Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials

Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers Who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability Hillary Evansa Morgan Gettya Cortney M. Leonea Michael Finneyb Angela Frasera* aDepartment of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA bDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA ABSTRACT word count Huma noroviruses sicken 19-21 million people in the U.S. each year, suggesting the need for education. The World Wide Web is a readily accessible source of information about how to prevent a norovirus infection but at present the accuracy and readability of materials targeting consumers is unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of web-based norovirus education materials targeting consumers using CDC guidelines and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Our search yielded 60 artifacts. Most did not address duration of handwashing (83%), use of hand sanitizers (83%), type of drying devices (92%), or avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%). Less than half (n=29) recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Two-thirds of the artifacts (n=40) also did not mention the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with Noroviruses. The mean Flesch Reading Ease scor e was 47.75 (score of >70 is easy to read), and the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 10.36 so documents were written at a 10th grade level. The alignment and readability of web-based educational materials about Noroviruses must be improved as knowledge is a prerequisite to application of behaviors that can prevent one from becoming infected with Noroviruses. Key words: Huma noroviruses, content analysis, consumer education, food safety, readability Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability INTRODUCTION Worldwide, noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. In the U.S., an estimated 21 million individuals (1 in 14) are sickened each year by this group of viruses resulting in $777 million in healthcare costs (Hall et al., 2013). Most reported outbreaks are attributed to person-to-person contact (69%) followed by the consumption of contaminated food (23%) making noroviruses the most common cause of foodborne disease (58% of cases) in the U.S. ((Hall, Wikswo, Pringle, Gould, Parashar, 2014; Scallan et al, 2011). Results from a nationally representative survey of 1051 U.S. adults revealed that consumers are not aware of noroviruses and have limited knowledge about how to prevent an infection. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported awareness of noroviruses, and 85% had heard of the terms cruise ship virus, the stomach bug, or the stomach flu, which are commonly used to describe norovirusess (Cates, Kosa, Brophy, Hall, Fraser, 2015). Less than one-third (341) correctly answered 50% or more of the 22 true-and-false questions, suggesting consumers have limited knowledge on how to prevent a norovirus infection. These findings support the need to provide consumers with accurate and complete information about noroviruses as knowledge is a prerequisite to implementation of a behavior (DiClemente et al., 1989; Fisher Fisher, 1992). The World Wide Web (hereafter referred to as the Web) is one way to reach consumers with information about how to prevent a norovirus infection. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of U.S. adults use the internet, and of those, 72 percent use the Web to seek health information (Pew Research Center, 2014). While the internet has accelerated the speed and spread of information, it also has a downside allowing the dissemination and diffusion of information without checks and balances, peer review, and/or fact checking. Three studies that evaluated health information available online reported a lack of quality information characterized by accuracy of content and/or appropriate design and usability (Berland et al., 2001; Scullard, Peacock, Davies, 2010; Irwin et al., 2011). Moreover, a systematic review of medical information further supported the above-mentioned authors conclusions that there is a lack of high-quality sites on the Web that offer complete and accurate information on various heal th topics (Eysenbach, Powell, Kuss, Sa, 2002). One problem with inaccurate or misleading health information being so accessible on the Web is that the user of this information might implement recommendations that have no effect on preventing the targeted disease or condition or even worse one might implement recommendations that cause harm (Ilic, 2010). In addition to providing accurate and complete information, it is also important to determine if recommendations, or changes that might become recommendations in the near future, are relevant and practical under real-world conditions. Another problem is the readability of the text. If the text is not easy to read its usability is greatly diminished. To illustrate how wide ranging this problem could be one needs to simply read the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), released in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education. The authors report that 30 million adults struggle with basic reading tasks, which represents nearly 10% of the U.S. population (Kutner, Greenburg, Jin, Paulsen, 2006). Within the context of health information, Kessels (2003) pointed out that 40-80% of information provided to patients by health professionals is forgotten immediately not only because terminology is too difficult to understand but often too much information is presented at one time leading to poor recall. One conclusion is that when text is too difficult to read, the reader could become frustrated hence they stop reading, hence the purpose of the materials is not achieved improving knowledge. Using the results of a readability formula is also recommended by experts to guide the development of written work as it is recommended to write documents for U.S. adults at the 7th grade level and documents about health, medicine, or safety at the 5th grade level (DuBay, 2004). As an assessment tool, one of the several dozen readability formulas are useful and convenient but must be employed with caution. These formulas determine the grade level demand of specific written information based on an analysis of sentence structure and word length. But, readability does not necessarily guarantee comprehension, which is the degree to which one understands what they have read (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Assessing comprehension is a much more complex task, which is why readability is more commonly used as a general indicator of how easy a document is to read. Therefore, we assert that if consumer education materials are aligned with evidence-based guidance documents and are easy to read, the reader is more likely to engage in behaviors known to prevent Noroviruses. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of Noroviruses consumer education materials available on the Web using evidence-based guidance documents and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Two research questions guided our study: 1) Are noroviruses materials targeting consumers who handle food aligned with the three prevention strategies for noroviruses recommended in CDC guidance documents? and 2) Are materials written at the recommended grade level for health-related documents (5th grade level)? Our study findings can be used to inform the revision or creation of consumer education materials that focus on preventing a norovirus infection. METHODS To be included in the sample, eligible educational materials (referred to as artifacts hereafter) were published between January 1, 2011 and May 23, 2013 and: 1) target adult consumers, 2) pertain to preparing food in the home, and 3) be available via Advanced Search of Google.com. The start date of our search was chosen because in January 2011, Scallan et al. (2011) reported that Noroviruses causes 58% of foodborne disease in the U.S. We excluded artifacts directed toward children and those formatted as blogs, news articles, theses, dissertations, research articles, Wikipedia entries, question/answer sites, forums, and continuing education training materials. We conducted a Google.com Advanced Search using the following search string: Norovirus AND food handling AND food preparation. Food-related terms were chosen as we assumed this would narrow our findings to artifacts that address preventing Norovirus infections related to food preparation in the home. Artifacts were sorted by re levance, and two team members screened each artifact based on inclusion criteria. All eligible artifacts were downloaded as Portable Document Format (PDF) files or HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files. A coding manual comprised of 71 items divided into four topic areas was created. The topic areas included: 1) identifying information, 2) format (including readability statistics), 3) content (including food safety hazards), and 4) prevention strategies. The items in Table 1 assess three prevention strategies outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for preventing and managing a norovirus infection: 1) hand hygiene, 2) exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and 3) environmental sanitation (Hall et al., 2011). While these guidelines were designed for use in health care and not home settings, at the time of the analysis we believed and continue to believe they were the best source of evidence-based information to prevent norovirus infections. A corresponding SurveyMonkey ® (Survey Monkey Inc., Paolo Alto, CA) instrument served as the coding sheet. Four trained coders independently conducted a pilot-test of the coding manual. Inconsistencies or ambiguities found in the manual during piloting were corrected before analysis began. Two trained coders then independently reviewed each artifact. Responses were entered into the SurveyMonkey ® instrument. All responses were exported to an Excel spreadsheet. A third coder reconciled disagreements between coders. Based on alignment, each artifact was assigned a total score, and sub-scores across the three disease management guidance documents were assessed: hand hygiene, isolation and exclusion of sick persons, and environmental sanitation. The maximum possible quality scores for each topic area were 7, 2, and 5, respectively. Response frequencies as well as mean scores, standard deviations, and ranges were calculated using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). To assess readability, we used two formulas Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level both available in Microsoft Word. Flesch Reading Ease scores range from 0-100, with a lower score indicating that a document is more difficult to read than one with a higher score. A score of 70 or above is classified as easy and is written at the grade school level. A score of 60 to 70 is standard and is written at the high school level. A score of 60 or below is difficult. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level uses mean sentence and word length to determine grade level between grades 3 and 12 (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). RESULTS Our Google Advanced Search yielded 826 results. After opening and viewing the first 292 results (sorted by relevance) the following was displayed on the results listing screen: In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 292 already displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included. We repeated the search and determined all results were duplicates of those already viewed. These 292 results were screened using our three eligibility criteria and yielded 74 artifacts which were then downloaded. After a second screening, 14 artifacts were removed due to page unavailability, duplicity, or wrong target audience. A total of 60 artifacts were included and analyzed. Research Question 1: Alignment with Prevention Strategies The total mean score across all three prevention strategies was low 5.2 of 14 points suggesting artifacts were not aligned with CDC guidance documents (Table 2). All (N=60; 100%) artifacts mentioned at least one of the seven components of hand hygiene we assessed but the mean sub-score for hand hygiene was low, 2.3 of 7 points (SD=0.77). Most artifacts (83%) did not address length of handwashing, type of drying devices (92%), avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%), or use of hand sanitizers (83%). One artifact stated that hand sanitizers were an acceptable alternative to hand washing. Of the artifacts that mentioned exclusion and isolation of sick individuals (78%), the mean score was 1.2 of 2. In nearly all artifacts (72%) sick individuals were discouraged from preparing food for others, but 48% recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Less than half (48%) addressed at least one aspect of environmental sanitation with the mean quality score 1.7 of 5. Research Question 2: Readability The mean Flesch Reading Ease for our sample was 47.6, indicating artifacts were difficult to read as the score is th grade) for health-related materials (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). DISCUSSION Knowledge is an underlying construct in many health behavior models necessary for one to take informed action, such as implementing strategies to prevent a norovirus infection. So it is reasonable to assert that if one does not have accurate and complete information about these strategies, then one cannot engage in necessary behaviors, defeating the purpose of consumer education. In addition to providing accurate and complete information, the information must also be practical and presented in a manner that is easy to read to increase the likelihood that the recommendations will be implemented. For these reasons, we analyzed consumer-targeted materials available on the Web to determine if existing materials need to be revised or new materials created as we believe consumer education is critical to preventing norovirus infections. In our analysis, we found information was omitted and/or inconsistent with the CDC guidelines. For example, many artifacts did not address length of hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, type of drying devices, and avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. While many discouraged preparing food, less than half recommended minimize contact with sick persons. Furthermore, disinfection was frequently mentioned but the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with noroviruses was not. And, none addressed the clean up of vomit and fecal matter. It is through the proper implementation of the three prevention strategies (hand hygiene, exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and environmental sanitation) that we begin to reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses. One obvious reason for the incompleteness and/or omission of information is the creators of materials in our sample might not have known about the CDC prevention guidelines. The guidelines were published in March 2011 in Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which is in the public domain, but MMWR might not be a known or commonly used source of information for those who author consumer education materials. As a result, information to guide development of materials came from other sources, for which the evidence base might be unknown or possibly incorrect. To illustrate, it is well known that an effective hand wash can disrupt transmission of noroviruses with effective hand wash defined as applying hand soap to hands then using friction (rubbing hands together) for a sufficient time (Michaels et al., 2002). While a scrub time of 10-20 seconds is commonly recommended as sufficient by the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2013; Hall et al., 2011), three laboratory s tudies report longer wash times are needed to remove microorganisms (Ojajà ¤rvi, 1980; Fuls et al., 2008; Jensen, Danyluk, Harris, and Schaffner, 2015). To further complicate matters, some experts question the evidence base for scrubbing hands for 10-20 seconds suggesting an even shorter time (Bloomfield et al, FILL IN). These various positions on length of a handwash illustrates the importance of creating (and subsequently using) evidence-based guidelines to inform development of consumer education materials as recommendations cannot be based on one or two published studies. In health care, clinicians commonly use clinical evidence-based practice guidelines, recommendations systematically developed by panels of experts who have access to the available evidence and an understanding of the clinical problem and research methods as these clinicians, just like food safety educators, might not have the expertise to consider the quality of the evidence. Thus, evidence-based guidelines such as those prepared by the CDC should underpin consumer education efforts about preventing norovirus infections. However, these guidelines should be routinely reviewed and updated as even within the CDC guidelines there are gaps in information as the present evidence base to inform norovirus prevention strategies is incomplete. When educators are faced with incomplete information they might use whatever information is available, even if it is not grounded in science, or and simply ignore omit details (Kardes et al., 2008; Sanbonmatsu, Kardes, Herr, 1992; Simmons Lynch, 1991). One clear example of this centers around vomit and fecal matter clean up, which none of the reviewed materials addressed. To disrupt the transmission of noroviruses, vomitus and feces must be properly cleaned up. But, how far out one needs to disinfect an area to eliminate noroviruses is unknown as the evidence to support a geographic radius is inconclusive. The only published evidence we have suggests that vomit can be deposited up to 25 feet from its point source but these findings are based on one epidemiological stud y and not a well-designed laboratory-controlled study (Booth, 2014). Moreover, even when the evidence base is good, sometimes information that is presented is not complete. Case in point, many materials recommended using sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solutions to treat surfaces, which is correct, but most did not state a concentration of the disinfection solution. Norovirus is a hardy pathogen that resists most disinfection strategies and persists in the environment for long periods, possibly weeks (give citation) illustrating the importance of using a chlorine solution at the proper concentration (Doultree, Druce, Birch, Marshall, 1999; Gulati, Allwood, Hedberg, Goyal, 2001; Jimenez Chiang 2006; Belliot, Lavaux, Souihel, Agnello, Pothier, 2008). One explanation for this lack of detail could be that some authors presented motivational messages, which tend to be briefer than procedural messages. While motivation is important, alone it is not sufficient because one can be motivated to enact a behavior but do it wrong which is why consumers must have accurate as well as complete information. It is important to note that we did not evaluate the messaging approach as this was beyond the scope of this study but an analysis of messaging approach should be considered in future analyses of materials. Another potential problem is that in the absence of consumer-targeted prevention strategies, government regulations are often used as a proxy. This appears to be a sensible approach as the presumption is that most regulations are grounded in science. However, one must exercise caution as regulations might not always based on the most current evidence given the often lengthy adoption process. Take for example the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers as an alternative for hand washing, which the U.S. Food Code prohibits, and which most artifacts in our sample did not mention. In 2002 the CDC released Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare but in May 2003 the FDA prepared a written response, clearly stating the CDC guidelines could not be applied to foodservice establishments (FDA, 2003). The underlying logic was that (1) pathogens commonly transmitted by hands in health-care settings differ from those transmitted in foodservice settings; (2) the use of alcohol-based hand rubs in pla ce of hand-washing has not been shown to reduce important foodborne pathogens on food worker hands; and (3) the types and levels of soil on the hands of health care workers differ from that on the hands of foodservice and retail food handlers. Another concern was that while alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been demonstrated to be effective for many pathogens, their efficacy has not been consistently demonstrated for norovirus. It is unclear how much published evidence has been used to support these recommendations as much has been learned about hand hygiene in the last 20 years. In reality, information suggests that some hand sanitizer formulations may be somewhat effective while others are not. Obviously, this situation is complex, and in the interest of providing a clear message, it may be unclear whether to include recommendations regarding alcohol-based hand sanitizers or to rely on government regulations. The conservative approach would be to omit the recommendation; whereas, some authors may decide to provide the knowledge under the impression that recommending some hand cleaning behavior is better than no recommendation. Some guidelines might be viewed by educators as impractical or unnecessary to implement in a home setting. An example of this is not handling food when sick, which was mentioned but minimizing contact with sick persons was addressed less frequently. This is a significant oversight as many people do not realize that noroviruses are transferred via the fecal-oral route (i.e., associated with contacting persons, contaminated surfaces, and food) (CATES ARTICLE). In a regulated food facility, workers cannot work while ill to minimize sickening others as well as contaminating surfaces and food. This recommendation might not be possible in a home setting as one probably cannot isolate themselves from others in the household as well as they might be the primary food preparer. This illustrates why it is important to analyze not only the accuracy and completeness of information but also its practicality. Along with lack of alignment, the artifacts in our sample were also not easy to read written at a high school grade level and not at the 5th grade level as suggested. Our study findings are consistent with a study conducted by Badarudeen and Sanjeev (2010) who concluded that in a health-care setting patient education materials were often too difficult to read and could not be comprehended by a substantial portion of the adult U.S. population. Therefore, even when information is accurate, if a reader cannot understand it, they cannot act on it. Educational materials are only as beneficial as the knowledge gained as a result of being able to read them. Limitations Due to the ever changing nature of the Web, artifacts sampled during the study could change as time progresses so new materials that might be better aligned with CDC guidance documents and that are easy to read might be available. Likewise, knowledge evolves: in late 2014, the CDC published on their website five messages to help consumers prevent a norovirus infections: 1) practice proper hand hygiene; 2) take care in the kitchen; 3) do not prepare food while infected; 4) clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces; and 5) wash laundry thoroughly (CDC, 2015). However, coding and analysis had already been completed so kitchen and laundry practices were not assessed, demonstrating the challenge of evaluating web-based health messages. Further, to analyze the readability of the artifacts in our sample, we used two readability formulas available through Microsoft Word. This method is widely used, but also not comprehensive, as it only considers factors such as word and sentence length so d oes not take into consideration comprehension. Future research should also be done to assess materials using the CDC Clear Communication Index, which is a set of 20 items that can be used to develop as well as assess public communication products (CDC, 2014a). The 20 items in the Index build on and expand plain language techniques described in the Federal Plain Language Guidance documents (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011). CONCLUSION At present, there still is a need to revise and possibly create materials that are accurate, complete, practical, and easy to read. Consumer education, if approached properly, could help reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses, the number one cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne disease. To be effective, consumer-targeted materials must be aligned with evidence-based guidelines that carefully assess the practicality and necessity of the recommendations in a home environment. While government regulations are sometimes used as a proxy for recommendations to be applied in a home setting, one must use caution in doing so as the regulatory provisions might not be grounded in the most current science or might be impractical under home conditions. Most importantly, evidence-based guidelines also need to be periodically as the evidence base to inform practices continues to grow. Finally, the readability of the materials must be evaluated and REFERENCE THE CDC CLEAR COM MUNICATION INDEX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Building Capacity to Control Viral Foodborne Disease: A Translational, Multidisciplinary Approach, Grant No. 2011-68003-30395. REFERENCES Abad, F. X., Pintà ³, R. M., Bosch, A.(1994). Survival of enteric viruses on environmental fomites. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 60(10), p. 3704-3710. Atmar, R. L., Opekun, A. R., Gilger, M. A., Estes, M. K., Crawford, S. E., Neill, F. H., Ramani, S., Hill, H., Ferreira, J., Graham, D. Y. (2014).Determination of the 50% human infectious dose for Norwalk virus. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 209, 1016-1022. Badarudeen, S. Sabharwal, S. (2010). Assessing Readability of Patient Education Materials: Current Role in Orthopaedics. Clinical Orthopedic Related Research, 468(1):2572-2580. Barker, J., Vipond, I. B., Bloomfield, S. F. (2004).Effects of cleaning and disinfection in reducing the spread of norovirus contamination via environmental surfaces. Journal of Hospital Infection,58(1), 42-49. Belliot, G., Lavaux, A., Souihel, D., Agnello, D., Pothier, P. (2008). Use of murine norovirus as a surrogate to evaluate resistance of huma norovirus to disinfectants. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(10), 3315-3318. Berland, G. K., Elliott, M. N., Morales, L. S., Algazy, J. I., Kravitz, R. L., Broder, M. S., Kanouse, D. E., Muà ±oz, J. A., Puyol, J.-A., Lara, M., Watkins, K. E., Yang, H., McGlynn, E. A. (2001). Health information on the internet: accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285(20), 2612-2621. Bloomfield, S. F., Aiello, A. E., Cookson, B., OBoyle, C., Larson, E. L. (2007). The effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures in reducing the risks of infections in home and community settings including handwashing and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. American Journal of Infection Control, 35(10), S27-S64. Booth, C. M. (2014). Vomiting Larry: a simulated vomiting system for assessing environmental contamination from projectile vomiting related to norovirus infection. Journal of Infection Prevention, 15(5), 176-180. Cates, S. C., Kosa, K. M., Brophy, J. E., Hall, A. J., Fraser, A. (2015). Consumer education needed on norovirus prevention and control: findings from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. Journal of Food Protection, 78(3), 484-490. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Preventing Norovirus Infection. Accessed 29 October 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014a). The CDC clear communication index. Accessed 27 August 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014b). Norovirus. Accessed 27 August 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/ DAlessandro, D. M., Kingsley, P., Johnson-West, J. (2001).The readability of pediatric patient education materials on the World Wide Web. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 155(7), 807-812. DiClemente, R. J., Pies, C. A., Stoller, E. J., Straits, C., Olivia, G. E., Haskin, J., Rutherford, G. W. (1989). Evaluation of school-based AIDS education curricula in San Francisco.The Journal of Sex Research, 26(2), 188-198. Doultree, J. C., Druce, J. D., Birch, C. J., Bowden, D. S., Marshall, J. A. (1999). Inactivation of feline calicivirus, a Norwalk virus surrogate. Journal of Hospital Infection, 41, 51-57. DuBay, W. H. (2004).The principles of readability. Costa Mesa, CA: Impact Information. Eysenbach, G., Powell, J., Kuss, O., Sa, E.-R. (2002). Empirical studies assessing the quality of health information for consumers on the World Wide Web: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(20), 2691-2700. Fisher, J. D., Fisher, W. A. (1992). Changing AIDS risk behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 3, 455-474. Fuls, J. L., Rodgers, N. D.,Fischler, G. E., Howard, J. M., Patel, M.,Weidner, P. L., Duran, M. H. (2008). Alternative hand contamination technique to compare the activities of antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial soaps under different test conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(12), 3739-3744. Girard, M., Ngazoa, S., Mattison, K., Jean, J. (2010).Attachment of noroviruses to stainless steel and their inactivation, using household disinfectants. Journal of Food Protection, 73(2), 400-404. Gulati, B. R., Allwood, P. B., Hedberg, C. W., Goyal, S. M. (2001). Efficacy of commonly used disinfectants for the inactivation of calicivirus on strawberry, lettuce, and a food-contact surface. Journal of Food Protection, 64(9), 1430-1434. Hall, A. J., Lopman, B. A., Payne, D. C., Patel, M. M., Gastaà ±aduy, P. A., Vinjà ©, J., Parashar, U. D. (2013). Norovirus disease in the United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19(8), 1198-1205. Hall, A. J., Vinjà ©, J., Lopman, B., Park, G. W., Yen, C., Gregoricus, N., Parashar, U. (2011). Updated norovirus outbreak management and disease prevention guidance documents. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(3), 1-15. Hall, A. J., Wikswo, M. E., Pringle, K., Gould, L. H., Parashar, U. D. (2014). Vital signs: foodborne norovirus outbreaks- United States, 2009-2012.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(22), 491-495. Huang, C., Ma, W., Stack, S. (2012). The hygienic efficacy of different hand-drying methods: a review of the evidence. Mayo Clini

Teenage Alcoholism Essay -- essays research papers fc

ALCOHOLISM This research paper is on alcoholism and its affect on teenagers and adults. This piece will fully outline alcohol from its origin, and different types of alcohol, all the way to the treatment of alcohol addiction. Reading this paper will hopefully shed some light on the fact that people with an alcohol addiction do not only hurt and affect themselves, but also make the people around them susceptible to the same fate. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethyl alcohol (also known as drinking alcohol), is one of the oldest drugs in the world. Five thousand years ago, the people of Mesopotamia drank beer and recorded it on clay tablets. The ancient Egyptians brewed and drank beer also.1 And today, alcohol is probably used in every country in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several types of alcohol, but ethyl is the most common and is the only one that can be consumed. Other alcohols include: Methyl, used in antifreeze and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cleaning solutions; Isopropyl, which is used in rubbing alcohol; Ethylene, also used in antifreeze; and Glycerol, which is used in hand lotions and plastic explosives.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alcohol is made through a process called fermentation. Fermentation turns fruit juice into wine and grain mixed with liquid into beer.3 This process is completed by a group of microscopic organisms, mostly made up of yeasts. When the yeast bacteria act on the sugar (glucose) in the fruit juice, they produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.4 Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is a diseased condition resulting from the excessive or persistent use of alcoholic beverages.5 These beverages include: whiskey, wine, wine coolers, beer, liquor, hard cider and many others. Alcoholism is thought to arise from a combination of a wide range of physiological, psychological, social and genetic factors.6 Consumption of alcohol has greatly increased in the United States, many European countries and countries that were in the former Soviet Union. This is paralleled by growing evidence o... ...she has a drinking problem and second, that he/she knows that people with an alcohol addiction do not only hurt and affect themselves, but they also make the people around them susceptible to the same fate. Then perhaps we can slowly but surely put an end to alcoholism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography World Book Encyclopedia 1995 Edition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyword(s): Alcoholism, Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous ''Alcohol'' Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia, Vol. 1,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harper & Row, 1993 Resnick, Charlotte A. and Gloria R. Resnick, To Your Good Health-2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nd Edition,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  p. 374-388, New York, Amsco, 1989 http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/leginfo/sb35.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Texas Alcoholic Beverage Comission, 2001 http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/alcoholreason.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  no author given, no date given http://www.utextension.utk.edu/spfiles/sp491b   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What to Know About Teen Alcohol and other Drug Use (downloadable   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pamphlet) 2001

Biography of John Donne

Biography of John Donne John Donne was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and priest. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne's style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations.These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donn e’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about.He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. Despite his great education and poetic talents, Donne lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. He spent much of the money he inherited during and after his education on womanising, literature, pastimes, and travel. In 1601, Donne secretly married Anne Moore, with whom he had twelve children. In 1615, he became an Anglican priest, although he did not want to take Anglican orders.He did so because King James I persistently ordered it. In 1621, he was appointed the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London. He also served as a member of parliament in 1601 and in 1614. Biography Early Life Donne was born in London, into a Roman Catholic family when practice of that religion was illegal in England. Donne was the third of six children. His father, also named John Donne, was of Welsh descent and a warden of the Ironmongers Company in the City of London. Donne's father was a respected Roman Catholic who avoided unwelcome government attention out of fear of persecution.Donne's father died in 1576, leaving his wife, Elizabeth Heywood, the responsibility of raising their children. Elizabeth was also from a recusant Roman Catholic family, the daughter of John Heywood, the playwright, and sister of the Reverend Jasper Heywood, a Jesuit priest and translator. She was a great-niece of the Roman Catholic martyr Thomas More. This tradition of martyrdom would continue among Donne’s closer relatives, many of whom were executed or exiled for religious reasons. Donne was educated privately; however, there is no evidence to support the popular claim that he was taught by Jesuits.Donne's mother married Dr. John Syminges, a wealthy widower with three children, a few months after Donne's father died. Two more of his sisters, Mary and Katherine, died in 1581. Donne's mother, who had lived in the Deanery after Donne became Dean of St. Paul's, survived him, dying in 1632. Donne was a student at Hart Hall, now Hertford College, Oxford, from the age of 11. After three years at Oxford he was admitted to the University of Cambridge, where he studied for another three years.He was unable to obtain a degree from either institution because of his Catholicism, since he could not take the Oath of Supremacy required of graduates. In 1591 he was accepted as a student at the Thavies Inn legal school, one of the Inns of Chancery in London. On 6 May 1592 he was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn, one of the Inns of Court. His brother Henry was also a university student prior to his arrest in 1593 for harbouring a Catholic priest, William Harrington, whom Henry betrayed under torture. Harrington was tortured on the rack, hanged until not quite dead, then was subjected to disembowelment.Henry Donne died in Newgate prison of bubonic plague, leading John Donne to begin questioning his Catholic faith. During and after his education, Donne spent much of his considerable inheritance on women, literature, pastimes and travel. Although there is no record detailing precisely where he travelled, it is known that he travelled across Europe and later fought with the Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh against the Spanish at Cadiz (1596) and the Azores (1597) and witnessed the loss of the Spanish flagship, the San Felipe. According to Izaak Walton, who wrote a biography of Donne in 1658: .. he returned not back into England till he had stayed some years, first in Italy, and then in Spain, where he made many useful observations of those countries, their laws and manner of government, and returned perfect in their languages. —Izaak Walton By the age of 25 he was well prepared for the diplomatic career he appeared to be seeking. He was appointed chief secretary to the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Sir Thomas Egerton, and was established at Egerton’s London home, York House, Strand close to the Palace of Whitehall, then the most influential social centre in England.Marriage to Anne More During the next four years, he fell in love with Egerton's niece Anne More. They were married just before Christmas in 1601, against the wishes of both Egerton and George More, who was Lieutenant of the Tower and Anne's father. This wedding ruined Donne's career and earned him a short stay in Fleet Prison, along with Samuel Brooke, who married them, and the man who acted as a witness to the wedding. Donne was released when the marriage was proven valid, and he soon secured the release of the other two.Walton tells us that when Donne wrote to his wife to tell her about losing his post, he wrote after his name: John Donne, Anne Donne, Un-done. It was not until 1609 that Donne was reconciled with his father-in-law and received his wife's dowry. After his release, Donne had to accept a reti red country life in Pyrford, Surrey. Over the next few years, he scraped a meagre living as a lawyer, depending on his wife’s cousin Sir Francis Wolly to house him, his wife, and their children. Because Anne Donne bore a new baby almost every year, this was a very generous gesture.Though he practised law and may have worked as an assistant pamphleteer to Thomas Morton, Donne was in a constant state of financial insecurity, with a growing family to provide for. Anne bore twelve children in sixteen years of marriage (including two stillbirths—their eighth and then, in 1617, their last child); indeed, she spent most of her married life either pregnant or nursing. The ten surviving children were Constance, John, George, Francis, Lucy (named after Donne's patroness Lucy, Countess of Bedford, her godmother), Bridget, Mary, Nicholas, Margaret, and Elizabeth.Francis, Nicholas, and Mary died before they were ten. In a state of despair, Donne noted that the death of a child woul d mean one less mouth to feed, but he could not afford the burial expenses. During this time, Donne wrote, but did not publish, Biathanatos, his defence of suicide. His wife died on 15 August 1617, five days after giving birth to their twelfth child, a still-born baby. Donne mourned her deeply, and wrote of his love and loss in his 17th Holy Sonnet. Career and Later Life Donne was elected as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Brackley in 1602, but this was not a paid position.The fashion for coterie poetry of the period gave him a means to seek patronage and many of his poems were written for wealthy friends or patrons, especially Sir Robert Drury, who came to be Donne's chief patron in 1610. Donne wrote the two Anniversaries, An Anatomy of the World (1611) and Of the Progress of the Soul, (1612), for Drury. In 1610 and 1611 he wrote two anti-Catholic polemics: Pseudo-Martyr and Ignatius his Conclave. Although James was pleased with Donne's work, he refused to reinstate hi m at court and instead urged him to take holy orders.At length, Donne acceded to the King's wishes and in 1615 was ordained into the Church of England. Donne was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Cambridge in 1615 and became a Royal Chaplain in the same year, and was made a Reader of Divinity at Lincoln's Inn in 1616. In 1618 he became chaplain to Viscount Doncaster, who was on an embassy to the princes of Germany. Donne did not return to England until 1620. In 1621 Donne was made Dean of St Paul's, a leading (and well-paid) position in the Church of England and one he held until his death in 1631. During his period as Dean his daughter Lucy died, aged eighteen.In late November and early December 1623 he suffered a nearly fatal illness, thought to be either typhus or a combination of a cold followed by a period of fever. During his convalescence he wrote a series of meditations and prayers on health, pain, and sickness that were published as a book in 1624 under the tit le of Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. One of these meditations, Meditation XVII, later became well known for its phrase â€Å"for whom the bell tolls† and the statement that â€Å"no man is an island†. In 1624 he became vicar of St Dunstan-in-the-West, and 1625 a prolocutor to Charles I.He earned a reputation as an eloquent preacher and 160 of his sermons have survived, including the famous Death’s Duel sermon delivered at the Palace of Whitehall before King Charles I in February 1631. Death It is thought that his final illness was stomach cancer, although this has not been proven. He died on 31 March 1631 having written many poems, most only in manuscript. Donne was buried in old St Paul's Cathedral, where a memorial statue of him was erected (carved from a drawing of him in his shroud), with a Latin epigraph probably composed by himself.Donne's monument survived the 1666 fire, and is on display in the present building. Writings Early Poetry Donne's earliest poems showed a developed knowledge of English society coupled with sharp criticism of its problems. His satires dealt with common Elizabethan topics, such as corruption in the legal system, mediocre poets, and pompous courtiers. His images of sickness, vomit, manure, and plague reflected his strongly satiric view of a world populated by all the fools and knaves of England. His third satire, however, deals with the problem of true religion, a matter of great importance to Donne.He argued that it was better to examine carefully one's religious convictions than blindly to follow any established tradition, for none would be saved at the Final Judgment, by claiming â€Å"A Harry, or a Martin taught [them] this. † Donne's early career was also notable for his erotic poetry, especially his elegies, in which he employed unconventional metaphors, such as a flea biting two lovers being compared to sex. In Elegy XIX: To His Mistress Going to Bed, he poetically undressed his mistress an d compared the act of fondling to the exploration of America.In Elegy XVIII, he compared the gap between his lover's breasts to the Hellespont. Donne did not publish these poems, although did allow them to circulate widely in manuscript form. â€Å"†¦ any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.. † — Donne, Meditation XVII Some have speculated that Donne's numerous illnesses, financial strain, and the deaths of his friends all contributed to the development of a more somber and pious tone in his later poems.The change can be clearly seen in â€Å"An Anatomy of the World† (1611), a poem that Donne wrote in memory of Elizabeth Drury, daughter of his patron, Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead, Suffolk. This poem treats Elizabeth's demise with extreme gloominess, using it as a symbol for the Fall of Man and the destruction of the universe. The poem â€Å"A Nocturnal upon S. Lucy's Day, Being the Shortest Day†, concerns the poet's despair at the death of a loved one. In it Donne expresses a feeling of utter negation and hopelessness, saying that â€Å"I am every dead thing†¦ re-begot / Of absence, darkness, death. This famous work was probably written in 1627 when both Donne's friend Lucy, Countess of Bedford, and his daughter Lucy Donne died. Three years later, in 1630, Donne wrote his will on Saint Lucy's day (13 December), the date the poem describes as â€Å"Both the year's, and the day's deep midnight. † The increasing gloominess of Donne's tone may also be observed in the religious works that he began writing during the same period. His early belief in the value of scepticism now gave way to a firm faith in the traditional teachings of the Bible. Having converted to the Anglican Church, Donne focused his literary career on religious literature.He quickly became noted for his sermons and religious poems. The lines of these se rmons would come to influence future works of English literature, such as Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, which took its title from a passage in Meditation XVII of Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Thomas Merton’s No Man is an Island, which took its title from the same source. Towards the end of his life Donne wrote works that challenged death, and the fear that it inspired in many men, on the grounds of his belief that those who die are sent to Heaven to live eternally.One example of this challenge is his Holy Sonnet X, Death Be Not Proud, from which come the famous lines â€Å"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. † Even as he lay dying during Lent in 1631, he rose from his sickbed and delivered the Death's Duel sermon, which was later described as his own funeral sermon. Death’s Duel portrays life as a steady descent to suffering and death, yet sees hope in salvation and immortality thro ugh an embrace of God, Christ and the Resurrection. StyleHis work has received much criticism over the years, especially concerning his metaphysical form. Donne is generally considered the most prominent member of the Metaphysical poets, a phrase coined in 1781 by the critic Dr Johnson, following a comment on Donne by the poet John Dryden. Dryden had written of Donne in 1693: â€Å"He affects the metaphysics, not only in his satires, but in his amorous verses, where nature only should reign; and perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy, when he should engage their hearts, and entertain them with the softnesses of love. In Life of Cowley (from Samuel Johnson's 1781 work of biography and criticism Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets), Johnson refers to the beginning of the seventeenth century in which there â€Å"appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets†. Donne's immediate successors in poetry therefore tended to regard his works with ambivalence, with the Neoclassical poets regarding his conceits as abuse of the metaphor. However he was revived by Romantic poets such as Coleridge and Browning, though his more recent revival in the early twentieth century by poets such as T.S. Eliot and critics like F R Leavis tended to portray him, with approval, as an anti-Romantic. Donne's work suggests a healthy appetite for life and its pleasures, while also expressing deep emotion. He did this through the use of conceits, wit and intellect—as seen in the poems â€Å"The Sun Rising† and â€Å"Batter My Heart†. Donne is considered a master of the metaphysical conceit, an extended metaphor that combines two vastly different ideas into a single idea, often using imagery. An example of this is his equation of lovers with saints in â€Å"The Canonization†.Unlike the conceits found in other Elizabethan poetry, most notably Petrarchan conceits, which formed cliched comparisons betwe en more closely related objects (such as a rose and love), metaphysical conceits go to a greater depth in comparing two completely unlike objects. One of the most famous of Donne's conceits is found in â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning† where he compares two lovers who are separated to the two legs of a compass. Donne's works are also witty, employing paradoxes, puns, and subtle yet remarkable analogies.His pieces are often ironic and cynical, especially regarding love and human motives. Common subjects of Donne's poems are love (especially in his early life), death (especially after his wife's death), and religion. John Donne's poetry represented a shift from classical forms to more personal poetry. Donne is noted for his poetic metre, which was structured with changing and jagged rhythms that closely resemble casual speech (it was for this that the more classical-minded Ben Jonson commented that â€Å"Donne, for not keeping of accent, deserved hanging†).Some s cholars believe that Donne's literary works reflect the changing trends of his life, with love poetry and satires from his youth and religious sermons during his later years. Other scholars, such as Helen Gardner, question the validity of this dating—most of his poems were published posthumously (1633). The exception to these is his Anniversaries which were published in 1612 and Devotions upon Emergent Occasions published in 1624. His sermons are also dated, sometimes specifically by date and year. LegacyDonne is commemorated as a priest in the calendar of the Church of England and in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on 31 March. Sylvia Plath, interviewed on BBC Radio in late 1962, said the following about a book review of her collection of poems titled The Colossus that had been published in the United Kingdom two years earlier: â€Å"I remember being appalled when someone criticised me for beginning just like John Donne but not quite man aging to finish like John Donne, and I felt the weight of English literature on me at that point. The memorial to Donne, modelled after the engraving pictured above, was one of the few such memorials to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 and now appears in St Paul's Cathedral where Donne is buried. Donne in Literature In Margaret Edson's Pulitzer prize-winning play Wit (1999), the main character, a professor of 17th century poetry specialising in Donne, is dying of cancer. The play was adapted for the HBO film Wit starring Emma Thompson. Donne's Songs and Sonnets feature in The Calligrapher (2003), a novel by Edward Docx.In the 2006 novel The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox, Donne's works are frequently quoted. Donne appears, along with his wife Anne and daughter Pegge, in the award-winning novel Conceit (2007) by Mary Novik. Joseph Brodsky has a poem called â€Å"Elegy for John Donne†. The love story of Donne and Anne More is the subject of Maeve Haran's 2010 historica l novel The Lady and the Poet. An excerpt from â€Å"Meditation 17 Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions† serves as the opening for Ernest Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls. Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer prize-winning novel Gilead makes several references to Donne's work.Donne is the favourite poet of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, and the Wimsey books include numerous quotations from, and allusions to, his work. Donne's poem ‘A Fever' (incorrectly called ‘The Fever') is mentioned in the penultimate paragraph of the novel â€Å"The Silence of the Lambs† by Thomas Harris. Edmund â€Å"Bunny† Corcoran writes a paper on Donne in Donna Tartt's novel The Secret History, in which he ties together Donne and Izaak Walton with help of an imaginary philosophy called â€Å"Metahemeralism†.Donne plays a significant role in Christie Dickason's The Noble Assassin (2011), a novel based on the life of Donne's patron and putative lover, L ucy Russell, Countess of Bedford. Donne in Popular Culture John Renbourn, on his 1966 debut album John Renbourn, sings a version of the poem, â€Å"Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star†. (He alters the last line to â€Å"False, ere I count one, two, three. â€Å") Tarwater, in their album Salon des Refuses, have put â€Å"The Relic† to song.The plot of Neil Gaiman's novel Stardust is based upon the poem â€Å"Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star,† with the fallen star turned into a major character. Bob Chilcott has arranged a choral piece to Donne's â€Å"Go and Catch a Falling Star†. Van Morrison pays tribute to the poet on â€Å"Rave On John Donne† and makes references in many other songs. Lost in Austen, the British mini series based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, has Bingley refer to Donne when he describes taking Jane to America, â€Å"John Donne, don't you know? ‘License my roving hands,' and so forth. † Las

Nietzsche’s Ubermensch Essay

Nietzsche’s Ubermensch stands for homo superior, overman or super man. Nietzsche philosophy of Ubermensch is based on ‘Will to Power’. All doctrines are dependent on ‘power to will’. Many of his philosophies are misinterpreted before but there still a lot of disagreement exists in his philosophy of power to overcome everything by willpower. He describes man to be Ubermensch when he gains such power and then he can do anything. This power can be destructive or constructive or by self-improvement. Though there is some truth in the fact that whatever we do or whatever we want to do we can attain it by willpower, but our willpower is limited. It is not a self-created giant that will overcome all obstacles in life. God has granted us will to choose between right and wrong and will to perform and overcome difficult situations. But our willpower is limited as we experience in day-to-day life. Because in whatever environment we live we’re surrounded by a number of situations and it is not always possible to tackle all the situations simultaneously. A number of examples can be cited for this. A person goes out of his house to perform a particular task. He’s determined that he has five jobs to complete during the day. But he’s not aware of an unknown incident that might occur in his way and block him to do his jobs. Similarly a sports man who is very well prepared for the competition and full determined that he’ll win the competition may loose because of any sports injury or simply bad luck! His philosophical ideas about truth that our minds have faith in the beliefs because they’re very convincing not because they are truth is again controversial. Nietzsche’s philosophical claim cannot be agreed upon. The fact that we do believe in things that are true. And only those beliefs are convincing that have universal truth in it. For example, we do believe in some kind of ancient saying that â€Å"Green tea has power to cure†. It is due to the fact that green tea has been used for several years and it has proved to be good in maintaining health. Now scientific research has also proved that it possess certain good polyphenoids that are required by the body in maintaining health and combating disease. Truth forms the basis of several facts that we believe. Hence, Nietzsche’s notion cannot be said as valid. He has extraordinarily overstressed the on the use of ‘power’. His statement is baseless when he says in philosophy we only have power and no higher truth. On the contrary, in science we have facts based on truth. Though our willpower does affect our inner strength and determination, but our power is limited as there is a divine unlimited power of one God ruling and final decisions rests on His willingness and permission. Men do strive hard to attain a goal but it is in the hands of God to grant us that or not. Man’s power is always limited and controlled. Nietzsche stresses on personal character and inner strong determination for power. However, it is not reasonable to solely judge the occurrence of events on the basis of strong determination. Under many circumstances in daily life we come across things that are not wanted by our own self. And our determination breaks when the outcomes of our thinking and our willpower are just the opposite. References Thus Spake Bart by Mark T. Conrad, Thus Spoke Zarathushra the Three Metamorphoses

Rhamphorhynchus - Facts and Figures

Rhamphorhynchus - Facts and Figures Name: Rhamphorhynchus (Greek for beak snout); pronounced RAM-foe-RINK-us Habitat: Shores of Western Europe Historical Period: Late Jurassic (165-150 million years ago) Size and Weight: Wingspan of three feet and a few pounds Diet: Fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, narrow beak with sharp teeth; tail ending with diamond-shaped skin flap About Rhamphorhynchus The exact size of Rhamphorhynchus depends on how you measure itfrom the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, this pterosaur was less than a foot long, but its wings (when fully extended) stretched an impressive three feet from tip to tip. With its long, narrow beak and sharp teeth, its clear that Rhamphorhynchus made its living by dipping its snout into the lakes and rivers of late Jurassic Europe and scooping up wriggling fish (and possibly frogs and insects)much like a modern pelican. One detail about Rhamphorhynchus that sets it apart from other ancient reptiles is the spectacularly preserved specimens discovered at the Solnhofen fossil beds in Germanysome of this pterosaurs remains are so complete that they display not only its detailed bone structure, but the outlines of its internal organs as well. The only creature to have left comparably intact remains was another Solnhofen discovery, Archaeopteryxwhich, unlike Rhamphorhynchus, was technically a dinosaur that occupied a place on the evolutionary line leading to the first prehistoric birds. After nearly two centuries of study, scientists know a lot about Rhamphorhynchus. This pterosaur had a relatively slow growth rate, roughly comparable to that of modern alligators, and it may have been sexually dimorphic (that is, one sex, we dont know which, was slightly larger than the other). Rhamphorhynchus probably hunted at night, and it likely held its narrow head and beak parallel to the ground, as can be inferred from scans of its brain cavity. It also seems that Rhamphorhynchus preyed on the ancient fish Aspidorhynchus, the fossils of which are associated (that is, located in close proximity) in the Solnhofen sediments. The original discovery, and classification, of Rhamphorhynchus is a case study in well-meaning confusion. After it was unearthed in 1825, this pterosaur was classified as a species of Pterodactylus, which at the time was also known by the now-discarded genus name Ornithocephalus (bird head). Twenty years later, Ornithocephalus reverted to Pterodactylus, and in 1861 the famous British naturalist Richard Owen promoted P. muensteri to the genus Rhamphorhynchus. We wont even mention how the type specimen of Rhamphorhynchus was lost during World War II; suffice it to say that paleontologists have had to make do with plaster casts of the original fossil. Because Rhamphorhynchus was discovered so early in the history of modern paleontology, it has lent its name to an entire class of pterosaurs distinguished by their small sizes, big heads and long tails. Among the most famous rhamphorhynchoids are Dorygnathus, Dimorphodon and Peteinosaurus, which ranged across western Europe during the late Jurassic period; these stand in stark contrast to pterodactyloid pterosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era, which tended to larger sizes and smaller tails. (The biggest pterodactyloid of them all, Quetzalcoatlus, had a wingspan the size of a small airplane!)

A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases essay

A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases essay A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases essay A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases essayMarine insurance provides ship owners with a wide range of benefits. According to Xia Chen (2001), â€Å"the availability of marine insurance helps spread the risks of maritime misadventure faced by ship owners†(p. 17). The term â€Å"marine insurance† stands for the form of insurance that covers ship owners and ship personnel, in terms of covering not only different types of losses or damages to ships, cargo, vessels, etc., but also defining ship owners’ liabilities regarding their activities. According to the Marine Insurance Act of 1906, the contract of marine insurance is defined as â€Å"the contract whereby the insurer undertakes to indemnify the assured, in a manner and to the extent thereby agreed, against marine losses, that is to say, the losses incident to marine adventure† (Dunt, 2013, p. 9). An insurance company is obliged to pay claims, which may arise from losses or damage s covered by the terms of the insurance contract or policy (Dunt, 2013; Merkin, 2013.). The Marine Insurance Act of 1906 is considered to be one of the major legal documents that are in marine insurance practice.  The case that will be discussed in this paper involves the Ship Owner (or the Assured) whose duty is to take the appropriate steps in the legal procedure, claiming under the marine insurance policy. A vessel is badly damaged by fire (an insured peril) and the Ship Owner (the Assured) estimates that the cost of repairs will exceed the value of the vessel upon completion of the repairs. In this case, marine insurance policy can help to provide protection to the Assured against liability for negligent loss or damage. During the accident, the property has not been salved because it has been reported that the vessel needs basic repair. If a vessel is badly damaged by fire, or grounding, or collision, â€Å"no one would suggest that the ship has to be fully repaired to be â⠂¬Å"salved†( Rose, 2013). As a rule, if a vessel is badly damaged, including her cargo, the cost of repair often exceeds the value of the vessel, or market value. In this case, the damage to the vessel can be treated as total loss, and the insurers will have to pay out accordingly, covering all expenses.An insured peril stands for a proximate cause of a loss. According to S. Chatterjee (2004), â€Å"this principle states that the cause of a loss, in order to be compensated, must be the one against which one is actually insured† (p. 155). Fire is one of the proximate causes of a loss, which must be covered by the marine insurance policy, but the loss may be irrecoverable. According to Francis Rose (2013), an insured peril â€Å"does not per se determine, whether there has been a loss for which the assured is entitled to recover, and if so which type of loss†(p. 445). Therefore, it is very important to identify the type of a recoverable loss. According to the Marin e Insurance Act of 1906, in the case discussed in this paper, the classification of the loss can be defined as a total loss as the vessel is badly damaged by fire and the cost of repairs will exceed the value of the vessel upon completion of the repairs. Francis Rose (2013) states that â€Å"losses can be truly total in the physical sense, for matter does not cease to exist and it is increasingly possible to reconstitute it, even in cases of apparent destruction†( p. 446). In some cases, total loss is unavoidable because of the severe circumstances (Merkin, 2013). Taking into consideration the above mentioned facts, it is possible to conclude that in the case discussed in this paper the loss appeares to be a total loss.The overview of the options opened to the Ship Owner (the Assured) in the case under study In the case under study, the Ship Owner is the Assured. According to marine insurance policy, if the Assured experiences a loss, he is obliged to file a claim for compens ation (Merkin, 2013).   As a rule, the Assured has a number of rights, based on the terms of the marine insurance policy. Under the Marine Insurance Act of 1906, section 78 (4), the Assured should â€Å"take such measures as may be reasonable for the purpose of averting or minimizing the loss†(Dunt, 2013, p. 309).   Thus, there are several options open to the Assured in the case discussed in this paper.To start with, one of the options open to the Assured is claiming for a total loss. The Assured faces two possibilities concerning the state of the vessel.   If there is a possibility for restoration of the vessel, it is a constructive total loss. However, if there is no possibility for restoration, the Assured is entitled to claim for an actual total loss. In the case under study, the Assured has an opportunity to make repairs of the damaged vessel. According to the existing Marine Insurance Laws, a constructive loss can be defined as the loss â€Å"where the vessel rem ains in specie, and is susceptible of repairs or recovery, but at an expense, according to the rule of the English common law, exceeding its value when restored, or, according to the terms of the policy, where injury is equivalent to the 50% of the agreed value in the policy† (Black, 1910, p. 1162). The Ship Owner of the damaged vessel enjoys the rights of the Assured; therefore, he is entitled to seek to make claim in full in the Insuring Company’s liquidation for a total loss from fire of the insured property. This fact means that his claim is legal and is made under the Marine Insurance Act of 1906, provided the loss by fire is one of the numerous risks covered by the marine insurance policy.It is very important that the Marine Insurance Policy may govern various types of risks faced by a ship, cargo, etc., including fire, theft, bad weather conditions, equipment failures, and other risks. Actually, the Marine Insurance Policy covers fire as one of the major risks or perils mentioned in the marine insurance policy against which the underwriters are entitled to indemnify the Assured. The Ship Owner, as the Assured, should keep in mind that in case the vessel is destroyed or damaged by fire, â€Å"it is of no consequence whether this is occasioned by a common accident, or by lightning, or by an act done in duty to the State† as mentioned by the Court in the case Gordon vs. Rimmington (1807) 1 Camp 123 (Hodges, 2013, p. 66). Under the Marine Insurance Act of 1906, section 55 (2) (a), fire is considered to be one of the perils insured. Thus, in the case under study, the loss caused by fire will be a recoverable loss. The Assured is entitled to claim for a total loss because there is a clause in the marine insurance policy that the Ship Owner must be protected from any types of risks covered, including fire.Moreover, under the Marine Insurance Act of 1906, section 1, a marine insurance policy or contract can be defined as â€Å"a contract wh ereby the Insurer undertakes to indemnify the Assured against various types of marine losses† (Merkin, 2013, p.56). It becomes clear that the Ship Owner holds an interest in coverage. He should realize that opening a marine insurance policy is a necessity for successful business operations. Marine insurance coverage refers to various types of losses, including the losses caused by collision, stranding, heavy weather conditions, fire, theft, etc. Anyway, the Ship Owner should be focused on the knowledge of the marine insurance policy terms. There are several options of coverage included in the marine insurance policy. Coverage with particular average provides the Assured with an opportunity to get a broader form of marine insurance coverage, which is aimed at protecting the Assured from various partial types of damage by sea perils. For example, if the vessel has stranded, or the vessel sunk, or the vessel has been on fire or the vessel was damaged in collision, the percentage requirement will be waived and losses from sea perils will be recoverable in full (Hinkelman, 2010). Coverage free from particular average ensures protection for various partial losses, which result from the various types of sea perils and total losses, but only â€Å"if the vessel has stranded, sunk, burnt, been on fire or been in collision† (Hinkelman, 2010, p. 306). In this case, the Assured will never get full insurance coverage. The Assured should realize that the more types of risks are covered in the marine insurance policy, the higher the percentage interest in getting premium compensation. As a matter of fact, the Assured should be aware of the fact that the type of coverage, titled as â€Å"All Risk† coverage, guarantees the greatest and the most advantageous marine insurance coverage. The Ship Owner is entitled to make a decision whether to repair his vessel or not to repair the vessel as the losses are sustained. As a rule, the Assured is indemnified for th e reasonable depreciation that often arises in case of any unrepaired damage.Additionally, if the Assured experiences a constructive total loss, he is entitled to treat the loss as partial loss. In this case, another option is open to the Ship Owner. He may leave his vessel to the Insurer, treating the loss as an actual total loss and claiming the proper compensation under the marine insurance policy.The procedure followed in claiming under the marine insurance policyThe procedure which should be followed in claiming under the marine insurance policy gives explanation of both the Ship Owner’s position and that of his underwriters. The appropriate information should be collected regarding the contracting parties, the terms of the policy, the proximate cause of loss, etc. The Ship Owner may claim for a loss by fire, but his claim may be disallowed (Hodges, 2013).There are several steps in the procedure for claiming compensation under the marine insurance policy. First, the Assu red must notice to the Insurer, or Insuring Company. Second, the Assured must report to the police department if the damage has been caused by fire. Third, the Assured must submit the claim. As a rule, this procedure is done in writing within 35 days of the loss. Fourth, the Assured must provide the appropriate evidence for the claim. This procedure requires submission of the documents that can be used as evidence for the claim, including the origin of the loss, the major causes of fire, etc. The truth of his claim must be certified by the declaration on oath. Fifth, the Assured must settle the claim. The Ship Owner’s claim must be reviewed by the underwriters and settled provided the circumstances of the loss are covered by the marine insurance policy terms. The proper compensation must be paid for the losses. If the underwriters refuse to settle the claim, their decision must be appealed to the court. Sixth, the Assured in entitled to get the compensation for the loss cause d by fire (Merkin, 2013; Hodges, 2013).ConclusionMarine insurance coverage is crucial for the Ship Owner as it provides protection of individual interests in different situations, guarantees financial support in the case of loss. The case discussed in this paper is a good example of the benefits of having a marine insurance policy. The Ship Owner experiences a loss. He must claim the insurance policy to cover all ship repair expenses. The Assured has an option to claim for a total loss because the ship is badly damaged by fire and the Ship Owner estimates that the cost of repairs will exceed the value of his vessel when the repairs have been completed.

Art Essay Example for Free (#3)

Art Essay * Art is a term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, but here refers to the visual arts, which cover the creation of images or objects in fields including paintings, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. They are two paintings that have been drawn by Dmitry Levitzky in 1773 and by Millais in 1871. The first portrait by Dmitry levitzky is called Nelidova, Ekaterina Ivanovna who she is the daughter of Lieutenant Ivan Dmitrievich Nelidov. She was raised in the Smolny Institute for Young Ladies and was noticed there by Empress Catherine II, who made her a maid of honor to the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, later Empress, whose husband Emperor Pavel I. She was sincerely attached to him, although their relations were never intimate. She was able to influence Pavel I, preventing some of his unwise decisions and tantrums. She was also a close friend of the Empress Maria Feodorovna. The second portrait by John Everett Millais is called The Martyr of Solway the â€Å"Margaret† depicted by Millais was Margaret Wilson, who was born in 1667 in Glenvernoch in Wigtownshire. She was a young and devout Presbyterian who was a member of the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement of the 17th century in Scotland who signed the National Covenant in 1638 to confirm their opposition to the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Stuart kings embraced the belief of the Divine Right of the Monarch. However, not only did they believe that God wished them to be the infallible rulers of their kingdom – they also believed that they were the spiritual heads of the Church of Scotland. This latter belief was anathema to the Scots. Their belief was quite simple – no man, not even a king, could be spiritual head of their church. The following piece will demonstrate the differences and similarities between the two images in a compare and a contrast manner. Analyze the fundamental differences. Point out the major mutual points. Art. (2017, Feb 05).