ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
In their randomized controlled trial, Pinsker et al. (2018) explored trends in self-efficacy to quit and smoking urges in homeless individuals with a smoking habit. Pinsker et al. (2018) point out that the levels of self-efficacy and the severity of smoking urges change significantly during the smoking cessation treatment. This observation renders measuring self-efficacy and smoking urges at a single point practically inefficient. Therefore, the questions that the study asks are as follows:  1. How do smoking characteristics such as smoking urges, self-efficacy to quit, self-efficacy to abstain from smoking, and confidence to quit change over the course of therapy?  2. How do such factors as the treatment group, age, gender, and race impact the trends in smoking characteristics in homeless smokers? Pinsker et al. (2018) recruited 430 participants from eight emergency shelters and transitional sites located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, between May 2009 to August 2010. Eligibility criteria were current homelessness and having resided in the Twin Cities for at least half a year. Smokers were defined as individuals who were smoking at least one cigarette per day during the previous week and had smoked at least one-hundred cigarettes over their lifetime. Apart from that, participants needed to be of age: 18 years or older, willing to use nicotine patches for eight weeks, and ready to partake in counseling sessions. Pinsker et al. (2018) excluded pregnant women, individuals with serious intellectual impairment and suicidal ideation, and those who were adhering to some other tobacco cessation aid. Homeless individuals with serious medical issues and psychotic symptoms were not eligible for participating in the study. Pinsker et al. (2018) made sure to obtain informed consent from all participants. At the beginning of the study, participants were randomized and assigned to control and intervention groups. Participants in both groups were receiving similar smoking cessation aid: 21 mg nicotine patches for eight weeks. The only difference between the two groups was that participants that were subject to intervention also received individual counseling sessions. The said sessions lasted for 15-20 minutes each and focused on accountability promotion, positive encouragement, and nicotine replacement therapy adherence. The counseling of control participants was limited to a one-time group advice session that lasted 10-15 minutes. Pinsker et al. (2018) measured the af
Introduction Several theories have been developed to explain why people become antisocial or turn to crime. The theories provide very distinct reasons on why people develop some tendencies with others focusing on environmental factors, parental nurturing, physical traits, and peer influence among other issues. The general premise for most of these theories is that social factors have a great influence in the development of antisocial and criminal traits. However, focusing on social factors without considering scientific reasoning has failed most of the theories. Consequently, this scenario has led to the emergence of several theories, which try to discredit the existing ones, but they have equally failed, and thus biosocial theory takes precedence. This theory seeks to include a collection of variables such as genetics, neuropsychological factors, evolutionary, and environmental factors in an effort to describe the causes of crime and antisocial behaviors. This aspect is a departure from the previous doctrines that have generally focused on single variables. This paper gives an overview of the concept and a critique of the theory by considering its strengths and weaknesses. Literature Review The biosocial theory incorporates interdisciplinary information to a solitary and rational understanding of the causes of crime and antisocial behaviors. Its unique approach has made most criminologists consider it as a precarious and harsh theory to the field of criminology. For instance, criminologists that approach the study through social concepts refute any arguments that biology can influence human traits. Nonetheless, the sociologists’ position is unwarranted as they barely have information on biology, not to mention genetics. Therefore, any disapproval by sociologists against the biosocial theory comes out as ignorance. Despite this opposition, there is a need for respite for in the recent past, criminologists have conducted empirical researches in connection with the biosocial theory. These researches have incorporated both theoretical arguments as well as quantitative facts with respect to biosocial criminology. The subsequent discussion will consider some articles that merge theoretical and empirical arguments. Genetics and Crime Biosocial criminologists have found some connection between genetics and crime. However, these findings have earned a great opposition from the mainstream researchers who argue that if such findings can be tolerated, then it can lead to the emergence of other eugenic groups. For instance, should genetic studies infl
Introduction In the past ten years, there has been an increase in the number of people who consume digital media content across the world. More people find it easy to interact and access different news, business, and entertainment content through various digital media platforms. Digital media can be defined as media platforms which are based on the internet, which enable users to share their views and opinions with content distributors. Some of the most widely digital media platforms include blogs, social networking websites, video sharing websites, and popular interactive websites. This essay will discuss the impacts of digital media on television. Discussion For many years, television was the most popular broadcasting medium in the world. It is used to relay news, entertainment, sports and other feature programs which appeal to different viewers. The popularity of television reached its peak in the latter years of the 20th century because it allowed people to congregate in the same location to watch programs that appealed to their interests. This has made it a key part of modern lifestyles because it exposed people to new cultures and ways of life. Also, television became intertwined with urban lifestyles, which encouraged people to be more liberal in their self-expression (Healey, 2011, p. 61). However, the rapid growth of the internet has led to the development of digital media which enable people to interact and share their experiences through online platforms. As a result, this has reduced the popularity of television as the most captivating medium of communication. The growth of digital media has resulted in a reduction in the amount of time people spend on viewing television. As a result, more people prefer to interact through social networking websites to share different stories, jokes, pictures, videos and other interesting multimedia content with their friends. Therefore, this has significantly reduced the amount of time young people spend watching TV programs on any given day (Healey, 2011, p. 67). This shows that digital media have become more popular because of high levels of interactions and exchanges between different users. This shows that how people consume different types of media content will continue to evolve and this will change the relevance of television and other traditional media. Media formats are becoming more personalized to reflect the individualistic tendencies of people in many modern societies. Many young people prefer to browse through media content on their computers, smartphones and electronic tablets to keep themselves updated. The popularity of di
The United Arab Emirates belongs to the group of countries that provide the best conditions for creating and developing an efficiently run company. Due to its rich natural resources, it attracts many people who are already successful. This is why there is a need for companies that would be able to handle relations between businesspeople and media and to help business owners to increase the effectiveness of their work and gain a more substantial profit. PR agencies act as intermediaries between business people and their clients, providing the former with unique media content and event organization. Established to help companies manage the information spread of organizations, PR agencies use different methods of creating good and productive public relations (Heath, 2013, p.14). These methods may include creating an article or a booklet, where the company is presented in an appropriate way and its strong points are highlighted (Newsom, 2012, p.8). The target audience of the company is one of the key factors that define the approach that needs to be used to make the company more prosperous (Dozier et al., 2013, p. 7). Experienced public relations specialists have to develop an effective PR strategy, taking into consideration the needs of the target audience and its particular qualities. Speaking about the most successful PR agencies in UAE, one cannot pass over the Iris Agency located in Dubai. This agency is known for its diverse range of PR services and successful work with the world’s leading business corporations, such as Panasonic, Epson, GE Health, and many others. The primary task that this agency is working by is supporting the economic growth of the Middle East region by attracting attention to the companies located there. The list of various services that this agency offers includes Strategic PR Counsel, which involves advising on daily communications with customers. As specialists from the Iris Agency get used to multitasking, they can provide a company with all kinds of support that concern promotional events organization, media training programs, and generating unique content that can raise the company’s profile in the business community. Stated differently, the Iris Agency can manage all the work aimed at making a name for a company, and this is why it is so popular with business people working in different parts of the country. As for the opinions of the heavyweight people and organizations on the agency, they seem to be undivided, and this is a result of the hard work of public relations specialists from Iris PR. Perfect event management has become the key feature of the agency that offers organization of the product launches, exhibitions, dinners, meetings, and various entertainment events. For instance, the Iris PR Agency organized the IAA Apprentice Conference in Dubai that increased its popularity among companies’ reviewers. In his online blog, Kim Fernandez calls Iris PR “the leading event company in Dubai,” and it is just one of the numerous proofs of the company’s wide recognition (Fernandez, 2015, para. 1). Besides being an internationally re
Scott Korb is an author with a lot of interest in imaginative and factual history such that he is able to help the reader of the book “Life in year one: what the world was like in the first-century Palestine” visualize the exact position and situation at the indicated time during and immediately after the time of Jesus. It is clear that there were many notable characteristics and events that may be easily identified at that moment which, in actual sense, were a major symbol of the generation at that moment. One thing that stands clearly though from the author is that he is totally unwilling to talk about Jesus Himself at that moment since his main focus is not on Him but on those who stayed around him, especially those not affiliated to Him and His works at all. In fact, the author chooses to talk about the Palestinians, a community that was totally unacceptable to Jesus and which did not favor or even appreciate Him. They just saw Him as any other man. The book hence takes us through a tour of different issues such as the actual life for Palestinians during the time of Jesus, where people lived then, who the different people married as well as how they did it, what family life was like and how people survived, amongst other issues. It also lays a lot of focus on the Jews themselves with a very clear perspective since it looks at them from a third eye outside the circles of Jews instead of it looking from the inside, a thing that could probably have watered down the whole essence of the book (Korb 12-37). The main theme presented by the book is that of religion. The moment that the book is focusing on is the point of birth of the Christian religion, with its initiator being Jesus Christ Himself through His birth, works which many believe included many signs and wonders as well as His eventual death on the cross, a point at which many believe was the turning point and a beginning of the new religion. Religion is a strong and fundamental part of the society. Except for very few religious groups and cults which actually believe in other things, most people actually portray the normal trend in which human beings wish to belong. The desire for belonging as well as the fundamental rules for which the name of the book exists are a few of the factors for which the whole place has been desired or undertaken so as to act as the ultimate reminder of the people in that generation and more so at that moment (Korb 41-66). From evidence obtained, it is clear that the Jews used to uphold their religion with a lot of fear and uncertainty and to whatever levels irrespective of the expected rewa
Statistical inference is used to summarize data from the sample for the entire population. In fact, the sample is never a 100% population model, but only its more or less distorted version. Statistical inference is used to evaluate such distortions and, therefore, to draw more accurate conclusions about the general population. It is important to remember that achieving a 100% guarantee that the study results are characteristic of the general population is possible only when continuous research is conducted. For example, the survey of all representatives of the general population. In this case, the electorate is not limited only to students, so Sara’s conclusions regarding the election results cannot be considered correct. Most statisticians claim the minimum size of samples for obtaining meaningful results should be at least 100. Nevertheless, the surveyed population group may be less than 100. In such cases, it is appropriate to study the total size of them. Statisticians use the term “good maximum”: it means that the surveyed population sample size is about 10% of the overall available quantity (“How to choose,” n.d.). For instance, for the population of 3000, 10% would be 300, whereas, in a population of 10,000, it would be 1,000. The number of samples closer to the minimum is chosen in specific conditions. It is appropriate when the result’s rough estimate is needed. It is also applied when the sample is not planned to be divided into diverse groups during the survey. Additionally, a “good maximum” is relevant when it is supposed that most people are likely to answer similarly, or the conclusions of the study will not have any significant consequences. In the situation with the president’s elections on the state level, the potential electorate is far broader than the students. Sara’s simple explanation might be as follows: she might be proposing to imagine that she wants to survey her friends at a high school. The chosen group enrolls fifty students, so she needs to scan all of them. Still, the obtained results would give her a rough idea of potential election results (“Statistical inference,” n.d.). If she wants to find valid perspectives, the surveyed group should be at least 100 people, including not only her friends but also the representatives of the whole high school’s staff. Hence, it would be appropriate to engage the students, teachers, ordinary school workers, parents, friends, and other available electorate groups.
Cliff Swatner is certainly in a comfortable position with the actual way of life and income that he has from his work. But seeing that he desires to make a family within the upcoming 3 years then he should begin to think a little differently since a family means a rise in expenses. Certainly, he would need to plan expenses for his marriage and for his family life after that. His current portfolio is as follows:   * A real estate asset, his apartment, that has a market value of 250,000$;   * An annual income from his job that for last year exceeded 90,000$;   * A total of 90,000$ in money invested in stock and bonds during the last several years and enough liquid assets to supplement his condominium and other tangible assets; Everything may seem perfect for Cliff since he feels that he has a moderate risk-tolerance level. But this would be so with the present lifestyle status. Cliff has decided to make two major changes that have a big impact on his finances. First, he intends to may within the upcoming three years. This means major financial spending for the wedding, approximately 20,000$ (which is 22.22% of his current annual income or total of invested money) and a raise in personal expenses since it will not spend only as a single anymore. The other major financial change is the decision he made to begin to accumulate funds for retirement. This means that he will take aside a good portion of the actual income and another “voice” for his expenses. In order to confront this situation as comfortably as he can I recommend the following portfolio arrangement for Cliff.First, even though Cliff has a moderate risk-tolerance it is not advisable for him to invest the major his money in assets that have high or medium risk or return. He needs to make a diversification of his portfolio in order to balance the gain-loss ratio. 20,000$ of his investment money should be invested in stock with a max return rate profit of 7% or even less, 5%. This kind of stock is considered to be a low risk stock. The problem with this kind of stock is that they generate little profit per year. Anyway they would generate a steady flow of cash for Cliff on which he can rely as an addition to his annual income for his rising expenses for family life. In order to diversify the portfolio it is better to invest this sum not fully in one stock but at least in two stocks. This kind of investment is more secure and Cliff should not rebalance this type of investment. The biggest share of his money, 50,000$, should be invested in stocks that have the return rate within the margins of 7%-12%. This are considered to be mid-risk stocks. In order to have the lowest losing risk possible it is better to diversify the portfolio by investing in five different stocks, 10,000$ for each, with the average return rate of 9%-10%. This way he would have invested in mid-to-low risk stocks. This way Cliff will have a return rate of 5,000$ per year and 15,000$ for the upcoming three years. This way he will be able to cover 75% of the wedding and honeymoon expenses of 20,000$ he wishes. I propose Cliff to look fo
My ethical foundation is based on my internal reflections through which I can assess whether a particular behavior is right or wrong. My feelings and moral conscience dictate what is right or wrong. Under the influence of experience and cultural background, I have formulated a personal moral code that is highly influenced by Islamic religious teachings and cultural expectations. Being brought up in a Muslim setting has influenced my behavior by encouraging me to adhere to a certain set of moral rules dictated by the Holy Quran. Spiritual rules contained in Islamic teachings assist me in decision making and reaction to various events in life. Also, the culture under which I have been brought up has influenced the way I act in society. This is heavily dependent on the societal expectations of me. Growing up in this kind of setting has further provided me with an opportunity to make an independent decision regarding my way of life. The experience I gained in my childhood has enabled me to realize what is expected of me by various people in society. These experiences have had a great impact on my life and through personal understanding of the same; I have been able to formulate a code of ethics that borrows heavily from both culture and religion. My ability to behave in a way that fits in my ethical ideas of right makes me feel happy and proud of myself. Therefore, when deciding on any particular issue, I have to ensure that I am ethically grounded through careful analysis of my morals. Also, I have to weigh the options available and consequently base the decision on experience and moral expectations.
Introduction Nigeria and Angola are some of the African states that are frequently faced with corruption in the oil sector mainly because of a number of factors, including the presence of Multinational Companies and defective governmental policies. Personal rulers ruled these states in early 1990s before the end of the Cold War. The political leaders entered into various contacts with MNCs from developed countries, who took advantage of underdevelopment in Africa. The two states are the largest producers of oil in Africa, even though they are still poor, as compared to other states that have oil across the world. Government contracts are awarded to friendly oil companies that would later share the proceeds with a few elites in government. Some organizations such as the Global Witness claim that oil fields have provided the two states with billions of dollars but the same dollars end up in pockets of few government autocrats. In fact, the global agency on corruption and misappropriation of public funds claims that poverty in the two states should be attributed to corruption and mismanagement of public resources such as oil (Shleifer &Vishney 1993, p. 602). In the two states, non-existent companies are given lucrative concessions, but no clear records showing the beneficiaries of the projects. On the other hand, officials from Angolan and Nigerian governments claim to be making progress as far as transparency in the oil sector is concerned, which would attract genuine foreign investors. It is established that Nigeria is the main oil producer in the entire region of Africa, pumping approximately 2.14 barrels of crude oil in the global market per day while Angola is known to contribute approximately 1.79 million barrels of crude oil to the world market daily. Currently, Angola is in the final touches of a deal, enabling it to receive 1.4 billion US dollars to boost the oil sector. Due to this partnership, the state has gone ahead to reveal its expenditures and records on oil exploration (Baumol 2002, p. 19). Equally, Nigeria has also set up some policies that would help it cope with the increasing cases of oil fraud, one of them being liberalizing the oil sector. This paper talks about corruption and bribery in the oil sector in Nigeria and Angola. It is established that corruption in the two states is closely related, even though each state will be discussed separately. Background Information Angola On 15 July 2000, one of the most stable oil companies in Angola , the Marathon Oil Company, deposited 13, 717, 989 American dollars to one of the Jersey banks accounts in England. The bank is known for its rigorous banking laws. Investigations revealed that the one of the Angola’s bourgeoisie, Sonangol, owned the luxurious bank account. It was later established that the amount represented the one-third agreement between the American based oil company and the Angolan government. The firm had been contracted to transact oil business on behalf of the Angolan government. Within