ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
From reading science fiction books it could be seen how the human imagination draws its own vision of the future. To a certain extent, this vision predicted the pace of the technology development that the world is living in. One of the many aspects that these predictions outran is the development of humanoid robots. Science fiction books and films drew a picture of progress that the current technological development cannot compete with…yet. This paper analyzes the article “The Real Transformers” by Robin Marantz Henig in which the author follows the progress in the field of robotics seeking answers about the directions to which this progress is heading. The title of the article is a clear reference to the popular franchise of the same name – transformers. The addition of “Real” in the title clearly indicates the theme of the article, in which the gap between the progress in the fields of robots and science fiction predictions casts doubt on whether we can achieve similar progress in the near future. The author indicates the difficulty of development, as “humanoids are not the sophisticated machines we might have expected by now, which just shows how complicated a task it was that scientists embarked on 15 years ago when they began working on a robot that could think.” (HENIG, 2007) Although the robot development did not reach the level of progress predicted by science fiction, as “the robots being built today, still unwieldy and temperamental even in the most capable hands, probably offer only hints of the way we might be using robots in another 30 years”, still modern robotics typically are developing very fast. It is enough to tell that for a short term (approximately 15 years) robots have passed the way from scientific and technical ideas to serially manufactured samples which total number is estimated in thousands today. Any developments of technologies have given and become the initial stage in the creation of robots. Robots are similar beings working by means of power which are capable of learning to distinguish various environments and to carry out different operations without human involvement. However, it only can be assumed that the robots will help us doing the most dangerous and dirty work, thereby simplifying our life. But looking in the future and the past it is possible to see that scientists emphasize the human aspect of robot development, providing robots with artificial intelligence and human characteristics, i.e. sociable robots. “Sociable robots come equipped with the very abilities that humans have evolved to ease our interactions with one another: eye contact, gaze direction, turn-taking, shared attention. They are programmed to learn the way humans learn, by starting with a co
Introduction Team Terrific is a group recruited by an electronics division of a large corporation to help develop and promote new and existing products in the market. The primary tasks for our team included devising a targeted marketing mix, an advertising program, pricing estimation, and features, as well as assisting in the product category growth. Although the company initially featured only two products, titled TOUR and TOLD, it eventually released a third one, called GREAT, in order to appeal to the premium segment of the market. TOUR is a cheap product aimed at the general populace, prioritizing Savers and Shoppers. TOLD, on the other hand, focused High Earners and Professional Users. TEGREAT is a popular framework tool used by Innovators to develop products of their own. The goal of the proposed strategy was to facilitate brand growth while maintaining stable positions in the market. It involved maintaining parity with the competition while keeping the margins favorable. Main body The advertising campaign during each period had an approximately equal budget of circa 5000-6000 units, with a small decrease during Periods 0 and 2. However, marketing expenditures did not seem to affect the sales as much as it was hoped. The products had a positive initial start of circa 14,000 units during the first period. Earnings have been experiencing growth until Period 4, where they have achieved a maximum of 34,000 units. However, after reaching that peak, there was a steady decline in customer interest in the product. However, at the end of the 8th Period, sales fell to the point where they have started, at circa 16,000 units. Nevertheless, the initial spike could be explained by the novelty of the product, which then passed as the users and the markets have adjusted to it. The results at the end of the 8th Period could be considered fair for TOUR, TEGREAT, and TOLD products. The objectives set up by the first report were partially met, as the product did not fall off below the initial starting line. The market shares of about 4-5% were reached and even surpassed at certain points. The competition proved a bit stiffer than expected. Nevertheless, the data shows that there is a market for all three products and that the estimations about the target markets among shoppers, savers, and innovators were correct. Over 70% of users for each product fell into the target category. Conclusion There are several important learnings to be acknowledged from the simulation. First, it must be noted that the effectiveness of marketing campaigns is the most prominent during the first four periods, as it was w
Born on 1 st February 1902 in Joplin Missouri, James Langston Hughes was a young child when his parents parted ways and took divorce. Up to the age of 13 years, he was brought up by his grandmother who was a well-known African community worker in Lawrence. Hughes’s grandfather was a well-known politician in Kansas during the period of Reconstruction. While Hughes was living with his grandmother she was not very rich and suffered from old age problems. He was also much disappointed with his parents for not allowing him to stay with either of them. Such feelings of denial made him become much insecure because of which he developed an immense lack of confidence. After the death of his grandmother, Hughes’ mother asked him to come and stay with her in Lincoln, Illinois. It was in Lincoln that Hughes began writing and after having written some commendable poems he was nominated the class poet while in the eighth grade. However he was able to live in Lincoln for only a year since his mother shifted with his stepfather to Cleveland in Ohio and then on to Chicago. However Hughes decided to stay back in Cleveland in order to complete studies at high school. His talent in writing surfaced here and his teachers and class recognized his talent. His first work in poetry was published in his school magazine and in a short span of time he was taken in as a staff member of the magazine in which he regularly contributed his poems. During this time he came in contact with contemporary poets such as Whitman and Sandburg after being introduced to them by his teachers. It was these opportunities and experiences that became the initial influences on his life. He wrote his first jazz poetry titled When Sue Wears Red during this time and it was here that his love for books started developing. After his junior school in high school was over, his father James Hughes came back into his life. Hughes’s father had expressed his desire to him tha
Primary Issue of the Needs Assessment Homelessness among young people under 18 years old is a significant concern of the contemporary society of the United States of America. According to research, approximately “2.8 million youth are estimated to be homeless in the U.S. each year” (Gwadz et al., 2017, p. 398). This issue is vital for social work due to the increasing number of such populations on the territory of the USA in general and across the San Diego community, in particular. The youth experiencing homeless life is proven to be exposed to risks of mental and physical health harms, street violence, “early pregnancy, substance use, and early death” (Morton et al., 2018., p. 15). Another threat for the homeless youth is sex trafficking the occurrence of which was documented in all the states of the USA (Middleton, Gattis, Frey, & Roe-Sepowitz, 2018). The issue affects young people from misfortunate urban neighborhoods or families experiencing violence, poverty, or parental neglect (Bender, Yang, Ferguson, & Thompson, 2015). Thus, the large number of homeless young individuals imposes a need for special organizations aimed at supporting them. The programs and initiatives implemented by this time in the USA address mostly the primary needs of youth for shelter considering such needs as “sleeping arrangements” (Morton et al., 2018., p. 15). Regarding the risk factors, the centers for the homeless youth should address educational, health-care, and drug use treatment programs (Pedersen, Tucker, & Kovalchik, 2016). Many existing centers’ approaches vary in their identification of the age of the population group they call youth. Different national estimates concentrate on young people limited to either 13-15 years old or up to 24-25 years old (Morton et al., 2018). However, it is important to concentrate on the youth under 18 years old as the age group at the highest risk of exposure to the adverse impacts of homelessness. The stakeholders related to the issue of homelessness are the public community centers which support the disadvantaged population to eliminate adverse outcomes of their exposure to the threats of life without shelter. An adequate homeless youth needs assessment will contribute to the program planning of such centers. The corrected program implementation will widen the scope of influence of the centers, eliminate the barriers limiting the youth’s access to such organizations, and ultimately increase the level of quality of life in such communities as San Diego, CA. Needs Assessment Plan Interview Plan The needs assessment procedure will start with data collection which will be conducted utilizing the interviewing method. The interviews with the representatives of the agencies providing services for homeless youth in San Diego are planned to be conducted over the phone. The questions addressed to the representatives will concern the risks, the most severe and widely spread problems, a
Introduction By definition, haze is an atmospheric aerosol that cumulatively concentrates to a visible status. The aggregating particles are minute and hardly invisible; however are able to cause scene distortion and limit the visual range. According to the manual of codes by the World Meteorological Organization, haze develop from volcanic ash, smoke, dust, mist, sand, steam fog, ice fog as well as snow. Often, haze forms in relatively dry air when dust and smoke particles accumulate. Laws and Regulations Atmospheric emissions are the precursors for most haze pollutants. The federal government passed into law the ambient air quality guidelines in 1971 via the Clean Air Act (now CEPA). The legislation is the oldest of its kind and empowers the national government to initiate programs relating to air pollution assessment; set air quality objectives and set standards linked to the source. Chronologically, the provincial governments were the first to introduce air quality regulations there after the federal government followed suit. Ontario was the first to describe air pollution standards in 1963, under the Air Pollution Control Act. The legislation sets the maximum concentrations for 13 substances released by stationary sources of pollution. Other provinces that have applied regulation on the point of impingement concentrations are Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador. Recent regulations that relate to air quality were provided through the introduction of National Ambient Air Quality Objectives (NAAQOs) and Canada Wide Standards at provincial and federal government levels. Often, provincial governments have air standards and objectives that reflect the national ones. NAAQOs objectives set targets on risk towards key biological receptors; while, the Canadian Wide Standards put into perspective relatively more substances and metrics of assessments. Additionally, there is a proposal to introduce emission standards through the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards, Air Management Zones and Base-Level Industrial Standards. The Canadian Wide Standards set limits for particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone at averages of 30μg/m 3 over a 24-hour and 65 ppb over an 8-hour. Towards the end of 2010, the US and Canada agreed under the Ozone Annex to lower trans-boundary smog. This led to a 44% reduction of NO x . Both Quebec and Ontario that lie within the Industrial heartlands of Canada were set to have emission cuts. By 2007, the annual cap of 39 kilotons of NO x for central and southern Ontario and 5 kilotons for Quebec. The Canadian government has provided money to support electricity generation through fossil fuel. The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (under the CEPA) sets emission limits for motor vehicles for different pollutant such as CO, NO X as well as hydrocarbons. Policies on vehicle emission in Canada and the US depend on technological advances to lower pollutant release such as the CAF standar
Introduction The most important factor that determines the level of academic success achieved by a student is adequate preparation through the attendance of lectures and completion of coursework tasks throughout the semester (Kim, 2005). Despite the fact that proper preparation is the main determinant of success, there are other vital factors that should be considered. These factors are based on research studies conducted to establish the relationship between academic success and specific academic aspects that are directly or indirectly linked to academic performance. There are both academic and non-academic factors that interact in different ways to influence student performance (Ellis, 2009). Factors that affect academic success include motivation, engagement, and academic discipline, self-efficacy and academic self-concept, student perception, of course, academic habits, and effective time management (Kim, 2005). Motivation and engagement Students possess an assortment of aptitudes that influence their performance in different academic disciplines. However, in order to attain success, it is necessary for them to be motivated, disciplined, and engaged in their work (Ellis, 2009). A recent report released by the Department of Education and Training revealed that discipline and motivation are among the most common predictors of academic success. Self-motivation and discipline are evaluated by determining the amount of time students devote to schoolwork, levels of commitment and engagement, and their willingness to learn new things in and out of class (Kim, 2005). Engagement is characterized by students’ willingness to explore more concepts than those taught in class, discuss with instructors about ideas that have not been well understood, and incorporate strategies into their academic endeavors that are not used by their instructors. According to Kim (2005), motivation and engagement can be inculcated in students by creating learning environments that are supportive and challenging. In order to foster motivation and engagement, it is important for teachers to give students opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts, direct their learning in certain areas, and discuss their ideas and opinions with other class members. Critics argue that motivation, engagement, and academic discipline do not affect success because the main predictor of academic accomplishment is talent (Ellis, 2009). They argue that if a student is not talented in certain areas such as languages and mathematics, motivation, discipline, and engagement can do little to gua
It is possible to apply Qatar Intelligent Traffic Simulator (QITS) in order to study Driver Assistance System (DAS), special systems ensuring safety of traffic. QITS simplify factor analysis even in the beginning of the development of the system. There is a range of factors used in traffic simulation models. Studying them, it is important to model not only functionality of the particular DAS but also the actions taken by the driver. Thus, it is possible to study and analyze these and other requirements with the help of QITS. There have been many changes that were necessary to be implemented in the traffic system but it is possible to say that they were primarily aimed at decreasing traffic jams and increasing traffic flow. In other words, it has always been important to work on quality of service and operational power. Nowadays, it can be stated that an increased attention is paid to traffic safety and the way that vehicles affect the environment. There is a range of problems such as the increasing number of vehicles on the roads, pollution caused by emissions, the lack of traffic safety, and the measures developed should be really effective to address these challenges. Due to the lack of resources, it is important to sort out priorities and assess the impact of the proposed changes with the help of the means of simulating traffic. The use of QITS can make interactions between particular vehicles and the stream of vehicles more complex, and simulation remains quite a useful approach to studying composite systems. Therefore, the simulation of traffic is more than likely to be implemented in studies of traffic systems of different types in the future. The history of simulation used to study road traffic started in the beginning of the 1950s (May, 1990). Such models are developed in order to imitate various traffic operations. If we speak about the most recent simulation models, they are usually based on time monitored scanning approach. In the models created earlier, event-driven approach was used due to the range of limitations connected to performance of computers. The descriptions of vehicular traffic used in those systems were quite unsophisticated despite an enormous number of the events analyzed. Due to that, the sphere of their application was limited and it was decided to stop using such approach when more powerful computers appeared. Simulation models are used in order to represent dynamic systems allowing to study the features of the real systems that exist. Time plays a very important role in these systems as it acts as the essential variable. When simulation models are used in order to study real systems, it is necessary to track the changes that take place and update the information in certain periods of time. There is a difference between models that use time or event-based approaches; as for the former, it is necessary to update the model at fixed intervals whereas the latter requires the user to update it every time when its state begins to change.
Introduction As various businesses and companies develop, their leaders understand that it is beneficial for them to invest in corporate financial means in the assurance of information and software. Such a step is usually made to meet compliance requirements and optimize ownership expenses aimed at ensuring software security. The SIDD (Security Investment Decision Dashboard) is helpful for organizations that arrive at such decisions and appropriate conclusions after evaluating, comparing, and assessing multiple candidate security investments that are usually built according to certain business requirements and criteria. The primary principle of the given dashboard implies different priorities for the investments mentioned above that are influenced by the company’s expected outcomes for any investments made by its managers. The following paper is intended to discuss various aspects that must be considered when investing money in SIDD. What Eight Steps Are Identified as Necessary to Make a Business Case Software Assurance and Affect Important Changes? The following list will enumerate a number of actions that are recommended to make the business case for efficient software assurance and to affect all the essential changes in such an instance:  1. Obtaining executive management support  2. Considering the environment in which one operates (Mead et al., 2009)  3. Providing all the necessary training  4. Committing to achieving an appropriate level of software process improvement  5. Performing a risk assessment  6. Deciding what one needs to measure  7. Implementing the approach to selected projects  8. Providing feedback for improvement. Which of the Eight Steps Does SIDD Primarily Support? The SIDD model primarily supports the following steps from the list above:   * Considering the environment in which one operates   * Deciding what one needs to measure   * Obtaining executive management support (Mead et al., 2009). The model of SIDD and its purpose focus on supporting the points listed above as they play a major role in the process of decision making. For instance, it is necessary for a person to consider his or her work
Concept of Human Capital The concept of human capital defines the quality of labor that makes different people earn different salaries within a given organization. Phillips defines human capital as a measure of the value of skills and competencies of an individual and that “the concept of human capital recognizes that not all labor is equal and that the quality of the employees can increase by investing in them” (84). According to Davenport, the worth of different employees can never be equal because of a number of factors (90). One of the most common ways of determining the value of employees is by determining their levels of education. Investment in education helps in enhancing the quality of a workforce. Employers are looking for people who have the right knowledge in given fields. For instance, an employee who has taken an advanced degree in engineering may not have the same value to a holder of a diploma in the same field. These two people have different capacities in terms of what they can handle in the fields of engineering. The more one advances a career through further education, the more he or she will become valuable to an employer. Another factor that helps in determining the value of an employee is their experience. Experience is a form of education that takes place in a workplace setting. According to Fitz-enz, the more time one takes in working in a given environment, the more one gets to understand the work environment (25). Special skills and talents may also make an employer place a given value to an employee. According to Sims, the current workplace environment is very competitive, and employers are looking for imaginative workers who can develop new and unique concepts to address various issues (59). Having unique skills or talents may help boost innovation within a firm. Davenport says that although education boosts innovativeness, people with minimal education can also be innovative in some perspectives (94). Having a combination of skills, talents, and education makes human capital very valuable. It makes workers be in a better position to understand various environmental forces in society. This way, they will know how to address them in order to ensure that an organization becomes successful. Human Capital within the City of Scottsdale According to Modiu, the city of Scottsdale is one of the fastest developing cities in the United States (78). This city is home to about 226,918 people, most of who stay within the city suburbs (Fitz-enz 28). This city has experienced tremendous growth over the past one-century following infrastructural development, especially in the last fifty years. According to Garoogian, most of the people who settled in this region before 1900 were farmers (37). The climate and type of soil for this region were suitable for growing citrus fruit. However, there has been a consistent transformation in the economy of this city as it explores other sources of income. Currently, tourism is the main economic activity, although there are other major employers within the city. The research by Modiu ranks Scott