ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Over the past few months, there has been growing anxiety on whether the U.S. and other European countries will be able to pay their sovereign debts. Apart from the U.S., the European countries that are seen as unable to pay their sovereign debts include Greece, Spain, and Portugal. These fears have led to lack of faith in the concerned countries and their fellow European Union members. Financial analysts are worried that the rising government deficits and debt levels around the world is painting a gloom image on the future of financial markets. The genesis of the debt crisis has been Greece whose cost of financing its debt has been increasing at an alarming rate. In order to restore investor confidence, it is important to look at ways in which these countries can reduce their sovereign debt levels. (Grauwe) There are many pros of looking at the ability of a country to settle its sovereign debt. One of these is that a good report gives investors the confidence to continue investing in the country in question. This in turn leads to continued economic growth and stability in the whole country. On the other hand, a negative report can make investors lose their confidence not only in the affected country but in the whole region as well. On top of this, this might cause the country in question to lose access to the debt market. Although countries may try coming up with corrective measures to reduce their sovereign debt, its citizens might fail to receive the measures lightly. A good example of this is Greece where proposed tax reforms by the government led to widespread chaos across the country. This caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to fall by close to 1,000 points in one day, which is a significant drop considering that
Introduction Between 2017 and 2019, the state of California witnessed a sequence of ravaging wildfires that cumulatively resulted in residents’ compelled evacuation. Albeit California state and local fire departments, as well as other stakeholders, tried to contain this incident, their resources were substantially limited. Various analytical studies point to several areas where inadequacies such as infrastructure and communication were noticeable. The paper presents an in-depth case study analysis related to the incident mentioned above. Executive Summary In 2017 October, an assortment of massive and rapidly-spreading wildfires began in Northern California, particularly in Solano, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, resulting in one of the most life-threatening wildfire catastrophes the state has ever witnessed. Cumulatively, the three major fires destroyed over 140,000 acres, demanded emergency relocation of an estimated 100,000 persons, and triggered losses of approximately 15 billion dollars, and 44 deaths (Serna, 2018). The fires broke out in rapid succession, thereby overwhelming the emergency response teams and the available fire response equipment. The 2018 Camp Fire, which severely damaged Butte County and Paradise Town, burnt a cumulative 153,336 acres, demanded a rapid evacuation of 52,000 people, and resulted in 85 fatalities (Serna, 2018). Other wildfires like the 2018 Woolsey, Hill, and Saddle Ridge fires are just other pointers of the wildfire threats in California that resulted in considerable losses and fatalities. Given the rapid acceleration of the wildfires, many residents found themselves in emergently- precarious situations, particularly at night, with a minimal window of time for evacuation. The phenomenon mentioned above yielded two primary identifiable issues: stress on public resources and infrastructure, transport and shelter, and considerably low levels of preparedness by emergency management agencies throughout the state. Cumulative estimates reveal that the catastrophic fires during the period between 2017 and 2019 forced over one million citizens to depart their residences (Wong et al., 2020). For holistic and effective interventions during such life-threatening disasters like wildfire, it is compelling that response models be reconstructed with informative retrospect to avoid future recurrences of the poor evacuations witnessed before. Key Stake Holders and Supporting Figures or Organizations The main identifiable primary stakeholders in the California wildfires and any other wildfire emergencies for that matter:   * The Fire Department   * The Transport De
Macroenvironment Factors Extant literature demonstrates that macroenvironment factors basically imply the major external and uncontrollable factors that either positively or negatively influence an entity’s decision-making processes, performance and strategic orientation (De Toni & Tonchia, 2003). In the case study, some of the general economic macroeconomic conditions that continue to affect regional carriers such as SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines include economic recessions, misaligned partnerships with national carriers leading to delayed flights and unaccounted baggage, high and unstable fuel costs, acrimonious relationships with labor unions, weather-related flight cancellations, heightened competitive pressures from low cost carriers, and regulation issues (Thompson et al., 2011). From the case scenario, it can be demonstrated that the U.S. regional airline industry is a subset of the national airline industry as it acts to satisfy the needs and demands of national carriers through partnership agreements. The U.S. regional airline industry forms a critical component of the global airline industry in that it provides domestic and international air transportation of passengers and/or cargo over regular routes on pre-determined schedules (Thompson et al., 2011). These relationships imply that the U.S. regional airline industry is affected, either positively or negatively, by turbulences occurring in the national and global airline industries. Five Forces Analysis Competition within the U.S. regional airline industry is at all-time high if analyzed using the lens of Porter’s Five Forces Model, in large part due to the threat of substitute products (cheaper routes established by competing regional carriers), threat of established rivals (many regional carriers competing for the same resources), and the threat of new entrants (new regional carriers either merging or partnering with national carriers on vital routes to sustain competitiveness). The Porter Five Forces Model has two other vertically integrated elements that can be used to demonstrate intense competition prevalent in the regional airline industry. The first of these elements – bargaining power of suppliers – is demonstrated as high by the way regional carriers are forced to partner with national carriers and act as their subsidiaries to be able to penetrate the market. Additionally, the switching costs from one regional carrier to another are low, and the market is dominated by a fragmented source of regional brands (e.g., Continental, Delta, Midwest, etc.) and operating partners (e.g., SkyWest, Express Jet, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, etc.). The other element of the model – the bargaining power of customers – is high due to the concentration of customers within the routes, large number of small airline operato
Introduction Who is your hero? Most people when presented with a scenario to answer this question would think of a selfless character that braved the odds and rescued a situation that was getting out of hand. A hero is a person who is well-liked due to their successes and noble characteristics (The hero). The likes of Martin Luther King Junior who advocated for equality among all races, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai who was buried in a papyrus casket for her love of nature, Clara Barton-an American activist; who risked her life on the battlefields of the Civil War to start the Red Cross and Oedipus of the Greek myths are all considered heroes by lots of people. Although the heroes are understood differently among individuals, they are ordinary persons who posses more or less similar characteristics and could be anybody whose actions touch another person’s life. Characteristics and Journey of a Hero Irrespective of gender, culture or traditions from which they are depicted, heroes possess some common characteristics. Although a hero could possibly possess all the five characteristics shared by heroism outlined by Miriam Polster (2-5), some could be more evident and overshadow others. Heroes and Heroines have respect for human life; they believe in the sanctity of life and often risk their lives for other’s sake. They have faith in the effectiveness of their choices and would pursue them in spite of opposition and criticism they may face. They possess an original perspective and are not forced to accept and conform to agreements as they are but rather advocate for issues to be as they way should be. Heroism entails physical courage that makes one risk death and injury for other’s sake as well as mental courage that drives one not to be limited by the accepted “truths.” The acts of heroes usually may have public impacts or may impact profoundly to an individual and pass unnoticed. The heroes usually go through a number of stages before they attain their desired destiny. Joseph Campbell (57) outlines the steps of the hero’s Journey. They reside in a normal world until they are “called to adventure” by the rise of a discovery or an event in need of help. They are faced with the task of refusing or accepting the call and enter a world of the unknown where they encounter a supernatural aid that helps them through their quest. They require a talisman and a helper along the way for success. They go through a series of tests that strengthen and prepare them for the final hurdle. The heroes finally encounter the supreme ordeal, pass it successfully and are finally rewarded for the hard toil. Their success changes their lives and the lives of those around them and are stand qualified e.g. for marriage, Kingship or Queen ship. Modern-Day Heroes Today the definition of the hero above as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability” is long fading into history (Thomson 116-117). The meaning of a hero
Introduction The topic of women in sport has always been contradictory. However, the debates become tougher when it comes to female participation in combat sports like boxing. After centuries of discrimination, women got their right for equality in various spheres including professional sport. They may be successful and promising, but the audience’s attitude is ambiguous. The representation of women in sport is broader than it was some decades ago. It includes both sporting events’ coverages and fiction movies. One of the outstanding representatives of the movie industry that displays the personality of a woman in sport is Clint Eastwood’s film One Million Dollar Baby . This Oscar-winning movie is more than a story of a young female fighter. It touches the issue of women’s values together with the attitudes to ladies who choose to challenge non-feminine sports. The Shift of Values Maggie, the main character in One Million Dollar Baby , is a 31-year-old waitress. Her family consists of a mother and a sister who live in a trailer. Since she has nothing to lose in life, she decides it was her last chance to remember her old ambition and do boxing. It is considered that a woman in her early thirties should have values other than a boxing career. It is quite acceptable to get married, have children, work, and have hobbies. Combat sports do not suit the female image. The essence of boxing, which has always been a masculine sport, is to show domination (Tjønndal, 2016). Consequently, it used to be considered not appropriate for women, for they historically were in the dominant position. Maggie probably did not have a proper set of family values. She lost her father as a child and had to work since she was thirteen to make her living. Despite some warm childhood memories, her life is a challenge. She is one of those called white trash. Hence, her desire to change her life is understandable. The shift of values due to her life experience resulted in her wish to prove that she is worthy. She gained popularity and success she had never experienced. Together with it, she returned her self-respect and confidence which became a key to high achievements. Another aspect of Maggie and Frankie’s relations is their need for each other. Maggie lost her father, and Frankie missed her daughter, so they were important to each other not only in the professional sphere. They became friends, and it was Frankie whom she shared her last wish, to end her life. This situation concerns another value, a value of human life together with moral concern. For Maggie, life is worth living when it is meaningful. Being disabled after the champion fight, she asked Frankie to kill her. After hesitation, he did what she wanted to end her tortures. Women in Non-Feminine Sports: Gender Attitude The matter of equality is discussed not only related to sport. “Gender equality is the term used in the international public policy to refer to equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for women and men at al
Introduction In the global market, corporations and governments are noticed to tend to the disproportionate distribution of toxic facilities and hazardous manufactures more and more often. Analyzing the geography of such locating, it appears that such practices are connected to the aim to target poor ones, minorities, or “unwanted” communities and people groups. Such phenomenon received its title of “environmental racism”. In the following paper, this phenomenon and its development in the United States along with its pernicious influence and the proposal to improve the situation will be explored. Of course, to solve such a complicated problem a miracle is needed as nowadays people only believe in material belongings whereas human values do not seem to be important for them; thus, there should be developed mechanisms which will either affect the way of thinking of people having authority or will enforce them to do so, for example, on the level of policymaking and compulsory law. Generally, after the evaluation of a row of facts related to the above-mentioned problem, it appears that the situation with environmental racism may be improved as a result of environmental justice movements’ activity that will provide their helping hand for the afflicted ones to support them in their law enforcement protective battles. The Main Points of the Environmental Racism Problem Speaking about environmental racism and its development in the United States, it is important to define this notion, first of all. According to Bullard (Environment and Morality, 32), Environmental racism refers to any policy, practice, or directive that differentially affects or disadvantages (whether intended or unintended) individuals, groups, or communities based on race or color. It combines with public policies and industry practices to provide benefits for corporations while shifting costs to people of color. With regards to this definition, a row of issues connected to social justice and the equality in the rights of people which is firmly established in the Constitution of the United States are to be taken into consideration to understand all the wickedness of such phenomenon (Karliner 152). Next, the other important point concerning environmental racism is in understanding the roots of this problem. It appears that the problem as all the major problems in our modern-day reality is connected to financial matters along with discrimination, and social injustice. And among the above-mentioned factors racism can be mentioned as the most influential variable in the whole course of the problem. This fact is supported by numerous researches conducted since 1987 including the one done by Toxic Waste and Race in the United States (Bullard, Anatomy of Environmental Racism 29). According to Bullard (Environment and Morality, 32), “environmental decision making often mirrors the power arrangements of the dominant society and its institutions. It disadvantages people of color while providing advantages or privileges for corporations and individuals in the upper echelons of society”. Judging on this meaningful commen
The article by Schillemans (2008) addresses the emergence of the phenomenon of horizontal accountability in response to the accountability deficit of agencies. The author aims at differentiating between the different types of horizontal accountability forms, determining its contribution to the accountability of the agencies, and, most importantly, providing the means for evaluation of its influence on the agencies’ accountability regime. The article features a number of important definitions that are used as a framework for the study. Accountability is broadly defined as the interaction between an accountor and an accountee in which the actions of the former are subject to evaluation by the latter (Schillemans, 2008). However, such definition contains an apparent presence of the hierarchy in that the accountor is likely superior to the accountee in a certain sense. For this reason, the author provides the definition of horizontal, or non-hierarchical, accountability based on the review of the literature. According to Schillemans (2008), it can be viewed as a result of the situation where different accountees demand accountability and the resulting sum of accountability arrangements forms a complementary regime that exists independently from the ministerial responsibility. Based on these definitions, the author formulates the range of criteria pertinent to a subset of Dutch agencies. The criteria include the existence of informal and social aspects of accountability, independence from ministry, and the formalization of relationships between the stakeholders. The results suggest that while horizontal accountability is a necessary component of the contemporary agencies characterized by the increased complexity and autonomy, it cannot serve as a substitute for the ministerial responsibility. The information presented in the article is important for several reasons. First, the author offers a comprehensive review of the phenomenon of horizontal hierarchy and provides a set of criteria for the definition. This information can be utilized in further research on the topic as well as related fields of public service administration. Next, Schillemans (2008) offers convincing arguments in favor of adopting the studied concept by other agencies and outlines the benefits of its usage. Each stage of accountability process is exhaustively studied and supplied with relevant examples in order to enhance the understanding of the concept. Third, and, p
Careers to Pursue After Completing Degree I am interested in pursuing a career in food science upon the completion of my studies. In addition, I would like to pursue a career in biotechnology. Particularly, I would like to narrow down on one career. Preferably, a career in genetic engineering suits me in many ways, and it is an area of great importance (Bhuyan 2002, pg. 67). Three Main Factors that Influence this Choice It is notable that training in Bioscience provides learners with intrinsic comprehension of life in various forms. This may include the study of places inhabited by organisms. Furthermore, the training focuses on organisms and other molecules. The knowledge and strategic transferable skills developed as part of the Bioscience training deliver the exceptional foundation for various careers across diverse sectors. I am interested in careers because of the skills that I have gained throughout the training. The training provides skills in quality control, management of manufacturing, product generation, patenting, labelling regulations, and industrial research, among others. In addition, the training has facilitated the development of appropriate skills pertaining to genetic engineering (Bhuyan 2002, pg. 67). The experience gained in studying the application of genetic engineering in animals, plants, and human beings are critical to the decision making processes. The ability to work with other people in areas such as microbiology, immunology, and biotechnology are also critical in the expansion of knowledge in the genetic engineering field. Furthermore, I have always had an interest in engaging in private practice as a consultant in the appropriate areas. Job Description The area of biotechnology is broad and provide those who are trained in bioscience several opportunities. This paper discusses the field of genetic engineering within the area of biotechnology. Genetic engineering incorporates the transfer of genes between animals in order to eliminate or add unwanted traits or characteristics (Echaore-Mcdavid & Mcdavid 2006, pg. 49). The day-to-day work entailed in genetic engineering entails the removal, transformation, or addition of cell nuclei in order to change the information carried by the genes of such cells. The work environment for genetic engineers normally entails closing laboratory settings with large machinery and equipment used in facilitating the modification of cells (Echaore-Mcdavid & Mcdavid 2006, pg. 49). It is notable that many genetic engineers have presented ethical values as the challenge for working in the field. Genetic engineers normally feelings that using animals in research and the generation of products is unethical. However, they gain satisfaction in their work from their ability to develop products that help millions of people in diverse ways. Potential Employers It is notable that genetic engineering falls under the extensive zone of biotechnology. Therefore, biotechnology firms and organizations are likely establishments that can absorb genetic engineers. In addition, the medical field relies on genetic engineering to unearth the nature and characteristics of g
Introduction Over the years, research on how the brain perceives and processes language has intensified. From as early as 1861, evidence from studies has confirmed that the brain is a fundamental component with regards to the process of learning languages. The study of the biological and neural basics of a language is referred to as neurolinguistics. Research in this field is often based on data from impaired languages. The data is used to understand the properties associated with the linguistic aspect of human existence (Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams 461). Recent advancements in technology have made it possible for researchers to explore other methods of studying the brain. Such approaches include the use of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and functional MRI (fMRI) technologies. The tools are used by researchers to map the brain (Fromkin et al. 468). In this paper, the author provides a critical analysis of the major linguistic parts of the brain. The parts include those responsible for language processing and creation. In addition, the author will highlight the linguistic complications that may arise due to damages or dysfunctions associated with those parts. To this end, the author will focus on damages and dysfunctions brought about by medical impairments. Impacts of Medical Impairment on Linguistic Areas of the Human Brain Overview The brain is composed of two major regions. They include the left and the right hemispheres. The left region is the one responsible for language perception and processing. On the other hand, the right side is responsible for human imagination. The two sides are connected by fibers known as corpus callosum. The left side of the human body is controlled by the right side of the brain. On its part, the right side of the body is regulated by the left side of the brain. The situation is referred to as contralateral brain function (Fromkin et al. 461). Medical impairment to any linguistic part of the brain leads to various complications. Aphasia Aphasia is a term used to describe a language disorder brought about by damaged brain parts. The impairment is mostly caused by stroke and brain tumor (Fromkin et al. 463). Medically, aphasia is broadly categorized into two clusters. The two are fluent and non