ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The film under discussion Her by Spike Jonze premiered at New York Film Festival in 2013. This film represents a combination of science fiction and romantic drama, as it incorporates conventions from both of these genres. This paper will focus on the analysis of the mentioned film from the perspective of intercultural and interpersonal concepts of relationships. The plot of the film is built around a man named Theodore Twombly, who works for a company writing love letters for other people in some undetermined future. Theodore is going through a rough patch in his life, as he recently divorced his first love – Catherine, and that is where the audience finds him – unhappy, lonely, and deeply depressed. After seeing an impressive advertisement of an operating system with a virtual assistant, Theodore purchases it. He is skeptical of the idea at first, but soon finds himself engaged in constant communication with it. The second character is Samantha – the program that Theodore starts loving as if she was a real person. She accepts Twombly’s views and decisions, trying to assist him in all spheres of life. Emotions of the emotionless machine is one of the main issues in the film. Furthermore, Samantha is developing throughout the plot, starting as an obedient and appeasable assistant that wants to get a body and become a human and ending as an independent polygamous creature. The primary intercultural concept that might be applied to the relationships in the film might be alienation. Idleness and isolation from other people are the main traits of the protagonist. He alienates himself from society and the ones who love him and chooses the relationships with the program instead. However, during the development of the plotline of Theodore and Amy, the self-disclosure interpersonal concept takes place. They reveal their interests and pain and start trusting each other more. Samantha might apply the accommodating conflict strategy regarding her relationships with Theodore. This approach means that the one implementing the accommodating strategy accepts an interlocutor’s wishes, not absolutely (The Participation Company). Samantha agrees with the ideas and aspirations of Twombly but to the exact extent. She guides him through crowded places, assists while playing computer games but also encourages him to meet with friends and find new romantic relationships. However, Samantha also implements the competing conflict strategy, which means that she strives her idea to become a human as close as possible whatever it takes (The Participation Company). Samantha abandons Theodore and prefers him to her interpretation of the essence of relationships – Samantha starts communicating with more than 8000 people simultaneously. Regarding Theodore and Samantha’s relationships, it should be stated that they have formed their relations in an unconventional fashion as Samantha is not a human. H
Background and Goals Medtronic Inc is the leading medical technology company in the world, controlling more than half of the world’s annual revenue on the heart-pacing market (Anonymous, 2010). Its headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota and it operates in over 120 countries. In addition, around sixty-six percent of its revenue is generated locally, twenty percent in Europe, ten percent in the pacific Asia and the remaining percentage in the rest of the world. As it expanded, the firm employed Picker International Corporation of White Plains, New York to assist in running the business internationally. The founder of Medtronic Inc was an electrical engineer a profession that boosted his knowledge on specializing in medical devices. He established the company by specializing in pace making which has taken Medtronic to very high heights (Anonymous, 2010). Medtronic is a manufacturer of diversified and exclusive medical equipment, which are capable of handling any medical complication. It continues to develop better and advanced equipment in order to maintain its top position. Moreover, the firm has recently developed Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor for Diabetes, which is the best device for managing diabetes in the world. Since Medtronic is a world-class company, it aims at coming up with a marketing plan that will enable it do extensive sales in the whole world. The first step is to identify a country whereby its sales can pick significantly. Medtronic objective To ensure that every person on this earth has an opportunity to live as healthy, innovative, creative, and successful lives as they can. Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor for Diabetes For a long time, patients with diabetes have been facing acute challenges in treating and managing their insulin levels due to lack of proper devices. The devices Medtronic made would help the patients but were not as effective. Diabetic patients would have their live revolve around treating the disease which involved boiling of the syringes, sharpening needles, injecting animal-based insulin formulations, checking on the diet and doing exercise. Maintaining unpredictable glucose levels has been challenging and no single and portable device was available in the market. Patients had to carry a combination of devices for checking glucose levels and injecting insulin (Fowler, 2009). Minneapolis-based medical technology company Medtronic, Inc. has however developed an Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System which, integrates a glucose meter and an insulin pump with a dose calculator into one device. The device combines an insulin pump with a glucose monitor, facilitates data interchange between the two and FDA has cleared and approved the product. The device operates day and night and in case glucose levels gets dangerously low or high, it sounds or vibrates an alarm thus g
Introduction The study of social trends using virtual platforms, including Twitter, has applied value to marketing and social research. In this paper, metrics for five sets of keywords were evaluated using Twitter. This allowed conclusions to be drawn as to which ones were more popular, which makes sense for the further development of the research project. Methodology The central basis for the methodological approach for the execution of this paper was to search for keywords on the Twitter platform. Twitter is a globally known social network with over 320 million users, over fifty percent of whom visit the site daily (SRD 2021; Newberry 2021). These numbers were enough to choose Twitter as a virtual environment for exploring current trends. The built-in search bar was used to search for key queries related to the topic under study, namely environmental sustainability. The following terms were used for the search:   * #sustainability   * #natural_resource   * #renewable_energy   * #recycling   * #global_warming However, using Twitter’s built-in functionality did not allow measuring the social metrics of interest, so it was decided to use the BrandMentions platform, which examines the number of mentions, interactions, reach, shares, and likes for a particular tag ( BrandMentions 2019). All regions and all languages were selected to customize the analysis, allowing for more comprehensive statistics. The only limitation of this method was that the data was only collected for the most recent month, that is from November 20, 2021, to December 20, 2021, which means it reflected trends and patterns specific to that period only. Results and Critical Analysis Since this study was conducted by collecting numerical data on the popularity of specific hashtags on the social network Twitter, a quantitative approach to their processing was relevant to the project. Processing the results using MS Excel visual tools produced distribution histograms for each specific metric. Thus, using Figure 1 below, it can be determined that the highest number of mentions was for the key query “sustainability,” while the lowest number of users referred to the query “recycling.” Figure 1. Number of mentions of a particular key term on Twitter over the past month (in thousands) Similar results were found for the number of interactions with tags. Interactions refer to any clicks and clicks on posts that mentioned a key term. Figure 2 shows the general trends: “#global_warming” outperformed all other terms by at least 1.8 times, while “recycling” again had the lowest number of user interactions. Figure 2. A number of interactions with a particular key term on Twitter in the past month (in thousands) Reach was the third metric of interest for analysis; it includes the total number of Twitter users who have seen that key term at least once in the past period (Chen 2018). Clearly, the scale of this characteristic should be meaningfully broader, and so Figure 3 shows trends in millions of reach units, as opposed to other metrics. It is important
Brief summary The article ’Self-assessment practices in large organisations: experiences from using the EFQM excellence model’ by Samuelsson & Nilsson dwells upon self-assessment practices in large companies and their effectiveness. Nine large companies which operate in different fields were analysed. Samuelsson and Nilsson (2002) note that all the companies use a number of self-assessment tools. Remarkably, the organisations have resorted to EFQM excellence model which is regarded as one of the best approaches. The researchers state that the model is effective and can be applicable in a variety of settings. However, Samuelsson and Nilsson (2002) also stress that there can be universal model of self-assessment. The researchers claim that each company has to develop its own approach which could best fit in a particular setting. The researchers emphasise that it is essential to pay attention to such aspects as cultural diversity and peculiarities of the business. More so, according to Samuelsson and Nilsson (2002), a self-assessment strategy can be successful if it is used continuously and encourages each employee to exploit it. Furthermore, the researchers stress that self-assessment models must be developed and evaluated from a holistic perspective. Major concepts It is necessary to note that the researchers provide valuable insights into the development and implications of self-assessment in large companies. The researchers provide a short analysis of
Importance of location decisions Location decisions are crucial for any retailer, as they determine the target consumers and market share. A right decision about a location of business facilitates the growth of a retailing firm since they help retailers to select a strategic location, which is accessible to potential clients (Levy, Wietz, and Grewal 189). Conversely, the location of a retailing firm determines its success potential as it has irreversible effects, which are very costly to correct. For instance, if a retailer places itself in a location, which is not accessible to its potential clients, the purchase of its products will decrease because potential clients will opt to purchase products from close and strategically located competitors. Points that are taken into consideration when a retailer chooses its location The main points that a company should consider when choosing a location include the availability of raw materials, availability of consumers, nearness to suppliers, spacing available, and the quality of infrastructures such as roads and electricity. The location of the downtown location of H&M in Figueroa Street, Los Angles is a strategic position for it meets the points mentioned above. Position of H&M H&M channel is in the downtown part of Los Angeles in the United States. The positioning of the channel is in the manner of a single store or a freestanding boutique. Remarkably, the positioning choice is very vital for the retailer since most of the potential clients live and undertake their activities in the downtown part of the state. According to Burton, Parker, and Lawley location is very important for a company as it helps its potential clients to access the products it offers (103). Easy access to the products from the retailer ensues due to the downtown location of the channel. Reasons for this type of H&M’s location By choosing a downtown location, the retailer is in a position of delivering high-end products because the infrastructure, which is in good condition facilitates the delivery of the required materials in time and their expected qualities and quantities. Through the right choice of location, the retailer gets a good chance to outsmart its competitors, increase its market share, and enhance sales volume. The closeness of direct competitors Competitors of H&M like Forever 21 and Topshop Topman are within the state. The location of Forever 21 and Topshop Topman is within the proximity of the retailer, H&M. As a result, they increase the level of competition that the retailer encounters in the market. However, the quality of clothes that the retailer offers enables it to outsmart its competitors and enjoy a significant market share. Advantages and disadvantages of multi-channel and a single location The retailer is a multi-channel store and uses several marketing channels in advertisements for its products and creating consumer awareness. The ability to employ multi-channel marketing and strategy is achievable when a firm employs good chain management (Burton, Parker, and Lawley 104). Some of the advantages a
The article in question dwells upon feminism in terms of political and private life. Ledwith contemplates her experiences and reveals her way to understanding the essence of such concepts as feminism, oppression and hegemony. The author touches upon several important issues which can help people to look at the feminist movement from a different perspective. Thus, Ledwith argues that woman are suppressed on different levels, e.g. in their private lives as well as in the political life of their countries (686). The author reflects upon her experience as an activist of an organization. Ledwith admits that men did not take them seriously, and even women were not interested in any political activity (690). The author argues that women are so inert as they are taught to be like that. Ledwith articulates a very interesting idea that education is that hegemonic power which makes women feel subordinate and which trains “agents of the state to maintain the status quo ” (695). The author also touches upon the link between capitalism and patriarchy. However, one of the major findings of the article is the author’s three-dimensional model which can help to “explore the intersections of oppression, thereby identifying potential sites of liberation” (Ledwith 694). These dimensions are difference (race, gender, class, etc.), contexts (political, economic, cultural, etc.) and levels (national, local, global, etc.). Admittedly, this three-dimensional model provides a comprehensive pattern which can be used to analyze such notions as feminism and hegemony. It is important to note that Ledwith has touched upon issues which have been discussed by many researchers. Thus, the author focuses on hegemony and oppression. The author claims that oppression is present on every level (political and private life). Harris also deals with the oppression he has witnessed being an educator and being biracial (212). The author states that he as well as other biracial people is suppressed on some occasions, but this oppression can be diminished as the societies develop and people are more open now. Fine and Johnson also touch upon the topic of oppression in their article (203). The authors contemplate their own experiences as their family is multinational. Fin
Introduction Shale oil production is not “new, but nobody believed in it as a source of potential reserves before” (Backus and Crucini 187). Historically, no one thought of exploiting shale oil reserves because they were considered as seal rocks. Obtaining oil from shale rocks was deemed to be economically unviable. Presently, after its success, economists argue that shale oil is bound to become a “game changer” in the oil industry. The economists believe that shale oil will cause the price of petroleum to go down significantly, particularly after the invention of the drilling technique that increases the production volume. Economists claim that it is imperative to note that the introduction of shale oil in the United States has led to other countries prospecting the possibility of venturing into the same. Currently, China has been declared to have the capability to produce shale oil. Production of shale oil in China would have a tremendous impact on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. China imports its oil from the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Today, shale oil and gas has become “extremely significant for the global energy industry and is beginning to influence the redrawing of energy reserves and distribution map” (Backus and Crucini 191). Countries that have been importing oil for a long time are now becoming major exporters of oil and gas. Indeed, apart from the United States, others states like Brazil, India and China are looking forward to producing shale oil. There are speculations that numerous countries will embark on shale oil production even though financial and technical challenges may limit some states. The GCC countries also look forward to producing shale oil. For instance, Saudi Arabia has expressed its interest in the production of shale oil to meet the increased demand in the majority of the Asian countries. Most GCC countries like Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have huge reserves of shale oil
Project description The project’s main aim was building of additional six turbines in a power plant which was underground and this was expected to be complete by 2011. Another target of the project was to merge two generators with thirty-two major turbines so as to supply adequate power to the main plant. The expected result was to increase the total generating capacity of the dam to 22,500 MW. The project further aimed at reducing downstream flooding and increasing the capacity of shipping in the Yangtze River. Scope of the project The Three Gorges Dam, which is in China, is the largest power station in the world in terms of installed capacity. It spans through the Yangtze River, by the town of Sandouping in Yiling District, Hubei province. It stretches more than two kilometres across the river. The dam, which is nearly 200 meters high, has a volume of 40 million cubic meters, and has created a reservoir, 600- kilometres in size (Alvarez 79). It has 14 generators in the north side that reach full capacity of 9,800MW and 7 generators in the south side that were completed in 2007. Anticipated benefits of or justification of the project Electricity supply The two power stations flanking the dam’s central spillway will operate 26 of the world’s largest turbine generators, which produce seven hundred megawatts each. Thus, the total generating capacity will be 18,200 megawatts that will be proportional to eighteen big nuclear power stations. A total of 500,000-volt transmission lines will send electricity to Shanghai and other parts of East China, Central China and Eastern Sichuan Province (Carmen 21). The total output of the plant will be 84.7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually that is equivalent to burning 40 million tons of coal. Shipping benefits River Yangtze plays a very important role in the economy of the upper river area. This has been facilitated by the construction of the Three Gorges dam. In the upper region, navigation is almost the only means of long-distance and is cost-effective in terms of transportation of freight. 90% of the goods in Chongqing, the major port city in Sichuan Province, are transported by water. The depth of water in Three Gorges reservoir that is more than 600 kilometres upstream of the dam has made this possible. Three Gorges has one of the largest ship locks system in the world. This enables the transportation of large quantities of cargo to the upper Yangtze. Flood protection Another anticipated benefit of this project will be to protect the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River against flooding to avert the tremendous losses that the people
Executive Summary American International Bank has been a beacon of success in wholesale banking services across the world. The company has numerous branches overseas that operate in harmony with the bank’s headquarters in New York. However, the company has clear challenges that threaten its ability to maintain a pole leadership position in the banking sector. It lacks an integrated system, personalized manual services and an outstanding data management. As such, the bank ought to establish an integrated telecommunication network that will enhance its efficiency. From different alternatives available, it is important for the bank to adopt WAN and VPN owing to numerous benefits it stands to reap. Introduction American International Bank (AIB) uses a business model that reflects manual completion of tasks. While we consider that AIB is one of the most profitable banks in the US, the company could increase its profit margin by improving its business model to suit its needs. The current model has provided loopholes through which the company stands to lose in terms of cash owing to inefficiencies. The following is an analysis of problems that the company faces owing to poor business model. Summary of the Problem and Analysis Apparently, American International Bank seems to have numerous challenges that have hindered its efficiency. The bank lacks an integrated information system . This has in turn resulted to poor monitoring of overseas branches since the general manager (Tamara), has to take over a month to retrieve information regarding the bank’s operations. As such, information retrieval costs the company huge amounts of resources in terms of time as well as inaccurate data presentation. Considering that many bank’s operations are located overseas and its need for a positive global image, such objectives will remain elusive for the bank with fragmented information system that continue to typify its operations. The managers continue to visit the headquarters to discuss any emergent issue and present their reports. As Tamara agrees, it is hard to understand the current business standpoint since reports take at least three months to be processed. This is despite their proneness to inaccuracies and inability to predict the bank’s future performance. Second, the bank also suffers from increased personalized services delivery. Currently, the company faces a momentous challenge to establish a free flowing system in which its branch managers will be able to monitor customers’ accounts without necessarily having to embark on personalized inquiries. Indeed, this type of communication is vulnerable to emotions and may be detrimental if managers fail to live up to its principles. This might also imply that a simple business miscalculation by a branch manager may reduce clients’ trust substantially. As such, AIB should not allow personalized services to characterize its operations although the aspect has been one of the major strengths of the bank. It is important to notice that personalized services can also be achieved by implementing the right business and technology models. Third, the bank faces an upheaval task of reconciling transacti