Thursday, November 28, 2019

Astronomers Count Galaxies in the Cosmos

Astronomers Count Galaxies in the Cosmos How many galaxies are there in the cosmos? Thousands? Millions? More? Those are questions that astronomers revisit every few years. Periodically they count galaxies using sophisticated telescopes and techniques. Each time they do a new galactic census, they find more of these stellar cities than they did before. So, how many are there? It turns out that, thanks to some work done using Hubble Space Telescope, there are billions and billions of them. There could be up to 2 trillion...and counting. In fact, the universe is more vast than astronomers thought, too. The idea of billions and billions of galaxies may make the universe sound much bigger and more populated than ever. But, the more interesting news here is that there are fewer galaxies today than there were in the early universe. Which seems rather odd. What happened to the rest? The answer lies in the term merger. Over time, galaxies formed and merged with each other to form larger ones. So, the many galaxies we see today are what we have left after billions of years of evolution. The History of Galaxy Counts Back at the turn of the 19th century into the 20th, astronomers thought there was only one galaxy - our Milky Way - and that it was the entirety of the universe. They saw other odd, nebulous things in the sky that they called spiral nebulae, but it never occurred to them that these might be very distant galaxies. That all changed in the 1920s, when astronomer Edwin Hubble, using work done on calculating distances to stars using variable stars by astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, found a star that lay in a distant spiral nebula. It was farther away than any star in our own galaxy. That observation told him that the spiral nebula, which we know today as the Andromeda Galaxy, was not part of our own Milky Way. It was another galaxy. With that momentous observation, the number of known galaxies doubled to two. Astronomers were off to the races finding more and more galaxies.   Today, astronomers see galaxies as far as their telescopes  can see. Every part of the distant universe seems to be chock full of galaxies. They show up in all shapes, from irregular globs of light to spirals and ellipticals. As they study galaxies, astronomers have traced the ways they have formed and evolved. Theyve seen how galaxies merge, and what happens when they do. And, they know that our own Milky Way and Andromeda will merge in the distant future.  Each time they learn something new, whether its about our galaxy or some distant one, it adds to their understanding of how these large-scale structures behave. Galaxy Census Since Hubbles time, astronomers have found many other galaxies as their telescopes got better and better. Periodically they would take a census of galaxies. The latest census work, done by Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories, continues to identify more galaxies at greater distances. As find more of these stellar cities, astronomers get a better idea of how they form, merge, and evolve. However, even as they find evidence of more galaxies, it turns out that astronomers can only see about 10 percent of the galaxies they know are out there. Whats going on with that? Many more galaxies that cant be seen or detected with present-day telescopes and techniques. An astonishing 90 percent of the galaxy census falls into this unseen category. Eventually, they will be seen, with telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which will be able to detect their light (which turns out to be ultra-faint and much of it in the infrared portion of the spectrum). Fewer Galaxies Means Less to Light up Space So, while the universe has at least 2 trillion galaxies, the fact that it used to have MORE galaxies in the early days may also explain one of the most intriguing questions asked by astronomers: if theres so much light in the universe, why is the sky dark at night? This is known as Olbers Paradox (named for the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers, who first posed the question). The answer may well be because of those missing galaxies. Starlight from the most distant and oldest galaxies may well be invisible to our eyes for a variety of reasons, including the reddening of light due to the expansion of space, the universe’s dynamic nature, and the absorption of light by intergalactic dust and gas. If you combine these factors with other processes that reduce our ability to see visible and ultraviolet (and infrared) light from the most distant galaxies, these could all provide the answer to why we see a dark sky at night. The study of galaxies continues, and in the next few decades, its likely that astronomers will revise their census of these behemoths yet again.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Copenhagen Zoo killed Marius the giraffe and four lions.

The Copenhagen Zoo killed Marius the giraffe and four lions. When the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark  killed Marius the giraffe  on February 9, 2014, the public outrage was instantaneous and worldwide. Marius was dissected in front of a public audience, including children, and then fed to the zoos lions. The furor had barely cooled down when, on March 24, 2014, the same zoo  killed four healthy lions, including some who had feasted on Marius remains.   Unfortunately, animals born at zoos do not always get to live their lives out fully.  David Williams-Mitchell, a spokesperson for the  European Association of Zoos and Aquaria,  told CNN that approximately  3,000 to 5,000 animals are killed each year at EAZA zoos. Of these, several hundred are large animals like giraffes and lions, while the majority are smaller animals, including insects and rodents. According to The Independent, five giraffes have been killed in Danish zoos since 2012, as well as  22 healthy zebras, four hippos and two Arabian Oryx throughout Europe. Although policies of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums are different from those of the EAZA, the animals in American zoos do not always live out their lives at the zoo. Marius the Giraffe    Marius was a healthy, two year old giraffe who was killed by the Copenhagen Zoo  to prevent inbreeding. Although other zoos had offered to take in Marius, one already had Marius brother (making Marius genetically redundant at that zoo), and the others were not accredited by the EAZA. Lesley Dickie, Executive Director of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, explained in a CNN op ed that Marius would be unlikely to survive in the wild; sterilization for male giraffes can lead to undesirable side-effects  and contraception for female giraffes is difficult, in its infancy, can can be irreversible. Dickie and Copenhagen Zoo officials have repeatedly pointed out that the killing of Marius was within EAZA guidelines.   The zoo and their staff have received death threats and threats to burn down the zoo. Four Lions Killed at Copenhagen Zoo    A few weeks.after killing Marius, the Copenhagen Zoo killed a family of four healthy lions - two parents and their cubs. The zoo had brought in a new, young male to mate with the 18-month-old females who had been born at the zoo, and did not want the young females to mate with their own father.  The zoo argues that the new male would have killed the adult male and two young cubs, as part of a male lions natural behavior of killing all the cubs  and killing the adult male when he takes over a new pride of lions.   The zoo claims that no other zoos were interested in taking the lion family. The justifications for killing the lions have focused on the animals natural behavior, but killing the lions is hardly natural. In the wild, the new male would have to oust the male head of the pride before taking over. This would happen only if the new male were stronger.  Survival of the fittest keeps the species strong as it continues to evolve.   While a new, stronger male would have killed the existing male and the young cubs,  this explanation fails to  address why the older female lion was killed. Controversy . While animal rights activist oppose keeping animals in zoos regardless of their breeding and killing policies, the practice of killing excess animals is especially objectionable and draws public outrage. If thousands of animals are killed every year, why did Marius death garner so much media coverage? It may have been because Marius was dissected and butchered in front of a public audience, and then fed to lions. The controversy, however, was not centered around the dissection and butchering, but on the reasons the giraffe was killed. As Dickie points out, a zoos resources are finite. They knew or should have known in advance that Marius would be genetically undesirable for breeding and yet they allowed Marius parents to breed. The arguments against sterilization or transferring Marius are unconvincing. The British zoo that wanted Marius is capable of making their own determination as to whether Marius was valuable, and the problems with sterilization cannot be worse than death. The whole problem appears to stem from the zoos desire to feature baby animals, even if allowing the animals to reproduce leads to overbreeding, overcrowding and killing.   Supporters of the zoo point out that lions are regularly fed meat from dead animals, and many critics of the zoo are not vegetarian. However, whether some critics of the zoo are hypocrites is a separate issue from whether the zoo was right in killing Marius. Animal rights activists do not believe in keeping any animals in zoos (not be confused with sanctuaries), and are vegan, so there is no inconsistency in the animal rights position.   After the four lions were killed, humor website The Global Edition published a satirical  piece,  Copenhagen Zoo Kills Four Healthy Staff Members To Make Space For New Employees. American Zoos and Aquariums While European zoos would rather allow the animals to naturally reproduce and kill excess animals, American zoos prefer contraception. Regarding Marius killing,  the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums stated in a press release,  Incidents of that sort do not happen at AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, pointing out that AZA-accredited zoos minimize overbreeding. AZA zoos do sometimes overbreed, leading to animals being sold to unaccredited zoos, circuses, and even canned hunting operations.   Jack Hanna,  director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, called the killing of Marius the most abominable, insensitive, ridiculous thing Ive ever heard of. What is the solution?    Many have argued that Marius could have been sterilized, that his parents could have been sterilized, or that Marius should have been transferred to another zoo. The lions could have also gone to another zoo, the zoo could have built a second lion enclosure,  or the zoo could have passed on bringing in the new lion. While these solutions may have saved these five lives, the issue is bigger than these five animals. Keeping animals in captivity, regardless of whether they are bred, overbred, or intentionally killed,  violates the animals rights  to live their lives free of human use and exploitation. From an animal rights viewpoint, the solution is to boycott zoos and all animal cruelty, and go vegan.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Sales - fairmont royal York Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales - fairmont royal York - Assignment Example rom this above provided list of services one can appropriately understand about the types of services along with the level of quality that this hotel chain has to provide with the prime intention of retaining its market presence. Appropriate provision of all these services also requires the availability of trained staff members the details regarding, which has been mentioned in the later sub parts (FRHIb, 2014). Appropriate maintenance of a large hospitality chain such as ‘Fairmont Royal York’ requires the presence of highly efficient staff members who should be capable of catering to every specific hospitality requirement of the clients. Likewise, the sales personals associated with this hospitality chain should also have to evaluate and quantifiably analyze the expectation of the customers while rendering the services to them. Embedded steps within the entire customer convincing procedures, include the imparting precise knowledge to the customers regarding all the services that have been structured by the Fairmont Royal York. The sales personals should also provide the customers with appropriate suggestion regarding which packages they should be choosing. An instance in this context can be provided by taking reference of the variety of accommodation packages being provided by this hotel chain. In this context, the sales personal might take assistance of the ecommerce website of this hospitality chain for clarifying all the possible confusions of the customers. Regardless of tall these, the sales personals associated with this hotel should also have the capability of analyzing the pre-existent market information regarding other similar types of hospitality chains through which they can impart better developmental suggestion towards ‘Fairmont Royal York’ (FRHIc, 2014). Rather than just concentrating on a single emergent or matured product, this hospitality chain endorses a variety of emergent and well established services upon which the strategies related

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

What Changes Have Taken Place during the 20th CenturyThe impact of Essay

What Changes Have Taken Place during the 20th CenturyThe impact of historical developments to culture - Essay Example The affluent families have larger homes now, and each member of the family has their own room, keeping them more cut off from each other. The interchanging roles of women in the society could also be seen as a culture change. The traditional role of women was challenged in the mid 20s, as women became members of the working force, thereby changing the culture of matriarchal society. During the turn of the 20th century that is, from 1900 to 1990, remarkable things were invented that changed the lives of the American people, and eventually the world (American History Timeline). This era brought inventions such as light bulb, the telephone, the photograph, the automobile and in later years, the airliners, motorways, supertankers, radio, television, antibiotics, frozen food, computers, the Internet, and mobile telephones. All of these developments have greatly affected the people and its culture. Also at the beginning of the 20th century, the feeling of discrimination based on race and sex was still rife. Although slave trade has ended by the end of the 19th century, the pressure for equality rights for Africans in the white society of America still persisted. At the end of this era, women won equal rights and have the same rights as men anywhere. The time line for the start of cultural change starts in 1900 to 1990.(American Cultural History). In 1910, the way people moved from a place to another was dictated by 8000 automobiles that travelled in a 10 miles of paved road. In 1920, it will take 13 days from California to reach New York in the paved road of 387,000 miles. This time also marked the beginning wherein Americans started to become interested in arts and paintings. Europe has a big influence on American artists as this is the place where they went to learn how to paint. Realism and Impressions were the designs popularized by American Artists like Sergeant, Winslow Homer, Charles Rusell and Frederick Hamilton. Their paintings depicted self-portrait, American lifestyles and landscapes which were framed and were hung onto the American homes(ACH). Kodak invented by George Eastman made the greatest impact in the 20th century because it was able to record important events in their lives. Photography was used to document l ives of important people, places of interests, and personalities. During the 19th century, photography was started as a trade and was left in the hands of professionals. This trade did not require any license and all that is needed to begin the trade is buy the equipment, follow the procedural instructions, and then proceed. The openness of the trade changed the culture of painting tradition into the more sophisticated art of photography(Gartner, Gretchen) Beautiful straight and low designed homes

Monday, November 18, 2019

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

LAW - Essay Example The element reality of the consent, on the other hand, refers to the requirement that the consent by either or all parties must not have been vitiated by any misrepresentation, fraudulent or otherwise, whilst the capacity to contract is a personal requirement on the part of the parties of the contract that they do not possess any legal disqualifications to enter into it. A disqualification for example is minority. Finally, the legality of the contract refers to the ability of the contract and its terms to hold before the law. Put in other words, the contract must not be legally invalid (Mead, Sagar & Back p 56). The problem at bar, calls for the application of the laws of contract formation particularly on the validity of acceptances and offers. The problem at hand concerns the initial phase of contract-making which is the formation of the contract. The problem here lies in the fact that there was a mix-up of the different elements of the agreement like offer and acceptance and the problem seeks to determine whether there was a valid formation of a contract and with which parties. The problem involves UCL Property Developers, the inviting party, and two companies vying for the building contract: the DC Builders, and; the GB Construction. The order of events is: first, UCL gave out invitations to tender to building contractors for the construction of its administration offices; second, DC Builders and GB Construction were the lowest bidders and pre-qualifiers for  £ 2, 250,000, and  £ 2, 410,000, respectively and each attached its own conditions and terms distinct from UCL’s; third, UCL awarded DC with the contract, in a letter, but for a slightly less amount and in accordance with its own terms; fourth, DC threatened to withdraw its offer if UCL does not amend acceptance within five days; fifth, DC formally

Friday, November 15, 2019

Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Overview

Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Overview Elizabeth Rogers Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard History The origins of the Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard, or METS, can be traced back to a 1996 attempt by The University of California Berkley to address the institutions inability to rebind pages of a book once they had been digitized. The program created by UC Berkley, called Ebind, was not successful. However, it paved the way for another attempt at solving this problem, the Making of America II Project. This project, started in 1998, was taken on by several U.S. universities, including UC Berkley (McDonough, 2005). While MOA2 was a step in the right direction towards the organization of digital objects, it was discovered that MOA2 had limited ability to fulfill this role. In 2001, a group of libraries working on digital library development programs decided that a replacement for MOA2 was needed, which led to the development of METS (McDonough, 2005). Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Importance and Significance When an institution creates metadata for a resource, particularly a book, the metadata can be used to aide users in finding the book, and helps the library keep an accurate account of its collection and holdings. However, if the library fails to create accurate structural metadata, that does not mean the resource is lost or that the pages of the book will be forever separated. The same cannot be said of books once they are digitized. When a book is digitized, each page becomes a separate resource, and before the creation of METS, there was no encoding standard that provided a platform to create the structural metadata necessary to digitally bind these resources to ensure that they would be findable and able to used and evaluated as a cohesive unit (METS: An Overview Tutorial, 2016). Brad Westbrook, a librarian at the University of California in San Diego, describes METS as an XML standard that is a type of digital wrapper. It functions to relate the components of a digital resource (Rose, 2005). METS was specifically created for the digital library community to allow for the digitization and encoding of complex digital objects, like books or presentations. These resources can contain a variety of parts as well as different types of files. For example, one presentation can contain text files, images, video, and sound files. Using the structural metadata elements included in METS, institutions can ensure that all components of a resource are linked, even if they are stored in different places. METS also enables institutions to use structural metadata to control the presentation of resources and ensure that the objects are presented in the way they were intended to be (Rose, 2005). As previously stated, METS was born out of MOA2. METS did not replace MOA2, but rather built upon the work that had already been done. One of the major shortcomings of MOA2 was its lack of flexibility at the local level with administrative and descriptive metadata elements. METS allows for flexibility at the local level with administrative and descriptive metadata, as it does not require either of these to be included in an objects METS document. If descriptive or administrative metadata are used, METS does not require the use of controlled vocabularies for many elements, and allows for the use of whatever metadata element set the record creator chooses, furthering its increased flexibility over MOA2 (McDonough, 2005). Additionally, MOA2 was limited by its ability to encode only texts and still image media. MOA2 was unable to encode audio or video resources. Even in 2001, this would pose a significant challenge to any library with a well-developed collection that was serious about di gitizing all of its resources (McDonough, 2005). METS gives institutions and repositories the ability to encode audio and video resources, in addition to print objects. Finally, METS was created to allow for improved sharing of digital objects between repositories, which MOA2 could not facilitate (McDonough, 2005). Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Schema Description METS documents are created using XML, so that the document is machine readable. A METS document can include up to seven sections, METS header, descriptive metadata, administrative metadata, file inventory, structural map, structural links, and a behaviors section. The only required, and most important, section for a METS document is the structural map. The structural map defines a hierarchical structure for a digital object, this section is where the relationship between the digital objects files is described. The information found in this section is what allows users to more easily look through a digital object, much in the way a user would look through a physical book. The structural map can also links the objects digital files back to their descriptive and administrative metadata (McDonough, 2005). The structural map is a unique aspect of this scheme because it can be represented by an actual diagram that illustrates the relationships between the parts of an object and the objects metadata. Another unique section of the METS document is the structural links section. This section is generally used in the archiving of websites. It allows the document creator to record hyperlinks between items in the structural map. A METS structural map can show the page hierarchy of a website, showing the relationship between a parent page and subsequent child pages underneath it. The structural links section allows for the recording of links between the child pages that would not be displayed in a traditional hierarchical organizational structure (METS: An Overview Tutorial, 2016). The behaviors section of a METS document is used to record behavioral metadata. This section records any metadata related to software or applications that may be needed to view, or use, a digital object. The behaviors section enables institutions to exercise control over how users experience a digital object. However, this section can also create significant challenges for repositories. Software and applicat ions change consistently and often, rapidly. If a behavior changes, a repository manager would need to modify the record for every object associated with this behavior (McDonough, 2005). The seven required sections of a METS document are also some of the top level elements used in METS. Other elements unique to METS include, structural requirements, technical requirements, maintenance agency, behavior files, and description rules. This is a departure from other schemas that tend to include top level elements that lend themselves solely towards descriptive metadata. In METS, these traditional descriptive elements are found within the descriptive metadata element. Here, elements from Dublin Core, MARC, MODS, EAD and VRA can be wrapped inside METS sub elements to describe the digital work (METS: An Overview Tutorial, 2016). This distinction is important because it reinforces that while METS does allow for the inclusion of descriptive metadata, its focus is on the administrative and structural metadata that is necessary to maintain the objects original structure and presentation. Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Resources METS Schema Documentation. (2016, August 9). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/mets-schemadocs.html Schema Documentation. (2011, July 1). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/profile_docs/mets.profile.v1-2.html METS: An Overview Tutorial. (2016, February 9). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/METSOverview.v2.html#structlink Rose, Trish. (Summer 2005). METS: A Data Standard for Access and Preservation Now and Into the Future. Digital Letters, 8, 1-4. McDonough, Jerome. (2006, February 1). METS: standardized encoding for digital library objects. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 148-158. Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Example Alabama blues Lomax, Alan 1915-2002 Recordist Hurston, Zora Neale Recordist Barnicle, Mary Elizabeth 1891-1978 Recordist Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Conclusion METS was created in response to a void in the Library and Information Science community, with respect to archiving digital objects. Repositories that curate digital objects are tasked with organizing and disseminating a number of resources that can far exceed the collections of institutions with only physical objects in their collections. Once objects become digitized, they also present the unique challenge of taking on characteristics they did not possess as physical objects. In addition to their physical characteristics, these objects now have digital characteristics as well. Ensuring the that the integrity of the objects remain intact is important, if the objects are going to best serve patrons and users. The encoding scheme provided by METS enables institutions to organize and display vast collections of digital objects, while maintaining the objects integrity. METS achieved the flexibility that institutions felt MOA2 was lacking. However, one of the challenges presented by increased flexibility can be decreased interoperability. The lack of controlled vocabularies and required schema elements in METS makes it more difficult for individual repositories to share digital objects that have been encoded using METS. The future of METS will be focused on overcoming this challenge, and working towards interoperability between repositories. Jerome McDonough suggests that the creation of METS profiles by institutions is a step that can be taken on the road towards interoperability. In a METS profile document, institutions can detail restrictions on, and guidelines for, creating METS documents. Institutions can include directions about the schema and controlled vocabularies that should be used in the creation of METS documents. Additionally, McDonough suggests that a METS profile could contain guidelines for the forms that should be used for digital objects. This way, repositories could easily communicate with each other regarding the forms of objects that can accept and give. (McDonough, 2006). The LOCs METS website already has information on developing a METS profile for a digital object and describes the requirements for a complete profile. The requirements laid out by the LOC for a METS profile include information about an objects title and creation date, contact information, related profiles, profile context, external schema, rules of description, controlled vocabularies, structural requirements, technical requirements, tools and applications, and examples. (METS Profile Components, 2011). As more institutions start to adopt this profile format, they will be able to move towards increased sharing of metadata and records. Categories for the Description of Works of Art History Cataloging non-print items has always proved challenging for the Library and Information Science community. The uniqueness of the objects held by galleries and museums makes standardization and interoperability difficult. As a possible answer to this conundrum, Categories for the Description of Works of Art, or CDWA was developed. CDWA can trace its roots back to the early 1990s when it was created by the Art Information Task Force, also known as the AITF. This task force was comprised of art historians, museum curators and registrars, visual resource professionals, art librarians, information managers, and technical specialists. CDWA is the basis for CDWA Lite, an XML schema used to describe works of art that was developed out of CDWA (Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Introduction, 2015). Categories for the Description of Work of Art Importance and Significance The art documentation and museum communities realized that developing a data structure standard for the explicit purpose of describing art, architecture, and material culture was a necessity (Baca, 2007). As the community was developing and changing, so was its need to describe its collections and holdings. Traditional data structure standards and schema, such as MARC, were primarily intended to describe textual works, as evidenced by the data element sets that include elements such as creator and publisher. These elements simply dont apply to visual works of art. In contrast the CDWA includes 532 categories and subcategories directly related to visual works of art (Baca, 2007). It was important for this community to develop a schema that had a wide variety of categories because repositories, like art museums that hold a wide variety of objects. Art objects can include textiles, paintings, pottery, sculpture, and works of architecture just to name a few. With the development of CDWA this community finally had the data structure standard it needed. However, CDWA is not able to be expressed in a machine-readable form. To be able to make this data machine readable, and thus more sharable, another standard needed to be developed by this community. In response to this need, CDWA Lite was created. Now, the art documentation and museum communities had an XML schema that was based off CDWA. Though this schema does not contain as many categories and subcategories and CDWA, CDWA Lite still achieves great depth and flexibility with over 300 elements and sub elements (Baca, 2007). Categories for the Description of Works of Art Schema Description The Getty Institute describes the purpose of CDWA on its website stating, The Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA) are a set of guidelines for best practice in cataloging and describing works of art, architecture, other material culture, groups and collections of works, and related images, arranged in a conceptual framework that may be used for designing databases and accessing information (Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Introduction, 2015). The category/subcategory sets for CDWA are vast and allow for detailed and accurate descriptions of these types of collections and holdings. CDWA has several core categories that are strongly recommended to be included in the description of a work using this schema. While the IATF states that they feel the core categories represent the minimum information necessary to uniquely and unambiguously identify and describe a particular work of art or architecture, they concede that ultimately which core categories to in clude should depend on a particular institutions purpose and users (CDWA List of Categories and Definitions, 2014). The core categories in CDWA are object/work, classification, title or names, creation, measurements, materials and techniques, subject matter, current location, related textual references, person/corporate body authority, place/location authority, generic concept authority, and subject authority (Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Categories, 2014). These categories clearly lend themselves to describing works of art and differentiate this schema from others like Dublin Core or MARC. In contrast, CDWA Lite requires fewer elements, presenting instead a core description of the object (Baca, 2007). Per its website Getty explains that the purpose of CDWA Lite is to describe a format for core records for works of art and material culture, based on the data elements and guidelines contained in the Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA) and Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO) (CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol, 2006). Records created with CDWA Lite are less detailed that those created using CDWA intentionally, so that they represent the essence of the work. Murtha Baca of the Getty Research institute says The goal of the CDWA Lite schema is to provide core descriptive metadata about cultural works-i.e., an essential metadata record that can be easily shared and contributed to union resources and that provides enough information to enable users to understand what the work is and what instituti on owns it (Baca, 2007). The core categories recommended by the IATF for CDWA are the basis for the twenty-two high level elements in the CDWA Lite schema. In this schema elements 1-19 deal with descriptive metadata and elements 20-22 deal with administrative metadata. (CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol, 2006). Within CDWA Lite, only nine of the twenty-two top level elements are required. These elements are, object/work type wrapper, title wrapper, display creator, indexing creator wrapper, display materials/techniques, indexing dates wrapper, location/repository wrapper, and record wrapper (CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol, 2006). One of most unique features of CDWA and CDWA Lite is that within the required categories and elements, there are recommended sub elements and sub categories. For example, within the creation category for CDWA the following sub categories are also strongly recommended, creator description, creator identity, creator role, creation date, earliest date, and latest date. (CDWA List of Categories and Definitions, 2014). There are considerably more recommended categories and subcategories required by CDWA than other metadata schemas I have encountered thus far. The inclusion of such a wide variety of elements and sub elements is essential when an institution holds objects in its collection that all possess distinct characteristics. Another interesting aspect of this schema is the harvesting ability of CDWA Lite. CDWA Lite records foster interoperability between museums and other institutions that use the Open Archives Initiative, or OAI by allowing repositories to harvest metadata from one another (CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol, 2006). According to Murtha Baca of the Getty Research Institute this is an advantage because the metadata comes from (or should come from) the institution that owns the corresponding objects or items, and is therefore accurate and authoritative (Baca, 2007). As was mentioned earlier, an XML record that is created using CDWA Lite represents only the most core information about the work. This was done to make the harvesting of metadata using this schema achievable and manageable (Baca, 2007). Categories for the Description of Works of Art Resources Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Introduction. (2015, October 6). Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/introduction.html Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Categories. (2014, April 9). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/categories.html Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA). (2012, August 9). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www2.archivists.org/groups/standards-committee/categories-for-the-description-of-works-of-art-cdwa CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol. (2006, July 17). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/cdwalite.pdf Baca, Murtha. (Spring 2007). CCO and CDW Lite: Complementary Data Content and Data Format Standards for Art and Material Culture Information. VRA Bulltein, Vol. 34, Number 1, 1-8. Categories for the Description of Works of Art Example 12345 http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1091.html 12346 http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1092.html 98077 full view, oblique view from the right front corner general view oblique view 1996 98076 detail of the desktop with inlaid coat of arms overhead view detail view coat of arms Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard Conclusion Museums and art institutions recognized the need for a cataloging system that enabled them to accurately represent the works held in their collections which led to the development of CDWA. As more institutions and repositories began to develop digital collections, a new need also arose. Institutions that previously had distinct collections found themselves having the same digitized copies of works in their online repositories. Interoperability, which wasnt as a great of a need before now needed to be realized. It was this realization that led CDWA Lite. Both CDWA and CDWA Lite have element and sub element sets with a great amount of depth that are specific to describing works of art. Within CDWA this allows for the development of rich and accurate records. Within both CDWA and CDWA Lite the element and sub element sets allow institutions to use one system to catalog a variety of works that have dissimilar properties. This need sets this community apart from the library and archival communities which mainly house textual objects. These schemas rely heavily on descriptive metadata, and most of the elements in the CDWA and CDWA Lite element sets fall under the descriptive metadata umbrella. Through CDWA Lite institutions are also able to harvest metadata from each other, enabling museums and art repositories to create accurate and up to date records for digitized works. CDWA and CDWA Lite are still relatively young schemas, CDWA just reached is barely twenty years old. Considering the future of the schemas, one change that may come for CDWA Lite is the inclusion of more of the elements and sub elements from CDWA (CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol, 2006). Adding more elements to CDWA Lite would enable museums to make the metadata for more of the objects in their collections harvestable and would increase the quality of the harvested metadata. It will be exciting to see how this schema develops and continues to improve standardized cataloging and interoperability in the museums and art repository communities. Works Cited: Baca, Murtha. (Spring 2007). CCO and CDW Lite: Complementary Data Content and Data Format Standards for Art and Material Culture Information. VRA Bulltein, Vol. 34, Number 1, 1-8. Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Introduction. (2015, October 6). Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/introduction.html Categories for the Description of Works of Art: Categories. (2014, April 9). Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/categories.html Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA). (2012, August 9). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www2.archivists.org/groups/standards-committee/categories-for-the-description-of-works-of-art-cdwa CDWA List of Categories and Definitions. (2014). Retrievied March 23, 2017 from https://getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/definitions.pdf CDWA Lite: Specification for an XML Schema for Contributing Records via the OAI Harvesting Protocol. (2006, July 17). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/cdwalite.pdf McDonough, Jerome. (2006, February 1). METS: standardized encoding for digital library objects. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 148-158. METS Example Documents. (2016, February 9). Retrieved March 14, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/mets-examples.html METS: An Overview Tutorial. (2016, February 9). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/METSOverview.v2.html#structlink METS Schema Documentation. (2016, August 9). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/mets-schemadocs.html Rose, Trish. (Summer 2005). METS: A Data Standard for Access and Preservation Now and Into the Future. Digital Letters, 8, 1-4. Schema Documentation. (2011, July 1). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/profile_docs/mets.profile.v1-2.html

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Ethical Leadership versus a Written Ethics Code Essay -- Ethics, Busin

Ethics, which is less commonly known to us as moral philosophy, is an affiliation of philosophy that talks about issues of morality, concepts such as crime and justice, good and evil go hand in hand with morality. Ethics plays a major part in society and it is the way people behave in certain situations, over the years it has come under the spotlight through numerous situations. In this essay I will discuss whether a written code of ethics combined with ethics training is more effective than strong ethical leadership and vice versa. In an organisation ethics are supposed to set standards as to what is the right thing to do in conduct and decision making however this is not always the case. Over the years different scandals have occurred which have shown that companies and in particular the people that run them are not at all ethical and only seek to maximize profits. Economical analysts throughout the years have suggested that the way to avoid such incidents is by either having a code of ethics along with ethics training or through strong ethical leadership. A code of ethics is written in order to help members of an organisation behave in an acceptable way within their given organisation. At the same time a code of ethics can help improve the popularity of the company due to the fact that it will be seen more favourable in the eyes of the public and of course the people that work in it. In addition, it will increase confidence within an organisation by showing to their rivals and the public that they are committed to following ethical guidelines. Firstly, a code of ethics is similar to the ACAS code of practice that is used in the government, however a code of ethics is strictly applied to the parameters of an organisation or ... ...ng to enhance the reputation of their company by being ethically faultless. Works Cited †¢ Anonymous, (nd) â€Å"Value based leadership.† Holt Cat, [Online] available from: http://www.holtcat.com/about_us/values_based_leadership.aspx [Accessed 29th November 2011] †¢ Daft, R., Kendrick, M. and Vershinina, N., 2008. Management, 8th ed. South-Western Higher Education. †¢ Daft, R. and Marcic, D., 2004. Understanding Management, 4th ed. South-Western Higher Education. †¢ Isidore, C., October 7, 2005 â€Å"Boeing CEO out in sex scandal.† CNN Money, [Online] available from: http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/07/news/fortune500/boeing_ceo/ [Accessed 30th November 2011] †¢ Wee, H., April 11, 2002 â€Å"Corporate Ethics: Right Makes Might.† Bloomberg Businessweek, [Online] available from: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2002/nf20020411_6350.htm [Accessed 30th November 2011]