Case Study: Moral and Ethical Decisions Some Students Make Pursuing Their Doctoral Degrees from Accredited For-Profit Universities

The purpose of this case study is to identify issues some doctoral students face in obtaining their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from accredited for-profit colleges and universities. The three participants attended for-profit universities in the past five years and failed to obtain their doctoral degrees. Data collection is through an initial demographics survey, qualification survey, vignettes, and the interview itself. Data analysis from the Coding Manual for Qualitative Research by Johnny Saldana is used to analyze the data collected from problems doctoral students encounter in pursuit of their doctoral degree (Saldana, 2013). The theoretical foundations for this project come from Kohlberg’s Three Stages of Moral Development, in which the last stage focuses on the evaluation of the individual’s society (Crane, 1985). This research serves as information for administrators and curriculum designers for doctoral programs for accredited public, private, for-profit and nonprofit, traditional and nontraditional colleges and universities offering doctoral programs. According to the results, non-traditional students find themselves having to make moral and ethical value judgments based on Kohlberg’s Moral Stages of Development in pursuit of their PhD doctoral degrees. Based on the evaluation of data, the method of accrediting agencies evaluating higher education must be revamped in order to meet the rising needs of the student today, and these revisions are not limited to the federally funded aid offered to students but to the academic criteria involved in evaluating student success through the degree process as well as in the final stages of the doctoral process. Languag

A Puzzling Relationship

In this article, consumption in early modern Europe is analysed in terms of prices, incomes and per capita GDP. We focus in particular on England and Italy, and stress both the similarities and differences. We show how the increase in consumption of some items is not at odds with decline or stability in labour incomes and, probably, per capita output. The “social” perspective of improved living conditions can in fact be reconciled with the “economic” perspective of a fall in wages.L’article étudie la consommation dans l’Europe Moderne sous l’angle de l’analyse des prix, des revenus et du PIB par habitant. Il s’intéresse plus spécifiquement à l’Angleterre et à l’Italie qui sont envisagées d’un point de vue comparatiste. Il souligne que la croissance de la consommation n’est pas incompatible avec le déclin ou la stabilité des salaires ni, probablement, du revenu par habitant. La perspective « sociale » faisant état d’une amélioration des conditions de vie peut ainsi être réconciliée avec la  perspective « économique »  mettant en lumière la baisse des salaires réels

Optimizing Antenna Arrays for Spatial Multiplexing: Towards 6G Systems

In this paper we discuss the design of antenna arrays to be used for multiplexing applications. In particular, we introduce a suitable performance index to analyze the effect of the antenna geometry and the distribution of users for the overall performance of Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output systems. By means of such performance index, antenna arrays can be designed so as to increase the number of multiplexed parallel sub-channels. Numerical results show that a proper design could allow to double the contemporary served users and the overall system throughput

A versatile facility for the calibration of X-ray polarimeters with polarized and unpolarized controlled beams

We devised and built a versatile facility for the calibration of the next generation X-ray polarimeters with unpolarized and polarized radiation. The former is produced at 5.9 keV by means of a Fe55 radioactive source or by X-ray tubes, while the latter is obtained by Bragg diffraction at nearly 45 degrees. Crystals tuned with the emission lines of X-ray tubes with molybdenum, rhodium, calcium and titanium anodes are employed for the efficient production of highly polarized photons at 2.29, 2.69, 3.69 and 4.51 keV respectively. Moreover the continuum emission is exploited for the production of polarized photons at 1.65 keV and 2.04 keV and at energies corresponding to the higher orders of diffraction. The photons are collimated by means of interchangeable capillary plates and diaphragms, allowing a trade-off between collimation and high fluxes. The direction of the beam is accurately arranged by means of high precision motorized stages, controlled via computer so that long and automatic measurements can be done. Selecting the direction of polarization and the incidence point we can map the response of imaging devices to both polarized and unpolarized radiation. Changing the inclination of the beam we can study the systematic effects due to the focusing of grazing incidence optics and the feasibility of instruments with large field of view.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure

Iodine deficiency disorders in Europe

AbstractIodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are related to the degree of iodine deficiency. In european countries, characterized by mild to moderate iodine deficiency, neurological deficits or minor neuropsychological impairments have been described. Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) ranged from 30 to 170 mcg/L, 141 millions of people were at risk of IDD, 97 millions were affected by goiter and 0.9 millions had an impaired mental development.Iodine prophylaxis is devoid of adverse reactions with the exception of sporadic cases of transitory hyperthyroidism, associated to the severity of iodine deficiency before the prophylaxis. The International Council for Control of IDD recommends an universal iodine prophylaxis, instituted gradually in severe iodine deficient countries. The total cost of universal iodine prophylaxis is very cheap compared to the social cost of goiter and cretinism.In conclusion, most european countries are still characterized by mild to moderate iodine deficiency. Iodine prophylaxis programs are already operating, its cost is irrelevant with respect to the undebatable beneficial impact on the health. Adverse effects are not observed except in severe iodine deficient areas where iodine intake was abruptly increased