ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Clinical trials attempt an objective search for truth or to get as close to the truth to provide evidence on a particular objective of investigation. However, elements of human behavior tend to introduce subjective bias, thereby diluting the veracity of such findings (Day & Altman, 2000). Randomization and allocation concealment are two elements of the research design that aim at reducing the influence of subjective bias on the results of the clinical study (Schultz & Grimes, 2002). Randomization and Allocation Concealment Randomization has become a popular method of limiting subjective bias of the participants or subjects in a clinical trial. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement also recommends its use in clinical trials (Campbell, Elbourne & Altman, 2004). Randomization consists of allocating the subjects at random to the different intervention groups, such that the subjects are unaware of which group they belong to. According to Simon, 2001, p. 146, randomization involves “a series of random numbers for assigning patients in a pattern that is inherently unpredictable”. However randomization by itself is insufficient to remove subjective bias and there is the need for proper allocation concealment. Allocation concealment refers to the concealment of the technique used for implementing the sequence of allocation and not the sequence used to generate it. Failure to have adequate randomization and allotment concealment could lead to exaggerated results in the clinical study (Schultz & Grimes, 2002). However randomization and allocation concealment do get subverted in clinical trials for logical reasons and also because of human nature of the clinicians involved in the clinical trials. For ethical reasons it may not possible to use randomization in the case of some clinical trials, like clinical trials on smoking or HIV/AIDS. Instead the study may involve the study of the group as a whole or on the basis of observation or historical basis. The initial likely phase of subversion in randomization is in the selection of volunteers and the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Physicians may choose volunteers that are likely to influence the study in the direction that they would like it to flow. Clinical studies involve volunteers and when studying a group of volunteers randomly assigned, there is the possibility of the volunteer group varying from the average general population and thereby reducing the validity of the clinical. In such clinical trials randomization may be avoided and the clinical trial conducted on observations or historical evidence off the general population. Subversion of randomization deliberately occurs when there are drop outs or non-compliers in the diffe
How Mirror neurons are Involved in Social Functioning? A wide range of studies assigns mirror neurons a crucial role in the process of complex social functioning. In particular, scholars emphasize the role of active participation of mirror neurons in socio-cognitive activities. Kilner and Lemon (2013) claim that social cognitive functions include obtaining information, interpreting it, and forming a response to the intentions, opinions, and behavior of other people that underlie social interaction. In other words, social functioning determines how people think about themselves and others in a social context (Cook, Bird, Catmur, Press, & Heyes, 2014; Kilner & Lemon, 2013). The core difference between social cognitive functions and non-social ones is in their content associated with social interaction. The discovery of mirror neurons is considered one of the most remarkable and essential ones among the latest achievements in neuroscience. Hamilton (2013) defines mirror neuron system (MNS) as “the set of brain regions which are active both when participants perform an action and when they observe another person performing the same action” (p. 95). These neurons reflect the actions of others by transferring them from the observed one to the observer and activating the motor skills of the latter that assumes the use of his or her experience to recognize or discern the observed action. The significance of mirror neurons lays in the fact that they opened access to neural mechanisms that allow understanding other people (Borg, 2013). With the exploration of mirror neurons, it becomes clear that the brain can understand the actions of others through the implementation of others’ actions or, in other words, feeling what they experience while executing the same action. One of the arguments in favor of MNS is the theory of mind that is inherent only to a man and refers to the ability to understand the consciousness of another person and/or conclude his or her intentions. The term encompasses a wide range of skills and includes an understanding of false beliefs, hints, intentions, deceptions, metaphors, ironies, mistakes, etc. (Bohl & van den Bos, 2012; Simonetti, 2014). Such comprehension can be carried out using motor mechanisms, and mirror neurons can be involved in the theory of mind. There are at least three arguments that support the role of mirror neurons. First, it is possible to compare the regions of the brain involved in the social functioning, the activity, and the system of mirror neurons (Gallese, 2013). If the theory of mind relies on the activity of mirror neurons, then it is expected to observe their activity in practice
Exponential smoothing is one of the common forecasting models used by many organizations today. The exponential model generates an accurate forecast that can be applied in automated systems. Consequently, the method can be used in large-scale forecasting. Engemann and Henderson (2012) noted that exponential smoothing is a time series technique which is based on historical data of a forecast. It is mostly applicable in situations where there is reasonable continuity between the past and the future. Thus, the statistical technique is best suited for short term decision making that can easily be identified based on current and future trends. In the long term, these assumptions can potentially become difficult and unreliable because variables changes significantly due to changes in technology and improved efficiency. For instance, I have spent the last 6 out of seven days working on linear regression computations. Next week, I forecast that I will spend 6 out of seven days in front of a computer working on linear regression Excel computation. Linear regression is used to forecast future values of a company such as demand metrics and other variables that predict economic climate. Linear regression can be employed in the casual model with several explanatory variables. This model is best suited where there is no time component. For instance, it can be used to forecast when a metal will melt under different conditions by developing a line of best fit based on historical performance to predict the future outcome. Regression model can be used to forecast business continuity and risk management program. Linear regression is a forecasting model that uses the assumption of the underlying factor when it is possible to identify some variable that influences a given variable (Tammineedi, 2010). For instance, regression can be used in business continuity management (BCM) to forecast future sales based on weather conditions which can enable supermarkets to predict umbrella sales in a given period. It is also a seasonality model that can allow hotels to predict how sales will increase or decrease during summer and winter. Reliability model is essential in business continuity management plan because it ensures that a firm can continue to operate smoothly when faced by challenges. Reliability models are is used by companies to analyze the probability that a system will failure within a given time. It enables managers to determine precisely how long a system will function before it failures. This allows managers to determine the cause and estimate the probability of recovery. Reliability and risk assessment models offer a robust key performance indicator that can be used to compose assurance production strategies. Clas (2008) argues that these approaches can be used to identify the threat and undesired models that can jeopardize business operations. Reliability models can support identification of probability of sce
The Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet is a speech-act play in two acts. The plot of the drama encumbers the hypocrisies and corruptions of American capitalism, often mythologized as the American dream. Mamet’s main characters are salesmen; these people play the pivotal role in capitalist business machinery. The characters speak incessantly and about many things, with the sole intention, to persuade the other to be persuaded into an unethical fraud. The play presents the theme of hypocrisy of the corporate America and the decadence that has made people brutal, callous, conniving, and duplicitous. This essay looks into two scenes of the play. The play presents the tale of four salesmen who are ready to use the profanest of means to win the contest so cleverly devised by the company directors Mitch and Murray. The directors are not shown on stage, but they are alarmingly ubiquitous. The contest devised by them does not only ensure that the salesmen are competing against each other but are fighting against one another in a battle to win the Cadillac. It is also a fight to preserve their livelihood by trying to achieve the given targets and not be fired. At the beginning, Roma was expected to win the contest, with Moss and Levene following closely behind, and Aaranow in the fourth place. Ironically, it is Aaranow, who is not very aggressive or dishonest, consequently making his productivity low. The linguistic skills and the position on the board of the characters speak lucidly of their characters in the play. The first act begins in a Chinese restaurant. It is made up of three short scenes. The scene shows how Roma, the successful salesman, makes his sales pitch to a prospective customer; Moss feels extremely insecure at the prospect of the latest development in office regarding the sales contest and expresses his resentfulness to a colleague. Moss’s resentfulness becomes his agenda, and he tries to persuade Aaranow to be his ally in the game of stealing the ‘leads’ from the office and help him sell them to a rival agent. This sets the storyline of the play in motion. In the second Act, the burglary occurs, and the repercussion is chaos in the office. According to the stage directions in the play, the office is in a disarray, “ransacked, a broken plate glass window boarded up, glass all over the place” (Mamet 38). The office had been completely looted with the phones and official documents all gone missing. The phones and other equipment went missing too, but the Detective assigned to the case was not convinced, and he began interrogating the staff. Moss had convinced Levene to commit the crime, which he confessed to Williamson. The persuader falls into the trap of being persuaded. Levene, an experienced sal
Mary Shepherd, the Editor of Farmers Market Today , expresses her concerns over errant aerial applicators. They spray pesticides and fungicides in an unprofessional manner leading to losses. The article starts by stating how in the month of July, crops in a farm were damaged while being sprayed by an errant aerial sprayer. The farmers had no option but to collect all the crops affected and record how much they had lost. The plants were damaged and could not be used for consumption because of the chemicals. The farmers then destroyed all the collected plants after recording. After the incident, farmers in Iowa are more cautious during spraying because of the damage they faced earlier (Shepherd). They are currently rectifying the affected parts of the farm to get rid of the contamination. They gave a guideline on how to deal with the issue if anyone faced similar problems. They stated that if a farmer witnessed the spraying of a non-crop area, they should immediately record the date, time, and location and forward the complaint to the State Pesticide Bureau. They should also note the weather, especially if the application took place on a windy day. Pictures should be taken as proof of the complaint. The Editor ended the article by asking the readers to forward similar incidences to the magazine to help other farmers. The article acts as a watchdog for farmers subscribed to the online magazine. This story’s primary purpose is to educate farmers on what to do when they are affected by such situations. The Editor should offer more insight on how to avoid such violations. She should have done more to educate her readers on companies that offer better spraying of pesticides in farms to avoid damages. Works Cited Shepherd, Mary. “Getting Sprayed Starting over.” Farmers Market Today. 2013. Web.
As businesses becomes before and more aligned to a completely global mode of operations, many organisations representing a number of disparate industries, including manufacturing, service, public service, social enterprises, NGOs, pharmaceuticals, food service and construction firms now run their businesses using a network of global suppliers. Operating a global supply chain has become a highly efficient means by which a company can boost profitability through streamlining production, reducing labour costs, minimizing the expense of equipment, cutting down on transportation and delivery costs and decreasing transit duration between suppliers, firms and customers (Bloom & Kotler 1975; Cook 2011; Edgell, Meister & Stamp 2008; Fisher 2011; Lloyd 1996; Porter 1985; Saxena 2010; Stauffer 2003). For the purposes of this paper, a supply chain refers to a group of three or more units, organisations or persons directly concerned with providing, manufacturing or producing the upstream and downstream current of services, information, parts, products or funds from a resource to a client (Cook 2008; Edwards 2006; Kelley & Nagel 2007; Porter 1985). The following paper will critically evaluate the strategic rationale for why organisations might choose to use global suppliers from these so-called high risk regions, particularly when there might be less risk in using local supply chains, as well as the impacts that natural phenomenon and political unrest might have upon these types of global logistics and supply chain management strategies. The paper will also offer some strategies as to how to mitigate the impact of instability in the global supply chain. Strategic Rationale Part A of this paper discusses the strategic rationale as to why an organisation might choose to use a global supplier from a high risk region when less risk might be incurred using a supplier closer to home. Logic would dictate that if the home region of a global supplier is undergoing political turmoil through a transition in government leadership, terrorist activity, or if it was recently hit with a major natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami, the firm may be best served to move and transfer its interests from a regional supplier to a supplier in a safer part of the world, one in which the government appears stable, no major protests are underway, and where the climate is not prone to hurricanes and the like. Typically, the first and most logical strategic response to this question is based in cost. Specifically, how much does it cost to move, versus how much does it cost to stay? The answer to this question will also depend on where the company is in terms of setting up its global supply chain, whether at the beginning of the process or well into it, what the function of the particular unit of the global supply chain in the overall upstream and downstream flow of the business is, the level of diversification that already exists within the global supply chain, and how long the company has based its operations in that particular region (Burke & Coop
Introduction Freedom is very invaluable because it cost many lives so that the United States of America could have its freedom. Being a superpower North America, like many countries also went through some tough times in history. This essay will discuss the movie,’ the last of Mohicans’ in relation to captured social attributes in the movie and their relationship with the present situations. These include experiences, Social cultural aspects, racism, and violence in search for power and freedom by different social groups. Movie Outline The setting of this movie is amazing: the forest in the mountain and river flowing through it displays a clear picture of people who would not count the cost to pay for their freedom. It gives the viewer a good imagination of the past and gives him a chance to compare it with the present. This movie was set to explain the events during colonization of North America by Britain and France. It shows how a father, Colonel Munro is re-united with his daughters Alice and Cora Munro. During this process, there is a lot of violence which lead to brutal killings of many people by the opposition sides. The movie captures the culture of Britain, leadership, love and romance, altruism, revenge and violence. Fight for freedom Freedom is something that everyone values. It is more to those who have at one point of their lives found themselves behind bars. It is a privilege that most don’t often realize but it gives us the ability to make choices and decisions that one can implement. The blood shedding scenes in the movie are characterized by skilled French and Indians, slavery and violent fighting to dominate the continent and the world trade. At the present time, colonization probably is taking another form. This is an indirect colonization whereby the colonizer strategizes to use a target person or country to position themselves in their territory with hidden agendas. For instance, the US war in Vietnamese has often been said to have served some US interests. Culture The costumes worn by the characters of this movie, such as the heavy and long dresses in ladies in contrast with modern dressing but their beauty is equally appreciated. Men are half dressed and wear feathers as part of their attire. The choice of weapons used in this movie such as the battle axe and Cora’s bodice are a good presentation for historical accuracy. The British culture is also expressed by their actions such as a tea party in Albany with Cora, Duncan and Alice which were not common in America. It is a clear representation of the British culture. Altruism This is clearly captured throughout the movie because people tend work very hard to protect their own. The father of the daughters Munro thinks that Duncan does not probably love Cora as much as Alice because of her origin since her mother was from West Indies. This is a common aspect in many societies whereby it is always true that one is discriminated because of his or her origin. This is mostly the case since in many societies discrimination is on basis of race, tribe or place of origin. Love and Romance There are many instances that clearly express how
All industries should not be viewed as equal since they have a different influence on society. Furthermore, free trade suggests that companies can determine the way of organizing their business and customer needs they intend to address. I do not think that some industries are unfairly targeted since government regulations consider the characteristics and impacts of various economic activities on people. However, I do believe that in certain cases, it should be consumers’ needs that have to be prioritized. This paper will focus on the pharmaceutical industry, advocating for the consumer and their right to be treated through a customer-focused approach. One of the reasons why I support the customer in the pharmaceutical industry is the health risks involved in the case of insufficient quality of products. Pharma launches must be centered around the clinical value, efficacy, and safety of drugs. Besides, addressing the customer’s needs is another essential aspect that makes me advocate for the consumer. According to Ascher et al. (2018), “the goal is to address patients’ medical needs and prescribers’ professional needs” (para. 1). Finally, customer satisfaction is of the highest priority in the pharmaceutical industry, and all issues with this matter must be tackled immediately. In the case of pharma, it is possible for a company to cater to both its best interest and that of the consumer simultaneously. One way to do so is by conducting research and studies investigating clients’ needs and the impact of various factors on customer satisfaction, which can also improve the company’s profitability and image (Mohammadkhani & Jaripou, 2018). Another possibility is creating a collaborative engagement that promotes innovation and a proactive approach and considers the opinion and needs of all stakeholders. Finally, it is crucial to prioritize patient value in developing new pathways, which can at the same time increase the company’s efficiency and allocate resources accordingly.
The widespread rise in the use of modern technology world over has initiated introduction of legislations to curb any threat. For instance, in United States uses cyberspace to travel, power their homes, communicate, provide essential government services, and run their economy. The overreliance on the network has posed serious attacks thus causing more information vulnerability. In cybercrimes, one does not need to break into a physical property to steal information or use force to access the materials. For example, bank frauds have been on the rise with the coming of this new technology. In addition, cases of information confidentiality is worrying, as other internet savvy people can access such information, a recent example is the wikileaks. These cases prompted US to pass legislations that could help in eradicating this menace. Since many departments and organizations use this modern technology, fighting the vices is a shared responsibility. The private and public sectors are collaborating to create awareness on cyber security among the internet users. The US administration released a legislative proposal that could help in ensuring cyber security. Some of the proposals’ components and the immediate effects are outlined herein. The first component is the damage to a critical infrastructure computer. This component tries to minimize damages that a person can cause to a critical infrastructure computer or that which is associated with the same computer. If a person does this offense, he/she is liable for a term of 3 years imprisonment (Schmidt, 2011). Remarkably, the courts are under obligation not to reduce the number of terms for such crimes. A critical infrastructure computer is a computer, which provides essential services to the public and government bodies. These services may include communication and transport services, health and clean water supply, and banking services. This proposal can help to eliminate cases of cybercrimes in organizations; for instance, organizations will update their policies concerning cyber security. In case of such felony, the victim is imprisoned for the terms that the policy outlines. The US Air force wing they will be able to track any intruder who can be accessing the state’s and federal governments’ security details. The proposal eases the Air force’s work ( The Presence of Commercial/External Links , n.d.). The next component is the access to data without authorization. This involves accessing password protected documents without the knowledge of the owners (Schmidt, 2011). The imprisonment proposal put forward a term of not more than twenty years or subjection of a fine under the title. Notably, these charges are levied if the victim’s access to the information was for personal financial gain, the value of the information ex