ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction For very many years, human beings have been keen to identify several procedures and interventions to deal with stress. Such needs have been informed by the hectic pace and nature of human life. Since tiresome activities make people unhappy and frustrated, it is appropriate to engage in various practices that can result in calmness and peace. Medication is one of these processes that are capable of transforming a person’s mind from disturbed to peaceful or positive. This research paper describes how meditation affects people’s inner worlds and perceptions. Brief History Loizzo (2014) believes that meditation has been embraced by many groups for thousands of years. Some anthropologists and researchers have revealed that the ancient concept must have been common in India around 1500 BCE (Loizzo, 2014). However, meditation must have been embraced by different Hindu cultures as early as the year 3000 BCE (Loizzo, 2014). The use of meditation in other cultures and regions is something that is debated by historians. Some studies have indicated that meditation was common in Buddhist India and China from 600 BCE (Loizzo, 2014). During the period, meditation was used as a powerful process for achieving liberation, morality, and improving contemplation. West (2016) goes further to argue that the Silk Road led to the spread of meditation to different cultures. In the 3rd century, historians assert that Plotinus managed to come up with various meditative techniques that encouraged people to lead spiritual lives. Throughout the middle ages, mediation was embraced by different religions such as Judaism, Taoism, and Confucianism. This development explains why the technique is associated with Jewish culture. By the early 18th century, ancient teachings on meditation had been embraced in different Western countries such as France and Britain (Loizzo, 2014). In 1927, a book titled Tibetan Book of the Dead was published, thereby empowering and encouraging more people to embrace the approach. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) approach is currently used to treat individuals suffering from various chronic diseases (Collen, 2015). The program was informed by the concepts of meditation. Biopsychosocial and Cultural Factors The biopsychosocial concept or model focuses on an intricate interaction of psychological, biological, and social factors. This discipline has been associated with meditation by many scholars. For instance, meditation is a powerful technique that can make it easier for individuals to deal with their psychological problems such as mood disorders, anxiety, stress, and pain (Williams et
Executive Summary This paper seeks to establish a difference between investment and commercial banks. The literature on banks has mostly concentrated on the credit risk taken by banks, or encroachment into the functions of investment banks by commercial banks. However, no studies have attempted to understand what happens when an investment bank undertakes the traditional roles of a commercial bank, such as lending. This paper seeks to understand the difference between the products and lending habits of commercial and investment banks. Qualitative and quantitative analysis tools are used to deconstruct the data. Data from five commercial and five investment banks are gathered and are examined using ANOVA and regression analysis. The result of the research shows that commercial banks have more product offerings than investment banks and that there exists a significant difference in risk-taking behavior of the two types of banks. The research is restricted in scope as it leaves areas unattended. Lending propensity can be studied concerning other variables such as interest earnings, the interest charged on loans, duration of maturity of the loans, and so on. Introduction In 2006, the investment-banking arm of the Saudi Arabian banks split from the commercial banks. Capital Market Authority was set up to regulate the operations of the investment industry. In 2007, CMA approved the first investment bank, NCB Capital. The demand for capital loans from the expanding real estate sector and large infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia was the driving force behind the expansion of the banking sector. Consumer lending in Saudi Arabia has shown robust growth since 2009 (“The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014” 84). In 2013, a study on the banking sector conducted by AlJazira finance shows that there has been a growth in the sector even though the global economy and the macroeconomic environment were challenging. Lending in the Kingdom was believed to have grown and the average bank lending to the public and private sector showed a 16.7% year-on-year increase in 2013 (“The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014” 84). The report shows a growth prospect in the country in client lending because of the increase in the borrowing capacity of the people. Further, lowering of an interest rate for a retail loan to increase penetration (interest rate is 12% in Saudi Arabia as compared to 19% in the UAE and 55% in Europe) has made the market more attractive to borrowers (“The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014” 84). The question that arises is which banking sector will drive the growth – commercial banks or the industrial banks. Some industrial banks, for exampl
What is a genetic disorder? Genetic disorders are the defects in the genes of a person. Most of them are multi-factorial hereditary illnesses, like Huntington disease and Parkinson’s disease. A few of them occur due to environmental hazards. It is estimated that there are 4000 to 6000 genetic disorders, which have been diagnosed already ( Genetic Disorders , 2014). Interest and relevance Genetic disorders will hurt the patients, and that makes their life horrible. Though there are no treatments for these rare genetic conditions, supportive care can bring relief to some extent. However, it is found that most of such treatment strategies fail to change the mutation of the genes. It is in this context that the application of gene therapy has increased the hope of medical professionals in overcoming and controlling such failures in the treatment of genetic disorders ( How are genetic conditions treated or managed? 2014). Gene therapy and principles of heredity Gene therapy is a treatment used for changing gene functions. Acquiring knowledge about molecular and genetic aspects of the disorders is the guiding principle behind it. It is found that the human genome consists of 25,000 genes and that the identified 18000 mutations are responsible for the hereditary disorders. Therefore, knowledge about the relationships between the genotype and phenotype can be applied for the treatment of these disorders. Application of molecular genetics for genetic variation Since the inherent metabolism errors caused by the shifts in genes influence the construction of certain enzymes, dietary deviation and enzyme substitution treatments can bring progress in some genetic disorders. However, the improvement will be very slow. Nevertheless, Gene therapy is a different technique, which uses DNA as a medicine to bring changes in the cells of a body for correcting the defective genes. The normal genes are produced through PCR from the DNA of another person, and the therapeutic DNA derived is injected into the patients by means of vectors. These vectors install a copy of the mutated gene to replace the protein, responsible for the disease ( How are genetic conditions treated or managed? 2014). Genetic disorders cured with gene therapy Some of the genetic disorders that can be treated with gene therapy are Severe Combined Immune Deficiency and Chronic Granulomatus Disorder. For improving the immune system of the patient, the bone marrow is transplanted after correcting the cells by inserting ADA, as a treatment for these two disorders. Other major genetic disorders like hemophilia and congenital blindness are curable through gene therapy. Acquired diseases are treated with different gene therapies. Such therapeutic strategies include gene vaccines and oncolytic virotherapy. However, for neurodegenerative illnesses like Parkinson’s, the best therapy is the Novel gene. Different acquired diseases are also treated with gene therapy techniques. Research is in progress to develop new gene therapy techniques to fight viral infections, diabetes, and heart diseases ( What Diseases Can Be T
Introduction Language can be defined as a system where use of symbols is applied having numerous levels of organization which include the sounds (phonetics), the meanings of the sounds (semantics) as well as the grammar (syntax) (Aitchison, 1996). No one really knows as to where the origin of language lies despite there being theories to suggest it. But there is a general theory suggesting that language might have emerged from hunters who used it as a warning of danger (Bolton, 2003). All that is known is that human beings have a gift for producing language while animals use signs (Aitchison, 1996). Discussion The culture of Greek began making its way into literature, historiography as well as philosophy in the Mediterranean Basin but Chinese culture already had spread to many parts of its surrounding countries (Philip, et al., 2001). Since Greece is a group of islands surrounded by the watery sea, its language, Greek took time to spread into surrounding countries as well as the western languages since the sea presented itself as a barrier to movement. On the other hand, China is a country which is large but particularly distanced from other non-Asian cultures due to its geographical position (Aitchison, 1996). Classical Chinese influence is seen in languages of many east as well as south East Asian countries, mostly in the written form. These countries include Korean, Vietnamese, Zhuang and Japanese (Bolton, 2003). Originally, Korean and Japanese languages when spoken linguistically are completely and unrelated to Classical Chinese (Philip, et al., 2001). Despite it being quite simple in its written form to the Chinese community, to the Japanese, Vietnamese as well as Koreans, the written Classical Chinese is viewed to be a nightmare. For an individual to learn and become acquainted with Classical Chinese meant one had to be elite (Ibid, 2001). The spread of the language to Japan took place in the 5 th century and a system meant to represent Japanese sounds using Chinese characters was introduced (Bolton, 2003). On the other hand, its spread to Korea occurred when the Han Empire took over northern Korea in 108 BC (Philip, et al., 2001). In due time, creation of systems to accommodate simple Chinese characters in transcribing Korean took place and despite it being efficient as well as simple, Classical Chinese was written by majority of the educated Koreans who also had a choice of using Korean language (Aitchison, 1996). Chinese characters still continue to be used in most newspapers as well as official documents. But Japanese community has a need to retain majority of the Chinese characters used in its written language since it does not have numerous kinds of sounds (Bolton, 2003). Classical Chinese has been adapted to surrounding countries due to the availability of job opportunities. Since China embraced industrialization earlier than most countries, positions such as managerial p
Introduction Supply chains in the agri-food sector are highly complex systems involving a large number of stakeholders. Such complexity contributes to the emergence of issues and barriers. The following technical report provides an overview of two major issues of the meat supply chain and outlines the opportunities for improvement in the identified areas. Supply Chain Description When viewed against similar systems in the agri-food industry, the meat supply chain can be considered a relatively complex entity. The first major reason for this is the involvement of strict quality standards because meat as a product is inherently more prone to processes that may compromise its quality (Bedard 2017). The second aspect is the reliance on animals as a source of meat, which raises several ethical concerns, leading in some cases to major scandals in the media. Figure 1: Meat supply chain. In the most basic terms, the meat supply chain can be divided into four major phases. The first phase is the production. At this stage, cattle are being grown on farms. The majority of meat is grown in industrial feedlots, with insignificant amounts being contributed by private ranches that use free-roaming feeding processes. Only a small proportion of cattle is grown domestically, with the bulk of meat being imported from China, Argentina, and Brazil (Rousseau 2016). The second phase is processing, during which the cattle get slaughtered, and the meat undergoes various processing procedures preparing it for sales and consumption. Meatpacking is performed in slaughterhouses, also referred to as meatpacking plants. After the meat is packed, it is transported to distributors and retailers, at which point the trade phase is initiated. Depending on the scale of operations, a varying number of distributors participate in the procedure. From the retailers’ perspective, this phase also involves marketing and transportation. Finally, during the fourth phase, consumption, meat is bought by the consumers, either for home use or in the restaurant. Importantly, the first three phases involve quality control. However, due to the comprehensive nature of controlling efforts, this aspect of the supply chain is not confined to a single phase. Existing Issues Quality Control Due to the complexity of the described process and the involvement of numerous parties, the meat supply chain harbors several issues. The most apparent one is the existence of gaps in the quality control process. In its current form, controlling entities act in separation and have limited control over some of the elements of the supply chain (Pucar 2014). Also, some phrases contain more elements where the safety and quality of the product can be compromised. For instance, during the production phase, the livestock can be infected with pathogens that render their meat unsuitable for human consumption. To minimize this risk, it is necessary to conduct regular checks by qualified professionals. While these checks are currently considered a standard in the industry, evidence exists that at lea
The Labor Day carnival, which is a yearly multicultural extravaganza, is hosted at Crown Heights in Brooklyn New York. The parade takes place along the Eastern Parkway and attracts millions of participants and spectators. Despite this event taking place in the USA and being organized by Americans, it draws a crowd consisting of people from different cultures mostly from Caribbean islands, Belize in Central America and Guyana in South America. The parade involves a colorful display of costumes accompanied by Calypso and Soca music indigenous from Trinidad and Tobago. This flamboyant affair is organized and financed by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (Moss, 2007). This gathering of people from different cultures is a clear indication of the growth of the American society and illustrates how they have learnt to live together despite their different backgrounds. The interaction of different cultures is a proof of diversity at its best, and the success stories written about the carnival show intercultural maturity in the USA. These celebrations are done during the national Labor Day celebrations and are a show of solidarity of the American people with the rest of the world (Flower, 2010). The interaction between the different people has resulted in them understanding other people’s culture, and thus making them less judgmental of others. When such events take place, they leave very little room for any group of people to feel like they are outsiders in a foreign land. Thus, the event fosters togetherness in any society since life in a cosmopolitan city like New York consists of interactions between people from different places and all of them have their own way of life (Ruben & Randy 2012). The importance of people who are not natives from America being able to organize a multicultural event that allows other people of a different culture to showcase their cultural heritage is a reflection of how welcoming the American society is for other people regardless of their ancestral origin. America boasts of diversity that is unrivaled elsewhere in the world since its community is made up of people from all over the world (Flower, 2010). These annual celebrations have become a part of the new culture created by these interactions and as a result the celebration has found its way into the national calendar of events. The various people with different cultures that came together to interact have since led to the creation of a new culture that includes all the residents of New York. This has even attracted tourists to the event. Even though the event has had incidences of violence and some elements of insecurity the organizers have found a way of curbing them (Flower, 2010). The carnival is a tourist attraction and has led to the popularization of the event which has further inspired musicians such as Bob Marley and Jay Z to perform. The parade has shown how people can co-exist peacefully if only they can learn from each other’s culture and understand and at the same time appreciate the role that each of them plays in the society (Moss, 2007). Despite the carnival being suspe
The issue of economy is of a great importance for every country. With this in mind, it is possible to say that government of every state devotes a great number of its efforts to stabilization of economy and attempts to make it profitable. Moreover, it is for a country to guarantee security of deposits for its citizens and make them confident in its financial system. There is a great number of different mechanisms which are created in order to align functioning of the economic system of a state. These mechanisms should be both efficient and convenient for people. Citizens of a state should be given some financial help in case of emergency, however, a country should not absorb losses from it and be able to get a benefit from this very procedure. With this in mind, it is possible to say, that both state and people contribute to the development of efficient economic system and influence appearance of some mechanisms which involve different structures and capitals into its functioning. Securitized Reverse mortgage is a mechanism of this sort. Created in order to guarantee stable and sheltered existence of elderly people, it should be both efficient and beneficial for a person and a state. However, there are some aspects in its functioning which should be mentioned. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is a special kind of certain agreement between a person and organization which assumes some responsibilities. First of all, an elderly person is guaranteed to be given a loan for him/her to be able to survive. However, the amount of money available for him/her depends on the value of his/her property which is given as a pawn. Moreover, when this person dies, organization becomes the owner of this very property. The HECM mortgage market is controlled by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), which main aim is to control all deals of this sort. Moreover, the FHAs guarantee can be taken as a very significant tool in this issue as it is supported by the U.S. government. However, this fact does not mean that this practice is absolutely risk free. The thing is, that there are several important aspects in this mechanism. First of all, the loan sum is determined by the general value of the house and a person is not allowed to exceed it. However, there can be different complications and securitized reverse mortgage can become inefficient and even detrimental. For example, if a person lives longer than it was expected, the value of the reverse mortgage becomes lower
The article “ Does HRM fit really matters to citizenship and task performance ” authored by Chandrakumara (2007) was chosen for this critical analysis exercise due to its relevance to chapter seven of Jackson, Schuler and Werner’s (2009) book. Chapter 7 specifically addresses the need for human resource departments to recruit and train employees who fit the job specification and the greater organization’s needs. The HR article is based on a combination of literature review and questionnaire-based interviews specifically meant to gauge the effect of HRM fit in selected Sri Lankan manufacturing companies. Chandrakumara (2007) introduces the concept of HRM fit by explaining that it “denotes a harmonious relationship between an individual employee and his or her environment, and the extent to which the individual is fitted to the environment and vice versa” (p. 612). He further observes that the concept of HR fit has also been referred to as value congruence, goal congruence, demand-abilities fit, need-supplies fit, and personality-climate fit. Whatever the terms used to explain the concept, however, Chandrakumara (2007) argues that the concept refers to an organization’s capabilities to match the skills and competencies of the workforce to the needs and characteristics of an organization. Specifically, the author observes that the level of HRM fit in any workplace determines the citizenship performance as well as task performance that each employer portrays towards his or her job-related tasks. Chandrakumara (2007) defines citizenship performance as the individual efforts by employees that are unrelated to their primary tasks in the organizations, but which are necessary for shaping the social, organizational, and psychological environment in the workplace. Task performance, on the other hand, is defined as employee’s proficiency in performing their official tasks. In the research article, Chandrakumara (2007) explores how HRM policies interact with employees’ preferences and the effect that the interaction has on citizenship and task performance. In relation to Chapter 7 of Jackson, Schuler and Werner’s (2009) book, the article addresses how recruitment and employee selection affect workplace behavior and the overall employee performance. Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2007) argue that employee selection is one of the effective ways that organizations can obtain capable workforce that fits the job requirements as well as the higher organizational needs. Chandrakumara (2007) echoes Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2009) argument by stating that HR practices such as “training, selection, socialization, training and development…” (p. 616) are the antecedents that determine employees’ behavioral and personality outcomes in any organization. Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2009) suggest that the selection process should assess job applicant to determine whether they are competent and efficient; motivated; able and ready to adopt behaviors that would lead to customer satisfaction; and capable of buying into and implementing an organization’s strategy. On his part, Chandrakumara (2007) sums