs depends on the effectiveness of the various state policies and communities’ differences. Thus, different agencies are responsible for the program’s realization at the national, state, and local levels. To collect and analyze the necessary information on the demographic statistics and the role of the issue in the community, different agencies use a variety of epidemiologic tools and surveillance systems. From this point, the aspects of the community’s response to the issue of tobacco use in Wisconsin can be analyzed with references to the general state data and to the concrete situation in the community of Racine, Wisconsin, where the relatively high percentage of the adult population is at risk to develop the smoking habits (Redmond, 2010, p. 72; Rooney, Choudhary, & Bliss, 2009, p. 440). The Target Population at the National and State Levels To understand the country’s trends in responding to the reduction of tobacco use, it is necessary to discuss the features of the target population at different levels. According to the national data, the target population associated with tobacco use in the United States includes Asian, Caucasian, and African American males aged 18 years and older who belong to the middle and low-income categories ( CDC , 2014). However, the definition of the target population can be different depending on the state and local features. Thus, in Wisconsin, more than 20% of tobacco users are African American and Hispanic males and females aged 20-30 years, and their education level is less than the High School ( Wisconsin Department of Health Services , 2013). From this point, the obvious differences are observed about the tob
Introduction Red Carpet is facing certain issues as its performance is low due to some organizational flaws. The need for change is urgent due to the competitive environment the company has to operate in. It is possible to employ one of the change management models that are commonly used. These can be the Appreciative Inquiry Model, OD Action Research Model, and Kotter’s Eight-Step Model. This presentation outlines the major problems the company has to address, describes the models, their advantages, and disadvantages. Recommendations are also provided regarding the most appropriate model to be utilized. Major Problems to Be Addressed Red Carpet is now facing a set of problems that are deeply rooted in the lack of culture and ineffective communication. The establishment of culture can be a key to the organization’s success. It will result in enhanced collaboration, improved performance, and high-quality services and products. Many employees are still reluctant to see the need for change and can be resistant to any innovations. Appreciative Inquiry The Appreciative Inquiry Model is associated with such concepts as democracy, individual development, collaboration, and the focus on existing solutions that work well (Stavros, Godwin, & Cooperrider, 2015). These aspects can also be regarded as the strengths of the framework. The involvement of all stakeholders is another advantage as employees feel their responsibility and are more eager to implement the change than resist it. One of the weaknesses of the model is its ambiguity and the focus on people’s preferences rather than specific solutions that can be described and applied easily. It also needs a strong culture, which is not always in place. Kotter’s Eight-Step Model One of the major strengths of the model is the detailed description of key steps that lead to change (Rothwell, 2015). The change agent first creates urgency, searches for the team to develop a plan and implement it, shares vision, and communicates the urgency of the change. The following set of steps helps in the implementation of the change as the leader empowers employees, creates short-term goals, remains persistent, and ensures that the change is permanent. These steps are instrumental in the process of transition. The disadvantage of the framework is it’s being time-consuming and prone to résistance. OD Action Research Model OD Action Research Model facilitates change through the focus on research, collaboration, learning, and problem-solving. Burke’s 7-Step Model is one of the most common frameworks based on these principles. The primary advantage of the model is its potential to create a learning culture and facilitate collaboration (Rothwell, Sullivan, Kim, Park, & Donahue, 2015). All key stakeholders are involved in searching for existing pr
The terms Indian Britons, Indian British, or British Indian are used in reference to people residing in the United Kingdom but whose ancestral origin is India. This comprises of people who were born in the United Kingdom but whose descendants are Indian and all Indian- born individuals who migrated to the United Kingdom. Presently, there are approximately 1.4 million Indians residing in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the Indians are the hugest ethnic minority group. The Indians constitute the biggest British Asians’ subgroup. For an Indian to be legally recognised in the United Kingdom, he had to adhere to exceptionally stringent government regulation guidelines. In the United Kingdom, therefore, the Indian Act was acknowledged as more than an organ of laws that laid the guidelines concerning each Indian’s aspects of life. This has been the case for more than a century (Kakar, 2007). The Indian Act was an esteemed regulatory regime. Through it, there was a better comprehension of the native identity that fashioned the traditional native life. It is worth noting that the high population of Indians in the United Kingdom was as a result of historical links. The Indians were included in the Commonwealth of Nations and were under the British authority during colonial occupations. The Indians residing in the United Kingdom belonged to the middle social class and were socioeconomically affluent (Sen, 2006). A number of researches were done to assess how Indians living in the United States felt about their identity. A study conducted among people under the age of thirty five in the Asian Network revealed that thirty eight percent of people of South Asian origin in the UK felt disconnected from the British. More than 1/3 of the participants agreed that for an Indian to survive in the United Kingdom, he was supposed to be a “coconut” (Kurien, 1999). This term was used in the UK to refer to someone whose outside was brown and the inside white. A majority of the Indians preferred living in the UK since there were better opportunities. ¾ of the Indians living in the UK feel that their culture was at risk of being diluted (Sen, 2006). Moreover, many Indians had the feeling that they whites treated them as though they were not British. More than fifty percent of the participants in the studies revealed that they felt they were British. A majority of the Indians in the UK were Christians, Si
History of tobacco advertising in the American media This is the promotion of tobacco products by the tobacco industry in the media. Currently, tobacco advertisement is one of the most regulated forms of marketing in the media industry. The earliest form of tobacco advertisement in the United States media dates back to 1789 in the New York Dairy. This advertisement was from P. Lorillard and Company and was promoting the companies tobacco products. By this time the tobacco companies used the local and regional newspapers to advertise their products because they were engaged in small-scale production and their products were distributed within small geographical areas (Borio 4). The first tobacco brand to receive a wide range of popularity was “Bull Durham” in 1868 which started to place national wide media advertisements which were emphasizing on how the company products, an example of their slogan is “to roll your own.” In the 1970s the development of color lithography was a boost to the tobacco advisement in the U.S. media. This is because the companies were able to come up with more creative images in the presentation of their products. This development led to the printing of pictures in the cigarette card which was the new marketing concept. By the end of the 19th century, there was the development of magazines that carried different cigarette adverts. An example of a magazine that was used in cigarette advertising was Punch . Most of these magazines had national wide distribution and they had become a major advertising tool to many products. During the early part of the twentieth century, tobacco advertisement in the media grew tremendously. There were nationwide advertisements on the radio, television, and newspapers. The tobacco companies had grown and they had a nationwide distribution network and the Media advertisement by this time was not regulated. There was increased competition from the cigarette manufacturers that led to a stimulated advertisement in the media on cigarette products (Pollay 2). In the 1950s and 1960s, there was increased advertisement of cigarette brands on television and radio. The cigarette brands started to sponsor various programs on televisions. Some of the most famous ads in the tobacco industry in the 1960s came from the Wiston cigarettes, the company aired adverts with slogans that went like, “ Winston tastes good like a cigarette should !” the other competitor with a famous advert in the media was for the Tateyton cigarettes. The cigarette TV commercials were many and they became more creative and interesting with time. The control and regulation of cigarette advertisement started in 1967 when the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) gave their concerns on the increasing number of cigarette advertising commercials in the media. The FCC gives direction to tobacco companies to pay for anti-smoking ads in the media. The public health cigarette smoking act was passed by congress in 1970 which banned all cigarette advertisements on television and the radio. After this bill was passed tobacco products were only advertised in magazines, newspapers, and billboards. After the banning of radio
Introduction This essay is devoted to the discussion of a question about the most convincing explanation for the replacement of the heads of the emperor, the empress, and Christ in the mosaic of Constantine IX in St. Sophia? Before the main discussion we should highlight that St. Sophia church is one of the most eminent architectural and cultural artifacts in world’s history. Hagia Sophia (known as Ayasophya in Turkish), also known as the Church of Holy Wisdom and the Great church, was the world’s preeminent Christian Church for 1,000 years (Ring, 343). Main text The mosaics where Empress Zoe is portrayed date the XIth century. Christ with the dark blue robe on is portrayed in the middle of a golden mosaics background. He blesses emperor and empress with the right hand. There is a Bible in His left hand. The monograms IC and XC above his hear mean Iēsous Khristos . He is offering a purse, as symbol of the donation he made to the church, while she is holding a scroll on the mosaics symbolizes money donated to the church. The previous heads have been replaced by the new ones. There exist several explanations to this action. The first one is that Zoe’s first husband Romanus III Argyrus or her son Michael IV were portrayed. Another opinion illustrates the hypothesis that these mosaics were made much more early by other emperor and empress. That is why there appeared a necessity to replace those heads. In the mosaic she stands to the left of Christ and is smaller than her husband, and the scroll she carries bears Monomacho’s name, reinforcing the idea that the deed is the work of her husband. Indeed, her presence serves to confirm that the gift is Constantine’s and not her own. The fact that the name and face of Constantine have been changed (from those of Romanos III Argyros, Zoe’s first husband) shows that this relationship between Zoe and her husband remained constant through her life (Eastmond, 133). The question about real persons portrayed on the mosaics was investigated by many other scientists. The most reasonable and complete explanation of this phenomenon is presented in the article by Kalavrezou. This scientist explores historical material as well as the mosaics portrayal technique. His visual critique contains the following points. Having investigated several iconographic works of the same style, he observed the general rules of position of the eyes, head, and body portrayal. He points out that the couple occupies central position in the mosaics. Their heads are turned inwards a little bit. But the position of Christ is strange in some way: “Christ, although blessing with the right hand directly before his body, has his right leg and knee turned toward the emperor, a position not required by his seated pose” (Kalavrezou, 247). The eye direction is also not understandable.
Introduction This paper considers the book Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships by Guerrero, Andersen and Afifi. The authors of the book look at interpersonal communication by adopting relational approach from Human Services (counseling) perspective. They highlight how one can understand close relationships between families, romantic partners, and friends. They also emphasize the essence of communication in any relationship (Guerrero, Andersen and Afifi, 2011). People have the desire to enhance their relationships as they socialize. This process depends on relationships with others. It presents challenges of needs for fulfillment and acceptance as we relate with others. These challenges provide opportunities for counselors to understand human relationships in a social context. Thus, understanding the concept of self-disclosure is necessary for professional counselors. Understanding new relationships Scholars like Mark Knapp have studied relationships and developed models for understanding various stages of developing new relationships. Knapp highlights concepts of “escalation” and “de-escalation” in stages of relationship development. These refer to “coming together” and “coming apart” (Welch and Rubin, 2002). The insights into human relationship developments are useful in counseling because counselors must be able to understand and identify stages in relationships based on information people give them about their communication and relationship developments. Studies have shown that developing interpersonal skills are necessary for self-confidence. Thus, it is necessary for counselors to understand scientific studies in personal relationships. It is also important for people to understand themselves first as they develop techniques of building relationships with others. In this context, relationships people develop during infancy, childhood, adolescence stages, and as young adults are significant in developing relationships and personal developments (Reis et al, 2000). These are important stages of life, which counselors must understand. They identify intimacy in life more than any other stage. Formations of relationships such as dating act as adaptive techniques people apply while coping with changes in life. People seek for identities by using intimacy because of concerns for themselves since we begin to seek autonomy from infancy stage. At an adolescence stage, people seek individualism and acceptance from peers and people around them. As we become adults, we seek adulthood identity. It is important to understand that we can effectively manage these stages of life through developing relationships with others. Self-Disclosure People tend to protect their valuable personal information and attributes. Occasionally, we disclose such information to others during interactions. This leads to loss of privacy. In this sense, we must develop decision-making process
The Earth’s temperature is maintained by balance between the energy emitted from the sun and re-emission of the same into the atmosphere. This balance can be altered if certain atmospheric gases are injected into the atmospheric system. Energy from the sun is radiated back into the atmosphere in form of long wave radiation which is then held back by these greenhouse gases. If the condition becomes extreme, it results into a general global temperature rise leading to a phenomenon called global warming. There has been increasing awareness over the past few years over the devastating effects of global warming. The political class, research scientists and the general public have voiced their concerns and views on the global warming debate. The proponents of this debate argue that unhealthy human activities have significantly changed the climate patterns of the world, probably to the worst state. Those who oppose this point of view assert that the concept of global warming is just a creation of the mind and not a reality. They feel that the world has ever been hotter than it is today and that whatever is being experienced today are mere climatic variations which are not permanent. The arguments presented in this paper will expound the causes of global warming and its potential impacts to the human race. It is evident that aspects of climate change are being experienced and deeply felt in most parts of the planet today. For this reason, mitigation strategies are necessary and not the politics behind it. There is a natural greenhouse effect that keeps the temperature of the earth in a certain state with expected continual increase. The available greenhouses responsible for the narrow band of temperature found on earth include carbon dioxide, methane and Nitrogen dioxide. It has been estimated that concentration of these gases in the atmosphere lead to change in the average temperature of the earth. For instance, in the last one century, scientists have directly linked the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere with the increase in temperature of the earth. These gases are released from different sources. Carbon dioxide, which is considered as the chief green house gas, is released from combustion of fossils and deforestation. Nitrogen dioxide is chiefly emitted from industries during industrial processes while methane released from a combination of industrial and agricultural processes. Predictions of future climate warming changes are hard to be accurate but serious estimations from IPCC indicate a climate change of from 2.3-4.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This change is thought to cause devastating consequences on earth. Problems associated with global warming Some of the most important questions we should be asking ourselves are for example, what ef