ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The subject of genetic engineering has captured our imaginations since the first strains of hybrid wheat and vegetables were commercialized. Genetic engineering is the science of altering the genes so that the offspring that is produced show a different and better physical structure and even mental ability. While it was acceptable to use genetic engineering to increase food supply by growing better and healthier crops, science has received increased criticism when parents attempt to engineer the genes of the to-be-born babies so that the babies have better looks. This paper examines the literature about different types and use of genetic engineering and offers a criticism about these methods. Somatic gene therapy McKibben (2003) speaks of Somatic Gene Therapy as it is used to modify the gene and cell structure of human beings so that the cells are able to produce certain chemicals that would help the body to fight diseases and germs. The author has given two examples that demonstrate the use and effects of this therapy. In one case, the author comments about an old lady who is suffering from cystic fibrosis. Scientists would attempt to modify her genes by putting the genes in some viruses that are injected into the patient. The virus would hopefully infect the cells and make them produce the required chemicals that would fight the ailment. In effect, scientists are modifying the genes in the patient’s body, and this is genetic engineering (para 10). McKibben (2003) has given another example of how genetic engineering has been used for increasing the cosmetic beauty of people. People who worry about aging lines and furrows on the face take a mild injection of Botox so that the cells in the face are genetically modified and do not fall into furrows. The author points out that Botox is actually a deadly poison, and if used in large quantities, it can kill people, and it is like smearing the plague spores on the feet to kill the germs on the feet that cause athlete’s feet. This is a foolish pastime that socialites, movie stars, and others who like by their looks frequently use, with untold risk to their bodies. Not only has the Botox dose to be taken after every few months, but also the drug causes paralysis of the face muscle so that one cannot show expressions of anger or happiness. However, some section of people is happy to take these injections and do not mind paying the price. According to the author, Botox injections are easily available and frequently used. Germline genetic engineering McKibben (2003, para 10) has pointed out the Germline genetic engineering refers to the genetic engineering done on the fertilized embryo that may be a week old; scientists would take apart the cells of the embryo, select one of the cells and either delete or modify some of the genes, insert artificial chromosomes that would have pre-designed genes. The cells would then be placed in an egg from which the nucleus has been removed and the embryo implant inside the womb of a woman. After the customary nine months or
The silent film Voyage to the Moon directed by Georges Méliès represents an important landmark in the development of cinematography since it incorporates a variety of techniques that were revolutionary by the standards of the early twentieth century. For a long time, the color version of the film was believed to be irretrievably lost. However, due to painstaking effort of many cinematographers, it was eventually restored and displayed at the Cannes Film Festival. Overall, one can say that the restored version of this movie only enhances the sense of unreality that Méliès tried to create; moreover, it highlights the idea that Voyage to the Moon is a surrealistic fantasy and a theatrical performance, rather than a science-fiction film. This is the main thesis that should be elaborated in greater detail. By coloring this film, cinematographers were able to enrich this work of art. In particular, the color version helps the audience understand the way in which this director could have envisioned the fantastic images that he created. For instance, it is possible to speak about the scenes in which the landscape of the Moon is depicted. To a great extent, this landscape becomes much more vivid. Furthermore, the audience can better visualize the clothes of the main characters and the complex scenery designed for the movie. This is one of the changes that should be considered, since for more than a century, the viewers were deprived of this opportunity. Apart from that, this version enables the spectators to see that this film can be compared to a theatrical performance with very complex stage decorations that are more important than actors who cannot contribute much to the film. This is one of the techniques frequently employed by Georges Méliès. Additionally, much attention to should be paid to the sound track included in the restored version of this movie. At the beginning, it creates the sense of suspense and prompts the audience to think that the main characters can be exposed to grave danger. In contrast, the original musical score creates a light-hearted mood which does not give rise to any misgivings. This is one of the differences that should be considered by the viewers. One can also say that the color version changes the effect produced by the fantastic elements of this movie. In particular, the viewers can see that Georges Méliès wants to highlight the unreality or even theatricality of the action. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about Méliès’s conception of the
Nowadays, communication has become one of the paramount components of a successful professional. The expert should be able to find a common language with different people in different situations and circumstances. However, each person has their own style of communication. With this in mind, it is important to learn all about effective communication techniques. Personally, I hope to learn different strategies and tools to communicate with my friends, employees, and colleagues. I understand that communication depends on a particular situation, person, or other factors. I want to learn the communicative styles of different speakers and CEOs through listening to their speeches or reading articles and discussing them with a team. Also, I hope to learn about the success of such prominent companies as Google and Apple, for example, based on strong communicative performance. Knowing their stories, I will be able to come up with my own innovative ideas and decisions to implement them in my future career. I will be able to establish deep personal relationships, trust, and a clear purpose associated with my prospective job. Furthermore, I believe that my innate desire to listen to people carefully and then convey their ideas and thoughts is the key to success in the communications major. My curiosity also leads me to be fond of writing and analyzing information. Among other goals is the opportunity to acquire an excellent job and work for a large, prestigious company. Working as a competitive professional, I want to participate in various interesting projects, communicating information to different audiences. I am aware that we live in a diverse world that is affected by globalization. Therefore, I understand that it is necessary to learn diversity communication within the communications major. I hope this major will provide me information about various cultures, nations, and regions of the world. For example, I want to know how to communicate with Chinese representatives or people from the UAE, as they might be partners in my future career. Speaking of communications as a college major, I am interested in learning language peculiarities and rhetoric, so that I will be abl
Khao Lak – Thailand The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami dramatically left Khao Lak helpless, weak and exposed the region’s vulnerability. The community was left affected both socially and economically. Khao Lak is a fairly new coastal region that had grown as a result of an increase in tourists visiting Thailand. It had only 100 rooms in 1996, but December of 2004 saw it has slightly more than 5,300 rooms. The region’s socio-environmental system was also greatly affected leaving it more vulnerable to shocks (Calgaro and Lloyd, 2008, 289). Calgaro and Lloyd (2008, 288) argue that disasters also bring change or are rather catalysts for change “Reflecting the complex nature of vulnerability, the presentation of the causal factors is neither simple nor linear; the factors feed into and off each other.” Decisions made by police agencies, emergency services, as well as the departments of interior, health, consumer affairs, judiciary, foreign affairs, and civil defense have a great influence on how a crisis involving tourists is managed. Start a “Safety and Security working group to bring these partners together on a regular basis to discuss tourism” (Cioccioa and Michael 2005, 15). For instance, in South Africa, “the Tourism Safety Task Group is made up of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the national police, the tourism board (SATOUR), the Tourism Business Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs and nine provincial tourism departments” (Robinson and Jarvie 2008, 631). In all these cases the most outstanding finding that was discovered especially among tourists in these areas (Khao Lak – Thailand, Arugam Bay – Sri Lanka) was a surprise and lack of previous information that a tsunami could occur along with its suddenness and destructive power (Calgaro and Lloyd, 2008). The vulnerability exposed by these areas was the surprise with which the tsunami struck compounded with a lack of knowledge made the aftermath even more tragic (Robinson and Jarvie 2008, 640). This was not helped in any way by the numerous false information being passed around which as a result made any effort at rescue be more difficult than it should have been. The potential destructive power of the sea was so profound and for that reason, Calgaro and Lloyd have used a conceptual structure based on Turner et al.’s (2003) framework to explore the causal factors that have contributed respectively to the exposure, sensitivity, and resilience of the Khao Lak community to the tsunami (Calgaro and Lloyd 2008, 302). Woven throughout the analysis are elucidations into how these factors are socially constructed and reinforced by economic development processes, uneven access to resources, weak governance, and the competing agendas of key
Introduction Parents, particularly the wealthy ones, usually find it difficult to decide the best institution of higher learning for their children. Most of them have a tendency of choosing the option of studying abroad. In this regard, it is vital to evaluate the merits and demerits of studying abroad with respect to what the children gain from learning in a different nation. Definitely, cachet and quality education is obtainable in the home nation. Nevertheless, the general viewpoint of the excellence in education makes it appear as though studying abroad is better. Moreover, experts from other countries who have studied in universities in the United States or the United Kingdom are greatly valued in their nations. Do the negative impacts of studying abroad outweigh the positive ones? When it comes to studying abroad, children are separated from their parents, other relatives, and friends for a long duration (Llanes and Muñoz 63-90). On the contrary, studying abroad offers high positive sentiments, a remarkable experience, and the notion of superiority. Analysis One of the negative impacts of studying abroad is that it makes parents worried about the condition of their children in a far foreign country (Lee, Therriault, and Linderholm 768-778). Mostly the parents develop the misconception that their children might lose control and end up in bad habits. In some instances, the students fail to adapt to the new environment suitably. This is at times accompanied by distress for both the parents and the learners, which could even result in failure in education. Irrespective of the number of new friends that students who study abroad make, they get strong feelings of loneliness at some point. At some stage, they miss their family members and friends in the home country, which could interfere with the concentration in their studies. Failure to understand the foreign language makes the student studying abroad feel alone because of the impossibility of unrestricted interactions and support from family members and friends. Moreover, when a relative or friend is struggling or in danger, the student studying abroad is not in a position of supporting them in any way. While studying abroad, students are compelled to adapt to new conditions, lifestyles, and demands, which could be tricky (McLeod et al. 30-38). The difficulties of adjusting to the new ways and norms may make the students be at a loss. Going to the foreign nation, settling there, and trying to acclimatize to the routines is not an easy undertaking. Students who go to study abroad are compelled to comprehend the new standards and stipulations, facilitate their learning proficiencies, and accomplish the educational backlog, which might turn overwhelming. Studying abroad may require a student to learn a foreign language. If a student decides to study in Germany with no knowledge of the German language, it may lead to further learning endeavors that may divert the learner from the
Native American Tribes of Florida Florida is a particular place that perceived the different nations’ influence on its politics. Nowadays, Florida’s politics is composed of three major compounds, which are Native, Spanish, and British. American Tribes that were the original population of Florida significantly contributed to contemporary Florida’s politics as their heritage caused a particular attitude to their modern representatives. According to Swann, “the ancient groups’ descendants are now members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.” Nowadays, 53.000 people in Florida are Native Americans, and 39 different tribes from across North America are represented in Florida’s population, and their rights are respected (Swann, n.d.). Florida is culturally and historically tied to its ancestors, and these relations are a part of the development of its politics. Spanish Period The Spanish explorer Ponce de León’s arrival became the new stage in Florida’s history because of several reasons. This colonizer named the area la Florida, in honor of Pascua florida, Spain’s Eastertime celebration (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). After the failure of the first attempt to conquer Florida, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the second colonizer, founded the primary permanent European colony (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). In addition, according to Swann (n.d.), “As part of the Spanish colonial strategy, Catholic missions were established to convert indigenous people to Christianity.” Spanish exploration caused noticeable changes in the origin population’s life that resulted in contemporary political development in Florida and made it similar to the European one. British Florida Throughout the entire history, control over Florida had been passed down from nation to nation. In 1763, Britain obtained Florida in exchange for other Spanish territories such as Cuba and Havana, which brought a new form of influence (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). British rule lasted only twenty years, but it is possible to track its consequences in politics, as modern Florida is tolerant to different nationalities and accepts European political approaches. (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). American Revaluation resulted in Florida’s final transformation into its current state and the end of the foreign control over this area.
I do not agree that menu labeling would help reduce the rate of obesity in the U.S. An article in Time magazine revealed that there is a new proposal pushing for every restaurant in several states to post calories on menus. This article went ahead to report that 82% of New Yorkers made their orders in restaurants based on the labeling on the menu. The new legislation would be acceptable if its purpose was to prevent the food industry players from using hazardous ingredients such as Trans-fat, Sodium, and MSG. It would definitely be a good idea to help customers make the right decision when eating out. However, trying to insinuate that the legislation was crafted to mainly help in reducing obesity is illogical and a total waste of research resources. This policy categorically declares that chain restaurants should take responsibility for public health monitoring and regulation of diet-related diseases like obesity and heart complications. The primary reason why I disagree with menu labeling is that obesity and other personal health problems are not caused by poor dietary habits alone. ‘Excess eating’ is only one of a myriad of causes of lifestyle-associated health problems. For instance, there are many fast-food chain restaurants in Japan and South Korea that are frequented by people as much as American fast-food restaurants are. However, in Japan & South Korea the rates of obesity are very low and the life expectancy is even longer. Do the people in these two countries really care about a calorie list? Not really, as a matter of fact a greater percentage of citizens from the older generation don’t even know what calories are. In my stay in the U.S., I have realized that Americans are much better at recognizing the calories in particular foods than most people elsewhere. The main reason why the Japanese and South Koreans are healthier is that they have good eating habits. Having proper eating habits is more helpful than having extensive knowledge of the amount of calories in the food that one eats. According to Hartocollis, when researchers studied the effects of menu labeling on eating habits, poor black and Hispanic fast-food customers, were used as the control group. Among these two groups, many incidences of obesity were recorded. It was observed that the said individuals did not really care much about nutrition since the cost of eating healthy was prohibitive (Hartocollis). Finally, it is worth noting that even if restaurants start posting calorie labels on menus, the people who do not know about nutrition will not make plans to have improved meals. I would like to make the suggestion that the government finds a solution for obesity by targeting home menus as opposed to what people eat in restaurants. The state should put strategies in place to educate people about the need for better eating habits, such as regular eating schedules, eating small amounts at a time, and increased consumption of vegetables and fruits. In conclusion, if the proposal on menu labeling is passed into law, every chain restaurant will have to invest in development of low calorie diets by using healthy ingredients for every food item on their menus. As a result
Sensory development in the first year of life Even though all children develop differently, baby’s sensory development usually follows the same pattern:   * Sight : fully developed at 7-12 months.   * Touch : well-developed at birth.   * Taste and smell : well-developed at birth.   * Hearing : fully developed at one month. In the study of child care, it is crucial to understand theoretical perspectives on child development. The most pertinent theories and their impact on current frameworks are considered in this presentation. Firstly, it is necessary to understand the sensory development in the first year of life. A baby begins to experience the new world through 5 senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. During the first twelve months, senses develop faster than they will be during the rest of life, so it is essential to encourage development. Neurological and brain development in the early years Three theories by Johnson :   * the maturational perspective (cognitive abilities develop as cortex areas related to them mature);   * the interactive specialization (cognitive abilities develop as cortex areas related to them expand interactions);   * the skill-learning hypothesis (some areas are active during skill-learning, others – after skills are learned). Brain development in the early years is particularly important for the infant’s further interaction with the world. Johnson suggested three theories of neurological and brain development in humans. In general, it depends on experience and brain maturation, so it is recommended to encourage the baby’s interaction with the environment. As mentioned before, the infant’s vision develops fully only by the age of one year, so parents ensure that babies can see their faces by holding them close. Overall, current practices aim at developing connections in the cortex and effectively activating the brain. Cognitive development The theory by Piaget describes four stages:   * Sensorimotor : basic reflexes, senses, responses;   * Preoperational : using language and thinking;   * Concrete operational : logical but concrete thinking;   * Formal operational : abstract logical thinking. In the early years, the baby’s brain is developing rapidly, resulting in a significant improvement in cognitive abilities. A theory suggested by Piaget claims children play an active role in acquiring knowledge and interacting with the world. They gradually improve their cognitive skills from sensory experience to understanding abstract ideas. Piaget’s theory showed that children are not passive recipients of new information. Thus, it had a significant impact on methods of studying for children. The idea of discovery learning has been implemented in kindergartens and schools to support children’s learning through active exploration. The definition of speech, language, and communication   * Speech : the ability to articulate sounds, forming words.   * Language : the way of human communication.   * Communication : conveying and receiving messages and information.   * Speech and language skills are needed for effective communication. In order to understand theoretical perspectives related to speech,