ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
A brief explanation of air to fuel ratio The air-fuel ratio is the volume ratio of air to fuel available in an internal combustion engine of cars or industrial furnaces (Martins, 2012). The stoichiometric mixture ratio (stoic) results from an adequate supply of air to ensure the total combustion of all the fuel in the system. The exact air to fuel ratio (AFR) may be determined by specifying the content of the oxygen in the combustion system and accounting for possible water vapor dilution and any oxygen additions. The ratio is critical for evaluating anti-pollution and engine performance. Usually, richer mixtures have lower AFR. AFR asserts that “for every unit by mass of gasoline, 14.7 units by mass of air must also be present in the combustion chamber during ignition” (Martins, 2012). In the air-fuel ratio control system for car engines, the engine may operate at a given condition like deceleration and acceleration. The stoich controls the air to fuel ratio in the combustion system. A termination of specified conditions causes the AFR to change from the stoich to a lower ratio. A lower ratio offers the best fuel consumption. This may be changed by specifying the preferred operating conditions for the combustion engine. Any specified operating conditions result in an immediate change from the optimum fuel consumption. A specified period may also control change in optimum fuel consumption and stoich. Why do we need feedback control? With effective feedback, one may be able to control events. The fundamental concept in feedback control is that some physical quantities and events require control in a manner that ensures that such activities take on the specified conditions and values. In some cases, the conditions may even assume some pre-determined values during an operation (Mastascusa, n.d). A feedback control system provides an opportunity to control quantities and determine what may be done. In other words, a feedback control system ensures the effective implementation of any devised concept. For instance, Dubois Van Til, and Zorka (1996) considered the application of the digital feedback control to an automobile engine Air-Fuel (A/F) ratio system in order to develop an inexpensive digital controller, which relied on the existing HEGO sensor. Such a system would enhance efficiency by improving performance, eliminating expensive sensors, and reducing costs of systems in the automotive industry. An analogue feedback control system in the air to fuel ratio with a block diagram The analogue control system consists of a linear amplifier (a conventional analogue device and a circuit). The conventional control systems were analogue because of the technology at the time. The analogue feedback system allows for immediate detection of any changes and the amplifier adjusts the changes to the required outputs. Designs of analogue feedback control systems differ. Generally, they include operational amplifier and other analogue components, which ensure effective integration of control syste
Implementing new software can bring significant improvement in a working process’ performance and reliability. A case from my career provides an illustrative example of this. My work at the time involved identifying potential points of critical points of failure in over 2300000 functional locations, assigning preventive maintenance (PM) tasks and matching them with functional equipment groups (FEG). Finally, my responsibilities included tracking the time these FEGs took completing their assignments to ensure an even distribution of work and availability for urgent tasks. To organize this work, I initially used an operation management system (OMS) module in an Excel spreadsheet. Although this method was functional, it was inefficient and unreliable, ultimately reducing the work unit’s productivity. Due to the immense amount of functional locations and the complexity of each individual task and assignment, the method heavily relied on manual data entry. Each new entry had to be typed in by hand, which was took significant amounts of time and was susceptible to input errors. It was practically impossible not to make a mistake somewhere in the process, and at the worst times, its probability of error exceeded 80%. Thus, it was necessary to search for a more advanced replacement for the software solution that would reduce the amount of manual input and record-keeping. After investigating the available options and internal testing, the company had a custom software solution developed, called eStrategy. It automates several functions that previously had to be performed manually and provides suggestions to decision making. Thus, transitioning to the new software reduced the possibility of input error. Furthermore, it saved time as each entry no longer had to be filled in by hand. These improvements facilitated the organization of work to a significant extent and reduced the amount of duplicate entries, assignment overlaps, incorrectly logged time, or other similar errors. However, the transition process was faced with significant challenges that required cooperation from the stakeholders to overcome. The new software had to organize the work of three teams: the PM team, equipment reliability team, and information and communications technology (ICT) team. Thus, customizing it to each of these teams’ specifications was a necessity. Thankfully, the teams were able to collaborate and provide unified specifications to the developer. Another critical part of the transition was migrating the data from the old OMS module to the new eStrategy software. Due to the amount of data logged in the old system, this task was not feasible to perform manually in a reasonable time frame. Thus, the ICT team had to develop additional utilities to automate the process. The PM and equipment reliability teams provided further input on the data transfer process and its organization in the new database. The transition process was finished this year. Since then, all involved teams’ performance has increased significantly, with less time spent solving organi
Introduction We are faced with ethical issues in our interactions as human beings. Ethics can loosely be defined as a system of moral principles by which social conduct is judged as either “right” or “wrong”. As relates to business, ethics are moral principles which prescribe what is legitimate behaviour in varied business dealings (Chryssides & Kaler 1993, p.3). An interesting concept with regard to ethics is that there is no standardized approach to dealing with ethical dilemmas as they all spring from very unique legal, political, social and economic backgrounds. This makes the task of dealing with ethical dilemmas especially challenging for managers. This paper sets out to review three case studies in which different ethical issues are dealt with. The various ethical theories that they may apply to deal with the situations will be given and the rationale behind the decisions made extrapolated. All this shall be in a bid to elaborate that a good theoretical knowledge in ethics will greatly assist deal with the unique ethical issues The Area Manager’s Dilemma In this particular case, Chris, a regional director with the organization has just discovered that David, one of the other regional managers is unprincipled, devious and a liar. As such David’s actions are not only highly questionable but also ethically unsound. Chris has to take up some solid cause of action and therein lies the ethical dilemma. According to Chris’s reasoning, he can either complaisant and turn a blind eye to David’s behaviour, or, he can take affirmative action and accuse David of dishonesty to the higher ups. A view of this particular scenario with Kohlberg’s theory of moral development in mind might better shed light as to the actions that Chris might possibly take as well as shedding light on the principles to be applied in dealing with David. Kohlberg’s developmental theory is concerned with the m
Introduction It is important for any corporation including EatNGas Inc to comply with the requirements of the country’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The provisions of the Act are enforced by the Wage and Hour division and cover various employees including those who work in commercial organizations like EatNGas Inc. (Sciotti, 2004, pp. 6). In my analysis to determine whether the Assistant Manager’s Position complies with the provisions of the Act, I came up with various findings summarized as follows:  1. Minimum Wage  2. Overtime  3. Normal Working Hours  4. Record Keeping  5. Employees Rights, Penalties, and Sanctions Minimum Wage The FLSA requires those who are covered by it to receive a minimum wage of 7.25 US Dollars per hour (Fair Labor Standards Act, 2009, para. 10). Considering there are forty working hours in a week and fifty-two weeks in a year, this roughly translates to $ 15,080. An Assistant Manager in EatNGas Inc earns between $21,800 and $32,000 which is above this rate and this is therefore acceptable. Overtime The Act fully or partially exempts certain employees from earning overtime. Among those employees who are fully exempt from earning overtime are commissioned employees working in retail or service-oriented commercial establishments (Fair Labour Standards Act, 2009, pp. 8). Since EatNGas Inc engages in convenience store come gas station activities it falls under this category. Assistant Managers do not receive overtime pay but instead receive a one dollar per hour motivational salary increment. Though the increment is not a requirement of the Act, it is allowed and therefore EatNGas Inc fulfills the provisions of the Act as stipulated under the overtime section. Normal Working Hours The Fair Labor Standards Act does not put a limit to the hours a covered employee is supposed to work in a week or the number of days an employee should work in a week but this provision is subject to the age of the employee where he/she is supposed to be at least sixteen years of age. Overtime hours are also not limited as long as the employer pays the required overtime. Normal working hours in a week are taken to be forty and any excess is taken to be overtime. (FLSA Fact Sheet 23, 2009, pp. 1-3) An Assistant Manager at the corporation works for an average of fifty to sixty hours as the extra hours are dependent on cashiers’ absenteeism. This goes against the provisions of the FLSA since most of the normal and overtime hours are not spent discharging the duties of an assistant manager, but those of cashiers. This is so because an assistant manager spends only between twenty to thirty percent of his time on the position’s stipulated duties. Record Keeping The FLSA requires that all employers keep records for all covered and exempt employees containing their personal and work-related information such as their names, addresses, hours worked, and the wages and salaries earned to this effect. T
Insights Equity and equality are believed to mean one thing, but the two terms differ greatly. Equality implies everyone is on the same level in society irrespective of resource distribution, but equity is concerned with ownership whereby each person has to possess something in terms of property. Equality dictates that people should be treated in the same way as far as the apportionment of values and qualities is concerned while equity entails fairness, something that is popularly referred to as equality of outcomes (Glaser, Bartley, McGuire, & Bannon, 2011). In a family set up, for example, sharing of resources equally among the father, mother, and children amount to equality since each member receives an equal share without considering other factors that would result in the allocation of greater shares to a particular member. Alternatively, the family might decide to distribute resources equitably based on the needs and requirements of each member, whereby the senior members will be allocated many shares, whereas children will get fewer because their needs are few as well. From this example, it is evident that equity refers mainly to the qualities of fair play, justice, objectivity, and handedness, while equality is all about equal sharing of resources and precise division. Social equity and equality are some of the topics that raise ethical concerns because public administrators are torn between offering services equally and considering equity in the process. Cooper (2012) suggests that any public administrator has to consider uncertainties surrounding any ethically confusing concepts such as social equity and equality. Cooper further suggests that public administrators do not have the luxury of time since they are expected to offer critical services in a timely manner. In Cooper’s view, a gathering of additional information is needed to facilitate decision-making as far as social equity and equality are concerned in public administration. Frederickson (2005) observed that public administrators had played a critical role in ensuring resources are distributed equitably in American society. In his view, American society has never been equal; hence application of equality in the distribution of important resources is impossible, meaning public administrators must undertake the role of studying the society to comprehend the expectations and the needs of each group. Resource In his titled justice for all: promoting social equity in public administration, Johnson (2011) advises the public servants on some of the ways of realizing social equity in American society. The scholar hails the American populace for electing a black to be in charge of policy formulation and implementation in the country. In his opinion, he sees the election of a black president as one way of pursuing the justice-for-all agenda more aggressively. In the past few decades, public administration in the United States is focused more on achieving social equi
The history of the culture of civilization has a lot of metamorphoses that manifested themselves at different stages: the agricultural stage, the industrial stage, the post-industrial stage (in terms of D. Bell). Another type of culture manifested itself in different ways concerning nature and the environment. Sometimes a person humbly resigned it to heart, and sometimes he brutally conquered it. The modern problem of interaction between culture and the environment is alienation, which has not yet been overcome. The modern culture of advanced capitalism subjugates the environment in less brutal ways than humanity during the industrial revolution. Submitting the environment to factories was not at all what the culture of rationality looks like today. The consumer society is harmoniously incorporated into nature and its resources, into the use of natural resources. Even garbage collection, cleaning in the streets and courtyards becomes an ideologically loaded process. It is not an aggressive ideology but a soft one embedded in the depths of human consciousness. Corman (2011) examines the problem of the environment and modern culture on the example of freegans and the topic of dumpsters; she characterizes this theme in one of the passages: “The presence of raccoons and freegans uncomfortably reveals ideas such as civility, urban progress and economic inevitability as interrelated constructions, rather than natural realities” (p. 32). What people took for granted with the arrival of the freegans is disputed. Rational Western culture tends to deny the rationality of such creatures, while it becomes irrational in its control and lust for consumption. In the modern world of control, there are many instructions, including instructions for using garbage. In addition, trash has a unique symbolic role, being something that cannot be touched and even more so to eat happily. The people around them are trying to dehumanize them since it is the consumer and “Western rationality” (Banergee & Bell, 2007, p. 7) order of care for the correct and civilized environment. To properly take care of nature, there are mechanisms of public administration that environmental sociology could not have dreamed of 30 years ago. Now developed and rich countries are pouring responsibility for environmental disasters and environmental concerns onto governments. This allows sociology to establish since it receives state protection and a field in which its investigations can be helpful, but earlier “political-cultural conditions were not propitious for their success” (Buttel, 2003, p. 308). Where there is direct state control and supervision, over time, there is excessive rationalization and then alienation. Despite the development of the media, the Internet, the survey of problems, the topic of the environment for the majority of the inhabitants of a civilized society is a topic of alienation. Even in the desire to care for the environment, there is clear mechanization, obedience to instructions, and a complete den
Religion has been part of humankind for generations. In fact, some theorists believe that it began with the origin of man. Reasonably so, western realistic science has been around since the 16 th century. Science has been linked to secularism as religious resurgence take shape in most parts of the world. It is quite necessary to note that links between science and religion have been somewhat confusing. For instance, while some theorists believe that God created the universe, others think that everything is science. Moreover, others have varied theories, which complicate this debate further. For instance, religion is divided into several groups with varying concepts and understanding of God. This further complicates efforts of concord between science and religion. In addition, science is faced with several unanswered questions. In essence, the science/religion debate is complex, tumultuous and many-faceted in its approach. Moreover, religion has a huge obstacle that separates theists from atheists. This paper will establish links between theist religions and science. It will also endeavor to compare and contrast these links (Hallman 15). Science Scientists have postulated that nature is always objective. This gives them the urge to keep research and empirical studies for truths and beliefs on successful science. Moreover, theorists have established that science does not necessarily follow moral judgments. This is mainly because it depends on empirical studies and therefore, it must be tested for success. Other theorists like Walther Nernst have postulated that science requires a boundless universe and in the process demeans big bang theory. Still others have postulated that credible knowledge can only be ascertained by interpreting nature. In essence, scientists propose that there are links between science, its objectives and conditions for success. In addition, science is believed to have emerged with Copernican revolution. This enabled scientist to understand that earth is just one of the numerous planets in universe. This has enabled people to make assumptions based on experiences or observations. However, if recent observations are anything to go by, then more is yet to be discovered in cosmos (Hallman 15). Science can be describes as a methodical enterprise that creates and organize facts in form of empirical prediction and explanations concerning space. It dwells on empirical observations and tries to come up with explanations as well as laws governing such observations. Science is sometimes linked to philosophy as they try to establish facts about the universe. Modernism has changed the meaning of science as it describes ways of acquiring knowledge. In this regard, science tries to define nature and its law. It works to establish times and exact modifications that have occurred over the years. Moreover, it t
Considering that employees working with Starbucks form the vital core of the company’s success in terms of selling the company’s image to the general public and performing the day-to-day operations, there is the need for the company to hire people who can maintain positive interactions with customers. This can be achieved through a rigorous process entailing job analysis, job specification, and job description by the human resource department. For instance, for Baristas (bar persons), the following should form part of their job specifications and descriptions: Job Specifications; Candidates eligible for the position of baristas will possess the following skills, knowledge, and abilities;   * Knowledge of different brands of coffee,   * Be eager to learn new concepts,   * Ability to learn the art of coffee brewing,   * Be self-motivated, creative, adaptable, team-players, and passionate, and   * Ability to maintain a large array of regular customers Job Descriptions : Baristas will be charged with the following duties and responsibilities;   * Brewing and serving coffee to the customers in real-time,   * Receiving and responding to customer needs/orders quickly,   * Reporting to their immediate supervisors on issues regarding customer complaints and preferences, and   * Helping in designing strategies to address customer issues particularly complaints and customer preferences. In a functional organization, work should be delegated to different departments in order to reduce confusion and ensure that work efficiency is maintained. This forms the essence of organizational departmentalization. Therefore, the most appropriate form of departmentalization suitable for Starbucks is product-service departmentalization. Under this form of sub-dividing work into respective departments, different products or services are assigned to specific departments and personnel. As a result, products or services with unique demands and customer preferences are given the maximum attention (Robins & Coulter, 1999). Product-service departmentalization is very important for Starbucks considering the range of products the company offers including different brands of coffees such as coffee mocha, espresso, and cappuccino among others. The wide product range is coupled with unique customer services such as interior designs, which encourage different custom