ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Gun crime is an act that involves using a firearm to cause disturbance to the community. Such action may not be regarded as a crime unless the gun or firearm was used in a homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, or suicide. Some countries are notorious for having recorded the most number of deaths by use of weapons. For instance, Brazil has recorded the largest number of deaths resulting from malicious use of guns, with over 43,000 lives claimed yearly (Resnick et al. 432). The United States comes second, having recorded 37,200 deaths. This paper aims to explore the problem of illegal gun usage in the United States, the possible change, and an appropriate course of action to resolve it. A number of individuals have died in the United States as a result of illegal use of firearms. According to the survey carried out by Pew Research Center, 44% of American citizens have reported that they are aware of someone who has been shot, and another 23% has confessed that a gun has been used to intimidate them (Resnick et al. 432). From 2008 to 2017, at least 342,439 individuals lost their lives due to gun violence in the United States (Cook 1382). This statistic implies that in the United States, a person loses their life every 15 minutes (Resnick et al. 435). The U.S. should therefore find ways of preventing further loss of lives as result of firearm violence. However, the rate of gun violence in this country varies as per the state. Some places are recognized for gun-related homicides, while others are notorious for gun suicides. Among the leading four territories with lives lost are Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, and Mississippi (Resnick et al. 432). In contrast, some places such as Rhode Island, New York, Hawaii, and Massachusetts have low firearm death rates. While the governmen
This chapter describes the overall methodology of the study. The purpose of this study aims to investigate university students. The first section describes the design of the study. The second section introduces the participants and sampling in the study. The third section presents the instrument, which is the Questionnaire designed by the researcher to measure the frequency of strategy use by university students. The fourth section is the detailed description of the procedure undertaken for collecting data. The data analysis methods are discussed at the end of this chapter. Participants and Sampling Participants are conveniently sampled in this study. Convenient sampling is the most common of methods in researches that involve a relatively large population size. In as much as the ideal situation would be to test the whole population in the university it is impracticable to do so within the limited period available. The University of Edinburgh has a diverse population of students who can be categorized into two, the undergraduate students and postgraduate students. The study therefore limited the sample to postgraduate students in the fall semester of 2010. For convenience and relevance, the sample was further reduced to narrow down to those students whose main specialty is either language teaching or TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language). A convenient sample also allows the researcher to document and investigate a particular quality in of a substance. The participants in the sample are only female Asian students who range between the ages of 25 to30 the rationale for limiting this age bracket is that these students and participants have had just enough experience with the English as a second language to present the situation as it is today and not a historical account. This was also to provide a since of guidance and to ensure that that the research maintained an objective track. Instrument The study employs the conventionally recognized questionnaire as the main instrument in the study. It allows the research to gain base its discussions and conclusions from raw primary information. The questionnaire it also allows leaves room to adjust the questions to answer and provide tentative answers to the objective questions of the research. Also considering the limits and constraints of the research such as limited time and manpower the questionnaire is the most appropriate instrument of data collection. It is considered user friendly and can be used on varying target subjects. The questionnaires are all similar and therefore create a sense of uniformity in the data generated (Zhang and Goh 2006). The speaking motivation questionnaire was used and adopted as an item of survey developed by the researcher to assess the different aspects of students’ speaking motivation. To react to the objectives of the study, the questionnaires were limited to only those items that affect s student’s motivational attitudes towards learning English. The instrument captured the varying student r
The kind of professionalism that educators have is a lot different from other professions because educators are supposed to appeal to different addressees i.e. administrators, learners, parents and fellow educators. Therefore for a professional educator to be successful and command a classroom, he/she should demonstrate various aspects of professionalism. First, to become a professional educator one must go through professional programs. These programs are designed to prepare educators for success in difficult and multi-cultural environments. The programs also seek to give an educator the knowledge and proficiency required to deliver instruction and handle learners. Since educators have great power, they should be responsible and ethical. With such values they act as professionals thus influencing the future wellbeing of their learners. Professional educators do not only influence their learners through academic learning but they influence their moral development through their behaviors. To become a professional educator, one also has to follow teaching profession standards and go through professional development phases; these phases typify the professional lives of teachers. One should also keep teaching portfolios to record his/her performance thus helping in professional development. They also increase one’s awareness on cumulative growth requirements/needs. In addition, for one to become a professional educator he/she must know and understand his/her roles, this improves teaching performance and effectiveness. Effective teachers have passion for their work and their subjects. If a teacher does not like his/her subject, the students can be affected and also end-up not liking it. Effective teachers also have good classroom management abilities, they have optimistic expectations for their learners and they teach for mastery. They also have good teaching skills i.e. they make difficult topics easy for learners to understand. As an educator, I passionately love my teaching subjects and this makes my teaching profession easy to manage. I pass this zeal to my students and this improves the manner in which they approach the subjects. Some topics in the subjects can at-times be complex to comprehend, but I come up with good teaching techniques that will help them understand. This has helped me have positive expectations for my learners. Am a very optimistic teacher and so I always expect good results from my learners. My management skills in classrooms have also created conducive environment for my learners thus improving their grades. I also insist on comprehension rather than memorization. When a student memorizes information they forget as soon as they seat for their exam
Introduction Feng Shui style has become an extremely popular one in recent decades, but before we start discussing the peculiarities of this style, it is of utmost importance to define the very essence of Feng Shui culture. The next point we are going to discuss is the way this culture or perhaps it would be better to say the system of aesthetics influenced Chinese art and architecture in particular especially within the period from 800 BC to 1200 AD. Main body First, we should say that Feng Shui could be defined as a system of aesthetics, originating from ancient China, according to which a person must make use of the laws of astronomy or in other words heaven and geography (that implies earth). By doing that, he can receive positive Q, which will improve his life. It must be mentioned that positive Q means the unity of material and energy. Early Feng Shui attached great importance to astronomy in order to find an optimal correlation between human beings and the universe. Moreover, we should mention the theory of polarity or the so-called Yin Yan theory according to which one part must create exertion and the other must receive it. It is believed that there are five elements of Feng Shui; they are fire, water, wood, earth, and metal. Each of them is made of Yin and Yang. The main task is to find the perfect equilibrium between the two basic elements. Judging by the principles of Feng Shui, creating a positive flow of energy and establishing balance is of utmost importance. Artistic or architectural elements can either weaken or strengthen the effects of auspicious (positive) or (inauspicious) energies. It is considered that Feng Shui culture dates back to 4000 BC. Hongshan and Yangshao cultures give the earliest evidence of this aesthetic system. The main peculiarity is the presence of square and round shapes. It proves that there exited the so-called Haitian cosmography. According to it, round forms symbolized heaven, while square forms symbolized earth. Speaking about the impact of Feng Shui on Chinese architecture, we must first say that it is next to impossible to cover this entire phenomenon in a four-page essay because Chinese architecture is as old as civilization. Nevertheless, it is quite possible for us to determine the key features of Chinese architecture especially within the context of Feng Shui. First of all, we must mention bilateral symmetry, horizontal emphasis, and hierarchical structure. As far as bilateral symmetry is concerned, first, we should say, that it symbolizes balance and equilibrium. It has always been a characteristic feature of Chinese architecture and it can be found practically everywhere. Naturally, it can be explained by the strong influence of Feng Shui culture. Speaking about the examples, we should first mention the province of Shanxi and its architecture. Another characteristic feature of then Chinese architecture is the horizontal emphasis or the horizontal axis. Perhaps it would be prudent to give further explanation. In the overwhelming majority of cases, Chinese architects placed emphasis on the width of the building (Moffett, 22).
Introduction: Organization Overview Vantagon, Inc. is the American IT company which is located in New York, NY, and specializes in developing different types of software and applications. Vantagon’s reputation within the market segment of software and applications depends on the realization of such projects as Taskflight and Semple. Taskflight is the company’s most popular product. Vantagon designed and implemented Taskflight as the service to manage persons’ tasks and objectives. The application provides a person with an opportunity to create objectives, tasks, and predict important results with the focus on significant milestones, deadline aspects, and priorities. The popularity of the product depends on the connection of the effective methods of self-management with the elements of the modern business culture. From this point, the company follows the principle of focusing on innovation and benefits while proposing new models and paradigms, establishing standards, and overcoming any drawbacks in systems. The management and business strategies promoted with the help of company’s products are also actively used in addressing the organization’s issues. The company’s staff can be discussed as rather small, and it includes the leadership team, designers, programmers, and marketers. Referring to the principles of the project management, Vantagon often chooses to invite external specialists in order to work at the current projects. This approach influences the choice of managerial strategies and the whole company’s performance. I am the Business Development Manager in the company, and I am interested in increasing the company’s productivity with references to improving the employees’ performance. The company’s task is to create the effective and productive team to design and develop new applications and software that is why the questions of the employees’ job commitment, satisfaction, and performance should be addressed while developing the management strategy. Problem Statement The market segment within which Vantagon operates became rather competitive during the recent years because of the business world’s focus on the advantages of contemporary applications and business software. As a result, the competitive advantage and performance of the company depend on the effective work of the creative and productive team. Vantagon’s managers focus much on empowering and motivating employees while responding to their job satisfaction. However, the specifics of the company’s work make the managers focus more on the strategies and perspectives of the project management and encouragement of the part-time employees work. The observed problem is in the necessity to choose the effective management style and strategy which can contribute to the improving the employees’ performance to compete within the industry. Moreover, it is important to analyze and evaluate the current management style to conclude about its role in increasing the employees’ job satisfaction and performance. How can the management s
Introduction Among the variations of management disciplines, cross-cultural management is separately distinguished. The reasons for such emphasis can be largely connected to the recent globalization of business in the world. The theoretical comprehension of the patterns of business cultures’ interactions started after World War II, where the topic of internationalization of companies and the emergence of multinational corporations has largely driven the research in international business, specifically a Harvard research study in 1960s on multinational companies. Nevertheless, it can be stated that the problems of cross-cultural management, i.e. managing the processes of business communications, are as old as the economy itself, with the origins being traced to the earliest trade diasporas (Curtin, 1984, p.1-2). It should be stated that cross-cultural management is not limited to business communication only. Nancy Adler (2002), cited in (Browaeys and Price, 2008), defined cross-cultural management as the discipline explaining, describing, and comparing the behavior of people around the world, to understand and improve the interactions between the stakeholders from different countries and cultures (16). Accordingly, the main aim of cross-cultural management is to “facilitate and direct synergistic action and learning at interfaces where, knowledge, values, and experiences are transferred into multicultural domains of implementation” (Holden, 2002, p.59). In that regard, expanding on the subject of cross-cultural management, this paper reviews two articles, “Fitting In” (2004) by Van Vianen, De Pater, Kristof-Brown, and Johnson, and “Managerial Behaviors and Job Performance” (1991) by Black and Porter, outlining their theoretical foundation, practicability and academic significance. The Review In Black and Porter (1991), the main emphasis of culture differences was in terms of managerial behavior as an element of the culture. The influence of such factors was measured in terms of the company’s performance. The participants of the study were American expatriate managers (EXMs) in Hong Kong, where the measurement of their behavior was based on two distinct categories, which are Consideration, involving “behaviors concerning leader supportiveness, friendliness, openness of communication, recognition of subordinates contributions, and so on” (Black and Porter, 1991, p.103), and Initiating Structure, involving organizational asp
The growth of various businesses in Amsterdam is stimulated by various factors. First, one should speak about the availability of skilled labor force. Approximately, 44 percent of the adult population has higher education (Consultants International, 2010). Thus, entrepreneurs can find a great number of knowledge workers in this city. This is one of the social issues that can be identified. Additionally, this city can offer about 2 million meters of industrial and office space which is less expensive than in other European cities (Consultants International, 2010). Additionally, Amsterdam is ranked among those cities with the most developed infrastructure (Bochove, 2008, p. 231). For example, much attention should be paid to numerous ports of Amsterdam and IT infrastructure (Consultants International, 2010). Additionally, it is important to speak about the taxation in the Netherlands. At present, the corporate tax is 25 percent (Ernst & Young 2013). However, there are several important deductions. For instance, the costs, which are related to research and development, are deducted (Ernst & Young 2013). These legal norms foster innovation in many businesses. Apart from that, one should focus on the employment relations that are established in Amsterdam. One of the details that should be considered is low dismissal protection (Barry, 2011, p. 265). In other words, employers have an opportunity to downsize the labor force. This is why entrepreneurs want to work in Amsterdam. Moreover, entrepreneurs find it easy to interact with the city administration and local government. They do not have to struggle with bureaucratic difficulties while operating in Amsterdam. Finally, the growth of businesses can be attributed to the intensity of competition. In Amsterdam, one cannot find enterprises that can be regarded as monopolies. Under such circumstances, organizations have to improve their performance. Finally, it is necessary to take into account the ethical and cultural factors. In particular, scholars often speak about the influence of Protestant work ethics which lays stress on work as one of the virtues (Ihalainen 2005, p. 548). This cultural norm promotes entrepreneurship. These are the forces that contribute to the growth of businesses in Amsterdam.
The focal point of the paper is to convey my long-term goal and steps (short term goals) to reach that goal. It is a realistic goal. My goal is to get Accounting AA Degree. Now, I am taking the second semester the first year at BCCC. I have 23 credits. I am full time student. I am planning to finish college in 2010. In addition, I have a part time job. I am approaching my career in a methodical and planned manner. Goals and planning policies are important to any student of any school as to formulate a specific pathway for the determination of stability and development. The achievement of goal is broadly divided into two parts. The first part is denoted as the long termed goal that is already in use or already has been implemented with logical success rates. However, there are quite fair chances that this part would affect the fu
Introduction We live in a modern state governed by a complex system of hierarchies. Mayors control cities, governors control states, and the president controls the country as a whole. This is a relatively common system, and it could be seen in the majority of the world’s countries. Even monarchies often use this system, despite having roots in more ancient governmental structures. There is a variety of reasons for this, and the presented article titled “From Egalitarianism to Kleptocracy” describes how and why this is the current state of most governments. This paper will cover the most important aspects of the article and provide my view on the topic. Bands, Tribes, Chiefdoms, States The primary goal of the article is to show how human civilization went from nomadic bands to giant and complex states. The author proposes that there are four distinct stages of development that can be seen throughout history. However, he is also careful enough to point out that governmental and societal structures differ greatly between the people of the world and that the stages of progression are more arbitrary than it may seem. In the first stage of development, he calls a “band.” Bands are small groups of people who have no hierarchy amongst each other, and all are tasked with the same tasks. Everyone seeks food, everyone gathers materials, and whenever someone has an issue with another person, they resolve it privately. In this type of society, there are no classes or specialties. Everyone does everything, regardless of their skills and abilities. The second stage is slightly more complex. He calls it the “tribal” stage. In tribes, more people are united and live in a small village. The primary structure in a tribal society is family. Tribes have simple hierarchies based on family and a leader in the form of a tribal chief, but his power is much less relevant than that of the family. All the members of the tribe know each other on a personal level, which leads to conflicts also being resolved personally and with no involvement of any outside forces or authorities. The family maintains order through kinship, and going against it is inadvisable. Leaders of the tribe, however, still have the power to decide on a variety of life’s aspects, and their role in society is important. The third stage that the article presents is called “chiefdom” and is defined by the absolute power of the chief over thousands of people. When a society becomes this big, it is impossible for everyone to know everyone, which leads to a need for a higher power to resolve disputes. This section of the chapter contains a variety of import