ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The size of the U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter of 2018 was approximately $18.7 trillion. The growth is smaller than it was in the second quarter, declining from 4.2% to 3.5%. However, both values are significantly higher than the average growth of the economy since the 2009 recession, which is described as subpar. Both 3.5% and 4.2% are considerable improvements over the 2% rate displayed on average. The factors that helped increase the nation’s GDP are the increased spending by both the government and the population. Defense outlays grew at a 4.6% rate due to an agreement reached in February that enabled the allocation of approximately $300 billion above the limit set in a 2011 law. Furthermore, the unemployment rate fell to a considerably low value in September, increasing the average household income and enabling a higher flow of money via taxes and purchases. However, the sales performance of numerous firms has been weak, and they have been unable to meet revenue projections. Furthermore, stocks have been falling in the time shortly before the article’s publication, despite their earlier growth. The government has been increasing its spending over the past year, which has assisted in expanding the nation’s GDP. This move contrasts earlier federal policy, which limited money use to cover the deficits caused by the economic crisis. The previous Democratic administration chose to concentrate its attention on eliminating the weaknesses in the budget over improving the nation’s overall GDP through spending money that the government did not possess. However, the deficits have mostly been addressed or eliminated, and congressional Republicans have been introducing and promoting policies that take a more active approach to the formation of the nation’s economy, which resulted in increased spending and the resulting GDP growth. The Federal Reserve projects growth rates of 2.5% in 2019 and 2% in 2020, which is lower than the current growth figures. The prognosis is consistent with the opinions of numerous other analysts, who believe that the growth will slow in the future. The Fed is expected not to push its rates significantly higher due to the current inflation rate being lower than the Fund’s target 2%. The Fed changes its rates in direct proportion to the changes in inflation and economic growth. Therefore, this approach could help stocks and would mean that the economic growth and inflation rates should remain stable in the absence of other significant influences. Figure 1. The Fed attempts to increase and reduce its rates to match the inflation rate. Figure 2. The Fed’s rates dropped drastically as the recession began and started increasing again once the nation recovered. The stock market is called a wild card for the economy in the article. This notion is used because the market tends to reflect the state of the nation’s growth, but can undergo unexpected changes and significantly affect the state of the economy. For example, a high performance of stocks may encourage household owners to spend more than they would usually consider the optimal amount, which coul
Swisher Mower is a company specialized on the manufacturing of lawn mowers. In 1996, the company got an opportunity to extend business, drawing up a private-brand distribution contract with the major national merchandise retailer. However, such method of distribution would change the traditional marketing development of the company. Making a choice between the traditional way of retailing and new opportunity to extend business, the company faced with the marketing and organizational challenge and competitive threats that should be overcome. Analysis of background of Swisher demonstrated that the company had always “a small company” image (Kerin and Peterson 415) and the change of the traditional strategy and acceptance of the new way of a private-brand distribution was a serious marketing challenge due to the specific of the sales within the industry. Swisher had been already cooperated with two buying networks that represent independent farm supply stores. However, distribution within industry required the cooperation with other big networks and reduction of the direct work with the small stores. Besides, organizational challenge was based on the problem of change of the traditions of the company that had to transform its organizational strategy and the image of small company with emphasis of the personal relations with dealers and customers. In 1995, the total income of company sales was $4,3 million and gross profit of the company was $704,850; the total liabilities and owner’s equity was $1,2 million (Kerin and Peterson 421). At the same time, “the lawn and garden industry produced sales of $5,5 in 1995, at manufacturers’ prices” (Kerin and Peterson 420). The company expected the continuation of the consistent sales and incensement of benefits. However, making the arrangement, Swisher was not sure would it be more profitable for the company or not. The company got the opportunities of business incensement, excess capacity and benefits of distribution in metropolitan areas. Moreover, Swisher developed the new product line and introduced it to customer. In this situation, there are no opportunities that seem to be missed. Expansion of business and incensement of benefits are the main goals of every company. However, the company could make more aggressive advertising and sales effort instead of accepting this arrangement. Although Swisher had to change its traditional strategies and image, the profits were worth of this transformation. Competitive threats of the company included the possible loss of relations with farm supply stores, lawn and garden stores and others small stores. According to Kerin and Peterson, “about 75 percent of company sales are made in nonmetropolitan areas” (416). Starting n
The purpose of this paper is to provide the benchmarking analysis of undergraduate programs to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Project Management and Human Resource Management. The focus is on programs proposed in the universities of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Additionally, the analysis of programs to receive the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is provided with reference to two universities in Qatar. Bachelor in Project Management: Program Courses Table 1 provides the comparison of seven programs proposed in the accredited universities located in the US, the UK, and Australia. Table 1. Bachelor in Project Management Programs. N     University                                                                                Bachelor in Project Management                                      Plan  Similar Courses                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Introduction (or Foundations) to Project Management                                                                                                 Applying Leadership Principles
Abstract This paper aims to show the relationship between the Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift theories which made advances in the field of geology. Overview Plate tectonics is a hypothetical movement of earth’s crust plates: a theory that ascribes continental drift, volcanic and seismic activity, and the formation of mountain belts to moving plates of the Earth’s crust supported on less rigid mantle rocks. Plate Tectonics theory, formulated during the early 1960s, explains that earth’s crust comprise thin, rigid plates that depend its movement with each other; plate tectonics transfigured the study of the earth. It helped scientists to explain several geological events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as well as mountain building and the formation of the oceans and continents. In 1912, German scientist Alfred Wegener examined the shapes of the continents and found that they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Using this observation, along with geological evidence he found on different continents, he developed the theory of continental drift, which states that today’s continents were once joined together into one large landmass, called Pangaea that split, and drifted apart into seven continents that we have today and in places collided again. This theory describes and illustrates the formation, alteration, and the exact movement of the continents across the Earth’s crust. The first comprehensive theory of continental drift was suggested by the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener in 1912. The hypothesis asserts that the continents consist of lighter rocks that rest on heavier crustal material—similar to the manner in which icebergs float on water. Wegener contended that the relative positions of the continents are not rigidly fixed but are slowly moving—at a rate of about one yard per century. According to the generally accepted plate-tectonics theory, scientists believe that Earth’s surface is broken into a number of shifting slabs or plates, which average about 50 miles in thickness. These plates move relative to one another above a hotter, deeper, more mobile zone at average rates as great as a few inches per year. Most of the world’s active volcanoes are located along or near the boundaries between shifting plates and are called plate-boundary volcanoes. The peripheral areas of the Pacific Ocean Basin, containing the boundaries of several plates, are dotted with many active volcanoes that form the so-called Ring of Fire. The Ring provides excellent examples of plate-boundary volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens. However, some active volcanoes are not associated with plate boundaries, and many of these so-called intra-plate volcanoes form roughly linear chains in the interior of some oceanic plates. The Hawaiian Islands provide perhaps the best example of an intra-plate volcanic chain, developed by the northwest-moving
In “Night”, Elie Wiesel describes his early experiences of the Nazi genocide against Jews and his subsequent life in a concentration camp known as Auschwitz-Birkenau. Given that the events are seen through the eyes of the young person, the major emphasis is placed upon the main character’s perception of the violence and death taking place around him and gradual loss of faith and belief in humanity; for this reason, the novel is actually entitled “Night”. It depicts the night of human existence, interpersonal relationships, human values, and religious beliefs. The main character of “Night” is Eliezer, a pious and studious teenage boy, who daily studies Talmud and lives in accordance with the principle of mutual support, common for his people. The events Wiesel writes about refer to WWII when the Nazis started almost worldwide “racial purification” and sought to establish the rule of the superior Aryan race. Jews were viewed as the participants of the global conspiracy against non-Jews and a cause of economic crises like the Great Depression. Eliezer grows in a small Hungarian town Sighet, populated mainly by Jews when his spiritual friend and teacher Moshe the Beadle is taken to Poland, after being declared as unable to prove his citizenship. He returns in some time narrates that his survival is purely accidental, as all of his companions were shot by German soldiers. Whereas the majority of Sightet’s Jews mistreat and disbelieve him, Eliezet takes Moshe’s story close to heart and begins to lose his childish belief injustice. This period of doubts and hopes that Moshe’s narrative is fantasy can be characterized as a twilight: “Yes, we even doubted that he wanted to exterminate us. Was he going to wipe out a whole people? Could he exterminate a population scattered throughout so many countries? So many millions! What methods could he use? And in the middle of the twentieth century!” (Wiesel, p.6). As the Nazi-led government gradually introduces additional restrictions on Jews’ lifestyle and behavior (probation of visiting cares and synagogue, the obligation of wearing a yellow star), people still have the light of hope for survival, as these rules generally do not refer to extermination the Jews of Sighet fear. The last sparkle of light is probably their life in the ghetto, where the Jewish autonomous government was established and the little society enjoyed self-regulation. Accordingly, Eliezer resumes his study of Jewish mysticism and reflections upon the sanctity and justice of the divine rule. Ho
The late 20th century has been characterized by unprecedented changes which have been made possible by novel technological advancements witnessed in this period. As a result of the ability of the new technology to handle and process unprecedented amounts of information, there has been a rise in surveillance by governments all over the world. Surveillance is defined as collecting and processing personal data by the authorities (Lyon & Zureik, 1996). Surveillance is based on the maxim “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” which alludes that only wrongdoers have to fear the increased surveillance. However, this is not a sentiment that is shared by all people, and proponents of increased surveillance exclaim that abuses of power may result in even the innocent having cause for alarm over surveillance. As such, there are opposing views as to the presence of public surveillance. This paper shall argue that public surveillance is hugely beneficial to society and does not pose a major threat to personal freedoms but rather leads to a harmonious society. To reinforce these claims, this paper shall showcase the positive impact that surveillance has on crime deterrence, prison management, and empowering the government to protect its citizens and deliver justice when required. Arguably the most pervasive of public surveillance means is the Closed Circuit Television, (CCTV). These systems when set at strategic positions can capture people’s movement theref, therefore,ing in security work through crime detection and prevention. The effectiveness of CCTV in stopping crimes or assisting in solving crimes is overwhelming and high-profile cases such as the London subway bomber case were solved through the help of CCTVs. However, the effectiveness of this surveillance is called into question owing to the lack of a relationship between the pervasion of surveillance and the crime level in a country. The United Kingdom is once a case study which is used to negate the effectiveness of CCTV. The UK has the highest level of electronic surveillance and Lord Norton when speaking of his country proclaims that “we are a world leader in Surveillance” (BBC, 2009). A research on the effectiveness of CCTV on crime rate revealed that surveillance reduced crime levels only marginally in the UK (Welsh & Farrington, 2002). Considering the huge amount of capital required setting up CCTV and maintaining this surveillance, opponents of the same see this as unjustifiable. However, such studies fail to take into consideration the fact that crime rates in most developed nations are on the rise and as such, it could be argued that the levels of crime would be much higher without CCTV. One of the areas where surveillance has had a huge impact in is the criminal rehabilitation system. For many countries, the prison population is increasing and containment of offenders is a hugely expensive affair that is catered for by the tax payer. Surveillance in the form of electronic monitoring presents a manner to monitor convicts with minimal costs to the taxpayers as well as no strain on the correctional f
The human brain is a core organ in the body. It influences a wide range of human activities such as learning, communication, memorizing and other biological processes. The human brain consists of numerous parts, which enable it to achieve its functions. Each part of the brain carries out a function in order to enhance the functionality of the brain. However, all these parts of the brain are synchronized through some cells and play different roles to achieve a certain function. The feature that makes the brain a distinct organ from any other organ in the body is the cerebral cortex. (Iaccino, 1993, P. 247). This part is divided into two sides namely, the right he sphere and the left hemisphere. Each hemisphere has distinct features based on the structure and functions. For example, each part of the hemisphere is divided into four parts called the frontal, the temporal, the parietal, and the occipital. All these parts have different functions in their respective hemispheres. How each hemisphere operates and performs its functions, is what characterizes the performance of different human body functions, which include learning. Extensive research has been carried out on the differences between the right and left sides of the brain. This research has indicated that the right side of the brain is better at specialties, emotions, and neurotransmitters functions. The different hemispheres thus affect individuals differently in terms of learning. Learning can be categorized in term of individual’s ability to integrate information and provide meaningful conclusions. There are four different ways of thinking that the different sides of the brain affect learning. The detailed analysis of these ways of learning elucidates the differences in learning patterns among students based on the side of the brain that is dominant. These ways of learning include Analytical thinking, sequential thinking, interpersonal thinking and imaginative thinking
The rule-of-thumb model and Hubbart formula pricing strategies present a weakness during the pricing of hotel rooms, mainly because; they do not consider market conditions and changes, which are competitive and complex. These market conditions are the characteristic traits of the hotel industry or a certain sector within the industry, as they influence the buyers and sellers of hotel services within the sector or industry. These factors include the number of business rivals, where a surplus may mean that new entrants will find it difficult to enter the industry. The complexity of the market conditions further makes the pricing strategies of competitors change, which may threaten the businesses using these two pricing strategies. Therefore, as Gu (1997, p. 44 – 45) notes, the hotel industry requires pricing done based on a quadratic room-pricing model, which considers operating costs, as well as the dynamics of the market environment, especially when operating in a highly competitive market (Mattila & Choi, 2005, p. 25-27). The break-even pricing model may be cited as one that imposes the weaknesses onto the pricing exercise, because it bases its compilations on the assumption that sales volumes equal stock amounts (Sales = Stock), or that total revenues realized and the overall cost functions are related in a linear manner. Further, the model is static, thus cannot be used in accounting for variations within the market environment (Reid & Bojanic, 2010, p. 565). The weakness that lies with using value-based pricing is that it requires extensive skills and knowledge from the revenue managers, as it centers its variations for pricing on the customer’s perception of the value of hotel services. This is especially the case, as the value creation and value perception channels involve the different principles within the hotel industry, including the hotel, distributors, and the customers of the hotel services. This is the case, as the communication of value is effectively communicated to the customers through the intermediaries, who are all dynamic in unique ways (Lovelock et al., 2001). As a result, the channel of value communication should be reflected through management dynamics, carrying out extensive research of the changing consumer behavior, and the need to maintain the quality of services, which make it very difficult for revenue managers to attach an accurate value-based price. Another weakness of using value-based pricing is that customer dynamics are often not reflected, including the increasing customer negotiating power and the high expectations they may link to the attached value (Hayes & Huffman, 1995; Richardson, 1996). The core motivation for discounting in the hotel industry in the hope that the promotional strategies will make the customers repeat their purchases, due to the experience gained from the marketing strategy. However, discounting strategies are applied in a cautiously calculative way, to ensure that the reduction in revenues will be recovered from the increase in sales volume
Introduction The wave of globalization is attracting individuals and expatriates from different regions to work in foreign countries. Cities receiving such people should implement powerful strategies to meet their changing needs and promote economic development. This paper describes how leaders can implement Total Quality Management TQM) to affect cultures and sectors. Applying Total Quality Management TQM is a framework that organizations use to promote high work standards to maximize outcomes. With many cities attracting people with varied backgrounds, leaders should embrace this model to streamline service delivery and create wealth. This concept revolves around the introduction of appropriate systems, proper management, and implementation of evidence-based practices (Anttila & Jussila 2018). In different towns and cities, many sectors are involved that require the input of all stakeholders. The speech that Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave in February, 2019 about modern cities offer evidence-based insights that encourage modern cities to embrace the concept of TQM. According to him, leaders should consider appropriate strategies to attract great minds and create systems that maximize productivity. One example that stands out from the speech is the importance of reducing the time resident take to commute from one place to another ( Video: Sheikh Hamdan to address World Government Summit in Dubai today 2019). They can also empower individuals to collaborate and share their diverse ideas to improve performance. Addressing the needs of human beings will deliver positive results rather than pursuing emerging technologies. The example of Dubai supports the effectiveness of TQM in improving quality of life cities. Conclusion In conclusion, TQM is a powerful model for transforming urban areas. A convergence between developmental agendas and cultures will improve people’s experiences and economic performance.