ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Brand The present paper is devoted to the description of the luxury fashion brand “Gucci” that belongs to the Kering Group (Binkley par. 11). Some of the ready-to-wear Spring 2017 Collection looks are presented in figure 1. Fig. 1. Gucci RTW Spring 2017 from Bridget Foley; “Gucci RTW Spring 2017”; Women’s Wear Daily 2016; Web. History of the Brand As reported by WWD Staff, the first Gucci store was opened in 1921, and in 1935, Guccio Gucci developed the first Gucci signature: it is a diamond print on leather products that consists of small interconnected diamond shapes (see fig. 2). Since then, new stores were opening in Italy and other countries, and the products were becoming more diversified. For example, in 1966, the Flora print was designed, and in 1975, the company began to produce fragrances (see fig. 2). In 2004, the Kering Group raised its stake in the brand to 99%, but it did not affect Gucci’s success or identity; rather, the identity of the brand was changing together with its Creative Directors (WWD Staff par. 6-57). Gucci has had a very rich history of setting fashion trends, and nowadays, the brand is being renovated to maintain its reputation and status and develop its new identity with its new Creative Director. Fig. 2. Gucci landmark works from Christina Binkley; “The New CEO behind the Gucci Moment”; The Wall Street Journal 2015; Web. Mission Statement, Vision, and Values Today, Gucci is being “reinvented,” and its strategic vision is being reconsidered by Marco Bizzarri, who is Kering’s current CEO in Luxury products. Bizzarri describes the reinvention of the brand as the renovation of its image in the effort to recapture “the spirit of innovation” and redefine the notion of luxury (“Kering Letter to Shareholders” 4). Bizzarri also has appointed Alessandro Michele as a new Creative Director who started to develop the new image of the brand. The new vision is in line with the company’s mission statement and values: Gucci aims at strengthening the position of “the world’s most desirable fashion house” by proving its commitment to quality, innovation, and attention to details in its production (“About Gucci” par. 1). Company Overview Brand Structure Nowadays Gucci belongs to the Kering Group as one of its brands; the Group tends to divide its brands into Luxury ones (Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and others) and Sport and Lifestyles ones (PUMA and others) (“Kering 2016 First-Half Report” 11). Financial Statistics According to the “Kering 2016 First-Half Report,” the revenues of the Group have been growing steadily in the past four reporting periods; the second quarter of 2016 brought a 3.8% increase in the total revenues as compared to that of 2015. Gucci has also been experiencing growth in revenues that led to a 5.4%
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Kate Chopin uses the elements of setting for enhancing the effectiveness of the storytelling techniques. The setting as an important element of fiction always has a significant impact on readers’ perception of the literary works. However, in Chopin’s The Storm, the elements of setting are interconnected with the rest of the plot lines and not only explain but also influence their development. The setting of the story is complex and multi-layered, presenting the life of the rural community and placing the storm into the midst of the story. The most important part of work on the assignment was the attempt to evaluate the role of the setting by imagining that the story could be written without setting. One of the main difficulties which occurred during the close reading and analysis of the short story is the interpretation of the phrases of a boy who was speaking gibberish dialect. Still, the use of the dialect words is explained with Chopin’s intention to represent the authentic picture and make her characters look more realistic. Personal experience with storms makes the main element of setting understandable for readers, however, Chopin’s interpretation endows this element with new meanings. The main strengths of the paper include the evaluation of various functions of setting in The Storm and support of the assumptions with the citations from theoretical sources and the episodes from the literary work. If the paper could be revised, I would pay more attention to the symbolic meanings of the storm. The paper is written in MLA style and includes direct quotations supporting the main ideas.Sincerely, Setting is a significant element of any literary work which can be used at the author’s discretion for contrasting or complementing the depicted events. Kate Chopin used the setting of her short story The Storm for enhancing the effectiveness of the storytelling process and intensifying the effect produced on readers by the main plot lines. Kate Chopin used the details of setting for explaining some of the circumstances which were significant for the development of the plot lines. In this sense, setting can be regarded as fate which is out of characters’ hands and rules their destinies to some extent. In some of the episodes the details of setting deprive characters of free choice. Thus, the main characters act in accordance with circumstances instead of using their free will. The setting explains why Calixta is separated from her husband who has to wait till the end of the storm in Friedheimer’s sto
Elements of the Crime First degree murder is the most severe form of homicide. It is commonly defined as the intentional killing of another person by someone who acted willfully, deliberately, and with planning. It is a crime against the persons as obviously the action or actus reus causes direct harm against another individual and results in death. The mens rea around first-degree murder is complex as it depends on the statute of the state. Some require premeditation, while others such as New York only uses first-degree murder in those rare circumstances of killing of police officer or others on the list. Other states use both approaches. There are also different considerations to ‘premeditated’ as this can range from simple deliberation to intentional prior calculation and design. Factual Scenario The case of State v. Forrest is a true case of events. A very sick man is admitted to the hospital in 1985, deemed to be untreatable, so he is made comfortable. His son arrives to visit the father, getting into argument with nurse, arguing that his father is dying while the nurse suggests he could hold on for a while longer. After being left alone, and seeing his father struggling to cough, the son (defendant) takes out a small handgun and shoots his father in the temple 4 times. He later justifies this as mercy, not wanting the father to struggle anymore. At which point he then surrenders and cooperates with law enforcement (Lippman, 2018). Multiculturalism and Diversity In the factual case presented, multiculturalism does not play a strong role. Everyone involved as white, middle class. Jury in the 1980s small town in N.C. were likely the same as well. The media, and potentially jurors, were at times sympathetic to the defendant. While the state obviously prosecuted as first-degree murder since intent does not matter outside of the intent to kill in such premeditated cases, the defendant was viewed by many as a troubled but loving son. In terms of multiculturalism, I would argue that if the same situation occurred at the same time and location, but the family was African American, it would have been perceived much differently due to the existing societal prejudice at the time. It would have been described as a troubled family and gun violence. The defendant may have had faced other charges for using a gun in the hospital, and potentially a life sentence may not have been enough for the jury, as capital punishment was readily used at the time. Judges and Sentencing I support that judges should generally be given discretion however it should be provided with some limitations. First, all serious crimes (particularly against the person) should have minimum sentencing based on state law. Second, judges should be monitored for disparity outcomes, meaning sentencing outcomes associate
Introduction Understanding the critical events that have played an important role to shape the history of America should be the core objective of any student who takes pride in his country. Some of the major historical events that have been identified include the D-Day invasion, the Great Depression, and even the assassinations of the United States great presidents, John Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. These are just but a few of the common events that have shaped the history of this nation. However, other significant milestones have been ignored by historical experts. Larry Schweikart, a conservative historian, in his most celebrated book titled ‘Seven Events that Made America America’, takes a deep discovery of some pivotal events that have made America what it is today. Scheweikart indicates that these neglected, yet significant historical events, disclose the imperativeness of our values. The Seven Events That Made America America The author does not merely recount America’s history but rather takes a different perspective to examine some significant events in light of the vision of our Founding Fathers. The seven events, as discussed by Schweikart, form a cohesive argumentative point to any historian through this easy-to-read but, educative book. One of the insights by the author is his take on Martin Van Buren’s nightmare in the 1820s which bore the big government. The author notes that the move by Martin to invent new national party machinery seemed to evoke some kind of partisan strife in history. The machinery’s strategy to reward its supporters by giving them employment both at the party and government level resulted in the continuous growth of the federal government. The second notable event identified by the author is the Dred Scott decision in 1857 that wrecked the economic status in America and accelerated a war. The decision by the supreme court in the matter of Dred, a slave, not only messed him up but became a historical event that led to financial panic. It also played a big role to spark the beginning of the Civil War. The third historical event took place in 1889 during the Johnstown Flood. This flood saw the citizens themselves coming together in solidarity to heroically and efficiently give aid in response to the disaster hence exhibiting the power of private empathy. This act is therefore not surprising as the Founding Fathers would not have expected the people to act otherwise. The fourth event identified by the author is the heart attack by Ike that triggered dietary nannyism. According to the author, the war to ensure that Americans ate healthy foods was triggered by President Dwight Eisenhower’s heart attack. Though the Constitution does not give the federal government power to dictate Americans’ diet, the author seems to argue that this particular event set the pace to preach dietary nannyism. The war on meat, sugar, fats and any other food that the government deemed not healthy to the human’s body would not have appalled the Founders. According to him, the uphea
A wealth of literature demonstrates that research is a discursive practice that must be carried out using meticulous and systematic means so as to meet pertinent norms and standards, especially in regard to its validity, reliability, and rationale (Lankshear, n.d.). Equally, good quality research must have the capacity to elucidate strong evidence in the form of quantitative or qualitative data that is relevant to a phenomenon or variable under study. The development of an effective procedure or guideline of undertaking the research is of paramount importance in the context of allowing objective data to be collected, organized, analyzed and presented in ways that will allow people to acknowledge that the findings are not only informative, but the inferences drawn upon them are logical. This paper purposes to evaluate some of differences and characteristics between quantitative and qualitative research designs. Both qualitative and quantitative research studies have unique characteristics. To start with, it is imperative to note that qualitative researchers are mainly concerned with studying the subject matter in the natural settings in an effort to make sense of, or to understand, observable occurrences in terms of the meanings attached to them by people (Patton, 2002). One of the characteristics of a qualitative research study, therefore, is that it is interested in studying real-world situations or occurrences as they unfold naturally without controlling or manipulating any variables. In essence, it is not predetermined as is the case with quantitative studies. The second characteristic is that most qualitative studies utilize purposive sampling procedures. Specifically, cases designated for study are selected by virtue of the fact that they have the needed information and provide valuable manifestations of the phenomenon under study. In most qualitative studies, sampling of cases is aimed at getting more insight about the phenomenon under study, not empirical generalization from a sample of subjects to a population as is the case in quantitative studies (Patton, 2002). The third characteristic of a qualitative research study is that the design adopted must be open and flexible enough to enable the researcher adapt to new inquiry depending on the level of understanding needed. A qualitative design must have the capacity to accommodate new situations as they emerge in addition to allowing the researcher pursue new paths of discovery as opposed to a quantitative design, which utilizes rigid, unresponsive design (Patton, 2002). Quantitative studies, on the other part, are basically undertaken by means of developing a testable hypothesis or research questions, and collecting data, which is then ordered and statistically analyzed to come up with findings. Finally, t
Introduction A business strategy provides a firm with an elaborate framework for evaluation of its ideas/projects with regard to their strategic value. In most firms, the frameworks for implementation and evaluation of strategy are largely lacking. Strategic value goes beyond strategy; it encompasses ideas that give the firm comparative advantage (Campbell, Goold & Alexander 1995). Comparative advantage, unlike competitive advantage is based on the net present value (NPV) concept; a concept whereby, in response to competition, a firm initiates and implements new projects. Generally, a viable project is one which, if implemented, generates high stakeholder wealth hence adding strategic value to the company. To achieve strategic value, a company must improve on the existing project strengths, minimize project weaknesses, reduce risks and develop new ideas/opportunities (Campbell, Goold & Alexander 1995). Based on these factors, it is evident that, for a new project to be termed successful, its strategic value to a company must outweigh its implementation cost. This paper assesses the statement that for a project to be successful, it must be aligned with its strategic value. Using examples, the paper evaluates different business models that prioritize particular business activities based on their economic value to the firm. Strategy and Competitive Advantage Strategy encompasses all business actions a company takes to gain competitive advantage in a given industry (Porter 1996, p. 64). Superior quality products or services offered at affordable prices enhance a firm’s competitiveness. It is the superior value that increases a firm’s market share and profitability. For example, it was the need for an improved search engine that drove Sergey Brin and Larry Page to develop Google. Also, Henry Ford was motivated by the desire to produce reliable, superior quality vehicles to customers. Most firms aim to provide products or services that meet consumer needs; profit comes as a consequence of creating a high-quality product or service (Arthur 1996). This implies that strategy entails creation of value at a reduced cost. Besides value creation, strategy sometimes involves co-operation between firms. The co-operation helps firms to achieve common strategic objectives (Christensen & Raynor 2003). For example, three rival companies, Sony, Toshiba and IBM, cooperated in creating the PlayStation 3 microprocessor cell. Besides co-operation, most firms enhance their competitiveness through product and price differentiation. To accomplish this, firms often adopt measures that enhance their strategic positioning (unique positioning
Prisoner rights and prisoner voting are UN-mandated issues, as the organization seeks to uphold the rights of all individuals and ensure they are not being violated. Scotland is one of the nations inside of the EU that does not allow prisoners to vote. The report prepared by Christina McKelvie et al. (5) analyzes the legalistic and human rights background of the issue and proposes to abolish the ban on prisoner voting in Scotland, in order to pay respect for the greater devolved responsibility for the democratic process. In the report, McKelvie et al. (8) highlight the important contradictions behind the blanket ban, namely the lack of understanding behind the purpose of the prison, the influence of the media and the public press, as well as the potential consequences for democracy and human rights. According to their findings, the deprivation of the right to vote would encourage the criminal to oppose society and commit more crimes, not less. The reports also point out that the opposition to the right to vote operates on emotional factors rather than legalistic arguments or logic. Lastly, the ban on voting violates Article 3 Protocol 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights, Article 21 of the International Convention of Human Rights, and Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (McKelvie et al. 26). The report is well-entrenched in the legal frameworks of Scotland, the EU, and the UN. It is supported by numerous citations from local and international acts regarding the rights of prisoners and individuals in general. However, the report does not address the ethical issues behind the ban and does not have enough academic research to back up some of its claims. In addition, the report dismisses the political and justice views of the majority of the society as “emotion-driven” and “influenced by the mass media” (McKelvie 27). The paper asserts the purpose of prisons as correctional facilities without consulting the opinion of the population on such matters. In a democracy, the voice of the people should prevail over individual opinions and concerns. The paper does not show any of that, which construes a weakness. Work Cited McKelvie, Christina et al. Prisoner voting in Scotland . 2018, Web.
Introduction Good health does not just happen; it is a habit of smart choices and sound clinical care. Findings say that good nursing is vital for good health and essential for the development of body’s physic but the avalanche highly depends on resource accessibility. Major causes of illnesses in the United States relates to poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and lack of good nursing guide/care. People will stay for long without considering the health checks only to run for the treatment when it is already too late. They link their ignorance to the financial ability. Social capital and health inequality Throughout medicine and society, there has been a major concern over whether or not a person’s health outcome is the result of individual influence or his or her social surroundings and network. In class, students gain knowledge of various properties of social relationships as distinctive structural factors, and assessment of how they intertwine with the production of health. This paper will take in hand the issues of understanding and demonstrate how social relationships, specifically social capital, can become the defining factor for influencing individual health, as well as the health outcomes of an individual’s social network members. In various ways, the people around us can affect our health outcomes. However, it is a common credence that this is highly dependent on an individual’s social capital, or the resources embedded in social relationships. According to Lin and Song (2009, 149), people will rarely assess the quality of nursing or health care they receive or seek but will rather analyze the costs involved; including the installments premiums and the direct costs. They also concentrate their decision on the recommendations their families and friends offer, their personal plan over doctors’ checkup visits and how convenient the location might be. Social capital directly affects both outcomes net of social support. Examples among well-ascertained diseases antecedents include the social relationship between capital and support. There is a wide need for further research in connection to the influences of social capital on health issues. As applied by Lin and Song (2009, 150), the social capital theory applies to the inequalities of health. According to them, these capitals involve embedding resources into social structures, which are accessible or mobilized through rationale actions. This is an indication that resources are allocated depending on the need as per the outlaid allocation structure for instance educational wise or authoritatively. The social capital differs from economical capital based on the personal view. Personal capital includes the huma