ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction In the recent past, America has had an alarming increase in overweight and obesity cases. Today, out of every three Americans, two are obese. With the current trends in the consumption of foods, statistics show that, by the year 2015, a third of America will be obese. While obesity issues continue to increase, minorities would be severely affected. As argued by Rushing (1), while Hispanics have a 25 percent prevalence, African Americans are 50 percent higher compared to whites. In the video, “Fault Lines: Fast food, Fat profits: Obesity in America”, Josh Rushing discovers the world characterized for cheap foods for minorities in America Rushing (1). He tries to discover opportunities through which people have to consume healthy foods as well as individuals responsible for the processed and desert foods within the American schools. Insights in the video are drawn from individuals who are constantly trying to address the current situation. In line with the various issues highlighted in the YouTube video, this paper will identify two frameworks through which the video filtered its materials. Secondly, utilizing radical doubts in rejecting messages communicated in the face of social reality. Main body “Frame Analysis” puts into focus the notion that people have no choice but to group their experience to grasp its importance and pass this information to others. In his article, Goffman (30) argues that defining social situations is built upon the primary fram
Introduction Religious positions on social issues encapsulate a wide variety of instances such as gay marriage, stem cell research, the death penalty, divorce and other such issues that have ethical and moral underpinnings. It is usually the case that religious positions on such issues often result in positive or negative effects depending on the inherent intent of the religious group involved. In justifying their position on such issues, religious groups utilize the supposed inerrancy and infallibility of the bible, as stated by their respective religious doctrines, in order to show that their position on particular social issues is based off of the word of God (Durland, 2007). Importance of the Study What you have to understand is that the bible being inerrant does not mean that the interpretations of the bible that manifest itself through religious doctrine are sufficiently inerrant themselves. On the other hand, the premise of the infallibility of the bible is based on the fact that it was created as a direct action of divine intervention wherein the Holy Spirit inspired the original writers of the text to create the scriptures that we know of in the present. It must be noted though that various biblical scholars have indicated that the bible was originally meant as a guide for social interaction and not as a means of dictating how people should live. Not only that, it was not meant to encompass issues related to overpopulation, medicine and the spread of AIDS. As such, this study sheds light on the current problem in utilizing the concepts of inerrancy and infallibility of the bible and will attempt to argue against its continued usage by religious groups who reinterpret the bible and use biblical scripture out of context in order to justify their own agendas. Significance of the Study The significance of this study is related to its use in enlightening individuals that religious positions on social issues based on the inerrant and infallible nature of the bible are inherently fallacious. It was seen in the work of Grass (2007) that interpretations of the certain text within the bible is selective in that different religious groups had diverging methods of interpreting particular types of scripture (Grass, 2007). For example, one religious group in particular, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, actually interprets biblical text in such a way that they indicate that all women should be subservient to men and that only men should have leadership roles both in households and at work. On the other hand, the religious group “Christians for Biblical Equality” interprets the bible under the context of men and women being equals and possessing the ability to have the same rights and roles. It is due to these diverging methods of interpretation of biblical scriptu
Policymakers’ Role in Reducing Uncertainty During Financial Crisis Uncertainty and financial crisis Uncertainty is one of the drivers of the financial crisis. Nowadays, the financial market continues to evolve, and some entities cannot be actively controlled by the government. For example, small companies that give loans to the local population are one of them. They tend to issue high volumes of financial securities and cash to citizens with high-interest rates. This situation creates an imbalance in the economy, as it is difficult to develop governmental interventions that will affect the unemployment and inflation rates in the desired way. Simultaneously, the era of globalization increased the number of players in the global arena. The unexpected actions of different governments such as adjustments of the currency exchange rates or the start of the war make the global economy and stock markets vulnerable and contribute to financial failure and unstable conditions. How policymakers could reduce the uncertainty There are several ways that the government can use to control uncertainty. In the first place, when designing solutions and evaluating situations, policymakers have to consider ‘what-if’ scenarios. In this instance, it forecasts the actions of the financial players and authorities and assesses potential reactions to these situations. Another approach is to monitor and control the impact of the major players on the economic stability of the country. For example, the policymakers can suggest imposing additional taxes on the firms that issue micro-loans. This procedure will decrease the amount of cash in the economy of the country and the growth rates of these financial actors. Apart from that, policymakers can suggest the sum of finances that has to be maintained in the national budget in the case of uncertainties. A combination of these actions will transform uncertainties into risks that can be considered as opportunities for growth and development. Unemployment and the Labor Market Explaining the nature of unemployment in the Gulf region In the article, the author compares the working conditions and unemployment rates between high and low-skilled employees. This comparison reveals that the domestic labor market is imbalanced. Today, foreign workers with an extended set of competencies are prioritized among the companies operating in the private sector. Thus, the population of Gulf countries is majorly represented by low-skilled labor due to the lack of education and continuous population growth. It could be said that these findings reflect that there is an excess in the local workforce while complying with the features of structural unemployment. Type of unemployment contributed to the 11.6% unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia in 2016 Based on the analysis conducted above, it could be said that structural unemployment contributes the most to the current unemployment rate. This situation takes place since the foreign workers are prioritized among international and private firms due to the sufficient educational background and training. Speaking of the locals, they are often associ
In the realm of political thought, there exists a troubling paradox: how is it that the political elite can continue to lie to the populace with impunity, particularly when the populace is well aware of said lie yet takes no action to affirm the truth? The most blatant case to reveal this troubling reality in recent years was the suicide of David Kelly. As Guardian reporter Carne Ross states, evidence that supported “an imminent Iraqi threat [was] picked out, polished and formed the basis of public claims like Colin Powell’s presentation to the UN Security Council” (Ross n.p.). David Kelly recognized the lie, and recognized the construction of a “false case for war…not by the deliberate creation of a falsehood, but by willfully and secretly manipulating the evidence…to ignore contradictory evidence. This was a subtle process, elaborated from report to report, in such a way that allowed officials themselves to believe that they were not deliberately lying” (Ross n.p.). How is it that we know about this? How is it that such an article can appear in a major newspaper and yet over a 100 000 Iraqis lost their lives regardless? For Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean Jacques Rousseau, the answer rests on a foundation of conditioning. Nietzsche argues that political lies persist due to the conditioned perception of nobility, learned passivity and the belief in the referred justice of the afterlife. Rousseau attributes the tenacity of the political lie to the arbitrary nature of language and the erroneous perception of ownership. Both philosophers understand modern life to be rife with lies, yet the acceptance of these lies speaks to a deep psychological paradigm in the human species that must be transcended in order to take action against political deceit. Essentially, for both Rousseau and Nietzsche, we accept the told to us by the political elite simply because we don’t know how to refuse them. Written in 1887, Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals: A Polemical Tr
Introduction The Decision-making process in the field of medicine especially about patient diagnosis, treatment, and recommendation has been boggled by errors in the past. In an attempt to minimize these errors, there has been the growth of clinical decision support systems (CDSS), which generally constitute computer systems developed to improve clinician decision making about individual patients at the point in time that these decisions are generated (Berner, 2007). At the same time, CD
The relevance of the Research Problem Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions according to the recent studies published by Lareau, Fahy, and Meek (2013). The findings of this study show that this disease is increasingly becoming common not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. Qaseem et al. (2011, p. 179) define COPD as “a slowly progressive disease involving the airways or pulmonary parenchyma (or both) that results in airflow obstruction.” This disease is easily preventable, but the kind of lifestyle that people lead and how they are responsible in terms of going for regular health check-ups define their susceptibility to the disease. Most Americans have very limited knowledge about this disease hence do not know what they should do to ensure that they are not affected. In most of the cases, the early symptoms of the disease are often ignored because of the limited knowledge that people have about this disease (Anderson et al., 2016). Some would ignore these symptoms thinking that they are suffering from the common cold. Others would go for over-the-counter drugs not knowing exactly what they are suffering from, allowing the disease to advance rapidly. A study by Cleary and Serisier (2012) shows that COPD comes second, only to diabetes, as a major reason for hospital admissions in the United States. Scholars have conducted extensive studies to try and find a way in which the prevalence of this disease and its negative impact on people can be significantly reduced. The focus of this paper is to critique systematic reviews. Critique of Research Rigor and Levels of Evidence McCurdy, Giacomini, Chandra, and Brooker (2012) conducted an evidence-based review of recent literature that focused on the management strategies of COPD. Their focus was to determine ways of managing its symptoms, and what one can do to avoid acquiring the disease. The literature reviewed in this article was collected from credible sources and most were based on descriptive statistics. They wanted a clear explanation of the reasons behind the increasing cases of COPD and what can be done by the
Consistent with studies for the relevance of physical activities including yoga, there has been considerable attention to this therapeutic intervention among students challenged by mental problems. Regular activities or exercises are advocated by many due to perceived long-term value on health. Incorporating modest exercises in life generally have great potential to impact mental wellness. In various studies, results confirm that the advantages of exercise affect moods, behavioral and mental disorders significantly (Frank et al., 2017). The research in the article by Frank et al. (2017) was conducted to determine how a school-based yoga program impacted students’ mental wellness and performance. The central aim of the research was to find the effectiveness of the therapeutic intervention. In this process, the knowledge gap on the usefulness of exercises in improving behavioral problems at the school level. The paper’s aim is to provide a commentary on the research. Study Method and Findings The study employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as an intervention to determine how a yoga-based school approach on emotions and mental wellness program called Transformative life skill (TLS) was impactful. In the exercise, about 159 participants were recruited to an intervention comparison conditions. Participants comprised sixth and ninth-grade students in diverse middle schools in a high-poverty region within the urban center of California. In this community, there is a racial composition of African American, white, Asian, Latino, and mixed background. Other factors that were used as treatment comparison included gender, social status, such as living in single-parents, two-parents, and relatives’ homes. The results showed that participants in the wellness program (TLS) revealed a significant decline in detentions or unexcused absence and advances in school engagement. Moreover, positive changes in primary engagement were identified in stress coping approaches. Students’ emotional control, positive thoughts, and cognitive restructuring on stress were observed. The results were consistent with the study hypothesis on meaningful changes in school engagement. However, observed effects of the intervention program varied in size on outcomes such as medium to large. Suggestively, the TLS may have strong potential when adopted as a universal strategy to promote positive school behavior and commitment (Frank et al., 2017). The acceptability rating of the program also pointed that student participants vowed the intervention positively and are feasible to use in middle or high school-aged adolescents. Commentary on the Significance of Results The central focus of the research was to validate the effectiveness of a yoga-based program. In regard to this focus, therapists and mental health service providers have trained on the Yoga technique of mental calmness for many years, which turned to benefit most clients (Xu et al., 2021). Various assessments and research on the implementations of the yoga approach on social-emotional
I believe that socially responsible investment (SRI) has the potential to shape financial markets and prepare companies for future challenges after the pandemic. Many companies, including Ford and Tesla, responded to the crisis by modifying their manufacturing to provide countries with medical appliances (Broughton & Sardon, 2020). It is a sign for investors that some private enterprises can address social challenges while still sustaining the business. Moreover, people start realizing that companies have the human and financial resources to come up with solutions faster than governmental institutions. In my opinion, the market value of the brand can be undermined by risks related to environmental and social issues. The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic will force companies all over the globe to include ESG factors in reports. The COVID-19 pandemic will energize SRI as investors will select those corporate players that have strategies to adapt to the changing settings. I assume financial advisers and venture capitalists will reconsider the way they assess companies’ portfolios. However, according to a recent survey, 37% of investors in the U.S. are not aware of SRI and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities (Norton, 2020). Sustainable investment is often not discussed among professionals and does not receive enough attention in the media. The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic will force companies all over the globe to include ESG factors in reports. Environmental and social challenges, like human-caused natural disasters and the spread of viruses, represent financial risks. Companies will be asked to report on related performance in a consistent way. The current situation has revealed how the corporate sector affects the well-being of communities, families, and individuals. I reckon that ESG priorities will have an influence on financial analysts in the process of calculating return on investment. Even though ESG factors are hard to define, they refer to broader socio-economic goals that correspond with a company’s development strategy. The global market of ESG-related investment is already quite big and will continue to grow. In 2018, it amounted to $ 30 trillion, demonstrating significant growth in Europe, the U.S., and Japan (Stevens, 2019). Hedge funds continue to add ESG factors to their core plans because they will help choose innovative corporations to invest in. This shift of interest is explained by growing concerns about the social and environmental impacts of various economic sectors. Governments and consumers will become even more demanding and conscious as they try to revise priorities and values. The pandemic has shown that employees’ treatment, including paid sick leave and other social benefits, is an essential ESG factor. Since venture capitalists are interested in long-term performance, they want to know how corporations support their workforce. Warehouse workers of Amazon and its subsidiary Wholefoods protest to call for additional payment and protection measures during the pandemic (Lerman & Tiku, 2020). Corporate giants neglect employees’ essential rights to have access to adequate prot
The business research is to attempt a study on the importance of Internal Marketing in the ‘Medium Sized Enterprises’ of France and England. The purpose of the study is to promote quality and effectiveness among the medium-sized enterprises of the UK and France, by attempting a study of the thereby enhancing its Total Quality Management (TQM). The business problem under investigation here is the absence of departments in Medium-sized enterprises pertaining especially to customer services. The internal marketing and customer services in medium-sized enterprises may function in informal and rather indirect manners, owing to the lack of resources or departments in these enterprises. The MSEs are aspiring business units that have the desire and the motivation to compete with the larger firms, and as such Internal Marketing must be of crucial importance to improve the quality of their services. In this research project, data has been collected using qualitative analysis through a series of ‘pilot interviews were conducted using the questionnaire method, where the key personnel having good knowledge of the companies’ internal relationships were interviewed by the researchers for half an hour. The interviews were recorded so that they could be evaluated using the ‘content analysis method. This provided the research with an explorative feature. The researchers concluded that the sample was too small to be representative and as such, it would be unwise to draw any concrete conclusions from the data obtained. The researchers noticed that there was a substantial difference in the attitudes and functioning of the MSEs of the UK as compared to the French. They, therefore, concluded that the role and impact of culture is an important research area for the future research and study of internal marketing strategies of the Medium-sized enterprises of various regions.
Introduction Franz Kafka, a world famous writer, was brought up in a family, where the dictatorship of the father prevented the family from having natural warm relationships. Maybe this factor allowed the author learn from the childhood that the relationships between people, together with the moral values, are often neglected, while the materialistic views have always been topical. This is one of the key issues fairly depicted by Franz Kafka in his story “The Metamorphosis”, the bright example of modernism story highlighting realistic problems concerning traditional values perverted by the surrounding society. Having described an outcast in his family, the writer shows alienation of a person with his or her traditional values and views in the cruel today’s society which is, day by day, losing its important human values, caring only of material values, oppressing distinctive and extraordinary individualities and spreading gregarious way of behavior. Human values lost by the society Within several thousand years each generation have been creating and passing down their assumptions, moral and values considered to be conventional and humane, which were held both by families and by societies. Family values have been transferred into common values of community and society, but still their essence stayed and still stays the same as it was at the very beginning. However, the present society has quite perverse understanding of values, and today a reverse process can be traced – society influences family and dictates its own values to it. Such loss of traditional humane values like empathy, love, respect, loyalty, and honesty has affected Franz Kafka who illustrated the metamorphosis or transformation of customary values on the example of the family of the Samsas. “The story presents the reader with the metaphor for a human existence in which spiritual reflection and interpersonal communication have been sacrificed for the sake of materialistic efficiency” (Die Verwandlung 1915: 1). Indeed, showing the main character Gregor Samsa, who has found himself transformed “into a gigantic insect” physically (Kafka, 29), however, stayed human mentally, Kafka outlines his ability to preserve and keep humane values despite the fact of being an insect and having ugly appearance which is not accepted by his family, or society (in broader understanding). His sincere genuine feelings towards his family contradict their cruelty and careless behavior towards him, a suffering insect. Hence the main character impersonates traditional values which are lost by his family and society, in general. One of the most important values such as empathy is not inherent in our life any more, as Kafka shows. The family of Gregor-insect is not able to accept him as he is – with “his domelike brown belly” and “numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk” (Kafka, 32). Practically, the same happens in the society which is not willing to accept anything or any