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🚩What you read in this article:
- How the exhaust system works?
- What does DECAT mean and what do we do DECAT?
- How to do DECAT
- How to turn off the rear O2 sensor?
- Advantages and disadvantages of DECAT
- Various DECAT Software
- How to disable the O2 sensor tutorial?
🚩How the exhaust system works?
Generally, the engine gas evacuation system or exhaust comprises the exhaust manifold, catalyst, resonator, muffler, and tailpipe. The whole mentioned set is responsible for reducing engine emissions, temperature as well as noise. Meanwhile, the catalyst is responsible for minimizing toxic and hazardous emissions. The internal components of the catalyst include a basic platinum-radium layer, ceramic honeycombs, followed by platinum-palladium layer, and, finally, a second ceramic honeycomb. Nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide are among these toxic and dangerous gases that catalysts remove to a relatively large amount and practically convert into water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.dangerous gases that catalysts remove to a relatively large amount and practically convert into water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.The shelf life of catalysts is about 50 to 60 thousand kilometers, after which the catalyst often starts to lose its efficiency.
- High temperature
- Mechanical damages and impacts
- Depreciation due to overuse
- Engine failure and related parts, such as injectors, wires, and candles.
It can cause catalyst failure and pore-clogging and cost you a seriously small fortune.
🚩What does DECAT mean and what do we do DECAT?
DECAT or Delete catalyst, by definition, refers to removing the vehicle's catalyst. Why do we DECAT anyway?
Clearly, obstacles, such as catalysts, reduce engine horsepower, but using methods such as DECAT can remove these obstacles and improve engine performance by providing more horsepower.
The removal of DECAT has its own reasons and fans that off-road riders are among them.
💬How to do DECAT:
DECAT refers to removing the car's catalyst and replacing it with a pipe directly from the engine to the outside air. But you cannot just replace the pipe, and you are good to go because the catalyst having an exclusive downstream O2 sensor will land you in trouble in the long run.
The sensor's function is to check the correct performance of the catalyst. When the catalyst is defected or removed, this sensor reports the catalyst's dysfunction to the car's ECU, turning on the check light.
In this case, if you connect the scanner tool to the car, you will encounter the error code P0420. The P0420code stands for “Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1).” When you receive a P0420 code, it means your catalytic converter is not operating at maximum efficiency.
💬How to turn off the rear O2 sensor?
An oxygen sensor simulator can help resolve this issue, but you may encounter a P0420 error code even so All these issues show up when you do not switch off the second O2 sensor through the software and do not do the so-called Lambda O2 Removal. Deleting the rear O2 sensors is a method by which you remove the catalyst oxygen sensor using the software and disconnect it from your car ECU. This method can complement your DECAT and not only rid you of the defects mentioned but also improve the power and acceleration of your car.
Decat exhaust pros and cons
💬Advantages of DECAT:
1) An increase in the car power by a few horse powers
2) Better initial acceleration of the car
3) Reduction in car engine vibration
4) Elimination of catalyst-related problems, such as replacement and repair costs, bad odor due to catalyst failure, etc.
5) Check lights not turning on, which is related to the catalyst and second sensor defects)
💬Disadvantages of DECAT:
1) An increase in air pollution
2) An increase in engine noise
3) Reduction of vehicle acceleration and problems related to the catalyst oxygen sensor. You will face this issue using the physical and non-software removal method, not proper software.
How to turn off rear o2 sensors?
🏁At CaracalTech, with years of experience in ECU calibration and remapping, we can identify and change the tables related to O2 sensor off in all diesel and petrol ECUs. At CaracalTech, we have different techniques for resetting the DECAT and Lambda /O2 Removal maps. Besides, CaracalTech offers a full in-ECU DECAT tutorial to enable you to identify and select the tables related to disable the O2 sensor function in the EMS with just one basic tutorial or do full DECAT settings completely on your own.
📍Opposite, you can see images related to the programming space within Swiftec and WinOLS to delete the O2 sensor.
📍Here, you can learn the basics once for good and change or remove Lambda / O2 sensor whenever you needed. Here is the link to the DECAT training video in various software environments and ECUs.
❗If needed, you can upload your files to Tuning file service, so we can make your desired changes, such as downstream o2 sensor delete, on in various ECUs such as BOSCH ME7, ME17, SIEMENS MS 42,43& 45 DELCO E37,38 and a lot more.
For more information and probable problems feel free to contact us:[email protected]
Pop & Bang
Pop & Bang is another interesting thing you can do with ECU Remapping. The sound of fuel combustion outside of the cylinder is known as "pop and bang," and it might be followed by a flame.
Have you ever been attracted to this fascinating sound?
Do you have any idea what's going on?
When the ignition period (retard) in the combustion cycle is prolonged enough, the explosion process can be transferred to the exhaust cycle. Therefore, when the air-fuel mixture reaches the end of the exhaust, it will burn and explode. You can do this by modifying the ignition tables in the ECU while changing gears or releasing the accelerator pedal to perform this process. You should know that this has no effect on engine performance and may even harm it.
You can download the Pop and Bang software if you want to experience this exciting event in your car as well.
(Note that the car's catalytic converter must be removed in order to perform this.) | <urn:uuid:4a575ce4-d772-4b6f-b1e1-6a1f10d1f477> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://caracaltech.com/articles/article/61483ca32325529176db54cc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570871.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808183040-20220808213040-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.915907 | 1,401 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Land is the basis of all businesses, whether its hospitals, factories, educational institutions, shopping malls, markets, food outlets, all are built on land. Every type of business needs a piece of land to establish them. Like the rise in the price of food products, leads to an increase in the prices of restaurants or daily budget of houses, same ways, a shoot up in the property rates affects all the business and their leading markets.
Real estate industry is the sector responsible for the evaluation of the prices for all the personal and commercial properties. The price standards for selling and purchasing the properties in a particular area are defined by a group of people called real estate regulators working under the of real estate laws. The industry of real estate is in itself a great industry divided into various sectors like: appraisals, brokerages, property management, real estate marketing, net lease, real estate investing, relocation services and corporate real estate.
The real estate market is divided into cities and then further on the basis of area and location. Among all the metropolitan cities, Delhi grabs the position of being the hottest real estate spot for most of the people related to the property business. Delhi being the capital of the country attracts a larger number of people for job and other career related opportunities. This leads to a further rise in the demand and the need for the property or land for the residential, business and other purposes. Therefore, the demand and the growth of real- estate industry in Delhi are ever-growing.
Delhi is the centre of attraction for all the commerce people due to availability of diverse audience and prospective customers in the city. Delhi is famous for markets like south Delhi, GK, Chandni Chowk, which magnetize a large number of shopaholic people to shed huge bucks from their pockets. Areas around these markets or these shops itself are tagged worth a million. Delhi is the hub of education, so areas nearby north or south Delhi universities form a major share of the residential projects for rent and shopping market places.
The latest developments of property in Delhi like expansion of metro, instillation of various luxuries in the housing societies like parks, welfare groups, swimming pools, and building of shopping malls at every nook and corner of the city has enabled the citizens to lead a very easy and a comfortable life. People want their houses to look different, more beautiful with the engraved designs and structures. An inclination towards the stylish and exclusive houses and property design have been observed and all these hi- tech advancements in the local areas or in the city as a whole, results to an increase in the demand of these properties leading to a jump in their prices.
The major share in the booming up of Delhi property market goes to the trend of opening up of more and more shopping malls in the city. Delhi people have become addicted to shopping in gigantic malls, and as it is said, accomplishment of one project leads to the beginning of another, so has become the habit of the real- estate industry. The success and popularity of one mall gives birth to another and so on.
A lot of health and sports complex have also grown rapidly in the past few years due to the increasing consciousness in people about their health and lifestyle. People prefer going to gyms or playing sports for regular exercises or body warm ups. Opening up of new healthcare projects of different groups, also claims a major share in the development of the real-estate industry.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the growth of real- estate industry in cities like Delhi is everlasting due to its indefinite developments and needs of the general public and citizens. | <urn:uuid:f63021e6-09c0-4165-a41e-d9d756c95bb9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nikeblazer.fr/tag/chandni-chowk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.962079 | 726 | 1.96875 | 2 |
A trend likely to continue: American voters reject redefinition of marriage
November 02, 2012
On Tuesday, citizens in 4 American states will vote on proposals that would redefine marriage to allow for homosexual unions. Writing in The Catholic Thing, Austin Ruse points out that to date, when voters have had the opportunity to weigh similar proposals, the results have been 32 victories for traditional marriage, 0 for a change--despite an immense infusion of money and resources by gay-rights crusaders.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off! | <urn:uuid:8deb51b4-a3b0-492f-b188-df0febd6ec32> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16125 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00311-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925713 | 145 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A new beekeeping invention is causing something of a buzz. As Tanya Weaver gets to grips with it she thinks we should all be open to innovations and tools that could potentially improve our working practices
As a beekeeper I’m pretty used to receiving all manner of bee-related tweets, Facebook messages, emails, texts and whatsapps. So, when the launch of a new beekeeping innovation went viral in the mainstream press recently, I couldn’t count the times I was pinged a link to it.
It’s called the Flow Hive. The work of a father and son beekeeping team in Australia, its aim is to ease the honey harvesting process. The beekeeper doesn’t even have to open the hive to extract the honey, it comes flowing out in one delicious golden stream through a tube straight into a jar.
Just a quick bit of background about how the ladies in the hive operate. The queen lays her eggs and the bees rear the young in the brood box. They then store the honey in the super, which is above the brood box. Depending on how prolific the bees are, they can fill up to four supers, which contain around ten frames each.
A full super can weigh an immense 40kg. Once the combs in the supers are capped, the beekeeper will take the entire box to an extraction facility (or kitchen in my case).
So along comes a new kit on the block proposing that all this back breaking, time consuming and sticky work could be a thing of the past.
With help from Australian industrial design consultants Katapult Design, the innovation of the Flow Hive really lies in the frames of the super box. These consist of partly formed honeycomb cells that the bees will build out with wax and then fill with honey.
Once capped off, the beekeeper inserts a rod into a gap at the top of the frames and turns. This then causes the frames to effectively split and creates channels inside the comb for the honey to slide down and into a tube inserted into the bottom of the frame.
This spilt-cell technology has been patented and a good illustration of it can be seen at honeyflow.com.
Meanwhile, back in the hive, the bees are virtually undisturbed on the comb surface as the honey drains from under their feet. To reset the comb, the lever is simply turned back and the process begins again.
Following ten years in the prototyping and testing phase, the innovation was ready for market. In order to fund the expensive tooling, the pair launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on 22 February with a modest goal of US $70,000. Within 24 hours $2.18 million had been raised and at the time of going to press that amount stands at an incredible $5,769,091.
So, what does the beekeeping fraternity make of it? Obviously there are many who are buying into it but there are equally as many who aren’t. In my experience, the majority of beekeepers are a conservative and traditional bunch who are pretty stuck in their ways and like using tried and tested tools and methods.
I’m a member of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) Facebook page and many a beekeeper on there has had a bee in their bonnet about it, and not in an accepting way.
One comment that proves my point perfectly was posted by a Lancashire beekeeper who had a photo of the Flow Hive together with one of a skep (a traditional woven beehive dating back 2000 years!) with a caption: “New product on the market and old product. I know which one I prefer. I am old fashioned…”.
This did make me think that many of us are creatures of habit, stuck in our own ways of doing things.
We are often very wary of new innovations or technologies that could alter this. Like beekeepers, engineers also have a reputation for being conservative when it comes to the tools they use.
Consider the early days of CAD. I wonder how many doggedly hung onto their drawing boards, compass sets and markers before having to relent and take the plunge into the virtual world. But, if you think about it, CAD has come a very long way in a very short time. I’m sure many engineers can still remember this time before the computer.
Over the years, CAD vendors have periodically launched new releases with updates and new features.
However, there is a brand new CAD tool that is set to shake everything up. Its name is Onshape. It’s using the latest cloud/web/mobile technologies to rewrite the rulebook on CAD products and pricing.
Onshape’s CEO, Jon Hirschtick, gave a keynote at DEVELOP3D LIVE on 26 March entitled ‘The Design World Has Changed — How CAD Needs to Change With It’. He discusses Onshape in detail with Al Dean in this article.
Check the DEVELOP3D LIVE page regularly, as we’ll be posting Jon’s talk, along with those of all the other inspiring speakers!
Opening ourselves up to a world of new ideas, tools and possibilities | <urn:uuid:7fa0f567-0d84-4a9d-be3e-3bfa0f8e2649> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://develop3d.com/product-design/room-for-improvement-DEVELOP3D-innovation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.95681 | 1,070 | 2.109375 | 2 |
2014 Peso Devaluation Vs Tequila Market By Brady Bunte
There are certain commodities in the market that are identifiable by the country or region they originate from. Even if the production process is exported, the original source is always favored by global consumers. Tequila is one such product that is considered most legitimate when sourced from Mexico. Brady Bunte recognizes it has been a major revenue earner for the country, with majority of exports going to the U.S. Tequila however not always been a blessing to the nation as was evidenced by the 1994 Mexican economic recession dubbed the ‘Tequila Crisis’.
Brady Bunte, who has worked in the tequila industry for many years, acknowledges that this was a particularly turbulent period for the country. According to Brady Bunte, the Mexican government at the time sought to maintain the peso value using a fixed exchange rate regime. To prevent the decline of the currency, the government undertook large amounts of short term debt to finance buying of pesos. This artificial demand was intended to help appreciate the value of the peso.
As investors realized the currency was overvalued, they began pulling out their capital, resulting in multiple financial difficulties for the country, including rising hyperinflation, erosion of stock market value and a difficulty in settling short term debt by the government. The problem was eventually dealt with through a rescue package extended by the U.S., floating the currency and other economic reforms.
The repercussions of this crisis continue to be felt in the present day as the value of the peso is now determined by the market, rather than the government and its interventions. It is also interesting to note how economic reforms that stemmed from the tequila crisis have actually affected the commodity.
According to Brady Bunte, the last 20 years has seen a steady growth in demand for tequila. Much of this demand can be attributed to the devaluation of the peso which meant that foreign buyers could get more value for their money. Brady Bunte describes it as a sale period where you can get 2 for 1. At the beginning of the crisis, you got just under 4 pesos for each USD. Over the years, and thanks to correcting of the market position, you can now get about 15 pesos for each dollar.
Although economic reforms has helped stabilize the economy, investor confidence has been somewhat shaken in recent times by the political turmoil and crimes engulfing the nation. According to Brady Bunte, the recent killing of 43 students in Iguala, and more violent crime reports driven by gangs working in collusion with public officials has proven a grave concern for investors.
Even as demand for tequila grows with new markets opening up in Asia, there is also the problem of lower agave harvest projections. The devaluing of the currency and rising inflation meant that agave growers have over recent years suffered lower profits on their crops. Brady Bunte confirms that the pricing on these harvests is usually locked in years in advance by the distillers. With low returns on their investment and inflated projections for the demand of agave, many have over the last decade opted to cut back on their crop.
Recent reports already indicate that there will be a shortage of agave crops over the coming 5 years. Another challenge noted by Brady Bunte is the fake tequila products originating from other parts of the world that are seeping into the international market. All this is tough news for the tequila industry, as the devalued currency has also meant lower returns for exporters.
Economic recessions tend to have a lingering effect and it is clear that despite the stabilization of the Mexican economy now, the tequila crisis is still affecting industries, none more so than that which it is named after. Brady Bunte believes it will take continued economic stability and an inspired leadership to help ensure that the identity of Mexican produced tequila continues to prevail and dominate the market.
For more information: | <urn:uuid:83872a72-17ac-48e5-b58e-a16ed394b616> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://rumble.com/v2zfz0-2014-peso-devaluation-vs-tequila-market-by-brady-bunte.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719646.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00127-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958214 | 796 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Have you noticed time distorting while you’re working remotely during the pandemic? Somehow, time seems to be moving both much more slowly and much more quickly than usual. Combined with the unfamiliarity of teaching by Zoom, or by recording, this probably makes it even more difficult than usual to get the pacing right in our courses.
Many of us are already feeling behind. We’ve internalized a sense of how much we should cover by what point, and we’re hastening to keep up. Students, on the other hand, are often feeling lost and rushed; they wish we’d slow down. Many of us unconsciously talk faster when we’re talking to a screen, rather than a room full of baffled students. More importantly, most of us also lose our sense of the complexity of material we’ve been studying for decades, and we forget to give students enough time to process it.
If students say their professor is moving too fast, and she responds, “Actually, I’m behind,” it may be because she is feeling the tyranny of content. When faculty believe that their role is to “cover all of the material,” and there is more material than can be covered at a reasonable pace during one semester, rushing can seem like the only solution. It happens to the best of us.
When we rush through the material, though, we usually do so assuming that students learn whatever we utter in their presence. Of course, if we give it some thought, we realize that people don’t learn that way. Even if students do remember some of what we sped through, they may not be able to do anything with that knowledge. They need opportunities to develop intellectual and practical skills alongside the content or concepts. So racing through topics trying to cover them all does not result in much learning anyway. We have to view our role differently: It doesn’t matter so much what we cover; it matters what students learn.
When we think of our role as facilitating learning (instead of covering material), pacing becomes one of the central considerations in course design. We can ask ourselves: What is reasonable to expect students to know and know how to do by the end of the course? What is reasonable to expect them to learn and do each week? When teaching a remote or online course, it is helpful to break the course into modules that include content, assignments, and activities that students can work through in a given amount of time.
Sometimes academics can be intellectual hoarders, but moving at a learning-centered pace means that we cannot include everything, and we cannot emphasize everything. Prioritizing is essential. Not only because we need to determine what to focus on and what to leave out, but because we need to determine which complex topics and skills students most need our help with during class time, and what they might be able to learn on their own instead.
These questions of roles, priorities, pacing, and more are explored in some depth in the article “The Tyranny of Content: ‘Content Coverage’ as a Barrier to Evidence-Based Teaching Approaches and Ways to Overcome It” by Peterson et al. The authors propose “a three-step process that will help faculty switch from a default teaching goal of covering content to a learner-centered approach focused on core concepts and competencies that students need to learn.” We encourage you to check it out, and let us know what you think.
Pacing is something faculty need to think about on macro and micro levels in our teaching, from the feasibility of the proposed outcomes of a sequence of courses, to the timing of individual in-class activities. Sometimes not rushing students comes down to simple tools and strategies, like using a timer to give them the full amount of time you promised them to solve a problem, or pausing part way through a lesson to give them time to process what they’ve heard. The big (and even the small) decisions about pacing don’t all have to be made in isolation. If several instructors teach the same course, or sequence of courses, it can be useful to meet and discuss the various factors that affect pacing, and ultimately students’ ability to learn and succeed. It is useful to get feedback from students about pacing, too, through a mid-semester evaluation or other, more informal methods. | <urn:uuid:ac240985-f2f1-4d00-b8b4-f4b6e21a6e55> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://teaching.fsu.edu/tips/2020/09/18/the-goldilocks-zone-not-too-fast-not-too-slow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.968807 | 901 | 2.5 | 2 |
Clark County Illinois
Adenmoor - Auburn Township
is situated on the north edge of Section 36, Auburn Township. It is located about ¾ miles north of The National Road (U.S. Route 40), along the Vandalia-Pennsylvania Railroad, about 7 miles northeast of Martinsville and about 5 miles southwest of Marshall. It formerly known as Adenmore Station.
Allright - Anderson Township
Allright, also known as Albright, is near the northwest corner of section 28, Anderson Township.
A Post office was established at Albright on Mar. 10, 1892. It was discontinued on July 15, 1908.
Aurora - Darwin Township
was a former settlement on the Wabash River about two miles north of Darwin in Darwin Township. It was the site of the first courthouse and county seat of Clark County. Aurora was the County Seat from 1821 to 1823.
Beltz - Darwin Township
is situated in the northwest corner of section 10, Darwin Township.
It was named for Amos Jonas Beltz.
A Post office was established at Beltz on May 29, 1893. It was discontinued July 31, 1903.
Brisco - Parker Township
is a settlement on the north edge of section 32, Parker Township. It is located just west of route 49, about 4 miles north of Casey.
Careyford - Marshall Township
is a former village in Marshall Township at the border of what is now Auburn Township, about 1 mile east of Clark Center and about 4 miles southwest of Marshall on route 40. It was named for Thomas Carey who founded the village.
Casey - Casey Township
is situated in the west half and the northeast quarter of section 20, and the east half of section 19 in Casey Township at the intersection of The National Road (U.S. route 40) and route 49 on the eastern edge of the county near the Cumberland County line. The original town was first platted in 1851 and surveyed in 1853 by D. R. Heimer. It took its namr from the Post Office west of Cumberland, established, on August 28, 1849, named for Zadoc Casey, U.S. Senator from Illinois and former Lieutenant Governor. It was first settled about 1853 by John Lang, a Scottsman, who built the National House Hotel. and Casey was located on the Vandalia-Pennsylvania railroad.
Castle Fin - Douglas Township
Castle Fin, also known as Castle Finn and Fin Castle, was founded by Robert Wilson and platted in May 1848 by County Surveyor James Lawrence. The village was named for Wilson's home town of Castle Finn, County Donegal, Ireland. It was located in the northwest corner of section 27, Douglas Township, about 6 miles north-northwest of Marshall.
Clark Center (Auburn)
Clark Center, formerly known as Auburn, Lodi, and Clark Centre, is located on the south half of the northwest quarter and part of the north half of the southwest quarter of Section 37, Auburn Township. It lies just north of The National Road (Route 40), about 7 miles northeast of Martinsville and about 5 miles southwest of Marshall.
A Post office was established at Lodi on Oct. 15, 1842. The name was changed to Clark Centre on May 21, 1857 and to Clark Center on Oct. 25, 1893. It was discontinued on June 15, 1907.
Clarksville - Dolson Township
Clarksville, also known as Dolson, is located approximately 10 mile east of Westfield and 7 miles northwest of Marshall on Clarksville road.
It is surrounded by the Dolson Prairie, named after early settlers of the Dolson Family.
A post office was established at Dolson on Feb. 15, 1851. It was changed to Clarksville on Aug. 27, 1861 and back to Dolson on April 2, 1862. The P.O. was discontinued Feb. 15, 1907. The town is now known again as Clarksville.
Cleone - Parker Township
Cleone, also known as 'Hammond Settlement' and 'Hammond Center' in times past was a thriving rural community at the turn of the century. There was a grocery store, a farm supply business, a post office, newspaper, etc. They even had a baseball team.*
As Martinsville and the surrounding communities grew larger, small settlements like Cleone were unable to compete with the larger stores and variety of goods and services offered, and slowly vanished. In the late 40's and early 50's, all that remained at Cleone were a couple of houses and a general store operated by a gentleman named 'Comer'. All that is gone now and all that remains is the cemetery.
Cleone is situated in the northeast of section 12, Parker Township.
It lies about 6 miles north of Martinsville along Cleone Road
A Post office was established at Cleone on March 4, 1886. It was discontinued on August 15, 1906.
[* Larry Wells writes, "I recall seeing a copy of the newspaper from 1906 where Cleone played Casey (at Cleone) and Casey won... The paper listed the names of all who were there that day (a LOT of Hammonds) and commented that the other news of the day was: 'One auto through today.' "]
Cumberland - Casey Township
Cumberland is a former settlement in Casey Township.
A Post Office, named after Zadoc Casey, was established at Cumberland on March 27, 1838. It was discontinued on Aug. 19, 1847.
Cumberland is now part of the city of Casey.
Darwin - Darwin Township
Darwin is the second oldest settlement in Clark county. It is situated in the northeast corner of section 27, Darwin Township, on the Wabash River. The site was first settled by John McClure in 1816 and was known then as McClure's Bluff. The Darwin ferry was started early on by McClure for use by farmers who owned properties across the river. It is still in operation today.
A post office was established on Aug. 17, 1920. Darwin was the County Seat from 1823 to 1839 when it was removed to Marshall. Darwin was also known as Clark Courthouse until Nov. 8, 1836.
Dennison - Wabash Township
is a village situated on the north edge of section 26 of upper Wabash Township. It is about 7 miles northeast of Marshall just north of the Pennsylvania R. R.
The village was founded by J. F. Barnard, who was extensively engaged in the manufacture of lumber and wagon woodwork, having at that time several mills along the line of the Vandalia railroad, which was at that time in the course of construction, by locating one of his factories at that point.*
The village was laid out in 1871 by Lyman Booth, on the northwest quarter of section 26, township 12, range 11 west**
A Post Office was established at Dennison on July 27,1871.
[*History of Vigo and Parke Counties,, H. W. Beckwith, 1880.
**W. H. Perrin, History of Crawford and Clark Counties, O. L. Baskin & Co., 1883]
Doyles - Dolson Township
is located near the Edgar County line in section 20 of Dolson Township.
A post office was established at Doyles on March 30, 1894. It was discontinued March 31, 1893.
Dupoint - Dolson Township
Dupoint, also known as Dupont, is a village situated on the northeast quarter of section 14 of Casey Township. It is located about 4 miles northeast of Casey, and about 2 miles southwest of Martinsville, along The National Road (Route 40) and the Vandalia-Pennsylvania railroad..
Ernst - Darwin Township
is a village situated on the northeast quarter of section 18 of Darwin Township. It lies about 4 miles south of Marshall, 2 1/2 miles north of Hatton, east of route 1, on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad.
A post office was established at Ernst on Oct. 29, 1885. It was discontinued on Oct. 15, 1926
Hatton (Snyder) - Darwin Township
Hatton, also known as Snyder, is located on the west edge of section 30 in Darwin Township. It lies about 8 miles south of Marshall, 2 ½ miles south of Ernst, and 3 miles north of Walnut Prairie, just east of route 1 on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (New York Central), and about 3 miles west of Darwin.
A Post office was established at Hatton on Mar. 7, 1882. It was named by Postmaster John Milton Hollenbeck for Assistant Postmaster-General McHatton. It was discontinued April 2, 1906.
Lindsey - Orange Township
is located in the northwest corner of section 2 in Orange Township. It lies about 5 miles southeast of Martinsville. It was named for Zachary T. Lindsey. A Post Office operated at Lindsey from March 31, 1894 until March 31, 1903.
Livingston (Cohn) - Wabash Township
is a village on the southwest quarter of section 9 in Upper Wabash Township about 2 miles northeast of Marshall on route 40 (The Old National Road). The village was laid out by Robert Ferguson in 1830 on land purchased from the federal government. Early businesses included a hotel built by David Wyrick, a grocery, a tavern and a stagecoach shop. A Post Office operated at Livingston from August 24, 1832 until July 31, 1903. Its name was change to Cohn on April 5, 1880 and later back to Livingston. Several blows were dealt the village over the years which led to its decline. The railroad was diverted several miles to the north of town due to land donations. A cyclone devastated the town during the Civil War. The town was all but destroyed by the cyclone of May 26, 1917.
Margaretta (Richwood) - Westfield Township
was located east of Westfield on what is now the Lincoln Heritage Trail, It was named for Margaret, wife of the Postmaster, William B. Marrs. (Illinois State Historical Marker, Margaretta Post Office)
A post office was established at Margartta June 16, 1840. Its name was changed to Richwood on August 27, 1861. It was discontinued on June 26, 1863.
Marshall - Marshall Township
is located on the western edge of Marshall Township. It was founded on September 20, 1835 by Colonel W. B. Archer on land owned by Joseph Duncan and himself who had purchased it from the federal government. It was named after John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. The plat was filed in October, 1835. It was located at the intersection of the National Road (U.S. route 40) and the and the Vincennes and Chicago State Road (route 1). The National Road began to be built through the site of Marshall in 1827 and many came for the construction work there. The first settlement on the site was made in 1836. The County Seat of Clark County was moved from Darwin to Marshall in 1839 where it remains to the present day.
During the Civil War, a group of Copperheads, who opposed the Civil War, provided protection for deserters from the Union Army. In March, 1863, an Army detail from Indiana arrested several of the soldiers. Judge Charles H. Constable freed them and ordered the arrest of two Union sergeants on kidnapping charges. This resulted in the dispatch of 250 soldiers under the command of Col. Henry B. Carrington by special train from Indianapolis, who surrounded the courthouse, freed the sergeants and arrested the Judge. Judge Constable was, however, later acquitted after presenting an elaborate defense
Abraham Lincoln practiced law several times at Marshall.
The Archer House, located in downtown Marshall claims to the the oldest continually operated hotel in Illinois.
Martinsville - Martinsville Township
is situated on parts of the east half of section 7 and the west half of section 8 and the southeast quarter of section 6 and the southwest quarter of section 5 of Martinsville Township. It is located about 12 miles southwest Marshall and 6 mile northeast of Casey, along route 40 and the Vandalia-Pennsylvania Railroad. The first settlement on the present site of the city was made in about 1829. Martinsville was founded in 1832 by Joseph Martin who came to the area in that year and purchased land. The village was platted in 1833. Martin named it after himself. Businesses sprang up along the Old National Road (Route 40). Martin built the first hotel. Willis Daughette built the Rocky Mountain House in 1840
McKeen - Wabash Township
McKeen is a village on the north edge of section 27 of upper Wabash Township. It lies about 6 miles northeast of Marshall along the Vandalia-Pennsylvania R. R. It was named for Ninevah McKeen, a civil war veteran, and the only person from Clark County to receive the Medal of Honor. A post office was established at McKeen on August 26, 1870 and discontinued on May 14, 1906.
Melrose - Melrose Township
Melrose, formerly known as Melrose Park, is located in Melrose Township at the corner of sections 18, 19, 20 and 21. It received its name from the township, which in turn got its name from an old English village.
A Post Office operated at Melrose from May 6, 1836 to July 26, 1877 and from Oct. 30,1877 to about the 193os. Melrose declined and was virtually abandoned by the1970s and all of the buildings were eventually demolished.
Moonshine - Orange Township
is situated on the southeast corner of section 29 in Orange Township, just east of the Johnson Township line. It lies about 9 miles south of Martinsville at the intersection of N. 600th Street and E. 300th road (county hwy 16). It received its name from the surrounding Moonshine Prairie, allegedly named by settlers in about 1840 when they saw the glistening of the dew upon the prairie grass in the moonlight. A post office was established at Moonshine on Oct 6, 1871 and was discontinued on Aug. 13, 1878.
The original Moonshine store was in the front room of a house owned by William "Billy" Martz, a veteran of the Civil War, located on the south side of the road. It also served as the first local post-office. Sylvester Crandall would bring the mail from Martinsville once a week by horse cart or buggy. A grocery store was built across the road in the late1800s to the north of the present store which was built about 1912. It was converted in 1982 to the Moonshine Store Restaurant.
To get to Moonshine, take Union St. south out of Martinsville, following the road straight for about 9 miles. It will turn into N. Creek Rd. and then N. 600 St.
Photo submitted by Sandy Cirullo and Larry Wells
Moriah - Johnson Township
is located in Johnson Township, near the northwest corner of section 22. It lies about 5 miles south and 3 miles east of Casey, or about 7 miles south and 3 miles west of Martinsville. It was formerly Mt. Moriah. A post office was established at Moriah on June 17, 1893. It was discontinued on April 15, 1915.
Neadmore - Johnson Township
is located the southwest corner of section 4 of Orange Township. It lies about ½ mile east and 5 miles south of Martinsville. A post office was established at Neadmore on March 2, 1887. It was discontinued March 31, 1903.
Oak Point - Johnson Township
is located about 7 miles south of Casey on Route 49, in Johnson Township. A Post Office operated at Oak Point from June 28, 1861 to Feb. 28, 1902.
Oakleaf - Casey Township
is a village situated on the northeast quarter of secton 14 of Casey Township. It is located about 3 miles northeast of Casey, and about 3 miles southwest of Martinsville, along route 40 (National Road) and the Vandalia-Pennsylvania railroad.
Oilfield - Parker Township
is a former village in the northwest quarter of section 20 of Parker Township about 6 miles north of Casey on route 49. It received its name in the early 1860s when several wells drilled in the vicinity produced oil. It has also been known as Oil Fields and Oil City. A post office was established at Oilfield on Feb. 19, 1896. It was discontinued since 1931. About all that remains now of the village is the Oilfield Garage and General Store building on the corner of route 49 and Parker Lane.
Orange - Orange Township
is a village located in the northwest quarter of section 27 of Orange Township. A post office was established at Orange on Sept. 29, 1871. It was discontinued March 31, 1903.
Walnut Prairie - York Township
is situated on the northwest quarter of section 8 and the east edge of the northeast quarter of section 7 in York Township. It is located about 10 miles south of Marshall on the New York Central R. R. east of route 1. The settlement took its name from the Walnut Prairie which was so named by early settlers for the many walnut trees which grew around its edge.
A Post office was established at Walnut Prairie on March 24, 1875. It was discontinued on May 15, 1923.
Weir - Orange Township
was located on the north half of section 1, of Orange Township, near the border with Martinsville Township
It was probably named for the Weir family of early settlers in the Martinsville area.
A Post office was established at Weir on Mar. 2, 1898. It was discontinued on June 30, 1901
Wells - Orange Township
was named for William & Matthew C. Wells.
A Post office was established at Wells on Nov. 6, 1893. It was discontinued on Oct. 31, 1902.
Westfield - Westfield Township
is a village situated on the southwest quarter and the south half of the northwest quarter of section 29, the southeast quarter and the south half of the northeast quarter of section 30, the north half of the northeast quarter of section 31, and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 32 in Westfield Township. It is located in the northwest corner of Clark County near the Coles and Edgar County lines, about 10 miles north of Casey and 10 miles SE or Charleston, on route 49 and the Dayton, Hamilton & Cincinnati R. R. It was platted in 1839 by Colonel Archer.
It received its name from the fact that it lies at the extreme northwest of the County.
A post office was established at Westfield on June 18, 1840. The village was incorporated on Aug. 31, 1875. It was the site of the Westfield College from 1861 to 1914, from which the village received much of its prosperity. In 1900, Westfield had a bank, five churches and two newspapers, and its population was 820.
West Union - York Township
is situated in the northwest corner of section 20 and the northeast corner of section 19 and the southeast corner of section 18 in in York Township. It is located about 12 miles south of Marshall on route 1 and the New York Central R. R.
The settlement took its name from the Union Prairie. It was also known as Union Station
A Post office was established at West Union on June 10, 1868.
York - York Township
is the oldest settlement in the county. It is located in York Township at the southeast corner of the county on the Wabash River. It was first settled in the spring of 1814, while yet part of the Illinois Territory, by Thomas Handy, a native of New York State. One legend says it was named after a family of early settlers, but It most likely took it's name from that state from whence came almost all of the early settlers. It was once a thriving river town. The heyday of "Old York" occurred during the era of the steamboats. It began to decline after 1875 when the Paris-Vincennes Railroad was built about 1 ½ to the west of town. The town of West York, just over the county line in Crawford County , was founded on the railway and soon grew at the expense of Old York.
A post office was established at York on Oct. 9, 1820, at that time part of Crawford County. It was discontinued since 1931.
Copyright © Genealogy Trails | <urn:uuid:09de9804-b02c-4550-9b27-a74a1e2ecb55> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://genealogytrails.com/ill/clark/communities/martinsville.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00432-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98249 | 4,323 | 2.390625 | 2 |
From 'sea of mutations,' two possible cancer links rise to the surface
By analyzing data from thousands of patients, Princeton researchers have identified genetic mutations that frequently occur in people with uterine cancer, colorectal cancer or skin cancer — an important step toward using genome sequences to better understand cancer and guide new treatments.
Many genetic malfunctions are commonly found in cancers, and scientists are working to distinguish those directly involved in both the initial growth of cancer and its spread throughout the body. The complexity of both the disease and the ordinary functions of the genome have made this a difficult problem. However, researchers have been applying advances in data science to new collections of genetic data to the question of how cancer develops.
“There are numerous mutations that occur in any individual’s cancer,” said Mona Singh, senior author of the paper and a Princeton professor of computer science and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. “A major question in cancer genomics is to figure out, from this large sea of mutations, which ones are actually causal for cancer initiation, but also for progression.”
In a study published June 28 in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, Singh’s group addressed this question by lining up mutations in a large group of genes that play key roles in gene expression regulation and other cellular processes. These genes are known as zinc finger genes because they have a protein structure that involves a zinc ion. The researchers examined mutations in these genes using the Cancer Genome Atlas, which includes more than 10,000 tumor samples from 32 cancer types.
Daniel Munro, the paper’s lead author, said the researchers were able to take advantage of the genes’ similarities to find common cancer mutations that disrupt protein structures, leading to impaired cellular functions.
“It allows us to identify patterns because we can look at many different proteins at the same time,” said Munro, a graduate student in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. Dario Ghersi, a former postdoctoral researcher in Singh’s lab who is now an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, was also a co-author.
Cancer cells divide rapidly and often have deficient DNA repair mechanisms, leading to high mutation rates compared to normal cells. Therefore the researchers tested whether the mutations they had detected occurred more often than would be expected by chance — an important check to evaluate the meaning of their results. They calculated the overall mutation rates for zinc finger genes in each cancer patient and found that two sites — affecting amino acids 9 and 11 in the zinc finger domain — were mutated at higher rates than this background level.
Among other control analyses, the team also compared the mutation rates at amino acids 9 and 11 to rates of “mutational signatures” known to be common across the genome in particular cancer types. Although such mutations are common in these cancers, at amino acid 9 in zinc finger domains they occurred nearly 10 times more often than would be expected by chance in uterine and colorectal cancers.
The study further showed that in other cancer types, zinc finger genes have more mutations than the genome overall. Taken together, the results are strong evidence “that zinc finger genes are major players in the gene dysregulation you see in cancers,” said Singh.
Singh said she hoped the results would help guide laboratory research and lead to progress in understanding the mechanisms of cancer.
“We’re keen to have other people follow up on this work,” she said. | <urn:uuid:6a5efa86-0ce7-4da0-a290-d8dc5428a390> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.princeton.edu/news/2018/08/08/sea-mutations-two-possible-cancer-links-rise-surface | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.960098 | 728 | 2.921875 | 3 |
British Airways expects to be one of the first British companies doing business in the new Euro.
From Friday (January 1, 1999) customers travelling on any of the airline`s flights from European states adopting the new currency will have the choice of paying their fares in either local currency or in Euros. This applies to all the airline`s services from the Eurozone - the 11 countries initially introducing the new European single currency.
With the start of the new year, the airline`s 40,000 front line staff will be dealing in Euros for ticket sales, fare quotations and in-flight sales. A number of passengers flying from airports across the Eurozone are expected to pay for their tickets in Euros early on New Year`s Day.
British Airways has spent the past two years ensuring that all its systems and employees are fully prepared to meet the Euro needs of the airline`s customers - 45 per cent of whom travel to and from Continental Europe, representing 30 per cent of the company`s turnover.
Bob Ayling, British Airways Chief Executive, said: “Our passengers, especially business travellers, are likely to be among the first to start using the new currency. British Airways` aim is to offer them the best choice at all times and to contribute to a smooth introduction of the new European single currency in the countries adopting it.”
The airline has written to its suppliers in the Eurozone explaining that it is ready to make payment in Euro from Friday and suggesting that they agree on a date for cutover. | <urn:uuid:fcc475ee-e1db-4722-bc00-c993c28433fc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/btn40001650/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00076-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930857 | 309 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Five inmates at Kratie provincial prison escaped in the early hours of morning with the aid of a saw.
Four remain on the run, including three killers.
Thim Narin, a provincial coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, which monitors conditions at the prison, say the five inmates used the saw to cut through the wooden walls of their room before escaping over the wall.
The prison break took more than four hours, she said, and added that it was unclear how the inmates obtained the saw. Eight other prisoners who were sharing the room with the escapees did not attempt to flee.
A prison official said that three of the escapees had been convicted of intentional murder. The official, who could not provide details of the case against the men, identified them as: Yen Nara, 26, who was sentenced to 18 years; Thoun Nal, 22, who was sentenced to 15 years; and Saom Soknang, 27, who was sentenced to 10 years. All three remain at large.
Chhoung Seng Hak, the provincial police chief, said Ith Samean – a 35-year-old escapee who was being held in pretrial detention on robbery charges – was re-apprehended, and that police were cooperating with prison officials to track down the other fugitives.
“We won’t allow those prisoners to live outside the prison because they can cause insecurity in society,” he said, and added that the men were likely to face additional charges stemming from their escape.
Jeff Vize, a prison project consultant for the rights group Licadho, said he could not provide information about the frequency of escapes, but expressed concern for the “safety of the prisoners once they are apprehended”.
At the prison in Kratie, he said, prisoners who are considered flight risks are often shackled and denied recreation time, violations of both Cambodian and international law. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER | <urn:uuid:3352b8bc-379f-49ff-bef6-c6ed8707cccc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/five-break-out-jail | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00546-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97753 | 409 | 1.5 | 2 |
Prion protein (PrP) is known to accumulate in some non-neuronal tissues under conditions unrelated to prion diseases. The biochemical and biological nature of such accumulated PrP molecules, however, has not been fully evaluated. In this study, we established experimental myopathy in hamsters by long-term administration of chloroquine, and we examined the nature of the PrP molecules that accumulated. PrP accumulation was immunohistochemically demonstrated in autophagic vacuoles in degenerated muscle fibers, and this was accompanied by the accumulation of other molecules related to the neuropathogenesis of prion diseases such as clathrin, cathepsin B, heparan sulfate, and apolipoprotein J. Accumulated PrP molecules were partially insoluble in detergent solution and were slightly less sensitive to proteinase K digestion than normal cellular PrP. Muscle homogenates containing these PrP molecules did not cause disease in inoculated hamsters. The findings indicate that the PrP molecules that accumulated in muscle fibers have distinct biochemical and biological properties. Therefore, experimental chloroquine myopathy is a novel and useful model to investigate the mechanism of deposition of PrP in non-neuronal tissues and might provide new insights in the pathogenesis of prion diseases.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology | <urn:uuid:3a7b814e-0105-40cd-9d11-2b665453b4f1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kyushu-u.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/accumulation-of-prion-protein-in-muscle-fibers-of-experimental-ch | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.934441 | 290 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Individual differences |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
This article forms part of a series on
|Engram · Dianetics: MSMH · Clear|
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Space opera · Xenu · Human evolution
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| Study Tech · Auditing · Disconnection |
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|MEST · ARC · Tone scale · Reactive mind|
| L. Ron Hubbard · David Miscavige |
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| Personality Tests · Volunteer Ministers |
CCHR · ABLE · WISE · CBAA
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| Sea Org · Church of Scientology |
Celebrity Centre · Trementina Base
Office of Special Affairs · Gold Base
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| Suppressive Person · Fair Game |
Snow White · Operation Freakout
Scientology vs. Internet
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The legal system · Fishman Affidavit
Scientology as a Business
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (often abbreviated as DMSMH) is a book by L. Ron Hubbard which sets out self-improvement techniques he had devised, called Dianetics, now part of the wider subject of Scientology.
In the book, first published in 1950, Hubbard claims to have isolated the "dynamic principle of existence", which he states as "Survive", and presents his description of the human mind. He identifies the source of "human aberration" as the "reactive mind", a normally hidden area of the mind, and memory traces or "engrams" stored in it. Dianetics describes counseling (or "auditing") techniques which Hubbard claimed would get rid of engrams and bring major therapeutic benefits. (See the main article on Dianetics for a fuller description of its conceptual basis).
The book proved a major commercial success on its publication but also aroused considerable controversy over Hubbard's claims.
Dianetics was first published May 9 1950 by Hermitage House, a New York-based publisher of psychiatric textbooks whose head, Arthur Ceppos, was also on the Board of Directors of the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation.Hubbard claimed to have taken only six weeks to write the book (though according to another Scientology source he wrote all 180,000 words in only three weeks ).
The book caught the public imagination and became a nationwide bestseller, selling over 150,000 copies within a year. Due to the interest generated, a multitude of "Dianetics clubs" and similar organizations were formed for the purpose of applying Dianetics techniques. Hubbard himself established a nationwide network of Dianetic Research Foundations, offering Dianetics training and processing for a fee.
Although it received a positive public response, Dianetics was strongly criticized by scientists and medical professionals for its scientific deficiencies. In response, Hubbard's Dianetic Research Foundation issued a survey of "patients" to support his claims that Dianetics could achieve remarkable health benefits. See scientific evaluations of Dianetics for more on the scientific debate.
The original edition of the book included an introduction by J.A. Winter, M.D., an appendix on "The Philosophic Method" by Will Durant (reprinted from The Story of Philosophy, 1926), and two other appendices by John W. Campbell and Donald H. Rogers. These contributions are omitted from editions of Dianetics published since about the start of the 1980s. It is unclear how many editions there have been, but at least 60 printings are said to have been issued by 1988, almost all having been printed by the Church of Scientology and its related organisations.
Current editions are published by Bridge Publications, 4751 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029. Over twenty million copies have been sold, according to the cover of the latest paperback books. The following statement is included on the copyright page of all editions: "This book is part of the works of L. Ron Hubbard, who developed Dianetics spiritual healing technology and Scientology applied religious philosophy. It is presented to the reader as a record of observations and research into the nature of mind and spirit, and not a statement of claims made by the author...."
Scientologists regard the publication Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health as a key historical event for their movement and the world, and refer to the book as "Book One". Hubbard himself regarded its publication as such an important event that he created his own calendar based on the publication date of Dianetics, dating his Scientology writings from that time. For instance, Hubbard uses "A.D. 13" to mean 1963 – literally "year 13 After Dianetics".
Dianetics is still heavily promoted today by the Church of Scientology and has been advertised widely on television and in print. Indeed, it has been alleged that the Church has asked its members to purchase large quantities of the book with their own money, or with money supplied by the Church, for the sole purpose of keeping the book on the New York Times Best Seller list. Hubbard described the book as a key asset in recruiting people to Scientology:
- People who had read Book One and wanted Dianetics, when delivered enough Book One auditing, training or co-auditing, then started to reach for Scn [Scientology] services. Given sufficient quantity and quality of Book One, these people naturally started to WANT and reach for Scn services!
The Dianetics volcanoEdit
Newspaper reports and critics of Scientology have claimed that the volcano on post-1967 editions of Dianetics refers to the story of Xenu, who is said by Hubbard to have placed billions of his people around Earth's volcanoes and killed them there by blowing them up with hydrogen bombs. , A representative of the Church of Scientology has confirmed in court that the Dianetics volcano is indeed linked with the "catastrophe" wrought by Xenu.
According to former Scientologist Bent Corydon, the purpose of including the volcano on the cover of the book was to "restimulate" memories of Xenu's genocide and make Dianetics irresistible to purchasers. A variety of other symbols associated with Xenu were added to other Scientology book covers. Corydon writes:
- A special "Book Mission" was sent out to promote these books, now empowered and made irresistible by the addition of these supposedly overwhelming symbols or images. Organization staff were assured that if they simply held up one of the books, revealing its cover, that any bookstore owner would immediately order crateloads of them. A customs officer, seeing any of the book covers in one's luggage, would immediately pass one on through.
The volcano has also featured on billboards advertising Dianetics; in Australia, the Church of Scientology had built a giant billboard in Sydney depicting an erupting volcano with "non-toxic smoke", measuring 33m (100 ft) wide and 10 m (30 ft) high.
- ↑ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky, New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 081840499X.
- ↑ "L.R.H. Biography", Sea Org Flag Information Letter 67, October 31, 1977
- ↑ Hubbard, Child Dianetics, p. 178. Publications Organization Worldwide, Edinburgh (1968 edition)
- ↑ Frontispiece of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, 1988 edition (New Era Publications, Copenhagen)
- ↑ "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power", Time, May 6, 1991
- ↑ Hubbard, "The Ridge on the Bridge", LRH ED 344R INT of March 10, 1982, revised October 21, 1982
- ↑ "Travolta's Religious Battlefield Critics say movie bolsters Scientology", San Francisco Chronicle, May 15, 2000
- ↑ "Weird Scientology", New Haven Advocate, September 22, 2005
- ↑ Cross-examination of Warren McShane, Religious Technology Center vs Factnet et al, September 12, 1995
- ↑ Corydon, Bent. L. Ron Hubbard: Madman or Messiah?, p. 361. Lyle Stuart, Inc. (1987)
- ↑ "Scientologists' message goes up in hi-tech smoke", Sydney Morning Herald, May 4, 1996
- Corydon, Bent. L. Ron Hubbard: Madman or Messiah?. Lyle Stuart, Inc. (1987)
- Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950 and innumerable subsequent editions)
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).| | <urn:uuid:3a06ab82-444a-4a3d-acbb-6c8fb7af1eeb> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Dianetics:_The_Modern_Science_of_Mental_Health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00192-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934616 | 1,801 | 2.3125 | 2 |
What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation
This is not a book about doing better. It's not a manual for people who want to tinker at the margins. Instead, it's an impassioned plea to reinvent management as we know it—to rethink the fundamental assumptions we have about capitalism, organizational life, and the meaning of work.
Leaders today confront a world where the unprecedented is the norm. Wherever one looks, one sees the exceptional and the extraordinary:
- Business newspapers decrying the state of capitalism.
- Once-innovative companies struggling to save off senescence.
- Next gen employees shunning blue chips for social start-ups.
- Corporate miscreants getting pilloried in the blogosphere.
- Entry barriers tumbling in what were once oligopolistic strongholds.
- Hundred year-old business models being rendered irrelevant overnight.
- Newbie organizations crowdsourcing their most creative work.
- National governments lurching towards bankruptcy.
- Investors angrily confronting greedy CEOs and complacent boards.
- Newly omnipotent customers eagerly wielding their power.
- Social media dramatically transforming the way human beings connect, learn and collaborate.
Obviously, there are lots of things that matter now. But in a world of fractured certainties and battered trust, some things matter more than others. While the challenges facing organizations are limitless; leadership bandwidth isn't. That's why you have to be clear about what really matters now. What are the fundamental, make-or-break issues that will determine whether your organization thrives or dives in the years ahead? Hamel identifies five issues are that are paramount: values, innovation, adaptability, passion and ideology. In doing so he presents an essential agenda for leaders everywhere who are eager to...
- move from defense to offense
- reverse the tide of commoditization
- defeat bureaucracy
- astonish their customers
- foster extraordinary contribution
- capture the moral high ground
- outrun change
- build a company that's truly fit for the future
Concise and to the point, the book will inspire you to rethink your business, your company and how you lead. | <urn:uuid:5fc6fb10-dd4c-4202-9adb-60d72d07abb8> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118219082,descCd-buy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720026.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00456-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922719 | 461 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The second session that we are blogging at the Bring IT Together 2015 conference is:
e-Learning program at TDSB is growing rapidly. We would like to share what we have learned on this journey and how do we support our e-Learning teachers and students.
Innovation Stations are found in the Learning Hall along side the dining area. These stations are a trade show of innovative classroom ideas. Innovation Stations are scheduled for Thursday or Friday 12:00 – 1:00 pm, or during the social on Thursday 5:00 – 6:00 pm.
This was an Innovation Session, which is a fancy way of saying it was like a traditional science fair kind of model. I took a picture of their display.
There was also a brochure, and I took a couple of pictures of that too.
This entry is crossposted at | <urn:uuid:7911c17b-14b7-4b24-be48-ed7fcf67e077> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://canelearn.net/2015/11/05/bit-2015-innovation-station-e-learning-program-tdsb/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570651.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807150925-20220807180925-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.966443 | 210 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Search The Library's Lexicon
In its most extensive sense it means all commerce which is carried on contrary to the laws of the state. This term was also used to designate all kinds of merchandise which were used or transported against the interdictions published by a ban or solemn cry.
During time of war, materials carried aboard a vessel that could aid a belligerent in the process of the war such as arms, weapons or munitions.
The term is usually applied to that unlawful commerce which is so carried on in time of war. Commodities particularly useful in war are contraband as arms, ammunition, horses, timber for ship building, and every kind of naval stores. When articles come into use as implements of war, which were before innocent, they may be declared to be contraband. The greatest difficulty to decide what is contraband seems to have occurred in the instance of provisions which have not been held to be universally contraband, though they may become so on certain occasions when there is an expectation of reducing an enemy by famine.
In fairly modern times one of the principal criteria adopted by the courts for the decision of the question whether any particular cargo of provisions be confiscable as contraband is to examine whether tbose provisions be in a rude or manufactured state; for all articles in such examinations are treated with greater indulgence in their natural condition than when wrought tip for the convenience of the enemy's immediate use. Iron, unwrought, is therefore treated with indulgence, though anchors and other instruments fabricated out of it, are directly contraband.
Contraband of war is the act by which, in times of war, a neutral vessel introduces, or attempts to introduce into the territory of one of the belligerent parties, arms, ammunition or other effects intended for, or which may serve, hostile operations. | <urn:uuid:4586b73b-ddee-4615-9fb6-5f6a8a5decb4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.lectlaw.com/def/c122.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281424.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00329-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962006 | 369 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Episcopal Prelates Differ On Kennedy
April 28, 1960
Episcopal Prelates Differ On Kennedy
A former Episcopal bishop of West Virginia says he would not hesitate to vote for Sen. John F. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, in the coming presidential campaign.
But the present bishop, the Rt. Rev. Wilburn C. Campbell of Charleston, said it is right and proper that the religious issue had entered Kennedy’s contest here with Sen. Hubert Humphrey, and Kennedy should be questioned.
Dr. Robert E. Strider of Leetown, started the discussion last night with his endorsement of Kennedy. He was Episcopal bishop here 32 years, retiring in 1955.
Kennedy immediately said he was grateful to Bishop Strider and “I think his statement will make it easier for us now to move to a discussion of the real issues facing West Virginia and the nation.”
In Chicago, Bishop Campbell was quoted as follows, before the release of Bishop Strider’s statement by Strider’s son-in-law, Ray Niblack:
“I will defend Sen. Kennedy’s right to be a Roman Catholic in the United States, but when a candidate wants to be a leader of all the American people, they have a right to ask questions about his religion,” the bishop told a Tribune reporter who is specifically assigned to the religious issue in the current campaign.
“For example, the bishop asked, did Kennedy subscribe to the syllabus of errors promulgated by Pope Pius IX in 1864, “which in effect denies equal rights to the non-Roman churches?”
“This is a matter which gives intelligent people concern,” the Episcopal cleric added. “Our fears are based on history and not on prejudice or bigotry.
“The senator said in his speech that no one would give him orders as president. Does this mean he denies the doctrine of papal infallibility? He should answer questions such as this unequivocably.”
Niblack, acting as spokesman for Dr. Strider, said the bishop told Kennedy he was “profoundly impressed with the forthright manner in which you have handled this (religious) issue. You have left no doubt in my mind concerning your loyalty to the Constitution of the United States which would prohibit any church influence in the discharge of your duties as president.”
He said the bishop added this statement:
“I believe the senator (Kennedy) is a man of exceptional high character, and his war record and his record in the U. S. Senate certainly are testimony to that.
“On the major religious questions of birth control, the possibility of an ambassador to the Vatican and aid to parochial schools, the senator has given answers which I feel should allay any fears concerning church influence on him as president.”
Niblack said it was the first time Dr. Strider ever had endorsed a candidate for president.
The brief unscheduled meeting between Kennedy and Dr. Strider was arranged by William C. Battle, who served in PT boats with Kennedy during World War II and is a son of former Virginia governor John S. Battle Sr.
As Kennedy was on his way from Washington to Charles Town for a rally Wednesday night, the Kennedy car suddenly cut off at Leetown, where Dr. Strider lives. After the closed-door session between the two, Kennedy drove on to the rally at the race track here.
The Massachusetts senator meets Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn) head on in the May 10 West Virginia presidential primary, which does not bind the state’s convention delegates. At the race track rally, Kennedy again criticized hopefuls for the Democratic presidential nomination who, he said, hide behind their desks in Washington instead of hitting the campaign trail.
Humphrey, in Washington Wednesday, returns to Charleston today to continue his campaign tour. He will have the state to himself, with Kennedy not due back until the weekend.
Campaign Summary |
| Visits by Date | Visits by County |
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| Newspapers | Oral Histories | Photographs | Reminiscences | Speeches | | <urn:uuid:bad652a0-9f65-4e3f-958d-74f8b89e1860> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.wvculture.org/history/1960presidentialcampaign/newspapers/19600428charlestondailymail.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00405-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969643 | 884 | 1.828125 | 2 |
How Well Do You Know Your Facebook Friends? Precautions for Travelers
I have visited six countries in the last six months. And every time I've crossed a border (and sometimes even when I haven't), Facebook has known about it.
"We don't recognize the location you're logging in from," they begin. So, in order to test the authenticity of my identity, they ask permission to run me through a few questions.
The first step is easy enough. To prove that I'm not a computer, I have to recognize and enter the squiggly letters and numbers generated for me. No problemo.
However, the next step is slightly more harrowing. I am told that I'll be shown a series of pictures of my Facebook friends, and that I must correctly identify them. Out of the six or so photos, I can say "I don't know" for two. The rest, I must identify — correctly — or I'll be barred access to my account.
A saving grace is that for each photo, I'm given five choices as to who the friend could be, and sometimes I'm shown two photos of the Facebook friend in question. So even if we're not the best of friends, I can sometimes narrow the choices down by the sheer powers of deduction.
But how many friends do you have on Facebook? How well do you know these friends? And how many of these friends like to upload blurry drunken shots from their cell phone, or pictures from childhood, or pictures of something completely unrelated (like their cat) that are accidentally tagged as them?
I have a friend who is a Facebook fiend. If he has the slightest encounter with somebody — anybody — he becomes friends with them on Facebook. For him, it is a challenge to see how many Facebook friends he can accumulate. I have another friend who loves to play Facebook games, and in order to gain status or higher points, she needs to accumulate more friends — and she does so promiscuously. I would wager that the Facebook security process of identifying their "friends" wouldn't auger well for either of them.
Until now, I've been happy to use my personal Facebook account as a bit of a business and social networking tool. I've "friended" people I know online whom I have some sort of relationship with, even if I don't know them really well — despite my inability to identify them in a picture attending some wedding 10 years ago.
But now, with these regular security checks levied every time I change locations (which, as a full-time traveler, is a lot), I'm weary. More than once I've been down to the wire in my photo-identifying frenzy, sometimes having to make educated guesses as to who the "friend" might be since I'd already selected "I don't know" twice.
What happens if you incorrectly identify a friend or otherwise fail the Facebook security test? Thankfully, I don't know. I'm sure there would be some identity-related hoops to jump through in order to reinstate the account — hoops I hope I'll never have to navigate.
This must be a fairly new initiative, because in my near-four years of full-time travels, I've only undergone these security checks in the last few months. And I actually quite like the idea that Facebook is working on security and privacy in this way. But I'm also very wary of accepting anybody I don't personally know (and by personally, I mean in-person) as a friend. To keep in touch with people I don't know as well, I have a fan page. And if you're planning on doing much traveling in the future and want access to your account, you may want to set up a fan page yourself, or study up on your friends' Facebook photos.
How do you use your Facebook account? And how well do you know your Facebook friends? Could you "pass the test"?
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Let's try to explain how to obtain the sound used in the intro of one of The Who's masterpieces. Pete Townshend in the original recording used a Lowrey organ with a feature called "Marimba Repeat" that gives the exact effect of the song. Basically it is an arpeggiator-like technique: the notes on the keyboard are splitted into two parts. The first ones play down beat and the others upbeat, thus creating a rapid alternating of them.
So, in Baba O'Riley, F and C play down beat and, say, D and E play upbeat. I managed to emulate that effect using my KORG Triton with 2 custom arpeggiators and splitting the keyboard. Maybe I'll write something about it or just upload the patch. Instead, I wanna explain how to use a simple VST I coded for the exact reason of emulating the "Marimba Repeat".
First of all, you need to use some kind of modular or semi-modular VST host (the kind that allow you to "wire" audio & midi i/o the way you want) because, due to techinal issues, applications like Cubase don't allow you to use the plugin as a "MIDI Effect". A good host is Plogue Bidule.
This is a picture of the patch you have to create:
It is pretty simple: Input Device -> Marimba Repeat Emu -> VSTi (mdaEPiano in the image) -> Audio Output. The brighter wires are MIDI connections. The audio i/o of Marimba Repeat Emu are dummy and are there only to make some VST hosts happy.
All you have to do now is playing some notes to hear how it sounds like.
Let's explain the MRE interface:
It's pretty minimalistic and there's also a small help if you click on "Help/About". This is how it works: instead of playing certain notes down beat and the others upbeat it splits the keyboard in two part (much like my Triton patch does) so that the left keys play down beat and the right upbeat. It also allows you to transpose the right part of the keyboard. The "keyboard split" parameter adjust the key used to split the keyboard. "BPM" obviously sets the speed and velocity (%) sets the MIDI velocity associated with the notes.
So, to play Baba, with the left hand keep plaing F C F C F and so on in sync with the arpeggiator and with the right hand play, for example, D and E.
I made this crappy video to show my triton patch but, since the principle is the same, it gives you an idea of what you get doing what I suggested.
Download: Marimba Repeat Vst | <urn:uuid:857545cc-fa58-4b12-ab65-79367658a2a4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://3mptylab.blogspot.com/2011/03/baba-oriley-intro-sound-tutorial.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00252-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92591 | 587 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Please take a look at the next drawing.
What do you see?
Is it that for you these lines are just random patterns of shades and lights? Do you see an old person or is it a young person? Are you able to see both at the same time or none of them? Are they part of one another or are they even the same person seen through the lens of time?
Given my cultural background, when I looked at this drawing, the first thing that came to my mind was the image of a young woman, looking sideways exposing the left part of her neck. But then later, seen from another perspective, the chin of the young woman could be also the nose of an old woman. Or the left eye of the old woman could be the ear of the young woman. Let me say first that the way my life has been shaped in a predominantly patriarchal world, is making me assume that both of them are women –which clearly could be incorrect. The point I’m trying to make is that if I wasn’t paying enough attention, I would be missing completely the old person.
And that’s exactly what’s happening with the Western Syndrome: many of us who live influenced and immersed in it, are completely missing, disregarding and belittling the wisdom and power of the indigenous ways of knowing that reminds us how to deeply love and how to be connected in (comm)unity.
Bear with me to share a striking example of how I came to finally realize about “not seeing the old woman.”
For almost a year, Unitierra Califas –which am part of– has been involved in a monthly seminar, hosted through the magic of the electronland via videoconferences, where close to ~20 different groups from all over America –from the parts of the Planet we call Argentina, Colombia, Perú, Mexico and the U.S…. and yes, America, or better, Abya Yala, is not a country but a continent ;-)– have been engaged in discussions of what we call, “Other Political Horizons: The End of Patriarchy, Capitalism, the Nation-State and Formal Democracy.” Each month the elder, Gustavo Esteva, whose love pulled all of us together, holds space to have a discussion around a particular theme. It could be from patriarchy, to a black feminist manifesto, to neoliberalism, to education, to health, to housing, to social control of technology, to food practices. In these discussions we not only share insights around the problems of the totalitarianism of corporate capitalism death machine, but also the enthusiastic nature of the beautiful world our hearts know is possible and the alternatives that have been already joyfully existing for a while.
Health or No Health
In a particular month we were digging deep in the domains of health. Or so we thought. We were given to study and reflect a few readings (one of them Ivan Illich’s analysis of the crisis of the health care system and the dangers of alternative medicine: Twelve Years After Medical Nemesis). As the different groups were sharing their collective reflections, many of us were stopped in our tracks by this insight that was reported later in our monthly summary:
“A central line of reflection opened when Valiana and Victor [two indigenous folks from the Southern and Northen parts of the Planet we call Mexico] made us see that there are no words in Maya [South] and Rarámuri[North] to refer to what we commonly call ‘health’ or ‘disease’. They said that, in any case, that condition was not an individual affair or was not related to a physical or mental state of a person: rather, they were disturbances of harmony in relationships in the community, whether between people or other living or non-living things, that could or may not manifest in the condition of any given person. The question offers very different angles of analysis, which we need to continue to explore. Among other things, it shows us the limitations of our current language, constructed and conditioned by the dominant regime. The path of emancipation will have to go through the construction of a new language.“
Let that land for a moment and, if you don’t mind, am going to read this paragraph again because it still captures me with deep amazement…
It is not that the Mayan and Tarahumara/Rarámuri peoples don’t have words for “health” or “disease”, rather, their culture have a very different worldview. Sister Valiana explained further with an example:
“When we, Mayan people, experience the death of a child –inside or outside the womb– or any other situation that is affecting the community, a ceremony is offered. In this ceremony, the whole community gathers and goes from home to home to offer Saká –which is a drink made out from corn, honey and sacred plants connected with life and fertility. The sacred beverage is offered to start healing. The community uses this word “to heal”, because something is happening there, and it is not a family or a person’s issue but it is a matter that embraces the entire community. We go from house to house to offer it. Then the ceremony continues to be held by the whole community but now the beverage is offered to the earth, to the animals and, not only to that, we Mayan People feel that there are other people taking care of the mountains, and rivers, and the winds that surrounds us. And thus, the special drink is offered to them too, because if we don’t do it, we know we are doing something wrong, we know we’ve been ungrateful with all that is.
So, if we know we are fighting among ourselves or something intense is happening, we also feel compelled to offer this drink not only to the earth, to animals, to the rocks, to the air, to the cenotes (sacred fresh water holes), but also to the things that even though we cannot see, we know we must be in harmony with. We call these energies, people who take care of us, who are always present and whom we should revere with cyclic/recurring ceremonies, otherwise, the lack of this acknowledgement will affect the entire community as well.”
What happened to me after being hit with this realization –a culture where there are no words for health, disease, and not even words for government and democracy!– was the experience of this feeling as when I saw the “old woman” for the first time in the drawing. In an insightful deep and loving conversation with our beloved Dr. Poet Sri Shamasunder –who is the cofounder of HEAL and was the midwife of using this drawing of the two women– I shared with him how I no longer can hold only the perspective of the “young woman” Western Syndrome perspective where there are words for health and disease. Now, sometimes I’m experiencing one, sometimes the other, and sometimes both “images”.
I thought I was way ahead on the learning curve to decolonize my mind, little did I know how radical and rooted in love and community many Indigenous People still are nowadays. What a humbling experience this is!
Remembering to Deeply Love and Unlearning the Ways of the Western Syndrome
Perhaps to be even clearer with this clash and coexistence of world views, let’s take the “first person in the drawing”, in the form of a question:
1. How is that elder Rafael got sick with pneumonia?
and the “second person in the drawing” in this other question:
2. How is that the community got sick with pneumonia in elder Rafael?
It seems to me, that the Western Syndrome lens is operating in the first question, as it alludes isolation and suggests that is not “my problem”. A more extreme case of Western Syndrome will even say: “He should know better and get some warm layers. Poor elder Rafael.” With a second way to acknowledge the interconnected and interdependent web of life, though, my heart feels alive, fills with love and abundant active hope and possibility. It encourages me to be engaged and acknowledges my responsibility in the matter. The wellbeing of elder Rafael is part of my wellbeing and the wellbeing of all.
What is the difference between these two questions and where do they intersect? What does it mean to have an authentic dialogue of wisdoms?
There are different ways to heal and have dialogue around it. It means we require to go beyond our conditioning of language and images. How do we keep a dialogue with people and cultures where there are no words for “health” and “disease”? What are we talking about when we talk about a disease? What does it mean when someone tells us that certain perturbations in the relationships of community could be manifested as huracanes or as pneumonia?
If elder Rafael has pneumonia the first question then is why the community got sick of pneumonia in elder Rafael. It is not that we are holding the thought that there’s a sick individual with a specific disease, rather it is the entire community who is sick in elder Rafael.
This is the world and reality, regardless if we are aware of it or not, in which we live: we are a tapestry of humanity and we are further weaved with the biosphere.
The challenge is, how can we organize an effective dialogue between these two different cultures? How can we imagine a form of social organization where these radically different views –which cannot be reduced one from the other– are in practical, concrete and continuous dialogue and are part of the forms of relationship of everyday life in all aspects?
None of these questions have a clear answer. We cannot say “because A, therefore B, here’s the concrete answer to this question.” It is more about reasons for reflection, because they are very broad issues.
All of the sudden, this other question makes so much sense: Why is that the Earth Community is sick with this madness in uncle Donald Trump?
In her article Revolutionary Suicide(2013), black Christian Rev. Lynice Pinkard gave us some hints:
“Through its inception, [the government imposed in the part of the Planet we call] the U.S. has served as an immune system for capitalism, one that not only protects it from outside threats (worker uprisings, for example, or Communism), but from internal ones as well. In fact, one of the government’s primary jobs is to protect capitalism from its own excesses. […] The fact that women, slaves, and materially poor people had no voting rights was not a historical oversight. The entire purpose of the new nation was to protect the property rights of materially wealthy, white men.
The government [imposed in the part of the Planet we call the U.S.] has repeatedly proved its willingness to protect capitalism above all other things. […]
We have seen how government and law have been made to serve the perpetuation of global capitalism, and we have also noted how the state –the organization of the military, the police, and the criminal justice system– will discipline our bodies through force and coercion if we challenge capitalism too directly. But equally powerful are the fortresses of civil society that sit next to the state: all of the religious, legal, educational, and cultural institutions that discipline our minds and emotions and mediate supremacist hegemonies through socialization and consent.”
At times it looks as if we are too obedient to follow white supremacy. There are undocumented and unafraid folks organizing to embody dignity and respect, but also there are people who ask us “But what do we do over here? We are documented and afraid”. Part of the answer is that we are already part of a movement that is awakening the Earth in unprecedented ways. No silly papers or passports or visas can take away this fact and the ultimate reality that, right now, we are the Earth herself.
Have you think about this: What does it mean to have papers endorsed by the most destructive empire that has ever existed in the history of humanity, so destructive, that the people in charge of it are willing to put in risk the future of their own children? I’d have no problem burning/destroying all such documents –of course in a environmentally friendly way– and the same goes for all the documents issued by all the governments imposed in all parts of the Planet. If there is a disease now –other than the main one of patriarchy followed by that of white supremacy– preventing us to spark our planetary immune system to eradicate capitalism, it is the so called Nation-State. And now let me turn the table around: do _you_ have papers? And how is that such papers bring security, peace and freedom of mind and heart? Security of what? We absolutely don’t need to give up our personal and collective peace and freedom.
To heal and healing, within this context, take new meanings. One that moves from nouns to verbs. A direct engagement with our capacity and intrinsic power to heal ourselves individually and as a Planetary Community. Perhaps the dis-ease is already too spread all over the Earth to be composted with more care. It seems as though we, the collective being who is the Earth, need to suffer some more, until we reach a point where suffering is unnecessary.
Which are the emancipatory roles of the so called professions (like doctors, lawyers and school teachers, to name a few) that seem to be oppressive by nature as they are now heavily infused with patriarchy, arrogance, lack of humility and capitalism? No doubt, the people causing this hurt and pains are hurting themselves as well. The world view manifesting “Why is that the Earth Community got sick with this madness in uncle Donald Trump?” now is clearly related with the ways we, women, men and non-binary-gender people, perpetuate patriarchy and how we keep cooperating with unethical institutions and our hesitation to be fearless, joyous, compassionate and full hearted human beings.
It is proven that hurt people hurt people, and healed people heal people, and loved people love people. There are unnumbered examples of human beings who committed heinous crimes and who later, have recovered, healed and became a positive force loving, uniting and bringing harmony –including many _many_ former CIA agents, the latest one been brother Ed Snowden.
As a recovering sexist and recovering left-brainer , I tremendously appreciate to have examples of identified male brothers who are recovered from these sickening ways of engaging with the world, but also deeply inspired by courageous female sisters and non-binary gender people and children who stand up, don’t put up with oppression, and express this other reality in clearer and gentler ways to move towards living in a post-patriarchal world.
This will require all our personal, group and planetary ways of healing transcending the oppression of indigenous people, black, immigrants, women and queer folks. It has to come from the motivation of our self-love, the respect and reverence for this glorious Earth. As brave wise elder and former Black Panther sister Ericka Huggins says: “Love is an expression of power and we can use it to transform ourselves and the world.” To be living in a healing Planet it means to understand that instead of conceiving the word “security”, we replace it altogether with respectful relationships with all sentient beings, where there are plazas, and natural building villages formed by homes; where neighbors are embedded in a Beloved Community; where everything is a bit more circular; and where borders turn organic: lakes, mountains, oceans, deserts, forests, rivers; where the center of it all is life. And if life is the center, of course women have to be playing a major role as they have been doing/being it in all spheres of our lives. Many of us had already lived in such spaces. These are spaces where we all can hold space for compassion, understanding, healing and an ecology of joy.
My two biological grandmothers have transitioned from the young lady to the old lady to even being dissolved again back to the Earth. My two biological grandfathers have experienced the same fate. And like them, there are so many ancestors (and plantcestors!) who have given their lives for us to live and continue this ~ 13.7 billion year old story of love. Their essences of all of them live strongly in me today, they are saying: “to heal today, we ought to disobey with Great Love.”
Not only undocumented, but _proudly_ undocumented and unafraid,
Fruitvale, Oakland, California, Earth. November 20th, 2017.
PS: ** Forgive me for using one of the two languages that I know of: one the colonial Spanish and the other the imperialist English… good luck verbally communicating the holistic reverence for life Pancho! 😉 | <urn:uuid:626a90ac-18ac-49d3-aa17-75f982be0448> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://earthlingopinion.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/of-dialogue-of-wisdoms-and-emancipation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.960011 | 3,550 | 1.695313 | 2 |
- by Anna Pha
- The Guardian
- Issue #1961
Women, aged care, and jobs were to be the focus of the 2021-22 federal budget – or so we were led to believe, prior to its release. Women, aged care, and jobs are the sales-pitch façade for what is an election budget. Putting aside a few token measures, the main thrust of the budget is pro-business. These measures are sweeteners that will not last. When the sugar coating comes off, it will be back to business in pursuit of a budget surplus based on harsh austerity measures.
“Australia is coming back […]. Our plan is working,” a smug Treasurer Josh Frydenberg claimed, as he played down the massive $151 bil deficit. Not that a deficit is necessarily a bad thing – it depends on what it is spent on. For example, the more than $40 bil per annum spent on war preparations, the millions more in tax cuts for the rich, the $20 bil in tax concessions for the corporate sector, and fossil fuel subsidies do not justify running up a deficit. But these are the real focus of the budget.
Such measures are evidence that the Coalition government is still pursuing its neoliberal agenda and still as subservient as ever to US imperialism. The main thrust of the budget is a private-sector led, fossil-fuel driven recovery. The budget deficit and accumulated debt is recognition that stimulatory measures are still required to lift the economy from crisis.
The unemployed are still condemned to poverty, as they wait for crumbs to trickle down from the rich and big business.
Iron ore is keeping the Australian economy afloat. In the past twelve months, the price has soared from US$87 to US$230 (AU$112 to AU$295) a tonne, primarily due to high demand from China and Brazil’s present difficulties. The underlying economy, iron ore aside, is not the rosy picture presented by the Treasurer.
The Treasurer boasted how well Australia had done economically compared with other industrialised countries. This would not have occurred without pressure from the trade union movement to provide employees of businesses affected by the pandemic with JobKeeper and an increased JobSeeker. This reduced job losses and kept many businesses going.
The number on JobKeeper peaked last September at 3.6 mil. Many of its recipients would otherwise have been deemed officially unemployed. These programs demonstrated the importance of consumer demand, of workers and the unemployed having money to spend.
The core budget assumptions about unemployment and economic growth are relatively rosy. Unemployment is forecast to be down to 4.75 per cent by 2023-23 and 4.5 per cent the year after – both below pre-pandemic levels.
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to rebound to 4.25 per cent in 2021-22 and then settle down to about 2.5 per cent thereafter. Given we are unlikely to have the population growth of the pre-COVID era, that’s a relatively high rate by recent standards, pleasing economic commentators.
The government is relying heavily on consumer spending to stimulate the economy. It is not doing this by increasing wages or pensions. It is relying on its “plan” for job creation which translates into the whims of market forces. This is centred on infrastructure spending, and subsidies and tax concessions to the private sector.
It ignores the link between higher wages and an increase in consumer demand, which in turn drives investment and job creation. It has not learnt the lessons of the pandemic and the positive economic impact of JobKeeper and JobSeeker.
It also fails to recognise the role job security plays in consumer confidence and spending.
The budget also assumes that borders will open by the middle of next year and that everyone would be vaccinated by the end of the year – by no means assured.
WAGES AND JOB SECURITY
The budget forecasts that workers cannot expect real wages growth prior to 2024-25. In real terms wages are forecast to decline over the next three years when compared with forecast rises in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Casualisation, labour hire, the gig economy, and job insecurity are not addressed. The government turns its back on low-income workers. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “Have a go to get a go” underlies the government’s attitude to workers and social security recipients.
Frydenberg continues to ignore the Reserve Bank of Australia’s pleas to increase wages as a means of stimulating the economy.
Last year’s budget was deservedly criticised as neglecting women. The government bungled the handling of a series of rape, sexual abuse and harassment allegations within its own corridors. The government earned anger and dissatisfaction from women around Australia, even within its own ranks. With an election on the horizon, women needed to appear to be high on the Coalition’s agenda.
The budget allocates $3.4 bil in funding for women over four years with the stated aim of improving women’s safety and economic security – less than five per cent of total new expenditure. Much of this spending is short-term, pre-election.
Frydenberg makes unsupported claims about “ensuring Australian workplaces are free from sexual harassment.” The government can’t even do that in the parliamentary bubble.
There is an allocation of $164.8 mil in financial support for women escaping family and domestic violence, including a trial of $5,000 assistance for women fleeing to safety. This is a start in the right direction but not enough.
Domestic violence services will see an increase of $250 mil per year to $1.1 bil, but this is reduced in later years. Clearly, it is a pre-election ploy, not a serious commitment.
The $1.7 bil allocated to early childhood education and care takes up half the allocation for women, and most of the benefit will be gained by families on higher incomes. (See page 4 for details.)
There is a government-backed scheme for sole parents (the overwhelming majority of whom are women), to be able to enter the housing market with a two per cent deposit. But how many low-income women, struggling to pay for rent, childcare, and day-to-day bills could save two per cent? Forty percent of single mothers struggle below the poverty line, as they rely on social security as their primary source of income. No mention of public housing.
Housing prices continue to rocket with combination of low interest rates and investors pouring into the market. Housing has been commodified, rather than seen as a human right.
The budget abolished the $450-a-month earnings threshold for superannuation payments. An estimated $4.7 mil in additional savings will flow into super accounts for 200,000 low-wage women. While this is a positive move, it is not enough. Women’s median super savings are around half that of men’s, and some women retire with no super at all. The measures fail to address the inequalities within the superannuation system, which run deeper than the gender divide. Nor do they tackle the rorting of the system by the wealthy.
CRUEL AND PUNITIVE
The $671 mil cut in income support for newly arrived migrants stands out as especially objectionable. As of 1st January 2022, new residents will have to wait four years before being eligible to apply for welfare payments.
$200 mil will be slashed from employment services which are already failing. There is no attempt to restructure and return them to the public sector, boost employment, cut back on contracting out the work of public servants. Outsourcing is far more costly as layers of profit are built in and there is no transparency or accountability as contracts are “commercial in confidence.”
The economy was sliding into recession prior to the pandemic. Structurally, there was a heavy reliance on visa workers in construction, tourism, aged care, health, and other areas. International students and tourism were other major contributors to the economy. Labour for these mostly low-paid jobs largely dried up with border closures. If the borders do not open, what then of the economic forecasts?
The government has found $467 mil over the next two years in additional funding for onshore immigration detention and expansion of the Christmas Island detention centre.
There are a few token, inadequate measures such as a small increase in the Medicare rebate for doctors in regional and remote areas. There will be $107 mil in cuts over the next four years in MRI and a number of other Medicare claims.
Prior to the budget, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that costs of the NDIS had to be reined in. The disastrous and cruel system of independent assessments was introduced to do this. The assessors were doing their job, cutting costs and reducing levels of care. There was such an uproar that the government was forced to suspend the independent assessments. But it has not given up on the idea.
The budget makes a relatively small increase in spending on the NDIS, but there is no doubt that following the elections, a Coalition government would return to “reining in” costs at the expense of people’s needs.
In the eyes of capitalists, people with disabilities are not highly productive for exploitation in the profit-making process – not worth spending a lot of money on.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Public universities were hit hard during the pandemic when international student numbers declined, and the government refused to pay them JobKeeper. They had become heavily reliant on international students as a means of addressing shortfalls in government funding. An estimated 17,000 staff lost their jobs. Courses were shut down. At the same time private universities received JobKeeper. Yet, the budget finds $53 mil for the private sector.
Since 2013, TAFE has suffered over $3 bil in funding cuts. The budget continues this trend with new funding directed to the private sector.
There is support for 70,000 additional apprenticeship and training places bringing the total to 170,000. However, these apprentices will not be ready to meet skill shortages immediately. The funding includes 5,000 additional gateway services to women and in‑training support services for women commencing in a non‑traditional trade occupation. That is 5,000 places out of 170,000 earmarked for women!
Just how much of that money flows to TAFE or to private VET colleges remains to be seen.
The budget cuts funding for domestic students at public universities, further decreasing quality and making it harder to run the more expensive courses such as the sciences.
The government is extending the low- and middle-income tax offset at an estimated cost of $7.8 bil. It was set to end, which would have seen its estimated 10.2 mil workers facing a tax increase – hardly a wise political move just before the elections. The tax offset is graduated according to income for workers on up to $126,000. Individuals receive up to $1,080 and couples up to $2,160. There is no guarantee that this will continue after the elections if the Coalition is still in office.
In 2018, the government announced three stages of income tax cuts. The third stage, totalling $130 billion in cuts, is slated to commence in 2024-25, although the government previously failed to get the third stage through the Senate.
“[…] almost a third of the [third stage] benefit goes to the top ten per cent of taxpayers and the top twenty per cent will get more than half of the benefit. At the other end of the distribution the bottom ten per cent gets none of the benefit while the bottom twenty per cent gets less than one per cent of the benefit,” Matt Grudnoff of The Australia Institute said in May 2019.
Business is also the beneficiary $20 bil in tax cuts through such means as rapid depreciation of capital spending and various subsidies including for fossil fuels, and “digital innovation.” The apprenticeship program also provides additional subsidies.
The government’s jobs “plan” is based on the additional funding for training and $15.2 bil in new commitments to infrastructure projects across Australia. Almost all these projects are roads and highways to carry extra fossil-fuel driven vehicles. There are a few rail projects.
Job seekers will face a self-service digital portal in the place of Jobactive, saving the government $1.1 bil, costing an unspecified number of jobs, and creating even more frustrations and anxiety for many unemployed.
There is no job creation plan as such. It is left to the “markets” – the anarchy of the profit-driven private sector.
CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENT
There are a few token allocations for the environment and climate change measures are basically limited to hydrogen hubs and carbon storage. Serious investment in proven renewables miss out. Instead, there is a commitment of an additional $58.6 mil to subsidise a gas-fired recovery.
Just prior to the budget, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt vetoed a $280 mil loan to a Queensland wind farm because he claimed that this would not help deliver lower prices to the national electricity market!
The government’s aged care package fails to implement the Royal Commission’s recommendations. There will still be no requirement for all workers in the sector to be qualified. Staffing ratios are not specified. The additional $17.7 bil over five years – $3.54 bil per annum – falls disgracefully short of the estimated $10 bil per annum required.
No conditions are placed on the additional funding that residential centres receive. There is nothing to stop them pocketing the money as profits. This is not the “once in a generation” overhaul of the sector promised by the Health Minister Greg Hunt. (See page 4)
Next Week: A People’s Budget – what the government should have done, what the Communist Party of Australia would do. | <urn:uuid:f65eb030-78d3-475c-b9b7-dfdb2bf566df> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cpa.org.au/guardian/issue-1961/pro-business-anti-worker/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571198.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810161541-20220810191541-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.959808 | 2,933 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The government of Mali and Touareg rebels representing Azawad, a territory in northern Mali which declared unilateral independence in 2012 after a Touareg rebellion drove out the Malian army, resumed peace talks in Algiers last week, intended to end decades of conflict.
Kaltoum Saleh, 18, is elated to graduate from her overcrowded high school in the remote Saharan town of Ubari, near the Algerian border.
While the tenth anniversary last month of Washington’s invasion of Iraq provoked overwhelmingly negative reviews of the adventure except among its most die-hard neo-conservative proponents, a more recent - albeit far less dramatic and costly - intervention has faded almost completely from public notice.
Safia’s six-year-old body is riddled with scars from the rocket that hit her home in February. With her immediate family all killed in the violent attack, this sole survivor smiles shyly as she visits the medics that fought to save her life.
Farrah Hamary looks the picture of despair as sweat trickles down his face in Tripoli’s heat and humidity. Hamary is too afraid to give his full name or to allow his picture to be taken.
The dark rain clouds and circling military helicopter accentuated the mood of the small, sombre crowd gathered in Tripoli’s Martyr’s Square to commemorate Libya’s dead heroes.
Startling new evidence of the torture, unlawful rendition, and other abuse of Libyan anti-Gaddafi rebels in U.S. detention facilities during the George W. Bush administration was revealed Wednesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
One year has passed since the Tawerghans fled their coastal town during Muammar Gaddafi’s violent overthrow, and displaced residents are still waiting for a chance to return.
The security situation in Libya remains tense as violence by way of car bombings, political assassinations of high-ranking government and military officials, attacks on foreign diplomatic staff and NGOs, and young men sorting out minor disputes with AK-47s continues unabated.
Pregnant women miscarrying due to mistreatment, detainees mainly from sub-Saharan Africa denied adequate food and water. Small cells crammed with 80-100 detainees subjected to arbitrary justice by Libya’s volatile militias, politically persecuted Somalis forcibly repatriated to Mogadishu, and hundreds of boat people dying trying to flee Libya for a better life in Europe.
“The human rights situation in Libya now is far worse than under the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi,” Nasser al-Hawary, researcher with the Libyan Observatory for Human Rights tells IPS.
On election day long lines of people from Sabha’s impoverished community of Tayuri waited to vote under the harsh Saharan sun. Four hundred miles from the Mediterranean coast, Sabha is tucked into the volatile southwest bordering Algeria, Niger and Chad. | <urn:uuid:74ab418a-94ba-43ad-89ed-29b916893d6f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.ipsnews.net/topics/gaddafi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00679.warc.gz | en | 0.942101 | 595 | 1.726563 | 2 |
I've also considered going to work in Iraq, as I have many friends who have made a lot of money there. And I had plans to travel to Syria before the civil war started I think in 2010... still wish I had gone. Not much left anymore. I wouldn't mind going to Libya. And North Korea I would probably pass on though I've heard trips there are pretty interesting. The rest... yeah I'll skip those.
It would be as close as we can get to actually going back in time though and it is a pretty unique country.
Even though I would travel to some of these places I think the list is pretty reasonable with the exception of Iran. Though I know it is dangerous (mostly because the government is likely to incarcerate you for spying), compared to other countries on the list it doesn't really seem to fit. I know so many people who have visited Iran and had a lovely time doing so.
Iran however I don't think fits the list at all. From what I know it's pretty stable and safe, at least if you stay in tourist areas. Probably only on the list because of US relations.
Yeah Somalia is fine, except for the all the poor pirates fighting a war in the desert.
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Level 3: Reconsider Travel
and Level 4, the highest, Do Not Travel
Level 1 : 0 countries
Level 2 : 0 countries
Level 3 : 1 country
Level 4 : 195 countries
uzbekistan samoa sudan russia north korea nicaragua malaysia libya ireland iran fiji burkina faso belarus afghanistan ethiopia haiti sri lanka colombia trinidad nepal egypt png sao tome tajikistan turkmenistan syria somalia saudi arabia mali maldives kuwait iraq georgia drc czechia croatia chile belgium yemen vanuatu uruguay tuvalu tonga tanzania sweden suriname south sudan solomon islands slovenia seychelles roc paraguay pakistan netherlands nauru namibia mongolia madagascar lithuania lesotho latvia kiribati jamaica guinea guinea bissau estonia eritrea dominican republic cuba costa rica comoros car ivory coast myanmar brazil bolivia bangladesh bahrain argentina and algeria are all class 4 now (probably cause covid)
Two words: drop bears.
Also I know Myanmar was killing the Rohingyas but why would Americans not of South Asian descent be in enough danger for the US to tell them not to go there?
I'd be interested to see what differences there were with a UK list, slightly fewer countries I imagine.
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2 Answers | Add Yours
Napoleon was unquestionably the product of the French Revolution, which opened the door for a man of talent and ambition like himself to rise to remarkable heights. In many ways, he continued it by building his power on the structure of the revolutionary state. He also eliminated many aspects of the ancien regime once and for all, most conspicuously refusing to restore the old aristocracy. He reformed the French law code, incorporating a host of revolutionary reforms. He also established educational reforms, including the creation of meritocratic lycees.
On the other hand, when he was in power, he rolled back many of the reforms of the Revolution, including the rights of women and basic protections for civil liberties. He anointed himself emperor and established his family members as hereditary monarchs of sovereign European nations. In this sense, he completely eviscerated the liberal reforms of the revolution. Many have argued that his policies of state consolidation in service of war anticipated the twentieth century fascist state. One could say that of France under the Terror as well, but it was Napoleon that organized it around a cult of personality almost unprecedented in European history, and ultimately antithetical to the reforms of the Revolution.
Earlier in his reign, Napoleon preserved the French Revolution and its original ideals. He rose to power through the military wing of the French Revolution and sought to unify the country. Unity was lacking during the French Revolution because of conflicts between Jacobins and Girondins. Napoleon upheld the idea of a French republic and extended an opportunity to the people to occupy positions of power regardless of their social status. However, his ambition overtook his support for revolutionary ideas, and in the later part of his reign, some of the important gains of the Revolution were rolled back. Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France and extended the title of “King of Rome” to his son. He led the restoration of the French aristocracy and handed nobility titles to his close friends, which went against the basic principles of the Revolution. Thus, Napoleon preserved the Revolution earlier on in his reign, but he went against its guiding principles in the later part of his leadership.
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The Coma supercluster is a very famous supercluster. This map below is a plot of the brightest galaxies (from the Principal Galaxies Catalogue) in this region of the sky. Dominating this picture is the Virgo cluster - the nearest rich cluster in the universe and the dominant cluster in the the Virgo supercluster. Above the Virgo cluster and much further away are two much richer clusters - A1367 and A1656. These are the two main clusters in the Coma supercluster.
Below is a list of the major clusters in the Coma Supercluster. The supercluster contains only two major clusters of galaxies. They are both very rich clusters with a richness class of 2, although A1656 is larger and richer than A1367.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Abell Equatorial Redshift Distance Rich Notes Number Coordinates z Mly RA Dec A1367 11 44.5 +19 50 .0208 290 2 Leo cluster A1656 12 59.8 +27 59 .0219 305 2 Coma cluster
Below is a list of some of the other major groups in the vicinity of the Coma supercluster. Some of these groups are foreground groups that lie between the Virgo and Coma superclusters. These two superclusters are connected to each other through some minor walls of galaxies.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Group Equatorial Redshift Distance Rich Notes Name Coordinates z Mly RA Dec IC 698 11 28.7 +09 04 .0210 290 UGC6583 11 36.9 +19 58 .0214 295 A1367-West NGC3801 11 40.9 +17 27 .0108 150 NGC3902 11 50.5 +25 59 .0120 165 NGC3995 11 57.0 +32 19 .0106 145 NGC4005 11 58.2 +25 11 .0153 210 NGC4017 11 58.4 +27 46 .0114 160 NGC4065 12 04.5 +20 18 .0235 325 NGC4169 12 12.1 +29 07 .0127 175 NGC4213 12 15.8 +23 58 .0233 320 NGC4956 13 06.4 +35 14 .0160 220 NGC5056 13 21.7 +31 35 .0214 295 A1656-East NGC5127 13 24.6 +31 30 .0162 225 NGC5174 13 29.5 +11 44 .0232 320 IC 944 13 52.0 +14 05 .0234 325 IC4342 13 55.4 +25 05 .0293 405
Column 1: The name/number of the cluster or group. Column 2: The Right Ascension for epoch 2000. Column 3: The Declination for epoch 2000. Column 4: The redshift of the cluster. Column 5: The distance in millions of light years assuming H=70km/s/Mpc. Column 6: The 'richness' class of the cluster (for Abell clusters only). Column 7: Additional names and notes. References: Abell G, Corwin H, Olowin R, (1989), A catalogue of Rich Clusters of Galaxies, Astrophys J Supp, 70, 1. Struble M, Rood H, (1999), A compilation of redshifts and velocity dispersions for ACO clusters, Astrophys J, 125, 35. Garcia A, (1993), General study of group membership. II. Determination of nearby groups. Astron Astrophys Supp, 100, 47. Giuricin G, Marinoni C, Ceriani L, Pisani A, (2000), Nearby optical galaxies: selection of the sample and identification of groups. Astrophys J, 543, 178. Geller M, Huchra J, (1983), Groups of Galaxies. III. The CfA Survey. Astrophys J Supp, 52, 61. White R, Bliton M, Bhavsar S, Bornmann P, Burns J, Ledlow M, Loken C, (1999), Catalog of nearby poor clusters of galaxies. Astron J, 118, 2014.
The Coma cluster (A1656) is one of the most famous clusters of galaxies. It has received a huge amount of scientific research. This is partly because it is a very rich cluster containing thousands of galaxies. Another reason is that the Coma cluster lies a long way from the plane of our Galaxy (unlike the Perseus cluster, or the A3627 cluster) and it is largely unobscured by any gas and dust or any foreground stars.
The Coma cluster is dominated by two enormous elliptical galaxies. These are NGC4874 (right) and NGC4889 (left), they both have a diameter larger than 250 000 light years and they are much more massive than any galaxies in the Virgo supercluster. There is also one obvious foreground star in this image, HD112887, an eighth magnitude star 265 light years away - less than one millionth of the distance to the Coma cluster.
This is a map of the central area of the Coma cluster. This map shows the positions of 118 of the brightest galaxies in the core of this cluster. It is immediately obvious that there are very few spiral galaxies, and no bright irregular galaxies. Nearly all of the galaxies here are elliptical and lenticular galaxies. One of the most popular theories on how elliptical and lenticular galaxies form is that they form from the merger of smaller galaxies. In the dense enviroment of the Coma cluster there have probably been many galaxy mergers over billions of years, and the result is a cluster with a very low number of spiral and irregular galaxies.
This is a second map of the Coma cluster. This map has a width of four degrees (the previous map had a width of two-thirds of a degree). The blue points show the spiral galaxies and irregular galaxies, they are clearly more numerous in the outer parts of the cluster. This is very common in very rich clusters - the elliptical/lenticular galaxies are usually found in the centre, and the spiral/irregular galaxies are usually found in the outer regions.
The Coma supercluster has played a very important role in our knowledge of the structure of the universe. It was one of the first superclusters discovered. At the same time as Mihkel Jõeveer and Jaan Einasto in Estonia were suggesting that the universe was filled with superclusters and voids (see the page on the Perseus-Pisces supercluster), Stephen Gregory and Laird Thompson in the USA were also accumulating similar evidence. In 1978 they submitted a paper to the Astrophysical Journal entitled The Coma/A1367 supercluster and its environs. The paper contains a map of the supercluster showing how the two main clusters are contained within a larger supercluster. Laird Thompson has written a web page explaining about their Discovery of Superclusters and Voids.
In 1986, Valérie de Lapparent, Margaret Geller and John Huchra produced probably the most famous map of the structure of the universe ever made. In a paper called A slice of the universe they produced a famous map of the Coma supercluster. This picture was published in newspapers and magazines around the world because it showed the Coma cluster (looking like a strange stick-man figure) at the centre of a Great Wall of galaxies with a length of about six hundred million light years. It confirmed that the galaxies in the universe are arranged in sheets and walls surrounding large nearly-empty voids.
Since 1986, The Center for Astrophysics (CfA) at Harvard University has continued surveying this region of the sky. John Huchra has written a web page explaining about the survey.
The Coma cluster (A1656) has also played a very important role in our understanding of the universe. William Herschel discovered this cluster in 1785. In 1933, Fritz Zwicky submitted a paper to a Swiss Journal (Helvetica Physica Acta 6, 110) with the title: Die Rotverschiebung von extragalaktischen Nebeln, (The redshift of extragalactic nebulae). By studying the velocities of the galaxies in the cluster he showed that the cluster contained much more dark, invisible matter than visible matter. He later summarised his results in a paper (mainly in section 3) published in the Astrophysical Journal in 1937. Although he was correct, his research was ignored by other astronomers until the 1970's when astronomers began to realise that most of the matter in the universe must be of a dark, unseen type. The precise nature of this dark matter is still a mystery but it probably consists of enormous amounts of tiny subatomic particles which are present throughout the entire universe.
A huge amount of scientific research is directed at the Coma cluster. Only the Virgo cluster has received a similar amount of attention. In the five years from 1997 to 2001 approximately 125 papers were published about the Coma cluster, (almost identical to the number published about the Virgo cluster in the same period).
The Leo cluster (A1367) is also a very rich cluster, but because it is not as rich as the Coma cluster it is not studied as much. (Between 1997 and 2001 approximately 11 papers were written about this cluster).
Below is a picture of part of the Leo cluster. It is not as famous as the Coma cluster because it is slightly smaller and it contains fewer galaxies. The bright elliptical galaxy in the centre is NGC 3842 and the large spiral galaxy on the left is NGC 3861. | <urn:uuid:746db139-4b03-406e-a40a-4e43edc07c2f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/superc/com.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719908.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00157-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912041 | 2,029 | 1.953125 | 2 |
The history of sci-fi movies is very lightly punctuated with ground-breaking moments that advanced and redefined what could be done visually with the genre: Fritz Lang’s seminal Metropolis brought a scale and technical wizardry to movies that had only been hinted at in Cecil B. De Mille’s biblical epics; MGM’s Forbidden Planet was possibly the first sound-era science-fiction production to not only treat of an intelligent theme – a science-fiction version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest – but to throw enormous production resources and ingenuity at the problem; twelve years later Stanley Kubrick almost single-handedly ushered science-fiction movies out of steerage and into first-class with 2001: A Space Odyssey; In 1977 George Lucas and John Dykstra brought dazzling innovation into the field of optical effects with the Dykstraflex motion-control system from which Industrial Light and Magic would found its optical-effects empire.
‘Maria’; the Krell labs; going ‘into the infinite’; watching the first imperial star-destroyer thundering overhead to the sound of a thousand dropped jaws…
And then came the T-Rex.
For me, the emergence of the Rex in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is the most exciting moment I can ever recall in the cinema, and that includes Star Wars. Waving a very fond farewell and a million thanks to immortal stop-motion animators such as Ray Harryhausen and Phil Tippett (whose stop-motion dinosaurs were replaced with computer generated ones after dazzling proof-of-concept CGI work from ILM during the shooting of Jurassic Park), it seemed that cinema – any cinema, not just sci-fi – would never be the same again.
The less-convincing brachiosaur earlier in the movie had only hinted at the revelation that the Rex turned out to be, and the shot of the creature walking away to check out Ellie’s torch-shenanigans, filmed from Sam Neill’s POV inside the car, is a benchmark of verisimilitude that neither the JP sequels nor their numerous imitators could repeat.
Cut to fourteen years later, and I walk out of the press screening of I Am Legend, shaking my head at the pointless Hanna-Barbera CGI vampires that helped to blow a visually stunning movie which had been doing pretty well up until their appearance. And this happens movie after movie now, like a bunch of shiny Christmas crackers with the same dull plastic trinket in them. So what happened to the promise of T-Rex? What happened to the magic?
I believe that the problem lies in the natural but mistaken assumption that improvements in technology were going to yield even better results than the T-Rex. Hell yeah, we thought – soon they’ll be able to show dinosaurs in full daylight without rain. Unfortunately, the problem with CGI is one of narrative credibility, not technological prowess, and it will not be solved by even the coolest rendering algorithms, texturing techniques, physics emulation or motion capture.
The excitement of both Michael Crichton’s original Jurassic Park novel and the film Spielberg made from it lay in the science that explained why dinosaurs could credibly be menacing humans in the 20th Century. It takes more than technical ability to suspend disbelief; maybe the background science of the narrative in JP was specious, but it contributed enormously to the reality of the T-Rex.
Secondly, as many have pointed out, we have no idea how dinosaurs really moved or what they really looked like; imposing upon Rex the lumbering gait and leathery skin of large and familiar mammals like elephants and hippos was all it took to sell the movement and appearance.
But if there is anything we are truly familiar with, it’s people. The human face is the very first thing we learn to distinguish as separate from ourselves when infants, and the slightest change of countenance can signal many things to us. No wonder then that despite the best efforts of CGI wizards in films like The Polar Express, Beowulf, The Hulk, the Mummy films and others, CGI humans perennially fail to convince.
But these are side issues that I have looked at before. To home in on the title of this week’s column, why use CGI for things it is will never be suited for? I Am Legend was a superb opportunity to wake up Stan Winston and his talented cronies, or to call in Greg Nicotero to create hordes of hideous on-set vampires. Instead we get these cartoonish freaks who are humanoid in every respect except a Mummy-like distension of the jaw that blows the very little credibility they had in the first place. The skin is clearly rendered rather than filmed, and the eyes are lifeless and flat. The creatures in Legend are actually less frightening than the CGI characters in Polar Express, because at least in Legend they’re supposed to look dead.
I can think of a couple of reasons why I Am Legend went down the CGI road against all logic:
1) Economies of scale and the burgeoning number of digital effects houses have driven down the legendarily-prohibitive costs of CGI to a point where prostheses and real-world creature effects would have extended principal photography at far greater expense. If this is the case, the major studios might be using CGI’s potentially-fallacious ‘big budget’ reputation to boost the cachet of their big Summer and Xmas releases whilst reducing outlay and risk (their favourite pastime).
2) CGI monsters have featured in many successful Hollywood blockbusters, such as the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, so people will obviously ‘buy’ them despite the complaints of pedants like myself. The problem with this rationale is context: middle-earth is a place of total fantasy populated by fictitious monsters who belong in an unreal environment and could not have been practically created with creature effects. Legend instead depicts a brutalised version of the real world featuring completely humanoid monsters upon whose verisimilitude the film hangs.
Incidentally, I don’t agree with the various criticisms of the CGI deer that Will Smith hunts at the beginning of I Am Legend – the animals simply couldn’t be more convincing from a photorealistic point of view. What gives away their unreality is the common-sense understanding that Manhattan would have had to shut for a week – rather than a morning – to get those shots using real deer. Once again, the problem is not technical in nature – it is the viewer’s common-sense that blows the illusion, that removes us from the thrilling notion of ‘filmed theatre’ and deposits us back in the realm of cartoons, where we are expected to offer the film-maker a far greater leash to depart from reality – and where the expenditure of effort is diminished along with the rewards .
Commentaries both on DVDs and in forums and blogs indicate an insurgent backlash against Hollywood’s lazy recourse to CGI. The ‘it was actually there’ factor has a big part to play in achieving suspension of disbelief, and, to boot, a lot of movie actors would probably welcome the opportunity to shoot at something they could actually see once more.
Martin’s review of I Am Legend is here .
Martin writes his (mostly) sci-fi column every Friday at Den Of Geek. | <urn:uuid:f1b114b2-b468-41ee-a4c6-b1c1d9bafe66> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/cg-why/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00276.warc.gz | en | 0.950411 | 1,518 | 1.5625 | 2 |
It's Blue And Really Aggressive!
A bizarre-looking American crab which is renowned for its aggressive behaviour has been discovered living in Portsmouth.
The blue swimmer crab was taken to the Blue Reef Aquarium after being caught by a member of the public in Portsmouth Harbour.
The crab, which measures more than 20cms across and has a pair of vicious claws, was in poor condition when it arrived in a bucket.
However, within hours of being transferred into a quarantine tank at the aquarium it had fully revived and was proving quite a handful for staff there.
Blue Reef Aquarium Displays Supervisor Robbie Robinson said:
“We have to be very careful when handling this species of crab as it is extremely aggressive and has large, fast-moving claws which attack anything that comes too close,” said Robbie.
“Their claws are powerful and very sharp and once they get hold of something, they rarely let go!" he added.
As its name suggests it is a very strong swimmer and is also noted for its extreme aggression.
The crab can deliver an extremely painful pinch and is noted for being difficult to handle safely by novices.
“Although these crabs are originally from the Americas it’s thought that individuals have been accidentally transported over to Europe in ships’ ballast,” said Robbie.
“There are now populations found in the Mediterranean and around the Japanese coast. It has also been identified in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Black Sea,” he added.
The blue swimmer crab is caught extensively for food in the US. In 1993 the blue crab fishery in Maryland was worth in excess of $100 million. In recent years numbers have crashed from an estimated 900 million individuals to 300 million probably due to overfishing.
In 1989 the species was designated as the state crustacean for Maryland. The blue crab's scientific name translates as "beautiful swimmer that is savoury" and the meat is often compared to the sweetness of lobster meat. | <urn:uuid:27d6ff5a-a09c-4260-86b4-ea2f46652223> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.capitalfm.com/southcoast/radio/news/local/its-blue-and-really-aggressive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00312-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982422 | 418 | 2.734375 | 3 |
For more than a decade, Iran has lavished a considerable share of its defense budget on its naval forces (which consist of both regular and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps units), believing that the Persian Gulf will be its front line in the event of a confrontation with the United States. Following a naval war-fighting doctrine that suits its revolutionary ethos, Iran has developed innovative, asymmetric naval warfare tactics that exploit its favorable geographic situation, build on its strengths, and target the vulnerabilities of its enemies.
Revolutionary Naval Warfare
During the Iran-Iraq War, the armed forces of Iran—particularly the Revolutionary Guards (or Pasdaran)—developed a war-fighting doctrine in accord with the country’s revolutionary ideology. Based on Shiite religious concepts, the doctrine reflects Iran’s Alavi and Ashurai heritage. It draws inspiration from Ali (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad), who chose to avoid confrontation when challenged by Arab rulers of his time, and waited for twenty-four years before assuming the caliphate, as well as from the devotion of his son Hussein, who faced a superior enemy and died in battle on the plains of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram in the year 680 (Ashura).
Revolutionary Shiite values such as stoic endurance and devotion to the cause are granted equal, if not superior, status to the traditional military principles of mission accomplishment and the achievement of a military objective. According to this doctrine, the mere act of fighting, exerting maximum effort, and fulfilling one’s religious (and national) duty to the fullest is an end in itself. The result or outcome is of secondary importance. For adherents, martyrdom is a welcome prospect. A readiness to die, however, is not considered a substitute for lethality and effectiveness. On the contrary, the Iranian concept of Alavi/Ashurai warfare relies not just on spiritual commitment, but also on high-tech weaponry and innovative tactics—a combination employed to great effect on the ground in southern Lebanon by Iran’s protege, the Lebanese Shiite Hizballah, in its war with Israel this summer.
The most prominent expression of this doctrine was a series of naval battles with the U.S. Navy in April 1988. These took place during the final phases of the Iran-Iraq War, when hopelessly outclassed Iranian forces battled U.S. naval units in the Persian Gulf. Iran incurred heavy losses in the process. The experience taught Iran that large naval vessels are vulnerable to air and missile attacks, confirmed the efficacy of small boat operations, and spurred interest in missile-armed fast-attack craft. It also allowed Iran to expand the use of swarming tactics that form the foundation of its current approach to asymmetric naval warfare.
Naval Swarming Tactics
Swarming tactics are not new; they have been practiced by land armies for thousands of years. Such tactics require light, mobile forces with substantial striking power, capable of rapidly concentrating to attack an enemy from multiple directions and then rapidly dispersing.
Iranian naval swarming tactics focus on surprising and isolating the enemy’s forces and preventing their reinforcement or resupply, thereby shattering the enemy’s morale and will to fight. Iran has practiced both mass and dispersed swarming tactics. The former employs mass formations of hundreds of lightly armed and agile small boats that set off from different bases, then converge from different directions to attack a target or group of targets. The latter uses a small number of highly agile missile or torpedo attack craft that set off on their own, from geographically dispersed and concealed locations, and then converge to attack a single target or set of targets (such as a tanker convoy). The dispersed swarming tactic is much more difficult to detect and repel because the attacker never operates in mass formations.
During the Iran-Iraq War, the Pasdaran navy used mass swarming tactics; as a result, its forces proved vulnerable to attack by U.S. naval and air power. Because of this, it is unlikely that such tactics would be used for anything but diversionary attacks in the future. In today’s Iranian naval forces, mass swarming tactics have largely given way to dispersed swarming.
Dispersed swarming tactics are most successful when attackers can elude detection through concealment and mobility, employ stand-off firepower, and use superior situational awareness (intelligence), enabling them to find and engage the enemy first. This accounts for a number of trends in Iranian naval force development in the past two decades. The first is the acquisition and development of small, fast weapons platforms—particularly lightly armed small boats and missile-armed fast-attack craft; extended- and long-range shore- and sea-based antiship missiles; midget and diesel attack submarines (for intelligence gathering, covert mine laying, naval special warfare, and conventional combat operations); low-signature reconnaissance and combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); and the adaptation of the Shahab-3 medium-range surface-to-surface missile armed with a cluster warhead reportedly carrying 1,400 bomblets, for use against enemy naval bases and carrier battle groups.
Iran has also sought to improve its ability to achieve surprise by employing low-observable technologies (such as radar-absorbent paints), strict communications discipline, stringent emissions control measures, passively or autonomously guided weapons systems (such as the Kowsar series of television-guided antiship missiles), and sophisticated command-and-control arrangements. To support its naval swarm tactics, Iran has encouraged decentralized decisionmaking and initiative, as well as autonomy and self-sufficiency among naval combat elements.
In wartime, Iranian naval forces would seek to close the Strait of Hormuz and destroy enemy forces bottled up in the Persian Gulf; therefore speed and surprise would be key. Iranian naval forces would seek to identify and attack the enemy’s centers of gravity as quickly as possible and inflict maximum losses before contact with subordinate units were lost as a result of enemy counterattacks. Geography is Iran’s ally. Because of the proximity of major shipping routes to the country’s largely mountainous 2,000-kilometer coastline, Iranian naval elements can sortie from their bases and attack enemy ships with little advance warning. Meanwhile, shore-based antiship missiles can engage targets almost anywhere in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. To achieve the latter capability, and to improve the survivability of its shore-based missile force, Iran has devoted significant efforts to extending the range of locally produced variants of a number of Chinese shore-based antiship missiles such as the HY-2 Silkworm and the C-802 (from 50 to 300 kilometers and from 120 to 170 kilometers, respectively). It has also introduced the use of helicopter-borne long-range antiship missiles.
To ensure that it can achieve surprise in the event of a crisis or war, Iran’s naval forces keep U.S. warships in the region under close visual, acoustic, and radar observation. The Iranian navy commander—Rear Adm. Sajad Kouchaki, one of the architects of the country’s naval doctrine—recently claimed that Iranian submarines continually monitor U.S. naval movements, frequently at close range, and have even passed underneath American aircraft carriers and other warships undetected. Iranian UAVs also frequently shadow U.S. carrier battle groups in the area.
Current Iranian naval deployments are aimed at deterring an American attack and—in the event of hostilities—entrapping and destroying U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf, at which time U.S. regional bases would be targeted with rocket and missile strikes as well. Iranian naval forces would conduct simultaneous close-in and stand-off attacks, relying on swarming tactics developed and refined during the Iran-Iraq War and highlighted in recent naval exercises in the Persian Gulf. The performance of Lebanese Hizballah guerrillas, who used similar tactics against much larger and more powerful Israeli ground forces in southern Lebanon last summer, provides some insight into what the U.S. Navy should expect in the event of a confrontation with Iran in the Persian Gulf.
Fariborz Haghshenass is an expert on the Iranian military. | <urn:uuid:621a3a40-41d1-4c34-852b-fbb0923d27e1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-doctrine-of-asymmetric-naval-warfare | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280899.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00575-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940502 | 1,693 | 2.796875 | 3 |
It is our desire to improve each of the products on naval modeling catalog mabe by Artesania Latina. We are creating new presentations for our modeling kits. In addition, we verify that none of our model ships present any problem. If we check one, we’ll quickly fix it at the factory. Always with the wish and goal that the final product that reaches our modeling friends meets the high expectations of our firm. To the wooden model sip of the Swift 1805 (22110N), pilot boat from Virginia (USA), no modifications have been required in terms of parts, assembly or instructions last times. We have brought it to the 21st century by renovating the box in which all the parts to build it are included, as you have seen on the header image of this post.
This beautiful naval modeling kit with the wooden model ship of Swift 1805 at 1:50 scale is aimed at those who want get started on this hobby. However, any modeler who longs to build the American pilot boat will enjoy doing so. No forgetting that this jewel of naval modeling must be present at any private collection. Do you know the history of this ship? We explain it below.
SWIFT WOODEN SHIP MODEL: HISTORY OF 1805 AMERICAN PILOT BOAT
The American pilot boat Swift began to be used in the Virginia US state during the early 19th century. This type of sailboat was widely used and practical to guide large ships or vessels when they wanted to enter and leave the different port areas. The Swift was characterized by being easy to manoeuvre, fast and light, which is why it did its job perfectly on the US East Coast.
Over time, the world’s naval powers realized the high technical capabilities of this type of vessel. It amazed them and they decided to enlarge it to create the well-known Baltimore Clipper model.
NAVAL MODELING KIT CONTENTS: SWIFT WOODEN MODEL PILOT BOAT
The naval modeling kit with the wooden model ship Swift 1805 (22110N), the pilot boat from Virginia (USA), is a must see naval gem for your home or office. In this sense, your hands have to build it at your workshop. Its high-quality parts and many details make this faithful 1:50 scale miniature replica one of the targets for beginner modelers and of all levels (intermediate, advanced and elite). You will enjoy during the construction process. Speaking of parts… What’s in this kit?
In relation to its contents, the naval modeling kit includes the following. High-quality wooden parts pre-cut with precision laser and brass parts also pre-cut. Threads, hand-sewn cotton sails ready to be placed and metal and wood accessories such as barrels or bilge pumps. Of course, on an American ship, its flag cannot be missing. As a bonus, a magnificent wooden base with a nameplate of the pilot ship to display the wooden model of the Swift after it is built. By the way, once this scale model is assembled, its dimensions are 24.48” (622mm) length, 4.72” (120mm) width and 17.24” (438mm) height.
To assemble the model ship, the kit brings great step-by-step instructions in color on a DVD format for PC (Windows and Mac). So detailed that assembly time becomes a pleasure for the modeler. Remember that you can always also download them for free on the product page on Artesania Latina website, in this case, from Swift 1805.
WATER-BASED ACRYLIC PAINTS FOR SWIFT 1805 FINISHES
Our modeler friends ask us on numerous occasions what colors use to paint their models with and what brand. Well, Artesania Latina already has its own catalogue of acrylic paints to paint our brand scale models and other crafts. In addition, specific paints sets have been created for each model, as it happens to this pilot boat with the Paints Set for Swift 1850.
Here we also leave you a video tutorial where you can watch how our modeler paints the hull of the wooden model ship Swift 1805 with airbrush. | <urn:uuid:f58651cb-1032-4592-b343-17d9c36f2e5b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://artesanialatina.net/blog/en/model-building/ship-models/swift-wooden-model-ship-new-presentation-for-1805-virginia-pilot-boat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.939132 | 873 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Examples of tardy in a sentence
She was tardy to work.
They were tardy in filing the application.
Origin and Etymology of tardy
alteration of earlier tardif, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus
First Known Use: 15th century
Definition of tardy
: an instance of being tardy (as to a class)
First Known Use of tardy
TARDY Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of tardy for English Language Learners
: slow in moving, acting, or happening
: done or happening late
: arriving or doing something late
TARDY Defined for Kids
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up tardy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). | <urn:uuid:3c7b6cfb-5893-438f-a0ca-4cdfb32c859a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tardies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00228-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898199 | 181 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Statistics That Reveal The Horrifying Truth About The Collapse Of The U.S.
Posted by Admin | Posted in Economy | Most Americans still appear to be operating under the delusion that the "recession" will soon pass and that things will get back to "normal" very soon. Unfortunately, that is not anywhere close to the truth.
What we are now witnessing are the early stages of the complete and total breakdown of the U.S. economic system.
The U.S. government, state governments, local governments, businesses and American consumers have collectively piled up debt that is equivalent to approximately 360 percent of GDP.
At no point during the Great Depression
(or at any other time during our history) did we ever come close to such
a figure. We have piled up the biggest mountain of debt that the
world has ever seen, and now that gigantic debt bubble is beginning to
pop. As this house of cards comes crashing down, the economic pain
is going to become almost unimaginable.
Already, things are really, really,
really bad out there. Unemployment is at shockingly
high levels. Foreclosures and personal bankruptcies continue to
set new all-time records. Businesses are being shut down at a
staggering rate, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and
the U.S. government continues to pile up debt at blinding speed.
There is no use sugar-coating it.
The U.S. economy is
The following are 40 bizarre statistics
that reveal the truth about the collapse of the U.S. economy....
1 - According to one shocking new
of U.S. households have at least one member that is looking for a
2 - A
recent Pew Research survey found that 55 percent of the U.S.
labor force has experienced either unemployment, a pay
decrease, a reduction in hours or an involuntary move to part-time work
since the recession began.
3 - There are 9.2
million Americans that are unemployed that are not receiving an
unemployment insurance check.
4 - In America today, the average time
needed to find a job has risen to
a record 35.2 weeks.
5 - According to one analysis, the
United States has
lost 10.5 million jobs since 2007.
6 - China's trade surplus (much of it
with the United States) climbed
140 percent in June compared to a year earlier.
7 - This is what American workers now
must compete against: in China a garment worker makes approximately
86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes
approximately 22 cents an hour.
8 - According
to a poll taken in 2009, 61 percent of Americans "always
or usually" live paycheck to paycheck. That was up
significantly from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
9 - According to a recent poll
conducted by Bloomberg, 71%
of Americans say that it still feels like the economy is in a
10 - Banks repossessed 269,962
U.S. homes during the second quarter of 2010, which was a
new all-time record.
11 - Banks repossessed an average of
4,000 South Florida properties a month in the first half of 2010, up
83 percent from the first half of 2009.
12 - According to RealtyTrac, a total of
million U.S. properties received foreclosure filings
during the first half of 2010.
13 - The Mortgage Bankers Association recently
announced that demand for loans to purchase U.S. homes has
sunk to a 13-year low.
14 - Only
the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional
income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
15 - 1.41 million
Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009 - a
32 percent increase over 2008.
16 - Back in 1950 each retiree's Social
Security benefit was paid for by 16 workers. Today, each
retiree's Social Security benefit is paid for by approximately 3.3
workers. By 2025 it is projected that
there will be approximately two workers for each retiree.
17 - According to a new poll, six of 10
non-retirees believe that Social Security won't
be able to pay them benefits when they stop working.
18 - 43
percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.
19 - According to one survey, 36 percent
of Americans say that they
don't contribute anything to retirement savings.
20 - According to one recent
survey, 24% of American workers say that they
have postponed their planned retirement age in the past
21 - The Conference Board's Consumer
Confidence Index declined
sharply to 52.9 in June. Most economists had expected
that the figure for June would be somewhere around 62.
22 - Retail sales in the
U.S. fell in June for
a second month in a row.
23 - Vacancies and lease
rates at U.S. shopping centers continued
to get worse during the second quarter of 2010.
24 - Consumer credit in the United
States has contracted during
15 of the past 16 months.
25 - During the first quarter of 2010,
the total number of loans that are at least three months
past due in the United States increased for
the 16th consecutive quarter.
26 - Things are now so
bad in California that in the region around the state capital, Sacramento,
there is now one
closed business for every six that are still open.
27 - The state of Illinois now ranks eighth
in the world in possible bond-holder default. The state
of California is ninth.
28 - More than 25 percent of Americans now
have a credit score below 599, which means that they are a very bad
29 - On Friday, U.S. regulators closed
down three banks in Florida, two in South Carolina and one in Michigan, bringing
to 96 the number of U.S. banks to be shut down so far in 2010.
30 - The FDIC's deposit insurance
fund now has
negative 20.7 billion dollars in it, which represents a slight
improvement from the end of 2009.
31 - The U.S. federal budget deficit
has topped $1 trillion with
three months still to go in the current budget year.
32 - According to a U.S. Treasury
Department report to Congress, the U.S. national debt will top $13.6
trillion this year and
climb to an estimated $19.6 trillion by 2015.
33 - The M3 money supply plunged at a
9.6 percent annual rate during the first quarter of 2010.
34 - According to a new poll of Americans
between the ages of 44 and 75, 61% said that running out money was
their biggest fear. The remaining 39% thought death was scarier.
35 - One
study found that as of 2007, the bottom 80 percent of American
households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
36 - The bottom 40 percent of all
income earners in the United States now collectively own
less than 1 percent of the nationís wealth.
37 - The number of Americans with
incomes below the official poverty line rose
by about 15% between 2000 and 2006, and by 2008 over
30 million U.S. workers were earning less than $10 per
38 - According to one recent
study, approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States are
living below the poverty line in 2010 - the highest rate in 20
39 - For the first time
in U.S. history, more
than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million
Americans in 2011.
40 - A new Rasmussen Reports
national telephone survey has found that
just 23% of American voters nationwide believe the federal
government today has the consent of the governed.
For a very interesting activated debt clock that gives constant updates, see: http://www.usdebtclock.org/
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BACK TO HOME PAGE | <urn:uuid:d1b4e8a8-561f-40c4-9643-4484c3c86b0f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.meguiar.addr.com/end_times/40_bizarre_statistics.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720468.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00488-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949106 | 1,734 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Diving in Turkey
Especially with the weather being warm, one of the most popular sports is diving. Turkey is a country surrounded by sea on all three sides. The effect of this, there are advanced regions in diving in Turkey. Some of these areas are especially popular with tourists.
Diving places in Turkey
You can find many different characteristic places as you are diving in Turkey. Would you like to dive in a rocky area or would you like to dive in a static area? Would you like to dive in a region where there are several fish populations, or would you like to dive in a region with fish live? You can choose the right place by answering this and many other similar questions. Here are a few of the most popular diving places in Turkey.
Kaş is located south of Turkey. It can be said that Kash is one of the most preferred places by tourists not only for diving but also for holidays. The structure underneath of Kash is mainly rocky. It is especially preferred by people who enjoy diving in the rocky area.
We can talk about some of the features for the Samandag. The most important feature is; Samandag has one of the longest beaches in the world. Due to its underwater formations, Samandag has been added to the Red Sea in diving tourism. Diving is much more affordable than compared to other sports that are performed in the red sea. Diving in Samandag is possible all year round. Especially in the winter season, even though the weather is cold, the hot water makes it possible to dive more easily. If you are planning to dive in Samandag during the winter months. Also, you might come across the number of stingrays due to the mating season and experience an unforgettable diving experience.
Mugla is a diving area in the Aegean region. Large and small islands in the open sea are preferred for diving. Around the islets, shark, dolphin and Mediterranean monk seals are seen together. Another diving point in this area is the Esen Island which has been connected to Datca Marina later on. The island of Esen, like other islands, is small and is called the islet. | <urn:uuid:9edd678c-d187-4571-b370-ab676ce8cb8d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://summerhomes.com/en/diving-in-turkey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.975228 | 453 | 1.796875 | 2 |
- As Tuesday, April 17 is the filing deadline
for New York State personal income taxes. Here are some filing tips individual taxpayers should keep in mind.
• Always File - And Do So On Time: Avoid penalties and interest for late filing. Taxpayers should file for an extension before the deadline if they can't file a return by the deadline.
• Declare All Income: All cash income is subject to income taxes whether for full, part time, temporary or supplemental employment. Generally, workers who are not employees and are paid $600 or more for services performed in a trade or for a business should received 1099 forms. However, all income should be declared even without a 1099.
• If You Can't Pay In Full, Still File On Time: Late filing penalties are significantly higher than the penalties for late payment. If you file late but don't pay in full, we'll contact you and you can set up a payment plan.
• E-File: Electronic filing is fast, easy, and secure. So far this year, more than 90 percent of returns have been e-filed. There is no penalty for paper filing, but your refund could take longer.
• Use Direct Deposit: It's your best option, and it's faster and safer than a paper check. More than 75 perent of refunds have been direct deposited so far this year. Refund debit cards are also safe and can be used like any debit card. Taxpayers - even those without bank accounts - can take it to a bank and withdraw the entire amount for free (first in-person transaction free).
Avoid These Common Filing Errors
• Incorrect Or Missing Social Security Numbers: Social security numbers for all individuals must be listed correctly on your return.
• No Signature Or Date On Your Return: For joint returns, both signatures must be included.
• No Stamp On Your Envelope: An unstamped envelope won't be postmarked.
And keep a copy of your return for your records - You'll likely need the information in the future.
Lowest middle-class tax rates in 58 years - Governor Cuomo
has signed legislation lowering personal income tax rates for all personal income taxpayers. Any taxes you have withheld are already reflecting the lower rates. And, any estimated taxes you pay by the April 17 deadline will be based on the lower rates.
For more information, click here. | <urn:uuid:de88f446-3c66-4884-873b-4910caa82e50> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.hamptons.com/Community/For-The-Record/16971/Last-Minute-Tax-Filing-Tips-For-New-Yorkers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719468.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00530-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937018 | 489 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Russia's main concern in Syria is the fate of the country and not that of President Bashar al-Assad, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at his annual press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said he wanted to ensure that any solution to the conflict in Syria must prevent the opposition and government forces just swapping roles and continuing to fight indefinitely.
"We are not concerned about the fate of Assad's regime. We understand what is going on there," Putin said.
"We are worried about a different thing: what next? We simply don't want the current opposition, having become the authorities, to start fighting the people who are the current authorities and become the opposition - and [we don't want] this to go on forever."
In his speech, Putin denied propping up Assad and stressed that Moscow was only seeking to avert a perpetual civil war.
'Not at any price'
"What is our position? Not to leave Assad's regime in power at any price, but to first [let the Syrians] agree among themselves how they should live next," Putin said.
Live Box 2011421105226899357
"Only then should we start looking at ways to change the existing order."
Putin argued that Russia's call for dialogue was meant to avert "an endless civil war" between the armed rebels and government forces who still control most of the capital Damascus.
"We want to avoid [Syrian] disintegration," Putin said.
Putin's comments came less than a week after Russia's chief Middle East envoy said it appeared that Assad would not be able to fend off the rebels much longer.
The foreign ministry later denied an official shift in Russia's position toward Assad and noted that Moscow still recognised the Assad regime.
Russia remains one of the Syrian regime's last major allies and has shielded Assad from UN sanctions aimed at punishing him for his use of heavy force against rebels. | <urn:uuid:761d9806-6595-47a4-8380-7a2b73bb1718> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/12/20121220114256462889.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00011-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973661 | 388 | 1.890625 | 2 |
June 26, 2013— -- The more than 1,000-page immigration reform bill in the Senate would reshape the country's immigration system, opening up more pathways for people to come to the U.S. legally and devoting tens of billions of dollars to border security.
That bill has gotten a lot of attention. But there's also been an immigration effort in the House.
Since late April, Republicans in that body have introduced a series of conservative measures that address immigration issues one-at-a-time.
An aide for the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees immigration legislation, said that they could still consider a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants. "Other issues, namely how to bring those unlawfully in the U.S. out of the shadows, still need to be addressed," the aide wrote in an email.
Here's a quick guide to the bills in the House:
1. Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act
This bill is basically an immigration hawk's wet dream.
First off, it would give states the power to create and enforce their own immigration laws as long as they're consistent with federal law. That's an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling that found Arizona's state-level immigration law unconstitutional.
Under the bill, state and local law enforcement officers would be able to make immigration-related arrests and then turn a person over to the federal government.
The legislation would take away the ability for the president and the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize its resources by focusing on criminal immigrants. That would mean the end of a program that gives deportation relief to young undocumented immigrants.
The bill also makes being in the country without authorization a federal crime, and does the same for overstaying a visa.
2. Legal Workforce Act
There's significant bipartisan support for checking the work eligibility of employees, and under the Senate immigration bill such a system would need to be in place nationally within five years.
The Legal Workforce Act basically calls for a similar system, but wants to institute it more aggressively.
E-Verify, a workplace verification system run by the federal government, would need to be used by all employers within two years.
Under current law, participating employers run their employees through the E-Verify system after they've been hired. This bill would allow employers to screen candidates before they're hired.
That's an invitation to workplace discrimination, especially for immigrants. In 2008, the system was 30 times more likely to make an error identifying naturalized citizens and 50 times more likely to do so with temporary workers, according to a government report cited here.
3. Agricultural Guestworker Act
Immigrants power the agriculture industry in the U.S. but the existing program to bring workers here is largely unused. Instead, growers opt to hire workers off the books.
The bill in the Senate would create a new guest worker program for ag workers, and was the product of a deal between growers and farm workers.
The House bill, on the other hand, favors businesses and doesn't acknowledge the need for increased worker protections and rights, according to Farmworker Justice, a worker rights group.
The House Judiciary Committee website calls the bill "farmer friendly," and says it "protects farmers from abusive litigation."
Without getting into the weeds, what you need to know is that the House bill loosens the red tape for farmers who want to bring in guest workers.
The Senate bill does that, too, but it would also give present-day farm workers a way to earn legal status. And it would create a pathway to legal status for future farm workers after they've worked for a certain amount of years.
4. Supplying Knowledge Based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas (SKILLS) Act
If an immigration reform bill passes, it will undoubtedly include more visas for workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The SKILLS Act creates 55,000 green cards per year for employers to bring in those worker and allows for 155,000 temporary high-skilled workers. It also creates 10,000 visas per year for immigrant entrepreneurs.
Under the Senate bill, the caps for those temporary workers would range from 135,000 to 180,000 workers per year.
Like the Senate bill, the SKILLS Act has the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as trade associations representing tech companies like Google, IBM, Intel and Microsoft.
The SKILLS Act and the Senate bill would both bring in more high-skilled workers. But the main difference is that the Senate bill takes a more comprehensive approach, making changes to this type of immigration in conjunction with changes to the greater immigration system. | <urn:uuid:fbad4959-89ff-41eb-9f2a-9077d1438cb9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/guide-conservative-immigration-bills-house/story?id=19495435&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.961669 | 970 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Tom Duckett, University of Örebro; Ulrich Nehmzow, University of Manchester
Self-localization is an essential competence for mobile robot navigation. Due to the fundamental unreliability of dead reckoning, a robot must depend on its perception of external environmental features or landmarks to localize itself. A key question is how to evaluate landmark recognition systems for mobile robots. This paper answers this question by means of quantitative performance measures. An empirical study is presented in which a number of algorithms are compared in four environments. The results of this analysis are then applied to the development of a novel landmark recognition system for a Nomad~200 robot. Subsequent experiments demonstrate that the new system obtains a similar level of performance to the best alternative method, but at a much lower computational cost. | <urn:uuid:72ca6aa3-b270-4288-b83a-5b34741f5d01> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.aaai.org/Library/AAAI/2000/aaai00-127.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720737.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00220-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918722 | 159 | 1.554688 | 2 |
This is the ultimate photographic field guide to the birds of Britain and Europe.
RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe is a stunning, illustrated guide to Europe's bird species.
It describes and illustrates bird characteristics and beautiful full colour photographs reveal individual species such as finches, martins and swallows with unrivalled clarity.
RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe captures the beauty of birds, showing them in their varying plumage, making identification quick and effortless. 500 regularly seen species are featured with illustrations and up-to-date maps highlighting resident and migratory distributions so you know what species to expect and when, plus a CD with the sounds of 99 key bird species is included.
Covering the characteristics of anatomy, life cycle, and behaviour, and providing a survey of the habitats in which birds live, RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe (previous ISBN 9781405362023) is an essential reference for the novice twitcher or the long-time birder.
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 480 pages, illustrations
- Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd
- Publication Date: 03/03/2014
- Category: Wildlife: birds & birdwatching
- ISBN: 9781409344308 | <urn:uuid:bfc34e24-ec65-49e5-a337-74f82a3f7ff4> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.speedyhen.com/Product/Rob-Hume/RSPB-Birds-of-Britain--Europe/15647882 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720845.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00086-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.82417 | 257 | 2.78125 | 3 |
21 countries join hands with Sri Lanka at Human Rights Commission
Saturday, 27 September 2014 - 9:09
22 developing countries of the Like Minded Group in Geneva, in a joint statement, have said the Group "believes that the intrusive mandate given to the OHCHR to carry out investigations on Sri Lanka is unwarranted, especially in the context where the country is implementing its own domestic processes.
It said OHCHR's efforts should contribute to a state's own efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights.
The Like Minded Group also stated that any external assistance to countries should expressly be in consultation with and with the consent of that country.
The statement also went on to say that the statement added the international community should be mindful not to jeopardize the delicate process of reconciliation that is already underway in Sri Lanka.
The countries who joined the statement were Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, DPRK, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. | <urn:uuid:3ffd8617-8832-42a8-ad53-3acb54efb38d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.24newslanka.com/2647/21-countries-join-hands-sri-lanka-at-human-rights-commission | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00015-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933046 | 221 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The Koran :
commonly called the Alcoran of Mohommed /
Translated from the original Arabic ; With explanatory notes, taken from the most approved commentators ; To which is prefixed a preliminary discourse by George Sale.
|Published / Created:||
London : Tegg and Son, 1838.
|Edition:||A new edition.|
Physical description: xiv, 471 p. : ill. (fold.) ; 23 cm.
|Call Number||View in||Collection|
|J 297||Manuscripts Reading Room Special Access||Joly| | <urn:uuid:17301de0-b2d0-4b61-99c9-aba54b57c68d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000159330 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718957.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00437-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.704095 | 123 | 2.3125 | 2 |
A graduate student’s status is determined by the number of credits they are taking in a semester. The chart below defines the minimum academic load requirement per semester and the associated academic status.
|Minimum Number of Credits (Academic Load)
|8.00 semester credit hours
|6.00 semester credit hours
|4.00 semester credit hours
Credit Hour Policy
Herzing University operates on a semester system consisting of three 16-week semesters per year with courses offerings in sixteen, eight, or four-week terms. Programs are offered either in a traditional classroom/lab format or a fully online format.
- The process of credit ascription remains consistent, regardless of the credential being awarded by the program. However, the University differentiates among courses at various levels within the undergraduate programs (100, 200, 300, 400) through the complexity of the course learning objectives.
- Course learning objectives within a graduate program of study reflect a higher level of complexity, and where appropriate, specialization. Graduate learning objectives emphasize the acquisition, organization, utilization, and dissemination of knowledge.
- Graduate programs facilitate substantial mastery of subject matter, theory, literature, and methodology of a field of study. Professional or practice-oriented graduate programs are designed to prepare students for professional practice involving the application or transmission of existing knowledge or the development of new applications of knowledge within their field. Graduate programs seek to develop student capacity to interpret, organize, and communicate knowledge and to build the analytical and professional skills needed to practice in and advance the profession. In those instances where a hierarchy of degrees within an area of professional study are offered, programs differ by level as reflected in the expected sophistication, knowledge, and capacity for leadership within the profession.
- Regardless of the level of the course, the deliverables produced by students within a course support and demonstrate the achievement of the course learning objectives and serve as the basis for the award of credit. Course learning objectives align with program learning outcomes. Therefore, the rationale for the ultimate award of a credential is the successful production of course deliverables and the achievement of course learning objectives, which equates to the achievement of program learning outcomes.
- Whenever possible, the use of standards established by programmatic accreditation bodies, professional associations, and/or by industry is used as the basis for curriculum development and ultimately serve as the rationale for the definition of program learning outcomes. In order to ensure currency of the curriculum, the University maintains a regular cycle of curriculum review which draws upon insights from programmatic accreditation bodies, professional associations, and industry as well as feedback from students, faculty, employers and local and/or national advisory boards.
Credit Hour Policy
The University’s assignment and award of credit hours conforms with the Higher Learning Commissions definition of a credit hour, the federal definition of a credit hour, and to commonly accepted practices in higher education.
- The credit awarded for a course is consistent across all modalities. The learning objectives defined for a course taught online are consistent with learning objectives defined for the same course taught on ground. Course learning objectives are achieved through regular and substantive student interaction with their instructor, with their student peers, and with the content, regardless of whether that interaction occurs online or on ground. While course learning objectives are consistent, the deliverables that serve as evidence that the learning objectives have been achieved may vary between online course sections and ground-based course sections.
- In clock hour programs, academic credit is measured in clock hours. Clock hours earned serve as a means for determining progress towards program completion only. The clock hours are not typically transferable to another school, college, or university. One hour of instruction is defined as a sixty minute period of time, with no less than fifty minutes of actual class Instruction. Students must be given breaks which represent sound educational practice. No more than one clock hour can be assigned to any sixty minute period.
- For non-degree programs taught in a semester system and that are not fully transferable into degree programs, one semester credit hour may be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 37.5 instructional hours of directed instruction in lecture, laboratory, externship/internship or a combination of any of these activities. Coursework must include at least 30 hours of supervised instruction and at least 7.5 hours of activities that an average student would complete outside of the classroom.
- For degree programs and non-degree programs that are fully transferable into degree programs, one credit may be awarded for one hour of classroom instruction and two additional hours of engagement with out-of-class learning activities as completed by an average student that support the achievement of learning objectives. One hour of instruction is defined as 50 minutes.
- In a semester system, a minimum of 15 instructional hours of engagement in learning activities is required to award one semester hour of credit. It is expected that for each hour of “in class” engagement, the average student will spend two additional hours engaged in learning activities outside of the classroom that support achievement of the course learning objectives.
- In a laboratory instructional setting, a minimum of 30 instructional hours of laboratory is required to award one semester credit hour. It is expected that for each hour that a student spends in a laboratory, the average student will spend an additional half-hour outside of the classroom engaged in additional learning activities that contribute to the achievement of the course learning objectives.
- A minimum of 45 hours of externship/internship/clinical or practicum experience is required to award one semester credit hour. No additional engagement in learning activities outside of the externship/internship/clinical/practicum site is required.
- For each semester credit hour awarded for an online course, the average student will spend a minimum of 45 hours of interaction with the instructor, with other students and/or with the course content and learning activities to achieve the course learning objectives. In an online course, there is no differentiation between “inside the classroom” and “outside of the classroom.”
- For each semester credit hour awarded for blended course, where a portion of the instruction occurs in an online environment and a portion of the instruction occurs in a physical classroom, the average student will spend a minimum of 45 hours of interaction with the instructor, with other students and/or with the course content and learning activities to achieve the course learning objectives.
As educational programs are modified and updated to meet the needs of the students and the community, the University may need, and has the right upon approval of appropriate entities, to change the course curriculum, schedules, prerequisites, requirements, or courses for which there is insufficient enrollment. However, curriculum will not be changed to require existing students to take more credits to graduate than their original degree program, unless required by accreditation, state agencies, or other regulatory bodies. In this case, the University will ensure there is no adverse financial impact on the student. Changes will be reflected in an addendum to this catalog and will then be considered an integral part of this publication.
Herzing University has a range of learning format options students may have available to choose from. Courses may be offered in a traditional classroom or an online format. Students may select the format that best fits their educational needs and circumstances when available. Not all formats are available at all campuses for all courses. Check with your local campus for availability.
Traditional Classroom Course Format
The traditional classroom format is intended for students wanting to pursue their courses in a traditional classroom setting. Students may combine the classroom format with the online format by taking some courses online and others in the traditional format.
Online Course Format
The online format is intended for students who do not reside near one of our campuses or who prefer the flexibility of an online education. Students living near one of our campuses may combine the online format with the classroom format by taking some classroom courses on the campus and others online.
Herzing University offers many of its courses and some full programs of study that lead to credentials in an online format. Not all of Herzing University’s programs are offered online. There can be substantial difference in programmatic accreditation, which may be a requirement to sit for licensure or certification. Students should independently investigate and ensure that the program they desire is offered through Herzing Online and in the appropriate format to meet their desired potential career outcome. Students should rely only on the written information provided in the academic catalog and not on oral representations or other documents. Some licensing and certifying agencies and employers limit the number of online courses a student can take and still be eligible for licensing, certification, employment, or tuition reimbursement. Students should independently investigate any such limit impacting their educational program or career outcomes and make an informed decision concerning online education.
Below is a listing of graduate programs offered online. Some programs may require an onground learning component such as a clinical, bootcamp, or externship/internship. The programs with an asterisk (*) currently require an onground component.
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance
- Master of Business Administration in Data Analytics
- Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management
- Master of Business Administration in Human Resources
- Master of Business Administration in Project Management
- Master of Business Administration in Technology Management
- Master of Business Administration-Dual Concentration Option
- Master of Science in Nursing With a Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner *
- Master of Science in Nursing With a Concentration in Nursing Education *
- Master of Science in Nursing With a Concentration in Nursing Leadership *
- Post Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education
- Post Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner
- Post Master’s Certificate in Accounting and Finance
- Post Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Management
- Post Master’s Certificate in Human Resources
- Post Master’s Certificate in Project Management
- Post Master’s Certificate in Technology Management
See the Herzing University Undergraduate Catalog for a listing of online undergraduate program offerings.
Online education results in the following benefits:
- Students may be able to take a course that is not offered at the campus they attend in the academic period they need it.
- Students who are unable to take preferred classes due to space or other limitations (e.g., “wait-listed students”) may be able to take courses online and avoid disrupting their matriculation.
- Students may be able to continue their program of study online when life changes (e.g., changes in employment status or physical condition) make it impossible for them to attend traditional courses.
- Students may be able to take a program of study at Herzing University even if they do not live near a campus.
- Students will gain valuable interactive experience with a medium that has become increasingly more crucial and pervasive. Effective use of the Internet will also provide a means of communication and a method for accessing and disseminating information for students and staff.
Criteria for Participation
The criteria that must be met by currently enrolled Herzing University students for admission to an online course are:
- The student must have all of the appropriate technology (e.g., hardware and software) available to him/her as well as a technology backup plan. Current requirements are listed in the Admission Information Section of this catalog under “Technology Requirements.”
- The student must have appropriate computer skills (e.g., keyboarding and word processing).
- The student must complete an online orientation session prior to starting their online course.
Herzing University students who participate in an online course or program are eligible for any/all student services offered by the University. These services typically include financial aid for those who qualify, employment assistance, academic advising, tutoring programs, and learning resources.
These services will be provided to the student electronically, through use of e-mail or referrals to Internet websites, or telephonically. Students are linked to these services, such as financial aid, on Herzing Online’s Education Website located at http://www.herzingonline.edu/.
Herzing University students have 24/7 access to electronic library resources including professional and academic journals, magazines, images, e-books, newspapers, and multimedia via an Internet connection at home or on-campus. Herzing students have access to virtual library support services over 68 hours per week. A team of librarians is available via toll-free telephone, email, and/or chat to help individual students identify appropriate library resources to complete research projects. Online students may also contact the Academic Support Center for assistance with understanding course materials via a link in each online course.
For issues with your course content, assignments, or tests first contact your Instructor.
For missing courses, first contact your campus Registrar.
For any other technical questions (or if you can’t reach your Instructor or Registrar), Herzing IT support is available:
- 866-508-0748, extension 10000
- Weekdays 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Weekends 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For Blackboard-specific questions outside of IT hours, you can contact Blackboard’s 24/7 support at (866) 350-5017.
Method of Instruction
Instructional methods may include lecture in written, audio, and video forms, presentations, small group discussions, small group presentations, online audio conferencing, electronic blackboard, threaded discussion, online chat, peer critiques, and e-mail. Online students are expected to log in and actively participate several days per week and should expect to spend a minimum of six (6) hours per week (over a 7½-week period) in their studies for each semester credit hour enrolled. This would include reading, researching, and writing papers, doing projects, completing exercises, studying, and reflecting on the course material as well as the time spent on the computer participating in discussion threads, reviewing online course materials, taking tests, and uploading/downloading materials. The time devoted to classes scheduled for other than 7½-week periods would adjust proportionately.
Graduate Course Numbering System
The graduate course numbering system consists of a two-character alpha prefix followed by a three-digit number. The meaning of the prefixes is shown below:
||Course Area Focus
||Healthcare Administration (interdisciplinary courses for healthcare, business, and nursing)
||Master of Business Administration
||Master of Science in Nursing
|The meaning of the three-digit number is shown below:
||A first-level graduate course focusing on synthesis of knowledge within the discipline and related disciplines. It normally requires graduation from a bachelor’s degree program.
||A second-level graduate course focusing on critical evaluation of knowledge within the discipline and related disciplines. It normally requires graduation from a bachelor’s degree program and completion of related first-level graduate coursework.
Electives are not continuously offered at all times. A student can request a copy of electives currently being offered at either Herzing Online or at the ground campus they are attending.
Other University courses may be selected outside a student’s program of study within this catalog (with the approval of the Academic Dean) for which the student has the appropriate prerequisite. Any additional coursework taken will count as attempted courses for purposes of satisfactory academic progress, unless the courses are taken as an audit.
Dual Credit-Undergraduate Students Taking MBA Program Courses
Undergraduate students may take up to four MBA program courses (12.00 semester credit hours). The course(s) may be applied at the undergraduate level as electives or as course substitutions with the approval of the academic dean. If the student is later accepted into the Herzing MBA program, the course and grade will be applied to the program. Course(s) will be graded according to the graduate grading scale. To be eligible, a student must submit a petition to participate in graduate-level courses to their academic dean. Additionally, the student have completed at least 61 semester credit hours and have earned a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in the previous 2 semesters at the time of registration.
Bachelor and MBA Degrees in Four Years with Dual Credit
Students who meet the criteria below can complete both their bachelor’s degree and MBA degree in four years (12 semesters total).
- Complete a Herzing University bachelor’s degree in three years (nine semesters) under the Three-Year Bachelor of Science Degree Completion Policy in the Herzing University Undergraduate Catalog.
- Successfully complete 12.00 semester credit hours of graduate study as an undergraduate student under the Undergraduate Students Taking MBA Program Courses (Dual Credit) policy in the Herzing Undergraduate Catalog.
- Meet the admissions requirements of the MBA program in the Herzing University Graduate Catalog.
- Enroll full-time in the MBA program (at least 9.00 semester credit hours) each semester while in the MBA program.
- Meet the graduate satisfactory progress and graduation requirements outlined in the Herzing University Graduate Catalog.
Dual Credit-Undergraduate Students Taking MSN Program Courses
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students may take certain approved, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) courses while enrolled as an undergraduate. See the Nursing Program Outlines for eligible course information. Approved graduate courses passed with a “76%” or higher may be applied in the BSN degree as course substitutions with the approval of the Department Chair. If the student applies and is accepted into a graduate nursing program, the course and grade will be accepted into that program with two provisions: (1) the course was completed with a grade of “C” or higher within five (5) years of the date of matriculation into the graduate program, and (2) the course is part of the graduate nursing program selected.
The last two weeks of each semester are the add/drop period for the subsequent semester. A student may make changes to his/her schedule during this two-week period. Any changes made to a student’s schedule after the end of the add/drop period may only be done with permission from the Academic Dean and the Educational Funding Department and may be subject to a schedule change fee, as outlined in each campus’s fee schedule.
A course may be audited with the permission of the Academic Dean. All standard fees and tuition will apply unless the student has already received a master’s degree from Herzing University. No grade will be assigned and no semester credit hours accumulated towards attempted courses, diploma, or degree requirements. Financial aid or veterans benefits may not be used for an audited course. Previous master’s degree graduates may audit one course per calendar year at a reduced fee.
Graduate Grading Scale
All Non-Specialty Courses
Graduate Grading Scale
Nursing Specialty Courses
Withdrawal Prior to the Mid-Point of the Course
Minimum Passing Grade
The minimum passing grade for most graduate courses at Herzing University is a C (70%). However, the minimum passing grade for the following NU specialty courses is a B (80%):
• NU 510 Advanced Physical Assessment
• NU 515 Advanced Pharmacology
• NU 600 Teaching/Learning Strategies
• NU 609 Advanced Health Assessment
• NU 615 The Nurse Educator roles
• NU 621Advanced Pathophysiology
• NU 623 Adult Healthcare
• NU 627 Geriatric Healthcare
• NU 631Healthcare of Women Across the Lifespan
• NU 632 Healthcare of Infants, Children, and Adolescents
• NU 633 Management of Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice
• NU 635 Curriculum Development and Evaluation
• NU 682 Graduate Onsite Practicum in Education
A grade of Incomplete (I) will be given to a student only in cases where the student is not able to complete the work for a course due to extenuating circumstances. It is only given with the permission of the Academic Dean. If a grade of incomplete “I” is issued and the “I” is not removed and replaced with the updated grade within two class weeks after the start of the next academic period, the earned grade at that time will be issued. If the course is failed it will be repeated if required for graduation.
To receive a grade other than a grade of “l” (Incomplete) in any clinical course, either a clinical call or a site visit from the course faculty member or Regional Clinical Coordinator is required. Any clinical call verification or site visit not completed by the last day of the course will require the faculty member to enter a grade of “I” (Incomplete). If the clinical call verification has not been submitted within 2 weeks of the start of the next semester the Incomplete will be administratively converted to a grade of “F” (Fail) on the student’s transcript. The student will not be eligible to progress to the next clinical course. If the student has already started the next clinical course, the student will be administratively withdrawn.
Clinical Site Visit
State of Louisiana: To receive a grade other than a grade of “I” (Incomplete) in any clinical course, Louisiana students are required to have a clinical site visit. Any clinical site visit verification not completed by the last day of the course will require the faculty member to enter a grade of “I” (Incomplete). If the clinical site visit verification has not been submitted within 2 weeks of the start of the next semester the Incomplete will be administratively converted to a grade of “F” (Fail) on the student’s transcript. The student will not be eligible to progress to the next clinical course. If the student has already started the next clinical course, the student will be administratively withdrawn.
Other States: Clinical visits may be scheduled at any time, in any state in accordance with identified needs.
Clinical Use of Paid Clinical Preceptor Services
The Graduate Nursing Department does not provide financial support or endorse student participation in securing paid clinical preceptor services. The Herzing University Graduate Nursing Department does not work directly or indirectly with any paid clinical preceptor services. If any Herzing University graduate nursing student chooses to use a paid preceptor service for any clinical practicum the following conditions apply:
- The student is responsible for all aspects of the contract with the preceptor agency, including any and all costs or related expenses of the contract.
- All paid and unpaid preceptors must have the appropriate licensure, credentials and experience for the course in which the preceptor will oversee the student clinical experience. Prior approval must be secured from both the Graduate Nursing Department and Herzing University for all preceptors and clinical sites, as per the Herzing University Graduate Nursing Guide.
Please refer to the MSN-FNP/MSN-NE clinical guides for all clinical policies and procedures.
A grade of Transfer (TR) will be given to a student denoting credits allowed toward completion of a program based on completion of transferable work at another post-secondary institution. (See “Transfers of Credits From Other Colleges and Universities.”) No more than nine (9.00) semester hour credits toward a graduate degree may be transferred to the University. A grade of (TR) is not calculated into the grade point average.
A grade of Withdrawal (W) will be given to a student withdrawing prior to the midpoint of any course. A “W” will not be calculated into the grade point average but will be counted as a course attempted. As such, it can affect a student’s satisfactory academic progress. Refer to the “Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress” section of this catalog for more information. Following the midpoint of the course, a letter grade must be assigned.
Grade Appeal Procedures
A student who has a dispute with an instructor’s grading on a test, assignment, or the final grade in a course must follow the steps outlined below.
- The student must first try to resolve the difference with the instructor involved. If the instructor agrees to the student’s request, the instructor will make the appropriate change in the grade book or submit a grade change through the Academic Dean. If the student agrees with the instructor’s decision, the appeal is considered resolved.
- If a satisfactory solution cannot be reached between the student and the instructor, the student may submit a written grade appeal to the Academic Dean. A grade appeal must be made within two weeks for an exam and within 30 days of grade issuance for a course. The Academic Dean will investigate the facts of the case and make a decision in writing regarding the grade within seven days of receiving the appeal.
- Normally, the decision of the Academic Dean regarding a grade appeal is final. However, if the student still feels a satisfactory solution has not been reached, the student may submit a further written appeal to the campus President. Appeals to the campus President must be submitted within 30 days of the Academic Dean’s decision. The campus President’s decision will be made in writing within seven days of receiving the appeal and will be final.
Grade Point Average
Each grade is assigned a numerical value on a 4.00 system, as shown under quality points in the chart below. In order to determine a student’s program grade point average, the semester credit hours for each course are multiplied by the quality points for the grade earned in the course. The total number of points, as calculated, is then divided by the total number of credits to obtain the program grade point average. A sample calculation is shown:
The sum of 36.00 total points divided by 12.00 credits gives a program grade point average of 3.00. In the case of a course being repeated, the highest grade earned is used to determine the program grade point average.
The faculty at Herzing University recognize that there are circumstances and events which may delay students from completing coursework on time. This may include events that require students to miss class and delay the submission of coursework which may have been due on the day of the absence. Under approved circumstances, students may be allowed to submit make-up work. Permissible reasons for requesting make-up include sickness, death of a relative, court appearance, family emergency, military duty, or other special circumstances. The following procedure should be followed:
- The student must request approval from the instructor to submit make-up work. Ideally, except in the case of an emergency, the student will request approval to submit late work prior to the due date at the time in which he/she is notifying the instructor of the absence. The instructor may deny the request if there is not a valid reason. In certain circumstances, the instructor may require documentation of the reason for lateness.
- Student leaving on military duty may be eligible for additional relief and should contact the Educational Funding Department.
- Exams, quizzes, papers and other assignments must be retaken or submitted no later than seven calendar days from the original due date. Coursework due during the last week of the course must be completed and submitted by the last day of the grading period. Students requiring additional time beyond the end of the grading period must petition for an Incomplete (see section on Incomplete Grades).
- Healthcare programs may, due to clinical site requirements or other reasons, require students to give advance notice of absences and/or missed assessments. This should not be limited to healthcare programs, all students should be expected to give advance notice of absence if at all possible.
- A student who has a valid reason for making up missed coursework and is denied the opportunity to do so by the instructor may appeal to the Academic Dean. The decision of the Academic Dean is final.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Herzing University has established academic standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) that apply to all graduate students at Herzing University, not just to those receiving financial assistance. SAP is determined by calculating the student’s program grade point average (PGPA) and the student’s rate of progression toward completion of the academic program (pace). All periods of a student’s enrollment at Herzing University are used in determining SAP. Satisfactory academic progress for all students is checked following the end of each semester of attendance.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
A graduate student is considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if he or she has achieved and maintained the minimum standard of a 3.00 PGPA (program grade point average), which is a “B” average and is the equivalent academic standing consistent with Herzing University’s graduation requirements and a minimum pace threshold of 66.67% . To calculate the pace at which a student is progressing, the number of cumulative credit hours the student has successfully completed is divided by the cumulative number of credit hours the student has attempted. Transfer hours are counted both as successfully completed and attempted when calculating pace. Incompletes, withdrawals, failures, and course repetitions will be counted as attempted credit hours in the pace calculation. If a grade of incomplete “I” is issued and the “I” is not removed and replaced with the updated grade within two class weeks after the start of the next academic period, the earned grade at that time will be issued. If a course is failed it must be repeated if required for graduation. The evaluation of satisfactory academic progress will occur at the end of each semester starting after the student has attempted a total of 8 cumulative credits.
||Minimum Completion of Credits Attempted
|End of Each Semester
If a student chooses to change programs, Herzing University will apply all course attempts from the previous program to the new program Any courses taken by the student applied from program to another (whether or not the courses were successfully completed) will be used in the PGPA calculation and will be counted in the Pace towards completion.
Maximum Timeframe for Completion
Students must be able to complete their current program without attempting more than 150% of the minimum credits required for the student’s program. Once it has been deemed impossible for a student to complete their program of study within 150% of the published length in the educational program, as measured in credit or clock hours, the student will lose Title IV eligibility and be dismissed from Herzing University.
Students whose program grade point average (PGPA) is less than 3.00 or whose pace of satisfactory completion is less than 66.67% at the end of a semester are placed on Academic Warning for a period of one semester (unless otherwise specified in an Academic Success Plan). Students on Academic Warning who improve their PGPA to at least 3.00 and attain the minimum 66.67% cumulative completion rate by the end of the semester of Academic Warning are removed from Academic Warning. A student on Academic Warning may continue to receive assistance under Title IV, HEA programs for one semester (unless otherwise specified in an Academic Success Plan).
Dismissal From the University for Lack of Satisfactory Academic Progress
A student will be dismissed from the University for lack of satisfactory academic progress in the following circumstances (unless otherwise specified in an Academic Success Plan):
- The student did not increase his or her PGPA to at least 3.00 by the end of one semester on Academic Warning.
- The student did not meet the 66.67% pace requirement by the end of one semester on Academic Warning.
If mitigating or extenuating circumstances exist, a student may appeal a dismissal from the University by submitting an Academic Appeal Form to the appropriate academic administrator prior to the deadline stated in the dismissal notification. Valid circumstances include a serious injury or illness, death of a relative or other special circumstances. The appeal must be submitted in writing and provide an explanation of the circumstance that caused the unsatisfactory academic performance and how the student has overcome the circumstance. The Satisfactory Academic Review Committee will consider all the facts of the appeal and will provide a decision within two business days. All decisions on academic appeals are final. If the petition of appeal is approved, the student will be reinstated on probation, and provisions of the University’s probation policy will apply. Normally, a dismissal of a student that has been denied on appeal is final. However, in rare cases, a dismissed student may appeal again at a later date if there has been a significant change in his or her situation that would strongly indicate that they could be successful if allowed to return to the University. If the petition of appeal is approved, the student will be reinstated on probation, and provisions of the University’s probation policy will apply.
Note: A student who withdraws while in good standing with the University or is withdrawn for administrative reasons while in good standing with the University (such as for having missed excessive classes) may be readmitted through a reapplication process and is not required to appeal under these provisions.
If a student who has appealed their dismissal from the University is granted his or her appeal, the student will be reinstated to the University and will be placed on Academic Probation. If a student is placed on Academic Probation the student must meet the conditions stipulated in the Academic Success Plan for the Academic Probation or face dismissal from the University. Unless otherwise specified in the Academic Success Plan, a student on Academic Probation may receive Title IV, HEA program funds.
Additional Academic Standards for Nursing Programs
Nursing students may not repeat any nursing course more than once. Failing two nursing courses will result in dismissal from the program, even if the student is meeting the minimum SAP requirements outlined above. If mitigating or extenuating circumstances exist, a student may appeal a dismissal from the University using the SAP Appeal process above.
Academic Warning and Probation
A student will be placed on academic warning if the student does not meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress (see the “Graduate Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress” section of this catalog) or exhibits other behavior that might result in the student being dismissed from the University. If the student does not meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress or other conditions of the academic warning by the end of one semester of academic warning, the student may be dismissed from the University or may lose eligibility for federal financial aid. When there are mitigating or extenuating circumstances, a student may appeal dismissal from the University and/or termination of eligibility for federal financial aid. A student readmitted to the University following appeal or reinstated on federal financial aid following appeal will be placed on probation. The conditions of the probation are specified in writing at the time of being placed on probation. Normally, the period of probation is one semester, but it may be longer if specified in an academic plan included in the conditions of probation.
Attendance Policy and Procedures
The philosophy of Herzing University is that college is not only a place to learn technical and business skills and to develop academically, but also a place to develop important work habits. Important work habits include responsibility and reliability, and attendance is a major factor in both. Also, a student should understand that missing a class affects more than the individual student. It affects the class if the student has to ask questions regarding what was covered when he or she was not there, and it affects the instructor, who may have to assign make-up material or give other individual attention to the absentee. For that reason, and to avoid disruption to the educational process caused by erratic attendance, the University emphasizes attendance in all courses.
Withdrawals Due to Attendance
Herzing University is required to withdraw students from school after 14 consecutive calendar days of non-attendance. Attendance will be checked daily, and students not meeting the attendance policy will be withdrawn. Attendance will be monitored for all ground courses, online courses, and clinical courses.
New students must attend/actively participate in the first two weeks of courses in order to be considered enrolled at Herzing University. If a new student does not attend/actively participate in a class in week two, his/her enrollment will be canceled. Week one is considered a trial period for new students only. A new student who attends/actively participates in week one but never attends/actively participates in week two will not become an active student, and his/her enrollment will be canceled. See ” Online Attendance” for further requirements. If a student is attending more than one class and satisfies all admissions and funding requirements, the student becomes active based on attendance of at least one class in week two. Herzing will not drop or unregister a class as long as the student has attended a course in week one and has attended a different course in week two. A new student may request to be unregistered from one or more courses provided that he or she has only attended the course or courses during the first week of the semester. The request must be submitted prior to the start of week three. Note, however, if a student never attends a class in both week one and week two, the individual course will be unregistered by the University. Additionally, if a new student never attends class in week two, the student’s enrollment will be cancelled and all courses will be unregistered.
A continuing student is required to attend/actively participate in courses by the end-of-day on Tuesday of the second week of a course, or they will be withdrawn as a non-returning student. If a student attends/actively participates in one class but not the other, the class not attended/actively participated in will be unregistered. See ” Online Attendance ” for further requirements.
Reentries and Graduate Reenrolls
Reentries and graduate reenrolls must attend/actively participate in week two of courses in order to be enrolled in the semester. If reentries and graduate reenroll students do not attend in week two, their enrollments will be cancelled and courses will be unregistered. Week one is considered a trial period for reentries and graduate reenroll students. See ” Online Attendance ” for further requirements.
Students Attending Two or More Courses
If a student is enrolled in two or more courses during a given time period and attends/participates in one or more courses regularly but never attends/participates into one of the courses, the student will be unregistered from the course they never attended/actively participated in. If a student is enrolled in two or more courses during a given time period and stops attending/actively participating in one of the courses after attending or actively participating in at least one time, the student is not withdrawn from the course, as the 14-day rule only pertains to a student withdrawing from enrollment and not from individual courses as long as a student remains active. See “Online Attendance” for further requirements.
Approved Break Status
A period of non-enrollment or approved break is a period of time that a student has been approved for an official leave of absence or is withdrawing and returning within the same semester. Approved breaks are permitted for students in the following circumstances:
- Returning within the Same Semester: A student needing to withdraw from all courses may do so without formally withdrawing from the University during the first eight-week term provided the student intends to return for the second eight-week term of the same semester or payment period. Withdrawn courses will be included in the calculation of the student’s satisfactory academic progress calculation. A student who withdraws from a course does not receive a tuition reduction. If a student is unable to return as intended, the tuition reduction (if any) will conform to the refund policy of the University.
- Approved Break due to Clinical Schedule: A student who needs to withdraw due to an issue with an offsite clinical schedule may request an Approved Break prior to the beginning of the semester as long as the student intends to return in the subsequent semester.
- International Approved Break: An international student on an F1 student visa may take a break of up to one semester after each full academic year of study. See Approved Break-International Student section for additional information
- Scheduling in the Second Session of a Semester: Students in their final semester before graduation may take off the A term without being withdrawn if their only remaining required course(s) are only offered in the B term. This policy does not apply to students in programs that are being taught out, and can only be used once per student per program. Any student utilizing this policy may not have taken a prior period of non-enrollment within the last two semesters.
A Confirmation to Return Form is required prior to the 14th day after the students last date of attendance. Refer to the Academic Department to obtain information on eligibility to make this type of request.
Online Attendance and Student Verification
If a student is enrolled in an online course must complete one of the following academically related activities within the Herzing Online Education System in order to be marked as having attended and actively participated in his/her online course(s):
- Post to a discussion board
- Submit an assignment
- Submit a quiz or exam
This means logging into a course and navigating within the virtual classroom will not constitute participation; the student must complete one of the above academically related activities. Please note, that there are a significant number of other academically related activities required when taking online courses, such as reading discussion boards, reading course materials and lectures, and messaging instructors, but these activities will not be considered as student attendance. In addition, Herzing University uses the student’s unique log-in credentials to verifying participation in a class by monitoring interaction between the student, peers and faculty.
Attendance for ground and online courses is tracked by each campus, and a student not attending a ground course(s) or completing an attendance-measured academically related activity in any of their online course(s) for fourteen consecutive calendar days may be withdrawn from Herzing University.
Notification of Absences
As a courtesy, students are expected to inform their instructors or the office if they know they will have to miss a class. Students returning from an absence are expected to address missed material with the instructor outside of scheduled class hours.
Effect of Absences on Grading
Points will not be directly deducted from a student’s academic average because of absences. However, students can expect tests, quizzes, or other graded assignments to be scheduled without notice during any given class session. If a student misses a test, quiz, or assignment because of an absence, the instructor is not obligated and will not normally allow a make-up quiz, test, or assignment. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration when deciding if make-up work will be permitted.
If there are extenuating circumstances (such as a documented health problem, a family emergency, jury duty, military reserve service obligations, etc.) that caused an absence or is expected to cause absences in the future, the student should contact his or her instructor or the Academic Dean immediately.
Withdrawals From Individual Courses
Students may voluntarily withdraw themselves from a course at any time by notifying the Academic Dean or Registrar. If a student has already attended (in-person attendance for a campus-hosted course and active participation in an online course-this is indicated as attending/actively participating throughout the catalog) in the class he/she wishes to drop, then the grade for the course will be based on the date the withdrawal is requested. If the request to withdraw from an individual course is before the midway point of the course, the grade assigned will be a “W.” If the request to withdraw from an individual course is after the midway point, a letter grade will be assigned. The midpoint of the course varies, depending on the length of the course. For example, in a four-week course, the midpoint of the course starts on the Monday of the third week. In an eight-week course, the midpoint of the course is the Monday of the fifth week. In a 16-week course, the midpoint of the course is the Monday of the ninth week.
The course letter grade will be included in the calculation of the student’s PGPA. A student who withdraws from a course does not get a tuition reduction. If a student completely withdraws from the University, the tuition reduction (if any) will conform to the refund policy of the University.
Withdrawal From University
A student may withdraw from Herzing University at any time prior to the last 14 calendar days of the semester by notifying the Academic Dean or Registrar. If the withdrawal occurs during an ongoing semester, the grade assigned to each course will be based on the student’s overall last date of attendance with the University. If the student’s overall last date of attendance is prior to the midway point of the course, then the grade assigned will be a “W.” If the student’s overall last date of attendance is after the midpoint of a course, then a letter grade will be assigned. The University will withdraw a student if he/she fails to attend all their courses for a period of 14 days.
Withdrawal Due to Military Service Needs
Herzing University encourages active duty military students to continue their education and assures them that the University will provide them with the highest level of commitment and support while they defend this great country and its allies. In keeping with the University’s tradition of being a military-friendly institution, the following policies regarding military deployments and military exigencies have been adopted.
- Herzing University, through online courses, will make all reasonable efforts to make it possible for military students to continue their studies, even during deployments or other military commitments.
- When military students on active duty (whether regular active duty, reserve, or National Guard members called to active service) must withdraw from one or more classes due to military deployment or other military exigencies, the University will waive the requirement that withdrawals be made prior to the midpoint of the course. In such cases, the student’s grade will be recorded as a non-punitive withdrawal and will not count against the student’s academic progress including the pace requirement and grade point average. Also, the University will scholarship any tuition or fees paid by the service member not covered by military tuition assistance. A copy of the student’s military orders must be provided when withdrawing from the University due to military duty.
- Should a military student in good standing with the University need to withdraw from the University entirely due to military commitments, the service member may return to the University in good standing at the beginning of any 4-week, 8-week, or 16-week session convenient to the student. The service member will be allowed to reenter into courses where they left off and are not subject to wait lists. No time limits apply.
Students Receiving VA Educational Benefits at the Birmingham and Orlando Campuses
The following policy applies to students receiving Veterans Administration (VA) Educational Benefits who are enrolled at the Birmingham and Orlando campuses. Students receiving Veterans Administration Educational Benefits will have their attendance monitored by the Registrar’s Office as required by the VA. Each course will be monitored on a daily basis. Students attending less than 80% of their scheduled course(s) will be reported to the VA SCO and may have their educational benefits terminated by the VA.
This policy is in addition to the overall attendance policy that is found within the University Catalog under Withdrawals Due to Attendance.
Complaint Policy for Students Receiving VA Education Benefits
Any complaint against the school should be routed through the VA Feedback System by going to the following link: http://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Feedback.asp. The VA will then follow up through the appropriate channels to investigate the complaint and resolve it satisfactorily.
Students who have completed all of the requirements for a degree may participate in the graduation ceremony sponsored by either their local campus or another Herzing University campus. Online graduates may participate in any Herzing University graduation.
Students who are in their last semester of study may apply to participate in a graduation ceremony prior to their actual graduation. In these cases, the graduation program will indicate that actual graduation will be pending successful completion of degree requirements. Students wishing to participate early should check with their academic dean for specific policies and procedures. A degree will not be conferred in these circumstances. All graduation requirements must be met prior to the actual awarding of a degree.
Graduate Requirements-Graduate Programs
Students must meet all of the requirements below to be eligible for graduation.
- Maintain a program grade point average (PGPA) of 3.00 or higher in the courses applicable to the student’s program.
- Complete the required minimum number of semester credit hours in the student’s program.
- Meet all terms of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy (see Graduate Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress), including rate of progress of required program courses.
- Complete all master’s degree requirements within seven years.
- Nursing students must complete all requirements within five years.
- Meet all additional program-specific requirements included in the specific program descriptions.
Institutional Assessment of Student Academic Performance
Herzing University is committed to the continual improvement of its educational processes and programs. To accomplish this, the University periodically conducts an assessment of student academic outcomes. Consequently, students can expect to participate in academic outcomes assessment activities during their educational experience at the University.
The aggregated results of these assessment activities will be used exclusively to identify relative strengths and opportunities for improvement in the University’s educational processes and programs. The results for individual students will be kept strictly confidential, will not be maintained, and will not affect their academic standing in any way.
Herzing University recognizes the desirability of an academic environment which promotes an open exchange of ideas free from censorship or prior restraint. The scope of “academic freedom” does not encompass the right to teach inappropriate curriculum or to teach offensive or discriminatory content.
Acceptable Use of Computing Resources and Peer-To-Peer File Sharing
This policy provides guidelines for the appropriate and inappropriate use of the computing resources of Herzing University. It applies to all users of the University’s computing resources including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests of the University. Computing resources include all computers, related equipment, software, data, and local area networks for which the University is responsible as well as networks throughout the world to which the University provides computer access.
The computing resources of Herzing University are intended to be used for its programs of instruction and research and to conduct the legitimate business of the University. All users must have proper authorization for the use of the University’s computing resources. Users are responsible for seeing that these computing resources are used in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. Users must apply standards of normal academic and professional ethics and considerate conduct to their use of the University’s computing resources. Users must be aware of the legal and moral responsibility for ethical conduct in the use of computing resources. Users have a responsibility not to abuse the network and resources and to respect the privacy, copyrights, and intellectual property rights of others.
In addition to the policy contained herein, usage must be in accordance with applicable university procedures and applicable state and federal laws. Among the more important laws are the Federal Computer Abuse Amendment Act of 1994, the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and the U.S. Copyright Act.
Policy violations generally fall into four categories and involve the use of computing resources which do any of the following:
- Harass, threaten, or otherwise cause harm to specific individuals or classes of individuals.
- Impede, interfere with, impair, or otherwise cause harm to the activities of others.
- Download, post, or install to University computers or transport across University networks material that is sexually explicit or offensive or material that is illegal, proprietary, in violation of license agreements, in violation of copyrights, in violation of University contracts, or otherwise damaging to the institution.
- Recklessly or maliciously interfere with or damage computer or network resources, computer data, files, or other information. Penalties for violating these guidelines can range from a reprimand in the student’s file to expulsion.
Examples (not a comprehensive list) of policy violations related to the above four categories include:
- Sending an individual or group repeated and unwanted (harassing) e-mail or using e-mail to threaten someone.
- Accessing, or attempting to access, another individual’s data or information without proper authorization (e.g., using another’s computing account and password to look at their personal information).
- Propagating electronic chain mail or sending forged or falsified e-mail.
- Obtaining, possessing, using, or attempting to use someone else’s password, regardless of how the password was obtained.
- Copying a graphical image from a website without permission.
- Posting a University site-licensed program to a public bulletin board.
- Using illegally obtained licensed data/software or licensed data/software in violation of their licenses or purchase agreements.
- Releasing a virus, worm, or other program that damages or otherwise harms a system or network.
- Accessing, displaying, storing, or transmitting sexually explicit or offensive language or images.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy
It is the policy of Herzing University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, other federal mandates, and state and local laws regarding individuals with disabilities. These laws protect students with disabilities, and students may request reasonable accommodations for their disabilities from the University. Reasonable accommodations are determined on an individual basis and made available to the extent that they meet the student’s needs and do not compromise the academic integrity of the University’s educational programs.
Questions related to the University’s policies and procedures related to disability services should be directed to the central ADA Coordinator at [email protected].
Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodation under the ADA must:
- Submit a request for accommodation with appropriate documentation to their student services specialist.
- Meet with the Campus ADA Coordinator to discuss the request.
- Alert the Campus ADA Coordinator if accommodations provided are not working or do not meet their needs.
Students with disabilities are responsible for providing documentation of their disability to their Student Services Specialist. Documentation provided must both establish that the student has a disability and provide enough detail regarding the functional limitations caused by the disability so that appropriate accommodations can be identified and provided. Documentation will be kept confidential and maintained securely on the University intranet.
All documentation must:
- Come from an appropriately licensed clinical professional familiar with the history and functional impact of the student’s disability.
- Verify the nature and extent of the student’s disability aligned to current professional standards and techniques, and include a description of applicable diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, procedures, tests and dates of administration, as well as a clinical narrative, observation and specific results.
- Be dated, signed, and submitted on official letterhead including the name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator.
- Describe how the disability affects the student’s ability to participate in campus activities and programs.
- Reflect the student’s current level of functioning, and demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency and pervasiveness, and progression or prognosis of the condition(s).
- Include a description of any current and past medications, auxiliary aids, assistive devices, support services, and accommodations, including their known effectiveness in alleviating functional limitations of the disability.
- Include recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services.
- If the original documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability or reasonable accommodation, the university has the discretion to require additional documentation. Any cost incurred in obtaining additional documentation when the original records are inadequate is the responsibility of the student.
- Documentation that includes a diagnosis or testing battery performed by a member of the student’s family will not be accepted.
- Students requesting accommodations for functional limitations due to multiple disabilities must provide evidence of all such conditions.
- Documentation forms and guidelines for documentation of specific disabilities, such as learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, or others as identified are available through the Student Services Department; please contact your Student Services Specialist for more information.
Herzing University is committed to ensuring that all information and communication pertaining to a student’s disability is maintained as confidential as required or permitted by law.
The following guidelines apply to the treatment of such information:
- No one will have immediate access to student files except appropriate staff of Herzing University. Any information regarding a student’s disability is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will only be disclosed as permitted or required by FERPA.
- Sensitive information in student files will not be released except in accordance with federal and state laws.
- A student’s file may be released pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
- If a student wishes to have information about his/her disability shared with others, the student must provide written authorization to release the information. Before giving such authorization, the student should understand the purpose of the release and to whom the information is being released.
- A student has the right to review their own file with reasonable notification.
Disability: A physical or mental impairment that limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities.
Major Life Activities: Basic functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, sleeping, standing, lifting, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, helping, eating, bending, or operation of a bodily function.
Substantial Limitation: Significant restriction in the condition, manner or duration in which a major life activity is performed compared to most people.
Reasonable Accommodation: Any change in an educational environment that effectively and appropriately enables an individual with a disability to have equal educational opportunities to participate in programs and activities.
An accommodation is not reasonable if it:
- Poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others;
- Requires a substantial change to an essential element of course curricula or a substantial alteration in the manner in which services are offered or provided for other students; or
- Poses an undue financial or administrative burden
Undue Hardship or Burden: action that requires either significant difficulty or expense, or that would fundamentally alter the nature of a program. Factors to be considered include:
- The nature and cost of the accommodation needed, and
- The overall financial resources of the University.
Accessibility of Facilities
Herzing University facilities (including restrooms and classrooms) are designed to permit individuals with disabilities to enroll in and benefit from educational programs. Accessible parking provides convenient access to building entrances. Accessible parking spaces are reserved for students, visitors, or employees who display an appropriate state-issued placard or license plate.
Cell Phone Use
Cell phone use, including talking or texting, is strictly prohibited once a student enters the classroom unless the cell phone use is part of an instructor-led activity. Cell phones must be turned off or set to vibrate-only while in class. If a call needs to be taken in an emergency situation, the student must leave the class to do so.
Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.
Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505.
Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.
Equity Resolution Process for Allegations of Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct
Herzing University will act on any formal or informal allegation or notice of violation of the policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination, that is received by the Title IX Coordinator or a member of the administration, faculty, or other employee.
The procedures described below apply to all allegations of harassment or discrimination on the basis of protected class involving students, staff or faculty members. These procedures may also be used to address collateral misconduct occurring in conjunction with harassing or discriminatory conduct (e.g.: vandalism, physical abuse of another, etc.). All other allegations of misconduct unrelated to incidents covered by this policy will be addressed through the procedures elaborated in the respective student, faculty and staff handbooks.
Upon notice to the Title IX Coordinator, this resolution process involves a prompt preliminary inquiry to determine if there is reasonable cause to believe the nondiscrimination policy has been violated. If so, the University will initiate a confidential investigation that is thorough, reliable, impartial, prompt and fair. The investigation and the subsequent resolution process determines whether the nondiscrimination policy has been violated. If so, the University will promptly implement effective remedies designed to end the discrimination, prevent its recurrence and address its effects.
Equity Resolution Process (ERP)
Allegations under the policy on nondiscrimination are resolved using the ERP. Members of the ERP pool are announced in an annual distribution of this policy to campus, prospective students, their parents and prospective employees. The list of ERP pool members and a description of the Title IX Review Board can be found in Appendix D. Members of the ERP pool are trained in all aspects of the resolution process, and can serve in any of the following roles, at the direction of the Title IX Coordinator:
- To provide sensitive intake for and initial advice pertaining to allegations
- To investigate allegations
- To act as process advisors to those involved in the Equity Resolution Process
The Chief Compliance Officer, in consultation with the Title IX Coordinator, appoints the ERP pool, which reports to the Title IX Coordinator for the purposes of carrying out an investigation. ERP pool members receive annual training organized by the Title IX Coordinator, including a review of University policies and procedures as well as applicable federal and state laws and regulations so that they are able to appropriately address allegations, provide accurate information to members of the community, protect safety and promote accountability. This training will include, but is not limited to: how to appropriately remedy, investigate, render findings and determine appropriate sanctions in reference to all forms of harassment and discrimination allegations; the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policies and Procedures (including Sexual Misconduct); confidentiality and privacy; and applicable laws, regulations and federal regulatory guidance. All ERP pool members are required to attend this annual training to be eligible to serve.
The Equity Resolution Process pool includes:
- Chair: The Title IX Coordinator
- At least one representative from Human Resources
- At least one representative from Academic Support
- The Vice President of Educational Funding and Compliance
Appointments to the pool should be made with attention to representation of groups protected by the harassment and non-discrimination policy. Individuals who are interested in serving in the pool are encouraged to contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Any member of the community, guest or visitor who believes that the policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination has been violated should contact the Title IX Coordinator.
It is also possible for employees to notify a supervisor, or for students to notify an administrative advisor or faculty member. These individuals will in turn notify the Title IX Coordinator. The reporting form at http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing may also serve to initiate the resolution process.
All employees receiving reports of a potential violation of University policy are expected to promptly contact the Title IX Coordinator, within 24 hours of becoming aware of a report or incident. All initial contacts will be treated with privacy: specific information on any allegations received by any party will be reported to the Title IX Coordinator, but, subject to the University’s obligation to redress violations, every effort will be made to maintain the privacy of those initiating an allegation. In all cases, University will consider the wishes of the reporting party with respect to how the reported misconduct is pursued, but reserves the right, when necessary to protect the community, to investigate and pursue a resolution even when a reporting party chooses not to initiate or participate in the resolution process.
In most circumstances, Herzing University will treat attempts to commit any of the violations listed in the Sexual Misconduct Policy as if those attempts had been completed.
Following receipt of notice or a report of misconduct, the Title IX Coordinator engages in a preliminary inquiry to determine if there is reasonable cause to believe the nondiscrimination policy has been violated. The preliminary inquiry is typically 1-3 days in duration. This inquiry may also serve to help the Title IX Coordinator to determine if the allegations evidence violence, threat, pattern, predation and/or weapon, in the event that the reporting party has asked for no action to be taken. In any case where violence, threat, pattern, predation, and/or weapon is not evidenced, the Title IX Coordinator may respect a reporting party’s request for no action, and will investigate only so far as necessary to determine appropriate remedies. As necessary, the University reserves the right to initiate resolution proceedings without a formal report or participation by the reporting party.
In cases where the reporting party wishes to proceed or the University determines it must proceed, and the preliminary inquiry shows that reasonable cause exists, the Title IX Coordinator will direct a formal investigation to commence and the allegation will be resolved through the process discussed briefly here and in detail below:
- Formal Resolution – a resolution of contested allegations with formal investigation and Title IX Review Board oversight.
Once a formal investigation is commenced, the Title IX Coordinator will provide written notification of the investigation to the parties at an appropriate time during the investigation. Notification will be made in writing and may be delivered by one or more of the following methods: in person; mailed to the local or permanent address of the parties as indicated in official University records; or emailed to the parties’ University-issued email account. Once mailed, emailed and/or received in-person, notice will be presumptively delivered. The reporting party is typically copied on such correspondence. The University aims to complete all investigations within a sixty (60) calendar daytime period, which can be extended as necessary for appropriate cause by the Title IX Coordinator with notice to the parties as appropriate.
If, during the preliminary inquiry or at any point during the formal investigation, the Title IX Coordinator determines that there is no reasonable cause to believe that policy has been violated, the process will end unless the reporting party requests that the Title IX Coordinator make an extraordinary determination to re-open the investigation. This decision lies in the sole discretion of the Title IX Coordinator.
The System Director of Student Services or the Director of Human Resources may provide interim remedies intended to address the short-term effects of harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation, i.e., to redress harm to the reporting party and the community and to prevent further violations.
These remedies may include, but are not limited to:
- Referral to community counseling and health services
- Referral to the Employee Assistance Program
- Education to the community
- Altering work arrangements for employees
- Providing campus escorts
- Implementing contact limitations between the parties
- Offering adjustments to academic deadlines, course schedules, work schedules, etc.
The University may place an interim suspension on a student or employee pending the completion of ERP investigation and procedures, particularly when in the judgment of the Title IX Coordinator the safety or well-being of any member(s) of the campus community may be jeopardized by the presence on-campus of the responding party whose behavior is in question. In all cases in which an interim suspension is imposed, the student or employee will be given the option to meet with the System Director of Student Services or the Director of Human Resources prior to such suspension being imposed, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, to show cause why the suspension should not be implemented. The System Director of Student Services or the Director of Human Resources has sole discretion to implement or stay an interim suspension and to determine its conditions and duration. Violation of an interim suspension under this policy will be grounds for expulsion or termination.
During an interim suspension or administrative leave, a student or employee may be denied access to University campus/facilities/events. As determined by the System Director of Student Services or the Director of Human Resources, this restriction can include classes and/or all other University activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible. At the discretion of the System Director of Student Services, alternative coursework options may be pursued to ensure as minimal an impact as possible on the responding party.
The institution will maintain as confidential any interim actions or protective measures, provided confidentiality does not impair the institution’s ability to provide the interim actions or protective measures.
Once the decision is made to commence a formal investigation, the Title IX Coordinator appoints ERP pool members to conduct the investigation, usually within two (2) days of determining that an investigation should proceed. Investigations are completed expeditiously, normally within ten (10) days, though some investigations take weeks or even months, depending on the nature, extent and complexity of the allegations, availability of witnesses, police involvement, etc.
The University may undertake a short delay its investigation (several days to weeks, to allow evidence collection) when criminal charges on the basis of the same behaviors that invoke this process are being investigated. The University will promptly resume its investigation and resolution processes once notified by law enforcement that the initial evidence collection process is complete. University action will not typically be altered or precluded on the grounds that civil or criminal charges involving the same incident have been filed or that charges have been dismissed or reduced.
All investigations will be thorough, reliable, impartial, prompt and fair. Investigations entail interviews with all relevant parties and witnesses, obtaining available evidence and identifying sources of expert information, as necessary.
The investigator(s) will typically take the following steps, if not already completed (not necessarily in order):
- In coordination with campus partners, initiate or assist with any necessary remedial actions;
- Determine the identity and contact information of the reporting party;
- Identify all policies allegedly violated;
- Meet with the reporting party to finalize their statement;
- Prepare the notice of allegations on the basis of the preliminary inquiry;
- Commence a thorough, reliable and impartial investigation by developing a strategic investigation plan, including a witness list, evidence list, intended timeframe, and order of interviews for all witnesses and the responding party, who may be given notice prior to or at the time of the interview;
- Prepare the notice of allegation on the basis of the preliminary inquiry;
- Meet with the reporting party to finalize their statement, if necessary;
- If possible, provide written notification to the parties prior to their interviews that they may have the assistance of an advisor of their choosing present for all meetings attended by the advisee;
- Provide the parties with a written description of the alleged violation(s), a list of all policies allegedly violated, a description of the applicable procedures and a statement of the potential sanctions/responsive actions that could result;
- Prior to the conclusion of the investigation, provide the reporting party and the responding party with a list of witnesses whose information will be used to render a finding;
- Allow each party the opportunity to suggest questions they wish the investigators to ask of the other party and witnesses.
- Provide the parties with all relevant evidence to be used in rendering a determination and provide each with a full and fair opportunity to address that evidence prior to a finding being rendered;
- Complete the investigation promptly, and without unreasonable deviation from the intended timeline;
- Provide regular updates to the reporting party throughout the investigation, and to the responding party, as appropriate;
- Make a finding, based on a preponderance of the evidence (whether a policy violation is more likely than not);
- Finalize and present the findings to the responding party, who may accept the findings, accept the findings in part and reject them in part, or may reject all findings;
- Share the findings and update the reporting party on the status of the investigation and responding party’s decision on the finding, without undue delay.
At any point during the investigation, if it is determined there is no reasonable cause to believe that University policy has been violated; the Title IX Coordinator has authority to terminate the investigation and end resolution proceedings.
Witnesses (as distinguished from the parties) are expected to cooperate with and participate in the University’s investigation and the Equity Resolution Process. Any witness who declines to participate in or cooperate with an investigation will not be permitted to offer evidence or testimony later in a hearing (if a hearing is held). Failure of a witness to cooperate with and/or participate in the investigation or Equity Resolution Process constitutes a violation of policy and may be subject to discipline. Witnesses may provide written statements in lieu of interviews during the investigation and may be interviewed remotely by phone, Skype (or similar technology), if they cannot be interviewed in person or if the investigators determine that timeliness or efficiency dictate a need for remote interviewing. Parties who elect not to participate in the investigation or to withhold information from the investigation will not have the opportunity to offer evidence during the hearing and/or appeal stages of the process if it could have been offered during the investigation. Failure to offer evidence prior to an appeal does not constitute grounds for appeal on the basis of new evidence.
No unauthorized audio or video recording of any kind is permitted during investigation meetings or other Equity Resolution Process proceedings.
Each party is allowed to have an advisor of their choice present with them for all ERP meetings and proceedings, from intake through to final determination. The parties may select whomever they wish to serve as their advisor as long as the advisor is eligible and available, and usually not otherwise involved in the resolution process, such as serving as a witness. The advisor may be a friend, mentor, family member, attorney or any other supporter a party chooses to advise them who is available and eligible. Witnesses cannot also serve as advisors. The parties may choose advisors from inside or outside the campus community. The parties may proceed without an advisor.
The parties may be accompanied by their advisor in all meetings and interviews at which the party is entitled to be present, including intake and interviews. Advisors should help their advisees prepare for each meeting, and are expected to advise ethically, with integrity and in good faith. The University cannot guarantee equal advisory rights, meaning that if one party selects an advisor who is an attorney, but the other party does not, or cannot afford an attorney, the University is not obligated to provide one.
Additionally, responding parties may wish to contact organizations such as:
Reporting parties may wish to contact organizations such as:
All advisors are subject to the same rules, whether they are attorneys or not. Advisors may not address university officials in a meeting or interview unless invited to. The advisor may not make a presentation or represent the reporting party or the responding party during any meeting or proceeding, and may not speak on behalf of the advisee to the investigators or hearing panelists. The parties are expected to ask and respond to questions on their own behalf, without representation by their advisor. Advisors may confer quietly with their advisees or in writing as necessary, as long as they do not disrupt the process. For longer or more involved discussions, the parties and their advisors should ask for breaks or step out of meetings to allow for private conversation. Advisors will typically be given an opportunity to meet in advance of any interview or meeting with the administrative officials conducting that interview or meeting. This pre-meeting will allow advisors to clarify any questions they may have, and allows the University an opportunity to clarify the role the advisor is expected to take.
Advisors are expected to refrain from interference with the investigation and resolution. Any advisor who steps out of their role will be warned once and only once. If the advisor continues to disrupt or otherwise fails to respect the limits of the advisor role, the advisor will be asked to leave the meeting. When an advisor is removed from a meeting, that meeting will typically continue without the advisor present. Subsequently, the Title IX Coordinator will determine whether the advisor may be reinstated, may be replaced by a different advisor, or whether the party will forfeit the right to an advisor for the remainder of the process.
The University expects that the parties will wish to share documentation related to the allegations with their advisors. The University provides a consent form that authorizes such sharing. The parties must complete this form before the University is able to share records with an advisor, though parties may share the information directly with their advisor if they wish. Advisors are expected to maintain the privacy of the records shared with them. These records may not be shared with third parties, disclosed publicly, or used for purposes not explicitly authorized by the University. The University may seek to restrict the role of any advisor who does not respect the sensitive nature of the process or who fails to abide by the University’s privacy expectations.
The University expects an advisor to adjust their schedule to allow them to attend University meetings when scheduled. The University does not typically change scheduled meetings to accommodate an advisor’s inability to attend. However, the University will make reasonable provisions to allow an advisor who cannot attend in person to attend a meeting by telephone, video and/or virtual meeting technologies as may be convenient and available.
A party may elect to change advisors during the process, and is not locked into using the same advisor throughout.
The parties must advise the investigators of the identity of their advisor at least one (1) day before the date of their first meeting with investigators (or as soon as possible if a more expeditious meeting is necessary or desired). The parties must provide timely notice to investigators if they change advisors at any time.
The investigator has the authority to address all collateral misconduct, meaning that they investigate all allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, but also may address any additional alleged policy violations that have occurred in concert with the discrimination, harassment or retaliation, even though those collateral allegations may not specifically fall within the policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination. Accordingly, investigations will be conducted with as wide a scope as necessary.
Any evidence that the investigator believes is relevant and credible may be considered, including history and pattern evidence. The investigator may exclude irrelevant or immaterial evidence and may choose to disregard evidence lacking in credibility or that is improperly prejudicial.
Unless the investigator determines it is appropriate, the investigation and the finding will not consider: (1) incidents not directly related to the possible violation, unless they show a pattern, (2) the sexual history of the reporting party (though there may be a limited exception made in regards to the sexual history between the parties), (3) or the character of the reporting party. While previous conduct violations by the responding party are not generally admissible as information about the present allegation, the investigators may consider information about previous good faith allegations and/or findings to consider as evidence of pattern and/or predatory conduct.
The investigator(s) will not meet with character witnesses, but investigators will accept up to two (2) letters supporting the character of each of the parties.
The investigator(s) will base the determination(s) on the preponderance of the evidence, whether it is more likely than not that the responding party violated policy as alleged.
Judgment and Disciplinary Policy and Procedures
Title IX Review Board
Typically, within five (5) days of the close of an investigation, the investigator will forward an investigation report, which includes determinations on each policy violation, all recorded interviews, and all submitted evidence to the Title IX Review Board for final adjudication and possible sanction.
Review by the Title IX Review Board will usually be convened within ten (10) days of the completion of the investigation, and will be conducted in a private meeting. The board has the authority to review all collateral misconduct, meaning that it reviews all allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, but also may review any additional alleged policy violations that have occurred in concert with the discrimination, harassment or retaliation, even though those collateral allegations may not specifically fall within the board’s jurisdiction. Accordingly, investigations will be conducted with as wide a scope as necessary.
Deliberation and Decisions
The three (3) members of the Title IX Review Board will deliberate in closed session to determine whether the responding party is responsible or not responsible for the policy violation(s) in question. The board will base its determination(s) on a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., whether it is more likely than not that the responding party committed each alleged violation). If a majority of the board finds a responding party or organization responsible, the board will recommend appropriate sanctions.
The Chair will prepare a written deliberation report and deliver it to the Title IX Coordinator, detailing the recommended finding, the information cited by the panel in support of its recommendation and any information the board excluded from its consideration and why. The report should conclude with any recommended sanctions. This report should not exceed two (2) pages in length and must be submitted to the Title IX Coordinator within two (2) days of the end of deliberations, unless the Title IX Coordinator grants an extension.
The Title IX Coordinator will finalize the recommendations and will inform the parties of the final determination – both the finding(s) and applicable sanction(s) within three (3) days of the Title IX Review Board review, without significant time delay between notifications. Notification will be made in writing and may be delivered by one or more of the following methods: in person; mailed to the local or permanent address of the parties as indicated in official University records; or emailed to the parties’ University -issued email account. Once mailed, emailed and/or received in-person, notice will be presumptively delivered. The notification of outcome will specify the finding on each alleged policy violation, any sanctions that may result which the University is permitted to share according to state or federal law, and the rationale supporting the essential findings to the extent the University is permitted to share under state or federal law. The notice will also include information on when the results are considered by the University to be final, any changes that occur prior to finalization and any appeals options that are available.
The Title IX Review Board will recommend sanctions or responsive actions to the Title IX Coordinator. Factors considered when determining a sanction/responsive action may include:
- The nature, severity of, and circumstances surrounding the violation
- An individual’s disciplinary history
- Previous allegations or allegations involving similar conduct
- Any other information deemed relevant by the hearing panel
- The need for sanctions/responsive actions to bring an end to the discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation
- The need for sanctions/responsive actions to prevent the future recurrence of discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation
- The need to remedy the effects of the discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation on the reporting party and the community
The following are the usual sanctions that may be imposed upon students or organizations singly or in combination:
- Warning: A formal statement that the behavior was unacceptable and a warning that further infractions of any University policy, procedure or directive will result in more severe sanctions/responsive actions.
- Probation: A written reprimand for violation of the Code of Student Conduct, providing for more severe disciplinary sanctions in the event that the student or organization is found in violation of any University policy, procedure or directive within a specified period of time. Terms of the probation will be specified and may include denial of specified social privileges, exclusion from co-curricular activities, non-contact orders and/or other measures deemed appropriate.
- Suspension: Termination of student status for a definite period of time not to exceed two years, and/or until specific criteria are met. Students who return from suspension are automatically placed on probation through the remainder of their tenure at University. This sanction may be noted as a Conduct Suspension on the student’s official transcript, at the discretion of the Title IX Coordinator.
- Dismissal: Permanent termination of student status, revocation of rights to be on campus for any reason or attend University-sponsored events. This sanction will be noted as a Conduct Dismissal on the student’s official transcript.
- Withholding Diploma: The University may withhold a student’s diploma for a specified period of time and/or deny a student participation in commencement activities if the student has an allegation pending, or as a sanction if the student is found responsible for an alleged violation.
- Revocation of Degree: The University reserves the right to revoke a degree awarded from the University for fraud, misrepresentation or other violation of University policies, procedures or directives in obtaining the degree, or for other serious violations committed by a student prior to graduation.
- Other Actions: In addition to or in place of the above sanctions, the University may assign any other sanctions as deemed appropriate.
Responsive actions for an employee who has engaged in harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation include
- Warning – Verbal or Written
- Performance Improvement/Management Process
- Required Counseling
- Required Training or Education
- Loss of Annual Pay Increase
- Loss of Oversight or Supervisory Responsibility
- Suspension with pay
- Suspension without pay
- Other Actions: In addition to or in place of the above sanctions, the University/College may assign any other sanctions as deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal or Resignation While Charges Pending
Students: The University does not permit a student to withdraw if that student has an allegation pending for violation of the policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination. Should a student decide to leave and/or not participate in the ERP, the process will nonetheless proceed in the student’s absence to a reasonable resolution and that student will not be permitted to return to University unless all sanctions have been satisfied. The student will not have access to an academic transcript until the allegations have been resolved.
Employees: Should an employee resign with unresolved allegations pending, the records of the Title IX Coordinator will reflect that status, and any University responses to future inquiries regarding employment references for that individual may indicate the former employee is ineligible for rehire.
All requests for appeal consideration must be submitted in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer within three (3) days of the delivery of the written finding of the hearing panel. Any party may appeal the findings and/or sanctions only under the grounds described, below
Any party may appeal, but appeals are limited to the following grounds:
- A procedural error or omission occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.).
- To consider new evidence, unknown or unavailable during the original hearing or investigation, that could substantially impact the original finding or sanction. A summary of this new evidence and its potential impact must be included.
The Title IX Review Board will review the appeal request(s). The original finding and sanction/responsive actions will stand if the appeal is not timely or is not based on the grounds listed above, and such a decision is final. The party requesting appeal must show that the grounds for an appeal request have been met, and the other party or parties may show the grounds have not been met, or that additional grounds are met. The original finding and sanction are presumed to have been decided reasonably and appropriately. When any party requests an appeal, the Chief Compliance Officer will share the appeal request with the other party(ies), who may file a response within three (3) days and/or bring their own appeal on separate grounds within the original timeframe. If new grounds are raised, the original appealing party will be permitted to submit a written response to these new grounds within three (3) days. Any response or appeal request will be shared with each party.
Where the Title IX Review Board finds that at least one of the grounds is met by at least one party, additional principles governing the hearing of appeals will include the following:
- Decisions by the Title IX Review Board are to be deferential to the original decision, making changes to the finding only where there is clear error and to the sanction/responsive action only if there is a compelling justification to do so.
- Appeals are not intended to be full re-investigations (de novo) of the allegation. In most cases, appeals are confined to a review of the written documentation or record of the original investigation, and pertinent documentation regarding the grounds for appeal.
- Sanctions imposed as the result of the Resolution process are implemented immediately unless the Title IX Coordinator or designee stays their implementation in extraordinary circumstances, pending the outcome of the appeal.
- For students: Graduation, internships/ externships, etc. do NOT in and of themselves constitute exigent circumstances, and students may not be able to participate in those activities during their appeal.
- The Title IX Coordinator will confer with the Title IX Review Board, incorporate the results of any remanded grounds, and render a written decision on the appeal to all parties within three (3) days from review of the appeal or remand.
- All parties should be informed of whether the grounds for an appeal are accepted and the results of the appeal decision or remand.
- Once an appeal is decided, the outcome is final: further appeals are not permitted, even if a decision or sanction is changed on remand (except in the case of a new hearing). Where appeals result in no change to the finding or sanction, that decision is final. Where an appeal results in a new finding or sanction, that finding or sanction can be appealed one final time on the grounds listed above, and in accordance with these procedures.
- All parties will be informed in writing within three (3) days of the outcome of the Title IX Review Board, without significant time delay between notifications, and in accordance with the standards for notice of outcome as defined above.
- In cases where the appeal results in reinstatement to the University or resumption of privileges, all reasonable attempts will be made to restore the responding party to their prior status, recognizing that some opportunities lost may be irreparable in the short term.
Following the conclusion of the Equity Resolution Process and in addition to any sanctions implemented, the Title IX Coordinator may utilize long-term remedies or actions stop the harassment or discrimination, remedy its effects and prevent their reoccurrence. These remedies/actions may include, but are not limited to:
- Referral to community counseling and health services
- Referral to the Employee Assistance Program
- Education to the community
- Permanently altering work arrangements for employees
- Providing campus escorts
- Climate surveys
- Policy modification
- Implementing long-term contact limitations between the parties
- Offering adjustments to academic deadlines, course schedules, etc.
At the discretion of the Title IX Coordinator, long-term remedies may also be provided even when the responding party is found not responsible.
The institution will maintain as confidential any long-term remedies/actions or protective measures, provided confidentiality does not impair the institution’s ability to provide the actions or protective measures.
Failure to Complete Sanctions/Comply with Interim and Long-term Remedies/Responsive Actions
All responding parties are expected to comply with conduct sanctions, responsive actions and corrective actions within the timeframe specified by the Title IX Coordinator. Failure to abide by these conduct sanctions, responsive actions and corrective actions by the date specified, whether by refusal, neglect or any other reason, may result in additional sanctions/responsive/corrective actions and/or suspension, expulsion and/or termination from the University and may be noted on a student’s official transcript. A suspension will only be lifted when compliance is achieved to the satisfaction of the Title IX Coordinator.
In implementing this policy, records of all allegations, investigations, resolutions, and hearings will be kept by the Title IX Coordinator indefinitely.
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Herzing University complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 which is designed to protect the students’ rights with regard to educational records maintained by the institution. Under FERPA, a student has the following rights:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s educational record within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Registrar or other appropriate academic official, a written request that identifies the record(s) he or she wishes to view. The University official will make arrangements for access to the record and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be viewed. After further review, the student has the right to request an amendment of his or her record if he or she believes there are any inaccuracies. The student will need to make a formal written request to the Registrar’s Office and specify the revisions that need to be made.
- The right to seek amendment to the record if the student believe the information to be inaccurate or misleading. If, upon review, the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing to appeal the decision regarding the request for amendment.
- The right to limit disclosure of personally identifiable information, known as Directory Information. All student educational records are kept confidential and cannot be released without the student’s consent with the exception of directory information. A student may, however, request that his or her directory information also be kept confidential. To do so the student must submit a written request to the Registrar’s Office.
Herzing University’s Directory Information
- Student’s name
- Telephone number
- Herzing sponsored email address
- Program of study
- Dates of attendance
- Enrollment Status
- Degrees, Diplomas, Honors, and Awards received
- Previously attended educational institutions
- Participation in officially recognized activities
- Date of Birth
FERPA permits disclosure without consent to certain groups, including school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or research, and support staff position. Other persons or organizations that are allowed access to student records without consent from the student include agencies providing students financial aid, certain federal, state and accrediting agencies carrying out their function, persons in compliance with a judicial order, and persons who, in emergency, seek to protect the health or safety of students or other persons.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Upon request, the University may discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
Confidential information can be released directly to the student; however, it cannot be released directly to the student’s family members (e.g., parents, spouses, etc.) without the written consent of the student.
Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Herzing University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-8520
Phone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
International Student Attendance Policies and Procedures
Herzing University understands the academic, cultural and English-language challenges international students attending Herzing University on an F-1 student visa must overcome to be successful. The university expects that the sole rationale for an international student’s admission and presence in the U.S. is to complete their chosen academic program(s) and receive a Herzing University degree. The University has established International Student Attendance Policies and Procedures to provide all possible support and guidance for this goal, particularly during the first two semesters of study. Unless superseded by these policies and procedures, all international students are required to follow all other university policies and procedures as stated in the catalog and handbook.
International Student Attendance Philosophy and Requirement
The philosophy of Herzing University is that college is not only a place to learn technical and business skills and to develop academically, but also a place to develop important work habits. These include responsibility and reliability. Attendance is a major factor in both and one of the keys to successful academic performance, particularly for international students.
Since international students are in the U.S. on an F-1 visa for the sole purpose of pursuing a degree program at Herzing University, international students must fully participate in all Herzing University course meetings and all required activities. International students who miss a course meeting , University activity, or a course assignment without contacting the instructor/coordinator or the dean and/or without providing the necessary documentation (see Extenuating Circumstances below) may be subject to disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, dismissal from Herzing University.
Withdrawals Due to Attendance
See “Withdrawal From University” policy.
International New Students
New students must attend/actively participate in week two of courses in order to be considered enrolled. If a new student does not attend/actively participate in a class in week two, his/her enrollment will be canceled. Week one is considered a trial period for new students only. A new student who attends/actively participates in week one but never attends/actively participates in week two will not become an active student, and his/her enrollment will be canceled. If a student is attending more than one class, the student becomes active based on attendance of at least one class in week two. Herzing will not drop or unregister a class as long as the student has attended a course in week one and has attended a different course in week two. A student can still request to be unregistered from a class that has been attended only in week one until the start of week three. Please note, however, that if a student never attends a class in both week one and week two, the individual course will be unregistered. Additionally, if a new student never attends all courses in week two, the student’s enrollment will be cancelled.
International Continuing Students
A continuing international student becomes an active student once he/she attends his/her first class in the term. If a student attends/actively participates in one class, but does not attend other(s), the class(es) not attended/actively participated in will be unregistered. An international student must maintain full-time status to maintain his/her F-1 visa status in the U.S. See ” Online Attendance” for further requirements.
International Graduate Re-enrolls
International graduate re-enrolls must attend/actively participate in week two of courses in order to be officially counted as a start. If graduate re-enroll students do not attend in week two, he/she must be pre-school cancelled. Week one is considered a trial period for re-entries and graduate re-enroll students, the same as it is for new students. An international graduate re-enroll student who attends week one but never attends week two is not considered a start and needs to be pre-school cancelled. An international student must maintain full-time status to maintain his/her F-1 visa status in the U.S. See ” Online Attendance” for further requirements.
Extenuating Circumstances and Notification of Absences Requirements for International Students
International students are required to attend every class and activity designated as such. International students are required to inform their instructors or the office if they know they will have to miss a class. If there are extenuating circumstances (such as a documented health problem, etc.) that caused an absence or is expected to cause absences in the future, international students are required to contact their instructor or the Academic Dean immediately and in advance if possible. Documentation (such as a Health Care Facility Sick/Injury Report) must be provided immediately. International students returning from an absence are expected to immediately address missed material with the instructor outside of scheduled class hours.
Grading and Success Effect of Absences for International Students
Attendance is one of the keys to success for international students. Although points will not be directly deducted from a student’s academic average because of absences, students can expect tests, quizzes, or other graded assignments to be scheduled without notice during any given class session. If a student misses a test, quiz, or assignment because of an absence, the instructor is not obligated and will not normally allow a make-up quiz, test, or assignment. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration when deciding if make-up work will be permitted.
Approved Break - International Student
An international student studying at a Herzing University campus on an F1 student visa may request to take a break of up to one semester after each full academic year of study (i.e., two semesters) without being withdrawn from the University during the break. A Confirmation to Return Form is required to be completed by the student and approved by each designated campus official including the campus DSO prior to the break. Refer to the Academic Department to obtain information on eligibility to make this type of request. If the student does not return to study by the beginning of the following semester, he/she will be withdrawn from the University.
To help ensure international students attending Herzing University on F-1 visas reside in safe, adequate, cost-effective, and convenient housing during their studies at the university, international students are required, at their cost, to reside in University-approved housing from their date of arrival and continuing until completion of their first twelve months of study. Herzing University will provide international students approved housing information prior to their arrival in the United States. Campus Presidents may provide written waivers to this policy, on a case-by-case basis, for married international students residing with their families, when immediate family housing is available, or for other extenuating circumstances.
Herzing University reserves the right to require international students not subject to this requirement to reside in University-approved housing due to insufficient academic achievement or attendance issues. This includes international students previously not subject to the University housing requirement, those who have completed their first twelve months of study in University-approved housing, and those who have previously received written waivers to this policy.
ams. The results for individual students will be kept strictly confidential, will not be maintained, and will not affect their academic standing in any way.
Policy on Withholding Official Transcripts, Degrees, and Diplomas
Official transcripts, degrees, and diplomas will be withheld until all obligations related to Herzing University are fulfilled.
Pregnant and Parenting Student Policy
Herzing University is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Sex discrimination, which can include discrimination based on pregnancy, marital status, or parental status, is prohibited and illegal in admissions, educational programs and activities, hiring, leave policies, employment policies, and health insurance coverage. Herzing University hereby establishes a policy and associated procedures for ensuring the protection and equal treatment of pregnant individuals, persons with pregnancy-related conditions, and new parents.
Under the Department of Education’s (ED) Title IX regulations, an institution that receives federal funding “shall not discriminate against any student, or exclude any student from its education program or activity, including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of such student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom.” According to ED, appropriate treatment of a pregnant student includes granting the student leave “for so long a period of time as deemed medically necessary by the student’s physician,” and then effectively reinstating the student to the same status as was held when the leave began.
This generally means that pregnant students should be treated by Herzing University the same way as someone who has a temporary disability, and will be given an opportunity to make up missed work wherever possible. Extended deadlines, make-up assignments (e.g. papers, quizzes, tests, and presentations), tutoring, independent study, online course completion options, and incomplete grades that can be completed at a later date should all be employed in addition to any other ergonomic and assistive supports typically provided by Disability Services. To the extent possible, Herzing University will take reasonable steps to ensure that pregnant students who take a leave of absence or medical leave return to the same position of academic progress that they were in when they took leave, including access to the same course catalog that was in place when the leave began. The Title IX Coordinator has the authority to determine that such accommodations are necessary and appropriate, and to inform faculty members of the need to adjust academic parameters accordingly.
As with disability accommodations, information about pregnant students’ requests for reasonable accommodations will be shared with faculty and staff only to the extent necessary to provide the accommodation. Faculty and staff will regard all information associated with such requests as private and will not disclose the information unless necessary. Administrative responsibility for these accommodations lies with the Title IX Coordinator, who will maintain all appropriate documentation related to accommodations and requests.
In situations such as clinical rotations, labs, and group work, the University will work with the student to devise an alternative path to completion, where possible. In progressive curricular and/or cohort-model programs, medical necessary leaves are sufficient cause to permit the student to shift course order, substitute available similar courses, or join a subsequent cohort when returning from leave.
Students are encouraged to work with faculty members and Herzing University’s support services to devise a plan for how to best address the conditions as pregnancy progresses, anticipate the need for leaves, minimize the academic impact of their absence, and get back on track as efficiently and comfortably as possible. The Title IX Coordinator may assist with plan development and implementation as needed.
This policy applies to all aspects of Herzing University’s program, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs and activities, extracurricular activities, hiring, leave policies, employment policies, and health insurance coverage.
Caretaking: caring for and providing for the needs of a child
Medical Necessity: a determination made by a health care provider (of the student’s choice) that a certain course of action is in the patient’s best health interests.
Parenting: the raising of a child by the child’s parents in the reasonably immediate post-partum period.
Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Related Conditions: include, but are not limited to, pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, conditions arising in connections with pregnancy, and recovery from any of these conditions.
Pregnancy Discrimination: includes treating an individual affected by pregnancy of a pregnancy-related condition less favorably than similar individuals not so affected, and includes a failure to provide legally mandated leave or accommodations.
Pregnant Student/Birth-Parent: refers to the student who is or was pregnant. This policy and its pregnancy-related protections apply to all pregnant persons, regardless of gender identity or expression.
Reasonable Accommodations (for the purposes of this policy only): changes in the academic environment or typical operations that enables pregnant students or students with pregnancy-related conditions to continue to pursue their studies and enjoy the equal benefits of Herzing University.
Reasonable Accommodation of Students Affected by Pregnancy, Childbirth, or Related Conditions
- Herzing University and its faculty, staff, and other employees will not require students to limit their studies as the result of pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions.
- The benefits and services provided to students affected by pregnancy will be no less than those provided to students with temporary medical conditions.
- Students with pregnancy-related disabilities, like any student with a short-term or temporary disability, are entitled to reasonable accommodations so that they will not be disadvantaged in their courses of study, and may seek assistance from the Title IX office.
- No artificial deadlines or time limitations will be imposed on requests for accommodations, but Herzing University is limited in its ability to enact or implement accommodations retroactively.
- Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- Providing accommodations requested by a pregnant student to protect the health and safety of the student and/or the pregnancy (such as allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances);
- Making modifications to the physical environment (such as accessible seating);
- Providing mobility support;
- Extending deadlines and/or allowing the student to make up tests or assignments missed for pregnancy-related absences;
- Offering remote learning options, where available;
- Excusing medically-necessary absences (granted irrespective of classroom attendance policies set by individual faculty members, departments or divisions);
- Granting leave per Herzing University’s medical leave policy or implementing incomplete grades for classes that will be resumed at a future date; or
- Allowing breastfeeding students reasonable time and space to pump breast milk in a location that is private, clean, and reasonably accessible. Bathroom stalls do not satisfy this requirement.
- Nothing in this policy requires modification to the essential elements of any academic program. Pregnant students cannot be channeled into an alternative program or school against their wishes.
Modified Academic Responsibilities Policy for Parenting Students
- Students with child caretaking/parenting responsibilities who wish to remain engaged in their coursework while adjusting their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child may request an academic modification period during the first three (3) months from the time the child entered the home. Extensions may be granted when additional time is required by medical necessity or extraordinary caretaking/parenting responsibilities.
- During the modification period, the student’s academic requirements will be adjusted and deadlines postponed as appropriate, in collaboration among the Title IX office, the student’s student services specialist, and the appropriate academic department.
- Student seeking a period of modified academic responsibilities may consult with their academic advisor or with the Title IX office to determine appropriate academic accommodations requests. The Title IX office will communicate all requests under this policy to students’ student services specialists and coordinate accommodation-related efforts with the specialists. Students are encouraged to work with their student services specialist and faculty members to reschedule course assignments, lab hours, examinations, or other requirements and/or to reduce their overall course load as appropriate, once authorization is received from the Title IX office. If for any reason, caretaking/parenting students are not able to work with their student services specialist or faculty members to obtain appropriate and necessary modifications, students should alert the Title IX Coordinator as soon as possible, and the Coordinator will help facilitate any accommodations or modifications.
- Students can request modified academic responsibilities under this policy regardless of whether they elect to take a leave of absence.
- While receiving academic modifications, students will remain registered and retain benefits accordingly.
- As long as students can maintain appropriate academic progress, faculty, staff, or other Herzing University employees will not require them to take an approved, or withdraw from or limit their studies as the result of pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, but nothing in this policy requires modification of the essential elements of any academic program.
- Enrolled students may elect to take an approved break for up to one full semester because of pregnancy and/or the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.
- Students taking an approved break under this policy will provide notice of the intent to take a break 30 calendar days prior to the initiation of the break, or as soon as practicable.
- To the extent possible, Herzing University will take reasonable steps to ensure that upon return from break, students will be reinstated to their program in the same status as when the leave began, with no tuition penalty.
- Continuation of students’ scholarship or similar university-sponsored funding during the approved break will depend on the students’ registration status and the policies of that funding program regarding registration status. Students will not be negatively impacted by or forfeit their future eligibility for scholarships or similar university-sponsored funding by exercising their rights under this policy.
- The Title IX office can and will advocate for students with respect to financial aid agencies and external scholarship providers in the event that an approved break places eligibility into question.
- All student-employees will be entitled to the protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Pregnancy and related conditions will be treated as any other temporary disability for job purposes, including leave and any benefits, where applicable.
- Pregnancy and related conditions will be regarded as a justification for a leave of absence without pay for a reasonable period of time, at the conclusion of which employees will be reinstated to the status they held when the leave began or to a comparable position, without decrease in rate of compensation or loss of promotional opportunities, or any other right or privilege of employment.
Retaliation and Harassment
- Harassment of any member of the Herzing University based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, or parental status is prohibited.
- Faculty, staff, and other Herzing University employees are prohibited from interfering with students’ right to take leave, seek reasonable accommodation, or otherwise exercise their rights under this policy.
- Faculty, staff, and other Herzing University employees are prohibited from retaliating against students for exercising the rights articulated by this policy, including imposing or threatening to impose negative educational outcomes because students request leave or accommodation, file a complaint, or otherwise exercise their rights under this policy.
Dissemination of the Policy and Training
A copy of this policy will be made available to faculty, staff, and employees in annually required training and posted on the Herzing University website. Herzing University will alert all new students about this policy and the location of this policy as part of orientation. The Title IX Coordinator will make educational materials available to all members of the Herzing University community to promote compliance with this policy and familiarity with its procedures.
If a program change is desired, it should be made only at the end of the semester and only after consultation with the Academic Dean.
Service Quality Assurance
Herzing University is committed to the complete satisfaction of our students and their employers. We pride ourselves in providing a quality, student-centered educational experience that successfully prepares our graduates for employment. We offer the following written service quality assurance to our valued student and employer customers.
Assurance to Students
A Herzing University student may retake any course that he or she is dissatisfied with at no additional charge for tuition provided the student completed and passed the course with a “B” or better, demonstrated compliance with the stated attendance policy for the course in question, is not in default on his/her student loan(s), and is current in financial standing with the University.
Assurance to Employers
If an employer feels a Herzing University graduate is not functioning satisfactorily in a job reasonably related to his or her program of study that had been completed within the last 12 months, Herzing University will allow the student to retake any course offered in the student’s completed curriculum without tuition cost to the student or the employer.
Notes on the Service Quality Assurance Policy
- For employers, a phone call or letter to the Department of Career Development, the Academic Dean, or campus President/Director will be sufficient to allow students to repeat any course(s) that the employer believes is/are necessary.
- The student repeating a course will be expected to attend a class (on a space-available basis) offered in the University’s normal class schedule.
- A student repeating a course will do so on an “audit” basis (i.e., no grade will be received, and the student’s academic performance will not affect his or her transcript).
- A student repeating a course under the student assurance above must do so within 12 months of completing that course. Please note that the student is responsible for the purchase of books and materials.
Herzing University prohibits all forms of sexual misconduct, including, but not limited to, sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
No employee or student will be subject to any form of retaliation, intimidation, or discipline for pursuing a sexual misconduct complaint.
State law defines various violent and/or non-consensual sexual acts as crimes. While some of these acts may have parallels in criminal law, Herzing University has defined categories of sex/gender discrimination as sexual misconduct, as stated below, for which action under this policy may be imposed. Generally speaking, the University considers Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse violations to be the most serious of these offenses, and therefore typically imposes the most severe sanctions, including suspension or expulsion for students and termination for employees. However, the University reserves the right to impose any level of sanction, ranging from a reprimand up to and including suspension or expulsion/termination, for any act of sexual misconduct or other sex/gender-based offenses, including intimate partner (dating and/or domestic) violence, non-consensual sexual contact and/or stalking based on the facts and circumstances of the particular allegation. Acts of sexual misconduct may be committed by any person upon any other person, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation and/or gender identity of those involved.
Reporting Party: is an individual who reports a concern regarding possible sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination to the University and an individual who reportedly experienced sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination.
Responding Party: is a University student, employee, or participant in a University program who reportedly engaged in sexual misconduct. This term also includes individuals whose identities are unknown if there is reason to believe that they may be a University student, employee, or participant in a University program or if the Reporting party or Reporter is a student.
Consent: is a positive, unambiguous agreement, expressed in mutually understandable words or actions, to engage in specific sexual activity throughout the duration of a sexual encounter. Silence or lack of resistance does not constitute consent. Either party at any point can withdraw consent. Consent must be voluntarily given and may not be valid if a person is subject to real or perceived coercion, force, or threats. Consent to engage in one sexual activity does not indicate consent to another sexual activity, and past agreement to engage in a particular sexual activity cannot be presumed to constitute consent to engage in future sexual activity. Similarly, consent to sexual activity with one partner does not constitute consent to engage in sexual activity with any other partner. A person who is known, or reasonably known to be incapacitated or anyone under the age designated by each state (see Age of Consent) cannot give valid consent.
Incapacitation: is defined as a state where someone lacks the physical and/or mental ability to make informed, rational judgments and to act on those judgments (e.g. to understand the “who, what, when, where, why, or how” of their sexual interaction). Causes may include, but are not limited to, an intellectual or other disability, being in an unconscious state, having consumed alcohol or taken drugs, or being in an altered psychological state. An individual who engages in sexual activity when the individual knows, or should know, that the other person is physically or mentally incapacitated has violated this policy.
It is not an excuse that the responding party was intoxicated and, therefore, did not realize the incapacity of the reporting party.
Age of Consent: Age of consent varies by state. Federal age of consent is 18. Sexual contact by an adult with a person younger than the age of consent may be a crime and a potential violation of this policy even if the minor wanted to engage in the act.
NOTE: Silence or the absence of resistance alone is not consent. There is no requirement on a party to resist the sexual advance or request, but resistance is a clear demonstration of non-consent. The presence of consent is not demonstrated by the absence of resistance. Sexual activity that is forced is by definition non-consensual, but non-consensual activity is not by definition forced.
Examples of lack of consent can be found in the Annual Security Reports here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Force: is the use of physical violence and/or imposing on someone physically to gain sexual access. Force also includes threats, intimidation (implied threats), and coercion that overcome resistance or produce consent. (e.g. “Have sex with me or I’ll hit you.” “Okay, don’t hit me; I’ll do what you want.”).
Coercion: is unreasonable pressure for sexual activity. Coercive behavior differs from seductive behavior based on the type of pressure someone uses to get consent from another. When someone makes clear to you that they do not want sex, that they want to stop, or that they do not want to go past a certain point of sexual interaction, continued pressure beyond that point can be coercive.
Intimate Partner Violence (including Dating Violence and Domestic Violence): describes actual or threatened physical or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner. It may also include emotional and psychological abuse, usually by words or actions that seek to establish power and control and cause fear of physical or sexual violence. Intimate partner violence may also include stalking behaviors.
Examples of Intimate Partner Violence are found in the Annual Security Reports here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse
- Any sexual intercourse
- however slight
- with any object
- by a person upon another person
- that is without consent and/or by force
Sexual intercourse includes:
- Vaginal or anal penetration by a penis, tongue, finger or object, or oral copulation (mouth to genital contact) no matter how slight the penetration or contact.
Non-Consensual Sexual Contact
- Any intentional sexual touching
- however slight
- by a person upon another person
- that is without consent and/or by force
Sexual touching includes:
- Intentional contact with the breasts, groin, or genitals, or mouth or touching another with any of these body parts, or making another touch you or themselves with or on any of these body parts; or
- Any other bodily contact made in a sexual manner.
Sexual Exploitation: refers to a situation in which a person takes non-consensual or abusive sexual advantage of another, and that behavior does not otherwise fall within the definitions of Sexual Harassment, Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse, or Non-Consensual Sexual Contact.
Examples of Sexual Exploitation are found in the Annual Security Reports here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Sexual Harassment: See separate policy above.
Stalking: is obsessive or repeated unwanted attention directed to either an individual or a group that is likely to cause a reasonable person alarm, fear, or significant emotional distress. Some examples of behavior that could be considered stalking are: following, unwanted phone calls, text messages, emails, letters or voicemails, leaving unwanted gifts or flowers, lying in wait. Stalking usually is a pattern of behavior over an extended period of time, however, depending on the severity of the circumstances, even two instances of such behavior could be sufficient to constitute stalking.
Examples of Stalking are found in the Annual Security Reports here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Retaliation: as it relates to this sexual misconduct policy, is taking adverse action against an individual or individuals for reporting an incident of sexual misconduct, for supporting a party bringing an allegation forward, or for participating in a sexual misconduct investigation or proceeding. Retaliation is a serious violation of University policy and will be treated as another possible instance of harassment or discrimination.
Examples of Retaliation are found in the Annual Security Reports here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Acts of alleged retaliation should be reported immediately to the Title IX Coordinator and will be promptly investigated. Herzing University is prepared to take appropriate steps to protect individuals who fear that they may be subject to retaliation.
Intimidation: is an attempt to compel someone to or deter someone from action by real or perceived threats or acts that cause an unreasonable fear of harm.
See the Annual Security Report for each Herzing University campus here: https://www.herzing.edu/annual-security-reports
Prevention and Education
Risk Reduction Tips
Risk reduction tips can often take a victim-blaming tone, even unintentionally. Only those who commit sexual violence are responsible for those actions. We offer the tips below with no intention to victim-blame, with recognition that these suggestions may nevertheless help you to reduce your risk of experiencing a non-consensual sexual act or other assault.
- If you have limits, make them known as early as possible.
- Tell a sexual aggressor “NO” clearly and firmly.
- Try to remove yourself from the physical presence of a sexual aggressor. If there is someone nearby, ask for help.
- Take affirmative responsibility for your alcohol intake or drug use. Acknowledge that alcohol and drugs lower your sexual inhibitions and may make you vulnerable to someone who views a drunk or high person as a sexual opportunity.
- Give thought to sharing intimate content with others (pictures, images, videos, etc.) If you do choose to share, clarify your expectations as to how or if those images may be used, shared, or disseminated.
- Be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe on campus, seek assistance from a campus administrator immediately.
- Avoid isolated areas, especially in the dark.
- Walk with purpose. Even if you do not know where you are going, act as though you do.
- Make sure your cell phone is with you, and charged and that you have money for cab fare or public transportation, if needed. Please note that even if a cell phone is not activated with a plan or prepaid minutes, it is able to make emergency calls to 911.
- Park your car in a well-lit area if you are on campus in the evenings.
If you find yourself in the position of being the initiator of sexual behavior, you owe sexual respect to your potential partner. The following suggestions may help you to reduce your risk for being accused of sexual misconduct:
- Clearly communicate your intentions to your potential sexual partner. Give them a chance to clearly relate their intentions to you.
- Understand and respect personal boundaries.
- Never make assumptions about consent. Do not assume someone’s sexual availability, whether they are attracted to you, how far you can go, or whether they are physically and/or mentally able to consent. Your partner’s consent should be affirmative and continuous. If there are any questions or ambiguity, you do not have consent.
- Mixed messages from your partner are a clear indication that you should stop, diffuse sexual tension, and communicate better. You may be misreading them. They may not have figured out how far they want to go with you yet. You must respect the timeline for sexual behaviors with which they are comfortable.
- Do not take advantage of someone’s drunkenness or altered state, even if they willingly consumed alcohol or other substances.
- Realize that your potential partner could feel intimidated or coerced by you. You may have a power advantage simply because of your gender or physical presence. Take care not to abuse that power.
- Do not share intimate pictures, images, videos, or other content that are shared with you.
- Understand that consent to some form of sexual behavior does not automatically imply consent to any other forms of sexual behavior.
- Silence, passivity, or non-responsiveness cannot be interpreted as an indication of consent. Read your partner carefully. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal communication and body language.
Safe and Positive Options for Bystander Intervention
Whenever you attempt to intervene in a situation that you think could constitute or lead to intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or stalking, always make sure that you keep yourself safe. If things get out of hand or too serious, you should contact law enforcement immediately.
General Tips for Intervention
- Approach the situation in a friendly way, do not be antagonistic
- Avoid using violence
- Be honest and direct when possible
- Get others to join you in intervening if possible
- Interruption – step in and directly ask an individual to stop what they are doing or saying and tell them why you feel it is wrong
- Separation – separate the two parties directly, let them know why you are separating them, and make sure everyone gets home safely if alcohol is involved.
- Distraction – create a disturbance or a reason for one of the involved parties to engage in conversation or leave the situation
- Education – challenge attitudes and opinions you hear from others that promote negative ideas about women or support sexual violence; stand up for others
Immediately Following an Incident
If any individual (student or employee) is a victim of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking), his or her first priority should be to get to safety. He or she should next seek any necessary medical treatment. If you have been a victim of sexual assault, do not wash or change clothes, as valuable evidence could be lost.
Reporting Policy and Procedures for Harassment and Discrimination Complaints
Reports of discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation may be made using any of the following options. There is no time limitation on the filing of allegations. However, if the responding party is no longer subject to the University’s jurisdiction, the ability to investigate, respond and provide remedies may be more limited:
1)Report directly to the Title IX Coordinator:
Director of University Safety and Compliance
Title IX Coordinator/ADA Coordinator
W140 N8917 Lilly Road
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
2)Report online, using the reporting form posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing
All reports are acted upon promptly while every effort is made by the University to preserve the privacy of reports. Such reports may also be anonymous. Anonymous reports will be investigated to determine if remedies can be provided. Additionally, all employees of the University are designated as mandated reporters and will share a report with the Title IX Coordinator promptly. Confidentiality and mandated reporting is addressed more specifically below. Reports of misconduct or discrimination committed by the Title IX Coordinator should be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Sexual Misconduct Reports
Any student or employee who reports to the University that he or she has been a victim of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking, regardless of where the incident took place, shall be provided with a copy of the Annual Security Report and documentation detailing the following:
- The individual’s option to notify proper law enforcement authorities.
- The option to be assisted by campus authorities in notifying law enforcement authorities if he or she so chooses.
- His or her option to decline to notify such authorities.
- The individual’s options for (and any available assistance in) changing academic, living, transportation, and/or working situations if so requested and reasonably available, regardless of his or her choice whether or not to report the crime to the authorities.
- Where applicable, his or her rights, and the University’s responsibilities regarding orders of protection, no contact orders, restraining orders, or similar lawful orders issued by a criminal, civil or tribal court.
- The student’s option to request that the University issue a No Contact Order.
- The link to the United States Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office website, http://www.justice.gov/ovw, which contains information regarding victim’s rights and available assistance.
- A list of other local resources available.
Herzing University maintains no housing for either employees or students. Consequently, any change in living arrangements that would be desired by a reporting party must be the responsibility of that individual. However, the University will assist students who are seeking alternate housing by providing recommendations or a source of appropriate housing recommendations.
The reporting party will have an opportunity to request assistance in changing their academic situation. Possible alternatives include:
- Changing Instructors
- Changing Course Schedule
- Temporary Withdrawal
The University will take additional prompt remedial and/or disciplinary action with respect to any member of the community, guest or visitor upon a finding that they have engaged in harassing or discriminatory behavior or retaliation.
The University will maintain as confidential any accommodations or protective measures, provided confidentiality does not impair the University’s ability to provide the accommodations or protective measures.
Herzing University will not tolerate intentional false reporting of incidents. It is considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct to make an intentionally false report of any policy violation, and it may also violate state criminal statutes and civil defamation laws.
Confidentiality and Reporting of Offenses under This Policy
All University employees (faculty, staff, and administrators) are expected to report actual or suspected discrimination or harassment to appropriate officials immediately, though there are some limited exceptions. In order to make informed choices, it is important to be aware of confidentiality and mandatory reporting requirements when consulting campus resources. The following describes the reporting options at Herzing University:
If a reporting party would like the details of an incident to be kept confidential, the reporting party may speak with:
- Licensed professional counselors
- Local rape crisis counselors
- Domestic violence resources
- Local or state assistance agencies
All of the above-listed individuals will maintain confidentiality except in extreme cases of immediacy of threat or danger or abuse of a minor. ULifeline and/or the Employee Assistance Program are available to help free of charge and can be seen on an emergency basis during normal business hours.
Formal Reporting Options
All University employees have a duty to report. Reporting parties may want to consider carefully whether they share personally identifiable details with employees, as those details must be shared with the Title IX Coordinator. Employees must promptly share all details of the reports they receive. Generally, climate surveys, classroom writing assignments or discussions, human subjects research, or events such as Take Back the Night marches or speak-outs do not provide notice that must be reported to the Coordinator by employees, unless the reporting party clearly indicates that they wish a report to be made. Remedial actions may result from such disclosures without formal University action.
If a reporting party does not wish for their name to be shared, does not wish for an investigation to take place, or does not want a formal resolution to be pursued, the reporting party may make such a request to the Title IX Coordinator, who will evaluate that request in light of the duty to ensure the safety of the campus and comply with federal law. Note that the University’s ability to remedy and respond to a reported incident may be limited if the reporting party does not want the institution to proceed with an investigation and/or the Equity Resolution Process.
In cases indicating pattern, predation, threat, weapons and/or violence, the University will likely be unable to honor a request for confidentiality. In cases where the reporting party requests confidentiality and the circumstances allow the University to honor that request, the University will offer interim supports and remedies to the reporting party and the community, but will not otherwise pursue formal action. A reporting party has the right, and can expect, to have allegations taken seriously by Herzing University when formally reported, and to have those incidents investigated and properly resolved through these procedures.
Formal reporting still affords privacy to the reporter, and only a small group of officials who need to know will be told, including but not limited to: Human Resources, Student Services, the office of the Chief Compliance Officer, and the University Provost. Information will be shared as necessary with investigators, witnesses and the responding party. The circle of people with this knowledge will be kept as tight as possible to preserve a reporting party’s rights and privacy. Additionally, victims and/or third parties may make anonymous reports using the online reporting form posted at http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing
Note that these anonymous reports may prompt a need for the institution to investigate.
Failure of a non-confidential employee, as described in this section, to report an incident or incidents of sex/gender harassment or discrimination of which they become aware is a violation of University/College policy and can be subject to disciplinary action for failure to comply.
Amnesty for Violations of Drug and Alcohol Policy
Any witness or victim of an incident of sexual assault who reports the incident in good faith will not be sanctioned by the institution for admitting in the report to a violation of Herzing University’s policy regarding the personal use of drugs or alcohol.
Emergency Contact Notification
Herzing University reserves the right to notify parents/guardians of dependent students regarding any health or safety risk, change in student status or conduct situation, particularly drug or alcohol violations. Where a student is non-dependent, the University will contact parents/guardians, or a designated emergency contact to inform them of situations in which there is a significant and articulable health and/or safety risk. The University also reserves the right to designate which university officials have a need to know about individual conduct reports pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Social Media Policy
Students, faculty, staff, administration, and our constituents constitute a community of learners. Collectively, we share responsibility for exchanging knowledge and information, creating a culture that respects and values diversity, maintains an environment of accountability, and exemplifies Herzing University’s core values of professionalism, respect, integrity, caring for others, and engagement.
Herzing University believes that post-secondary education should create a platform for meaningful interaction among its constituents. Optimally, learning is a collaborative process. The richness of the learning experience is dependent upon the creation of a safe environment that encourages members of the learning community to share personal points of view. Social media platforms serve as one medium for the exchange of perspective.
Herzing University acknowledges that each form of social media including, but not limited to, Facebook™, Twitter™, Instagram™, YouTube™, LinkedIn™, blogs, WhatsApp™, SnapChat™, Pinterest™, and consumer websites may be used as a platform for interaction. As members of the Herzing University community, students, faculty, and staff must recognize that opinions that they share may be attributed to the University. The same laws, professional expectations, and guidelines for interaction between and among Herzing University constituents apply regardless of physical or virtual context.
Because the university experience provides opportunities to inflict particular damage by revealing protected, personal educational information, violate patient health information laws, and publish other protected personal and institutional information, there is a high level of personal, professional, and institutional responsibility that students, faculty, and staff must demonstrate when using social media. The Social Media Policy is intended to provide a framework for appropriate use of social media.
Guidelines for Posting on Social Media Sites
Unless specifically instructed, students, faculty, staff, and administration are not authorized, and therefore are prohibited from, speaking on behalf of Herzing University.
Social Media Postings Should
- Maintain a professional image of Herzing University, its staff, faculty, students, and industry partners as respected individuals and organizations; and
- Maintain a positive and productive public image across the various academic and relevant professional industries.
Social Media Postings Must Not
- Be offensive, threatening, bullying, illegal, defamatory, or hostile;
- Contain profanity, false statements, or content that is sexual in nature, suggestive, or discriminatory either directly or suggestively;
- Promote or advertise a commercial product or solicit business or membership to other organizations;
- Contain phone numbers or e-mail addresses;
- Infringe on the rights of the organization or any individual or entity to include privacy, intellectual property, or publication rights; or
- Violate any applicable government or regulatory body policies including HIPAA.
Herzing University respects the right of students, faculty, staff, and administration to write blogs and use social networking sites and does not wish to discourage self-publishing or self-expression. Students, faculty, staff, and administration are expected to follow the guidelines and policies set forth. Herzing University respects the right of individuals to use blogs and social networking sites as a medium of selfexpression and public conversation and does not discriminate against those who use these media for personal interests and affiliations or other lawful purposes.
Bloggers and commenters are personally responsible for their commentary on blogs and social networking sites. Herzing University recommends that individuals make sincere efforts to confirm the truth and accuracy of facts set forth in each social media post prior to posting. Bloggers and commenters can be held personally liable for commentary that is considered defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous by any offended party, including but not limited to Herzing University.
Students, faculty, staff, and administration may not use University-owned equipment, including computers, University-licensed software, or other electronic equipment to conduct personal blogging or social networking activities. Students, faculty, staff, and administration may not use blogs or social networking sites to harass, threaten, discriminate, or disparage against anyone associated with or doing business with Herzing University. If an individual chooses to identify himself/herself as being affiliated with Herzing University, it should be understood that some readers may view him/her as a spokesperson for the University. Consequently, individuals should state that views expressed in their blog or on other social media platforms are their own and not those of the University, or of any person or organization affiliated or doing business with Herzing University.
Social Media Monitoring
Students, faculty, staff, and administration are cautioned that they should have no expectation of privacy while using the Internet. Postings can be reviewed by anyone, including Herzing University. The University reserves the right to monitor comments or discussions about the University, its employees, students, and the industry, including products and competitors, posted on the Internet by anyone, including employees and nonemployees. Students, faculty, staff, and administration are cautioned that they should have no expectation of privacy while using University equipment or facilities for any purpose, including authorized blogging.
Herzing University reserves the right to
- Ban future posts from people who repeatedly violate the social media policy and/or the University code of conduct;
- Remove or edit comments from its social media properties at any time;
- Request third-party providers and/or social media platforms to ban or remove posts;
- Amend these policies at its discretion, regardless of timing, circumstance, or without formal notice; and
- Take disciplinary or legal action related to student violation of the social media policy.
Herzing University requests and strongly urges students, faculty, staff, and administration to report any violations or possible or perceived violations. Violations may include discussions of Herzing University and its employees, students, and clients and any unlawful activity related to blogging or social networking.
Discipline for Violations
Herzing University investigates and responds to all reports of violations of the social media policy and other related policies. Violation of the University’s social media policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University.
Discipline will be determined based on the nature and factors of any blog or social media post. Herzing University reserves the right to take legal action where necessary against students, faculty, staff, and administration who engage in prohibited or unlawful conduct.
Nursing and Allied Health Programs
In addition to the Herzing University Social Media Policy, most clinically based programs have additional restrictions required by various professions as listed below:
- Confidentiality must be maintained. The student or faculty member may not transmit via any electronic media any patient-related information or images that may be reasonably construed to violate patient confidentiality. Students must not
- Identify patients by name or use data that may lead to identification; or
- Share, post, or in any way disseminate any information about a patient gained through the provider-patient relationship with anyone other than the healthcare team or with a faculty member as it is used in evaluation of educational outcomes.
- Students may not post disparaging, offensive, threatening, bullying, illegal, defamatory, or hostile comments about a patient, faculty member, employee, student, or clinical facility, even if not identified.
- Students may not take photos or videos of patients on personal devices, including mobile devices.
- Students must maintain professional boundaries in the use of electronic media.
- Students must adhere to the social media policies of the agencies hosting internships, preceptor experiences, or faculty-guided clinical experiences. This includes policies related to agency-owned computers, cameras, and other electronic devices and the use of personal devices while on the property of the agency.
- Students must immediately report any identified breach of confidentiality, privacy, or policy violation to a faculty member or administrator.
- Students must recognize and remember the ethical and legal obligations required to maintain privacy and confidentiality at all times.
Failure to adhere to these policies may result in reprimand, failure of a course, dismissal from the University, or other actions as defined within the University’s Student Code of Conduct policy.
Software and Minimum Technology Requirements
Students may be scheduled to take courses online or in a hybrid format, and many courses use electronic textbooks (eBooks); therefore, the following are minimum computer system requirements for both PC and Mac users. These requirements are reviewed periodically and subject to change. Additional requirements are listed for specific programs. Note: Students taking courses in an online or hybrid format should have a technology back-up plan in case their normal technology is not operable for a period of time.
PC Users (Online or Hybrid Students)
- Windows 7, 8, or 10 operating system (Windows 8 “RT” is not supported)
- A minimum of 4 gigabytes (4 GB) of internal memory.
- A minimum of 1.5 gigahertz (1.5 GHz) processor
- A minimum of 20 gigabytes (20 GB) free storage/hard drive space
- A minimum of 2 gigabit (2 Gb) unmetered (unlimited) Internet connection — most courses are media-intensive. Dialup, Satellite, and metered Cellphone Internet is unsuitable.
- Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Firefox 52 or higher, or Chrome (Firefox and Chrome are freeware, downloadable from the web)
- Windows Edge Browser is not supported.
- Monitor resolution of 1,280 x 800 or higher.
- Speakers or headphones
- Webcam or phone video cam capable of creating 5-10 minute video files
Mac Users (Online or Hybrid Students)
- A Intel-based Apple Macintosh with Windows boot capability
- Boot Camp or Parallels (program required to run Windows on MAC)
- MAC OS X 10.11 or higher
- A minimum of 6 gigabytes (6 GB) RAM
- A minimum of 40 gigabytes (40 GB) free storage/hard drive space
- A minimum of 2 gigabit (2 Gb) unmetered (unlimited) Internet connection — most courses are media-intensive. Dialup, Satellite, and metered Cellphone Internet is unsuitable.
- Safari 11 or higher, Firefox 52 or higher, or Chrome (Firefox and Chrome are freeware, downloadable from the web)
- Monitor resolution of 1,280 x 800
- Speakers or headphones
- Webcam or phone video cam capable of creating 5-10 minute video files
Microsoft Office Installation (Online and Campus Students)
It is very important that the following guidelines are used prior to and during the installation of Microsoft Office 2013.
- Please see the instructions located on the Herzing website at https://www.herzing.edu/files/office2013-download-student.pdf for installing Microsoft Office (you will be directed to a one-page PDF).
- If you have any problems installing this software, please contact tech support at 1-866-508-0748, extension 10000.If you receive a voicemail message, please leave your name, student number, phone number, and a description of the issue that you are having.
- Please note that Herzing University is not responsible for any damage that may occur to a student’s computer, including, but not limited to, hardware, software, file directory, or file contents as a result of student’s installing software or not having the appropriate hardware configurations for such installation.
Additional Requirements for Allied Health and Health Information Management Students (Online and Hybrid Students)
- Students in the allied health programs should avoid using Apple Mac computers, as they have proven to be problematic when accessing publisher-required sites and software sites such as VLab or Connect.
- Virtual Lab System requirements and AHIMA recommend the following software programs:
- Java (Oracle Corporation)
- Adobe Flash
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Citrix Receiver
Additional Requirements for Medical Assisting and Nursing Program Students (Online and Campus Students)
- Students will need access to a scanner to upload timesheets and other course material signed off by a clinical site designee and/or proctor.
Additional Requirements for Software Development and Information Technology Students (Online or Hybrid Students)
- A PC is strongly recommended for technology courses.
- Students using a Mac in their technology courses will need to use a PC for any course using Oracle software.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or higher (capable of running Microsoft Active X Control) is required for information technology students.Firefox, Safari, and other browsers do not meet this requirement.
- A minimum of 4048 megabytes (4 GB) of internal memory
- A minimum of 1.6 gigahertz (1500 MHz) processor
- A high-speed internet connection
- Microsoft Silverlight 4 or 5 (running Silverlight supported web browsers)
- Silverlight 4 browser support:
- Silverlight 5 browser support: http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx
Students taking NT 305 and NT 341 must have a computer with the following hardware requirements:
- A 64-bit processor and at least an i5 Intel processor with VT technology (or equivalent AMD)
- At least 16 GB of RAM
- 300 GB free disk space
- Network interface card (NIC)
Students taking NT 320 must have a computer with the following hardware requirements:
- A 64-bit processor
- A wireless adapter or a wireless network interface card (NIC)
- Internet access
Statement of Shared Responsibility
Students, faculty, staff, and administration, in partnership with all university constituents, comprise a community of learners. Collectively, we share responsibility for exchanging knowledge and information, creating a culture that respects and values diversity, and for maintaining an environment of accountability. Within the challenging and supporting learning environment at Herzing University, students of all ages, ethnicities, religions, gender, abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations are welcome to engage in the process of preparation for career readiness, active citizenship and lifelong learning.
In order to fulfill its mission, all members of the Herzing University community have a responsibility to promote and the right to expect the following:
Respect for Persons: The opportunity to ask questions and to express opinions is fundamental to the learning process. Diversity in perspective strengthens the learning environment for all participants. All members of the learning community will demonstrate respect for others while communicating a point of view and while allowing others to do the same, ensuring that the University is free from intimidation and harassment. Disagreements among members of the learning community are expected to be resolved through a process that preserves mutual respect.
Respect for the Learning Process: Learning community members should be committed to a journey of continuous improvement through learning for themselves and for others. Each individual brings with him/her a unique set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences that add richness to the learning environment. Individuals will progress at their own rate, within the approved parameters of the curriculum, capitalizing upon their own preferred style of learning in order to make progress on their journey. Each individual’s efforts to engage in the learning process should be encouraged and honored. The Student Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure that the learning process is not inhibited or disrupted for any individual or group of individuals.
Respect for the Learning Environment: The physical and virtual classroom, the institutional facilities, and the campus, as well as all equipment and learning materials constitute the learning environment. Expectations for adherence to the Code of Conduct apply to those instances where the learning experience extends beyond the institution, such as situations that involve a field trip or an internship, externship, or clinical experience. Equipment and learning materials vary by program. The safety of all members of the learning community is of the utmost concern and importance to the University. Students must adhere to dress code requirements specific to their program of study.
All members of the learning community will utilize the resources provided by the University as instructed and with caution, making University officials aware of issues associated with facilities, equipment, or learning materials.
Respect for Academic Integrity: All members of the learning community are required to adhere to University standards of academic integrity.
One of the greatest values of participating in a community of learners is the opportunity to learn from others; however, individuals must acknowledge the sources of the information that are used to advance or support a point of view. Academic misconduct involves dishonesty or deception in the fulfillment of academic requirements. It includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, unapproved collaboration, forged attendance, using advantages not approved by the instructor, knowingly allowing another student to plagiarize or cheat from one’s work or submitting the same assignment for multiple courses without the knowledge of the instructor.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY
Herzing University affirms its commitment to the provision of an engaging learning environment and the promotion of exchange of ideas among the members of the learning community. All individuals who come to Herzing University to work and study will be accepted as unique individuals worthy of making a valuable contribution to the learning environment. Discrimination, disruption, or harassment on the basis of age, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, socio-economic background, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated.
Herzing University accepts responsibility for communicating these values to students, faculty, staff, administration, and the community served by the institution. The success of the policy in protection of the learning environment and those engaged in the learning process is dependent upon the willingness of members of the university community to make known behaviors and conduct that violate the policy.
While some programs, due to the nature of the instruction and/or requirements to engage in learning activities at an internship, externship, clinical or practicum site, may establish program-specific policies with regard to student conduct, all policies and procedures stated within the Herzing University Student Code of Conduct Policy apply to all students, regardless of location, instructional modality or program of study.
A student found to have committed any one of the following Code of Conduct violations may be subject to the full range of sanctions, including written reprimand, suspension, and expulsion.
Code of Conduct Violations
Academic Misconduct – Academic misconduct is defined as dishonesty or deception in the fulfillment of academic requirements. Violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, unapproved collaboration, forged attendance, using advantages not approved by the instructor, knowingly allowing another student to plagiarize or cheat from one’s work, or submitting the same assignment for multiple courses without the knowledge of the instructor.
Destruction of Property – Destruction of Property includes but is not limited to intentionally or recklessly, damaging, destroying, defacing, or tampering with University property, property associated with the University (including internship/externship sites), or the property of any person on or associated with a campus.
Dishonesty – Dishonesty is defined as provision of false information to the institution by forgery, alteration, or misuse of documents or records, falsifying a written or oral statement, or submission of false identification to the institution.
Discrimination – Discrimination is defined as civilly, criminally, or administratively prohibited unequal treatment of a person based upon age, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, socio-economic background, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Disruption/Obstruction – Disruption/obstruction is defined as obstructing or interfering with any University function or activities, including instruction within a physical or virtual classroom.
Failure to Adhere to Dress Code – Programs of study are provided to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for an identified set of career outcomes. As such, dress code standards that replicate the work environment may be imposed upon students enrolled in particular programs of study. The Dress Code may include requirements to wear a specific uniform. Alternatively, the Dress Code may limit attire that is worn to the university or to university-related activities to a defined standard, such as business attire or business- casual attire. Finally, the Dress Code may necessitate removal of piercings and/or requirements to cover tattoos.
False Report of Emergency – False report of an emergency is defined as, but is not limited to causing, making, or circulating a false report or warning of fire, bomb, crime, or other threat to safety.
Manufacture, Distribution, Sale, Offer for Sale, Possession, or Misuse of Drugs or Alcohol – Manufacture, distribution, sale, offer for sale, possession, or use of any illegal drug or narcotic or possession or use of alcohol while on campus or engaged in any University-related activities, including engagement in internship, externship, clinical or practicum activities.
Mental or Bodily Harm to Self – Mentally or bodily harm to self is defined as conduct that causes harm or has the potential to cause harm to one’s self, including the intentional infliction of mental or bodily harm upon one’s self or taking reckless, but not accidental, action which could result in mental or bodily harm.
Mental or Bodily Harm to Others – Mental or bodily harm to others is defined as conduct that causes harm or has the potential to cause harm to another individual, including:
• Behavior that intentionally inflicts mental or bodily harm on another person;
• Behavior that attempts to inflict mental or bodily harm on another person;
• Taking reckless, but not accidental, action that could result in infliction of mental or bodily harm on another person;
• Causing another individual to believe that the offender may cause mental or bodily harm to them;
• Sexual misconduct;
• Any act that demeans or degrades another individual; and/or
• Coercion of an individual to inflict mental or bodily harm to another person.
Misuse or Abuse of Computers or Inappropriate Electronic Communication – The University promotes the ethical, legal and secure use of computers and distribution of electronic information and communication. Students may not use another person’s computer, files or data without permission; students may not give their password to another individual. Students may not use computer programs to decode passwords or to access controlled information; students may not attempt to circumvent network security measures and may not engage in an activity that would deliberately compromise system security, including disruption of service or damage to files. Students may not make or
University networks to harass or intimidate. Students may not waste University computer or network resources; students may not use University resources for commercial purposes.
Misuse of Safety Equipment – Unauthorized use of or alteration of firefighting equipment, safety devices, or other emergency safety equipment.
Possession of Weapons or Dangerous Materials – Possession of a weapon or other dangerous materials, including but not limited to, firearms, compressed-air guns, pellet guns, BB guns, knives, explosive devices, incendiary devices, fireworks, ammunition, or any other dangerous materials on a campus or at a University-affiliated location or function, including internship, externship, or clinical sites, graduation, and field trips.
Stalking – Engaging in conduct that is directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to experience fear. Stalking may include non-consensual communication, including but not limited to, in-person communication or contact, surveillance, telephone calls, voice messages, text messages, email messages, social networking site postings, instant messages, postings of pictures or information on websites, written letters, gifts, or any other undesired communication that elicits fear.
Sex Discrimination and Harassment – Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of discrimination; it refers to behavior of a sexual nature that is not welcome, that is personally offensive, and that interferes with performance.
Sexual violence is a physical act perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent due to the victim’s use of drugs or alcohol or due to an intellectual or other disability. Sexual violence includes, but is not limited to, rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.
Any student bringing a discrimination or sexual harassment complaint or assisting in the investigation of such a complaint will not be adversely affected in terms and conditions of employment and/or academic standing, nor discriminated against, terminated, or expelled because of the complaint. Intentionally providing false information is also grounds for discipline.
“Retaliation” may include, but is not limited to, such conduct as:
• Inconsistent opportunities to engage in the learning process.
• Inappropriate application of University policy;
• Unwarranted disciplinary action; and/or
• Unfair grading.
Determination of what constitutes discrimination under this policy will be accomplished on a case-by-case basis and depends upon the facts and the context in which the conduct occurs. Some conduct may be inappropriate, unprofessional, and/or subject to disciplinary action, but would not fall under the definition of discrimination. Individuals who violate this policy are subject to discipline up to and including termination and/or expulsion, in accordance with Herzing University’s Student Code of Conduct. Other, lesser sanctions may be imposed, depending on the circumstances.
Please see the Sexual Misconduct and Title IX policies for additional information.
Theft or Possession of Stolen Property or Service – Taking an item or utilizing a service without consent of an official of the University or possessing property that can reasonably be determined to have been stolen from the University or from an employee or student of the University.
Trespassing – Forcible or unauthorized entry into any University facilities or facilities associated with the University.
Use of Inappropriate Language – The use of profanity and/or disrespectful or threatening language.
Use of Tobacco Products or Electronic Cigarettes in Unapproved Locations – Smoking or use of tobacco products or electronic cigarettes in locations other than those approved for that purpose.
Violation of Criminal Law – An alleged violation of any federal, state or local criminal law where the conduct of a student interferes with the University’s exercise of its educational objectives or responsibilities.
The violations of the Student Code of Conduct described above are not intended to be exclusive and any inconsistency, ambiguity, interpretation, or clarification of any particular act shall be determined at the discretion of the University through the Provost’s office.
Any member of the learning community (students, faculty, and staff) may file a Report of Student Code of Conduct Violation. Employees may access the Conduct Violation Form on the Ethics Point site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing.
Students may report violations of the Student Code of Conduct by accessing the form on the Ethics Point site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing or by contacting the Title IX Coordinator directly; Title IX Coordinator contact information is located on the site.
Students may report incidences of sexual misconduct (Title IX violations) by accessing a form on the Ethics Point site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing or by contacting the Title IX Coordinator directly; the Title IX Coordinator contact information is provided on the site.
Enrollment into the University signifies the student’s agreement to comply with the Student Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with the Student Code of Conduct will result in appropriate disciplinary sanctions.
The Student Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure that the learning process is not inhibited or disrupted for any individual or group of individuals. The Student Code of Conduct additionally serves as a mechanism for educating members of the learning community about appropriate standards of behavior. In the event that a violation of the Code of Conduct occurs, the university will strive to utilize the incident as a teachable moment imposing consistent and progressive discipline. Depending upon the severity of the violation of the Student Code of Conduct, the University may impose the strictest of sanctions upon the student, up to and including suspension or expulsion.
It is desirable for faculty and staff to address inappropriate student behavior directly with the student at the time of the occurrence. However, under those circumstances where a student violates the Herzing University Student Code of Conduct, any member of the learning community (students, faculty, and staff) may file a Report of Student Code of Conduct Violation. The ability to determine disciplinary sanctions in response to a violation of the Student Code of Conduct is limited to the Campus President, Academic Dean, and/or Title IX Coordinator as appropriate. Factors, such as the nature and gravity of the situation (including motivating behavior), student history with the University, and overall impact of the behavior on the learning community will be considered in determining the appropriate sanction. In all cases where the Campus President or Academic Dean must facilitate the Student Code of Conduct Procedure, the standard Student Code of Conduct Violation Form will be used to document the violation and the sanction(s).
A verbal warning is an official conversation held between the Academic Dean and the student, making the student aware of an incident of unacceptable behavior, such as failure to adhere to the dress code or use of inappropriate language that is in violation of the Student Code of Conduct. A notation will be entered into the Student Information System but documentation does not become part of the student’s permanent record. Any further misconduct will result in a written reprimand and may result in more serious disciplinary sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
A written reprimand is an officially documented notification of unacceptable behavior that is in violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
The occurrence of the written reprimand will be entered into the Student Information System and documentation of the violation, utilizing a standard Student Code of Conduct Violation Form, will become a permanent document in the student’s file. The Student Code of Conduct Violation Form is prepared by the Academic Dean. The student will be asked to sign the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form and will be provided a copy of it. Any further misconduct may result in more serious disciplinary sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Disciplinary probation is a temporary and unofficial status imposed for a designated period of time within a term prohibiting the student from being present without permission on the campus or any property associated with the University, including internship, externship, and clinical sites. Disciplinary probation may be used in those limited instances where a student is asked to leave a class for the duration of the day. In this case, the faculty member would utilize the Ethics Point site to file a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, even though an initial sanction of Disciplinary Probation has already been imposed. The Academic Dean would subsequently be responsible for scheduling a meeting with the student, working in collaboration with the faculty member, to determine the circumstances under which the student would be allowed to return to campus and to class. The Student Code of Conduct Violation Form is prepared by the Academic Dean. At the meeting, the student will be asked to sign the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form and will be provided a copy of it.
Suspension is the loss of privileges of enrollment at the University for a designated period of time and prohibits the student from being present without permission on the campus or any property associated with the campus, including internship, externship, or clinical sites.
As a result of being placed on suspension, the student will be awarded a grade of “F” for any course in which they are currently enrolled.
Regardless of whether or not the student is subsequently allowed to return to school to complete the program of study, the student is responsible for payment of tuition and fees and/or repayment of financial aid associated with courses in progress as well as those completed.
The notification of suspension becomes a permanent part of the student record and must be noted in the Student Information System.
The Student Code of Conduct Violation Form, indicating that the sanction of suspension has been imposed, is prepared by the Academic Dean and indicates the earliest possible date, in a future term, in which the student may consider submission of a request to return to school. The student will be asked to sign the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form and will be provided a copy of it. The student is entitled to an opportunity to appeal the suspension.
In the event that the student is allowed to return to the University, any further misconduct may result in a more serious disciplinary sanction including expulsion without opportunity to return to school.
Expulsion is the permanent loss of privilege of enrollment at the University and prohibits the student from being present without permission on the campus or on any property associated with the University. The student will be unable to complete his/her program of study with the University.
As a result of being expelled, the student will be awarded a grade of F for any course in which they are currently enrolled. The student is responsible for payment of tuition and fees and/or repayment of financial aid for any courses in progress as well as those completed.
The notification of expulsion becomes a permanent part of the student record and also must be noted in the Student Information System and is reflected on the academic transcript. In the event that the student is a dependent, his/her parents or guardian will be informed of the expulsion.
The Student Code of Conduct Violation Form, indicating that the sanction of expulsion has been imposed, is prepared by the Academic Dean. The student will be asked to sign the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form and will be provided a copy of it. The student is entitled to an opportunity to appeal the expulsion.
In the event that a student appeal results in retraction of the expulsion, any further misconduct may result in serious disciplinary sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Filing of a Conduct Violation Form
All Conduct Violation Forms are first routed to and reviewed by the Academic Dean of the campus. If the Academic Dean determines that sufficient evidence exists to warrant further exploration of the complaint, the next step is for the respondent to be scheduled for a Procedural Interview. The Procedural Interview will be scheduled within one week of receipt of the report of the violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
The Academic Dean may initially alert the respondent to the report of an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct in person, however, the respondent is additionally sent a copy of the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form that describes the alleged violation and indicates the date and time of the procedural interview. The form will be sent via email and/or UPS or FedEx, providing a receipt and proof of delivery. Depending upon the nature of the alleged violation, the Academic Dean may request that the student leave campus and not return until the scheduled Procedural Interview. A standard form letter that accompanies the Student Code of Conduct Violation Form provides details concerning the student’s rights and explains the entire process for resolving the alleged violation.
Any student charged with a violation of the Student Code of Conduct will be scheduled for a Procedural Interview with the Academic Dean or designee. In those instances where the Academic Dean has filed the Conduct Violation Form, the Campus President should preside over the Procedural Interview. The respondent is sent a Student Code of Conduct Violation Form describing the alleged violation, and indicating the date and time of the Procedural Interview.
The respondent must attend the Procedural Interview. In the event that the respondent is unable to attend the Procedural Interview at the scheduled date and time, he or she has one opportunity to reschedule meeting. The respondent must contact the Academic Dean or designee to request the alternative date and/or time for the Procedural Interview a minimum of 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. If the respondent fails to appear for the scheduled Procedural Interview, one attempt will be made to reschedule the meeting. If the student again fails to appear for the Procedural Interview, the Academic Dean or designee may proceed with the determination of the sanction.
The purpose of the Procedural Interview is to provide the respondent with the opportunity to discuss the allegation that resulted in the filing of the Conduct Violation Form. The Academic Dean or designee will begin the meeting by delineating the student’s rights and options, as well as the potential sanctions that may be imposed for the alleged violation. The respondent will have an opportunity to admit or deny the charge made against him/her in the Procedural Interview.
In the event that the respondent admits to the charge filed against him/her, the Academic Dean or designee will determine the sanction during the Procedural Interview. The sanction will be notated on a copy of the original Conduct Violation Form. The Academic Dean or designee will then sign the Conduct Violation Form. The student will be required to sign and date the form as well.
The Conduct Violation Form with the original signatures will be placed in the student file; the student will be provided with a copy of the signed form. The Academic Dean will enter a notation in Contact Manager within the Student Information System.
Appeal of Violation of Student Code of Conduct
If the respondent is dissatisfied with the outcome of the Procedural Interview and/or the sanction imposed by the Academic Dean or designee, he/she has the right to appeal to the Campus President. Any requests to appeal to the Campus President must be made in writing within 30 days of suspensions, probations or other sanctions and within three months of expulsions. Requests to appeal a violation of the Student Code of Conduct must be made utilizing the Appeal of Violation of Student Code of Conduct Form on the Ethics Point Site at http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing.
An appeal of a violation of Student Code of Conduct may be filed for the following reasons:
• Inappropriate sanction;
• New evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing has become available and is found to be substantial enough to change the outcome of the hearing; or
• Denial of fair process.
The Campus President will respond to the request to appeal by scheduling a meeting with the respondent within seven business days of receipt of the electronic request to appeal.
In the event that the respondent is unable to attend the meeting with the Campus President at the scheduled date and time, he or she has one opportunity to reschedule meeting. The respondent must contact the President to request the alternative date and/or time for the appeal meeting a minimum of 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. If the respondent fails to appear for the scheduled appeal meeting, one attempt will be made to reschedule the meeting. If the student again fails to appear for the appeal meeting, the original sanction is upheld.
In the event that the Campus President is not available for the meeting, he/she may appoint a designee; the designee may not be the Academic Dean if the Academic Dean is the individual who originally imposed the sanction. The purpose of the appeal meeting with the President or designee is to provide a forum for the respondent to present his/her case regarding the alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The Campus President or designee begins the meeting by explaining the respondent’s rights and assures that fairness will be observed. The respondent is entitled to remain silent, to know all evidence against him/her, to present evidence, and to bring witnesses to the meeting. The respondent will have the opportunity to state his/her case. The Campus President or designee may question and respondent and/or witnesses. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Campus President or designee will establish a meeting time for the respondent to return to the President’s office to discuss his/her decision; this meeting time will be scheduled within seven business days. If the student has been suspended or expelled, he/she will not be able to return to the campus until the scheduled meeting with the President.
The Campus President will determine whether any additional investigation is warranted before rendering a decision. The Campus President will consider the nature and gravity of the situation (including motivating behavior), student history with the University, and overall impact of the behavior on the learning community in determining whether or not to uphold or modify sanction.
The Campus President will update the Conduct Violation Form indicating the decision to uphold, modify or overturn the original sanction The Campus President then meets with the student at the predetermined date and time to discuss the sanction and consequences of any repeat violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The student is required to sign the form and is provided a copy. The Campus President makes a notation in Contact Manager in the Student Information System and returns the hard copy of the Conduct Violation Form to the student file.
In the event that the student does not appear for the scheduled meeting with the Campus President, a copy of the Violation of Student Code of Conduct form will be sent to the student via certified mail.
If the respondent is dissatisfied with the response of the Campus President to the appeal, the student may appeal to an Appeals Committee. Any requests to convene an Appeals Committee must be made in writing within 30 days that the President’s decision was communicated, either in person or in writing. Requests to be heard before the Appeals Committee must be made utilizing the Appeal of Violation of Student Code of Conduct Form on the Ethics Point Site at http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing.
A hearing with the Appeals Committee will be held within three weeks of the request for an appeal, depending upon the week of the term/ semester. The Appeals Committee will be comprised of three faculty or staff members, none of whom have been instructors of the student, and will be appointed by the Campus President. An objective individual who has no prior affiliation with the student such as the Provost of the University will facilitate the hearing with the Appeals Committee. The appealing student may call witnesses and provide other evidence to support his/her case. The decision of the Appeals Committee will be made by majority vote and will be communicated to the student in writing within seven days of the hearing.
The notification of the decision of the Appeals Committee will be sent to the student via certified mail. A hard copy will be placed in the student file and the Academic Dean will enter notes in the Contact Manager field within the Student Information System.
Re-enrollment After Suspension
Students who have been suspended from the University must petition to return to school after the specified period of time has elapsed. A Petition to Re-enroll After Suspension Form is accessible from the office of the Academic Dean. Students who have been suspended must contact the Academic Dean for permission to return to the campus for purposes of obtaining the Petition to Re-enroll Form or to request that a copy of the form be emailed or mailed. The Petition to Re-enroll Form must be submitted to the Academic Dean at least 60 days prior to the intended start date.
The Appeals Committee will be comprised of three faculty or staff members, none of whom has been instructors of the student, appointed by the Campus President. The Appeals Committee meeting will be held within approximately 30 days of receipt of the Petition to Re-enroll. The Academic Dean or the Campus President may facilitate the Appeals Committee meeting. Re-enrollment may be granted or denied. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final. The student will be notified of the decision in writing within seven days of the Appeals Committee meeting. In the event that the student is granted permission to return to the University, any subsequent instance of violation of the Student Code of Conduct by the student will be grounds for permanent dismissal from the institution.
Student Complaint Procedure
The Student Complaint Procedure provides a mechanism by which a student may file a complaint that is unrelated to grades or University policy. Typically a complaint would inform the University about issues related to the condition of the facilities, parking availability, textbooks or tuition-related concerns.
Prior to invoking the procedures described below, the student is strongly encouraged, but is not required, to discuss his or her complaint with the college campus administrator directly responsible for the area most directly related to the complaint. The discussion should be held as soon as the student first becomes aware of the act or condition that is the basis of the compliant.
If a student elects not to present his or her complaint to the college campus administrator directly responsible for the area most directly related to the complaint or if the student is not satisfied with the response, he or she may submit a compliant by accessing the form on the EthicsPoint site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing.
The student may identify him/herself as part of the complaint process, or he/she may elect to remain anonymous.
Complaints will be routed to the college campus administrator directly responsible for the area most directly related to the complaint. Complaints should be submitted by the student via the EthicsPoint site not later than fifteen calendar days after the student first became aware of the facts which gave rise to the complaint.
The college campus administrator directly responsible for the area most directly related to the complaint should conduct an informal investigation. As a result of the investigation, the findings and resolution, if any, will be communicated in writing to the student within ten days if the student has identified him/herself.
Within fifteen calendar days of receipt of the administrator’s decision, a student who is not satisfied with the response of the administrator after the initial review may seek further review by submitting a written complaint, together with the administrator’s communication, to the Campus President. The Campus President may delegate another administrator to act on his/her behalf.
The Campus President’s action will be limited to a review of the basis for the administrator’s findings and related actions and need not involve an additional investigation. However, the Campus President may, but is not required to, direct that further facts be gathered or that additional action be taken. The Campus President shall submit his or her findings and recommended action in writing to the student within ten days of receipt of the request from the student.
In the event that the student is not satisfied with the Campus President’s response, he/she may elect to escalate the Campus President’s decision to the University Vice Provost. Any such appeal must be filed not later than fifteen calendar days after the student receives the Campus President’s communication.
The University Vice Provost’s action will be limited to a review of the basis for the previous findings and need not involve an additional investigation. However, the Vice Provost may, but is not required to, direct that further facts be gathered or that additional action be taken. The University Vice Provost shall submit his or her findings and recommended actions in writing to the student within ten days of receipt of the request. The student may elect to escalate the Vice Provost’s decision to the University President. Any such escalation must be filed not later than fifteen calendar days after the student receives the Vice Provost’s communication.
The University President investigates the facts of the case and renders a final decision in writing within ten days of the request. The decision of the University President is final and binding upon the student and upon the University.
If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the University’s complaint procedure, the student may file a complaint with his/her state. State contact information is located here: State Contact Information
Student Grievance Procedure
The Student Grievance Procedure provides a mechanism by which a student may seek to remedy the rare situation where the individual feels that she/he has been treated unfairly, discriminated against, or has had her/his rights abridged (including but not limited to sexual misconduct/sexual harassment). Students may initiate a grievance within 15 days from the event resulting in the grievance. A grievable action is an action that is in violation of a written University policy or procedure, or an established practice.
This Student Grievance Procedure applies to alleged discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression), age, national origin, or disability as well as problems arising in the relationship between a student and the University that are not governed by other specific policies or procedures.
Prior to invoking the procedures described below, the student is strongly encouraged, but is not required, to discuss his or her grievance with the person alleged to have caused the grievance. The discussion should be held as soon as the student first becomes aware of the act or condition that is the basis of the grievance.
If a student elects not to present his or her grievance to the person alleged to have caused the grievance or if the student is not satisfied with the response, he or she may report a grievance by accessing the form on the EthicsPoint site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudentherzing.
Grievances will be routed to the program chair or the leader of the department where the person alleged to have caused the grievance is employed. Grievances must be submitted by the student via the EthicsPoint site not later than fifteen calendar days after the student first became aware of the facts that gave rise to the grievance. In the event that the grievance is against the program chair or department director, the grievance will be routed to the academic dean.
The program chair, department director or academic dean should conduct an informal investigation. As a result of the investigation, the decision rendered will be communicated in writing to the student and to the person alleged to have caused the grievance within ten days of the original submission of the grievance. The written determination shall include the reasons for the decision, shall indicate the action to be taken, if any, and shall inform the student of the right to appeal for further review by the Campus President.
Within fifteen calendar days of receipt of the administrator’s decision, a student who is not satisfied with the response of the administrator after the initial review may seek further review by submitting the written grievance, together with the administrator’s written decision, to the Campus President. The Campus President may delegate another administrator to act on his/her behalf.
The Campus President’s action will be limited to a review of the basis for the administrator’s decision and need not involve an additional investigation. However, the Campus President may, but is not required to, direct that further facts be gathered or that additional action be taken. The Campus President shall submit his or her decision in writing to the student and to the person alleged to have caused the grievance within ten days of the submission of the appeal. The written disposition shall include the reasons for the decision, and it shall direct a remedy for the aggrieved student, if any. The student may elect to appeal the Campus President’s decision to the University Provost. Any such appeal must be filed not later than fifteen calendar days after the student receives the Campus President’s decision.
The University Provost’s action will be limited to a review of the basis for the previous decisions and need not involve an additional investigation. However, the Provost may, but is not required to, direct that further facts be gathered or that additional action be taken. The University Provost shall submit his or her decision in writing to the student and to the person alleged to have caused the grievance within ten days of the receipt of the appeal. The written disposition shall include the reasons for the decision, and it shall direct a remedy for the aggrieved student if any. The student may elect to appeal the Provost’s decision to the University President. Any such appeal must be filed not later than fifteen calendar days after the student receives the Provost’s decision.
The University President investigates the facts of the case and renders a final decision in writing within ten days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the University President is final and binding upon the student and upon the University.
Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to ensure that all students have equal access to education, specifically prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. Title IX (20 U.S.C. § 1681(a)) reads ” No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Though Title IX is a very short statute, U.S. Supreme Court decisions and guidance from the U.S. Department of Education have given it wide latitude covering sexual harassment and sexual violence. Under Title IX, colleges and universities are legally obligated to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments. Herzing University maintains a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination of any kind.
Title IX Coordinator
The Director of University Safety and Compliance serves as the Title IX Coordinator and ADA Coordinator and oversees implementation of the University’s policies on equal opportunity, harassment and nondiscrimination. The Title IX Coordinator acts with independence and authority free of conflicts of interest. To raise any concern involving a conflict of interest by the Title IX Coordinator, contact the Chief Compliance Officer, Robert Herzog, at [email protected]. To raise concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest with any other administrator involved in the resolution process, please contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Inquiries about and reports regarding this policy and procedure may be made internally to:
Director of University Safety and Compliance
Title IX Coordinator/ADA Coordinator
W140 N8917 Lilly Road
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
The Title IX coordinator is responsible for receiving and processing, in a timely manner:
- Inquiries or complaints from students, faculty, or staff regarding rights and responsibilities concerning harassing behavior or other discriminatory behavior in violation of Title IX
- Inquiries or complaints from third parties who report suspicion of harassing behavior or other discriminatory behavior in violation of Title IX
Inquiries may be made externally to:
Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Customer Service Hotline #: (800) 421-3481
Fax: (202) 453-6012
TDD#: (877) 521-2172
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Students may also report a Title IX violation on the EthicsPoint site at: http://tinyurl.com/ethicsstudent-herzing.
If a Title IX investigation were determined not to be appropriate, inquiries or complaints would be referred to Human Resources or the Office of the Provost as applicable. | <urn:uuid:41a35b72-88a7-45a0-a688-d39a0b2ca35a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://catalog.herzing.edu/content.php?catoid=27&navoid=1026 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.931703 | 40,655 | 1.585938 | 2 |
I saw a sign in a sandwich shop recently that said, “Honesty is not only right, it’s efficient.” When you’re anything but honest, it takes energy to come up with a new story and maintain that story over time. There’s no doubt that being honest is the easiest and right thing to do. But a commitment to honesty is also a good financial move. Here are 6 people you can’t afford to NOT be honest with.
Be honest with…
- Your Insurers: Your house and your income stream are most likely your two most valuable assets. So it stands to reason that your home insurance and life and/or disability insurance are your most important insurance policies. But if you lie to your insurers, they can cancel your policy or deny your claims just when you need them most. So be honest when filling out insurance paperwork. Telling the truth might cost you a few more dollars in premiums, but it will be worth it in the end. It would be terrible for your family to file a life insurance claim and be denied a payout in the midst of their grief. Make a commitment to tell the whole truth when filling out insurance applications, and revisit the applications every five years or so to make sure they remain accurate.
- Your Employer: As stated above, your income stream is one of your most valuable assets. And since lying to your employer is grounds for termination, it’s probably better not to do so! You should be 100% honest in every interview, telling the truth about skills and experience and divulging up front anything that could get you in trouble later – this includes a criminal history, past employer grievances, other jobs, potential conflicts of interest, etc. If you do something wrong at work, own up to your mistake – don’t try to lie to get out of it. Be honest about your current salary when starting a new job and be reasonable about what you can command in a new position. Honesty is hard, especially when a seemingly harmless fudging of the truth could help you land a larger starting salary or end your membership among the ranks of the unemployed. But if you get caught later, you could find yourself unemployed AND labeled as dishonest, making it harder to find another job.
- The Government: Like it or not, the government has the potential to have a big impact on your financial life. If you lie on your taxes, you can face penalties of up to .5% of the unpaid taxes each month you fail to pay, not to mention jail time – and if the fraud is intentional, there is no statute of limitations. You can also end up in big-time financial trouble if you lie to the government in other areas – unemployment fraud, Medicare fraud and Social Security fraud are serious crimes with serious implications. In addition to owing penalties for the benefits you didn’t deserve, you may also lose out on benefits that are rightfully yours. So pay what you owe, use what you earn and pledge 100% honesty when it come to your government dealings.
- Your Financial Planner: A financial planner can help you get out of debt, invest wisely, optimize your taxes and protect against loss. But a planner is only as good as the information he or she is working with. If you understate your debts, overstate your assets or otherwise fudge vital information, your “personalized” plan may actually work against you. A financial planner is bound to confidentiality and no matter how bad your situation is has likely seen worse. A doctor needs a full medical history (no matter how embarassing) to diagnose a treat a health problem. Likewise, a financial planner needs the good, bad and ugly to devise a plan that works for you.
- Your Spouse: If you’re married, it is vital that your spouse know all there is to know about your financial life, regardless of who earns the most money or takes care of day-to-day financial decisions. If you tend to serve as the family CFO, help protect your spouse by sharing information on income, assets and major bills with him or her. If your spouse tends to handle family money matters, make a date to sit down and avail yourself of the information; you are responsible for it. You must protect yourself in case of your spouse’s sudden disability or death – without knowledge of your assets and liabilities you will be even more overwhelmed at an already-distressing time. It is vital that you and your spouse trust each other when it comes to financial issues. And if you don’t trust your spouse when it comes to non-financial matters, there’s even more reason to make sure you know where you both stand financially, so that you can protect yourself in case of divorce – a financially and emotionally draining experience and one with potential long-term financial implications for either spouse. If you’re not married, you should have someone you can trust at least basic information to in case of your unexpected incapacitation or death. Consider creating an “In case of emergency” document with all of your account numbers and online log-ins to help your next-of-kin access your assets if necessary.
- Yourself: While this last one may not be as concrete as some of the others, it is vital that you are honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself about your current financial state will help you improve that state if necessary. Until you are ready to face the numbers when it comes to debt and truly assess and reign in your spending, you will not be able to successfully get out of debt. Being honest with yourself in other matters can have a financial impact as well – if you feel that you could have a health problem but are afraid to visit the doctor and face reality, a belated diagnosis could cost you much more in the long run. If you know you are not cutting it at work but are afraid to have an honest conversation with your boss about how to improve, you could end up burying your head right up to the point of a layoff. Whatever the situation, be honest with yourself about where things in your life stand – your wallet will thank you later. | <urn:uuid:76c5f782-0989-40c4-96a7-bc814da713c6> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.mydollarplan.com/6-people-you-cant-afford-to-lie-to/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717963.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00373-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950481 | 1,263 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Uploaded by nutrageous on May 11, 2000
Electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection, firing squad, hanging, guillotine, and garroting. When you hear these words what do you think of? Do you feel frightened? When some hear these words they tend to say, " Oh they deserve it".
In the court system that is not always the case. The question you always have to ask yourself is what did the accused do and do they deserve the death penalty?
What is bad enough to deserve death? Are their certain crimes that do and then some that do not? Almost every culture through out history has relied on the death penalty and capital punishment and justified as a necessary tool to maintain order. The only thing that changed throughout time were the crimes deemed punishable by death and the methods used to kill those found guilty. Some of the other countries' laws of capital punishment seem so barbaric. In ancient India, executions were sometimes carried out by having an elephant crush the condemned's head. Executions used to be public spectacles. In ancient Persia, one method of execution involved being eaten alive by insects and vermin. In the middle ages, methods of execution included chopping off limbs, stripping off the condemned person's skin, boiling in oil, drawing and quartering (cutting the persons innards and then tearing the body into four pieces), burning at the stake, and crucifixion. In 1692, a man refused to testify after his wife was accused of witchcraft and was " Pressed " to death. The sentence was carried out by lying him on a stone floor, placing a board over him, and piling stones upon the board. Benjamin Rush, credited with the beginning the movement to abolish capital punishment in the U.S, declared in 1792 that reform, not retribution, should be the goal of punishment.
The Bible authorizes executing those who show contempt on their parents, walk without permission on sacred ground, practicing sorcery, sacrifice in foreign gods or who prostitute themselves. In the Bible Exodus 21:12 it says, " Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death."
Electrocution in the modern era. Electricity causes biological damage through both heat and electrochemical havoc. The electrical current itself abolishes the function of organs and tissues such as the brain, nerves, and heart by overwhelming the fragile bioelectrical basis of the metabolism. The voltage applied is not the most critical factor but is in fact, almost irrelevant as... | <urn:uuid:84402e1f-e86d-4f99-b001-18aad380162c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.planetpapers.com/free-term-paper/Death-Penalty-1950.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00528-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95794 | 501 | 2.4375 | 2 |
If you’re thinking about getting a new ring for your septum, you may be wondering what size you should get. The good news is that there are a few easy ways to figure out what size septum ring will be right for you.
First, it’s important to know that septum rings are typically available in two different sizes: 18 gauge and 16 gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the ring. Most people prefer to start with a 16 gauge ring, as it is the most common size and is less likely to cause any pain or discomfort.
If you’re not sure what size septum ring to get, the best way to find out is to ask your piercer. They will be able to take a look at your nose and help you determine which size septum ring will be the best fit.
Also If you want to measure which size of septum ring to get and what gauge is a septum piercing by yourself, please keep reading this article.
- Why Is Size So Important?
- How Much Time Does It take to Heal to Wear New Septum Ring?
- The process of measuring the Inner Diameter of Your Septum Piercing?
- What Gauge is a Septum Piercing?
- How Do You Calculate A Nose Ring’s Gauge?
- Is There a Standard Septum Jewelry Size?
- Types of Jewelries Best for Septum Piercings
- Which Metal Is the Best for A Septum Ring?
- Is It Necessary To Make Sure That My Septum Jewelry Is Tight?
- Final Thoughts
Why Is Size So Important?
It occurs all the time: somebody spends the longer to recover their piercing flawlessly, then purchases their initial jewelry with excitement, only to acquire a piercing lump just several days later.
Even though your piercing has healed does not imply it is no longer vulnerable to injury. Wearing jewelry that would be the incorrect size is among the most common causes of injury to a healed piercing.
A stud, as well as a hoop, which is too small, will draw against the puncture hole, creating piercing blisters and other issues.
Your piercing areas could be ripped or damaged if any stud, as well as hoop, is overly big.
After months of healing, make sure your septum piercing doesn’t get damaged. Before going shopping for new jewelry, check with your piercer to be certain you’re getting the right sizes.
How Much Time Does It take to Heal to Wear New Septum Ring?
It varies on the person and their metabolism definitely, but it generally takes around six months to heal a Septum Piercing. However, anyone with a piercing can change jewelry after two to three months. Anyone changing their jewelry for the first time is advised to consult an expert piercer for caution. Frequently changing the jewelry can cause irritation and infections if disinfectants are not used properly.
How do I know which septum piercing size to get?
Whenever someone is looking for an answer to the above question, they should first need to consider two things?
1. How far down are they going to wear the jewelry.
2. How thick jewelry do they want to wear.
The process of measuring the Inner Diameter of Your Septum Piercing?
The first answer leads someone to the inner dia measurements. So let’s take a look at what is an inner diameter measurement. Inner diameter measurements are the inside distance of the ring or jewelry you use (Except for septum tusks).
Septum jewelry is not exactly round-shaped like nose rings. So the highest internal distance needed to be counted. The inner dia depends on how far up your septum piercing is done and how far down you want your piercing to go.
If you’re going to make a bold statement using your septum piercing, you are advised to go for the bigger rings. On the other hand, a small diameter is recommended if you aren’t comfortable with the jewelry mingling with your upper lips.
If you can’t decide what the inner dia measurements should be, you can follow the following tips.
• Cut a piece of paper in a very fine way and slide it up through your nostrils up to the piercing and then draw a line with the pencil along with your nose opening
• If you already have a septum piercing, then place your existing jewelry on a piece of paper and draw the shape of its inner circle. Then measure the highest distance between two points, or you can measure them directly using a measurement tape.
• If you are still looking for an expert opinion, it is always good to consult with an experienced piercer.
What Gauge is a Septum Piercing?
Coming to the second point, how thick jewelry do you want to wear. Gauge measures this thickness, short written as G. The most common septum piercing size is 16G, though other options are available.
Depending on your choice and fashion statement, it can be anything between 12G to 20G, depending on your preference. Most of us think about the gauges because the wire thickness increases as they increase. But in reality, it’s the opposite. That means 14G is thicker than 16G, and 18G is thinner than 16G.
It is easy to understand if the mm values are placed along with the Gauge value. So, to understand the Gauge values look at the following table, and it clears things up.
|Gauge Measurement||Measurement in mm|
|20 G||0.8 mm|
|18 G||1 mm|
|16 G||1.2 mm|
|14 G||1.6 mm|
|12 G||2 mm|
How Do You Calculate A Nose Ring’s Gauge?
You have numerous possibilities when it comes to the question of whichever gauge your septum piercing seems to be, whether it would be the first experience or that you’ve forgotten what size you wear:
- Request assistance from your piercer.
This has always been a simpler, more dependable technique to ensure you’re wearing the suitable gauge for individuals who are attempting the septum piercing for the very first time.
- Compare a generated gauge card to something like an existent piece of jewelry.
If you have a gauge card from such a prior online transaction, you can verify the thickness of an existing item of jewelry to the measurements on the card.
- Make use of a micrometer or caliper.
A caliper seems to be a low-cost tool for getting precise body jewelry dimensions. You can use this not just to assess the gauge but as well as the internal surface of an old hoop or perhaps even your piercings.
Make absolutely sure its jaws aren’t clenched so tight that now the ring is damaged.
A micrometer could also be used to estimate the gauge, although if you require a lot of precise measurements, you’re not expected to have it on hand. It is not a low-cost device.
- Wheels for measuring gauges
Steel is commonly used for them. They feature sharp edges, appear like such a round, have cutouts along the outside, and seem to be the potential to damage your jewelry.
Gauge wheels are designed to measure straight wire, not irregularly shaped custom jewelry. Should you find a cheap plastic wheel, then you might possibly use this to determine the gauge of such a septum piercing using the tip of such an L-bend.
A metal sheet measuring tool that resembles a tiny rectangle featuring cutouts down one edge is yet another comparable tool.
These instruments will very certainly have jagged corners, which might damage your jewelry. Rather than utilizing either one of those devices, you could buy such an inexpensive caliper.
- Gauge for drilling.
This tool won’t help you figure out how thick your nose hoop is. Cutting tools, wiring, and hollow shaft are examples of straight items.
This could be used to determine the gauge of something like a labret or perhaps the length of such an L-bend septum stud’s tip. If you intend to pursue it, be really cautious not to damage your jewelry. Purchasing a low-cost caliper has still been suggested.
Is There a Standard Septum Jewelry Size?
The most common question is ‘Is there any standard size for septum Piercing or Septum Jewelry?’. The answer is yes and no, both. The most common size for a septum ring is 16 G.
This is the most common, but that doesn’t mean this is the standard. It depends a lot on the type of jewelry of anyone’s choice – some like the bigger jewelry to make a fashion statement; others like fashion with comfort.
Many may think there is a relation with the septum structure, but there isn’t any unless you have a deviated nasal septum. In that case, an expert piercer’s opinion is recommended.
Types of Jewelries Best for Septum Piercings
There are different available options for septum jewelry. The most common and trendy item is the circular barbell, a U-shaped hoop with a ball on either end. There is also a captive bead ring, D-rings and Clickers. Septum Pinchers and Septum tusks are getting more popular day by day.
But, in the case of choice of Jewelry Sky is the limit. The circular barbells are most popular as they can easily hide inside the nostrils. So, a circular barbell is a correct choice if kids don’t want to show it to the public like in school or to teachers.
Which Metal Is the Best for A Septum Ring?
Another very big issue when deciding on a piece of septum jewelry is what type of metal should be used. There are many available options in the market, but the most common and safest are listed below.
1. Surgical Grade Stainless Steel: The safest and most widely regarded metal for septum piercing is Surgical Grade Stainless Steel. Anything that can get rust with time is prohibited from use in case of piercing because it can cause infections and other inflammations.
So, when choosing a metal, Surgical Stainless Steel is the safest and cheapest option unless you have a Nickel allergy. Feel free to scroll down and look for other metal options if you are allergic to Nickel.
2. Titanium: If someone is looking for exclusiveness and classier metal for their jewelry, then Titanium is the option. It is surgically implant graded. So most piercers recommend this for the first piercing. It’s hypoallergenic, which is very unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction. People with a nickel allergy are recommended to use Titanium as a safe option.
3. Niobium: Niobium is a very good replacement for Titanium. The properties are almost the same. The only difference is that Titanium is implant graded and Niobium is not. So, anyone looking for a cheap replacement for Titanium should go for Niobium.
4. Gold (Equal or more than 14 karats): Gold is also a very good option. Anyone opting for Gold should remember that the Gold used for the piece of septum jewelry must be equal to or more than 14 karats because anything less than 14 karats is likely to cause infection in the piercing.
Silver is also used widely for septum jewelry, but it is not recommended as Silver grows black, and a rusty look appears in moist and humid weather. So, it needs frequent cleaning and polishing for a shiny glossy look.
Is It Necessary To Make Sure That My Septum Jewelry Is Tight?
It depends on your comfort level and the type of Septum jewelry you want to use. The most common advice should be not to use the jewelry tightly wound manner. Too much tightness can create inflammation in the piercings, causing more trouble.
If you have read up to this point, you have already learned a great deal about Septum Piercing and its jewelry options. In the case of Spectrum Piercing, the world is your oyster. In 2013 when Jessica Biel first appeared in the Met Gala with a Septum Piercing, it became mainstream. But unlike most piercing, Septum Piercing has a great heritage in South Asia and African Nations. Its roots are also profound in the mythological characters like Egyptian Goddesses.
Determining the right nose ring fit isn’t as difficult as it may appear. You should do well if you go to a reputed piercer to have your personalized jewelry specifications. | <urn:uuid:a1cf931e-5a98-429d-ac6b-b051687c2517> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://jewelrymarquis.com/piercing/which-size-of-septum-ring-to-get | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.937045 | 2,673 | 1.75 | 2 |
The Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting article heavily quoting Google Earth’s project head John Hanke, “We’re not the bad guys.” The article goes on to heavily quote Hanke concerning the issue, but the gist of it is that technology is morally neutral. You can use it for good and bad things and it’s up to the end user to dictate the use. We talked about that point quite a bit in this week’s podcast. However, it think it’s pretty clear that nearly any technology can be used for both good and bad purposes. If you deny the good based upon the bad, is the net benefit to the public better or worse? It’s a tricky situation and has to be largely decided on a case by case basis, I think. In the case of geospatial technology, sometimes even on a layer by layer basis. Certainly the debate is interesting and I believe that geospatial professionals should keep it in the forefront in our thinking. | <urn:uuid:9f8da450-183c-478d-9877-0acead7a36fe> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://veryspatial.com/2009/02/google-says-theyre-not-the-bad-guys/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00364-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945727 | 208 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Specifically, countries are assessed on their progress on:
The assessment is based on:
The 20% target should be reached by the EU as a whole, but the situation varies across countries:
This year, the Commission did not propose country specific recommendations in the field of energy and climate. However, the State of the Energy Union provides policy conclusions at the Member State level. It is accompanied by 28 country factsheets giving a snapshot of where each Member State stands today on the five dimensions of the Energy Union. | <urn:uuid:eeb90b3e-d5b4-4b4b-a914-d169958f142f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/progress/reporting_en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281574.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00018-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953688 | 104 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The Clayton Act Works with the Sherman Act to Improve Business Practices
In 1914, the Clayton Act was enacted by Congress to strengthen the antitrust laws that were put into place by the Sherman Act. It provided more detailed provisions to prohibit anticompetitive price discrimination, kept corporations from making exclusive dealing practices and expanded the ability for individuals to sue for damages. This act also allowed unions to organize and prevented anticompetitive mergers.
The History behind this Act
In the 1912 presidential election all three parties stood on the belief that Congress had been too lenient with corporations with the Sherman Act of 1890. When Democratic nominee, Woodrow Wilson, won the election he instructed Congress to draft legislation to strengthen the antitrust laws. In 1914, they created the Clayton Act to supplement the existing laws.
The Clayton Act addresses corporate price discrimination. This prevents companies from engaging in predatory lending that might lessen competition or create a monopoly. For example, a company cannot have two different pricing strategies in different towns depending on the competition using the higher prices from a town with little competition to fund lower prices in a town with more competition. However, after this provision was widely used in the 1960s to stop price discrimination, stricter standards were developed.
The Clayton Act also prevents companies from selling products with the condition that the buyer can only use their product. For example, a company that provides copy machines cannot be the sole supplier of the ink and paper as well. This creates a monopoly on the product. This is hard to prove however as sometimes the reason for the exclusive deal may be legitimate. In addition, some companies may need exclusivity to ensure that customers are getting the quality product that they expect when they make a purchase.
The Clayton Act addresses private lawsuits as well. While the U.S. government has the right to enforce antitrust laws, up to 90 percent of lawsuits are brought on by private parties. They may even attempt to get treble damages and any attorney fees incurred. The damage awards can be as much as $1 billion making this type of lawsuit very attractive for individuals, businesses and lawyers and over 700 cases are filed in every year in the United States.
Labor Union Organization
The act also deals with the organization of labor unions stating that “the labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce.” Corporations are forbidden from preventing the organization of labor unions. It also keeps labor strikes from being included in antitrust lawsuits. The result of this provision is that labor unions may organize and agree upon wages without being accused of price fixing.
The most important provision of this act however is the prevention of anticompetitive mergers. This occurs when a company buys a competing firm. While most mergers allow the companies to create better quality goods at less expensive prices, some mergers limit competition and make price fixing easier. This part of the act was designed to prevent mergers from creating monopolies.
The Clayton Act was designed to supplement existing laws and prevent corporate greed from taking advantage of consumers and smaller businesses. It promotes free trade and prohibits business acts that may harm competition. The act also gives consumers more power over market demand. | <urn:uuid:c0d91b79-7c5d-4498-87da-a19d1dd3c980> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.antitrustlaws.org/Clayton-Act.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00144-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966263 | 633 | 4.03125 | 4 |
This plane trip will vow to be shorter than the time you spend on the airport for security clearance. An Austrian airline company has decided to launch the shortest international flight, which will comprise of just eight minutes.
The Austrian company, People’s Viennaline, will take passengers from St Gallen in Switzerland to Friedrichshafen in Germany. And the plane will cover the 13-mile distance at the cost of £34 (€40).
The service is scheduled to operate twice daily from November 2, and aims to cut down the travelling time between the two countries – partitioned by Lake Constance – which currently has to be covered by driving across the lake in a 77km (47 miles) journey, taking about an hour.
A ferry service also enables the people to cross the lake, but it too takes about one hour and 20 minutes.
Previously, the record for the shortest International flight was taken by route between the Austrian capital of Vienna and the Slovak capital of Bratislava. However, the ten-minute trip has been discontinued. | <urn:uuid:3dc41f8c-2484-44f9-9e69-f15ee7f9dd02> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://wonderfulengineering.com/austrian-airline-company-to-start-the-worlds-shortest-international-flight-that-will-last-only-8-minutes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00223-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965945 | 216 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Hydroxyzine is typically used to help adults with anxiety. It can also be used to assist with sedation and other issues in adults and children. Some doctors will prescribe this drug to assist with the anxiety or withdrawal symptoms that come when the patient attempts to wean themselves off of alcohol dependency. Due to its use as a sedative, patients will need to use hydroxyzine under the direct supervision of a doctor to ensure that dosing is at a safe level to avoid side effects and other issues.
Indications and Usage
This drug may be sold under the name or Vistaril. Hydroxyzine can be used for anxiety, pruritus, nausea, pain or sedation. Patients will receive their dose orally or via injection up to 4 times a day depending on what the drug is being used for and the condition of the patient. Patients may take hydroxyzine without food, but capsule or tablet forms may need to be taken with water. If you are taking hydroxyzine in a liquid form you will need to shake it first to ensure the ingredients are properly mixed. If you are to receive an injection of hydroxyzine, your doctor will administer your dose before your procedure.
The recommended dose for an adult is 50-100 mg per day, which can be administered up to 4 times a day when the drug is being used for pruritus or pain. Patients may receive 25-100 mg for pain. Patients over the age of 6 may be able to use regular adult dosing when the medication is used for anxiety.
The minimum effective dose for hydroxyzine is 25 mg per day, when it is being used for something other than sedation. Maximum doses should not exceed 400 mg per day when the patient is receiving their medication in divided doses. Doses should not exceed 100 mg at any given time.
Children under 6 should not use more than 50 mg per day in divided doses for anxiety. Between .5 and 1 mg may be used following general anesthesia to assist in the process of sedating the patient. This will usually be around .6 mg when given orally. Those using hydroxyzine for pruritus may receive 50 mg in divided doses throughout the day. Those over the age of 6 may use standard adult dosing.
Pregnant women frequently use hydroxyzine to assist with the pain that is associated with childbirth, so it is safe to use while you are with child. However, most women do not use this medication aside from the pain associated with childbirth because it can be transferred to your infant. Many women do not want to take on this risk. In most cases, those using hydroxyzine will be given to those in labor in doses between 25-100 mg in an injected dose.
Patients with liver disease should take great caution when using hydroxyzine. Patients may have trouble clearing the drug properly, which could lead to an increase in side effects if they are not careful. Of this reason it is essential that the patient alters their dosing interval every 24 hours to ensure that there is not an excessive amount of the drug in their system at any given time. These intervals will be adjusted by your doctor based on the patient's level of biliary cirrhosis.
Hydroxyzine Side Effects
Common side effects to hydroxyzine include dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, dry mouth, diarrhea, and hallucinations. These are not necessarily cause for alarm and may decrease as you continue your prescription. You should alert your doctor if these side effects are accompanied by a decrease in your breathing rate or if they last for more than 3-4 days.
Less common but serious side effects include tightness of the chest, skin rash, breathing complications or itchiness. These could be a sign of a severe reaction to the medication. Get medical attention if any of these side effects begin to occur, especially if they are paired with involuntary movements in your body.
Those with liver or kidney disease or those who suffer from seizures are more prone to side effects than some other groups. If you suffer from one of these conditions and begin to develop confusion, tremors, seizures, or restless muscle movements in the face stop taking hydroxyzine immediately and contact your doctor for help. This is especially important if you lose the ability to feel alert or think properly in a situation.
Though pregnant women use hydroxyzine while giving birth, it is not recommended for use during the pregnancy. Diseases such as asthma, epilepsy, glaucoma, enlarged prostate, kidney disease and thyroid disorder have been linked to the use of hydroxyzine during pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about the potential risk to determine whether or not hydroxyzine is right for you.
In the event of an allergic reaction to hydroxyzine, patients may develop hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, tongue or throat. These side effects may be accompanied by tremors, restless muscle movements in the eyes, face and neck, confusion or seizures. If you develop any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately to determine how to proceed. If at any point you begin to feel like you will lose consciousness or you cannot breathe call emergency medical services immediately.
In the event of an overdose you will experience extreme nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, vomiting or loss of consciousness. If you suddenly feel weak or fatigued with no explainable cause and these symptoms begin to occur then you will need to contact medical help as quickly as possible. Call emergency medical services and poison control to get advice on what you should do to alleviate your symptoms and avoid further damage.
Hydroxyzine may severely impact your ability to focus. You should not drink alcohol while using hydroxyzine. You should also avoid driving, operating machinery or performing any tasks that would require your full attention until you are aware of how hydroxyzine will affect you.
This drug can also take on different chemical properties if it is not stored properly. You should always store your medication in a dry place that is not excessively warm or cool to avoid the medication breaking down. | <urn:uuid:202929ae-9d46-4797-8daf-791256d2ac68> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.md-health.com/Hydroxyzine.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00080-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935607 | 1,244 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Self Healing Spaceships
Boffins at Bristol University in the UK have come up with a special skin for spaceships that can heal itself if it gets torn, in a similar way to how human skin works. I cam across the following explanation in the New scientist:
The researchers came up with a similar idea for protecting spacecraft. They fabricated a composite laminate material containing hundreds of hollow glass filaments 60 microns (thousandths of a millimetre) wide, each with an inner chamber of 30 microns in diameter. Half of the filaments are filled with an epoxy polymer or resin and the other half filled with a chemical agent that reacts with the polymer to form a very strong and hard substance.
The glass filaments are designed to crack easily when the overall composite material is damaged, which causes both chemicals to leak out and rapidly plug the resulting crack or hole. “We’ve demonstrated we can restore strength by doing this,” Bond says, “and that it can stand the space environment.”
It seems a pretty cool idea to me, until somebody invents a proper force field self repairing battle cruisers may be the answer :).
[Found via New Scientist and babblogue] | <urn:uuid:756f07b0-eaca-47f5-8f08-867097200435> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060129/self-healing-spaceships/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00178-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919207 | 252 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The Tusculum Study Abroad program was initiated in the early 1990s by Dr. Adrian Sherman, Associate Professor of Psychology, who started conducting regular student trips to Costa Rica to study Cross-Cultural Psychology. He was soon made the Dean of the Study Abroad program and traveled to Europe to in an attempt to develop agreements with selected European institutions. Tusculum study abroad program remained, despite these efforts, not very well attended. However, interest in the program started to increase through the partnership formed with Universidad Latina in Costa Rica whose students started traveling to Tusculum to study English as a second language.
The program was soon expanded to include the Business Education Initiative (BEI) which had just been started by U.S. Presbyterians and Catholics who wanted to become involved in the Northern Ireland peace process.
The study abroad program continued its expansion through the London program. This opportunity became a reality in early 2000 and was made available through the Association of Appalachian Colleges (ACA) who had received a grant from the Berger foundation for the purpose of providing educational development opportunities for poor and disadvantaged students in Appalachia. Fourteen of the ACA schools subsequently developed a consortium (PCCIS) thus forming a partnership with the International Enrichment program through the Missouri consortium of universities. This program also offers opportunities for full time faculty to teach abroad.
The Belize program became part of the Tusculum study abroad program in 2002. This is a Service Learning program that is made available through a BIBLE Studies Grant from the Presbytery USA. Program participants have, through a cooperative relationship with Peacework, been able to take part in the tutoring of local students and help homeless families to build bridges across toxic waters.
The program is again in the process of expanding as a result of a vision that looks to prepare its student population for the 21st Century. | <urn:uuid:9c60182f-f03f-41fd-b08a-21dc5563f2ee> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://web.tusculum.edu/studyabroad/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717963.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00375-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973469 | 379 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Regents Earth Science at Hommocks Middle School
This is the online home of the Hommocks Middle School Earth Science Department. This site serves as a collection of the best resources available to help you explore, learn, and review the scientific fields of astronomy, meteorology, and geology. We would like to thank all the hard working educators who have created the materials found within this site. These tools and resources make learning about the Earth and space much more interactive, exciting, and enjoyable. Please feel free to contact us contact us with any comments on the site, and suggested resources that we can add, or simply to say hi. Thanks for visiting, and enjoy HMXEarthScience.com. (Archived site still available here). | <urn:uuid:dd6faaea-6451-402f-a504-2ffb614adce9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://hmxearthscience.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279650.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00428-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922936 | 150 | 2.21875 | 2 |
America Must Prepare for a War Over Taiwan
Being Ready Is the Best Way to Prevent a Fight With China
The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005, casts a long shadow over Lebanon. Five and a half years later, the investigation into his killing remains an explosive political issue in the country. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), an international body set up in March 2009 to investigate Hariri’s death, is likely to report its findings by the end of the year, and it may seek to indict those it holds responsible for the killing. If members of Hezbollah are indicted, the Lebanese militant group’s response could severely undermine general stability in Lebanon and may lead to large-scale domestic conflict, an outcome that would cause great harm to U.S. interests.
Lebanon has rapidly deteriorated since the popular uprising against Syria in March 2005, following Hariri’s assassination. One million Lebanese people -- the so-called March 14 movement, led by Saad Hariri, the son of the slain leader and Lebanon’s current prime minister -- took to the streets of Beirut, helping to put an end to Syria’s 30-year military presence and political domination of Lebanon. It was a genuine, spontaneous, and unique display of Lebanese solidarity. Hariri’s death, though tragic, seemed to encourage Lebanon to assert its independence and identity as a democracy in a region dominated by authoritarian political systems.
During that turbulent transitional period, the United States championed the country’s cause both verbally and practically. Washington pressured Syria to leave Lebanon, helped jump-start a UN-led tribunal to try Hariri’s killers, and increased financial and military assistance to Beirut. Then U.S. President George W. Bush stated that Lebanon could serve as a democratic bellwether for the Middle East, declaring on March 8, 2005, that “if Lebanon is successful [as a democratic experiment], it is going to ring the door of every Arab regime.”
But now, free-minded Lebanese are depressed. Talk of democratic revival has been replaced with gloomy scenarios of a return to civil war. To the United States, as well as the March 14 bloc, the UN investigation into Hariri’s murder represented the first step in solidifying Lebanon’s newfound freedom. The tribunal appeared to make a strong start, focusing on accusations that Syria had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Hariri. Yet after discovering a stream of compelling evidence against Syria and Syria-appointed officials, the investigation became bogged down. Syria and its Lebanese allies -- including the pro-Iranian Hezbollah -- sought to block the tribunal, fearing its potential indictments and their repercussions and perceiving the international institution as a U.S. and Israeli tool to contain Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has made clear from the beginning its objection to non-Lebanese inquiries into Hariri’s death, withdrawing from the Lebanese cabinet in November 2006 to prevent the establishment of an international tribunal. Hezbollah’s withdrawal sparked an 18-month political crisis, pushing Lebanon to the brink of renewed civil war and ending only after Lebanese politicians, under the patronage of Qatar, signed the May 2008 Doha agreement, which elected Lebanese army commander Michel Suleiman as the country’s new president, granted Hezbollah veto powers in the cabinet, and adjusted electoral laws.
Hezbollah’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, said this past July that he expects members of Hezbollah to be indicted in connection with Hariri’s assassination. Nasrallah restated his opposition to the STL in August, when he argued in a widely televised press conference that Israel could have killed Hariri, presenting what he alleged was Israeli surveillance footage, intercepted by Hezbollah, of the assassination site. Nasrallah intended this information to cast further doubt on the tribunal’s investigation and potentially derail its findings. As such, Nasrallah will categorically refuse any decision by the tribunal to implicate his group.
Indeed, Hezbollah will not stop pressuring Saad Hariri until he ends his support for the tribunal. But Hariri and his allies, including Saudi Arabia, have invested a great deal of political capital in the tribunal’s success. Conceding it to Hezbollah would greatly marginalize Hariri and his faction and effectively hand the country over to Hezbollah. At stake in the tribunal, then, is the balance of power between Sunnis and Shia in Lebanon and broader stability in the Middle East.
How could all of Lebanon’s accomplishments since 2005, to which Washington contributed, be so quickly undone? The United States is partly to blame for the situation, having made several mistakes itself in Lebanon over the past few years -- most significantly, demonstrating reluctance to intervene promptly and forcefully to prevent Israel from using excessive military force against Lebanon during its summer 2006 conflict with Hezbollah. Not only did Israel’s military campaign fail to enhance Israeli security -- a primary American concern -- but it strengthened Hezbollah and undermined the pro-American Lebanese government then led by Fouad Siniora.
But the United States is not solely to blame for Lebanon’s current predicament. After all, it is Saad Hariri and his Saudi allies who allowed Syria to reenter Lebanon as part of an ambitious plan to restrain Hezbollah and Iran. Hariri and Saudi Arabia reasoned that Syria would be uneasy with a Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon and offered renewed Syrian hegemony over Beirut in return for Damascus’s cooperation in containing Hezbollah’s power through the tribunal. But while Syria is indeed interested in consolidating its return to Lebanon, it is not willing to go so far as to cripple Hezbollah -- because the group can be relied on militarily in the event of war with Israel -- and damage its strategic partnership with Iran.
Busy trying to secure Iraq and stabilize Afghanistan, and unenthusiastic about promoting democracy in the Middle East, U.S. President Barack Obama rarely evokes Lebanon in his Middle East speeches and does not call on Syria to end its meddling in Lebanese affairs. His administration can barely convince Congress to continue providing military and technical assistance to Lebanon's army, because American legislators believe that Hezbollah has infiltrated it. In short, U.S.-Lebanese bilateral relations have reverted to the status quo ante: virtually nonexistent.
Although it may be tempting for the United States to ignore Lebanon’s problems, it would do so at its own peril. From the moment U.S. Marines ended their peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in 1983 to the day the Bush administration sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for Syria to remove its soldiers from Lebanon and for Hezbollah to disarm, the United States largely disengaged from Lebanon. The results were devastating to U.S. interests. By abandoning Lebanon, the United States allowed Israel, Syria, and other foreign powers to repeatedly harm the country and trample on what was, prior to Syrian control, the only bastion of democracy in the Arab world. Left exposed, Lebanon could not prevent Iran from projecting its power through Hezbollah, which evolved from its original state as an unexceptional guerilla force into a highly professional and well-armed paramilitary organization. Syria and Iran enhanced their relative positions in the Middle East at the expense of the United States and its Arab allies and undermined, through their proxies, U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker peace between Israelis and the Palestinians.
The United States cannot afford to repeat its hands-off approach to Lebanon. The maintenance of Beirut’s independence and sovereignty upholds U.S. strategic interests in the Middle East by denying U.S. adversaries -- such as Iran and Syria -- the ability to exploit Lebanon to improve their positions in the region. More broadly, the United States has a strategic interest in promoting democracy around the world. It must do what it can to preserve Lebanon’s fragile democratic system.
The United States must develop a policy with a local and a regional component to combat Lebanon’s two central problems: a weak central authority and the excessive intervention of external forces. To treat the first problem, the United States should bolster the Lebanese government and military, allowing Lebanon to defuse its own problems and secure itself from internal security threats. To address the second problem, the United States will have to turn Hezbollah from a regional player working at Iran’s behest into a local actor mainly focused on Lebanese interests. The idea here is not to disarm the group but to remove it from the regional power struggle so that other Lebanese political forces can engage Hezbollah over the future of its arms and role in Lebanese society. The Lebanese national dialogue over Hezbollah’s weapons has so far gone nowhere because the group’s weapons are integrally linked to Iran’s agenda. As long as Iran continues to integrate Hezbollah and its military arsenal into its foreign policy, the group will remain an armed projection of Iranian interests.
Regardless of the STL’s outcome, it is highly unlikely that it will significantly weaken or contain Hezbollah. The United States should bolster the STL’s efforts while understanding that it may need to constrain Hezbollah for the long-term through other means -- namely, initiating a strategic dialogue with Iran. Back in 2003, the Iranians privately offered to discuss matters related to Hezbollah with the United States in return for undisclosed security guarantees, but the Bush administration chose to ignore them. If U.S.-Iranian talks do take place, U.S. officials should seize the opportunity to discover what the Iranians would ask for in exchange for Tehran discontinuing its weapons shipments to Hezbollah, and retiring the group’s regional role. Perhaps the Iranians’ 2003 offer no longer holds, but it is worth knowing. Diluting Hezbollah’s military capability would not only promote U.S. interests and Israeli security but also place Lebanon on a firm path to democratic consolidation. The logic is straightforward: the less Saad Hariri is worried about Hezbollah, the less he will feel the need to seek Damascus’ help and, in turn, extinguish the Lebanese democratic dream. | <urn:uuid:1db87665-6dd4-48d8-a6fa-9c7d967ca7d2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2010-10-19/lebanons-unfulfilled-promise | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.952635 | 2,065 | 2.375 | 2 |
Han Hydromotive's hydrogen vehicle actually won the contest, beating out 197 other student teams for the eco-driving title. The real achievement, though, was getting the Dutch government to grant the team a street-legal license for the single-seater. The government did its part after the team added safety features such as a windshield-wiping system, blinkers and headlights. Once licensed, the team drove the car the 65 miles or so from its campus in Nijmegen to the starting line in Rotterdam.
As for the Americas version of this year's Shell Eco-Marathon, the winner was Université Laval, whose vehicle reached more than 2,800 miles per gallon. University of Toronto's entry topped 2,700 mpg for second place of the contest, which was held in Houston.
The Dutch team members say their vehicle can go as far as 500 kilometers on a liter of hydrogen, or about 1,175 miles per gallon. Check out a four-minute video on the team below. | <urn:uuid:6e210808-6c2c-4053-8866-fc568e4787db> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/02/dutch-students-drive-hyper-efficient-hydrogen-car-to-shell-eco-m/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.958998 | 209 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is energy rich Province producing more than 50% of National Crude Oil. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become center of Oil & Gas Exploration and Production. Recoverable Potential of KP is 1.1 Billion Barrels Oil and 16 Trillion Cubic feet Gas. Expected production in 2025 of oil is 200,000 barrels per day and 2000 Million Cubic Feet of Gas per day. We expect investment of $ 200 Million in oil & gas exploration at IRR of 25% and Revenue of over $ 150 Million in Services companies. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Establish a Technical Laboratory on Commercial basis to accelerate E&P activities in the Province.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being cognizant of the opportunities in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production sectors has developed systems to facilitate foreign investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has formed an Energy Apex Committee (EAC) chaired by the Chief Minister, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This high powered committee irons out any and all impediments that a foreign investor may encounter. Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa invites your participation in Oil & Gas Exploration and Production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Chief Minister, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the new Geological Frontier, presently 14 NOCs/IOCs Exploration and Production Companies are working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Petroleum Policy 2012 and all previous ones much high well head price for Oil and Gas Zone-1 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which increase the returns on investment and lowers the risk. Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via KPOGCL have signed MOUs with Russian company ‘ROSGEO’ and American company ‘Hycarbex’ to promote the E&P activities and also to attract the international Oil companies for investment in the Province.
Muhammad Atif Khan
Minister for Energy & Power, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa proves to be an extremely lucrative source of investment and prominent among them are including:
- O&G Wells Drilling Success Ratio 1:2.8
- >50% of Pakistan’s Crude Oil Production
- >15% of Pakistan’s Natural Gas Production
- >25% of Pakistan’s LPG Production
- High Wellhead Price for Geological Zone-1 (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
- Underexplored Geological Frontier
- 14 NOCs/IOCs are Currently Active
Engineer Muhammad Naeem Khan
Secretary Energy & Power Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – The New Geological Frontier for Oil, Natural Gas and LPG.
The Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is rich in Oil and Gas reserves and huge deposits of oil & gas have been discovered in southern belt of the Province, including district Kohat, Karak & Hangu. Due to the enabling environment created by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through KPOGCL the province has become the largest oil producer province in Pakistan. Today it is producing more than 50% of national crude oil. It is also producing 400 million cubic feet of gas per day and 510 tons of LPG per day. KP holds potential for new exciting discoveries, particularly in Kohat Basin which has become main area of focus after successful discoveries by OGDCL and MOL. Most of the area of KP is still lying unexplored and therefore, has future hydrocarbon prospects in the Province. According to one estimate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has Natural Gas recoverable reserves of 16 Trillion Cubic Feet and Oil reserves exceeding 1.1 Billion Barrels of Oil. The so-called ‘kitchen’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is about ten times thicker than Pothwar basin. Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and MOL (Hungarian) are two main Exploration & Production holding production leases in KP there are 21 Exploration Blocks out of which 19 were inactive/dormant in year 2013. But after the relentless effort of KPOGCL in 17 blocks activities have been started.
Similarly, Chinese experts & engineers spent few months in the camps which Showing the security situation become well and foreigner have started trust on the KP Government for their security arrangements and Chief Minister and Chief Secretary taking personal interest and efforts for foolproof security measures for E&P companies that will ultimately accelerate and promote the exploration activities in the Province.
As a result, number of E&P companies working in KPK including KUFPEC, a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Ltd. (KPC) has been awarded Paharpur Block lying in the southern districts, which shows the interest of Exploration & Production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Moreover, Tallahassee and Hycarbex are another two international Oil companies having operatorship in lucrative blocks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tullow is another international oil company having operatorship in one of the lucrative blocks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa & FATA. KPOGCL itself is eyeing to be the operator of highly prospective petroleum concession blocks, namely Lakki, DIK East, DIK West, Nowshera& Miran in the Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The presence of hydrocarbons provides various opportunities of investment in exploration, drilling, refineries, blending units and transportation. Given the high success rate of drilling i.e. 1:2.8 gives the Exploration & Production an impetus to enter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The world average is 1:10 and that of Pakistan 1:3.5 thus, the Province offers low risk opportunity for Oil and gas exploration coupled with IRR in the vicinity of 30%.
KPOGCL Chief Executive Officer (CEO):
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In the developing world where parasitic worm infections are pervasive, preventive chemotherapy is the key strategy for morbidity control. However, local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of parasitic worms are poorly understood, although such information is required for prevention and sustainable control.
We carried out KAP surveys in two rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire that were subjected to school-based and community-based research and control activities. We used qualitative and quantitative methods. The former included observations, in-depth interviews with key informants, and focus group discussions with school children and adults. Quantitative methods consisted of a structured questionnaire administered to household heads.
Access to clean water was lacking in both communities and only a quarter of the households had functioning latrines. There was a better understanding of soil-transmitted helminthiasis than intestinal schistosomiasis, but community-based rather than school-based interventions appeared to improve knowledge of schistosomiasis. In the villages with community-based interventions, three-quarters of household interviewees knew about intestinal schistosomiasis compared to 14% in the village where school-based interventions were implemented (P<0.001). Whereas two-thirds of respondents from the community-based intervention village indicated that the research and control project was the main source of information, only a quarter of the respondents cited the project as the main source.
Preventive chemotherapy targeting school-aged children has limitations, as older population segments are neglected, and hence lack knowledge about how to prevent and control parasitic worm infections. Improved access to clean water and sanitation is necessary, along with health education to make a durable impact against helminth infections.
There is a need to better understand communities' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of neglected tropical diseases to improve prevention and control efforts. We studied the socio-cultural aspects of parasitic worm infections in two villages (Mélapleu and Zouatta II) of western Côte d'Ivoire, where research and control activities have been implemented. Zouatta II was exposed to a community-based approach, while school-based interventions were implemented in Mélapleu. KAP surveys were carried out using qualitative and quantitative methods. Although there was some knowledge of parasitic worm infections in both villages, we found important differences between the two villages regarding intestinal schistosomiasis: there was a better understanding of this disease in Zouatta II. However, even the community-based research and control efforts implemented in Zouatta II were ineffective in transforming the information conveyed into preventive behavior related to water contact. Our results suggest that KAP of parasitic worm infections conveyed by research and control activities targeting only school-aged children have shortcomings as older population groups are left out. Hence, for effective control of parasitic worms, children and adults must be educated and interventions should include access to deworming drugs, clean water and sanitation.
Citation: Acka CA, Raso G, N'Goran EK, Tschannen AB, Bogoch II, Séraphin E, et al. (2010) Parasitic Worms: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Western Côte d’Ivoire with Implications for Integrated Control. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 4(12): e910. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000910
Editor: David Joseph Diemert, The George Washington University Medical Center, United States of America
Received: April 20, 2010; Accepted: November 10, 2010; Published: December 21, 2010
Copyright: © 2010 Acka et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This study was supported by the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire (CSRS) and received financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), through the project "Contribution du CSRS au processus de reconciliation en Côte d'Ivoire" in the frame of the "Programme d'appui de la SDC a la reconciliation en Côte d'Ivoire". C.A. Acka is grateful to the Swiss Federal Commission for Fellowships for Foreign Student (CFBEE) for financing a several-months stay at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute for analysis and writing up the current manuscript. G. Raso (project no. PBBSB-109011) and J. Utzinger (project no. PPOOB-102883, PPOOB-119129) are grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation for financial support. J. Utzinger also acknowledges support from the European Union (FP6 STREP CONTRAST project, contract no. 032203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Parasitic worms (helminths), such as soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes, were so common in the 1940s that Norman W. Stoll coined the term “this wormy world” . Helminths continue to affect hundreds of millions of people today. Indeed, more than half of the human population is at risk of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis with more than 1 billion people infected, possibly causing a global burden of more than 40 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost annually –. Improvements have been made to reduce helminth transmission in many parts of the world , but worm infections continue to be an issue of major public health and socio-economic concern. Helmintic diseases disproportionately affect those in poverty , , with the poorest of the poor commonly suffering from multiple species infections concurrently –.
In 2001 a resolution was passed during the 54th World Health Assembly (WHA) with the target (for member states) to regularly administer anthelmintic drugs to at least 75% and up to 100% of all school-aged children at risk of morbidity due to schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis by 2010 . In the same year, the World Health Organization (WHO) assembled an expert committee to refine the global strategy for the prevention and control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Since then, millions of school-aged children have received anthelmintic drugs (albendazole or mebendazole against soil-transmitted helminthiasis and praziquantel against schistosomiasis) –. Comparatively little emphasis has been put on improving access to clean water and adequate sanitation and changing hygiene behavior, although these interventions represent an effective way for preventing intestinal parasitic infections, and are key factors for sustainable control –.
Health education and promotion campaigns are essential for any change in behavior to be made. For health education and promotion activities to be effective, target audiences must be identified so that a clear message can be delivered, and hence local knowledge and perceptions must be taken into account . Recent studies support that both individual and community perceptions and attitudes of parasitic worm infections and their prevention and treatment are important factors –.
Over the past 15 years, we carried out research and control activities against schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and malaria in the region of Man in western Côte d'Ivoire, including studies which assessed local perceptions toward parasitic worm infection, drug intervention studies, risk mapping and prediction, and community-based control activities –. Here we describe knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) and behavior related to helminth infections in two rural communities of western Côte d'Ivoire that were subjected to either school-based or community-based research and control activities. The experience gained from this study might be useful for the design and implementation of an integrated control program and the lessons learned might stimulate other control programs to think and act beyond preventive chemotherapy.
Study area and historical context
The Man region in western Côte d'Ivoire is populated by four main ethnic groups: Guéré, Toura, Wobé, and Yacouba. This study was conducted in the villages of Mélapleu (primarily Yacouba) and Zouatta II (primarily Wobé) between October 2003 and June 2004. Details of the study villages, with particular emphasis on intestinal helminth infections, have been described elsewhere , , . At the time of the survey there were no health facilities available in either village. The health center nearest to Mélapleu was situated in the neighboring village of Gbatongouin, some 5 km east. With regard to Zouatta II, the nearest health center was located in Facobly, approximately 10 km away. In the district town of Man, some 25 km away from each village, there is a hospital. Of note, due to an armed conflict and socio-political unrest that occurred in Côte d'Ivoire since September 2002 , only the hospital of Man was functional at the time of the study and was run by the non-governmental organization ‘Médecins sans Frontiers’, providing free medical care for those in need. Apart the research activities undertaken by the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire (CSRS), in partnership with the Université de Cocody-Abidjan and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), only very limited actions against schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and malaria had taken place in this area.
A pilot study was carried out in Mélapleu and two neighboring villages in 1996 to develop a questionnaire for the rapid identification of school children at risk of intestinal schistosomiasis . Self-reported blood in stool proved a promising symptom, and hence the questionnaire was administered at the regional level, first in 1997 and again in 2002. Questionnaire results were validated with parasitological results obtained from 57–60 randomly selected schools using Kato-Katz thick smear examinations of stool samples from up to 100 children per school , . The parasitological data were subsequently used for mapping and predicting the distribution of Schistosoma mansoni, hookworm, and S. mansoni-hookworm co-infections , –. In addition, a study was carried out in school children to assess the day-to-day and intra-specimen variation of S. mansoni egg output before and after praziquantel administration .
In Zouatta II, a multidisciplinary community-based study was implemented in 2002, consisting of a KAP survey pertaining to hygienic habits, water-contact and health-seeking behavior and in-depth appraisal of S. mansoni, soil-transmitted helminths, intestinal protozoa, and Plasmodium infections and multiparasitism among all family members living in 75 randomly selected households (more than half of the village) , , . Infected individuals were treated and awareness was raised about how to prevent parasitic worm infections in the future with a small, local public health campaign at the time of the study.
To better understand the perception and practices of parasitic worms, we used a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were then triangulated to verify and complete information gathered from communities. While the quantitative approach permitted us to obtain information on the frequency of people reporting signs and symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention of helmintic diseases, the qualitative data allowed us to further deepen the meaning of the diseases and to assess actual practice.
For the current study, a two-step qualitative approach was adopted. First, observations were made over a 2-week period at community places such as churches, local markets, schools, and water collection and washing sites. This enabled us to identify potential key informants and water contact sites for the second phase of the study. In addition, we observed and collected information on means of communication between formal and informal groups – such as youth, women, congregations, community assistance groups, and community leaders (e.g. meetings within and between groups, radio, and television). Finally, 30 focus group discussions (FGDs) and five semi-structured interviews were conducted.
The FGDs (20 in Zouatta II, 10 in Mélapleu) were conducted with elderly women, adult women, adult men and school children. Common diseases, knowledge of signs and symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of schistosomiasis and intestinal helminths, as well as water use and sanitation practices were discussed. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with traditional healers (three in Zouatta II, two in Mélapleu). The roles of traditional healers in the community and common diseases they deal with were discussed. The traditional healers' knowledge of intestinal helminth infections and schistosomiasis was also explored. FGDs and interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. The information was used to create a detailed reconstruction of villagers' KAP pertaining to intestinal schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis.
Quantitative techniques consisted of household surveys that utilized a structured questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Closed questions pertained to demographic and socio-economic factors, knowledge of local terms for schistosomiasis, and measures for preventing parasitic worm infection. Other aspects of knowledge and practices were explored by open-ended questions.
A complete list of households in each village was obtained by census and all households were enrolled. Only household heads were interviewed; if a household head was absent, an adult household member was interviewed instead. Questionnaires were administered in the local language by trained enumerators. The survey collected demographic data and assessed interviewee's knowledge and practices of parasitic worms. Because there is no local translation for intestinal schistosomiasis, we inquired about related symptoms, such as blood in stool and abdominal pain , . Respondents were asked whether they consider intestinal worms and schistosomiasis harmful, how an individual becomes infected, type of treatment sought, how to avoid worm infections, and the source of information.
A household-based asset approach was used to estimate the socio-economic status of each household, including principal component analysis . The first principal component (PC) of asset ownership across households explained 20% of the variability and gave greatest weight to households possessing a radio (0.47), followed by a ventilator (0.42), and a television (0.42). After standardization of these weighted asset variables, households possessing a ventilator had the greatest score (1.57), followed by households with a refrigerator (1.53). The lowest scores were associated to households that lacked a bicycle (−0.47) or a radio (−0.38). The asset scores were summed to a total score attached to each household, and households were ranked according to their total score. Thereafter, households were grouped into wealth quintiles: most poor, very poor, poor, less poor, and least poor , .
Data management and analysis
Qualitative data analysis was based on the model of systems of signs, meaning, and action . It aims to identify the system of signs, meaning, and actions that contribute to individuals' perceptions, interpretations, and behavior of health. A preliminary analysis was performed on the public perception of helminth infection and then created a “code list”. This code list documents information categories, types, and contents related to public perceptions of a helminth infection. With the help of this code list, interviews and FGDs were broken down into multiple units. Coded interviews and FGDs were then entered into a Maxqda database (VERBI Software Consult, Social Research, Gmbh; Berlin, Germany). The coded data were analyzed for the frequency at which information and content categories occur, including correlations between these variables. The software also allows for the rapid retrieval of text related to one or more information categories and the identification of informants. After coding, the first level of analysis was conducted to identify different types of symptoms, perceived causes, preventative strategies, and treatment options that were outlined by respondents. Water contact behavior and sources of information were identified in the frame of the first level of analysis. The second level of analysis examined the contents of several categories of information by investigating the implied meaning associated with each category. The analysis was also conducted on the articulations and discontinuities among the system of signs, meaning, and actions.
Quantitative data were entered into EpiInfo version 6.04 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA, USA). Analyses were performed with STATA version 8.0 (Stata Corporation; College Station, TX, USA). A chi-square (χ2) test was used to determine inter-village differences. χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the association between KAP, demographic factors, and socio-economic variables.
The study protocol was approved by the institutional research commissions of the CSRS in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and the Swiss TPH in Basel, Switzerland. The study was cleared by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of Côte d'Ivoire, and the district health and education authorities of Man. The village chiefs in Zouatta II and Mélapleu were asked for permission to work in the village, and then a meeting was organized with the village authorities to explain the aims and procedures of the study. The purpose and activities of the study were explained to the local community including parents and teachers. Sufficient time was given to ask question and it was emphasized that participation was voluntary. Oral consent was obtained, since the majority of the participants were illiterate. A local witness was present during oral consent. Hence, we followed common procedures for studies carried out in Côte d'Ivoire when only questionnaire data are collected and no concurrent biological samples.
Characteristics of the study population
A total of 207 interviews were conducted with household heads; 111 (53.6%) in Mélapleu and 96 (46.4%) in Zouatta II. Table 1 shows the respondents' characteristics. The two communities showed no difference with regard to age, sex, education, and occupation. However, there was a significant difference in religion; the majority of interviewees in Mélapleu were animists, whereas Christians were predominant in Zouatta II. Moreover, marital status differed significantly between the two villages with a higher proportion of married or widowed household heads in Mélapleu than in Zouatta II.
Commonly perceived diseases
The most commonly perceived disease in both villages was malaria (87%). Intestinal worms, dysentery, schistosomiasis, and scabies were reported by 52%, 50%, 29% and 22%, respectively. Schistosomiasis was perceived as a common disease by 57% respondents in Zouatta II, but only 5% reported schistosomiasis in Mélapleu (χ2 = 69.7, degree of freedom (d.f.) = 3, P<0.001). Investigators explained the term “bilharziose” (schistosomiasis in French), and by describing symptoms of the disease, as there is no local name.
The most frequently mentioned signs and symptoms in both villages were cough (74%), headache (73%), fatigue (73%), abdominal pain (72%), fever (72%), backache (71%), and diarrhea (59%).
Perception, treatment, and prevention of intestinal worms
Local names of intestinal worms were sion mlein and mlein mlein in Wobé, and gbihienein in Yacouba. All household heads considered intestinal worms to be a serious disease as revealed by quantitative questionnaire results. Common beliefs were that intestinal worms cause fatigue, liver damage, anemia, and other illnesses. Signs and symptoms of intestinal worm infections (i.e., loss of appetite, worms in stool, diarrhea, and blood in stool) were more often listed by respondents in Zouatta II than in Mélapleu (Table 2). A quarter of respondents in both villages reported that at least one of their children was currently affected with, or has suffered from, intestinal worm infections in the past 6 months.
The semi-structured interviews and FGDs revealed that participants in both villages were familiar with intestinal helminths and that they possess knowledge about the associated illness. Sion mlein and gbihienein were perceived to have two categories of symptoms. One category includes skin alterations such as itching, swelling, and rashes. The second category includes systemic type of illnesses consisting of weight loss, abdominal bloating, loss of appetite, weakness, vomiting, and bloody stools. Each category combined different elements from the context, values, and cultural beliefs that formed the population's concept of disease severity and causality. For example, mothers knew that skin disorders were related to disease onset and, in their view, the discomfort caused by such skin disorders justified seeking medical attention, but was not an indication that the disease was serious. The common perception was that both traditional and modern medicines would stop disease progression.
The second category of symptoms was more widely perceived to be caused by worms. For example, abdominal bloating was thought to be commonly caused by worms, and the associated symptoms of fatigue, anorexia, and anemia was thought to ultimately lead to the progressive destruction of the body. Most participants considered worms as a very serious problem in children, capable of causing fatalities in the absence of early treatment.
In both villages, it was commonly believed that consumption of meat and sweetened foods were the main sources of infection. Significant differences between the two villages were noted with regard to consumption of overripe fruits (90% in Zouatta II vs. 77% in Mélapleu) and poor hygiene (69% in Zouatta II vs. 35% in Mélapleu). One-fifth of the respondents perceived intestinal worms as inborn diseases. FGDs revealed that participants did not establish a link between intestinal worm infections and contact with soil. A few women attributed worm infections in children to the habit of soil consumption as illustrated by an adult woman from Mélapleu: “The one to two-year-old children contract worm infections from eating soil”.
With regard to treatment, the majority of participants ranked medical treatment as the most effective approach and 84% of the household claimed to have taken anthelmintic drugs, among which 58% had taken medicine sold on local street markets and 49% traditional medicine. Medical treatment was considered to be relatively inaccessible, and hence traditional medicine and drugs from local street markets were used instead.
The importance of washing hands, washing fruits, and wearing shoes as preventive measures against intestinal worms were significantly more often reported in Zouatta II than in Mélapleu.
Despite this knowledge, most households used unprotected surface water from rivers and ponds as source of drinking water. Collection of water from wells for drinking was rare in both villages (9.5% in Zouatta II, 1.9% in Mélapleu). Functioning latrines were available in only 52 households (29% in Zouatta II, 21% in Mélapleu). However, the presence of a latrine did not guarantee its usage. The qualitative analysis revealed that open defecation (“in the bush”, in close proximity to or inside a river) was common in both communities. Young children were allowed to defecate anywhere within the compound or at the entrance of the village.
Table 3 demonstrates that there was no significant difference regarding the perceived causes of intestinal worm infection and educational attainment or religion. Interviewees who completed secondary school and Christians commonly attributed worms to a lack of food hygiene, while the illiterate individuals and animists mainly considered meat consumption as a common etiology of worm infection. There were no significant differences in the knowledge of symptoms and causes of intestinal worm infection with regard to socio-economic status (Table 4).
Perception, treatment, and prevention of intestinal schistosomiasis
Table 5 summarizes the frequencies of symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of intestinal schistosomiasis among respondents, stratified by village. Less than half of the respondents (43%) claimed to have knowledge of intestinal schistosomiasis; significantly more in Zouatta II (75%) than in Mélapleu (14%). In Zouatta II, the main source of information pertaining to intestinal schistosomiasis was from health workers associated with the schistosomiasis research project (66% in Zouatta II vs. 25% in Mélapleu; χ2 = 9.4, P = 0.002). In Mélapleu, schools were cited as the most important source of information (62%), with a statistically highly significant difference to Zouatta II (18%; χ2 = 13.4, P<0.001).
Blood in stool was the most common symptom associated with intestinal schistosomiasis; it was mentioned by 97% of respondents in Zouatta II. Among potential sources of infection, drinking dirty surface water was significantly more often reported in Zouatta II (93%) than in Mélapleu (56%). Additionally, bathing in dirty surface water was identified as a source of infection. Fourteen percent of respondents from Zouatta II perceived schistosomiasis as an inborn disease.
Qualitative data showed that schistosomiasis was commonly confused with bloody diarrhea, dysentery, or hemorrhoids, particularly among women. This is supported by the following quote from a woman in Mélapleu “We don't know ‘bilharziose’, we think all this is dysentery”. We chose “blood in stool” as a variable to reconstruct experiences concerning intestinal schistosomiasis. Most of the participants stated that they or a relative had already experienced problems related to blood in stool at some point in the past. A young woman from Zouatta II explained: “My mother had blood in stool and abdominal pain. When she went to the hospital, the doctor said that she had ‘bilharziose’”. However, this symptom was referred to as dysentery, hemorrhoids, or worms rather than to intestinal schistosomiasis. Dysentery was a familiar disease process in the studied communities and regularly appeared in discussions. Still, blood in stool was seen to be a serious health problem and was believed among villagers to be caused by a parasite that is destructive to the liver and concomitantly drinks the host's blood. Many villagers sought treatment because of these perceived damaging effects. Other villagers, however, failed to seek treatment because they did not know the symptoms of intestinal schistosomiasis. In FGDs, none of the women were able to give an accurate description of the signs of the disease. Participants from Zouatta II were aware of the risks involved with direct water contacts. According to the qualitative data from the FGDs, most believed that drinking dirty water is the main route of acquiring the disease. For example, “We have no potable water here; we drink water from the well and open sources. All this gave us diseases like ‘bilharziose’”, said a 25-year-old woman from Zouatta II. This perception, in turn, affected people's protective measures.
Table 6 shows the causes, treatment, and prevention of intestinal schistosomiasis among the respondents, stratified by educational attainment and age. There were no significant differences between the categories with regard to perceived causes of intestinal schistosomiasis. However, a difference was noted between illiterate individuals who cited traditional medicines and drugs obtained on local markets more often than participants with at least primary schooling.
Qualitative data confirmed these findings in terms of prevention, illustrated by the following quote from a 42-year-old man from Mélapleu: “If someone knows the way of the transmission of a disease, he can avoid it. But, we don't know how we contract ‘bilharziose’, therefore we cannot avoid it. I know ‘bilharziose’ from those who went to the hospital and the doctor told them that they had this disease.”
Table 7 shows the knowledge, treatment, and prevention among study participants, stratified by wealth quintiles. The poorest quintile mentioned blood in stool as the main symptom of intestinal schistosomiasis and used traditional medicine more often than the least poor. For prevention, the poorest cited avoiding drinking dirty water more often than their wealthier counterparts who, in turn, indicated more frequently to avoid bathing in dirty water. The majority of the participants mentioned that they avoided water contact as a preventive measure.
Water contact behavior
Table 8 summarizes the principal reasons for water contact. We observed that pumps supplying potable water in each community were broken, and hence access to clean drinking water was difficult. The most frequent domestic activities placing individuals in contact with contaminated water were bathing in rivers, washing clothes, and crossing rivers. In each village, significant differences were found for washing dishes, bathing children, fetching drinking water, farming, fishing, swimming, and playing (all P<0.05).
Data from non-participant observation revealed that water contact patterns were similar in both villages. Rivers are frequently used for both occupational and recreational activities. Some women mentioned that they preferred to wash clothes in rivers because suitable washing stones were available and there was time for social interaction and community chores. We observed water contact behavior in both villages that could lead to contamination, such as women washing clothes, fishing, and children bathing in the river simultaneously. Moreover, we found evidence of open defecation along riverbanks.
The aim of this study was to deepen our understanding and compare the local KAP of parasitic worm infections in two rural communities of western Côte d'Ivoire that were subjected either to school-based (Mélapleu) or community-based research and control activities (Zouatta II) against intestinal schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed and data were triangulated. Since heads of households are a strong and recognized component of the cultural and social setting , , special emphasis was placed on interviewing these individuals.
Demographic and socio-economic profiles in the two villages were similar with the exception of ethnicity, religion, and marital status. Interestingly, when household heads were asked about health problems within the household and the community in general, intestinal worms and schistosomiasis were rarely mentioned spontaneously as a health problem of prime importance. This observation does not suggest that these infections are negligible, since worms were mentioned to be a serious health problem upon further probing. Most of the household interviewees possess more detailed knowledge of how a worm infection occurs and what measures are available for prevention than for schistosomiasis. The term ‘bilharziose’ was more readily understood in Zouatta II than in Mélapleu, although there was only little knowledge on the mode of transmission and how to prevent schistosomiasis, even in Zouatta II.
Our analysis of people's representations and practices against worms revealed that knowledge and practices lacked clear linear relationships. The following two considerations are offered for discussion. First, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis are deeply engrained in social-ecological systems , and hence the way of life and common behaviors are difficult to change. For example, open defecation was said to be more comfortable than in latrines. With regard to water supply, the water from unprotected open sources was reported to be of better taste compared to that from wells. Second, there was a lack of alternatives for the clean drinking water and improved sanitation. For example, the pumps which would have provided safe drinking water were not functional in the two villages at the time of the survey, and only one out of four households surveyed had latrines.
Previous studies carried out in other schistosome-endemic areas found a comparatively higher level of awareness of schistosomiasis than was observed in these two villages of western Côte d'Ivoire. For example, Ndamba (1998) reported that 80% of villagers in Zimbabwe were aware of schistosomiasis . In a community in south-eastern Nigeria, 42% of respondents had a clear perception of the disease and 27% were aware of high prevalence rates . Prior research conducted in Brazil and Egypt revealed that people were fairly familiar with schistosomiasis. It is conceivable that the better knowledge of intestinal schistosomiasis in Zouatta II than in Mélapleu is attributable to the health information conveyed through a community-based approach. Indeed, respondents from Zouatta II mentioned that research and control activities served as their main source of information. Moreover, some villagers noted that information on schistosomiasis was passed on to them through family members, thus indicating that community social organizations may act as an intermediary to deliver health education messages. A Senegalese study demonstrated lower awareness of intestinal schistosomiasis among the population despite several years of health education, using a diversity of communicational outlets, including radio, television, and posters, among others. Lessons learned in Senegal point out that a research project can have a positive effect on raising local knowledge, and it was concluded that intensive community-based actions are an effective means to do so. As participants from Mélapleu said that they learned about disease transmission at school, including and further strengthening the role of teachers in health education and community health promotion should be envisaged. Both the school and community structures should be integrated in such a health education program, so that school children can act as agents for the diffusion of health education messages. Indeed, studies from Brazil indicate that schools are a key source of information for schistosomiasis .
Passive case detection may be considered as a potential control measure if drugs are available at local and regional health facilities. An important mechanism to enhance health outcomes is to teach local community members (e.g., community health workers and teachers) about the signs and symptoms of worm infection, and implementing a community outreach treatment and prevention program. With this type of control strategy, however, community perceptions of diseases are particularly important in ensuring the control strategy's effectiveness, as perception will affect compliance . In fact, recent evidence suggests that in the north-western part of Uganda communities are increasingly resisting to regularly take anthelmintic drugs as part of preventive chemotherapy programs targeting multiple neglected tropical diseases simultaneously . In our study, treatment by passive case detection should be considered as most of the respondents trusted pharmaceutical drugs. However, people used both modern and traditional medicine to treat worm infections; the majority of them considered modern medicine to be inaccessible, and used traditional medicine or drugs sold on local markets. This is consistent with findings from a study in Egypt, where it was found that traditional medications were frequently used, since modern treatments were either unavailable due to high costs or lack of supply .
With regard to the transmission of parasitic worms, a common belief in our study villages was that this primarily was through food. In particular, consumption of meat, sweets, and over-ripe fruits were perceived as key factors in disease transmission. The relationship between consumption of specific foodstuffs and intestinal helminth infections likely relates to the associated abdominal symptoms. For example, consumption of spoiled meat or over-ripe fruits is thought to cause symptoms of bloating and cramping, similar to helmintic infections. Curtale and colleagues made similar observations in Egypt, where a close association between food and helminth infection was established. The perception relating food with helmintic disease affected the behavior of the current study populations regarding protective measures. In many instances, children with helminth infections were not allowed to consume either meat or fruit. From a public health perspective, this is an important issue as these food items are of high nutritional value. Hence, restricting certain foodstuffs as they are perceived to be associated with helmintic infection may lead to, or further exacerbate, delayed child development , , . Furthermore, our quantitative results revealed that soil was an unknown source of transmission for intestinal worm infections. This was confirmed during FGDs; only one woman in a FGD mentioned that infection could be transmitted when children eat soil. With regard to intestinal schistosomiasis, we did not identify any particular beliefs within the communities. This finding is in contrast to urinary schistosomiasis; common beliefs such as hematuria have been reported as a sign of puberty for male individuals .
Nonetheless, the observed low awareness of intestinal schistosomiasis in an area of high endemicity is intriguing, and clearly demonstrates the difficulty in comparing the biomedical and popular conception of disease. In fact, intestinal schistosomiasis is frequently confused with other diseases that have the same or similar symptoms. In general, there seems to be a lack of consistency between the transmission and preventive measures taken against schistosomiasis and other parasitic worm infections. Commonly, people's knowledge is a combination of endogenous and exogenous wisdom. Indeed, respondents gave answers in both categories; there was knowledge with a clear biomedical root obtained from health workers and the research team on one hand, and information obtained from the cultural milieu on the other hand. For example, people mentioned that wearing shoes is a preventive measure against worms, without mentioning that soil contact is necessary for worm transmission. The knowledge of shoes preventing soil-transmitted helminth infections was obtained or reinforced by the research team during the meetings preceding the 2004 survey. It follows that knowledge of the modes of transmission and prevention of worm infections was moderate at best. Improving the public's perception of schistosomiasis would require sustained control efforts and intensive educational actions. Yet, enhanced knowledge and practices do not necessarily lead to behavioral changes. For example, even if the public's awareness about infection risks improves, people will continue to visit contaminated water sources if there are no readily available alternatives, the fetching of water at open water sources continues to be related to important social interaction, and the taste of current water sources is perceived as better than the water obtained from wells –. Hopefully following a community-based health education campaign, knowledge of common symptoms and transmission may lead to improved health-seeking behavior and early treatment , .
We found two health-conscience behaviors, namely hand washing before eating and hand washing after defecation. While these behaviors are laudable, they are unfortunately overshadowed by other practices of poor hygiene. For example, only 25% of households had a latrine and despite this, villagers tend to defecate where convenient – still rarely using latrines where available. Such practices are dangerous as the number of helminth eggs produced by one adult female worm is so large that a single contaminated stool passed in the soil is sufficient to infect an entire village . It would be interesting to try a community-led total sanitation approach (CLTS) and measure the impact of such a strategy on re-infection patterns of soil-transmitted helminthiasis, intestinal schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases . CLTS is an integrated approach to achieve and sustain an open defecation-free status of communities through a participatory approach. It facilitates the critical analysis by the community of their own sanitation profile, their practices of defecation and the consequences, leading to collective action to become open defecation-free, and hence is accompanied by environmental measures to improve sanitation, hygiene practices, waste disposal, and protection of clean drinking water sources .
In conclusion, our results emphasize that current morbidity control through preventive chemotherapy primarily targeting school-aged children has limitations. Older population segments are insufficiently addressed, and hence new knowledge on prevention and control of parasitic worm infections is minimal. Improved access to clean water and sanitation is necessary for sustainable control of major helminthiases, and participatory approaches such as CLTS should be attempted. Our results further suggest that educational programs should target areas of high endemicity with community-based interventions. We recommend that household heads from all socio-economic segments should be specifically targeted, so that they can transmit important health information to their children and relatives. For such a program to be effective, a continuous surveillance process directed at monitoring passive case detection, assessing the impact of health education messages, and evaluating change in infection patterns are necessary.
Translation of the abstract into French by Cinthia Acka
(.27 MB DOC)
Translation of the abstract into German by Jürg Utzinger and Jennifer Keiser
(.28 MB DOC)
Translation of the abstract into Italian by Giovanna Raso and Aurelio Di Pasquale
(.27 MB DOC)
We thank the national and district health and education authorities of Man for facilitating our work in this conflict afflicted region. We are also grateful to the chiefs and authorities of Mélapleu and Zouatta II in western Côte d'Ivoire, the health committee, the household heads, the participants in the FGDs and key informants for their willingness to collaborate, and Dr. Denis Goh, a sociologist, for his support during the FGDs.
Conceived and designed the experiments: CAA GR EKN ABT BO JU. Performed the experiments: CAA. Analyzed the data: CAA GR ABT IIB JU. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: CAA GR EKN ES MT BO JU. Wrote the paper: CAA GR IIB JU.
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- 62. Kar K, Chambers R (2008) Handbook on community-led total sanitation. London: Plan UK. 96 p. | <urn:uuid:f18f7639-8cbf-484d-9d37-cd643b9c9e42> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0000910 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00374-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932494 | 12,311 | 2.953125 | 3 |
This pebble-shaped hand-held device eases anxiety through the use of light and sound.
Calmingstone was originally designed in 2014 by Ramon Telfer, who – after suffering with anxiety himself – found that there wasn't a tangible product on the market to help him.
"During 2014 I was struck with an idea to combine my industrial design background with my close experiences in mental health," he said.
"Because stress is very real and life is a fully tactile, sensory experience, we have created and evolved our learnings into a beautiful, intimate product that anyone can hold, feel and listen to."
Calling upon his own experiences, Telfer worked with Calmingstone co-founder Alex Johnson to develop the device, which sits in the palm of the hand.
A copper ring around the edge of the device works as an integrated heart-rate sensor.
When in the user's hand, the sensor picks up on their heart rate and mimics it through a softly glowing light and a slight pulsing sensation.
As the user relaxes, the Calmingstone's pulse and glow become more subtle.
Specially selected audio runs alongside the vibration and light, giving the user a comprehensive sensory experience.
Each of the Calmingstone's functions can also be manually controlled. To alter the level of light, the device is flipped over; to alter volume, it is tipped up and down; and to turn the audio on, it is moved in a circle.
"We want people to talk about their mind the same way we talk about our body," said Johnson. "Sharing experiences and insights are so powerful in normalising the conversation."
A Kickstarter campaign for the Calmingstone launched yesterday – two years after Telfer presented his 3D-printed prototype.
Mental health is becoming an increasingly explored topic in the design industry, particularly amongst graduates.
At this year's Design Academy Eindhoven graduate show, designer Nicolette Bodewes presented a tactile toolkit designed to be used in psychotherapy sessions, while Yi-Fei Chen presented her personal struggle with speaking her mind through a gun that fires her tears. | <urn:uuid:b6041baa-401c-4bbd-8bbb-0bd120e61cbc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/17/calmingstone-panic-attack-prevention-device-ramon-telfer-alex-johnson-health-design-technology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.960497 | 440 | 1.53125 | 2 |
SAFE SPACE FOR LGBTQ
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OTHER GROUPS, ORGANISATIONS & SERVICES
African rainbow Family - Support for LGBTIQ people of African Heritage
AKT - Serving LGBT young people who are homeless, living in a hostile enviroment or in a housing crisis.
Brighton and Hove Switchboard - a range of LGBT services and Support
GALOP - Provides support for domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual violance and hate crimes. Also runs National LGBT domestic abuse helpline - 0800 999 5428
Hidayah - Nationwide organisation for LGBTQI+ muslims in the UK
Keshet - Support for Jewish LGBT people and their families
LGBT Consortium - National infrastrusture organisation of LGBT Groups. The members directory links to national orgnisations and groups
Mermaids - Support for gender- diverse children, young people and their families
National LGB&T & Partnership - Resources on LGBT health inequalities
Open Doors London - Services and for support for older LGBT people
Pride in ageing - Launching quality assurance standard/ social prescribing services to help adult social care services and housing providers
Rainbow migration - Supports LGBT People through the asylum and immigration system
Speak out with Dementia - online peer support group for LGBTQ+ people living with a diagnosis of dementia
Stonewall - LGBT rights charity who also have a "whats in my area" hub.
Terrance Higgins Trust - Provides services and campaigns nationally in relation to sexual health and HIV. | <urn:uuid:16a8a954-beb3-4562-aa71-5b5dd7b453e1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://upstairs-surgery.co.uk/News/c6b3b6cb-49e2-4eb0-97a5-8a422d8fcf6c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.884993 | 399 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Ensuring Accuracy in Document Collaboration and Comparison: Why Relying on Microsoft Word Isn't Enough
Accuracy is the most important aspect of document collaboration and comparison. But as more and more people contribute to a document, it’s surprisingly easy to lose track of who made what change. The end result of that confusion can be disastrous.
Read this guide to learn how you can ensure both document accuracy and version control, delivering a final version you can depend on.
|We respect your privacy and will not sell your information.| | <urn:uuid:47ea9301-f4dd-4db6-9443-bf89f6655bc4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://go.workshare.com/AccuracyWhyMSWordNotGoodEnough.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00553-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.87307 | 110 | 1.898438 | 2 |
A good business to be in right now is producing cameras for smartphones – low-end, high-end, it doesn’t really matter – as the demand will do nothing but increase over the years. The business is thriving as the sale of smartphones continues to rise and the demand for high quality cameras and lenses increase as well. With all of that growth, nothing could make them happier except to hear that both Samsung and Apple are looking into producing smartphones with dual-cameras in the near future. When you take into account that nobody in the world produces more smartphones than these two manufacturing giants…the camera makers just had their sales take a huge leap.
This will have a huge trickle-down effect because an increase in camera modules also means an increase in relevant materials and parts such as lenses, AF actuators, and filters, and mobile D Ram and semiconductors. We know for sure that Samsung and Apple are committed to the technology – Apple purchased LINX Imaging last April that specialize in dual cameras and Samsung’s newly released Exynos 7420 processor is already designed to process dual-image signals in preparation for the cameras. Not only is Samsung and Apple committed to dual-cameras, but the Chinese manufacturers are starting to secure dual-camera technology as well.
Using dual-cameras is nothing new – look at the HTC One M8 from last year with its Duo-camera, used to add depth to your image, although they abandoned it this year on their One M9. A dual-camera has several benefits, such as being thinner and sleeker in design – nobody likes a bulge on their smartphone. But much more than that, just as the human body has two eyes, having dual cameras can fix errors in colors to give us a more precise color…the true color of our object. Two lenses can also help produce a clearer image, just as our eyes work together to focus in on an object. Dual-cameras can work independently from each other – one can focus on the subject and the other on the background, implementing resolution and focus at a DSLR camera’s level.
Dual-cameras have a better chance of capturing a good photo even in poor conditions or even produce a sort of 3D image. One expert said, “Picture quality depends on the amount of light that gathers on image sensor through lenses. Theoretically quality has to be better about two times more since there are two times more of lenses and image sensors.” High-quality parts from a variety of manufacturers will be needed in great supply, and with the takeover of the smartphone camera as our most popular method for taking photos, the demand can only grow. | <urn:uuid:82fd2b4f-ecc8-451a-a5f4-06bb4e8d7d3f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/06/dual-camera-tech-exciting-component-suppliers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00246-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964732 | 551 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Dear Stay Focussed reader!
Welcome to February's newsletter,
I hope the new year has started well for you. It's turned a bit cold here - no snow yet, but I think it's only a matter of time!
With the winter season here in the Northern Hemisphere, and snow on it's way, my tip this month is how to get a correctly exposed photo in the snow.
Correctly exposing snowy scenes
The problem of photographing anything in the snow is that your camera will assume everything it photographs will have an 'average' range of tones.
It bases this on a neutral grey shade. The problem is snowy scenes are very white - certainly not an 'average' range of tones.
Because of this your camera will compensate by underexposing your photo. It thinks no scene can be that white.
The photo above shows a typical result. Grey and dull rather than bright and white.
So what's the solution? You have two options here - first, force your camera to overexpose the scene when you take the photo. The instructions vary from camera to camera, and the results can vary too!
The second option - provided the photo isn't too dull just keep it and edit it using software when you get home.
This is really easy to do and even the most basic (and free!) image editing software will work.
The second photo here shows a corrected image.
All you need to do is boost the brightness control and your photo will come back to life!
Personally I'd go for the second option because if you try to overexpose the photo when you're out snapping away you might go too far and end up with blown highlights. And because you'll be checking the image on your camera's screen outside, in bright light, it will be difficult to spot.
At home using your computer you can easily change the brightness until it's just right.
That's about all for now. Good luck with your snowy photos (if you have the chance) and see you next month, | <urn:uuid:cecf3122-f28a-43d4-93ac-c2514ab7b009> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.digital-photography-tips.net/Stay_Focussed-January-2012-correct-exposure-for-snow.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00144-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942485 | 420 | 1.601563 | 2 |
This protocol describes the 5-choice serial reaction time task, which is an operant based task used to study attention and impulse control in rodents. Test day challenges, modifications to the standard task, can be used to systematically tax the neural systems controlling either attention or impulse control. Importantly, these challenges have consistent effects on behavior across laboratories in intact animals and can reveal either enhancements or deficits in cognitive function that are not apparent when rats are only tested on the standard task. The variety of behavioral measures that are collected can be used to determine if other factors (i.e., sedation, motivation deficits, locomotor impairments) are contributing to changes in performance. The versatility of the 5CSRTT is further enhanced because it is amenable to combination with pharmacological, molecular, and genetic techniques.
19 Related JoVE Articles!
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital.
A key challenge in studying reward processing in humans is to go beyond subjective self-report measures and quantify different aspects of reward such as hedonics, motivation, and goal value in more objective ways. This is particularly relevant for the understanding of overeating and obesity as well as their potential treatments. In this paper are described a set of measures of food-related motivation using handgrip force as a motivational measure. These methods can be used to examine changes in food related motivation with metabolic (satiety) and pharmacological manipulations and can be used to evaluate interventions targeted at overeating and obesity. However to understand food-related decision making in the complex food environment it is essential to be able to ascertain the reward goal values that guide the decisions and behavioral choices that people make. These values are hidden but it is possible to ascertain them more objectively using metrics such as the willingness to pay and a method for this is described. Both these sets of methods provide quantitative measures of motivation and goal value that can be compared within and between individuals.
Behavior, Issue 85, Food reward, motivation, grip force, willingness to pay, subliminal motivation
Combining Magnetic Sorting of Mother Cells and Fluctuation Tests to Analyze Genome Instability During Mitotic Cell Aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Institutions: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
has been an excellent model system for examining mechanisms and consequences of genome instability. Information gained from this yeast model is relevant to many organisms, including humans, since DNA repair and DNA damage response factors are well conserved across diverse species. However, S. cerevisiae
has not yet been used to fully address whether the rate of accumulating mutations changes with increasing replicative (mitotic) age due to technical constraints. For instance, measurements of yeast replicative lifespan through micromanipulation involve very small populations of cells, which prohibit detection of rare mutations. Genetic methods to enrich for mother cells in populations by inducing death of daughter cells have been developed, but population sizes are still limited by the frequency with which random mutations that compromise the selection systems occur. The current protocol takes advantage of magnetic sorting of surface-labeled yeast mother cells to obtain large enough populations of aging mother cells to quantify rare mutations through phenotypic selections. Mutation rates, measured through fluctuation tests, and mutation frequencies are first established for young cells and used to predict the frequency of mutations in mother cells of various replicative ages. Mutation frequencies are then determined for sorted mother cells, and the age of the mother cells is determined using flow cytometry by staining with a fluorescent reagent that detects bud scars formed on their cell surfaces during cell division. Comparison of predicted mutation frequencies based on the number of cell divisions to the frequencies experimentally observed for mother cells of a given replicative age can then identify whether there are age-related changes in the rate of accumulating mutations. Variations of this basic protocol provide the means to investigate the influence of alterations in specific gene functions or specific environmental conditions on mutation accumulation to address mechanisms underlying genome instability during replicative aging.
Microbiology, Issue 92, Aging, mutations, genome instability, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fluctuation test, magnetic sorting, mother cell, replicative aging
Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Institutions: Texas A&M University, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
As the urban population increases, so does the area of irrigated urban landscape. Summer water use in urban areas can be 2-3x winter base line water use due to increased demand for landscape irrigation. Improper irrigation practices and large rainfall events can result in runoff from urban landscapes which has potential to carry nutrients and sediments into local streams and lakes where they may contribute to eutrophication. A 1,000 m2
facility was constructed which consists of 24 individual 33.6 m2
field plots, each equipped for measuring total runoff volumes with time and collection of runoff subsamples at selected intervals for quantification of chemical constituents in the runoff water from simulated urban landscapes. Runoff volumes from the first and second trials had coefficient of variability (CV) values of 38.2 and 28.7%, respectively. CV values for runoff pH, EC, and Na concentration for both trials were all under 10%. Concentrations of DOC, TDN, DON, PO4
, and Ca2+
had CV values less than 50% in both trials. Overall, the results of testing performed after sod installation at the facility indicated good uniformity between plots for runoff volumes and chemical constituents. The large plot size is sufficient to include much of the natural variability and therefore provides better simulation of urban landscape ecosystems.
Environmental Sciences, Issue 90, urban runoff, landscapes, home lawns, turfgrass, St. Augustinegrass, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium
From Voxels to Knowledge: A Practical Guide to the Segmentation of Complex Electron Microscopy 3D-Data
Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Modern 3D electron microscopy approaches have recently allowed unprecedented insight into the 3D ultrastructural organization of cells and tissues, enabling the visualization of large macromolecular machines, such as adhesion complexes, as well as higher-order structures, such as the cytoskeleton and cellular organelles in their respective cell and tissue context. Given the inherent complexity of cellular volumes, it is essential to first extract the features of interest in order to allow visualization, quantification, and therefore comprehension of their 3D organization. Each data set is defined by distinct characteristics, e.g.
, signal-to-noise ratio, crispness (sharpness) of the data, heterogeneity of its features, crowdedness of features, presence or absence of characteristic shapes that allow for easy identification, and the percentage of the entire volume that a specific region of interest occupies. All these characteristics need to be considered when deciding on which approach to take for segmentation.
The six different 3D ultrastructural data sets presented were obtained by three different imaging approaches: resin embedded stained electron tomography, focused ion beam- and serial block face- scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM, SBF-SEM) of mildly stained and heavily stained samples, respectively. For these data sets, four different segmentation approaches have been applied: (1) fully manual model building followed solely by visualization of the model, (2) manual tracing segmentation of the data followed by surface rendering, (3) semi-automated approaches followed by surface rendering, or (4) automated custom-designed segmentation algorithms followed by surface rendering and quantitative analysis. Depending on the combination of data set characteristics, it was found that typically one of these four categorical approaches outperforms the others, but depending on the exact sequence of criteria, more than one approach may be successful. Based on these data, we propose a triage scheme that categorizes both objective data set characteristics and subjective personal criteria for the analysis of the different data sets.
Bioengineering, Issue 90, 3D electron microscopy, feature extraction, segmentation, image analysis, reconstruction, manual tracing, thresholding
Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials
Institutions: Iowa State University.
The TET (transient electro-thermal) technique is an effective approach developed to measure the thermal diffusivity of solid materials, including conductive, semi-conductive or nonconductive one-dimensional structures. This technique broadens the measurement scope of materials (conductive and nonconductive) and improves the accuracy and stability. If the sample (especially biomaterials, such as human head hair, spider silk, and silkworm silk) is not conductive, it will be coated with a gold layer to make it electronically conductive. The effect of parasitic conduction and radiative losses on the thermal diffusivity can be subtracted during data processing. Then the real thermal conductivity can be calculated with the given value of volume-based specific heat (ρcp
), which can be obtained from calibration, noncontact photo-thermal technique or measuring the density and specific heat separately. In this work, human head hair samples are used to show how to set up the experiment, process the experimental data, and subtract the effect of parasitic conduction and radiative losses.
Physics, Issue 83, thermal transport, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, transient electro-thermal technique, volume-based specific heat, human head hair
Reduction in Left Ventricular Wall Stress and Improvement in Function in Failing Hearts using Algisyl-LVR
Institutions: UCSF/VA Medical Center, LoneStar Heart, Inc..
Injection of Algisyl-LVR, a treatment under clinical development, is intended to treat patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This treatment was recently used for the first time in patients who had symptomatic heart failure. In all patients, cardiac function of the left ventricle (LV) improved significantly, as manifested by consistent reduction of the LV volume and wall stress. Here we describe this novel treatment procedure and the methods used to quantify its effects on LV wall stress and function.
Algisyl-LVR is a biopolymer gel consisting of Na+
-Alginate and Ca2+
-Alginate. The treatment procedure was carried out by mixing these two components and then combining them into one syringe for intramyocardial injections. This mixture was injected at 10 to 19 locations mid-way between the base and apex of the LV free wall in patients.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), together with mathematical modeling, was used to quantify the effects of this treatment in patients before treatment and at various time points during recovery. The epicardial and endocardial surfaces were first digitized from the MR images to reconstruct the LV geometry at end-systole and at end-diastole. Left ventricular cavity volumes were then measured from these reconstructed surfaces.
Mathematical models of the LV were created from these MRI-reconstructed surfaces to calculate regional myofiber stress. Each LV model was constructed so that 1) it deforms according to a previously validated stress-strain relationship of the myocardium, and 2) the predicted LV cavity volume from these models matches the corresponding MRI-measured volume at end-diastole and end-systole. Diastolic filling was simulated by loading the LV endocardial surface with a prescribed end-diastolic pressure. Systolic contraction was simulated by concurrently loading the endocardial surface with a prescribed end-systolic pressure and adding active contraction in the myofiber direction. Regional myofiber stress at end-diastole and end-systole was computed from the deformed LV based on the stress-strain relationship.
Medicine, Issue 74, Biomedical Engineering, Anatomy, Physiology, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Surgery, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Diseases, bioinjection, ventricular wall stress, mathematical model, heart failure, cardiac function, myocardium, left ventricle, LV, MRI, imaging, clinical techniques
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, Charité Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich.
The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognitive functions across the lifespan in a sample of 378 healthy subjects (age range 18-89 years). Consistent with previous findings we found an age-related cognitive decline across a wide range of neuropsychological domains (memory, attention, executive functions), thereby proving the usability of our tablet-based application. Regardless of prior computer experience, subjects of all age groups were able to perform the tasks without instruction or feedback from an experimenter. Increased motivation and compliance proved to be beneficial for task performance, thereby potentially increasing the validity of the results. Our promising findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.
Behavior, Issue 84, Neuropsychological Testing, cognitive decline, age, tablet-computer, memory, attention, executive functions
Performing Behavioral Tasks in Subjects with Intracranial Electrodes
Institutions: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Johns Hopkins University.
Patients having stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode, subdural grid or depth electrode implants have a multitude of electrodes implanted in different areas of their brain for the localization of their seizure focus and eloquent areas. After implantation, the patient must remain in the hospital until the pathological area of brain is found and possibly resected. During this time, these patients offer a unique opportunity to the research community because any number of behavioral paradigms can be performed to uncover the neural correlates that guide behavior. Here we present a method for recording brain activity from intracranial implants as subjects perform a behavioral task designed to assess decision-making and reward encoding. All electrophysiological data from the intracranial electrodes are recorded during the behavioral task, allowing for the examination of the many brain areas involved in a single function at time scales relevant to behavior. Moreover, and unlike animal studies, human patients can learn a wide variety of behavioral tasks quickly, allowing for the ability to perform more than one task in the same subject or for performing controls. Despite the many advantages of this technique for understanding human brain function, there are also methodological limitations that we discuss, including environmental factors, analgesic effects, time constraints and recordings from diseased tissue. This method may be easily implemented by any institution that performs intracranial assessments; providing the opportunity to directly examine human brain function during behavior.
Behavior, Issue 92, Cognitive neuroscience, Epilepsy, Stereo-electroencephalography, Subdural grids, Behavioral method, Electrophysiology
Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
Institutions: University of Amsterdam.
Synesthesia is a rare condition in which a stimulus from one modality automatically and consistently triggers unusual sensations in the same and/or other modalities. A relatively common and well-studied type is grapheme-color synesthesia, defined as the consistent experience of color when viewing, hearing and thinking about letters, words and numbers. We describe our method for investigating to what extent synesthetic associations between letters and colors can be learned by reading in color in nonsynesthetes. Reading in color is a special method for training associations in the sense that the associations are learned implicitly while the reader reads text as he or she normally would and it does not require explicit computer-directed training methods. In this protocol, participants are given specially prepared books to read in which four high-frequency letters are paired with four high-frequency colors. Participants receive unique sets of letter-color pairs based on their pre-existing preferences for colored letters. A modified Stroop task is administered before and after reading in order to test for learned letter-color associations and changes in brain activation. In addition to objective testing, a reading experience questionnaire is administered that is designed to probe for differences in subjective experience. A subset of questions may predict how well an individual learned the associations from reading in color. Importantly, we are not claiming that this method will cause each individual to develop grapheme-color synesthesia, only that it is possible for certain individuals to form letter-color associations by reading in color and these associations are similar in some aspects to those seen in developmental grapheme-color synesthetes. The method is quite flexible and can be used to investigate different aspects and outcomes of training synesthetic associations, including learning-induced changes in brain function and structure.
Behavior, Issue 84, synesthesia, training, learning, reading, vision, memory, cognition
High-throughput Functional Screening using a Homemade Dual-glow Luciferase Assay
Institutions: Massachusetts General Hospital.
We present a rapid and inexpensive high-throughput screening protocol to identify transcriptional regulators of alpha-synuclein, a gene associated with Parkinson's disease. 293T cells are transiently transfected with plasmids from an arrayed ORF expression library, together with luciferase reporter plasmids, in a one-gene-per-well microplate format. Firefly luciferase activity is assayed after 48 hr to determine the effects of each library gene upon alpha-synuclein transcription, normalized to expression from an internal control construct (a hCMV promoter directing Renilla
luciferase). This protocol is facilitated by a bench-top robot enclosed in a biosafety cabinet, which performs aseptic liquid handling in 96-well format. Our automated transfection protocol is readily adaptable to high-throughput lentiviral library production or other functional screening protocols requiring triple-transfections of large numbers of unique library plasmids in conjunction with a common set of helper plasmids. We also present an inexpensive and validated alternative to commercially-available, dual luciferase reagents which employs PTC124, EDTA, and pyrophosphate to suppress firefly luciferase activity prior to measurement of Renilla
luciferase. Using these methods, we screened 7,670 human genes and identified 68 regulators of alpha-synuclein. This protocol is easily modifiable to target other genes of interest.
Cellular Biology, Issue 88, Luciferases, Gene Transfer Techniques, Transfection, High-Throughput Screening Assays, Transfections, Robotics
High-throughput, Automated Extraction of DNA and RNA from Clinical Samples using TruTip Technology on Common Liquid Handling Robots
Institutions: Akonni Biosystems, Inc., Akonni Biosystems, Inc., Akonni Biosystems, Inc., Akonni Biosystems, Inc..
TruTip is a simple nucleic acid extraction technology whereby a porous, monolithic binding matrix is inserted into a pipette tip. The geometry of the monolith can be adapted for specific pipette tips ranging in volume from 1.0 to 5.0 ml. The large porosity of the monolith enables viscous or complex samples to readily pass through it with minimal fluidic backpressure. Bi-directional flow maximizes residence time between the monolith and sample, and enables large sample volumes to be processed within a single TruTip. The fundamental steps, irrespective of sample volume or TruTip geometry, include cell lysis, nucleic acid binding to the inner pores of the TruTip monolith, washing away unbound sample components and lysis buffers, and eluting purified and concentrated nucleic acids into an appropriate buffer. The attributes and adaptability of TruTip are demonstrated in three automated clinical sample processing protocols using an Eppendorf epMotion 5070, Hamilton STAR and STARplus liquid handling robots, including RNA isolation from nasopharyngeal aspirate, genomic DNA isolation from whole blood, and fetal DNA extraction and enrichment from large volumes of maternal plasma (respectively).
Genetics, Issue 76, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Automation, Laboratory, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Analytic Sample Preparation Methods, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Genetic Techniques, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Automation, Laboratory, Chemistry, Clinical, DNA/RNA extraction, automation, nucleic acid isolation, sample preparation, nasopharyngeal aspirate, blood, plasma, high-throughput, sequencing
Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
Institutions: Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New York University , New York University , New York University .
Most of the choices we make have uncertain consequences. In some cases the probabilities for different possible outcomes are precisely known, a condition termed "risky". In other cases when probabilities cannot be estimated, this is a condition described as "ambiguous". While most people are averse to both risk and ambiguity1,2
, the degree of those aversions vary substantially across individuals, such that the subjective value
of the same risky or ambiguous option can be very different for different individuals. We combine functional MRI (fMRI) with an experimental economics-based method3
to assess the neural representation of the subjective values of risky and ambiguous options4
. This technique can be now used to study these neural representations in different populations, such as different age groups and different patient populations.
In our experiment, subjects make consequential choices between two alternatives while their neural activation is tracked using fMRI. On each trial subjects choose between lotteries that vary in their monetary amount and in either the probability of winning that amount or the ambiguity level associated with winning. Our parametric design allows us to use each individual's choice behavior to estimate their attitudes towards risk and ambiguity, and thus to estimate the subjective values that each option held for them. Another important feature of the design is that the outcome of the chosen lottery is not revealed during the experiment, so that no learning can take place, and thus the ambiguous options remain ambiguous and risk attitudes are stable. Instead, at the end of the scanning session one or few trials are randomly selected and played for real money. Since subjects do not know beforehand which trials will be selected, they must treat each and every trial as if it and it alone was the one trial on which they will be paid. This design ensures that we can estimate the true subjective value of each option to each subject. We then look for areas in the brain whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of risky options and for areas whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of ambiguous options.
Neuroscience, Issue 67, Medicine, Molecular Biology, fMRI, magnetic resonance imaging, decision-making, value, uncertainty, risk, ambiguity
Use of a Robot for High-throughput Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases
Institutions: Trinity College Dublin .
Structure-function studies of membrane proteins greatly benefit from having available high-resolution 3-D structures of the type provided through macromolecular X-ray crystallography (MX). An essential ingredient of MX is a steady supply of ideally diffraction-quality crystals. The in meso
or lipidic cubic phase (LCP) method for crystallizing membrane proteins is one of several methods available for crystallizing membrane proteins. It makes use of a bicontinuous mesophase in which to grow crystals. As a method, it has had some spectacular successes of late and has attracted much attention with many research groups now interested in using it. One of the challenges associated with the method is that the hosting mesophase is extremely viscous and sticky, reminiscent of a thick toothpaste. Thus, dispensing it manually in a reproducible manner in small volumes into crystallization wells requires skill, patience and a steady hand. A protocol for doing just that was developed in the Membrane Structural & Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group1-3
. JoVE video articles describing the method are available1,4
The manual approach for setting up in meso
trials has distinct advantages with specialty applications, such as crystal optimization and derivatization. It does however suffer from being a low throughput method. Here, we demonstrate a protocol for performing in meso
crystallization trials robotically. A robot offers the advantages of speed, accuracy, precision, miniaturization and being able to work continuously for extended periods under what could be regarded as hostile conditions such as in the dark, in a reducing atmosphere or at low or high temperatures. An in meso
robot, when used properly, can greatly improve the productivity of membrane protein structure and function research by facilitating crystallization which is one of the slow steps in the overall structure determination pipeline.
In this video article, we demonstrate the use of three commercially available robots that can dispense the viscous and sticky mesophase integral to in meso
crystallogenesis. The first robot was developed in the MS&FB Group5,6
. The other two have recently become available and are included here for completeness.
An overview of the protocol covered in this article is presented in Figure 1.
All manipulations were performed at room temperature (~20 °C) under ambient conditions.
Materials Science, Issue 67, automation, crystallization, glass sandwich plates, high-throughput, in meso, lipidic cubic phase, lipidic mesophases, macromolecular X-ray crystallography, membrane protein, receptor, robot
Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
Institutions: Rutgers University, Koç University, New York University, Fairfield University.
We describe a high-throughput, high-volume, fully automated, live-in 24/7 behavioral testing system for assessing the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations on basic mechanisms of cognition and learning in mice. A standard polypropylene mouse housing tub is connected through an acrylic tube to a standard commercial mouse test box. The test box has 3 hoppers, 2 of which are connected to pellet feeders. All are internally illuminable with an LED and monitored for head entries by infrared (IR) beams. Mice live in the environment, which eliminates handling during screening. They obtain their food during two or more daily feeding periods by performing in operant (instrumental) and Pavlovian (classical) protocols, for which we have written protocol-control software and quasi-real-time data analysis and graphing software. The data analysis and graphing routines are written in a MATLAB-based language created to simplify greatly the analysis of large time-stamped behavioral and physiological event records and to preserve a full data trail from raw data through all intermediate analyses to the published graphs and statistics within a single data structure. The data-analysis code harvests the data several times a day and subjects it to statistical and graphical analyses, which are automatically stored in the "cloud" and on in-lab computers. Thus, the progress of individual mice is visualized and quantified daily. The data-analysis code talks to the protocol-control code, permitting the automated advance from protocol to protocol of individual subjects. The behavioral protocols implemented are matching, autoshaping, timed hopper-switching, risk assessment in timed hopper-switching, impulsivity measurement, and the circadian anticipation of food availability. Open-source protocol-control and data-analysis code makes the addition of new protocols simple. Eight test environments fit in a 48 in x 24 in x 78 in cabinet; two such cabinets (16 environments) may be controlled by one computer.
Behavior, Issue 84, genetics, cognitive mechanisms, behavioral screening, learning, memory, timing
Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Institutions: University of Zurich.
Mori's Uncanny Valley Hypothesis1,2
proposes that the perception of humanlike characters such as robots and, by extension, avatars (computer-generated characters) can evoke negative or positive affect (valence) depending on the object's degree of visual and behavioral realism along a dimension of human likeness
) (Figure 1
). But studies of affective valence of subjective responses to variously realistic non-human characters have produced inconsistent findings 3, 4, 5, 6
. One of a number of reasons for this is that human likeness is not perceived as the hypothesis assumes. While the DHL can be defined following Mori's description as a smooth linear change in the degree of physical humanlike similarity, subjective perception of objects along the DHL can be understood in terms of the psychological effects of categorical perception (CP) 7
. Further behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of category processing and CP along the DHL and of the potential influence of the dimension's underlying category structure on affective experience are needed. This protocol therefore focuses on the DHL and allows examination of CP. Based on the protocol presented in the video as an example, issues surrounding the methodology in the protocol and the use in "uncanny" research of stimuli drawn from morph continua to represent the DHL are discussed in the article that accompanies the video. The use of neuroimaging and morph stimuli to represent the DHL in order to disentangle brain regions neurally responsive to physical human-like similarity from those responsive to category change and category processing is briefly illustrated.
Behavior, Issue 76, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Molecular Biology, Psychology, Neuropsychology, uncanny valley, functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, categorical perception, virtual reality, avatar, human likeness, Mori, uncanny valley hypothesis, perception, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, imaging, clinical techniques
The Dig Task: A Simple Scent Discrimination Reveals Deficits Following Frontal Brain Damage
Institutions: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Cognitive impairment is the most frequent cause of disability in humans following brain damage, yet the behavioral tasks used to assess cognition in rodent models of brain injury is lacking. Borrowing from the operant literature our laboratory utilized a basic scent discrimination paradigm1-4
in order to assess deficits in frontally-injured rats. Previously we have briefly described the Dig task and demonstrated that rats with frontal brain damage show severe deficits across multiple tests within the task5
. Here we present a more detailed protocol for this task. Rats are placed into a chamber and allowed to discriminate between two scented sands, one of which contains a reinforcer. The trial ends after the rat either correctly discriminates (defined as digging in the correct scented sand), incorrectly discriminates, or 30 sec elapses. Rats that correctly discriminate are allowed to recover and consume the reinforcer. Rats that discriminate incorrectly are immediately removed from the chamber. This can continue through a variety of reversals and novel scents. The primary analysis is the accuracy for each scent pairing (cumulative proportion correct for each scent). The general findings from the Dig task suggest that it is a simple experimental preparation that can assess deficits in rats with bilateral frontal cortical damage compared to rats with unilateral parietal damage. The Dig task can also be easily incorporated into an existing cognitive test battery. The use of more tasks such as this one can lead to more accurate testing of frontal function following injury, which may lead to therapeutic options for treatment. All animal use was conducted in accordance with protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Neuroscience, Issue 71, Medicine, Neurobiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Psychology, Behavior, cognitive assessment, dig task, scent discrimination, olfactory, brain injury, traumatic brain injury, TBI, brain damage, rats, animal model
A Protocol for Conducting Rainfall Simulation to Study Soil Runoff
Institutions: University of Maryland Eastern Shore, USDA - Agricultural Research Service, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Rainfall is a driving force for the transport of environmental contaminants from agricultural soils to surficial water bodies via surface runoff. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of antecedent soil moisture content on the fate and transport of surface applied commercial urea, a common form of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, following a rainfall event that occurs within 24 hr after fertilizer application. Although urea is assumed to be readily hydrolyzed to ammonium and therefore not often available for transport, recent studies suggest that urea can be transported from agricultural soils to coastal waters where it is implicated in harmful algal blooms. A rainfall simulator was used to apply a consistent rate of uniform rainfall across packed soil boxes that had been prewetted to different soil moisture contents. By controlling rainfall and soil physical characteristics, the effects of antecedent soil moisture on urea loss were isolated. Wetter soils exhibited shorter time from rainfall initiation to runoff initiation, greater total volume of runoff, higher urea concentrations in runoff, and greater mass loadings of urea in runoff. These results also demonstrate the importance of controlling for antecedent soil moisture content in studies designed to isolate other variables, such as soil physical or chemical characteristics, slope, soil cover, management, or rainfall characteristics. Because rainfall simulators are designed to deliver raindrops of similar size and velocity as natural rainfall, studies conducted under a standardized protocol can yield valuable data that, in turn, can be used to develop models for predicting the fate and transport of pollutants in runoff.
Environmental Sciences, Issue 86, Agriculture, Water Pollution, Water Quality, Technology, Industry, and Agriculture, Rainfall Simulator, Artificial Rainfall, Runoff, Packed Soil Boxes, Nonpoint Source, Urea
Use of Rotorod as a Method for the Qualitative Analysis of Walking in Rat
Institutions: University of Lethbridge.
High speed videoanalysis of the details of movement can provide a source of information about qualitative aspects of walking movements. When walking on a rotorod, animals remain in approximately the same place making repetitive movements of stepping. Thus the task provides a rich source of information on the details of foot stepping movements. Subjects were hemi-Parkinson analogue rats, produced by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right nigrostriatal bundle to deplete nigrostriatal dopamine (DA). The present report provides a video analysis illustration of animals previously were filmed from frontal, lateral, and posterior views as they walked (15). Rating scales and frame-by-frame replay of the video records of stepping behavior indicated that the hemi-Parkinson rats were chronically impaired in posture and limb use contralateral to the DA-depletion. The contralateral limbs participated less in initiating and sustaining propulsion than the ipsilateral limbs. These deficits secondary to unilateral DA-depletion show that the rotorod provides a use task for the analysis of stepping movements.
Neuroscience, Issue 22, Rat walking, gait analysis, rotorod, rat forelimb, Parkinson disease model, dopamine depletion
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotion Regulation
Institutions: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, University of Alberta, Edmonton, University of Alberta, Edmonton, University of Alberta, Edmonton, University of Alberta, Edmonton, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
The ability to control/regulate emotions is an important coping mechanism in the face of emotionally stressful situations. Although significant progress has been made in understanding conscious/deliberate emotion regulation (ER), less is known about non-conscious/automatic ER and the associated neural correlates. This is in part due to the problems inherent in the unitary concepts of automatic and conscious processing1
. Here, we present a protocol that allows investigation of the neural correlates of both deliberate and automatic ER using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This protocol allows new avenues of inquiry into various aspects of ER. For instance, the experimental design allows manipulation of the goal to regulate emotion (conscious vs. non-conscious), as well as the intensity of the emotional challenge (high vs. low). Moreover, it allows investigation of both immediate (emotion perception) and long-term effects (emotional memory) of ER strategies on emotion processing. Therefore, this protocol may contribute to better understanding of the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation in healthy behaviour, and to gaining insight into possible causes of deficits in depression and anxiety disorders in which emotion dys
regulation is often among the core debilitating features.
Neuroscience, Issue 54, Emotion Suppression, Automatic Emotion Control, Deliberate Emotion Control, Goal Induction, Neuroimaging | <urn:uuid:08b84ca8-220b-47d4-9cbe-11d5f57b2980> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.jove.com/visualize/abstract/20186323/big-losses-lead-to-irrational-decision-making-gambling-situations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718285.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00107-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912001 | 7,643 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Sine qua non
|Look up sine qua non in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
Sine qua non (/ /; Latin: [ˈsine kwaː ˈnoːn]) or condicio sine qua non (plural: condiciones sine quibus non) is an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient. It was originally a Latin legal term for "[a condition] without which it could not be", or "but for..." or "without which [there is] nothing".
"Sine qua non" causation is the formal terminology for "but-for" causation.
Usage in language
As a Latin term, it occurs in the work of Boethius, and originated in Aristotelian expressions. In recent times, it has passed from a merely legal usage to a more general usage in many languages, including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc. In Classical Latin, the form uses the word condicio (from the verb condico, condicere, to agree upon), but in later Latin the phrase is also used with conditio (condition). The phrase is also used in economics, philosophy and medicine.
An example of the term's usage was annotated in H. W. Brands' biography of Andrew Jackson. The book included a toast given by Jackson on the occasion of his receiving an honorary doctorate from Harvard University. The President responded to his listeners, "E pluribus unum, my friends. Sine qua non". A recent example comes from Javier Solana who said that the arrest of Radovan Karadžić was sine qua non for Serbia's joining the European Union and "it has been a very important step to move closer to Europe".
It appears in the expansive two volume text on Dahomey culture by Melville J. Herskovits. In writing about the need to learn the native language, he says, "This does not mean that a knowledge of a native language is a Sine qua non in the study of all problems bearing on primitive cultures. By the use of interpreters and of well recognized and tested techniques, it is possible to obtain the information needed to discover, describe and understand the institutions of a people, and it is such technique that have been employed in this study."
It also appears in the commentary on Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during a time of war. In this case, the sine qua non refers to the assurance that relief aid will go to the civilian population and not be diverted toward "the benefit of the Occupying Power".
Usage in medicine
In medicine, the term sine qua non (contrast with pathognomonic) is often used in regard to any sign, symptom, or finding whose absence would very likely mean absence of the target disease or condition. The test for such a sign, symptom or finding would thereby have very high sensitivity, and rarely miss the condition, so a negative result should be reassuring (the disease tested for is absent). Examples include:
- The absence of finding the corresponding underlying mutation excludes certain types of hereditary colon cancer.
- A vaginal pH of less than 4.5 practically excludes bacterial vaginosis.
"But-for" causation in law
In legal matters, "but-for", "sine qua non", causa sine qua non, or "cause-in-fact" causation, or conditio sine qua non, is a circumstance in which a certain act is a material cause of a certain injury or wrongdoing, without which the injury would not have occurred. It is established by the "but-for" test: but for the act having occurred, the injury would not have happened.
The defendant's negligent conduct is the actual cause of the plaintiff's injury if the harm would not have occurred to the plaintiff "but for" the negligent conduct of the defendant. (Perkins)
This type of causation is often contrasted with substantial-factor causation. The substantial factor test is used when there are multiple negligent tortfeasors which either (1) all caused the injury, in which case any and all of them are 100% joint and severally liable (treated as the group but suing the money) and the charged defendant would have to implead or sue the others to square the damages, or (2) only one could have actually caused the injury but they were all negligent in the same way and that one cannot be determined, in which case the burden shifts and any of them that cannot show their negligence was not the cause is 100 % joint and severally liable. The purpose of this is allow the aggrieved party to get their damages, and make the negligent tortfeasors square up amongst themselves. See e.g. Hill v. Edmonds, (N.Y., 1966); Anderson v. Minneapolis, St. P. & S. St. M. Ry. Co., (Minn., 1920)
In Rogers v. Bromac Title Servs. LLC, the U.S. 5th Circuit interpreted the language of the Jury System Improvement Act in prohibiting employers from terminating employees "by reason of" jury service as meaning "but-for" causation: the employee must show that the termination of employment would not have occurred "but for" that jury service. This is a higher burden for the plaintiff employee than merely showing that the jury service was a motivating factor for the termination.
- "sine qua non". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Herskovits, Melville (1967). Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom (2nd ed.). Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. pp. Preface.
- International Humanitarian Law – Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention
- Lynch, H. T.; Lynch, J. F.; Lynch, P. M.; Attard, T. (2007). "Hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes: Molecular genetics, genetic counseling, diagnosis and management". Familial Cancer. 7 (1): 27–39. doi:10.1007/s10689-007-9165-5. PMID 17999161.
- Lynch, H. T.; Lanspa, S. J. (2010). "Colorectal Cancer Survival Advantage in MUTYH-Associated Polyposis and Lynch Syndrome Families". JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 102 (22): 1687. doi:10.1093/jnci/djq439.
- Mańka, W.; Adrianowicz, L.; Wesołek, Z.; Adrianowicz, K. (2002). "The value of determining vaginal secretion reaction (pH) as a screening test of bacterial vaginosis". Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960). 55 (1–2): 51–55. PMID 12043316. | <urn:uuid:76bde8ce-0905-4b4c-88ac-28a8ad6c42c5> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sine_qua_non | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720962.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00386-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915552 | 1,462 | 3.21875 | 3 |
May 23, 2018
Let us fill our senses with truth awareness:
Only God is, only oneness is.
Nothing exists but oneness.
All is one, and that one is God or spirit or consciousness.
Only one body is—the body of consciousness. Only one being, one amount, one place, one condition, one character, one nature exists, and that one is God, spirit, consciousness, omnipresence.
God is that one, spirit is that one, consciousness is that one, infinity is that one, omnipresence is that one, eternity is that one, and besides that one there is no other.
From Healing of the Body page 79 | <urn:uuid:54b3f51d-a0d9-43cb-bfc2-efc8ed06af22> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.miracleself.com/DailySnippet052318.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00674.warc.gz | en | 0.933426 | 147 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Leonardo DiCaprio led a group of “angel donors” whose gifts to the Academy Foundation enabled the purchase. In addition to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a component fund of CCF Environmental and Humanitarian Causes, donations came from producer-director Steven Spielberg and Terry Semel, co-chair of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the former chairman-CEO of Warner Bros. and Yahoo, along with other donors.
“The ruby slippers occupy an extraordinary place in the hearts of movie audiences the world over,” Iger said. “This is a transformative acquisition for our collection.”
“Leo’s passionate leadership has helped us bring home this legendary piece of movie history,” added Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “It’s a wonderful gift to the Academy museum project and a perfect representation of the work we do year-round to preserve and share our film heritage.”
These slippers, known as “the Witch’s Shoes,” are in the most pristine condition of the four pairs of ruby slippers known to exist. It is widely believed that these are the slippers Judy Garland wore in closeups and insert shots, most famously when Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return to Kansas. They are called “the Witch’s Shoes” because they are likely the pair seen on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy’s house falls on the witch.
The Academy announced a partnership with LACMA in October to lease the former May Co. building at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax to serve as the movie museum’s home. | <urn:uuid:d65e270a-9acb-423c-b9c8-6c3a7f190595> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://variety.com/2012/film/awards/oz-ruby-slippers-to-academy-museum-1118050606/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00675.warc.gz | en | 0.94289 | 345 | 1.601563 | 2 |
I’ve written a lot of words at this blog about raising bilingual children. But I think this short video of me being interviewed by my kids will demonstrate, better than words ever could, the important sense of playfulness that I’ve described in Be Very Serious. Be Very Playful. The Bilingual Journey Demands Both. and other posts.
I hesitate to call this a “method” because it’s simply my nature when I’m around kids. At the same time, I’m quite conscious of its impact on language development because this sort of silly playfulness is highly effective at engaging children in the use of the minority language. And so, though I’m not this nutty all the time, I do express my wild side pretty continuously with my children and my students, and I actively incorporate this playful quality in my ideas for language exposure.
Whatever success I’ve had in working with bilingual children over the years, this penchant for play is at the heart of it all because my actions appeal to the child’s own playful spirit. And when you match the child’s natural instinct for play, you create more effective conditions for exposure and engagement in the minority language, day after day, which, over time, leads to greater heights of bilingual ability.
In other words, this isn’t just frivolous stuff: to my mind, “serious silliness” is not only fun (and thus creates a closer parent-child bond), it’s the very foundation for maximizing a child’s development in the minority language.
This, as the video conveys, is the “crazy secret” for bilingual success.
Third interview in a series
This interview is actually the third in a series: in previous posts, I shared silly interviews with my son and my daughter and you’ll find those links below. If you haven’t seen them yet, they’re well worth watching: they can serve as inspiration for conducting interviews with your own kids, and I think you’ll find them pretty entertaining, too.
After you watch this video of me going bonkers, keep reading for additional tips on making use of interviews for fun, effective language exposure and other benefits.
- As I did, you can interview your kids and have them interview you. You could also have grandparents or other family members interview your kids, and your kids could interview them. (Grandparents interviewing their grandchildren, and grandchildren interviewing their grandparents would also make a wonderful memento of their time together, if recorded.)
- The interviews needn’t be taped, but by creating video or audio conversations, you’ll not only have a valuable recording for posterity, the impact of language exposure will be extended as you and your children watch them or listen to them.
- Your interviews can be silly or serious, or some blend of both. In fact, I have an archive of videotaped interviews I’ve conducted with each of my kids on their birthdays, year after year, which tend to be a combination of the two. (If your children are still small, you might put this idea into practice: annual “birthday interviews” are a marvelous way to gauge their growth.)
- Recorded interviews of your kids not only engage them in speaking the minority language, they enable you to assess their language ability more clearly. Aspects of their ability that you may not readily notice in daily life are highlighted in video or audio.
- When your children conduct an interview of you or others, they also practice literacy skills when preparing and posing the questions. Silly interviews, in particular, will also stretch their imagination and creative thinking.
Interviews with Roy and Lulu
Now, to watch the silly interviews I conducted with Roy and Lulu, just click on the images below to visit those posts! | <urn:uuid:a474a95b-3516-48ec-801f-582aaf1c0ef4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://bilingualmonkeys.com/video-adam-beck-goes-bonkers-in-interview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00126-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938818 | 803 | 1.960938 | 2 |
CASES: There have been 13 cases of Neisseria meningitidis reported in MSM in New
York City since 2010; eight of these cases were in 2012. All cases were men between
21 and 59 years old. Eight cases are HIV-infected. Four patients have died, 3 were HIVinfected.
This is neither a gay – specific disease, nor it is a sexually transmitted disease.
BACKGROUND: A bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis, also known as
meningococcus can cause a range of diseases, and the illness most people are familiar
with is meningococcal meningitis, often called just “meningitis”. This usually means the
lining of the brain and spinal cord have become infected with these bacteria. But these
bacteria can also cause other severe illnesses, like bloodstream infections.
TRANSMISSION: Meningococci are carried only by humans in the nasopharynx—their
only reservoir. Overall 5%-10% of the population carries the bacteria. Meningococcus
bacteria are spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions like spit
(e.g., living in close quarters, kissing). Transmission occurs when close, face-to-face
contact permits the exchange of salivary secretions from people who are ill or are
carriers. Fortunately, these bacteria are not as contagious as what causes the common
cold or the flu. Also, the bacteria are not spread by casual contact or by simply
breathing the air where a person with meningococcal disease has been.
CLINICAL: Symptoms are usually sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It
can start with symptoms similar to influenza (flu), and will often also cause nausea,
vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, rash, and confusion. Quick medical attention is
extremely important if meningococcal disease is suspected.
VACCINE: Meningococcal vaccines protect against most types of meningococcal
disease, although they do not prevent all cases. There are two kinds of vaccines that
protect against Neisseria meningitidis available in the United States: (1) meningococcal
polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune®) which is recommended for individuals aged over
55 years, and (2) meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menactra® and Menveo®) for
persons 9 months–55 years of age.
RECOMMENDATIONS by NYC – DOH (10/4/2012): Meningococcal vaccine should
be administered to HIV-infected men who are NYC residents and who had
intimate contact with a man met either through an online website, digital
application, or at a bar or party since September 1, 2012. HIV-infected patients
should receive two doses; the second dose should ideally be administered eight weeks
after the first dose but no less than six weeks.
These vaccines are available to our patients at 155 West 19th
Street, 4th Floor, NY, NY. Call 212/929.2629 | <urn:uuid:8d56106f-fcf0-4458-bea5-0de79e68280a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://spinellimd.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/meningococcal-meningitis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00287-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927275 | 656 | 3.3125 | 3 |
There are many instruments, applied sciences, and companies for cyber protection. Whereas most of those have their place inside the enterprise safety stack, few play a extra vital position at this time than endpoint detection and response options.
Over the previous few years, endpoint detection and response (EDR) has grown into one of many largest gamers within the cybersecurity market. It’s estimated that EDR can be a $5.75 billion trade by 2026. Much more spectacular is the actual fact it’s set to develop at a 22.3 p.c compound annual development charge from 2018 to that point.
However what’s endpoint detection and response, actually? In brief, EDR is a breed of cybersecurity instruments and companies that create safer endpoints. For those who aren’t aware of the time period “endpoint,” these are mainly units that hook up with networks. They’ll are available in every kind of kinds. One factor that’s underpinning traits in endpoints, nevertheless, is that there are increasingly of them connecting to enterprise networks. Moreover, it may be tough to confirm the safety of many, if not most, of those endpoints.
The popularization of utilizing private units for work, which has solely been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in an inflow of unsecured units with entry to networks. The Web-of-Issues revolution is one other issue that’s placing an enormous quantity of pressure on endpoint safety. Leveraging EDR instruments can vastly scale back the possibilities of a breach. Let’s take a look at how endpoint detection works.
How Does Endpoint Detection and Response Work?
Endpoint detection and response is essential to stopping threats to networks at this time. However how does endpoint detection work to determine threats? It’s additionally necessary to know how the response facet of EDR accommodates them. Listed here are a few of the key parts to how endpoint detection and response works:
- Overarching visibility and logging capabilities – You possibly can’t detect one thing except you’ve got the senses for it. Simply as an individual can’t see the partitions in a pitch-black cave, your cybersecurity instruments gained’t detect threats in the event that they’re not constructed to take action. A fantastic EDR platform will be capable of monitor and present exercise in any respect endpoints. It would additionally document and log information from units that join, no matter frequency, so as to get a complete view of system conduct.
- The very best individuals are guarding your community – endpoint detection and response resolution can both be constructed internally or bought as a service by way of a third-party firm. The good thing about going the latter route is which you can relaxation assured premier safety consultants can be watching over your endpoints and networks.
- Actual-time response – As a result of extremely proficient detection capabilities of EDR, it’s doable to react to threats sooner than ever. Relying on the kind of assault, it can usually take weeks, if not months, to determine a risk. The longer it’s allowed to fester in your community, the good the probability of it reaching its goal.
Endpoint detection and response works by way of a mix of expertise and human intervention. With the optimum mixture, it’s doable to comprise breaches earlier than they’re capable of do lasting harm.
What Are the Advantages of Endpoint Detection and Response?
There’s apparent a cause why a lot cash is being spent on EDR. If studying how EDR works wasn’t sufficient as an example why it’s a strong alternative for enterprises, there are some clear, normal advantages as properly.
The principle objectives of constructing a powerful safety posture are to safe confidential information (each of the enterprise and its purchasers), in addition to preserving the capital and picture of the group. This all must be achieved inside the regulatory framework relevant to the agency’s trade.
Endpoint detection and response is a key ingredient to reaching all these major cybersecurity objectives. By adopting EDR to your networks, you’re taking a necessary step to constructing a safer information ecosystem. | <urn:uuid:b97861d0-7366-4cdc-a247-8a71dfa26175> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mtrck.net/how-endpoint-detection-works.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573760.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819191655-20220819221655-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.935369 | 881 | 1.671875 | 2 |
This is in response to a comment from Todd’s excellent posting “SCOTUS ‘Too Conservative‘ ”
No matter how short I cut the comment, it wouldn’t “take” and it’s a valuable bit of information from the debate that surrounded the adoption of the Constitution. Here’s the comment:
# William A. Stoddart Says:
July 29th, 2007 at 11:15 am
It is just plain stupid that Supreme Court justices are appionted for life. If a President has the opportunity to appoint a couple of justices, like “The Decider” has, these appointments can effect future generations. It runs against our constitutionally established democracy to have the political leanings of one president effect the course of the nation for 30 years or longer. No governmental appointee should have the gaurantee of a lifetime position. Even when they become seriously ill or senile they currently can’t be forced from the bench unless they volunteer to do so. This practice gives the federal judiciary an unfair advantage in our system of checks and balances. Perhaps 10 years would be a fair benchmark for a Supreme Court judges tenure.
Here was the response to that argument. It’s not meant as a refutation of Mr. Stoddart, but as information on which to base a discussion. From the Federalist Papers:
FEDERALIST No. 78
The Judiciary Department
From McLEAN’S Edition, New York.
Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them. The Executive not only dispenses the honors, but holds the sword of the community. The legislature not only commands the purse, but prescribes the rules by which the duties and rights of every citizen are to be regulated. The judiciary, on the contrary, has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments.
If, then, the courts of justice are to be considered as the bulwarks of a limited Constitution against legislative encroachments, this consideration will afford a strong argument for the permanent tenure of judicial offices, since nothing will contribute so much as this to that independent spirit in the judges which must be essential to the faithful performance of so arduous a duty.
There is yet a further and a weightier reason for the permanency of the judicial offices, which is deducible from the nature of the qualifications they require. It has been frequently remarked, with great propriety, that a voluminous code of laws is one of the inconveniences necessarily connected with the advantages of a free government. To avoid an arbitrary discretion in the courts, it is indispensable that they should be bound down by strict rules and precedents, which serve to define and point out their duty in every particular case that comes before them; and it will readily be conceived from the variety of controversies which grow out of the folly and wickedness of mankind, that the records of those precedents must unavoidably swell to a very considerable bulk, and must demand long and laborious study to acquire a competent knowledge of them. …
Upon the whole, there can be no room to doubt that the convention acted wisely in copying from the models of those constitutions which have established GOOD BEHAVIOR as the tenure of their judicial offices, in point of duration; and that so far from being blamable on this account, their plan would have been inexcusably defective, if it had wanted this important feature of good government. The experience of Great Britain affords an illustrious comment on the excellence of the institution. | <urn:uuid:ca541a29-3def-4646-8c23-61ccd0bff750> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2007/07/29/why-judges-serve-for-life/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00503-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957224 | 837 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Excerpt from No Straight Lines
Chapter Five: The big P and little p of transformation: once you have stormed the Bastille, you don’t go back to your day job
As the shape of our world evolves, we are also in political transformation, both in terms of the political relationship between the individual and commercial organisations and the large Politics of how we organise and run our societies. What should government look like in a non-linear world? Are we creating and running the right systems in the right way? How does data change/impact the process of democracy and civil organisation? Refined data is the black gold of the 21st Century.
Data, democracy and identity: Where to start on this particular part of the journey through our non-linear world? The first step must address the issue of data; who would have thought even in 2005, that consumer politics and societal politics would revolve around data, who has it, who owns it and how it is used, combined with the legal frameworks that protect us as citizens.
Data is integral to what comes next, thinking from a perspective of openness and aesthetics of design in that only ugly thoughts bring to bear ugly realities. It may not at first seem a clear connection between data, individual sovereignty and democracy. However once we understand that at high level the commercial world seeks to influence and in some cases coerce political institutions then we have to see them as linked. Or indeed that political ideology seeks to direct the course of political outcomes as is the case in Pennsylvania at the moment and elsewhere where Republicans seeks to make it much harder for various sections of the African-American community to vote in the hope they weaken Obama’s chances of re-election.
In Britain there are attempts by the Government of the day to legislate so that they can access and extract comprehensive, fine-grained covert surveillance of entire populations. All our digital activity: voice, text, Google searches, a level of surveillance that is unprecedented and perhaps pernicious. | <urn:uuid:6b23bd0d-87cd-4705-bb35-5d8ef210592c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2013/08/are-we-naked-with-or-without-data-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00503-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955417 | 405 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Last week the UK Secretary for Education Michael Gove suggested that children as young as 11 should be reading 50 books a year as part of a drive to raise literacy standards. This raised a lot of eyebrows amongst the British book-loving public, not least as it comes following large cuts in funding for libraries in the UK.
Whilst most commentators of course agreed that reading should be encouraged, many argued against a prescribed list of set length:
“I feel it’s the quality of children’s reading experience that really matters. Pleasure, engagement and enjoyment of books is what counts – not simply meeting targets” ~ Anthony Browne
“The important aim is a reading that should be wide and deep rather than numerical” ~Alan Garner
“When it comes to reading books children should be allowed – and encouraged – to read as much rubbish as they want to” ~ Philip Pullman
In response to Gove’s 50 books a year suggestion, The Independent newspaper published an article “The 50 books every child should read“, containing books for 11 year olds suggested by Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen and others. This list gave me lots of food for thought. Of course I want to do all I can to encourage a love of reading in my children, and one of the ways I do this is by reading lots and lots to them – if they don’t love books when they are 6 it’s unlikely they’ll love books when they are 11 or 16.
So I try to let them read whenever or whatever they want, but I also try to ensure they’re surrounded by superb, stimulating, brilliant and breathtaking (picture) books. But how do I, you, or any other person discover and choose such books?
I approached six brilliant UK-based illustrators and asked them to contribute towards a list of books every child should be read. Tim Hopgood, James Mayhew, Jan Pieńkowski, Katie Cleminson, Viviane Schwarz and Clara Vulliamy all very gamely accepted my challenge of producing a list of 10 or so books each that they love.
This list is not prescriptive, this list is personal. This list does not claim to be the definitive top 50 picture books of all time, although it certainly would create a fantastic library for any child. This list is merely a starting point and this list, hopefully, will generate lots of discussion; I look forward to hearing what you think about the books, authors and illustrators which have been included (and those which have been left out).
Tim says “This is not my top 10 – that would be impossible! My top 10 changes constantly as I discover more and more new (or sometimes old) picture books to add to my collection. And I don’t claim to be an expert on what makes a great picture book. The list I’ve put together is simply 10 books that I find inspiring and enjoyable to look at time and time again and hope others will too!”
I love this book – it always makes me smile just knowing that such an unlikely idea for a picture book was ever published. So what’s it about? Shaker Lane is a scruffy residential area that gets flattened and turned into a reservoir! The illustrations are superb – rather like a set of fascinating portraits -brimming with everyday detail. My copy is nearly falling apart which tells you that my kids loved this book too!
I’m a big fan of Maira Kalman so I had to include one of her titles in my list. This book tells the story of a day in the life of Grand Central Station in New York. It’s packed full of fascinating people and interesting facts – even what kind of sandwich Bob Hennessey the Fire Chief likes best! The whole thing feels rather like a sketchbook you can just dip into and enjoy!
Simple rhyming text that works perfectly with Mary Blair’s charming illustrations.
John Burningham is my favourite author/illustrator. This book reminds me of all those great days at the beach (often grey and sometimes raining!) making up all kinds of adventures while my parents sat dozing in their folding deck-chairs. Superb illustrations with a sparse text leaves plenty for you to talk about with young ones.
A huge bold book, full of numbers, logic, humour and penguins!
This book is great fun. Neal Layton’s illustrations really bring the story to life in a refreshing and lively way. Although the text is quite long the story romps along at top speed. Superb.
A simple story told in a very clever way. I use the board-book edition as a mouse mat! It sits on my desk as a reminder of how to tell a story with very few words!
The delightful tale of a BIG bad mood with delightful illustrations too!
As a fan of Ludwig Bemelmans I could have chosen any of one of the original Madeline series, but this is the one I keep on the shelf near my desk. Stunning illustrations evoke a real sense of adventure.
Anything that gets kids thinking is a BIG hit with me and this book does it non-stop from start to finish. Mad, silly and fantastic!
In choosing his 10 books for this list, James took inspiration from his son. All the following books come from his collection, picture books he can’t bear to part with even though he’s now nearly 12.
Eccentric, beautiful, inventive and witty; the perfect introduction to Moominvalley, with holes cut in the pages for extra novelty value.
The most appealing of all train characters, with beautiful vintage illustrations, and a charming story with read-aloud sound effects (and the most bizarre station names in the world!)
Another classic with glorious illustrations and a clever tale about perception. Everyone loves the Happy Lion, until he finds his gate unlocked and he escapes. He can’t understand why everyone suddenly runs away.
An understated fable about pacifism; an absolute classic about an unusual Spanish bull with an aversion to fighting.
Of Burningham’s many brilliant books, this is the most loved and laughed over and quoted in our house. such a clever idea.
An unexpected joy: the words of St Francis of Assisi become a life affirming, lyrical series of philosophical thoughts. Very useful when young children ask big questions.
I love Lawrence’s woodcuts – the man is a genius. Here his brilliantly crafted work is created in lovely colours and the animal sounds and images will engage the most reluctant child. My son adored this book.
For some reason this is the Sendak book we all loved the most. The lilting and flowing words, the tumbling illustrations. and the surreal world created by night. It sticks in the mind and once made us all get up very early to bake morning-cake for breakfast!
How Uncle Lubin rescues his nephew from the Bag Bird, is a ridiculous and rather wacky story with very few words and a lot of fascinating Edwardian black and whit illustrations. Possibly an acquired taste, my son insists it is his most favourite book in the world.
My son learned to read with these and other “I can read” books from America. There is a warm heart at the core of these books that really makes them special. The whole series is brilliant.
“These are ones I read myself or had read to me as a child during the war (when there were no modern books on offer).”
“And now here are a few more that I read when I was a bit older”
This was a recent discovery for me, and it’s now my favourite Sendak book by a mile! The rhyming text just leaps off the page.
An unusual book about the birds and the bees, with fresh illustrations full of texture. And an excellent bear, of course.
The story of a mouse who played the balalaika. This book is just perfect, and makes me want to climb into the pages.
Johnson was one of the first to draw a character creating it’s own story over fifty years ago. In a sea of picture books that now do this, for me, this simplistic approach is still the best.
I would happily put all of Deacon’s books in this list, but this is a great story, paired with Deacon’s sublime drawings make it unmissable. I’d buy it just for the pyjama sequence.
A classic, just perfect, and my favourite book as a child.
Every child should own a wordless book and add their own text, and this book is a total breath of fresh air.
A witty, sophisticated, and original character, Olivia is a tour-de-force.
I only have the French edition, but I think you can get it in English now (Zoe adds: it is, here). A highly original story about a bear and a clown, full of pops of colour and great landscapes, I really wish I had drawn this.
This proves a great picture book can be just black and white, and the text makes me laugh every time.
“Most of these are classics, because I chose books that I cared about as a child. There are many new books that I love, exciting ones and beautiful ones and ones that change the way people might think about picture books. But I felt like listing the ones that made me think.”
I suppose this is on everyone’s list, and that’s only proper.
This is the book I took out of the library every time I saw it when I was a child. It’s stylish in a way that appealed to me before I could read. It’s expressive. And it’s a story that touched me – about going out into the unknown and finding it very challenging, and how familiar things can become strange and confusing. I was scared for the Lion, and for his happiness, and relieved every time when he is saved. It taught me something about the way other people can see you in a very different way than you expect, which was an amazing idea to very-small-me. Also it’s got a cover that calls to you from a distance, the kind of book that signals: HEY! I’m your friend, come over here and read me!
In nursery, Leo Lionni’s book about Frederick the mouse who collects words and colours was read to us all, and that was an important book, too. But it was everyone’s book. “Geraldine” was my book. The story is similar: a mouse that is different from the rest discovering art – in this case, music. But the music comes from a solemn, mouse statue made of a giant piece of cheese! I felt genuinely awed by this, and worried by the dilemma: can you eat the cheese that contains music? That’s still what I sometimes think, looking at a pot of ink, a scribbled note, a street sign pointing slightly the wrong way: Careful now, there is art in this. Listen and learn and remember and tell, because all things will get eaten eventually, but we may keep their art.
This book is not out yet, but I have seen it, and it is one of my favourite books ever written and illustrated… and I think it will make many people laugh and cry. I can’t tell you more, sorry, but remember this when you see it one day.
This book about a kitten who does not wish to be kissed by his mother frightened me. There is violence and dread in it, from the smallest acts of wanton destruction to hints at the greatest. And it does not end, as you would expect, in the kitten learning to give mother a nice good night kiss. Instead he learns and understands that other people have feelings – and his mother, would you believe it, learns to respect her child. And so the two of them come to a very honest agreement. That made me feel stronger when I read it, so I read it over and over again, and I was happy every time at the end when it said: No Kiss for Mother. And there really was no kiss for mother. I learned about respect – not just to give it, but to expect it, even as a child.
There are so many picture book versions of Puss in Boots – it’s a great story, but there tends to be a saggy bit somewhere that shows that it wasn’t conceived as a picture book. This reworking fits it onto the format like a well-fitted boot, it’s been reduced down masterfully to its essence – every page is a precise, beautiful bit of story telling. It’s wonderfully balanced between fear and joy. The most well-crafted fairytale picture book I can think of. And the characters are wonderful – cat is an incredibly engaging character, fierce and cute, greedy and determined, the shape-shifting monster it defeats is awe-inspiring and his demise is truly shocking.
Pop up books were my special obsession as a child, I collected them, but really I was just trying to find another one that amazed and fascinated me as much as Haunted House. I don’t have a copy here, so I can only write about it from memory – but there was the alien horror that crashed outside the window in one picture and then smashed through and out of the book at you on the next. There was the dreadful fridge monster and the disturbing colour-changing concoctions hidden in the cupboards, and the skeleton that was always broken (I think it was supposed to jump from the bedroom cupboard)… and worst of all, THE THING IN THE BOX IN THE ATTIC SAWING ITS WAY OUT FROM THE INSIDE WITH A SAW THAT REALLY SAWED… the noise, oh the noise! Owning it was like owning an actual haunted house, I could hardly believe I was allowed such a treasure.
This book about a little girl who assembles a birthday present for her mother with the help of a large, lanky talking rabbit was very precious to me as a child. I have noticed that in my life I have looked for friends who are like Mr. Rabbit: reassuring, patient, and ready to take me seriously. And it’s a perfect sun-dappled day out, with a good friend, working on an important project.
A book about a pet Boa Constrictor. Not so much a story as a manual on how to lead a good life, be useful and brave – and also on what you need: somewhere to belong (in this case, a Very Long Bed amongst lush potted plants) and someone who loves you no mater what (in this case an old lady who gets Crictor as a present and after a brief fright gives him a home, and a knitted snake-warmer, and things to do in life). Crictor was my hero, I wanted to grow up to be like him – looking at the book now, still a good role model.
It’s a beautiful book about rabbits colonising a country and displacing the native marsupials. It’s incredibly detailed and atmospheric, and every detail makes you think.
Charming and hilarious, the perfect book for any cats out there feeling anxious about the arrival of a new kitten in the family…
A true classic by picture book royalty; the deliciousness of the story prompted my young son into attempting his first sentence: ‘tiger – tea – with ME!’
Brilliant and unique – how I wish I’d thought of it.
A fresh and very funny voice showing family life warts and all, changing the topography of contemporary children’s books forever.
Reassuring, sweet and low-key; although clearly a wonderfully useful book for pre-school nerves, it also shows – which children know already – that the important things in life are all in the detail.
I read this regularly as a reminder of the gold standard of perfect writing against which everything else should be measured. And marvel at these original illustrations (later versions are a poor imitation).
Stylish re-working, with a light touch, of the all-important theme of welcoming the outsider.
A nostalgic choice, recalling hours and hours of happy browsing for my daughter and son alike, completely absorbed in Scarry’s eccentric world of animals in strange vehicles.
Takes a very real thing, a small boy’s anger, and transforms it into one of THE great magical stories. It’s great to think of another generation of children exploring the wilder shores of their imagination and feelings.
The best of the best. A tale of that most dramatic of heart-in-mouth sagas – a lost toy. Only the stoniest-hearted person could read aloud the happy ending without a wobble in their voice.
James Mayhew loves to tell stories and is passionate about bringing art music and culture into the lives of children. In 1994 he received The New York Times Award for one of the ten best illustrated books of the year for The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams. He writes the very popular Katie series – about a girl who explores the stories behind artwork in galleries, and also the Ella Bella Ballerina books which retell much loved ballet stories. He is currently working on a new book with Clara Vulliamy called Bubble and Squeak. You can find out more about James Mayhew at his own blog, on Katie’s blog or on Ella Bella’s blog. I’ve reviewed several books by James and you can find those reviews here.
Tim Hopgood‘s book Here Comes Frankie won him the Best Emerging Illustrators at the Booktrust Early Years Awards in 2008, You can find out more about him in this interview on the Booktrust site or at Tim’s very beautiful blog. Tim also has a Zazzle shop selling fun stuff with his illustrations on. I’ve reviewed several books by Tim and you can find those reviews here.
Katie Cleminson has just been named as one of Booktrust’s Best New Illustrators of 2011. She’s recently launched her blog and can also be found on twitter. I’ve reviewed several of her books, and those reviews you can find here. I also had the pleasure if interviewing Katie and you can read that interview here.
Viviane Schwarz is another award winning illustrator, also having been named as one of Booktrust’s Best New Illustrators of 2011. Letters from Schwarzville is Viviane’s great blog and you’ll also find she enjoys a tweet or two, often pretty funny ones at that.
Clara Vulliamy has illustrated some extremely beautiful books – favourites of ours include the series with the Bear with the Sticky Paws. As the daughter of author and illustrator Shirley Hughes and her architect husband, Clara Vulliamy was allowed to use her mother’s leftover watercolours at the end of each day; the start of her own path to being an author and illustrator. You can read more about Clara Vuilliamy at Telling Trails and also at her publishers’ website here.
Jan Pieńkowski is well known and loved for his Meg and Mog books, his amazing pop-up books and his silouhette style illustrations. You can find out more about Jan at his website. You can read my interview with Jan from last year here and my review of his most recent Meg and Mog book here.
Thankyou James, Tim, Jan, Katie, Vivian and Clara for contributing to this amazing list.
What do you think of this list? What surprised you about the list? (Although sharing one or two common books, on the whole it’s very different from the top 100 picture books compiled by Betsy Bird at Fuse 8 productions.) What picture books would have been on your own list? | <urn:uuid:0aafe2d4-1654-46e7-851d-2fd121514c75> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.playingbythebook.net/2011/04/01/50-picture-books-every-child-should-be-read-a-non-prescriptive-list-for-inspiration/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719843.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00291-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965681 | 4,192 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Digging Deep Into Local News, A Small Newspaper In Rural Oregon Is Thriving
The Malheur Enterprise was founded in 1909, and, like many other newspapers, was languishing. But in the last few years, its circulation has surged and its won several national awards. Perhaps surprisingly, the weekly paper's turnaround and increased popularity happened in a part of the state that strongly supports President Trump, who continues to lash out at the media.
The newspaper's recent success has meant an increased workload for the woman who delivers the papers. Wednesdays are delivery day for the Enterprise, which means 74-year-old Sheila Schroder is on the job.
Schroder loads her white Dodge Ram pickup full of papers and rolls onto the streets of Vale. The tiny eastern Oregon town, population 1,900, is where the Enterprise is headquartered. Her stops include the county courthouse, a nursing home, a flower shop. The pickup crammed with papers is an upgrade from when she started doing this more than 20 years ago.
"That's when I had a grocery cart and I delivered papers with my grocery cart full of papers," Schroder says. "People called me Bag Lady," she laughs.
Now, using a grocery cart would be tough. On her Wednesday rounds, Schroder logs about a hundred miles, traveling throughout Malheur County, Oregon's second largest.
Her expanded delivery zone is one of the effects of a newspaper that has boomed in the past three years.
Revenue has tripled
"Boomed" is a relative term when it comes to a rural weekly. Paid subscriptions are at about 2,000. But during a recent week, more than a third of Malheur County's roughly 30,000 residents read the paper's online edition. And advertising dollars, the lifeblood of a small newspaper, are way up.
"Our overall revenue is more than triple what it was three years ago," says Les Zaitz, the paper's editor and publisher. "Circulation is probably double. We're profitable and there are not a lot of papers in the United States that can say they're profitable."
Zaitz largely is responsible for this. Although he'd rather smack you with his humor than admit he's the reason for the turnaround.
"It's a damnable lie," he laughs.
But really, it's the truth. Zaitz, 63, was a long-time, award-winning investigative reporter for The Oregonian, the state's largest newspaper. He's a two-time Pultizer Prize finalist. But he's always had a passion for small town papers. Which is why, in 2015, he tabled his retirement plans and bought the Enterprise with family members. The paper, at the time, was almost out of business. It was filled with gossip and press releases.
"It wasn't delivering much in the way of real local news," Zaitz says, adding, "[it] had one reporter who primarily focused on high school sports. And only in Vale for the most part."
"It had not had an ad sales person in ten years. It took only what business came in the front door," he added. "There was just no doubt in my mind that if we turned around the news product, and got a sales person in, we could make the thing profitable pretty quick."
Sure enough, the Enterprise now is a serious, award-winning newspaper.
A spring in the step
This spring, the paper won a prestigious national Investigative Reporters and Editors award for its coverage of case that rocked Malheur County. A man released from the state hospital after claiming he faked his mental illness was accused of killing two people after his release. The Enterprise was the first weekly paper awarded the IRE Freedom of information award.
"For a remote rural weekly to achieve that kind of journalistic attention," Zaitz says, "Boy, your chest comes out a little farther. There's a little spring in your step the staff is really proud of."
The reporting staff has "swelled" to three this year, thanks to another honor for the Enterprise. The investigative news organization ProPublica is paying for a reporter, for a year, to focus solely on the story that earned the IRE award. The Enterprise was one of only seven newsrooms chosen nationwide, out of 239 applicants.
"We set the bar, the quality we want from our stories, and we don't publish them until they hit that bar," says Jayme Fraser, the ProPublica-funded reporter. "Unless there's some unusual extenuating circumstance because of time. Whereas at a lot of papers, you don't wait to hit that bar."
Fraser and her colleagues work in a wood-paneled newsroom that's small enough to hear your neighbor's phone conversations. And hear, in the questions, the influence of Les Zaitz. Reporter Pat Caldwell has been a journalist for 22 years. He says Zaitz has transformed the way he works.
"It's all about detail," Caldwell says, "detail, detail, detail. Y'know? And why, why, why, why? Why are you doing this? Why is this happening? Who pays for it?"
"That is really sort of the foundation of the Malheur Enterprise these days," says Zaitz, "in-depth aggressive coverage that you normally don't see in rural America."
Trusting the Enterprise
What you do see, a lot, in rural America, is support for a president who regularly attacks journalists with pronouncements of "fake news" and the media as "enemy of the people."
Donald Trump won nearly 70 percent of Malheur County's votes in the 2016 election. For some in Vale, that support extends to Trump's anti-media message.
"I don't watch national news because it's biased, I feel," says Steve Paulsen, 62, an environmental consultant.
"I feel like they give their opinion, instead of just the facts," says 83-year-old Bob Bement. He's a retired school teacher and coach who still flies his own plane. Bement's business card says "Time to Spare? Fly Vale Air."
Paulsen and Bement are members of an early-rising group that meets, most mornings, at the Lucky Cup in Vale. The group is all about coffee and light banter and jokes, which, on the day I visited, took whacks at farmers.
A small sampling:
"You know what they call 10 farmers in the basement? A whine cellar." "What's the difference between a puppy and a farmer? A puppy grows up and stops whining."
Generally there's not a lot of talk about politics or religion or media. But there is quick praise for the Malheur Enterprise. Paulsen and Bement, who distrust the national media, trust the Enterprise.
So does local attorney Carol Skerjanec.
"We're pretty intelligent people," Skerjanic says, adding, "So we don't need to be told how to feel about something or what direction to take or what stance to take. Just tell us what the facts are and we'll make our own decision. And I think that's what Les is doing."
Too much reporting is like hawks sitting on a fence wire
Zaitz is a fierce defender of journalism. But he can understand the disenchantment with cable news. Even disenchantment with reputable major newspapers like The Washington Post and The New York Times. Zaitz says he has friends at both papers, but he thinks they may go too far in their Trump coverage. Dissecting every early morning tweet by the president, Zaitz says, is like hawks sitting on a fence wire, waiting for the mouse to move.
"What that sort of incremental coverage does," Zaitz says, "is it just overwhelms the important reporting. And I think it dulls the American public's appetite for what's happening in Washington."
He knows there's an appetite for good reporting. Zaitz has earned his reader's trust with his devotion to bedrock principles of journalism. He acknowledges it also helps that he's one of them. His hands are thick from bucking hay and fixing barbed wire fences on his ranch about a hundred miles outside of Vale. But being on the inside doesn't mean he and the Enterprise pander. Zaitz has written editorials criticizing U.S. Republican Congressman Greg Walden, who's quite popular in the area.
Enterprise reporting has angered local politicians. Some still don't talk to Zaitz or his reporters.
"Public officials who've evaded scrutiny for decades here, aren't very fond of us in some quarters," Zaitz says. "But the good public officials, those who are trying to do a good job, they recognize that we are doing our job and we are holding them accountable and we're making them better governing officials. And they don't object to that. Because we try to be accurate, we try to be fair. While they may have to salve the sting of a particular story, that sting wears off and they appreciate what we're doing."
"We've had some clashes [with the Enterprise]," says Ontario city manager Adam Brown. Ontario is Malheur County's largest city. "At the end of the day, though, we respect the business they're in. They're kind of the fourth branch of government," he said.
Al Cross directs the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. He says Les Zaitz represents the ideal community journalist.
"A person who is in the community, of the community," Cross says, "but isn't afraid to hold up a mirror to the community that may look unflattering."
Across the state from Vale, in the western part of Oregon, Zaitz manages a digital news service serving Salem, Oregon's capitol city. It's another element, Zaitz laughs, of his anti-retirement program. It's actually another element of Zaitz's mission to spread top-notch local reporting.
"Rather than worrying about what's going on in journalism at the national level," he says, "let's turn the periscope around and let's rebuild from the small guy up. And I think that's going to have more influence in the long run."
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | <urn:uuid:932fff1d-ef57-48c8-bab7-d31ee7f2c1d6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/11/25/digging-deep-into-local-news-a-small-newspaper-in | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.978463 | 2,149 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Global warming, conceptual image
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The Female Prose Writers of America: With Portraits, Biographical Notices, and Specimens of their Writings/Elizabeth C. Kinney/Old Maids
We might say “maiden ladies!”—but wish to redeem two plain monosyllables from a certain undefinable stigma that they have borne too long. Old implies years, and years imply wisdom; why should we despise the one and not the other? Why, unless it be that the word old, when coupled with maid, is held up as a bugbear to frighten girls into hasty and injudicious marriages; or is perverted into another term for a shrivelled, vinegar-faced spinster, in whose nature the milk of human kindness has been soured by disappointment, and turns to acid every sweet that it comes in contact with. Words being but signs of ideas, if such is the apparition conjured to the mind of any by the phrase old maid, we cannot wonder that it seems formidably odious. To us, very different associations are connected with it: the stigmatized name seems almost sacred, conveying to the mind, as it does, the image of a pure, patient, doing, and enduring spirit, well nigh divested of the selfishness that, innate, controls the infant, the child, the belle, and even the wife and mother—that ideal of perfected woman!—in short, the embodiment of disinterestedness.
And who that will take off the glasses of prejudice, look around, and call up recollections of domestic life either at home, or in other homes, can fail to discover some female form and face—possibly attenuated and wrinkled by time and care—moving about the house from morning till night, ever bent on some errand of good to its inmates: now nursing the sick; now contriving some delicacy for the table, or to gratify the juvenile appetite; now bravely leading on to the fight a soap and water regiment, at that semi-annual internal revolution called house-cleaning, herself in the thickest of the fray; now arranging wardrobes for the Spring and Autumn comfort of all the household—save herself; now remaining through the heat and noxious atmosphere of a summer in the city, to keep the house in safety, while its proprietor, children, and even servants are enjoying cool sea-breezes, drinking at fountains of health, or roving in the free air of the country; now out watching the moon, with weary but sleepless eyes, the uninvited, awaiting the return of invited guests from some party or masquerade; in brief, spending and being spent in the service of perhaps a sister, a cousin, or a niece, whose return for untiring, disinterested affection, is the selfish love that considers its recipient invaluable, not as a gentle, unpretending associate, but as a reliable convenience!
But let us look at the causes, as well as effects, of single life in women. If the histories of all old maids were written, what disclosures of female heroism would be made! In how many cases could celibacy be traced, not to want of personal or mental attractions; nor of admiration or love; but to that heroic nature which, though capable of the deepest and most enduring passion, has the fortitude to live alone, rather than be bound, not united, to an uncongenial being. And if “He that ruleth his spirit be greater than he that taketh a city,” surely she that ruleth her heart is greater than she that taketh a name for the sake of a name; or to avoid one stigmatized indiscriminately.
Love is the instinct of the female heart: almost every woman who has lived to see thirty years, has felt the outgoings of affection’s well-spring; but hers is not often the power of choosing, though it is of refusing. Who may tell the inward conflicts, the unuttered agonies, the protracted soul-sickness of conquered passion? But when a true woman once triumphs over an inexpedient or unreciprocated attachment, she triumphs over self, and becomes, that noblest of feminine spirits, the disinterested friend of mankind! Be sure that the scandal-monger, the tart-mouthed old maid, is one whose inner heart has never felt the wound that opens a passage for human sympathies to flow out; but is smarting under superficial mortifications, that, like poison introduced only skin-deep, fester and irritate continually. Rare are such cases, and yet few as they are, they infect the general mind, so that old maid, thus considered, is a noun of multitude, including all who choose or are destined to live single lives. And how many unhappy marriages are the consequence of this opprobrium!
Even the single-hearted piety of unmarried females is derided. Who has not heard such ribaldry as this, “O, she’s getting religion now that she can’t get a husband?” But it is the inspired Apostle who says, “The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit.” Thus do we see oftenest in the single woman that perfect love to God, which manifests itself in love to all his creatures.
For our part, we venerate the very name of Old Maid—its heroism, its benevolence, its piety! Ye, who are blessed with an Aunt Fanny, an Aunt Polly, or an Aunt Betsy—names too venerable to be spelled with the modern ie, which in your own, perchance, is substituted for the old-fashioned y—do ye ever think that, though unwedded, she has a heart alive with all human sympathies? Ah, you cannot but feel this in her countless ministrations for your comfort. But do you ever realize that she feels, not loved for herself in return, but for her deeds, and weeps silently under the consciousness that when her lonely, loving life ceases on earth, not she, but her offices of kindness will be missed and mourned for?
Such are some of the obscurer subjects of the vulgar prejudice against “Old Maids;” and if these noiseless, yet immortalized individuals, “whose names are written in the Book of Life,” are such invaluable members of the household and of society; what shall we say of Hannah More, of Joanna Baillie, of Maria Edgeworth, of Jane Taylor, of our own Miss Dix, and of a host of others, whose names are written in the universal heart; some of whom “do rest from their labours,” and all of whose works shall live after them? For ever honoured, and through these renowned, be the sisterhood of Old Maids. | <urn:uuid:d61436a0-4b06-481b-8e08-cb841d7a0f20> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Female_Prose_Writers_of_America:_With_Portraits,_Biographical_Notices,_and_Specimens_of_their_Writings/Elizabeth_C._Kinney/Old_Maids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719677.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00560-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961441 | 1,442 | 2.1875 | 2 |
An electro unfavorable atom or group of atoms or even the element that electro substance decompositions is developed during the anode in opposition to cation
- a negatively charged ion
- An electro-negative element, or perhaps the factor which, in electro-chemical decompositions, is evolved during the anode; -- in opposition to cation.
the number in some kind of power circle-in an atom
an adversely recharged ion. Pronounced an-I-on.
"a negatively recharged ion, which moves toward the anode (q.v.) during electrolysis," 1834, recommended because of the Rev. William Whewell (1794-1866), English polymath, and published by English physicist Michael Faraday, from Greek anion "(thing) rising," neuter past participle of anienai "go up," from ana "up" (see ana-) + ienai "go" (see ion).
a bad ion; an atom or goup of atoms that has attained one or more electrons.
(letter.) An electro-negative factor, or perhaps the factor which, in electro-chemical decompositions, is developed within anode; -- in opposition to cation.
They affirmed that he had remained behind at Tarentum; upon which they were suddenly confronted by Anion himself, arrayed in the same garments in which he had leapt overboard. | <urn:uuid:2e3722ef-2bb9-4a13-83ad-f9c1bc308291> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.all-dictionary.com/meaning%20of%20anion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00486-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962123 | 291 | 2.734375 | 3 |
A captivating journey helps Helen van Berkel forget her worries.
A turtle glides elegantly past, the hump of its shell and spadelike flippers giving a lie to its silent grace. Seeing it up close through my dive mask is breathtaking and I feel a little sad to see him swim on, disappearing into the gloom.
I'm snorkelling off the coast of Tenggol Island in the South China Sea; a brief boat ride from Kuala Terangganu and the oceanside resort, Tanjong Jara.
The region is famed for its rich marine life and, below me, as I float on the surface, swirls a beautiful world of colourful, tropical fish darting through the nooks and crannies in the coral. Vast flat plains of coral are punctuated by jagged stalks of yet more coral and in the shady depths I spot what looks like a purple bouquet; a colourful clutch of stone flowers.
There's an anemone, its tentacles swaying gracefully in the unseen currents; in its arms, as expected, is Nemo, as the tiny, orange clownfish will be forever known, thanks to Disney and Pixar. This underwater world is almost silent, apart from the constant clicking of fish picking at the coral like a myriad of morse code conversations. I could almost doze off here, floating among the reefs.
It's a universe away from the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital city.
Kuala Lumpur is surprisingly young, having begun life in the mid-19th century at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers as a tin mining settlement. It first attracted Chinese miners, then English colonialists. The city's first mosque stands at the rivers' confluence, a short walk from Chinatown and the Central Markets; another remnant of the original Chinese settlement.
The markets were saved from demolition in recent years by the determination of local businesses. Under cover, you can buy everything from pashminas to pyjamas and masks to maps.
Where Kuala Lumpur once drew adventurers and swashbucklers, it is now a mecca for shoppers. Malls - Lot 10, The Pavilion - cluster in the city centre's Golden Triangle, all with top European brands: Prada, Laura Ashley, Topshop, Zara and Debenhams.
Gleaming skyscrapers of hotels and corporate offices shoulder the laundry-strung local apartments. The most outstanding of them are the gleaming twin 450m Petronas Towers. The first floors are taken up with shops, but otherwise one tower houses the staff of the Petronas Corporation; the other tenants.
After exploring the city centre and emptying our wallets in the malls, we retreat to the quiet reverence of the Batu Caves; a short drive north of the city. Originally home to native hill tribes, the colonising English found the outcroppings a rich source of limestone for roads and railways.
When the English left, the locals turned the cave into a Hindu temple, building a knee-cracking 272-step staircase up to it. A huge gold-painted statue to Lord Murugan dominates the site. Through the long-collapsed ceiling, about 100m above our heads, a warm golden light floods the inside of the cave.
The cave floor is smooth concrete and all we need to watch for are the ever-hungry monkeys, making a grab for whatever food hapless tourists have.
After a few days of the cloying humidity and heat of the city, it is with relief we head north to the Cameron Highlands. We could be in England as we descend through the lush bush and rising mist to the Cameron Highlands Resort; originally a village house.
As the tea industry flourished, it was converted into a gathering house in 1946; then into a 65-room inn.
Brought by YTL Hotels in 2005, the chain renovated the resort to reflect the historical context of the highlands as a British settlement. The Tudor exterior has been retained and the simple rattan furniture matches the colonial air.
After a harrowing drive from the city, we were thrilled to hear our first order of business was a spa.
Treatments at the resort's spa are based on produce from the surrounding bush and tea plantations; it was bliss to sink into a heavenly tea bath. It is exactly that - tea, with floating flowers in it.
I scrubbed my elbows with lime; my body with sugar and my face with tea, then closed my eyes behind a pair of teabags and let the tinkle of fountains outside erase my worries away. I then lay in a dreamy stupor, as a masseuse eased away the remaining tension while thunder rolled in the distance.
The misty Cameron Highlands are a region ripe for intrigue and the next day we set off into the bush to visit the site of the area's most enduring mystery - what happened to Jim Thompson? The former CIA man turned silk trader disappeared on a Sunday afternoon walk on March 26, 1967.
Rumours abound. He was killed by communists; by a tiger; he is living a new life in Taiwan. Locals all claim a part of the mystery - they or their parents helped in the search or their cousin spotted the missing man at a cafe, years after his disappearance. The rented house he left from, the whimsically named Moonlight Bungalow, is empty now; it has just been purchased by the Cameron Highlands Resort Hotel.
It's hard to accept Thompson could merely have gotten lost on the well-trodden paths, though the bush is dense, the path is steep and our guide pointed out the tracks of a black panther, identifying the distant chatter as lemurs. The Cameron Resort's sister hotel in Tangjong Jara, half the width of the country away on the east coast, is vastly different.
The influences here are 100 per cent Malay. The bungalows reflect the elegance and grandeur of 17th century Malay palaces and the unceasing waves breaking in the warm South China Sea replaces the distant thunder of the Highlands, while damp bush is replaced by the heady scent of tropical flowers and swaying palm trees. It is a reminder that Malaysia is as varied as its many settlers.
IF YOU GO
Head to Malaysia in July for the annual Floria Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival on the waterfront in Kuala Lumpur. The show runs from July 9-17, including designer show gardens, daily activities and exhibitions from more than 10 countries.
For more events and information on Malaysia click here.
Helen van Berkel travelled courtesy of Tourism Malaysia. | <urn:uuid:009b16c9-441a-4291-b604-1079d6586510> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/malaysia-bliss-in-the-tropics/VPWKI6JMOBR7RG3XBC3AEVLJQE/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.942462 | 1,374 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Are You Planning To Start Online Business? Confused between different business models. Let’s clear this confusion by this blog post “Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping: Which One Is Profit Booster?”
There are many similarities between your role as a prospective customer and entrepreneur in affiliate marketing and dropshipping. Both require similar skills to succeed. In both cases, you are not the owner of the product, but you are acting as the owner of a product on behalf of another person. Both are companies that exist thanks to the wonders of the internet. Both types of companies are essentially the same.
That’s what’s in front of me now, and that’s all I have to do now to get to where I am.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
This is the version where you use your marketing efforts and knowledge to facilitate the sale of products for a commission.
They don’t act like any other company. They encourage people to buy products from product owners and carry out other measures that product owners consider valuable. The fact that you do not exist as an interested party or consumer is not a cause for concern. You can expand if you want to start your own agency or develop a brand, but at the lowest level, you are invisible.
What is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is linked to its own e-commerce business. The main difference between dropshipping and e-commerce lies in the fulfillment and delivery of the products. The dropshipping business model works by delegating the handling of the product to the wholesaler or manufacturer. If you are a product owner and you don’t want to do this, you don’t know how to do it.
You run a company that has its brand and online presence. The difference between the two is your profit. If you run an e-commerce company, you have your own warehouse to stock the products you sell. When a customer places an order, the order is executed by your supplier. You get the money from the customer and your supplier gets the money back from you.
There are a number of ways to get a supplier. You can contact the manufacturer or wholesaler via one of the many platforms that make this possible. Consider the following options.
A wholesaler may be willing to act as a drop shipper, but when it comes to price, the price will be higher for you than for the manufacturer because it includes the wholesale commission. The best option is to find one yourself. This is the cheapest option because it reduces the number of middlemen, but can be difficult if the manufacturer has requirements in terms of order size.
Dropshipping has become a standardized business activity. Many aggregators and dropshipping providers are controlled by Alibaba. Shopify, the largest manufacturer of e-commerce shops, has its own Oberlo platform, which is integrated into Alibaba and allows you to search for suppliers via Alibaba and other aggregators.
Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping: Common Characteristics
Many affiliate dropshipping shopkeepers share certain characteristics, such as being young, having high Internet skills, and having a budget. Now that we have reported on these companies, let us talk about what they have in common, how they differ from each other, and how to make better money. If you’re looking for a profitable niche, research the competition, see what offers are available, and then start advertising. At the very least, if you have followed the process of finding a profitable affiliate marketing niche, you will be glad to hear that the same logic and steps apply to starting your own dropped shipping company. You should be familiar with how the Internet works and which business suits you best.
Another area in which you have to work is that you are dealing with products that you do not own. This does not mean that you are not responsible. If you run a drop-shipping business, you handle returns in the eyes of the customer, but you are still the seller. It takes a certain attitude to deal with advertising for these products. You are only as good as the industry you are in is the best.
But even in this case, there are advantages. You can adapt to the sharp insights from the point of view of advertising. Both are visible to web visitors. The possibilities for making them more visible are similar.
The only difference comes into play with drop shipping companies, where you want as much organic traffic as possible. Affiliate marketing is based on 100% paid ad traffic. This means that much of the SEO work in affiliate marketing does not exist.
Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping: Differences to be noted
It cannot be excluded that many partners want to promote different diets, pills, miracle creams, drops, shipping, etc., even if the same materials are offered. As a result, there are differences that make one option better for some people than for others.
Let us now talk about these differences. This comes down to the above price.
The digital offering is highly scalable. You can scale between $100 and $1,000 and multiply your efforts. Dropshipping can be handled with physical products and affiliate marketers can advertise on the platform.
Physical products are an important pain point. They must be manufactured, packaged, and shipped with non-scaled elements.
None of the above concerns affiliate marketing. The scaling problem mentioned above is based on flexibility. You cannot ask your supplier to ship 100 products in one day and then ask ten times the next day.
In affiliate marketing, you can jump ship and dig an unprofitable marketing niche for an entire country. One day you can sit in India and promote a product to Eastern Europeans, and the next day you can move to a Latin American country.
However, in the case of dropshipping, for example in e-commerce, this is not possible at all.
With affiliate marketing, you can select different geos of your traffic sources and platforms, translate your landing page into the local language, and deliver your offerings that enable these geos. With affiliate marketing and dropshipping, this is where the money is. Suppliers cover a specific geographical area, and if you need delivery services for a specific country, the numbers and costs of operating in different verticals can be calculated.
Opting for one seems to be a personality choice, with some people preferring to own their own shop and others preferring to live in the digital space. For-profit people have to make a choice. Now you know how to distinguish between the types of business.
How Dropshipping Work?
In this industry, you can make decent money on a small initial investment, but I would argue that affiliate marketing can make more money for a lot less effort. To back up my point, let’s go back and see if there’s money to be made. The argument follows from the above point.
Dropshipping revenues are the difference between what you earn from selling the product and what you pay your suppliers. The further down the supply chain you are, the bigger the intermediate margins and the lower your revenue. Here’s how to make money with dropshipping.
When revenues are high enough to cover marketing costs, the costs of traffic, software, and hosting are designed to make a profit. In addition, the initial investment not only covers the start-up costs, but also secures a cash buffer at the suppliers. Remember that processing customer payments can take days and you will have to pay suppliers from the moment the customer places the order.
How did Affiliate Marketing work?
This is how affiliate marketing can make money. Consider how affiliate marketing money flows in and out of this process.
In affiliate marketing, your revenue is the difference between your payout for the offer and marketing costs. Affiliate marketing offers can be used free of charge. You do not have to pay the owner of the offer to use it.
If you pay for a service such as an ad tracker, it is essentially the same investment you would make in a dropshipping business. Combined with the references to scaling and flexibility, you can see why affiliate marketing is a viable option. You can skip all the important cost factors.
A dropshipping business is somewhere in the middle between traditional retail and the digital world of affiliate marketing. If you prefer to do what you want, have a brand with your name on it, or sell physical products, then excrement shipping is for you. Affiliate marketing is for those of you who do both. Those who have a smaller budget and are familiar with the digital market have a greater need for cash. Dropping gold with affiliate marketing and reselling it is like digging for gold yourself.
The digital world offers you a career choice that is not restricted. If you are a digital being who has learned to scroll on a touchscreen and open a book, you will feel at home in affiliate marketing. To get started with affiliate marketing, here are some of the best affiliate websites to check out and best affiliate programs to join. | <urn:uuid:d6a9ba94-9e06-424f-a6ae-580d8ab714a4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.blogginggram.com/affiliate-marketing-vs-dropshipping/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.958758 | 1,860 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Ki Tetzei(Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19)
See the Future
Our parsha begins: "When you go out to war..." (Deut. 21:10). This describes a strange arrangement in the Torah: When a soldier goes out to war and meets an attractive non-Jewish woman, he is allowed to bring her back home. She then mourns for her family, and makes herself appear unattractive and unadorned. If he still wants to marry her, and she wants to convert, they can go ahead and become husband and wife.
While this arrangement may seem somewhat immoral, it's a far cry from how many nations treat women in battle. But still, is this what we'd expect of soldiers from the holy nation - even in battle, when our baser instincts are aroused? Sure, the soldiers are away from home and don't have all the anchors of their relationship with the community. But you'd still think that holy people wouldn't behave this way.
BREAD IN THE BASKET
There's a phrase in the Talmud which has many applications and addresses one of mankind's core personality traits. It's called "pas besalo," translated as bread in his basket. The concept is that when a person has bread, they aren't as hungry, even if they're not eating the bread. The fact that they can eat if they want makes them feel satisfied. On Yom Kippur, I feel hungry as soon as I wake up. Why? Because I know I'm not going to eat all day. On a non-fast day, I might not eat for several hours after I wake up. And if I'm very busy I might not even eat until lunchtime. At some point my body will say, "Hey let's have some food already!" But the fact that I could eat anytime I want, gives me peace of mind and my hunger pangs are not as loud.
Similarly, with a soldier at war, the Torah is trying to teach us a principle. Whenever you have a situation that could potentially cause your lower self to act, throw it a bone. Tell it: "You can if you want, but let's not."
The Sages say that a wise person "sees the future" (Ecclesiastes 2:14). We always need to look at life's situations and ask what outcome is likely. If I go to a nightclub, will I be with a crowd that may bring me down, or bring me up? When I was younger I went to a bar called "Dirty Frank's." As the name implies, it's probably not going to be a spiritually uplifting experience. A wiser person would pick a different place to spend his time.
Sometimes, however, you don't have a choice. You are obligated to be in a situation that contains moral dangers. In that case, you need to bring along some protection. One strategy is our "pas besalo" concept.
DON'T FORCE YOUR WILL
This applies to raising children, too. If you force a child to do something, they sometimes rebel. A teacher of mine growing up had some friends who's parents let them watch TV, and some friends whose parents didn't let them watch TV. He noticed that the ones who were forbidden to watch TV, when they grew up, all had a TV in their homes.
Spouses, children, friends, employees - everyone wants to be independent. Everyone wants to make their own decisions. Whenever you want someone to make a decision, you have to be careful not to force them. You can entice, bribe, cajole, encourage and plead, but don't force. It probably will have future ramifications that you don't want.
After describing the soldier at war, the Torah mentions the case of a man with two wives, one he loves, and one he doesn't (Deut. 21:15). Here the Torah also hints to looking into the future. If a man marries a woman he finds at war, it's an attraction based on superficiality. He didn't get to know her. He didn't meet her at a Torah class or a community service project. There isn't a shared life goal. This can surely cause problems later.
Sometimes I meet people who are dating, and one party wants to convert. While this can happen organically as both parties grow in appreciation of one religion, if the impetus for conversion wasn't there before the relationship, there is real cause for concern.
By the way, even though the Torah allows a man to have more than one wife (if the wife doesn't mind), this is one of several places in the Torah that discourages it.
The next section in the Torah deals with a rebellious child (Deut. 21:18). Again, looking into the future, if a couple marries for superficial reasons, there is likely to be disharmony. If there is disharmony, most probably there will be troubled children.
Some couples are selfish and only thinking of themselves in the relationship. If you look into the future and ask yourself, "Will this person be a good role model for my children? Will s/he want the same kind of family and household I do?" you will have a better idea of the person you're dating.
When you start to look into the future and think about the ramifications of your actions, you become wise. That's one reason a wise person can "see the future."
Think of one or two decisions that you've made in the past, and the ramifications of those decisions. Ask yourself if you could perhaps have better foreseen the outcome. | <urn:uuid:a7ae64af-66e3-42d7-af62-1d1d7a6121d7> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.aish.com/tp/b/mt/54310582.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719566.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00262-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979209 | 1,166 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Introductory comment: I have fed my Bull Terrier this recipe and she started to show signs of being hungry all the time. Raising the amount of food did not resolve the situation, as she was super active at that time. I would recommend this recipe predominantly for dogs who do not get lots of exercise or dog who are a little overweight, because it uses lean meat. Dogs who are very active should eat more fat and get more calories. For those dogs I recommend to choose meat with a higher fat content.
You will find a lot of comments in my recipe because over time I have gathered some experience and want to share all new information. You will see that this recipe is pretty flexible and can be adjusted to different activity levels and situations of a dog.
Here comes my basic recipe for lean, low starch, grain-free raw food, if you want to make your own raw dog food for your Bull Terrier or any other dog. It took us three batches to get to this recipe and figure out the tips and tricks. It will be subject to further evaluation with every new batch we make. This is how we produce it right now. The calculated amounts deliver enough food for up to 45 days for a 45-50 lb dog.
I have tried to describe everything as detailed as possible for you.
Enjoy raw “cooking” for your dog.
As Mila has some problems with yeast, I only chose low starch veggies in this batch in order to avoid feeding my dog AND her yeast.
If you don’t have such problems with your Bull Terrier or other dog, feel free to substitute some of the veggies by others.
Possible substitutes are sweet potato, pumpkin and lentils, only to name a few. This will also bring variation into the food.
How valuable is feeding raw due to a balanced nutrition?
With a ratio of 70% of the protein fed originating from animal sources (meat, innards, eggs) this food can be considered a very high quality food. Besides, all ingredients are human grade.
While there is nothing wrong about feeding your dog SOME veggies, a high quality diet for your Bull Terrier or any other dog should always be MEAT BASED. Meaning it contains more animal protein than plant protein. So please keep that ratio, if you want to feed high quality.
After all, you probably have good reasons to look into the – less convenient than kibble – raw feeding model. Probably because your dog has allergy issues or problems with yeast or her digestive system. Also you likely already know that feeding some kinds of commercial foods can contribute to these problems big time, or even be THE cause. So, you definitely do not want to compare to the quality of cheap processed kibble food by making your homemade dog food PLANT BASED!
Actually, according to a lot of experts in dog nutrition your dog technically does not need any veggies at all in her nutrition, but could live of meat, innards and bones only. We add the veggies to relive our wallet at least a little bit and bring variety in amounts that do not harm our dogs.
With a ratio of only 30% of the protein originating from veggies, the low fat content, being grain-free and without any enhancers, also not containing highly processed ingredients or by-products, raw food recipes like the one here beat many of even the most reputable brands of commercial dog foods, dry or wet.
Keep in mind that while being extremely healthy for your dog, you may need to add some minerals and vitamins, most of all Calcium. I will get to those additions also later in this post.
Preparing a batch for up to 1 1/2 months will take a few hours and require a fair amount of kitchen utensils, as well as enough storage space in your freezer. Keep that in mind and don’t forget sanitizing afterwards. | <urn:uuid:240f4afb-40b9-417e-874f-8cd4b23e6d06> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bullterrierfun.com/low-starch-grain-free-raw-food-recipe-for-dogs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.962325 | 805 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Cost of War to American Taxpayers? Don’t Ask
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Common sense would dictate that a country that’s spent 10 years fighting two different wars would at least keep track of the fiscal sacrifice that’s been made. But the truth is that Uncle Sam really can’t say for sure how deep it’s had to dig to finance the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
Officially, Congress has approved $1.36 trillion for war spending through fiscal year 2011. But that’s not a complete answer, because in addition to specific appropriations for the wars, the Department of Defense spent an unknown amount of its regular budget over the past decade—which totaled $5.2 trillion—on fighting Iraqi and Afghan insurgents.
A study produced at Brown University took a stab and estimated that the wars have consumed $3.7 trillion, or more than $12,000 per American. Among the costs are $20 billion a year to bring air-conditioning to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. To give some perspective, the State Department’s entire foreign operation budget for FY 2012 is less than $33 billion…and that includes more than $4 billion to be spent in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Another assessment by Chris Hellman of the National Priorities Project reckoned that the Pentagon burned through an average of $9.7 billion a month from the time of the Afghanistan invasion in 2001 through the end of April this year (this includes the Iraq war too, as well as various aspects of homeland security spending).
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
True Cost of Afghan, Iraq Wars Is Anyone's Guess (by Nancy A. Youssef, McClatchy Newspapers)
How Safe Are You?: What Almost $8 Trillion in National Security Spending Bought You (by Chris Hellman, TomDispatch.com)
Cost of U.S. Wars: $4 Trillion and 225,000 Dead (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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- U.S. Ambassador to Brazil: Who Is P. Michael McKinley? | <urn:uuid:b57c5504-08cf-421c-9cbd-beb06aed9765> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.allgov.com/news/where-is-the-money-going/cost-of-war-to-american-taxpayers-dont-ask?news=843135 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719286.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00499-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92745 | 577 | 1.671875 | 2 |
21 Jun 2018
The brave new world of BIM, "megatrends" and digitalisation: is the construction industry ready?
By Marko Misko, Kath Hallpike
A recent report by the World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group suggests that the construction sector is lagging behind other industries in embracing technologies of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" and can no longer afford to do so.
As described in "Shaping the Future of Construction: Future Scenarios and Implications for the Industry", a report published by the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group on 5 June 2018 (Report), the construction and engineering (C&E) sector is one of stagnating productivity, mired in traditional "business models, strategies and capabilities" that leave it ill equipped to adapt to emerging trends that will impact and transform the industry. The Report is a call to arms to industry participants, urging them to "think strategically about the future and take preparatory steps" to assimilate anticipated disruption to their businesses.
The implications of potential future scenarios on the construction and engineering sector
After consultation with industry leaders and representatives from government and academia, the Report's authors describe three "extreme yet plausible versions of the future" and consider the implications of each on the C&E sector. The scenarios contemplate an environment transformed not only by such global trends as climate change, resource depletion and increased urbanisation, but also digital technologies such as building information modelling (BIM), automatization and robotics, 3D printing and prefabrication.
The "Building in a Virtual world" scenario, for instance, is one in which design and engineering is driven by AI based on "customer requirements, key performance indicators and crowdsourced ideas", with little human intervention. Information derived from BIM models enables autonomous equipment to perform most work currently performed manually and O&M tasks are supplanted by data sourced from sensors embedded in assets. This version of the future sees the ascendancy of software providers and the dislocation of conventional stakeholders in the value chain.
Alternate scenarios contemplate:
- the widespread adoption of prefabrication and mass customization, shifting the focus from building to manufacturing and thus exposing incumbents to competition from that sector; and
- demand for renewable energy, innovative technologies and materials that minimise environmental impacts.
By delineating these potential "new realities", the Report aims to provide stakeholders with an understanding of the "differing ways present trends can play out", and so as to prepare for them. Common to each of the scenarios are three key "transformation imperatives":
- building an appropriately skilled workforce, relevantly one with expertise in AI, data analytics and programming;
- the uptake of digital technologies; and
- increasing collaboration and integration, for instance by use of more integrated contract models.
The Report should give renewed impetus to consideration of the question, is Australia keeping up with global best practices when it comes to contractual frameworks and the uptake of digital technologies?
BIM adoption in Australia
Notwithstanding its acknowledged benefits, BIM adoption in the Australian C&E industry has been sporadic and episodic. Moreover as is noted in the Report, existing BIM applications predominantly "cover only design, engineering and construction activities, and have not significantly changed operation and maintenance processes". At present they mostly "address just one phase of an asset’s life rather than functioning as a comprehensive application over an asset’s entire life."
A further collaboration between the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group published in February 2018, "An Action Plan to Accelerate Building Information Modeling (BIM) Adoption", identifies obstacles to BIM adoption together with some 27 recommended actions to drive its implementation. Key among them is the proposition that:
"…governments must make a long-term commitment to the technology by piloting it in public works projects and creating regulations conducive to its acceptance, including backing innovative forms of financing".
This lacuna is echoed in the Australian market, where historically there has been a palpable absence of strong leadership impelling BIM adoption. This is despite some very clear policy guidance on the issue, such as the 2014 Public Infrastructure Productivity Commission Inquiry Report (Vol 2 No 71) which recommended that the government should use BIM to lower the cost of delivering its complex infrastructure projects, and that governments (at the national, state and territory levels) should develop a common set of standards and protocols to facilitate the consistent use of BIM by the public sector and include in their procurement guidelines detailed advice as to its efficient use. Subsequently in 2016, Infrastructure Australia's "Australian Infrastructure Plan: Priorities and reforms for our nation's future" recommended that governments make the use of BIM mandatory for the design of large-scale complex infrastructure projects.
Formal systems facilitating BIM uptake are similarly endorsed in the Action Plan. It notes that the use of BIM is mandated on UK government sponsored projects, and points to the UK government’s Construction Industry Council's "(CIC) BIM Protocol" which "requires deliverables to be created for specific project stages and outlines stakeholders’ BIM-related obligations, liabilities and limitations." Despite BIM's potential myriad advantages, such a strong government mandate as now exists in the UK remains lacking in Australia.
Focus on collaboration
Paramount to increasing the use of BIM technology is collaboration, according to the Action Plan. To this end it advocates the use of integrated contracts and the redefinition of risk-return mechanisms, relevantly to amortise the cost investment incurred in creating BIM models predominantly in the initial design and engineering phase more equitably over the project life cycle.
Traditional standard contracting models that compartmentalise stakeholder contributions are not conducive to harnessing and maximising the benefits that BIM can yield. More optimal delivery models for the utilisation of BIM are those based on relational contract theory, that emphasise collaboration and recognise the interdependence of different parties in the value chain. For this reason, the Action Plan advocates, for example, greater use of integrated project delivery (IPD) contracts.
What does this mean for the Australian C&E sector? There is a nascent sense that a paradigmatic change is afoot, that the days of familiarity-generated inertia identified by the authors of a 2014 Melbourne Law School and Society of Construction Law Australia report are numbered. There are encouraging signs that the much needed national leadership required to ensure that BIM reaches its full potential within the Australian construction industry is emerging, for example the resurgence of collaborative contracting delivery models (such as the forthcoming 2018 release of the new the Department of Defence IPD suite), the co-ordinated initiatives now being driven by the Australasian BIM Advisory Board established in May 2017 and the Australian Government's call for submissions for the Australian Government's Digital Economy Strategy.
Being able to adapt to and participate in an innovation driven industry will be imperative for players in the C&E sector. The Report should serve as a fascinating and compelling "wake up call" to industry stakeholders to prepare for that inevitable disruption. | <urn:uuid:ceaf7255-baf2-4ad5-a685-ef1615885b3c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.claytonutz.com/knowledge/2018/june/the-brave-new-world-of-bim-megatrends-and-digitalisation-is-the-construction-industry-ready | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00668.warc.gz | en | 0.92698 | 1,438 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Sprains are nothing but pulls, stretch or partial tear of ligaments. Ankle sprains are very common especially in civilian practice.
The common mode of injury is slip and twist of the ankle. The outer side is more involved. It presents with pain and significant swelling on the outside of the ankle.
- Swelling and pain on touch on the outside of the ankle.
- Bruising can sometimes be seen which signifies more severe soft tissue damage.
X ray is often requested by the doctor to rule out an avulsion fracture of the ankle bone.
- Elevation of the leg on pillows is the single most important action to be taken by patient
- Icing the involved part continuously reduces swelling significantly.
- Anti-inflammatory spray is ok. But massage is a no no.
- Your doctor might prescribe you an ankle splint or elastic support for comfort.
- A few days of confinement is sometimes important to limit swelling
If pain does not go away in 2-3 weeks, an MRI scan is warranted to look for significant ligament damage.
Quantum ligament damage is treated surgically by repairing the ligaments-Bostrom's procedure- a procedure undertaken by qualified FOOT & ANKLE SURGEONS. | <urn:uuid:d7262c21-62ca-4f4c-a2e6-be4b42028432> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/ankle-sprains-all-you-want-to-know-13370/post | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00324-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939821 | 256 | 2.265625 | 2 |
‘What is the role of the historian in society?’ asks the interviewer, in this week’s TelQuel, and Maati Monjib replies, “He studies it, understands it in order for it to transform itself, to change.”
Monjib is one of Morocco’s leading historians, an editor of the IRRHM’s monumental Histoire du Maroc, réactualisation et synthèse, recently published (or at least recently printed) in Rabat. He is also a ‘scientific adviser’ to Zamane, the excellent two-year old magazine of Moroccan history. His most famous work is his thesis, La monarchie marocaine et la lutte pour le pouvoir, and he has written an acclaimed biography of Ben Barka. He spent eighteen years outside Morocco (1982-2000) of which seven were at university in Senegal, where he enjoyed what he describes as a society “much more liberal than our own, a real democracy where people are prepared to listen to every point of view.”
His definition of the role of a historian and his focus on modern, often contemporary history, suggest why he has not always been allowed to feel comfortable in Morocco. The social sciences – amongst which historiography can for this purpose be numbered – are both vital to the intellectual and moral health of a society, and deeply suspect to any ruler who does not wish society “to transform itself, to change.” Autocratic rulers do not wish to see the endoskeleton of society laid bare, the raw mechanisms of power and patronage, the struggles for influence and control of resources explained. Obscurity and the sanction of tradition serve them well. In his TelQuel article Monjib talks of the marginalisation of historians in the 1970s, the tacit bargain between universities and the régime to sidestep research on the period after independence, the removal of ‘difficult’ historians from teaching roles and the attempts to take away even the title of historian from contemporary historians like Monjib. The contemporary historian is in this sense the conscience of society, its psycho-analyst and its Cassandra.
March is Professor Monjib’s month: he also has an article in Zamane, a substantial reflection on Hassan II’s fight against the intellectuals. It’s entitled Haro sur les intellectuels, which you might translate loosely as Open season on the Intellectuals. The pull-quote on the first page gives the flavour: “Hassan II considered the cultural modernisation of the country, especially through academia, as a danger to his regime. To guarantee the durability of his throne he made the control of the intelligentsia an affair of the state.” This article picks up where the other left off, and seems to me to be required reading for anyone wanting to understand the intellectual and educational condition of modern Morocco – which is to say the shaky foundations on which its present and future prosperity are built. And – because Morocco’s is still a far from hopeless situation – just what needs most urgently to be done to redress the omissions of more than half a century.
He explores the late King’s ambivalence towards intellectuals – his personal pleasure in his own reading and conversations in history and politics, and his youthful sympathies with the reformist nationalists – contrasting this with his growing suspicion of the tendency of liberal education to undermine the foundations of the monarchy. The Casablanca demonstrations of March 1965 and their suppression were a turning-point, when the king’s fascination definitively began to be outweighed by his scorn. As Monjib puts it, he seems from this point on “to sacrifice his own subjective preferences on the altar of his régime’s objective interests.”
After 1965, the haro turned to full cry. What Monjib makes clear is that this was part of a conscious strategy to base the monarchy in the countryside, to co-opt the rural populations at every level through tax exemptions and to bolster the traditional channels of religiosity and allegiance by subsidising moussems and zaouiyas. This meant ditching the urban intelligentsia, the “couches instruites et politicisées de la societé,” resisting the massification of education at all levels, and attacking subjects like philosophy and history in the universities. This process deliberately marginalised researchers like Monjib who investigated the structure of power and the history of the immediate post-independence years. The universities entered a period of back-pedalling and obscurantism as student numbers were held down to spare a saturated public service and avoid the corrosive graduate unemployment which by May 1968 was fanning the flames of student revolt in France. “If no one wants to till the soil, if we all become intellectuals, we shall have to eat pencils,” as the King put it.
If this had a destructive impact on Higher Education, it was also disastrous for the vast majority of the population who never saw the inside of a university but who depended on the Moroccan public school system for their education, skills, language and upward mobility. Modern education had been a rallying cry for the nationalists, “a fundamental tool for the liberation of the nation and the individual.” At the King’s instance now, education was retraditionalised, with new emphasis on Islamic Studies and m’sid quranic schools, which latter Monjib quotes the Director of the Collège Royale as calling, in 1968, “one of the principal causes of our civilisational retardation.” Arabisation, in the botched form in which it was implemented across the public school system, was a disaster: in a box alongside the main article there is printed a long extract from comments made to Economia by Mohamed Chafik, the same Director of the Collège Royale, in which he calls it “a treason by a minority of the political class,” and draws a devastating analogy with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. “One is tempted to believe,” he writes, “that they intended to create an impoverished Beta class of the masses, and a privileged Alpha class for themselves and their children.”
That’s quite a knot to untangle today. This weekend I was at an event for young policy analysts at Casablanca, and over coffee a serious young man said to me that in his view, education is not just one of the many policy questions facing Morocco, but the key question. I wondered if he was consciously echoing Mehdi Ben Barka, quoted by Monjib: “Education isn’t a fundamental question, it’s the fundamental question.” Or whether it’s just so obvious that any thinking person must come to the same conclusion. | <urn:uuid:ac159dc1-5d0f-42ba-879e-f32aa4507052> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://martintristramrose.org/2013/03/25/263/?shared=email&msg=fail | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00671.warc.gz | en | 0.958335 | 1,429 | 2.0625 | 2 |
|Publication number||US6392603 B1|
|Application number||US 09/698,850|
|Publication date||21 May 2002|
|Filing date||27 Oct 2000|
|Priority date||29 Oct 1999|
|Also published as||WO2001031740A1|
|Publication number||09698850, 698850, US 6392603 B1, US 6392603B1, US-B1-6392603, US6392603 B1, US6392603B1|
|Inventors||Hans-Peter Kurz, Henrik Arwedson, Howard Johnson|
|Original Assignee||Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (35), Classifications (11), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119 and/or 365 to 9903909-1 filed in Sweden on Oct. 29, 1999; the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to antennas integrated into a RF module and more particularly to antenna integration for RF modules utilizing a shielding member.
The utilization of RF modules for transferring data and other signals is an increasing branch in modern techniques. There is a general aim of using wireless communication to terminals and auxiliary equipment to avoid having a lot of cables interconnecting the devices. A typical frequency for this may for instance be a range of the order 1 to 5 GHz. One problem within the techniques of using small RF modules is to obtain an effectively operating antenna within the very limited space offered by the small RF module itself. Prior art discloses mostly the use of an external antenna, which means that RF signals are fed from the RF module to the main printed circuit board (PCB) and therefrom to the external antenna, which may be on the PCB or mounted at another location.
One approach for solving some of the problems with an external antenna has been the utilization of ceramic antennas, but with the drawback of increased weight and difficulties in tuning the antenna during production/soldering, besides printed circuit board mounted external antennas require space on the PCB.
There are found numerous documents discussing antenna solutions within a limited space. A representative technical field for this is for instance in connection to radio pagers. For example a document U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,216 discloses a radio pager with a half-size micro-strip antenna. A pair of electrically conductive elements is surrounding a PCB onto which the pager circuitry components are mounted. The conductive elements form an electromagnetic shield case for the circuitry elements. The micro-strip antenna is then carried by one of the conductive elements.
Another document EP-A1-0 707 335 discloses an antenna device designed to increase the volume, which it occupies in a mobile communication apparatus as well as to achieve a large gain and a wide frequency band width without occupying a large area on a main printed circuit board and without changing the size of the apparatus.
A Japanese document JP6260949 discloses a solution for protecting the electronic equipment from static electricity and also preventing undesired radiation in a limited space without deteriorating the antenna gain by using an antenna which doubles as a shielding case. A multi-layer printed board includes four layers where a second layer is used as a circuit blocking ground and a third layer forming an antenna portion connected in series with a U-shaped antenna portion doubling as a shielding case. The first and fourth layers are carrying the components of the electronic circuitry.
However documents according to the state of the art disclosed so far does not present an optimum desired solution for an antenna module suitable for a RF module including a small RF sub-module. There is still a demand for a solution enabling easy antenna integration and optimum tuning of the antenna operational frequency in connection to the production/soldering of a small RF module.
The present invention discloses integration of a RF antenna into a RF shielding part of a RF module and presents simultaneously a unique tuning mechanism for tuning the RF antenna according to a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) specification to thereby tolerate bigger tolerances of the other components on the printed circuit board. Thereby more space at the PCB is also obtained as well as avoiding RF losses in transmission lines and soldering connections to an external antenna. The risks of stop in the production process due to that an integrated antenna being out of VSWR specification then also will be eliminated.
A module antenna device according to the present invention is set forth by the independent claim 1 and further embodiments are set forth by the dependent claims 2 to 10.
The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by making reference to the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a standard RF module according to the state of the art;
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a RF module with an antenna integrated into the shielding according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the feeding section of the antenna of the RF module according to FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates a sub-module and a feeding section of the antenna in a top view;
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the RF module according to FIG. 2 on a PCB;
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment including a supporting member, which presents a tuning option for the RF module of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 illustrates a supporting member presenting an asymmetric pin with a metal plated top for a tuning arrangement according to FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 illustrates in a side view the integrated antenna of FIG. 2 and the supporting member with the metal plated top according to FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 shows the end of the antenna element and the supporting member seen from above illustrating the tuning facility by means of the eccentrically positioned pin;
FIG. 10 illustrates a second embodiment of a supporting member with a centered pin and a profiled metal surface on top;
FIG. 11 illustrated a third embodiment of a supporting member including a centered pin and a slotted plastic piece;
FIG. 12 illustrates a further embodiment of the supporting member with a centered pin and a hollow interior for giving space to one or more components on the PCB;
FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of a non-conducting supporting device comprising a thread for tuning of the integrated antenna; and
FIG. 14 illustrates still another embodiment of the RF module of FIG. 2 presenting a planar antenna device to be tuned by means of a sliding member.
Most RF modules require RF shielding. Most common technology for this is stamped metal pieces, soldered over the components as illustrated by FIG. 1 according to the state of the art. Instead of a metal piece a molded plastic piece with at least one metallized surface may be used. The components may be in the form of integrated circuits or discrete components like surface mounted resistors, capacitors or transistors. The present inventive idea is to extend the shielding part with an antenna structure, preferably with both the shielding and antenna functions manufactured in one piece during a single stamping and bending production process or a molding and metallizing process.
Furthermore, physical tolerances in the production process will act on the resonance frequency as well as the bandwidth of the antenna. Especially when the physical dimensions of antennas are small compared to the wavelength, the bandwidth of an antenna is narrow and therefore it is quite sensitive for unwanted tolerance variations. If for instance a tool for the antenna production process wears out, only a time consuming exchange of the production tools can readjust the VSWR of the produced antenna. This process may stop the production lines for a considerable time, which will be considered as an essential disadvantage.
The prior art configuration according to FIG. 1 discloses a few main parts of a RF module. Reference number 1 indicates a RF sub-module containing for instance a necessary oscillator, modulator and amplifier system for a transmitting section. The RF sub-module 1 is positioned on a printed circuit board 4 also containing the rest of the necessary electronic circuitry (not shown) for the desired function of the RF module, for instance a receiver portion. The RF sub-module may in a typical embodiment for instance constitute an integrated circuit. The RF module with its sub-module 1 is shielded by a metal screening device 2, which also covers the rest of the PCB circuitry. The kind of design illustrated in FIG. 1 will then utilize some kind of external antenna for its function, located on a main PCB or outside the chassis of the device.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative embodiment of a RF module presenting an integrated antenna device 10 according to the present invention. The device of FIG. 2 resembles the device of FIG. 1 with the common parts 1, 2 and 4. The shielding includes also a second portion 3, however portions 2 and 3 may also here constitute one single element. The printed circuit board is provided with a terminal pad 7 for the connection of an antenna element 10 integrated with the shielding metallic or metallized portion 3. A terminal pad 7 at the PCB 4 is positioned close to an antenna terminal pin 6 of the RF sub-module 1.
In FIG. 3 is shown an enlarged portion of FIG. 2. The shielding portion 3 has been formed into a connecting portion 11 connecting to the antenna element 10. The antenna can be matched by designing the dimensions of the “hot” contact as well as a ground contact according to the utilized frequency. This shielding portion 3 will form a self-supporting strip-line element or a planar element 10. The strip-line element or planar element 10 is using the rest of the shielding structure 3 as a counter element. The size of this counter element will also act on the bandwidth of the antenna device arranged in this manner. This is also the reason why it in some cases may be advantageously to divide the shield into the portions 2 and 3 as illustrated.
FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the printed circuit board 4 receiving the pinning of the illustrative RF sub-module 1. The output terminal pin at 6 is positioned close to a terminal pad 12 arranged for receiving the connecting portion 11 of the screening portion with antenna arrangement. In this embodiment the PCB 4 is also provided with another terminal pad 8 for an optional external antenna to be connected to a transmission line (not shown). In the case an external antenna is required, the pad 8 has to be connected to the antenna pad 6, e.g. by a 0 Ohm resistor (not shown).
In FIG. 5 is illustrated the RF module of FIG. 2 in a side view. It should be noted that the RF sub-module 1 is positioned such that the antenna element 10 preferably will be overlying the PCB 4. According to FIG. 5 an additional supporting member 20 for the antenna element 10 is added. However, the antenna element will not affect space for components 15 mounted on the PCB 4.
If more antenna space is required or the height of the shielding portion 3 is very low compared to the operating wavelength, the antenna element 10 may extend over a main PCB 5 as illustrated in FIG. 6. If the problem only is the height of the antenna element 10 over the module PCB 4 the antenna element 10 may also be designed such that it will be situated somewhat higher than the shielding 3.
In an embodiment demonstrated in FIG. 7 this supporting member has an eccentrically positioned pin 21 passing through a corresponding through-hole in the module PCB 4 or the main PCB 5. Furthermore the nonconducting supporting member 20 is for instance provided with a conducting surface 30 on the top. The conducting surface 30 makes contact with a portion of the antenna element 10 as is indicated in FIG. 8. By turning or twisting the supporting member 20 around its eccentrically positioned pin 21 a varying portion of the supporting element will be underneath the antenna element 10 and thus an adjustment of the resonance, will be achieved as is illustrated in FIG. 9. Thereby the VSWR curve minimum of the antenna element can be adjusted along the frequency axis of the graph to the right in FIG. 9.
In FIG. 10 is demonstrated a second embodiment of the supporting member. Here the supporting member 20 has a central pin 22 and is provided with a particularly designed form of its metal surface 31 at the top. Similar to FIG. 8 the antenna element makes contact with the metal surface 31. By turning the supporting member 20 around its central pin, the resonance frequency of the antenna element 10 can be simply tuned. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6 the supporting element 20 is for instance positioned at the edge of the end of the strip line element forming the antenna radiator member 10. However, as will be realized by a person skilled in the art, the supporting element 20 may also be positioned at an edge along the strip-line element, for instance at a mid-point of the antenna element 10.
It will also be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the member 20 could have a height such that it does not make contact with the antenna element but instead utilizing the small capacitive coupling to the antenna element for the tuning of the VSWR curve.
A third embodiment of the supporting member is demonstrated in FIG. 11. The supporting member 23 of FIG. 11 includes a centered pin 22 and forms a slotted unsymmetrical plastic piece. By turning the supporting member 23 around the centered pin 22 the antenna element can be tuned as the amount of plastic forming a dielectric material, which will vary the capacitance introduced by the supporting member as a function of the turning angle of its slot 25.
FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment presenting of a hollow supporting member 24 with a central pin, which then permits even more surface for components on the PCB 4 as indicated by the components 15 underneath the turnable supporting member. This is for instance applicable to the embodiments of the support member according to FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 13.
Finally FIG. 13 illustrates a third type of supporting member 26 with a central pin for rotation of the support. The supporting member 26 is provided with a thread, which will receive an edge of the antenna element 10. By turning the support the distance between the antenna element 10 and the PCB 4 will be slightly varied and set, and thereby the frequency response of the small antenna element 10 will be adjusted. Besides, the thread will lock the distance between the antenna element 10 and the PCB 4 and thereby even further improve reliability of the RF module. Also this type of supporting member may as mentioned utilize the hollow design of the support element disclosed in FIG. 12.
Finally FIG. 14 illustrates still another embodiment of the RF module of FIG. 2. The RF module of FIG. 14 utilizes a planar antenna device, which is to be tuned by means of a sliding member 28. In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 14 the sliding tuning member provided with a suitable slot is inserted between the two legs of the antenna element 14 for a tuning of the antenna VSWR. The disclosed generally non-conducting member 28 is illustrated a round piece of material, but it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the member may have an arbitrary form for obtaining the tuning function. The member 28 may either be resting against a suitable component mounted on the printed circuit board 4 or main PCB 5 and shifted or slid along a supporting element (not shown) placed over the components of the printed circuit board not to occupy PCB component space of the device.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departure from the scope thereof, which is defined by the appended claims.
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|EP1501202A3 *||19 Jul 2004||14 Dec 2005||Lg Electronics Inc.||Internal antenna and mobile terminal having the internal antenna|
|EP1624523A1 *||15 Jun 2005||8 Feb 2006||ASUSTeK Computer Inc.||Antenna device|
|WO2003030297A1 *||3 Oct 2002||10 Apr 2003||Perlos Ab||Electric apparatus|
|WO2007073507A2 *||18 Oct 2006||28 Jun 2007||Siemens Vdo Automative Corporation||Housing mounted vertical antenna coil|
|WO2007073507A3 *||18 Oct 2006||15 Nov 2007||Duane Bilyeu||Housing mounted vertical antenna coil|
|U.S. Classification||343/702, 343/745, 343/841|
|International Classification||H01Q1/52, H01Q1/24|
|Cooperative Classification||H01Q1/245, H01Q1/526, H01Q1/243|
|European Classification||H01Q1/52C, H01Q1/24A1A, H01Q1/24A1C|
|14 Mar 2001||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL), SWEDEN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KURZ, HANS-PETER;ARWEDSON, HENRIK;JOHNSON, HOWARD;REEL/FRAME:011597/0704;SIGNING DATES FROM 20000906 TO 20001028
|9 Jul 2004||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG, GERMANY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L.M. ERICSSON;REEL/FRAME:014830/0691
Effective date: 20040701
|17 Nov 2005||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|16 Nov 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|15 Nov 2013||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 12 | <urn:uuid:776b0cb4-84a7-4502-b6dd-e6f2f319e5bd> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.google.com.au/patents/US6392603 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00182-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.86571 | 5,192 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Finding Construction Management Materials in the COD Library
This guide will help you find books, videos, articles and websites about Construction topics.
If you need additional help, come to the Library Reference Desk or Ask A Librarian.
The best way to start searching the Library catalog is to do a keyword search for words that describe your topic. Try to choose specific keywords. You may need to experiment with keywords to find ones that work for your topic. Once you find some items, you can use subject headings to find other items that cover the same topic. Library catalog
Call Number Ranges
Use these call number ranges to browse the General Collection and the Reference Collection.
|HD9715 - HD9717.5||Construction Industry|
|TH1 - TH9745||Building Construction|
|KF5701 - KF5710||Building Laws|
The Library holds many recent national codes, standards and building management guidelines from the International Code Council and the U.S. Green Building Council in the reference collection. Some older iterations of these materials are available for check-out in the general collection. For fire codes, electrical codes and safety standards, consult this online resource: NFPA Codes Online. You'll need a current library card to access the NFPA from off-campus. The International Code Council makes their codes freely available to read on their website. You'll not be able to print the whole code, but you can copy and paste small sections.
Here are some examples from the Knovel Library:
Construction Field Guide
Construction Delays - Understanding Them Clearly, Analyzing Them Correctly
The Library has a variety of videos for checkout. Browse the Library catalog. Use the Limiting features on the left side of the catalog to narrow your search to videos.
Streaming videos are also available:
The Library has a large collection of article databases for locating articles. For Construction Management, try both the general databases and the business databases. Associates Program Source Plus and Business Source Complete are the best for construction topics but you may also find good materials in Academic Search Premier and in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times.
Here is a selection of magazines, journals and trade publications in the Library on:
Websites and Images
There are several tools available for searching the Internet. Using a variety of tools is always a good rule of thumb when looking for information on the web. Google is a great resource but also try some of the other tools on the Library's Search the Web pages.
Its important to evaluate the information from websites. When reviewing information, ask the following questions:
- How old is this material? Is there a date of publication? Is the material out-of-date?
- Who wrote this information? Is the company or person who sponsors the website reputable?
- Is the website trying to sell you something?
- Is the information biased? Does it seem like the author is just giving his/her opinion? Is the author making a one-sided argument? (not offering an alternate point-of-view?)
- Is the information backed up with facts that you can confirm using other sources?
- Be sure to check out the library's Evaluating Web Sources Guide
Here's a small selection of quality websites for construction management: | <urn:uuid:13fe4f3e-675c-4e0d-be5b-0522f5a572d8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.codlrc.org/construction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00365-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.86837 | 675 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Design Thinking in Robotic Automation
Design thinking is not linear, but it should always involve these 5 steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and build/test.
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Design thinking has become a buzzword among corporations worldwide today. The need for “out-of-the-box” thinking and constant innovation to beat and not just meet customer expectations is becoming the unwritten aspiration of corporations.
For years, procedural and analytical thinking has been prioritized over creativity at the corporate ivory towers. Products that thrived for decades ruling consumer minds are fast going into oblivion. Organizations that operate with “analytical thinking” are constantly being disrupted by changing trends and customer values. The inability of organizations to rapidly change and succeed can be attributed to the workforce of today, which has imbibed dominant analysis and logic in its actions. This is due to years of rule-driven education and experience that curtained creative thinking.
Design thinking calls for putting the gray cells into action and breaking the barriers of imagination to create products and services that meet unmet needs of discerning customers of today.
So how does design thinking play into the world of bots? Where routine human actions driven by business rules aim to be automated through bots. Merely automating routine activity with no imagination requires no out-of-the-box thinking. Let's understand what “design thinking” is before we delve into its impending need in robotic automation.
“Design thinking can be described as a discipline that uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity.” – Tim Brown CEO, IDEO
Design thinking will help solve business problems and create solutions that meet customer needs. This mandates a change in a mindset that is solution-focused and action-oriented in achieving desired results. Every robotic automatic journey requires answering what, why, who, when, and how questions. However, answers to these are often lost in executive pitches or PowerPoints. Their relevance in design thinking is often not understood due to a lack of understanding of the discipline and application.
Here's a simple view to design thinking and the connectivity it has with the what, why, who, when, and how that we constantly refer to in robotic transformation programs:
It starts with consultants understanding the problem. This involves different means including discussing with and observing the people, processes, and tools in action and recording key aspects. Empathizing allows consultants to see the perspective of the users to understand their pain points, experiences, and needs.
Consultants, as part of the robotic transformation journey, need to get an understanding of the business processes and pertinent issues before selecting them for automation. Consultants need to gather all the required details about the processes, gaps, and pain points. Relentless questioning (using the 5 whys technique) helps consultants record relevant issues and frame the problems.
Automation should be an afterthought and not the driving force.
During this stage of design thinking, information assimilated as part of the "empathize" stage will be analyzed to crystallize the business problems. This will help start conversations and steer brainstorming in the right direction.
Automating processes through robots requires every minute detail to be understood and noted along with exceptions. Further analysis of information will assist in a deeper understanding of the processes and help frame said and unsaid problems. This facilitates the creation of a platform to discuss the opportunities for improvement or reengineering of processes.
Information assimilated, dissected, and framed will start the process of ideation of possible solutions to the business problems. Unconstrained thinking and a free flow of ideas to solve business problems are encouraged during this stage. Any barriers of communication will be removed to encourage the team to arrive at a list of possible solutions that can be further validated.
Detailed information on processes along with exceptions, complexity, risks, values, and benefits will help the automation team finalize the automation candidates. Potential process improvement or reengineering options will need to be evaluated before the decision on automation. Discussion on multiple solution alternatives with all quarters of the organization based on vision, strategy, technology landscape, and feasibility will filter the unwanted and leave the others feasible for further exploration. A proof of concept to validate the best possible solution option is initiated next before moving forward with the enterprise scale robotic transformation.
4. Prototype (Proof of Concept)
As part of this phase, a product is built to solve the issues identified that reflects the customer experience. The product will be demonstrated and tested for conformance by the concerned before a decision is made to move forward with full-scale design and product build activities.
Information, analysis, observations, possible solution alternatives, and final solutions provide robotic designers with the required ammunition to create a scaled-down robot. Prototypes are designed and created, taking into consideration ideal scenarios with minimal exception handling capabilities. However, robotic transformations will be successful only when the prototypes created reflect the key features of full-scale bots. Bot design should account for non-functional requirements in design during prototyping, in addition to the process automation requirements to give the users a view of a robot that mirrors a fully powered one. Creating robots during this stage that purely reflect the best possible scenarios with minimal exception handling could create wrong expectations and result in a robot that doesn’t meet customer needs.
5. Build and Test
The final stage of the design thinking process is the realization of the designed solution. The process of designing, building, and testing continues in iterations until the final end product is achieved.
Based on the prototype testing and feedback, the final automation solution is erected in iterations delivering a continuous stream of value. Feedback received as part of releases should form the requirements/alterations in design. The final robot delivered truly must reflect a solution that is built to empathize with the customer process automation needs and pain points.
Is Design Thinking Truly Linear?
The above reflects design thinking methodology that is linear or sequential. However, in the real world, it rarely is. As understanding evolves, designs, prototypes, and bot functions and capabilities change. This change is recurring and reflects the design thinking methodology that is mostly non-linear.
Be it linear or non-linear, the underlying principles of design thinking never change. The objective of design thinking is to move away from procedural and constrained thinking to find innovative ways to solve problems. During robotic engagements, our solutions are often driven by platform capabilities which often bring out “can-do” lists. While these provide a view to the potential solution, the “can't do” is what often brings out the eighth dimension of strategic thinking. This dimension will help explore possibilities of creating bots that not only meet customer needs but exceed them.
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own. | <urn:uuid:2b8bd8f0-9576-47d3-9a1e-5d6012a519e3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dzone.com/articles/design-thinking-in-robotic-automation-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.937954 | 1,438 | 2.515625 | 3 |
There are many reasons to travel, for example,how to make a live well,from cultural experiences to improving your health. You’ll be able to learn about various cultures and how they prepare food. You’ll learn about different political systems, economics, and more. You can also reflect on your life’s journey. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to traveling. Regardless of your motivation, traveling will give you a new perspective on your own life. You’ll never forget the experiences you have.
It’s always good to carry a photocopy of your passport and other relevant documents. It’s also a good idea to have a medical evacuation plan in place. If you have any special medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you’ll need to carry a card identifying your blood type, any serious allergies, and any prescription drugs you’re taking. Some of these prescription drugs are illegal in other countries, so you’ll have to pay for them yourself. It’s also a good idea if you’re in the country for a short period.
Before you travel to India, you should review your health insurance plan and get travel health insurance. Consider buying medical evacuation insurance and travel health insurance for your trip. Also, make sure you bring a copy of your passport. Moreover, you should carry a card identifying your blood type, chronic illnesses, and serious allergies. It’s also a good idea to carry copies of your prescription medication in case you get sick while you’re traveling. Finally, it’s a good idea to read up on the local laws before you travel to India.
In addition to getting vaccinations, you should take note of any restrictions or limitations placed on traveling to India. As long as you follow the rules of the country, you’ll be fine. Just be sure to carry a photocopy of your passport. Additionally, don’t take expensive clothing or jewelry, and don’t forget to lock up your luggage. If you’re traveling to India for business, be sure to keep your valuables in safe places, like a locker. While you’re in the country, you should know about the local customs and culture before you go.
When traveling to India, make sure to check your travel health insurance plan. You should always be prepared for the unexpected. Remember to carry your travel health insurance card with you. It’s crucial to stay informed about your travel health and safety. And be sure to have a list of local doctors and hospitals. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, make sure you’re aware of any regulations and be prepared. You’ll be glad you did!
If you’re traveling to India for personal reasons, you should keep in mind the local laws and conditions. The laws can vary from state to state. You should also check your travel health insurance plan with your local government before travelling to India. And, don’t forget to take your travel documents with you. And, most importantly, make sure your medical conditions are covered when you’re abroad. And, remember to carry the photocopy of your passport in case of an emergency.
You should also carry your travel health insurance card with you. If you have a health condition, you should have a plan for it. And, of course, you should be able to access emergency care while you’re traveling. The cost of emergency medical care can be astronomical. If you can’t afford the medicine, you should consider getting medical coverage. You should also carry a photocopy of your passport. It’s a great idea to carry a list of local doctors as well.
Before traveling to India, you should read up on local laws and regulations. It’s also wise to have a travel health insurance plan that covers emergencies. If you have a chronic condition, you should consider buying a medical insurance plan. In case you’re in need of an emergency, you should carry your medication and your medical information. In other words, you should take care of yourself while traveling to India. Once you arrive, you can relax and enjoy your holiday.
You can also get health insurance in India. Depending on where you’re traveling, you might need to purchase a travel health insurance policy before you leave. The most important thing to do is to have adequate health insurance. You need to check out the best plan and choose the best coverage for your needs. If you’re worried about getting sick while traveling, you can buy travel health insurance and protect yourself against illnesses and injuries. You can even get a free travel medical plan when you travel to a low-risk country. | <urn:uuid:0485d675-b805-4260-bef9-b79df1915f69> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://indiaexamhub.com/travel-health-insurance-what-you-should-know-before-you-travel-to-india/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.93791 | 984 | 1.953125 | 2 |
mental interests and abilities
Outspoken and direct, she is always eager to express her ideas and opinions and does not mind opposing the consensus and stirring up a little controversy. Brigitte has fresh, original ideas and a great deal of enthusiasm for anything new and untried, but once the novelty has worn off, she is interested in another new idea or project. Brigitte Horney never seems to have enough time to do everything she wants. She is very honest, speaks decisively and convincingly about things she believes in, and is unable to pretend to agree with someone if she honestly does not. She may be somewhat lacking in tact.
Horney enjoys puzzles and other games that challenge her intellectually. Brigitte Horney likes to show off her verbal or intellectual skills and to use her mind creatively. Writing, dramatic speaking or some other manifestation of her creative intelligence appeal to her.
Her mind is highly imaginative and creative and she possesses dramatic, artistic or musical abilities. As a child, Brigitte Horney enjoyed daydreaming, fantasizing and pretending, and probably lived in "her own little world" a good deal. She perceives things that are not obvious to other people and Brigitte Horney has an uncanny ability to "read" people and situations without being told anything about them. However, Brigitte Horney must learn to discriminate between true psychic perception and her imagination. Learning to discipline and focus her mind is necessary if Horney wishes to use all of her creative potential. Otherwise, Brigitte Horney could be simply a dreamer.
Communication with others is difficult for Brigitte Horney because she often finds words frustrating and inadequate to express her experiences and perceptions. Also, Brigitte may purposefully mystify or deceive others.
Brigitte has strong feelings of love and an emotional need to talk about love relationships problems. Beauty also is important for her emotional contentment and Brigitte Horney dresses very tastefully. She is kind and popular and gives complements from the bottom of her heart.
Brigitte Horney has a tendency to ponder and reflect on her thoughts. Methodical, responsible and serious, she has a sound judgment. She is a good listener and she probably prefers to work alone. Brigitte Horney also has a good memory and may do well in history and science.
Brigitte has the ability to think and act efficiently and she seems to perceive what is unspoken or hidden. Brigitte Horney goes about realizing her plans in a fanatical way and has a tendency to over-work her nervous system.
Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:
Mercury in Aries
Mercury in 5th house
Mercury Square Neptune
Mercury Conjunct Moon/Venus
Mercury Conjunct Moon/Saturn
Mercury Conjunct Mars/Pluto | <urn:uuid:c15e8d1a-20fe-4a6c-9bbd-3e34b0d39c49> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Brigitte_Horney/Mentality.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00512-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967774 | 573 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
There's been a lot of talk about the importance of "executive presence" recently and a fair amount of criticism about the prominence it's been given in leadership circles.
Author Sylvia Ann Hewlett and a few of her colleagues have criticized "many of the presumptive signals" of leadership potential, citing "aggressiveness, assertiveness, showing teeth, [and] commanding a room."
Hewlett and her colleagues say that these qualities are
steeped in historic male stereotypes of power, especially in the workplace. The fact that 96 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are male, and only 4.4 percent are people of color, are two more data points that support what we already know intuitively as well as what we heard: ‘senior leadership is white, male, and preferably tall’ and the C-suite is ‘definitely more comfortable with sameness.’ Thus, it is assumed (and not just by white men) that future leaders must look, act, and come across like this white male model.”
For those of us in particularly "macho" cultures - Wall Street, high stakes corporate litigation and tech startups - the qualities associated with success are not simply "male" but dangerously skewed to those supposed male leadership markers that are harmful to the leaders' and their followers' mental health.
Suicide and Start Up Culture
Like many others, Tsotsis took the occasion of Sherman's death to explore the "cult of startup excess, exacerbated by the spin" of tech journals like her own.
"As popular culture continues to glamorize startups," she wrote, "the harsh reality that 90 percent of them fail is consistently ignored."
An Ecomom investor candidly told Tsotsis that he and his peers "write off the losers quickly and amp the winners [so] we share a lot of the blame for creating the fiction around startups.” His description of the way investors and founders relate was sharply reminiscent of the culture of trial lawyers as it existed when we women first entered their domain back in the mid-70s.
“I never asked [Econmom founder] Jody for an honest answer, not really – we did the startup lineup and we all knew what pattern to run. I’d ask ‘How’s it going dick bag?’ and he’d say ‘Killing it.’ We’d rush straight in with some talk about good things, jink with a little not so great stuff and circle back to the center with ‘It’s all good!’ And then ‘Awesome man, lets get more drinks.’ Of course we’d get a little deeper than that, but truthfully we’d never get to the painfully ‘truthful’ part. When you’re not a board member, you don’t want to hurt founders and dig too hard and they don’t want to bare their vulnerabilities.”
If you've worked on Wall Street, in the AmLaw200 or Silicon Valley, talk like this is so common that you become pretty emotionally detached from it. Unfortunately, you also become pretty detached from your own inner spiritual and emotional resources as well as from the resources of a supportive community of colleagues.
Being Friendster, Not Facebook
When another high-flying Silicon Valley denizen, Aaron Swartz, committed suicide, psychoanalyst John Grohol, took a closer look at a startup culture that is a "high-pressure work environment, where a small group of people (usually young, white males) work 18- or 20-hour days to produce a product or service they believe will be The Next Big Thing."
While that might be all well and good for a fast-paced movie version of Mark Zuckerberg's life, it's not so great when your tech baby is Friendster, not Facebook. | <urn:uuid:775014e7-3de8-4fdd-bc39-bfc4580279ff> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2013/02/24/male-success-norms-are-bad-for-the-guys-too/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00492-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962932 | 828 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Early on, when people say, "Marriage takes work," you assume "work" means being patient when he forgets to put down the toilet seat. In your naiveté, you think that you will struggle to accommodate some annoying habit, like persistent knuckle cracking or flatulence.
|As two people grow and evolve, the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate to and nurture each other in the process.|
If only it were that easy. Human beings, you may have noticed, are not simple creatures. Your man has mysterious, unplumbed depths — and from where he sits, you're pretty complicated, too. You have to learn each other the same way that you once learned earth science or world geography. And getting married doesn't mean you're done — it just means you've advanced to graduate-level studies. That's because every time you think you've mastered the material, he'll change a bit. And so will you. As two people grow and evolve, the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate to and nurture each other in the process.
"It's like losing weight," says Andrea Harden, 45, of Buffalo, NY. "You want it to be a one-time deal. You lost it, now just live. But then you learn it's a lifestyle. That's marriage. The effort is a forever thing." So don't be too hard on yourself — or him — on those days when you feel like you're struggling through remedial math.
Whoever decided to tell newlyweds "Never go to bed angry" doesn't know what it's like inside a bedroom where tears and accusations fly as one spouse talks the other into a woozy stupor until night meets the dawn. If this scenario sounds familiar, I've got three words for you: Sleep on it.
You need to calm down. You need to gain perspective. You need to just give it a rest. I've found that an argument of any quality, like a fine wine, needs to breathe. A break in the action will help you figure out whether you're angry, hurt, or both, and then pinpoint the exact source. Maybe the fight that seemed to erupt over the overflowing garbage can is really about feeling underappreciated. Could be you're both stressed out at work and just needed to unload on someone. Taking a break will help you see that, and let go. Or maybe you really do have a legitimate disagreement to work out. Without a time-out, sometimes a perfectly good argument can turn into an endless round of silly back-and-forth, rehashing old and irrelevant transgressions as you get more and more wound up.
Even when you do manage to stay focused and on topic, there are some fights that stubbornly refuse to die by bedtime. And if you stifle your real feelings just to meet some arbitrary deadline, your marriage will surely be the worse for it. "This was a huge lesson for me," says Andrea. "As women we've been trained to make nice. But the whole kiss-and-make-up thing just to keep the peace was eating me up inside. I'd let things build up inside me until I just exploded. Now I wait a while to get hold of myself — let the emotions settle a bit — and state my position. Even if that means reopening the fight the next day."
And you'll see personalized content just for you whenever you click the My Feed .
SheKnows is making some changes! | <urn:uuid:5cbf1f0a-f3e4-4324-88fb-3dd7e45266de> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/805044/8-things-no-one-tells-you-about-marriage/page:2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00283-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969616 | 725 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Following the devastating cyclone that wreaked havoc in India's southern Tamil Nadu state at the end of 2011, church charities are getting aid to affected families - writes Anto Akkara.
"People are still struggling without electricity, [with] roofless houses and roads blocked by fallen trees," said Florina Benoit, chief zonal officer of Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). Benoit was speaking to ENInews on 16 January 2012 from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, after a weekend visit to the worst-hit remote villages around Cuddalore.
"We have distributed emergency relief material in 40 villages. But the task is enormous," said Benoit.
Cyclone Thane pummelled the east coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on 30 December, killing nearly 50 and damaging more than 350,000 houses, schools and roads.
CASA, the charity wing of 30 Orthodox and Protestant churches in India, distributed food for more than 6,000 affected people through the local Church of South India (CSI) and Lutheran churches.
While CASA has already spent 1.5 million rupees (nearly US$30,000) in emergency feeding alone, Sushant Aggarwal, CASA's national director, told ENI news that "we are preparing to assist 1,200 families to repair their houses."
Depending on the international response to the appeal made through the ACT Alliance network, Aggarwal said CASA will step up the rehabilitation effort.
Kishore Kumar Nag, who heads the Division of Social Action of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI), told ENInews that the Lutheran churches have distributed emergency food items to more than 1,000 families.
"The damage has been extensive. At least seven members from the Arcot Lutheran Church and Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church have died in the cyclone. Several churches and educational institutions have been severely damaged along with houses and standing crops," Nag said.
Ambrose Christy, Tamil Nadu coordinator of Caritas, the social action wing of the Catholic church, said it has distributed emergency relief material for 4,000 families. "We have already started helping to repair the damaged houses of these families," Christy added.
[With acknowledgements to ENInews. ENInews, formerly Ecumenical News International, is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.] | <urn:uuid:d207becc-8c12-4098-bf7f-a76ca02402a5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16100 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00123-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955118 | 513 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Harper & Sandilands are focused on both environmental & safety aspects in the supply of timber flooring. By engineering the boards and utilising fast growing plantation timbers that are all sustainably harvested, the slower growing timbers such as Oak, Walnut and Teak can be utilised by at least 3 times the use by minimising the usable or wear layer of these timbers in just the top 3-6 mm of the board. The plantation timbers that don’t ever get seen which make up the engineered base is a far greener option than wasting precious species in substrate!
Harper & Sandilands achieved Forest Stewardship Council ® certification in January 2009 (SGS-COC-005690). FSC® is an independent, non-government, not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.
Consumers are assured that products carrying the FSC® label come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. The forest of origin is carefully audited and controlled in compliance with parameters and rules fixed by the Forest Stewardship Council A.C.
FSC® respects the domestic laws and international agreements in the field of forest management to protect workers’ rights and the wellbeing of local communities. It also supports better management and monitoring of forests to safeguard their future, as well as reduce negative environmental impacts.
An audited ‘Chain of Custody’ process from forest to mill to end supplier is maintained to guarantee the integrity of the forest products. Product flyers that display the green FSC® logo indicate that those products are available as FSC® 100% upon request.
(Volatile Organic Compounds) Our water-based, UV-cured finishes are not only extremely long-lasting but contain nearly zero VOC emissions. Australian Standard test results are available on request (ASTM D5116).
The Royal Oak Floor Collection has been tested for formaldehyde emission and is significantly below the required standard. Test results are available on request (06-462B /AP 1426/015/06).
The Royal Oak Floor Collection has been tested to Australian Standards and meets all critical radiant flux requirements. Test results are available on request (7-560495-CV). | <urn:uuid:82e42c78-4fdf-4b5e-8f85-4ab7d969046c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.royaloakfloors.com.au/environment-and-safety/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00348-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928426 | 473 | 1.679688 | 2 |
An image of how education might look like in 5-20 years from now.
According to Rohit Talwar, children of today might end up working until they are 100 years old and during this long space they ‘ll change 40 jobs and 10 careers.
Moreover 30 – 80% of the existing job, are expected to vanish in the next 10-20 years since companies invest in “automation”.
This means that the more mechanical is your job, the likelier is to be replaced by machines.
Here, we present new trends that are being applied in education and might get established. Many methodologies that follow might sound antithetical to the status quo but there is hope!
Instead of written tests, students will be asked to show what they have learned through creative projects.
It is all about learning that happens through projects (Project based learning).
Students become authors, mechanics, inventors, designers!
They take responsibility of presenting a final product to an audience (possibly through presentation, event, or publication of a written product)
No more letters and written compositions that no one else is going to see beyond the educator, the student and perhaps the parent. This product might be a presentation (theatrical, product presentation etc.), a written product (a post blog, brochure), a built product (scientific tool, invention), a technological product (webpage, digital story), or it could be a design product (business plan, prototype etc.)
The main proponent of this methodology is the Buck Institute of education (BIE). The project must have a date of delivery and a structure. The educator or educators, choose the learning objectives they want their students to cultivate and they place a main question that is needed to be answered by the students. Project based learning can be applied from kindergarten. Visit the site of BIE for project ideas.
Blended learning is the use of technology for supporting teaching.
A type of blended learning is the flipped classroom. The meaning can be derived by the word. Lesson is delivered online through videos and other apps to which students have access before they even come to the classroom. Students watch the video that the educator uploaded e.g. on their group at Moodle Edmodo, or Class dojo or any other learning management system. In the classroom, students work on assignments to implement what they have learned in the videos.
As an example watch the following video by a chemistry teacher.
Gamification of Education
Imagine that instead of worksheets, the teacher instructs children to enter a specific game on their tablet to begin training. Students take immediate feedback from the game, whether they choose a correct move or not. If it looks like a distant idea to you, well it is not. See for example the school Quest to learn
Through the game students can “fail” in a safe environment and experiment.
A Company that is working on developing games for this purpose is Amplify, where a lab has been set up in the afternoon for children to play, asses the games and getting paid on top.
It’s a matter of time until 3d printing becomes the norm. Through 3d printing, students can print digital technology and explore objects and concepts like mathematical graphs, technological tools and historic artifacts.
Learning has already began taking place online. See Moodle as an example. Also plenty of classrooms connect through Skype with classrooms in other countries, taking part to a game called the mystery game.
Many curriculum lessons are expected to change form to respond to the new economical and technological needs. Skills that are being endorsed are: coding, design and financial literacy.
Learning spaces are expected to change with the introduction of standing desks for students to work standing and the addition of multiple stations for different activities in the classroom. Interactive board will be replaced by the interactive projector.
Interactive reality will become a reality with students having the chance for virtual excursions e.g. to museums wearing a special equipment with the outer cover been literally made by hard carton. It may sound expensive but its an investment that can save money to schools by avoiding transportation of the students to the actual places.
Leaning is Earning
We are finishing with a drastic idea that aims to incentivize lifelong learning: learning is earning. Its being promoted by two large foundations in the US: Institute for the Future (IFTF) and ACT Foundation. According to their site, everything that you learn in the future will be rewarded in blocks that will be recorded in your Ledger. The Ledger is the technology on which the whole system is based for recording your learning and income. You will be able to receive edublocks from formal institutions and companies. You will be able to give edublocks to people you teach. This idea gives the possibility for everyone to teach something in which s/he is a specialist. The Ledger is built upon a technology called blockchain. Blockchain is the same techology on which other cryptocurrencies are based on like Bitcoin. This means that each edublock that is earned will be a permanent part of the constantly growing public records.
As you can see technology has and will be having a protagonist role in education, fortunately or unfortunately.
The future of education lies within our classroom and this is our students! However when these students go to an interview for a job, their potential employer will not be asking them how much 3X7 is, but will ask them to solve real problems in the work space. Those are problems that require skills of collaboration, adaptability and critical thought.
Lets use technology to equip our students with the best skills! | <urn:uuid:80d113af-ac47-4a6a-ae37-1bc559a93324> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.ematheon.io/en/new-trends-and-ideas-in-education-towards-a-student-center-future-with-technology-playing-a-vital-role/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.963674 | 1,186 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Education in the USA
Most international students choose to study at American educational institutions.
What are the advantages of education in the USA?
High quality of education (world level);
Assistance in the employment of students;
Multinationality (the United States is a country of migrants: everyone is equal here);
Flexibility (each student is given the opportunity to choose an educational program for himself that corresponds to his current level of training);
It is easier for American students to find higher-paying jobs than students studying in educational institutions in other countries..
In addition, while receiving education in a particular educational institution in the United States, you can easily transfer from one institution to another..
Choosing a university in America
When thinking about studying in the United States, you should take note of the following tips:
- Choose a university with a study program that matches your age and level of education (Associates Degree, Bachelor's or Master's);
- Check out the list of specialties offered by American educational institutions;
- Decide in which region or state you will study (there are more than 3500 colleges and universities in the USA);
- Decide on a budget (how much you are willing to pay for tuition).
In America, there are small and medium colleges: in small ones there are no more than 1500 people, and in medium ones - from 1500-5000. Important: such colleges provide material assistance to foreign students.
In the United States, you can be in both full-time and evening forms of education. Full-time students study in trimesters (August-December; January-May). And training in the evening form is also carried out in terms of trimesters, but there are no breaks between them..
Regardless of which educational institution you choose, keep in mind that they all begin to work in August, and it is advisable to prepare for admission to an American university in 1-1.5 years.
Before entering a US educational institution, the following steps should be taken:
- Ask the university to send you information about training programs, its location, conditions of admission and residence;
- Fill out the application form on the website of the educational institution (it is an important document that is required for admission);
- Register in advance and take the SAT or TOEFL tests (first find out which of these tests results are required for admission to the university of your choice). | <urn:uuid:50a56965-cc16-4394-992d-40a9e76d89ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://aroundtravels.com:443/articles-about-usa/education-in-usa-study-in-usa-system-education.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.956466 | 499 | 2.765625 | 3 |
'Ground zero' for the death penalty
“I think we owe it to the public that this process be very transparent, because if the process isn’t transparent and it’s clouded in secrecy, people begin to question the process, and I think that’s unfortunate,” Burlison said.
Others lawmakers have proposed bypassing lethal injection altogether, if necessary. Republican Rep. Rick Brattin has introduced a bill that would allow the state to return to firing squads.Continue Reading
“Through intensively studying the methods that are on the books currently in states across the U.S.,” Brattin said, “I truly believe the firing squad would be the quickest to implement, and if we run into the same issue we have with we can’t attain the drug, that we could transition to quickly and more economical for the state to carry out.”
Justus said other lawmakers have discussed returning to the gas chamber, which state law still allows but which would be difficult to implement because no active gas chambers are available.
Nixon’s office declined to comment and referred POLITICO to the Department of Corrections, which did not respond to a request for comment.
“What’s coming to a head in Missouri is the fact that on one side there are still states that have the death penalty and want to enforce it, and on the other hand there’s a growing consensus against the death penalty, especially among medical professionals and those who make drugs,” said Tony Rothert, legal director the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which has fought the death penalty and secrecy rules in the state.
“Missouri has recently decided to really, really up the click with which it executes people, and the resort to secrecy in Missouri has been pretty extreme also, which has also made Missouri a kind of centerpiece for the whole country,” he added. “It’s happening elsewhere, but it’s a little more dramatic here.”
The European Union nine years ago banned the export of drugs used for lethal injection due to its opposition to the death penalty, disrupting states’ supply chains. Since then, supplies have continued to dry up, as some pharmacies won’t make the drugs or won’t sell them to states for use in executions, forcing states to turn to compounding pharmacies or other sources. The change in supply has caused states to adapt, which most have done by adopting new drug combinations and protocols, sometimes without first testing them.
In Missouri’s case, the state government has been under months of scrutiny for the way it’s obtaining the drugs at the same time that it’s been ramping up executions.
The state returned much of its drug supply and changed protocols in October after records revealed that the supply came from a dealer that had no authorization to provide the drugs to the state for executions. But the state also made a change to the definition of “execution team,” which allowed it to use a years-old law intended to protect the identities of the individuals who carry out executions to include the origins of the drugs that are used, shrouding the process in more secrecy.
Last week, an Oklahoma pharmacy announced it would no longer sell the drugs for the execution that took place on Wednesday after it was targeted in a lawsuit by the inmate’s lawyers challenging its authority to produce the drug. Corrections officials testified before the Legislature that they had been paying thousands of dollars in cash to the pharmacy for each drug dose and then transporting the drug back to the state. The issue has played out in court challenges to each scheduled execution, some of which have been delayed, but none of which have ultimately been put aside by the courts.
In the meantime, the ACLU and others will continue to fight executions in court, even if the courts seem hesitant to make significant moves against lethal injection, and the lawmakers there feel the pressure of being an example.
“I think because we’re going to have so many executions and because Missouri has so many different responses it, I think we’ll at least be under the magnifying glass over the next six months to a year as these issues are debated across the nation,” Justus said.
For Dieter, of the Death Penalty Information Center, the debate is a distraction from more substantive death penalty questions — whether it’s morally right or wrong — but has served a purpose.
“I think what this lethal injection debate adds to it is that it’s delayed executions, it’s made them uncertain, it seems the states are incompetent and scrambling and doing things underhandedly and mysteriously and not doing things transparently, and I think all that adds to a frustration with the death penalty,” he said. | <urn:uuid:32bd910b-3492-4a48-a177-25a43385446d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/death-penalty-missouri-103973_Page2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00195-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969979 | 994 | 1.828125 | 2 |
By Mike Barnett
I was in the hospital recently and as I watched the steady drip, drip, drip of the IV feeding into my arm, I marveled at the technology the doctors at Scott & White Hospital in Temple were using to restore my health.
Millions of dollars in research, tons of investment in machinery and mountains of skill and knowledge were used to get me back on my feet. And as I lay in the hospital bed, I started thinking how similar doctors were to farmers.
High-tech is a bridge between medicine and agriculture.
That steady drip of the IV rehydrating my body reminded me of the slow release of drip irrigation systems, which allows farmers to efficiently use water and nutrients to help plants grow and stay healthy and strong.
A CAT scan used to map out my operation made me think of the GPS systems on farm machinery, which with the help of sensors and a host of gee-whiz technology, can allow a farmer to deliver the precise amount of fertilizer a crop needs at a particular part of the field to maximize yields.
Doctors used antibiotics to fight the infection in my body, much as farmers use antibiotics to nurse sick livestock back to health.
And biotechnology? It’s the backbone of many new medicines used to cure some pretty devastating diseases. It’s also a huge tool used in agriculture to develop crops resistant to disease, bugs and drought.
I could go on and on about high-tech in both medicine and agriculture. But I’m very thankful for the doctors and nurses who took care of me during my hospital stay, much as I am thankful for the farmers and ranchers who provide for my daily needs for food.
It troubles me that many vocal people actively deride the miracles of modern agriculture, advocating that we go back to the “good old days of 40 acres and a mule.” I wonder if they want their doctors to go back to the days of the “little black bag.” | <urn:uuid:b9b50334-a316-4f98-8014-89a1a749b4e1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://txagtalks.texasfarmbureau.org/high-tech-bridges-medicine-and-agriculture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00030-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969071 | 407 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Ohm’s Law Kicks In
Yes, you can wire a 240-volt rated water heater with 120-volts, exchanging the second hot (red) wire for a white (neutral) wire to the neutral bus. Strange, but true. Because of Ohm’s Law and the fact that the resistance of the circuit stays the same, half the voltage means the watts of heating energy generated is reduced to one quarter of what it was at 240 volts.
We came upon that situation today at a homeowner-wired-and-plumbed water heater replacement for a 1970s mobile home, shown above. One look at the plumbing configuration and you know it was not done by a pro. The rating on the data plate is 4500 watts at 240 volts, so it produces 1125 watts with the 120-volt wiring and takes four times as long to heat the water. But it works. Older mobiles often had small, 120-volt water heater heaters and we suspect the existing wiring was reused for the replacement.
The thermostat is mechanical, not electric, so it is unaffected by the changeover. We doubt that the manufacturer would approve, however, or honor the warranty for a unit wired like this.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Here’s links to a collection of more blog posts about WATER HEATERS:
• Are water heaters required to be raised off the floor?
• Can a Temperature and Pressure Relief (TPR or T&P) valve be mounted to discharge horizontally?
• Where are gas water heaters not allowed to be installed?
• Is the minimum size water heater inlet pipe 1/2" or 3/4" according to the building code?
• Can you use a light switch for a water heater disconnect?
• How can I tell if a water heater is HUD-approved for mobile/manufactured homes?
• Can you wire a 240-volt water heater with 120 volts?
• Is it alright to have a shut-off valve on both the hot and cold water pipes at a water heater?
• What is the minimum clearance to doors and windows for an outdoor tankless gas water heater?
• What is required clearance for access and working space in front of an electric water heater?
• Why is the water heater older than the house?
• Does a water heater need a shut-off valve?
• Why should a tankless water heater have an isolator/service valve kit installed?
• When was a gas water heater first required to be elevated 18 inches above a garage floor?
• Can the temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve discharge pipe for a mobile/manufactured home water heater terminate under the home?
• What is the purpose of a thermostatic mixing valve above a water heater?
• Does a tankless gas water heater still work with no electricity during a power outage?
• Why do water heaters have a sacrificial anode?
• What is the difference between a manufactured/mobile home water heater and a regular water heater?
• Does a tankless water heater require a pressure relief valve?
• When is a water heater drain pan required?
• Why is there water in my water heater drain pan?
• What does it mean when a water heater Temperature/Pressure Relief (TPR) discharge pipe is "trapped"?
• Can I leave a gas water heater in place when remodeling a garage into a family room or bedroom?
• Where do I find the water heater in a mobile home?
• Does a tankless water heater in an attic require a drain pan?
• Does an electric water heater require a disconnect?
• Is a catch pan and drain piping required for a replacement water heater?
• What is the difference between a single element and dual element electric water heater?
• What is an FVIR water heater?
• What is a heat pump water heater?
• What is a dielectric union?
• What's that powdery crust on the pipe connections at the water heater?
• What are the most common installation mistakes with water heater replacement?
• Why is my water heater making strange (rumbling, gurgling, knocking or banging) noises?
• What can I do to make my water heater last longer?
• How can I determine the age of a water heater if the serial number is missing or decoding it is impossible?
• How does a hydronic heating system work?
• What is the difference between a regular water heater and a direct vent water heater?
• What is the difference between a regular water heater and a power vent water heater?
• What is backdrafting at a gas water heater?
• How do I determine if a water heater is gas or electric?
• What does it mean when a gas appliance (water heater, furnace, or range) has been "red tagged"?
• What's the valve with the flip-up handle on the water heater for?
• Why is an older water heater an insurance problem?
Visit our WATER HEATERS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. | <urn:uuid:859e79bc-a282-45d0-a513-c4835d99fea0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/Entries/2018/6/can-you-wire-a-240-volt-water-heater-with-120-volts.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.908986 | 1,104 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Thome, Maria Tereza C.
Zamudio, Kelly R.
Giovanelli, Joao G. R.
Haddad, Celio F. B.
Baldissera, Jr., Flavio A.
Total Authors: 6
Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
Cornell Univ, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Ithaca, NY 14853 - USA
Univ Catol Santos, BR-11015002 Santos, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution;
Web of Science Citations:
The Plio-Pleistocene refugia hypothesis recently gained support in explaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest megadiversity from combined analyses of species paleodistributions and genetic diversity. Here we examine genetic differentiation and historical distributions in the Rhinella crucifer group of toads, endemic to and widely distributed within this biome. We analyzed sequences of mitochondrial (control region, ND1, and ND2) and nuclear (beta-crystallin and rhodopsin) DNA markers from 65 individuals representing five species. We found deep structure across the range at mitochondrial markers; genetic diversity is geographically structured in four main haplotype clades with the oldest divergence, dated to the Pliocene, between the southernmost populations and other regions of the species' range. Remaining populations are distributed in haplotype clades that may have diverged throughout the Pleistocene. Our paleoecological distribution models support a scenario of habitat fragmentation associated with glacial cycling, but we found limited congruence of phylogeographic patterns with the refugia. We found that some genetic breaks geographically coincide with putative barriers associated to neotectonic activity, but finer-scale sampling will be necessary to test the relative importance of distinct isolation mechanisms. Overall, the data refute the recently proposed hypothesis of a southern Holocene colonization of the Atlantic Forest from northern refugia, suggesting instead persistence of forested habitats in the south. Our unexpected results underscore the need to consider distinct organismal histories in planning biome-level conservation. We discuss species correspondence to clades recovered in our phylogenetic analyses. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU) | <urn:uuid:d4ab2048-526b-4062-b7d7-5616661bf7ad> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bvs.fapesp.br/en/publicacao/33089/phylogeography-of-endemic-toads-and-post-pliocene-persistenc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.822053 | 574 | 2.359375 | 2 |
NASA kept close tabs today on an old piece of space junk that threatened to come too close to the international space station as the shuttle Discovery raced toward the outpost for a 220-mile-high linkup. Experts initially warned that the debris from a Soviet satellite that broke up in 1981 could veer within a half-mile of the space station. But they later said it appeared that the 4-inch piece of junk might remain at a safe distance.
The debris' erratic orbit kept experts watching closely, though it appears the space station might not have to move out of the way. If Mission Control orders a space station maneuver to dodge the junk, it would be carried out tonight, well ahead of the tomorrow morning's projected docking. If the station were moved, Discovery would have to adjust its course for docking late tomorrow afternoon. | <urn:uuid:a2c23fe4-6c02-4903-8254-7b1b6dafb873> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.newser.com/story/53498/erratic-debris-a-concern-for-space-station-discovery.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285315.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00573-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96451 | 166 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Waskōw ohci Pimâtisiwin
Continuous Monitoring Station
Started Monitoring July 2017
Waskōw ohci Pimâtisiwin (Cree for “Air of Life”) Air Monitoring Station is located in the Environment and Climate Change Canada Oski Otin compound in Fort McKay (57.183669, -111.639428).
The station is equipped to measure Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S), wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity.
For more information regarding the Waskow Ohci Pimatisiwin Air Monitoring Station, please see the station site documentation.
Visualize Station Data
Select date parameters to begin:
Notes concerning data quality:
Level 1 data used from this web site is accessible in raw form only before data validation processing. Level 1 data is preliminary and may change during the validation process. Level 2 data has undergone validation review and is considered final data. | <urn:uuid:3d6fcbbb-bae2-4cf3-9423-53e2fece4a4c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wbea.org/stations/waskow-ohci-pimatisiwin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.835292 | 211 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The Production of Black Tea
Step 1: Withering
Making black tea is even more complex and time consuming than some of the others. The freshly plucked leaves are brought to the tea factory (which is often located on the tea estate, or very near most small farms). After arrival, the leaves are laid out on screens fitted to long wooden boxes referred to as “withering troughs”. Here the leaves wither, as air passes through and over the leaves, removing approximately 60% of it’s moisture content over the next 12-18 hours, prior to the leaves being “rolled”.
Step 2: Rolling
Rolling disturbs the natural cellular structure of the leaves, thus releasing enzymes present in the leaves, which then combine with polyphenols and other properties in the leaf, allowing the characteristic flavors of black tea to emerge. Descriptions of these characteristic black tea flavors vary from “flowery ” to “fruity,” “nutty,” and “spicy” -just to name a few.
Step 3: Fermentation
After rolling, the teas are moved on to the next stage of production called fermentation, which is actually the oxidation of the tea constituents. The tea is spread in layers of about 4 inches to oxidize. The chemical interactions occurring between the various parts of the plant alter the leaf from a green color- to coppery red, then to brown, and finally to a nearly black color.
Step 4: Drying
After the desired amount of oxidation has been attained, the tea is fired in large ovens, using air that has been heated to 210-250 degrees Fahrenheit. This dries the leaves to an ideal 3% moisture. The flavorful juices dry on the surface of the leaves and remain stable until exposed to boiling water during infusion, affectionately referred to as the “agony of the leaves.”
Step 5: Sorting
The last step involves sorting the finished, fully oxidized leaves by size. During the production process, many tea leaves are broken or crushed, so that the finished tea consists of full leaves, broken leaves (“brokens”) and smaller particles (“fannings”). Since the necessary steeping time increases with the size of the leaf, the tea must be sorted into lots of consistent leaf size. | <urn:uuid:b3589a8a-d02c-4a24-a522-d403a0f3f846> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://lightofdayorganics.com/about-tea/black-teas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00209-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956937 | 491 | 3.34375 | 3 |
The Earthquake That Triggered A Global Empathic Response: What The Haitian Crisis Tells Us About Human Nature
Frantic tweets and videos have been seeping out of Haiti, pleading for help from the rest of the human race in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that leveled one of the poorest countries on the planet, spreading destruction and death.
The response by people all over the world has been immediate. Governments, NGOs, and individuals are mobilizing relief missions, and social websites are lighting up, as the collective human family extends a global empathic embrace to its neighbors in this small Caribbean nation. We saw a similar global response in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans and the gulf coast of the United States and the giant tsunami that struck Asian and African coastlines earlier in the decade.
In recent years, whenever natural disasters have struck, in what is increasingly becoming a globally interconnected and interdependent world, human beings have come together as an extended family in an outpouring of compassion and concern. For these brief moments of time, we leave behind the many differences that divide us to act as a species. We become Homo empathicus.
Yet, when faced with similar tragedies that are a result of human-induced behavior, rather than precipitated by natural disasters, we are often unable to muster the same collective empathic response.
For example, recall when oil hit a record $147/barrel on world markets in July, 2008. Prices soared and basic necessities from food to heating oil became prohibitively expensive, imperiling the lives of hundreds of millions of human beings. Food riots broke out in more than 30 countries. Yet, the collective response of the human race was barely perceptible. Similarly, plagued with the real-time impacts of human induced climate change, which is already devastating ecosystems in countries around the world and creating millions of environmental refugees, the global response has been weak.
The question is: why?
It's true that unexpected natural disasters quickly arouse our attention. But, my suspicion is that this is not the only reason that we are unable to respond to human induced suffering with the same emotional and cognitive focus. The problem lies much deeper. When human induced behavior results in suffering to others on a large scale, we tend to shrug our shoulders as if to say, "that's human nature and therefore, there's not much we can do about it." That's because we have come to think of human nature as essentially selfish. Our beliefs have become a self-fulfilling prophecy--even if they turn out to be incorrect.
At the dawn of the modern market economy and the nation-state era, the philosophers of the Enlightenment argued that human beings are autonomous agents, and are detached, rational, and driven by material self-interest and utilitarian pursuits.
But, is that who we really are?
If so, then how do we explain the empathic response to natural disasters like the one that occurred in Haiti this past week. Perhaps our ideas about human nature merely reflect the operating assumptions of the modern market economy and provide those in power with an easy way to justify and explain the suffering inflicted on others, writing it off as a reflection of our species' aggressive, predatory and selfish behavior.
But, what if these age old assumptions about human nature are false? In the past 15 years, scientists from a wide range of fields, from evolutionary biology to neurocognitive research and child development, have been making breathtaking discoveries that are forcing us to rethink our long-held beliefs about human nature. Researchers are discovering mirror-neurons--the so-called empathy neurons--that allow human beings and other species to feel and experience another's situation as if it were one's own. We are, it appears, the most social animals and we seek intimate participation and companionship with our fellows.
It is only when our basic biological drive of empathic engagement is repressed or denied that secondary drives like aggression, acquisitiveness, and selfish behavior come to the surface.
It turns out that empathic consciousness has grown steadily over history. Our forager/hunter ancestors only extended primitive empathic distress to their immediate blood relatives and extended family. With the rise of the world's great religions, empathic consciousness extended to those of like-minded religious affiliation. Jews empathized with Jews, Christians with Christians, Muslims with Muslims, etc. In the modern market economy and nation-state era, the empathic embrace extended to people sharing a common national identity. American empathized with Americans, Germans with Germans, Japanese with Japanese, etc.
Today, distributed information and communication technologies are bringing together the entire human race in an extended family. Is it so difficult, then, to imagine a leap to biosphere consciousness and the extension of empathy to our species as a whole and to the other creatures that cohabit this planet with us? Think for a moment, about the global empathic response when a young college pre-med student was gunned down in the protests that followed the flawed Iranian election. Within minutes, millions of college students around the world were viewing a cell-phone video of the killing and were extending their empathy to the young people in Iran. Or consider the release of the video showing a polar bear and her cub stranded on an ice floe in the arctic because of global warming. Millions of youngsters around the world instantly empathized with the plight of the mother and her cub.
Schoolchildren everywhere are learning that their everyday behavior--the food they eat, the electricity they use, the family car they drive in, and myriad other consumer habits intimately affect the wellbeing of every other human being and every other creature on Earth. This is the emergence of biosphere consciousness and the beginning of the next stage of our evolutionary journey as an empathic being.
Now we need to prepare the groundwork for an empathic civilization that is compatible with our core nature. This will require a rethinking of parenting styles, reforming our educational system, reinventing our business models, and transforming our governing institutions so that the way we live our lives is attuned to and, in accord with, our fundamentally empathic nature.
Lest we think this is an impossible task, consider again the global empathic outpouring for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Then ask, why we can't harness that same global empathic embrace, not only to rescue victims of natural disasters, but also to raise generations of empathic global citizens who can live together in relative peace and harmony in a biosphere world.
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