ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Strategic Problem and Issue Identification The Project Midas team has a number of issues to address before marketing the Chevrolet brand in Europe. For instance, this brand is not known by many European customers. This gap is critical towards coming up with a powerful marketing strategy for this car brand. Many European car buyers “have several preconceptions of American cars” (Kerin and Peterson 649). They also believe that such American cars are uneconomical. The marketing team also faces a number of challenges. For example, the poor performance of the Daewoo brand will affect the team. General Motors (GM) managed to win the trust of many European customers. However, the team should identify new strategies in order to make Chevrolet a leading brand in Europe. The team is required to embrace the best brand positioning strategies. A number of challenges will also affect these strategies. The Project Midas team is “required to carry over names for dealers, operating policies, and individual-product models” (Kerin and Peterson 634). A powerful strategy is required for the new Chevrolet brand. The important goal is to identify a powerful positioning strategy that can produce these goals. These goals include “complementing GM’s multi-brand portfolio in Europe, retaining the global image of the Chevrolet brand, and resonating with European car consumers” (Kerin and Peterson 634). Analysis and Evaluation The provided case study identifies the major issues affecting the Project Midas team. To begin with, many European car buyers have been admiring the Daewoo brand. The Daewoo brand “is admired by members of the European middle class” (Kerin and Peterson 639). According to many clients, Daewoo Company was also producing good cars. The introduction of the Daewoo Matiz proved successful for the company. However, Daewoo Company became bankrupt in 1999. The formation of GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Company supported the performance of the brand in Europe. The firm used a powerful positioning research to attract the right customers. The brand also became admirable in the content. This achievement shows clearly that GM can market the Chevrolet brand in Europe successfully. The Chevrolet brand presents a powerful image to every potential customer. The number of threats faced by the Daewoo brand can make the Project Midas team unsuccessful. For instance, GM Daewoo lacked a proper advertising strategy in Europe. The com
2020             2019             2018            $93.561 billion  $78.112 billion  $75.356 billion  Target Corporation a significant increase in revenue growth in 2020 from 2019 by 19.8%, which exceeded the previous year’s revenue growth at just 3.7% (Target Corporation, 2020). This is attributed to the strategy implemented by the company offering a mix of retail and online during the pandemic lockdowns and having the designation as an essential retailer which boosted it over many competitors (Repko, 2020). Operational Expenses 2020             2019             2018            $73.454 billion  $72.246 billion  $68.490 billion  There was a marginal growth of approximately 1.02% in operational expenses in 2020, reduced from the 1.05% in 2019. Target is committed to optimizing operational costs through supply chain and maintaining appropriate inventory. At the same time, these operational expenses are high because Target’s fulfillment network has to operate smoothly to meet consumer demands to avoid out-of-stock options or delivery delays (Target Corporation, 2020). Profit Margin                      2020            2019            2018           Net earnings         $4.368 billion  $3.281 billion  $2.937 billion Net Profit Margin    4.16%           4.10%           4.14%          Gross Profit Margin  28.92%          29.33%          29.62%          Despite Target increasing its net earnings year over year, especially by over $1 billion in fiscal year 2020, its net profit and gross profit margins are remaining similar, with decimal of percentage points in changes. Retail typically has lower profit margins than other sectors and 4% is on the upper side for this industry (Ross, 2020). It is also important to consider that Target is achieving growth, and operating costs are on the rise annually. The fact that Target is able to increase net earnings by such a significant amount and even slightly raise its net profit margin indicates much efficiency in the company. Meanwhile, the gross profit margin is also remaining stable, slightly decreasing. It is not critical and still indicates stable financial health for Target which invests heavily in costs of goods due to its retail industry. It also could not actively increase prices even if inventory pricing was going up because of the pandemic and economic situation in the country. Therefore, in conclusion because its net profits have gone up so significantly while net and gross profit margins have remained relatively the same, it demonstrates efficiency and healthy earnings for the company. Stock Performance Currently (July, 2021)  2020            2019           2018          $261 per share          $119 per share  $88 per share  $76 per share  The stock price has been gradually on the rise over the last 3 years, generally with few dips but a stable upwards trajectory. Its increase of 219% in the last year alone is likely based on extraordinary sales and revenue projections that Target has been demonstrating with each quarter. Target is one of the strongest leading stocks in wholesale-retail over the last year. The stock TGT has made a 4
The issue of assessment is among the primary ones in foreign language teaching. According to Coombe, Davidson, O’Sullivan, and Stoynoff, “formal testing began about 1,500 years ago in China” (2012, p. 9). Over time, tests became more standardized and universal. In education, they are aimed to assess students’ progress and determine directions of further work. A proper evaluation of students’ achievements is crucial for their motivation and thus demands a careful approach. Assessment practices have various grounds and differ from school to school. When it comes to the assessment of English as a foreign language, specific practices can be used for the evaluation of speaking, listening, or writing skills (Al-Mahrooqi, Coombe, Al-Maamari, & Thakur, 2017). The choice of assessment practices depends on many factors. Since many classroom instructions are content-based (Dupuy, 2000; Lyster & Ballinger, 2011; Song, 2006), content-based assessment can be suggested as a possible model to evaluate students’ competence. On the other hand, tests are commonly aimed to check the level of knowledge, thus level-based assessment can be also suitable. Then research is going to check the suitability of both assessment practices and the results of their application. Problem Statement The major problem of the paper is to study content-based and level-based assessment practices and provide a conclusion of their suitability for the assessment of student’s skills in English as a foreign language. Consequently, the research will have two hypotheses: (1) EFL assessment practices should be content-based, and (2) EFL assessment practices should be level-based. The research is supposed to answer the question of EFL students should be assessed according to the level of the book they are studying or according to its content. Literature Review The literature review conducted within the research revealed that the issue of content-based and level-based assessment models is not well reflected in the current scholarly works. Thus, the notion of
Author’s Subjectivity Subjectivity revealed through the piece of non-fiction The piece of non-fiction chosen for analysis is the article The secrets of Haiti’s living dead (1986) by Gino Del Guercio whose specialization is botanies. The article is aimed at explaining the concept of zombies and reasons why people who act like zombies look so realistic. In this respect, the opinion of the writer revealed in the piece of non-fiction supports the idea about the irrelevant evidence presented by people who claim to be zombies. In other words, the author introduces the problem, finds solution to this problem, and explains why such things are possible or not possible in the real life. The opinion of the author is also supported by his identity of a botanist; so, the readers believe the ideas introduced in the article because his evidence are strong and grounded while his specialization serves as another evidence on the objectivity of research conducted on the issue of living dead. Influence of subjectivity on perspective The influence of the opinions, beliefs, and perspectives on the topic is clear in case of the problem discussed by Gino Del Guercio in his article The secrets of Haiti’s living dead (1986). As the author is the botanist, he tries to find scientific explanation of the problem and rejects all possible explanations that cannot be supported with the help of a research conducted on the issue. So, the author reports about investigations conducted by different researchers of the same area and tries to persuade the readers in this way that the process of ‘zombification’ cannot be explained only using analysis of the poison while many cultural components should be assessed as well. Subjectivity and Teaching Aspect of subjectivity that influences the teaching methods The main aspect of my subjectivity can be the approach used with 1-3 grade students because I can try to explain some notions unknown to children in this age. In this respect, I might fail to communicate the message through clear explanation of the topic and of requirements. For instance, I may influence the children’s point of view through implementation of inappropriate methods. For instance, it is possible that a teacher can use the same perspective with different subjects and problems; the same idea can be found in the report presented by Franklin et al. (2007), “…professors of logic may insist that students accept the logical validity of the syllogism…” (Finkin et al., 2007, p. 54). In this respect, I can teach students some issues that are irrelevant to their study level or may impact their opinion in the wrong way. Ways in which subjectivity of a teacher can impact students The subjectivity of a teacher can influence students in a great number of ways. One of the most spread ways of influencing students’ ideas concerns propagating of ideas instead of giving information for discussion and asking about different opinio
Introduction Business organizations’ conventional goal is to realize good financial performance and sustain their solvency amid ever-increasing competition and various kinds of unforeseen risks of running a business (Barlow, 2005). This traditional business objective necessitates the use of informative business data in making strategies that can enable them to improve their financial performance by predicting or estimating future business patterns with reduced uncertainty (Hoshmand, 2009). This paper is a report on the uses of business forecasting. Uses of Business Forecasting Precise business forecasts are critical in the performance of business activities because of the dynamic characteristic of domestic and international markets. Business forecasting is used to provide the senior management with business decision alternatives that are derived from the use of a reliable statistical analysis (Hoshmand 2009; Barlow, 2005). According to Hoshmand (2009), business forecasters or analysts develop authentic forecasts that form the foundation of production, marketing, and financial planning activities. In simple terms, business forecasting is used by business organizations and companies as an instrument in making sound and realistic business and economic decisions at a time when complexity arising partly from the globalization of business has increased risks related to business decisions (Barlow, 2005). Quantitative Forecasting Models Current business and economic forecasters have a variety of forecasting models that fall into three major categories including technological models, qualitative models and quantitative models (Hoshmand, 2009). Quantitative models which are also referred to as statistical models are the most dominant in the field of forecasting. They are essentially objective approaches to the process of estimation or prediction in business activities. Quantitative forecasting models comprise regression approaches and time series forecasting techniques. According to Hoshmand (2009), these approaches offer a logical sequence of steps that can be reproduced and used in various economic and business conditions. Time series models anticipate about the future of a given variable entirely based on the variable’s history. Independent variable, in this case, is time (Hoshmand 2009). Time series models comprise moving averages, exponential smoothing, Box-Jenkins and time series decomposition. Moving average forecasting approach is a method where old observations are dropped and new observations are added to work out new averages (Hoshmand, 2009). Hoshmand (2009) contends that exponential smoothing is similar to moving average technique with the prime difference in that it needs less business data to move an average. It is used in estimating
What went wrong with the TUFS investment, and what can be done to prevent these problems in the future? The system was implemented two years ago, but it did not function properly as some specific problems appeared which required additional costs. Now, the system is ready to work in the hole way, but the managers still insist on specific delivery of the old reports, even though they may be considered on the Internet any time they need. Moreover, they still insist on old procedures that hamper the system’s proper function. Furthermore, if the system is used, it is applied at the last moments, as the double-check procedure, not as the initial and the only possible solution. The system is not used in the way it had been designed for, so the results of its work are so poor and there is no expected benefit. The main staff of the system is technicians, not the underwriters, so they may be unaware of some particular issues. The collaboration between these departments, constructive communication, and responsive work may bring some benefits. To avoid the same problems in the future, it is necessary to review the problems the system experiences and make all possible to avoid those and misunderstandings connected with them. What does Northern need to do to realize the benefits that were projected for TUFS? To realize the benefits projected for TUFS, Northern Insurance should understand that value realization is a time and effort consuming process. Moreover, to deliver the benefit to the company, the technology must be extensively used and the measurement of the process should be the final stage for benefit consideration. Thus, to understand the benefits of the TUFS system, Northern Insurance should conduct research and create a plan devoted to value-realization plan and involves all IT projects the company works with. Secondly, it should analyze the outcomes and compare and contrast those with the expected results. Third, the results of this analysis should be the basis for the identification and elimination of the root causes of those problems. Forth, it is necessary to conduct an assessment of the realization of the benefit at all levels. Fifth, search for new opportunities and use those for leverage value. How can they measure these benefits? The improper understanding of IT has failed to measure it accordingly. Here are some pieces of advice on how Northern Insurance should measure the benefits of the TUFS system. Financial value is not the only means which should be considered while IT value measurement. IT Value is a subjective assessment that shows whether the system worth its costs and whether it can be tied to the business model or not. To measure the benefit of the TUFS system, it is important to check the expected value and compare and contrast it to the actual value. If the desired result is not achieved, it is necessary to check the problems and after their solution provides a comparison one more time. Thus, to measu
Definition Scabies is a common skin infection, which affects human beings and animals (around the world). Globally, about 300 million new cases of scabies infections are reported annually (Betts 2003, p. 97). The disease may manifest in different ways including excessive itching (especially at night), the formation of rashes (especially between fingers), sore skin (which develops from excessive scratching), and thin marks on the skin (which may resemble pencil marks) (Betts 2003, p. 97). Causative Agent and Pattern of Illness A parasitic mite that is not visible to the naked eye causes scabies. The parasite lives under a victim’s skin and causes intense skin discomfort. In human beings, the disease is often transmitted through extensive exposures with the skin of an infected person. After infection, the symptoms of the disease may take about six weeks to be visible (Betts 2003, p. 97). How failed Living Standards Contribute to the Illness Poor living standards associated with poor hygiene exacerbates the spread of scabies. More so, poor body hygiene may lead to increased prevalence of the disease. Children run a greater risk of suffering from scabies due to poor hygiene. It is therefore important to maintain proper body hygiene by washing people regularly to prevent scabies (Betts 2003, p. 97). Populations at Particular Risk Children are considered a “high-risk” population for scabies. The disease is considered to be among the three most common skin infections for this popula
Introduction The growth in the volume of Bluetooth-enabled devices demonstrates that this technology has become a standard strategy for remote interconnections for exchanging information. Bluetooth technology has turned into an essential element of our society. The accessibility of mobile phones, digital controllers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and PCs has made Bluetooth an excellent approach to short-range remote communications (Albahar, Olawumi, Haataja, & Toivanen, 2017). Nevertheless, as the use of Bluetooth grows, vulnerabilities in its security conventions are also growing, which can be present risks to the protection and integrity of customer’s personal information. Data transmission attacks include pin theft attacks, eavesdropping attacks, victim device cloning attacks, treacherous attacks, DoS attacks, surveillance attacks, miscellaneous attacks, and Bluetooth malware. Particularly Bluetooth devices suffer from a range of vulnerabilities that must be understood in order to secure data transfer. The objective of Bluetooth is to provide a convention for exchanging information over a remote network. The technology integrates the application circumstances of voice, information protocols, and ad hoc servers. Many wired and remote devices are Bluetooth compatible, including office devices, printers, projectors, PCs, PDAs, speakers, phones, pagers, devices for home use, modern cameras, cooking equipment, clothes washers, coolers, and home controllers. Bluetooth is appropriate for a broad range of uses, including remote office and social environments, home use, in-vehicle use, and payment devices (Lalis, Gerardo, & Byun, 2014). Bluetooth is an acknowledged standard for devices to achieve the necessary peering through low-control, short-transmission, and negligible exertion radio. The ordinary transmitting power is 1mw (0dbm) with a range from at least 10m up to an optional range of 100m, while power usage ranges from 20ma to 30ma. Bluetooth comprises a master-slave design to structure a designated remote framework, referred to as a piconet. A master device in a piconet can link with up to seven powerful slaves. Additionally, a pair of joined piconets can create a dispersed net. The Bluetooth architecture includes radio frequency layers, the baseband layer, link 2 manager protocol, radio frequency communication protocol, application layer, service discovery protocol, telephony control, and signaling layer (Yeh, Peng, Wang, & Hsu, 2012). Bluetooth Data Transmission Security Bluetooth technology provides security at both the application layer and the connection layer. Although Bluetooth data transmission vulnerabilities persist, it would be difficult to penetrate a device with a hop range of 1600 hops/second. A programmed output adjustm
The experiment was performed in order to determine the effect of different osmolarities and salinities on a cell such as the red blood cell or erythrocyte. It has been established that a cell maintains its size and shape based on the presence and concentration of solutes in the solution where the cell is situated in. In this particular experiment, a conductivity sensor was calibrated to 338 mOsm/kg connected to an SW500 interface. Calibration was performed using distilled water and a 1.1% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Using a pipettor, 5 ml of the prepared solutions of different osmolarities were pipetted into twelve labeled test tubes. Each test tube contained a different concentration of NaCl, expressed in grams per liter (g/L), such as 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1.0% 1.1%. Red blood cells or erythrocytes at a constant volume of 20 ul were introduced to the constant volume of 5 ml. The control test tube did not contain any amount of NaCl hence this may be described as a solution with 0.0% NaCl and is actually 100% distilled water. Twenty microliters (20 µl) of blood were added to each test tube and gently mixed by hand tapping to homogeneously mix the cell suspension. The top of the test tubes was covered with Parafilm in order to ensure that no cells or the suspension will be spilled during the rest of the experiment. After mixing the solutions with the red blood cells, the twelve