ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Hurricane Sandy set record as the largest Atlantic hurricane experienced in the history of the United Sates. It badly devastated communities that lived on coastal regions of New Jersey and New York. One of the severely affected areas was Long Island, New York. The hurricane caused damages worth millions and displaced many people from their homes (Buchanan par3). Many explanations were put forward to explicate possible causes of the devastating storm. Political interference in the issue nearly misled people by proposing that destruction of environment by humans was the leading cause of the hurricane. However, scientists gave three causes of the storm. These included high sea surface temperatures, warming of the Arctic, and a rise in the sea level. The recent level of global warming was also to blame (Coch par4). It has led to high water temperatures, which have led to high moisture content in the atmosphere. The high moisture content initiated the storm, caused a rise in the sea level, and affected weather patterns that have been attributed to the deceasing quantity of Arctic ice (Buchanan par4). Hurricane Sandy was heralded by a powerful hurricane that was characterized by high moisture content from warm water on the Atlantic Ocean (Guelpa and Mazelis par5). In addition, a considerable decrease in the jet stream due to global warming, and high sea tides that raised the sea level contributed to the storm. Destruction of the environment was blamed for the hurricane because of lack of scientific evidence to explain the cause of the storm (Buchanan par6). However, climate was the main cause. Several things could be done to alleviate the effects of the storm and avoid future occurrences. Even though the government passed a $50.5 billion aid package for Hurricane Sandy victims, more could be done. Precautionary measures include raising power grid equipment and rezoning flood areas, securing fuel delivery systems to avert effects of power outbreaks, and renovating subways stations to make them waterproof (Guelpa and Mazelis par6). Apart from helping victims to settle into new homes, people could organize fundraising events to that will help to reconstruct public amenities such as schools, hospitals, and churches. People should offer any help available, be it social, financial, or emotional. Something should be done considering that effects of Hurricane Katrina are still evident today because people and the government did not do enough to alleviate the adverse effects of the storm. The government should enact new laws that will avert such disasters in future (Pappas par4). Such laws could require installation of reserve generators in hospitals and gas stations. After the storm, rescue efforts stalled because many hospitals experienced power interruption due to destruction of power lines. According to Coch, the Northeast Coach is very vulnerable to storms because of its geography and topography (Voiland p
Speculative demand is the command for monetary worldly goods that is not dictated by real dealings such as buying and selling, while speculative risk is the consequence in indecisive amount of put on or hammering. All speculative risks are made with intent and not out of unmanageable state of affairs. It is therefore understandable that when the Canadian dollar goes down the prices of oil’s raw products go down hence prices of processed fuel drop. This unprocessed product is crude oil. Canada being a small country as compared to the united states makes oil which is an international product priced in united states dollar, commonly truncated as (us$). When the prices of oil priced in the united states dollar goes up, oil companies in Canada receive more United States dollars (us$) and in view of the fact that many bills like paying human resources and paying taxes are catered for in Canadian dollar , United States dollar needs to be exchanged for Canadian dollars on foreign exchange markets. When they have many United States dollars, supply goes high and demand for Canadian dollars goes up. Producers of oil sell products in a global market using the United States dollar hence have to consider its future purchasing power. How it translates into goods and services back at home is their main interest. Calgary which was the biggest oil scuttle forward came to an end bringing down the fuel prices as low as us$100 per unit in New York reporting the hugest jump down in a period of two years. A lot of stock was carried away during the price increases period and many oil producers who were heavily stocked suffered great fatalities. According to McNeill, an independent resource analyst based in Toronto the investors were up unreasonably to the extensive ranging market along with being susceptible. The death of Osama bin laden and impact of many commodity prices going up has made many big investors fear getting additional stockpile or any event being conducted from anywhere outer surface Canada. A number of market analysts are arguing that the passing away of Osama bin laden could bring many changes in to the world politics and risks in going down as a result. Redundancy levels in the United States have gone up demonstrating that its financial system is not stable. It should che
Nurse shortages observed in many health care organizations are a problem that has an impact on the development of regulations and policies in the United States. Loversidge (2015) states that the cause of the problem is the issue of aging that is related to both patients and nurses. As a result, more health services are required, but a fewer number of nurses are available to provide them. One interesting point is that the nurse shortage is also a result of the unattractiveness of the profession for different minority groups, young persons, and males. It is necessary to discuss the problem of employee shortages in health care facilities from the perspective of the profession’s unattractiveness to propose initiatives and address the problem. The discussed reading is important to add to the understanding of shortage effects on regulations in the field. One of the most challenging points mentioned in the reading is the discussion of the possibility to recruit unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) (Loversidge, 2015). It is rather difficult to a
Following the September 11 terrorist attack, there has been a heated debate as regards the controversial issue of racial profiling in the United States. By definition, racial profiling is any action used by law enforcement agents or officers based on nationality, ethnicity, or race, other than on the behavioral characteristics of an individual. Constitutionally, the fourth and the fourteenth amendments of the U.S constitution challenge the grounds on which racial profiling is applied. Despite this challenge, proponents of racial profiling have stood their ground stating that it is necessary for curbing crime, reducing illegal immigrants, and curtailing terrorism and terrorist attacks. Although some races like Hispanics, Latinos and American citizens of Arabic descent may feel discriminated against, racial profiling plays an integral role in modern society. The objective of the essay is to explore the pros of racial profiling and offer argumentative support on the same. From a proponent perspective and as a strong supporter of racial profiling, I am of the idea that law enforcement officers should make use of racial profiling. This is because racial profiling acts as a countermeasure against terrorism and terrorist attacks. As a result, it can be viewed as a way of neutralizing and reducing terrorism and terrorist threats in the U.S, as opposed to discriminatory action. A good example of the effectiveness of racial profiling in curbing terrorism was in August 2006 when 24 men linked to the al-Qaeda group were arrested at Heathrow airport as they tried to blow up an aircraft. Most of the terrorist attacks have been the work of Islam extremists from the Middle East and part of Pakistan. This gives law enforcement officers a reason to profile Arabs or Muslims since their nationality and religious orientation are linked to terrorism. Therefore, racial profiling is effective in screening Arabs in case law enforcement officers are suspicious that the individual may be related to the Al-Qaeda terror group. Before the 9/11 attack on Americans, racial profiling was largely viewed as a discriminatory act. After the attacks policies were made supporting racial profiling by federal agents (FBI) partially on matters related to national security as a way of combating potential terrorist attacks. Racial profiling can reduce levels of crime and drug trafficking. From a socioeconomic perspective, minority groups (Hispanics, Latinos, and Black Americans) have a higher likelihood of getting involved in drug trafficking compared to majority whites. Therefore, the use of racial profiling by traffic police on minorities is necessary since statistics show that minorities are highly engaged in crimes and criminal activities compared to the majority of whites. For example, it is evident that the majority of the drug cartels and criminal gan
The funding of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an issue that has created ideological divides between proponents and opponents. Proponents argue that PBS provides safe entertainment and education for children and cutting funding would be unethical. On the other hand, opponents argue that PBS has a business model that provides sufficient revenue to sustain its operations without government funding and there are more deserving entities that could benefit more from the funding. PBS has a business model that includes membership plans that translate to revenue, which could be used to operate the corporation. America has a very large debt deficit that will continue to increase with such funding (Gonzalez, 2012). For instance, in the 2013 federal budget, PBS received $300 million. Government funding accounts for a paltry 12 percent of the corporation’s revenues, which means that their revenues can support their operations (Toby, 2013). Their membership plans include subscriptions from individuals, organizations, and foundations. Opponents also argue that federal grants encourage biased journalism that favors the government (LaMonte, 2011). It is unethical for an independent organization to receive funding from entities that it is supposed to keep in check. Obama wanted to increase funding for PBS, and in 2014 proposed an increase of $6 million. In 2012, Mitt Romney argued against the continued funding of PBS by stating that it was unethical to keep borrowing money from China to fund such projects (Toby, 2013). Cutting government subsidy would be one of his strategies for reducing the federal government’s debt deficit. Opponents argue that PBS funding should be cut in favor of more important government functions such as healthcare and spending (Strain, 2012). Health programs such as Medicare need more funding, which should come from cutting government spending in areas such as PBS subsidy. Proponents of PBS continued funding argue that cutting the funding would threaten the stability of the corporation as well as 900 radio stations across the US (Toby, 2013). In that regard, the quality of broadcasting would decrease, and the quality of local, national, and international reporting would dwindle. It is imperative to consider that PBS and other government-backed stations provide programming that other corporations avoid. They also argue that cutting the subsidy would not make any significant difference in America’s federal deficit because taxpayers pay $1.35 annually to support the funding (Toby, 2013). They also argue that cutting the funding will undermine and curtail the role that public media contribute toward enhancing education, engaged citizenry, and public safety. The services that PBS provides to the public provide go
New York City because of his unique atmosphere often becomes one of the main characters in the famous novels and movies. Jonathan Lethem also followed the tradition of depicting the city, but his image of New York is rather extraordinary and mysterious. Chronic City was written by the author in 2009, and this novel became the real sensation in the literary world. It draws the readers’ attention with a variety of supernatural details depicted in it and with the author’s unique satirical tone. In spite of the fact the author concentrates on describing the events which occur at the territories of the real island of Manhattan, the presentation of these events can be discussed as the mysterious alternative to the reality, and this idea is also emphasized by the symbolic usage of the strange names and metaphorical references to birds. The figure of the novel’s narrator Chase Insteadman is significant because the readers have the opportunity to focus on the chaotic events depicted in the novel from his viewpoint. However, can Chase be considered as a reliable narrator? The situations which are given from Chase’s perspective seem to be too unusual, extreme, and without any references to the reality. Thus, the author of the novel can disorient the readers with Chase’s reaction to the environment, and it is rather difficult to find the elements of the real world among Chase’s perceptions and metaphorical reflections. That is why it is possible to say that Chase Insteadman is a rather unreliable narrator whose position is too subjective and even provocative. The atmosphere of unreality which is characteristic for the book is also accentuated by the author’s choice of names. These names are quite strange, and it is possible to concentrate on their satirical meaning. Thus, the name of Chase Insteadman is too difficult to remember and understand that is why he is even called ‘Chase Unperson’ (Lethem 182). This error is not occasional, and it can emphasize the character’s position as the former star. Chase’s friend Pincus Tooth is referred to as ‘Pincus Truth’ with indicating some features of his behavior (Lethem 418). Moreover, Chase meets the artist whose name is Laird Noteless, and it is used to attract the readers’ attention to the person’s affairs and status. That is why these names can metaphorically characterize their owners. The novel is also full of such strange names as Oona Laszlo, Anne Sprillthmar, and Georgina Hawkmanaji. These names are not just presented in the text, but they are also actively discussed by the characters, becoming the significant point in the narrative. Thus, discussing the name of Stanley Toothbrush, the characters state, “His name is Stanley Toothbrush”. “See, now you’re definitely making fun of me, because that’s idiotic” (Lethem 251). The names help to the readers to become involved in the unreal atmosphere of the novel with references to the author’s satirical tone. The next important peculiarity of the nov
Introduction Social interaction is something that people do on a daily basis. From the time they rise in the morning and make eye contact with their spouses or family members, there is communication even before the first word is spoken. How it is accomplished is often not subject to analysis or introspection. In social interaction, the marriage between verbal and nonverbal communication is often taken for granted until the nonverbal aspect takes on a significant factor in emphasizing meaning to the verbal communication. When it provides the participation framework for interaction, the establishment of the interaction’s orientation is important for the mutual understanding of a specific situation, such as in a game of hopscotch where the rules had been transgressed. (Goodwin) How people communicate is based on one’s culture and environment, often beginning early in a person’s development. Infants are already capable of responding to nonverbal cues such as gaze direction and finger pointing from six months of age. The ability to connect in a meaningful way is the beginning of communication prior to learning of a language, which is why it is considered efficacious for caregivers to constantly provide input for children at all stages of their development. The ability to register communication cues is important skills in language development as children start to interact with another person. They begin to distinguish facial expressions as well as imitate actions and gestures. (Pruden, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff 15) More importantly, they begin to understand cues of body posture, head direction, eye gaze and voice direction as input in social interactions based on how adults act and communicate. (16) Children also pick up on the emotional nuances that a speaker may adopt to interpret the veracity of verbal communication, if the speaker’s facial expression and body posture matches it or not. (17) Children typically develop skills for interpreting gestures and actions on objects by imitating other people’s actions and gaze direction during joint attentional engagement in social cognitive understanding. They develop declarative and requesting gestures that can be understood by others in the same cultural context, although children with developmental disabilities such as autism do so on a much less frequent basis. This is probably due to a deficit in joint attentional engagement with a significant social interactant such as an adult or parent, which some behavioural therapists have attempted to facilitate with the use of robotic intermediaries. (Carpenter, Pennington and Rogers 91) It is believed that autistic children have difficulty in following gaze and head direction of other people, an ability that forms a ma
Introduction The book ‘Unbowed- a memoir’ is a work of Professor Wangari Maathai. Just as indicated by the title of the book, it portrays memoir of the writer. The content of the book is basically an account of history that is expressed by the writer. She comes out in the book to discuss account of her life on the basis of first person’s experience. She also enlists her efforts towards the society. The outline of the book describes the lifeline of the author that starts from her youth up to her adult life. She, for example, outlines how against difficult circumstances, she managed to pursue education in a generation when education was reserved for the boy child. She managed to survive these harsh conditions to get a university degree that she furthered to earn her PhD. In the book, she recorded her successes in leadership as well as in the academic field. Apart from being the first woman to head a department in a university in her country Kenya, she was the first female to be awarded a PhD in the whole of east African region. The book also illustrates her social life and touches on various issues including her life in marriage. The book also talks about the author’s involvement in social activities that were meant to help and empower women in her society. Such were the cases of the green belt movement that the author founded in which women were financially empowered in a move to give them incentives into planting trees. This particular move was also her involvement in environmental development; a subject that also forms part of the book. Wangari Maathai: Biography Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan citizen from the central region of the country. She was born in the year 1940 and grew up to receive basic education. She was born at a time
Describe the evaluation tool and explain why this tool is essential in the care of the adolescent patient population A patient health questionnaire (PHQ) is a tool used in medical care settings for patient evaluation. PHQ-9 was specifically designed to determine depressive behaviors in patients. It consists of a list of statements that are measured by the degree of applicability to the patient. There are nine statements in total designed to identify symptoms of depression, such as thoughts about suicide, problems with concentration, change of appetite, and more. The replies are scored to determine the presence of depression and its level, including none, mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe. However, there was a need to adjust the tool for younger patients, as there is evidence that depression symptoms may be experienced differently by patients of different ages (Burns, Dunn, Brady, Starr, & Blosser, 2016). PHQ-A is an adjusted tool, designed specifically for adolescent patients. There are not many changes in terms of the questions, but there are additional fields to evaluate the presence of symptoms in the past year, the occurrence of suicidal thoughts within the past month, and past suicide attempts. Apply the findings of the scholarly research articles to the use of this evaluation tool and describe its validity and reliability PHQ-A has been widely discussed in scholarly medical research. The validity of PHQ-A rests primarily on the fact that the statements included on the questionnaire correspond to the typical symptoms of depression as reported by adolescents, such as tiredness, lack of motivation, apathy, insomnia, and irritability. The tool also evaluates the patient for suicidal thoughts and be
Introduction Sports are part of the co-curriculum activities and as such, constitute part of the learning process. There is an established direct relationship between on the one hand, sports and on the other hand, student performance. Sports are believed to have positive and negative influences on the academic performance of students. In many schools, sports are considered a part of the education content to ensure growth and physical well being of the students thus boosting their health. While participating in sports is associated with negative behavior such as irresponsible sex, alcohol use and smoking, they however play a very important role in enhancing students’ performance. Sports make students recognizable amongst their peers and as such, boost their performance in class. Organized sports also present learning opportunities for students and teachers to develop organizational skills that are beneficial to their academic performance. This is applicable to socially and economically marginalized group of student in Los Angeles school such as the Latinos. However, a number of factors determine the extent to which the Latino students in Los Angeles high schools participate in sports. In spite of the varied factors sport influence has a number of shortcomings and benefits to Latino high school students in los angels with most of the benefits being felt in class as well as outside the classroom env