ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Abstract Ground-source heat pumps (GHSP) are perhaps the most used green cooling and heating systems. With increasing concerns over environmental damage created by fossil fuels and other sources of energy, GHSP is an attractive option for heating and cooling buildings. This paper reviews different articles on the subject to understand the concept and different opinions on the applicability of GHSP. The paper then relates the technology to the triple bottom line of sustainability. Various costs involved are highlighted. The paper concludes that GHSP technology is cost effective, has tremendous societal benefits and is one of the most environmentally friendly energy exchange technologies. Introduction Ground-source heat pumps (GHSP) are perhaps the most used green cooling and heating systems. Their operation is based on a renewable energy technology utilized in heating or cooling spaces. “This technology is dependent on the fact that the earth has the most stable temperatures, warmer than the air during winter and cooler than the air during the hot temperatures in summer” (Omer 367). The earth can therefore serve as an exchange environment by using a geothermal heat pump to transfer heat from the earth to a building during winter and transfer heat from the building to the earth during summer. There are no special geological conditions required for this technology making its application easy. Ground-source heat pumps are today attracting a lot of attention due to their environmental advantages. They have potential to reduce heat energy consumption which would in turn reduce greenhouse gasses emissions (Eicker and Christoph 1126). This technology is today well established in North America and is also picking up pace in some parts of Europe. In the United Kingdom, the technology is still at its demonstrative stages and is well received in the neighboring countries too. Ground-source heat pumps uses pipes buried in the ground to transfer heat from the ground to a building and the other way round. During cold seasons, heat from the ground is converted to warm air and is distributed in a building using air ducts. During hot seasons, heat in the room is cooled by using the cooler ground as its heat sink (Milenic, Petar, and Ana 650). The process does not involve any combustion processes. It is simply transfer of heat from one place to the other. Transfer is done through open loop where surface or well water is circulated or through closed loop systems where water or another a fluid mixture is transferred through pipes. Literature review Omer is his article clearly states that heat pumps significantly reduce the amount of energy used for cooling or heating buildings (367). According to the author, GSHPs reduce the need for primary fuels by more than 6
Stranger Staff’s article A Month of Sundays presents the role of religion in a modern society and the attitude of the people to the church. Stranger sends 31 writers to 32 houses of worship to investigate the situation of modern churches and to share their feelings and emotions evoked by the visit to Sunday services. In fact, the writers talk about serious things in a funny or even mocking way. This article witnesses to the fact that the church has stopped to play a crucial role in our life. The writers talking about their visit to the sermon mention that they have not been in the church for a long time and this event was quite disturbing for them. Most of them going to the church imagined another picture of Sunday service. They realized that the situation in the churches has considerably changed. Many priests defame the God and the Bible impelling dissolute behavior. For example, mentioning the conduct of some blonde girl and another female dancing next to her, the writer emphasizes the provocative and seductive behavior of the women in the churches. He pays a lot attention to describing the appearance and the clothes of the girls. The similes used by the author to let us imagine the girls’ dance more vividly are very bright and interesting. Thus, the blonde is compared with Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club, and the brune’s dance reminds the writer the one from the Wayne show (Staff Stranger 2007, 6). Moreover, the author expresses his concern about the lyrics of the songs accompanying Sunday sermons: “Lyric that could double as dirty talk: none – the lyrics to this song are a recipe for terrible sex, just like listening to Coldplay” (Staff Stranger 2007, 6). Many churches are used for entertainments, sexual propaganda and advertisements. Did Jesus Christ want the church to look like entertainment centers? What are the reasons of such debauchery in the churches? The whole society seeking for entertainment and satisfaction of personal demands is guilty of such deplorable situation in the church holding up the religion to derision. The priests do all possible to attract people to the sermons. Sometimes, churches confuse with their buildings and motifs, the writer describes the impressive size of the Overlake Church mentioning that the chapel seats more than 5 thousand guests. Moreover, the stage arranged there also impresses “with sparkling lights through black curtains and camera crews projecting the scene onto three giant screens.” (Staff Stranger 2007, 5). Churches have become for modern people just architectural monuments. We live in the era of modern technologies and the decline of morality. People are not accustomed to visit churches and it is quite difficult for them to understand the Word of God living in the world captured by money and entertainments. The writer’s associations during Sunday service at Overlake Christian Church demonstrate the influence of modern technologies on human mind. Thus, the title
Subject Mexico is one of the fastest growing countries as of today and is actually coping with the highly developed countries. At the twelfth rank among all countries in terms of Gross Domestic Product, Mexico is already considered an upper middle-income country at par with Canada and Spain. After a great economic fiasco more than a decade ago, Mexico became a leading country in terms of growth and development most especially in their economical aspects. The largest city in the Americas and the second biggest city in the world, Mexico has maximized and developed their resources which have led to such a high spot in terms of progress and income. However, Mexico’s economic growth is not an assurance of equality among its residents. In fact, the more Mexico becomes industrialized and urbanized, the greater the gap occurring between the rich and the poor people. This kind of phenomena is greatly affecting the citizens because it does not promote equality among them most especially in terms of labor income. This so called income inequality does not just make the rich people richer and the poor people poorer but is also greatly manifested between the difference of a rural and urban region, and the north and south part of Mexico. To start off, we have to understand that in the early 1990s, Mexico suffered from a great economic downfall which led to a marked increase of Mexico’s poverty rate, inequality and many other offshoots of economic declination. With this situation in Mexico, the government has come up with the resort of asking these Transnational Companies to aid them in their recovery. The World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as opportunistic as their ideals are, took the chance of helping Mexico out and soon involved the country in an agreement which would solve their short term problems. What most people didn’t know is that by signing these contracts, they might as well have traded their future to these Transnational Organizations (Global Exchange). The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is one of the main reasons being blamed because of these devastating effects of globalization to Mexico. It has failed to fulfill its promise to the public (Stiglitz, 2004) and meet the expectations of the society. In other countries, NAFTA also gave the same effects in the economy but the effects in Mexico are becoming harmful not just in the macro but even in the micro aspect of the society. This certain model of trading was simultaneously introduced to Mexico along with World Bank’s and International
As a student, there are dreams galore and ambitions unlimited. There is a desire to be successful and famous. Consequently, there is a strong perception in the student community that an academically competitive atmosphere is the catalyst for this ultimate achievement. There are extreme opinions on this school of thought. However, as a student, I tend to more than agree with it. Academics provide a relevant and useful foundation to the students for the pursuit of learning activities. They orient the student’s mindset rationally. The student gets a better understanding of the world around him/her and tries to apply this logic in the conceptual comprehension of other events as well. Academics hold the key to inculcating virtues of responsibility and integrity. Both these factors become significant decisive forces in shaping a student’s future. A sense of competition in the academic atmosphere triggers growth by way of better performance and results. An academically competitive atmosphere creates space for critical inquiry and debate. In their endeavor to shine and outshine, students widen their horizons to ideate and deliver better. This is a very favorable trend to encourage social interaction and development. In their effort to compete and do well, the students communicate with their peers to have a broader view on every issue. The students constantly try to excel, which makes them realize the value of hard work and perseverance. The competitive environment fosters a sense of keen involvement in all the tasks a student undertakes. It creates benchmarks that help in upgrading the quality standards of the education system, its perpetrators as well as its recipients. This further stimulates a consistent ambiance of momentum and action. There is no room for inertia that puts them in the requisite mode in the era of cutthroat competition and corporate warfare. An academically competitive atmosphere is very vibrant and motivating for the students. The desire to excel and pursue higher learning activities spurs an amazing sense of high self-esteem and confidence among them. Competition is a factor in education. On a global scale, national education systems intending to bring out the best in the next generation encourage competition among students by scholarships. The scholarship system is a very significant method to enable students from different strata of society to pursue their academic means and achieve success. An atmosphere of academic competitiveness is also conducive to the development of new skills and abilities. There is a continuous motivation to diversify and improve. As a small example, when a student is rewarded for pursuing academics with jest and fervor, there are others who develop the drive to get more serious about their studies and career. This commitment incites the stimulus for continuous work on various frontiers and develops intellectual ability. Despite these merits, an academically competitive atmosphere should be evaluated perio
Definition of Ethics Ethics is a moral code that governs the behavior or conduct of an activity. “Ethics is thus said to be the science of conduct” (Paliwal, 2006, p.16). It involves particular standards of human behavior and morals and goes beyond the facts that pertain to moral questions. “Ethics, after all, are not supposed to be abstract principles they are supposed to be doctrines for the way we behave, the way we work, the way we conduct ourselves in life as well as business” (Liveris, 2010 p.36). The term business ethics is coined from linking ethics to business. Business ethics involves the usage of ethical rules in business behavior (Paliwal, 2006). Definition of Consequentialism Consequentialism is the theory that the morality of a deed is to be judged only by its consequences. The subject of consequentialism introduces a twist in ethics that ought to be considered carefully. Origin of Ethics Paliwal notes with worry about how instruments of society are devalued with each passing day. Indians continually lose faith in their law courts and their government (2006). A similar scenario is replicated globally. Business organizations violate moral codes. However, these corporations adopt business ethics due to increasing pressure, thereby signifying a transition from the old to the new business era. The Great Awakening in the industry is when businesses begin penning how to behave among themselves and towards their environment (Liveris, 2010). The business society creates a more transparent mode of operation and general awareness in various quarters of civilization. “There is no doubt that the current interest in organizational ethics stems from that many people feel that the respect for rules and ideals is slipping away” (Hall, 2000, p.23). Ethics evolve, resulting in changes in the ethical standards of organizations. Certain behaviors acceptable in the past are not acceptable today. Accountability for actions is demanded as the public is now conscious. Public interest is on the rise in the actions of business organizations (Thompson et al., 2012). Goals of Ethics Hall considers business ethics as a dual entity (2000). He asserts that ethics is a set goal to be achieved, and a rule to be observed. For success in the development process and the creation of ethical awareness, common goals and ideals that people are committed to ought to be considered (Hall, 2000, p.23). “Ethical issues will continue to be at the forefront of organizational life for the foreseeable future” is a statement that emphasizes the importance of ethics in an organization (Thompson et al., 2010, p.128). Organizational ethics are tasked with the establishment of guidelines towards the achievement of goals that the organization is committed (Hall, 2000). Paliwal gives a brief outline of the nature of ethics (2006). He connotes that ethics is only practical among humans; it deals with voluntary human conduct and is a normative science as it involves deriving moral standards that regulate right and wrong. According to Paliwal, businesses ought to operate as accountable corporate citizens within a country (2006). Therefore, ethics giv
The attention of mass media and policy-makers is usually attracted to such health problems as cancer, AIDS, or smoking. Certainly, one cannot deny that they pose a significant threat to people. However, there are other risks that one should not overlook, and one of them is obesity. Its effects can be much more serious than many people believe. This paper can be of some interest to educators and healthcare workers who need to join their efforts in order to address this issue. They can change people’s attitudes toward their eating habits and lifestyles, and they may play an instrumental role in implementing the solution proposed in this essay. First, it should be noted that there are various definitions of obesity and there are different criteria for diagnosing it. Overall, from medical standpoint, it can be viewed as an excess of fat tissues that can eventually result in various health impairments and even reduced life expectancy (Alexander-Mott, 221). This problem can be attributed to a variety of factors such as inappropriate diet, sedentary lifestyle, or eating disorders that can be attributed to mental health problems (Alexander-Mott, 222). The first two factors are probably the most important ones and their effects should be mitigated. When explaining the problem of obesity, one should not overlook its possible implications. First, this disorder is associated with such risks as diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, gallstone, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer (Ostman, Britton, and Jonsson, 3). These risks may not manifest themselves during childhood or adolescence. Yet, they can become very widespread among adults. This is one aspect of the problem. Furthermore, one should not forget that people who, have problems with extra weight, may often be stigmatized by peers especially during childhood and adolescence. In many cases, they are blamed for something that they are not guilty of. In the long term, such stigmatization can result in inferiority complex and depression, especially among adolescents (Ostman, Britton, and Jonsson, 26). Therefore, it is possible to say that obesity not only impairs the quality of a person’s life, but also results into various physiological and psychological problems. The importance of this problem can be illustrated by looking at its scale. According to the data, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012 more than 35 percent of adults in the US are obese (CDC, unpaged). It means that there are more than fifty million adult people who suffer from this problem. Additionally, 17 percent of children in the United States are diagnosed with obesity (CDC, unpaged). Again, this percentage indicates that more than 12 million children have extra weight. This report takes into account only those people who were officially diagnosed with obesity, but the actual number can be much larger. Overall, the number of people with obesity problems has increased by more than 20 percent within the last twenty-five years, and this trend is projected to continue in the following decades. Furthermore, as it has been said before, obesity leads to a variety of health problems, and the pr
Intrempireon History documents the existence of many great civilizations over the past four millenniums. At their prime, the greatest of these empires controlled vast territories and enjoyed great economic prosperity. One defining characteristic of these empires and dynasties is that they all suffered from decline and eventually collapsed. While there might have been some differences in the causes of the collapse of the empires, there are some common reasons. Two of the historical civilizations that declined and eventually collapsed are the Sumerian civilization of southern Mesopotamia and the Gupta Empire of India. While these civilizations existed at different periods in history and in different geographical regions, their declines had some important similarities. An important similarity between the declines of both civilizations is that they were caused by foreign invasions, which weakened the empires to the point where they could no longer protect themselves. An important difference is that while the local rulers of the Gupta Empire contributed to the decline of the empire by fighting amongst themselves, the Sumerian Civilization was weakened by the rapid expansion that made it impossible for the empire to defend itself from enemies effectively. Similarities Both the Sumerian and Indian civilizations faced the constant threat of invasion from foreign enemies. In its prime years, Sumer was a civilization thriving with innovations and experiencing economic prosperity. It enjoyed a rapid increase in population, which led to great wealth for civilization. Due to this success, Sumer was under the constant threat of attack from the nomads of the Arabian Desert and the nearby mountain peoples. 1 To protect the empire, the Sumerian king had to organize a large army to defend the city-states from the invaders. King Sargon, I of Akkad, who reigned from around 2275BC, was able to protect the empire from the attacks. However, these efforts required significant financial resources, and while the King was able to defend Sumer during his lifetime effectively, it collapsed soon after his death in 2220BC. From then onwards, the empire was in a weakened state, and the constant attacks from foreign enemies depleted the resources of the Sumerians. By the year 2000BC, Sumer was in a weakened state, and it lacked the ability to defend itself effectively from the invading tribe of the Amorites from west Syria. 2 The Amorites were able to conquer the strong city-state of Ebla, and it did not take long for the other cities to fall into the hands of the invaders. The Amorites took control of much of the land that the Sumerians had occupied, effectively marking the collapse of the Sumerian civilization. These invaders changed the name of the Akkad city to Babylon and proceeded to assimilate the Sumerians into the Babylonian kingdom. Just as Sumer had faced external enemies, the Gupta Empire of India was threatened by aggressive foreign invaders. The Gupta Empire had been founded in 320AD after a long period of civil wars between local rulers across India. 3 This new dynasty was able to bring about peace and stabil
A Typology of Online Shoppers Based on Shopping Motivations Past research on consumer motivation focuses on the reasons that consumers shop online. Several theories give reasons for the behavior, but there is little empirical evidence. Currently, consumers get information quickly due to fast links between most product dealers within the supply chain. As such, it is paramount for organizations to form consumer relationships on the internet. Hence, consumers end up paying lower prices for some products while others are willing to pay severe prices. Consumer motivation might be a reason for the discrepancy in prices (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). The Scope and Objectives of the Paper This research aims at establishing a typology of online customers that is derived from online shoppers. There is a wide variety of shopping typologies already developed for store and catalog settings. However, there is a lack of research that examines typologies in the online arena (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). As such, this paper provides the basis for the identification of the different consumer segments and develops targeting strategies. Methodology This research engages a random sample of 1000 potential respondents consisting of both active and lapsed customers of an online grocery retailer (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). Only 25% of the mailed surveys were usable for the study. The researchers then drew a sample from offline customers to gain an insight into the motivations. Approximately a third of the respondents sent back the surveys; thereafter, they used demographic characteristics to match the online and offline samples (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). Major Findings The resultant topology, a four-group typology, was developed using cluster analysis that was based on analysis of factors. A cross-validation procedure was then employed to test the reliability of the solution, and shopping types were established (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). They are:   * The Convenience Shopper (Cluster 1: 10%): This group shows minimum physical store orientation, as well as variety-seeking behavior across retail channels.   * The Variety Seeker (Cluster 2): This group comprising about forty percent of the sample is moderately motivated by shopping convenience, but more so by variety-seeking across retail alternatives and products and brands.   * The Balanced Buyer (Cluster 3): In this cluster, about a third of the sample was moderately driven by the desire to seek variety. They exhibit a desire for convenience and a low tendency to plant the shopping task and seek information.   * The Store-Oriented Shopper (Cluster 4): This cluster, about 15% of the sample, exhibits the lowest leve