ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The climate’s peculiarities of the Middle East make the population of the countries in the region suffer from a lot of dust incidents every year which occur frequently in relation to the definite season. Summer is the period with the most intensive dust storms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Syria, and Iraq. The population of the countries with the similar weather conditions such as Lebanon and Israel observe the most drastic dust storms in spring. Dust storms are typical for the climate of Egypt not only for springs but also for winters. The problem is in the fact that such dust incidents as dust storms have a lot of negative effects not only on the environment and economy of the countries but also on their population’s health. Researchers state that it is possible to examine the direct dependence of the development of respiratory diseases among the population of the Middle Eastern countries on the dust storms’ frequency (Akbari, 2011; Kutiel & Furman, 2003). Moreover, the possibility of frequent dust storms as the characteristic feature of the region’s climate negatively affects the development of such chronic diseases caused by the sandstorm dust as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this research is to examine and describe the possible correlation between such dust incidents as dust storms and the prevalence of respiratory diseases in the Middle Eastern region with references to the situation in Abu Dhabi. The climate conditions of Abu Dhabi are characterized by frequent dust and sand storms which negatively affect the population’s state of health and cause different respiratory diseases which are often discussed as chronic ones (asthma and COPD). The Nature and Impacts of Dust/Sand Storms in the Region of the Middle East The causes of dust/sand storms in the UAE are the same ones as in any country of the Middle Eastern region. The sand storms are caused by the forces of wind and the prolonged droughts contribute to the development of the process. Thus, the wind affects the vibration of sand particles which later begin to saltate. Akbari states that then the particles of sand “repeatedly strike the ground, they loosen smaller particles of dust which then begin to travel in suspension” (Akbari, 2011, p. 228). The Persian Gulf region “suffers from considerably more dust storms than the other regions. The averaged maximum occurs in the summer during which for more than 30% of the time there is a level of airborne dust that reduces visibility to below 11 km” (Akbari, 2011, p. 229). Moreover, dust incidents can also occur in spring and winter when the percentage of their frequency is rather low. Dust storms are characterized by a lot of negative impacts which can be discussed as rather severe for the countries’ environment, economy, and social life of the population in relation to the increase of health problems, especially a d
Abstract Calligraphy is a historical term that still has an elegant value in our modern society. Calligraphy was extensively engaged by the Greek artists as a sense of ornamentally displaying an expression. In present- day, Calligraphy In-script has been a fundamental aspect of Islamic and Chinese art, as it is applied in most of their creative work. Calligraphy In- script in Islamic culture has been varied in the sense that it has been instrumental in shaping the Quran, mosques and palaces. The most intriguing feature is how calligraphy has been applied in tuning letters in the Quran by embracing the Arabic language. In this sense, the Calligraphic practice of writing was used because the Arabs viewed it as a style of aesthetic and thus it simplified memorizing the Quran (Schimmel, 1970). With evolving times, Arabs generations have been able to come up with designs of calligraphy, which has resulted in varying decorations to enhance the beauty. Chinese calligraphy is another historical form of art. It was suggestive of conveying thought and beauty (Grube & George, 1978). It draws similarities with other forms of calligraphy in society such as Islam. The calligraphy was employed in religion, keeping records of events that typically occurred during the Shang dynasty (Grube & George, 1978). Over time, the technique found its place in building architectures and other aesthetic dimensions in society. The calligraphic design has evolved to encompass; Qur’an verses, script, metalwork, tiles, coins and poetry verses. In this sense, it has been seen to connect the Islam religion directly with the individual Muslim language (Saeed, 2006). Qur’an continues to play a key role in developing Arabic as a language. However, standardized and average writing tools have not been instituted for decorative calligraphy since the use of hand-copying wording is still broadly employed. Introduction Calligraphy is designated as a kind of visual art. It encompasses the aspects of ornamental lettering. Present-day calligraphy endures to curl in forms of wedding and event invites, lettering design, logo design, and religious art, broadcasts designs, cut stone engravings and monument documents (Schimmel, 1970). Additionally, they are used in poignant images in films and televisions, maps and other works involving writing. This paper gives a brief account of calligraphy by embracing Islam History and the Quran. The paper also explores the historical Islamic and Chinese calligraphy, during the Timurid period. Further, the paper explores how calligraphy played an important role in shaping mosques and Madrasa. It singles out Ding Xian mosque which Calligraphy has played a significant role in shaping. Finally, this paper explores the similarities and differences between Chinese and Islamic. History of Islamic Calligraphy Arabic language, Islam and religion, have been cited as the contributory factor to the rise of Islamic calligraphy. This is because calligraphy was strongly ingrained in Arabic letters it
Vegetarianism has turned into a widely-spread philosophy within the past decades, engaging more and more people in a new lifestyle pattern. To understand the reasons underpinning the popularity of this movement, it is important to distinguish the triggers that make people turn into vegetarians. As such, it is suggested that vegetarians can be divided into flowing groups by their motivation: health-conscious, environmentally conscious, animal lovers, and trend followers. Each group has its own vision of vegetarianism that shapes its diet and other lifestyle attributes. Health-related motives are among the most popular drivers that make people shift to vegetarianism. As such, it has been empirically evidenced that cutting down on the animal fats consumed helps to prevent such negative outcomes as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, to name but a few (Weinstein 12). Therefore, vegetarian diets keep gaining popularity – statistics reveals that 12% of the U.K. population follows a vegetarian diet, while many more people try to reduce consumed meat although they do not exclude it completely from the menu (Young-Powell and Gil par. 2). Thus, health-conscious vegetarians consider this movement as an effective way to improve their health. Environmental motives are less evident than health-related concerns although they remain a powerful driver for some people. As such, environmentally conscious vegetarians believe that they help to prevent the destruction of natural resources, such as water and land, by refusing to consume meat (Weinstein 13). Otherwise stated, they aspire to impede the progress of cattle breeding that is associated with soil destruction. According to recent research, environment-related motivation, along with concerns about health, are the top triggers that make people turn vegetarians (Young-Powell and Gil par. 2). Unlike the previous group, environmentally conscious vegetarians associate this movement with a lifestyle philosophy rather than merely a diet. Animal lovers are driven by similar motives as environmentally conscious vegetarians. However, while the latter is against cattle breeding because it destroys natural resources, the former strive to prevent the violence this industry implies. As such, they regard vegetarianism as a way to show their protest toward killing animals for food. Likewise, they aspire that their refusal to eat meat will gradually reduce the cost-effectiveness of cattle breeding. This group receives active support from Green parties that approve vegetarianism for the idea of sustainability that it translates to the world population (Young-Powell and Gil par. 4). Therefore, this group of vegetarians considers this movement as a way of expressing their social position. Finally, so
Bernard Madoff was one of the most respected investors in America. However, Madoff used a Ponzi scheme to increase his wealth. The Ponzi scheme made thousands of people lose billions of dollars of their hard earned money. If I were in the same position, I would not have engaged in this unethical conduct. Corporations also engage in unethical conduct regularly. I would ensure that I use legal means to acquire wealth. This would prevent future litigation. In a litigious society, people may be reluctant to help other people when they face emergencies. Fear of liability may make people desist from helping other people. Most jurisdictions have laws that protect the public from liability as they attempt to rescue people who face various emergencies. However, Good Samaritan laws protect people who attempt to rescue other people out of kindness. An individual who attempts another individual while expecting a reward is not a Good Samaritan. All jurisdictions should have a Good Samaritan law that would prevent Good Samaritans from litigation. This would encourage people to assist people who face emergencies. This would help in saving the lives of many people. However, Good Samaritan laws should exclude people who assist due to rewards. It is wrong to permit vigilantism when the justice system fails. Vigilantes punish people who violate various laws. In so doing they ignore the social concept of law. Also, vigilantes decide what the law is. Vigilantes usually lack the necessary training that would enable them to tackle criminals. Therefore, they may engage in unlawful activities while tackling criminals. In most instances, vigilantes act in self-preservation. Therefore, if they become powerful, they may pose a serious threat to the justice system and the peaceful co-existence of people in a certain society. Powerful vigilante groups may become criminal groups. However, several instances may force an individual to violate the law to enforce another law. I would violate the law if doing so would enable me to protect my family or me without inflicting harm to many peopl
Introduction The United States of America is one of the few countries that still follow a constitution that was enacted many centuries ago. Although drafters of the U.S. Constitution claim to have been guided by the desire to secure the rights of American citizens, some clauses have continuously been debated due to their controversial wording. This paper focuses on the Second Amendment (Amendment II), which was solely approved in 1791 with a view to safeguarding the civil liberties of various U.S. citizens who owned guns for personal defense reasons. Issues such as its contentious nature and the observed outright violation of the rights people informed the decision to have the Second Amendment revised as a way of preventing further human tragedies. Nonetheless, this paper argues that although Amendment II was enacted to defend the lives of the American population, courts cannot continue to overlook the idea of revising it at a time when unauthorized people, including school-going children, have been linked with shootings and killings of innocent citizens. This paper is organized into three sections. The first part gives a brief background of the Second Amendment, while the succeeding section offers evidence of excessive gun ownership and, consequently, the root of many deaths, a situation that calls for revisions to have the use of weapons regulated in America. The last section provides the position of those who advocate for Amendment II. Background The House of Representatives presented the initial outline of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Council in 1789. According to Rutkow, Vernick, Webster, and Teret, the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment states, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. It forms part of the ten amendments, which constit
Introduction Carrying out a risk assessment presupposes addressing every single factor that may affect a project in any possible way; in other words, economic, political, financial, cultural, and social issues need to be taken into account so that the members of the project could feel secure. Drilling for oil, which is the subject of Moylan’s article, showcases the complexity of risk assessment, as it is one of the projects that are fraught with numerous risks. Particularly, the risk of failing to obtain the required amount of oil to cover the expenses taken deserves to be mentioned; however, the specified threat also entails other risks, such as the threat of significant damage to people’s health and the environment in the light of the fact that “only a fraction of the 100 billion total would be recovered” (Moylan par. 2). Main Body First and most obvious, the members of the organization as the key stakeholders deserve to be mentioned. In case the project turns out to be a failure and the environmental hazard is unleashed, the company will suffer significant financial losses for covering the damage and compensating the people involved (Hunter 37). Additionally, the government authorities should be mentioned as the stakeholders in the specified case. According to Brouthers and Bamossy, governmental institutions are affected significantly in the instances of international significance: “strategic choice that firms [SOEs] make is inherently affected by the formal and informal constraints of the institutional framework” (Brouthers and Bamossy 286). The subject matter, in its turn, can be related to the problems of an international scale, seeing that the process of oil retrieval may pose a threat of a global scale due to the fractures in the crust and, therefore, the threat of an oil spill (Moylan par. 20). Finally, the entire community can be viewed as stakeholders in the light of the fact that damage to the environment, particularly, to the soil and, possibly, the groundwater (in case of an oil spill) will affect the evolution of species and cause the contamination of groundwater. Although drilling will occur in an area that is not currently inhabited by people, it still contains the land resources that may be affected to a huge degree if an accident occurs (Suslick and Schiozer 3). The risks, therefore, vary from environmental (groundwater contamination) and health-related increase in disease rates and possible epidemics caused by polluted water) to societal (the stress caused by the possible relocation, people’s fear for their health and even life) and economic (significant drop in the amount of workforce due to the effects that drilling may have on the local population) and political (the state’s refusal to support the company’s further operations due to the problems that oil drilling may cause) (Tainter and Patzek 87). The risks listed above can be defined as exter
Summary Reservoir engineering covers fluids in a gas or oil-bearing reservoir, movement of those or injected fluids, and evalua­tion of the factors governing the recovery of oil or gas. The objectives of a reservoir engineer are to maximize production and recovery at the lowest cost in time and money. Basic Principles, Definitions, and Data Reservoir Fluids Oil and gas Reservoir oil may be saturated with gas with the degree dependent upon reservoir pressure and temperature. When it is totally saturated, the excess gas becomes a free gas cap. Oil is either undersaturated, saturated or saturated with a free gas cap. The point of saturation is called bubble-point pressure, and the gas begins coming out of a saturated solution as soon as the reservoir pressure begins to decrease. In the case of under-saturated oil, the gas does not start coming out of solution until the reservoir pressure drops to the level of saturation pressure. As the gas comes out of solution the viscosity of oil increases and its gravity decreases, making it difficult for the oil to flow through the reservoir toward the wellbore. On produced oil, as the gas comes out of solution the oil shrinks so that the liquid oil at surface conditions will occupy less volume than the gas-saturated oil occupied in the reservoir. The number of barrels of reservoir oil at reservoir pressure and temperature which will yield one barrel of stock tank oil at 60 ◦ F and atmospheric pressure is the formation volume factor or reservoir volume factor. The solution gas–oil ratio is the number of standard cubic feet of gas per barrel of stock tank oil. Physical properties of reservoir fluids are determined in the laboratory, either from bottomhole samples or from recombined surface separator samples, or charts are used, based present bubble-point pressures, formation volume factors of bubble-point liquids, formation volume factors of gas plus liquid phases, and, density of a bubble-point liquid as empirical functions of gas-oil ratio, gas gravity, oil gravity, pressure, and temperature. With the development of programmable calculators, graphical data are being replaced by mathematical expres­sions suitable for computer use. In a later section, the use of such programs for estimating PVT properties will be pre­sented. In the initial sections, the presentation of graphical data will be instructive to gaining a better understanding of the effect of certain variables. Water Interstitial or connate water is present in the reservoir in pores held by capillary forces, in amounts usually inversely proportional to the permeability of the reservoir, and ranges10% to 40% of saturation. Consideration of interstitial water content is of particular importance in reservoir studies, in estimates of crude oil reserves and in interpretation of electrical logs. Fluid V
Introduction There are many literature methods that are used to enable the student understand the meaning of the story or what the author wants to convey. When writing children books, it is imperative that these literal devices as well as the language be carefully formulated so as to enable the children understand the message be conveyed and also for the reader to learn the lesson that the author wants to convey. The plot of the story must be carefully organized such that it is coherent and the children understand the story. Various authors use different literal devices so as to convey the message to the child and also ensure that he enjoys reading the book as well as in deriving meaningful teaching from the stories (Zile & Napoli 9). In this work, a comparative analysis of three books with the story of Thumbelina was carried out. The main aim was to compare and contrast the different aspects and literal devices that authors used to convey the message to the child. The story The three fairly tail books present the same story of Thumbelina. The plot starts with the magical birth of the girl. After she is born, she is happy and her mood is jovial till the day she is taken by the mother toad who wants her to marry her ugly son. The girl is kept floating on a lily leaf at the middle of the river and she can’t be able to escape. At this point, the books show that the girl in a sad mood as she doesn’t want to be married by the ugly frog. The girl is rescued from the trap by fish who chew the stem of the lily allowing her to escape. After escape however, she does not go to her original home, rather, she is swept by the river until she is captured by the bug. The bug saves the girls and then takes her to a leaf. However, the other beetles are not pleased with her and they consider her ugly. The beetle agrees with the perception of the others and lets the girl go. Thumbelina then lives in the glass where she eats nectar for survival. At this point the girl is happy but the cold season of winter affects her as she does not have food and shelter. She is again rescued by a rat who takes her to her home. She is to stay in the house until winter is over. During her stay, she is happy and helps the old mouse in cleaning the house. Her life seems happy but again she is thrown into confusion when the rich mole who stays underground wants to marry her. She again becomes confused as she does not want to marry the mole and stay underneath the ground in darkness. Thumbelina then rescues a sparrow at the verge of death. She nurses the sparrow un
Balancing and reinforcing feedback loops in Nutrisystem Nutrisystem is a leading developer and retailer of weight loss products; moreover, this company provides programs and counseling to those people, who suffer from extra weight (Nutrisystem, 2011, unpaged). Overall, this organization offers more than one hundred meal items to its customers, both male and female. This paper is aimed at apply such concept as feedback loop to this company. Marketing strategies and customer relations When speaking about marketing strategies of Nutrisystem and its relations with the customers, one can use reinforcing feedback loop. This tool is supposed to describe those activities which promote or amplify one another (Bellinger, 2004, unpaged). Reinforcing feedback loops results either in exponential growth or decline of two variables (Larsen et al, 1996, unpaged). In the case of Nutrisystem, we need to discuss the interactions between such variables as customer satisfaction and marketing of the product, namely sales. Their interactions can be depicted with the help of this reinforcing feedback loop. On the whole, it is possible to argue that customer satisfaction lies at the core of this feedback loop. It prompts clients to recommend the products of Nutrisystem to other people, who are concerned about their extra weight. One should note that word of mouth recommendations are by far the most powerful form of advertising since a client is more likely to believe a person whom he/she knows because this individual is not paid to promote the product. One can say that Nutrisystem pays much attention to word-of-mouth advertising; the website of this organization contains such section as “Success Stories” where people can read the customer’s reviews and their assessment of Nutrisystem’s products. However, this reinforcing feedback loop is possible under several indispensible conditions, namely excellent pre and post-sale services. In contrast, if they are not present, this reinforcing loop can be reversed, which means that dissatisfied customers will tell others that the products of Nutriystem are not worth buying and that they should consider different companies. In the long term, such behavior can lead to dramatic decline in the revenues and inability to compete with other firms. Therefore, positive reinforcement should not be regarded as some permanent phenomenon that will exist irrespective of the company’s policies. Such a perception is entirely flawed and, mostly likely, dangerous because it can lead to a false sense of security. Competition In turn, balancing feedback loop depicts those variables which have to be brought into agreement or reconciled. In this case, the change in one variable is supposed to counteract or oppose the change in another variable (Larsen et al, 1996, unpaged). The balancing feedback loop can be applied to the company’s attempts to gain competitive advantage over others or to strengthen its positions in the market. In this case, the major variables will be the intensity of competition and the financial pe