Thursday, February 6, 2020

Aldus Manutius – A Man of Letters


Manutius was the premier fifteenth-century printer of classic Greek and Latin texts. He championed a revolutionary approach, placing accessibility, affordability, and quality first and foremost.
“Manutius produced the first printed editions of many of the Greek and Latin classics and is particularly associated with the production of small, excellently edited pocket-size books printed in inexpensive editions.” – Britannica.com
Manutius is most recognized for his dedication to making the ancient Greek classics  such as Homer, Plato, and Aristotle  widely available in their original Greek. To achieve this, Aldus worked to create a standardized italicized typeface – the first ever created. Alongside this, he masterminded a new publishing format – books designed to be easily carried by readers on their travels. This was a startling idea, one that changed the way publishers and scholars viewed books and coincidentally reduced production costs. His publishing imprint, Aldine Press, became internationally celebrated, and his innovative adaptations were quickly copied. Read More

Who and how to pay for OA


Now there is the question of how to pay for this? Although OA also is known under the moniker Author Pays (as opposed to Reader Pays) it will be clear to all that it is not the scientists who are asked to pay, using private funds, for the publication of work created as part of their employ. So Reader Pays in essence should be: University Pays, Employer Pays or perhaps Funder Pays. Read More


Alduspress


Phillips Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University have recently published the fifth edition of Inside Book Publishing which remains the classic introduction to the book publishing industry, being both a manual for the profession for over two decades and the bestselling textbook for students of publishing.
This new edition has been fully updated to respond to the rapid changes in the market and technology. Now more global in its references and scope, the book explores the tensions and trends affecting the industry, including the growth of ebooks, self-publishing, and online retailing, and new business models and workflows. The book provides excellent overviews of the main aspects of the publishing process, including commissioning, product development, design and production, marketing, sales and distribution.
Angus and Giles where even kind enough to allow me to author a section on XML-structuring.Read More

WHY WE LAUNCHED ALDUS PRESS


A few friends asked me some time ago if I wanted to start an Open Access Book Publishing initiative with them. The idea was to combine our knowledge of publishing in general and scholarly communication in particular. During conferences and later in bars we discussed how Open Access has changed the industry and how automation and computerization will mean more change to come. We all felt that existing publishers could do a better job. Perhaps not a revolutionary better job, in the way Steve Jobs changed mobile telephony to the smartphone, but perhaps a more efficient, pleasant change. Certain publishers, we felt, are perhaps just resting on their laurels, expecting their bonuses to come in through the ‘Big Deals’, others we felt, are incredibly inefficient and spend way too much time discussing, arguing and debating ‘whether footnotes should be tabulated or indented’. We never understood completely why the publication times for scientific journals can be fast; under 3 months whereas books quite often take more than 3 quarters. Read More

How to be a successful academic book series editor at Aldus Press


intervals. The books by themselves are self-contained in their topic and content. They are thus an ever-growing number of individual anthologies that, together, form a developing canon of knowledge. The series editor is the embodiment of the series, the person who ‘sets the course and steers the ship’.
What makes a successful series editor?
Five elements go into the making of a successful series editor.To start a series, a series-editor begins by working with the publisher and, possibly a small group of peers, to define the series itself.  The subject area, as well as aims & scope, needs to be defined. Here, often, a trade-off is made. In general, a publisher would desire a broader subject area hoping to be able to publish more, whereas a series-editor might want to be focusing strongly on a niche. In line with the aims & scope, form an editorial policy regarding desired quality, review policy, English language only or also other languages, frequency, and so forth. All this information is published on the publishers’ website and promoted, both by the publisher as well as by the series-editor. This process usually is summarized by a descriptive title that, quite often, reflects the group of series. Think Anthologies in Medicine, Anthologies in Religious Studies and so forth. Read More


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Personal Trainer will Help To Get Fitness Goal


Unfortunately, most people who are looking for personal trainers do not have an idea what are the reputable certifications they should be looking out for.
Who wants to end up looking in the wrong or worse shape than they started off? The problem is anyone can get a fly-by-night online personal training certification and claimed that he is a qualified personal trainer even without proper practical experience. In fact, there are literally hundreds of personal training certifications out there and there is only a handful that meets the highest standard.
Although you can be in good hands when you find a "superstar" trainer, it does not guarantee success in achieving your fitness goals. A great personal trainer is certainly not a magic bullet. All he can do for you is motivate you, show you the right way and become a vital resource for you. In the end, your level of success depends on your level of commitment to the program.

Like all things, there are personal trainers who are better at their job and with their advance knowledge and experience they can get the most out of you than you trying on your own. Certainly, some are just being in the profession to earn some part-time cash and may not be into training.

How do you find the right trainer for yourself? What do you look for? Let's look at the following:

What are their relevant qualifications?
First and foremost, the level of education or training is an important factor you must consider when getting a personal trainer. Having a college degree in exercise science certainly helps but it should not be judged as a sole determinant on the quality of the fitness professional. There are many great personal trainers who do not have a college degree but still have in-depth knowledge in training. However, the trainers should be at least certified by reputable international fitness certification agencies. So what are the good few one? They are as followed but by no mean limited to the following:
American College School Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer or Health Fitness Specialist
National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Personal Trainer
Chek Institute
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
American Council on Exercise (ACE)
YMCA

As a personal trainer in Perth Western Australia, I know for a fact most of the fitness trainers in Australia do not hold the above mentioned certification. This is because the tightly regulated fitness industry requires the personal trainers to hold Cert IV Fitness Qualification, a set minimal Australian national vocational standard, to conduct personal training services. Therefore, you are most likely to find a qualified fitness professional with at least Cert IV qualification in Australia. However, all the paper qualification counts for nothing if he or she does not have industry experience.

What are their Industry Experiences?
Depending on your fitness goals, you should find out about the type of experience the trainers have. Some of them can be more specialized in strength and conditioning in sports, rehabilitation or weight loss. If you are seeking results, be sure to look for someone who is specialized in your area. Although it can be very impressive to hear of someone having more than 10 years of experience in the fitness industry, it is important to ask about the work experience, seminars and relevant certification courses he or she had attended. You will be surprised that some of them do very little in their careers to stay current to the latest practice and trend in fitness.

Are they insured?
Be sure to ask about liability insurance. Have yourself covered. No matter how good the trainer can be, there is always going to be an inherent risk to exercising. Not having liability insurance may also be a sign that the "trainer" is not adequately certified. Especially in Australia, it is not possible to get liability insurance if you are not a member of the Fitness Australia and not hold a Cert IV fitness qualification.

Do they have Testimonials?
If the personal trainer you are seeking out has been in the fitness industry for some years, he or she should have written testimonies from his former and existing clients. So don't be afraid to ask for testimonies and make a call or two and find out what other people are saying about the trainer. If he is specialized in weight loss, he should have before and after pictures of his clients to show for.

How about you?
It is important that the prospective trainer you meet does not just talk about his great careers achievements and certifications that he holds without asking about you. After all, personal training is about you and your fitness goals.

At the very least, the personal trainer should find out about your specific fitness goals, exercise history, past and present medical conditions and current lifestyle. If the fitness professional shows no interest in why you are meeting him or her for, it is better to look for a trainer somewhere else.

The aforementioned guidelines are not hard and fast rules on what you should be looking for in a personal trainer. It is intended to help you in your decision to get the best possible personal trainer for your fitness goals. In the end, it boils down to personal preferences and the rapport you have with the prospective personal trainer that you meet. However, do bear in mind that it is YOU that have to make things work! Be sure to work closely with the personal trainer you choose for the best outcomes.

Personal Trainer For Fitness Goals


Everyone thinks that they can exercise on their own and get the results they want. If that is the case, then why do professional personal trainers need to attend courses to get themselves certified and subscribe to expensive journals to keep themselves abreast in what is happening and new discoveries in the fitness fraternity?
To lose weight or to gain muscles just to name a few. Some may have tried on their own to achieve their personal fitness objectives without success while others may believe that by hiring professional trainers, they can achieve their goals much faster with professional guidance.
Whatever the case may be, if you are working out in a gym without a realistic fitness plan, chances are very likely that you may become quickly frustrated as results are slow to come by and eventually giving up your quest. As such, one way of sticking to an effective workout program is to use the services of a qualified personal trainer.
So here are a few reasons why gym instructors can be an essential part of your fitness program. Firstly, a good personal trainer will design a fitness program to meet your particular needs. Everyone is unique and has different goals and so there cannot be a one size fit all workout programs like those you see in magazines. If what you read in magazines can really transform you, then the magazines will be out of circulation real soon since everyone will have achieved their goals and need not buy another one to read.
Next, your fitness trainer will have to assess your present physical fitness level and plan a comprehensive program that matches your present fitness capability. This is crucial to avoid injuries and accidents. The trainer will also have to demonstrate each exercise using free weights and machines so that you can use them most effectively to get your results in the shortest time possible safely.

As your physical fitness level improves week after week, your gym instructor will be the one to gauge when it is time for you to increase your workload and activities. Your performance will be tracked so that every few months or so, your instructor should be able to produce a comprehensive report of your progress.

Because you are paying good money for a good personal trainer, you will be more motivated to achieve your goals and with your instructor coaching you on specific time of the week, you are less likely to miss your workout sessions or to quit exercising completely. A good personal trainer is also a good motivator who is able communicate and bond with you.

Since certified personal trainers are professionally trained themselves, they will also have to draw up a nutrition plan for you to achieve your desired result whether for muscle gain or to lose weight. You can be well assured that these plans will be safe and effective because they are planned with your health condition and objectives in mind.

Differences BetweenPersonal Trainers and Fitness Instructors



The most obvious difference between a gym instructor and a personal trainer is education. Gym Instructors are educated to Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) level 2 and personal trainers are required to re educated to REPS Level 3. You can train to be level 2 qualified in a few weeks whereas level 3 qualification takes at least 2 months of full-time study.
In the United Kingdom you will find fitness instructors and personal trainers working side by side, seemingly doing the same job. They look the same but their role and their levels of education can be very different. In this article I want to explain what the differences are and why it is important to know this.
REPS is the Register of Exercise Professionals and is the body in the United Kingdom that oversees education and registration of fitness professionals and trainers. They require a certain level of education and continued learning to remain as a member.

Other differences will relate to the job that each one will undertake. Most gym instructors tend to be employed by the gym and will earn around £7 per hour. Their duties can include anything from inducting new members to cleaning machines to making sure that the gym is clean and tidy and that there are no weights left around. Gym instructors will also be required to do health check on members and maybe even teach classes such as spin and circuits. They are instrumental in helping out members and should be a first port of call if you want some advice regarding exercise for or if you need someone to spot you with some weights.

In most of the bigger chain gyms in the United Kingdom personal trainers are not employed but rather work as self-employed freelancers. Generally the personal trainers will pay the gym anything from £100-£200 per week to work there and it will be up to them to speak to members and find their own clients. This actually works out really well for the gyms as they are getting money in from the trainers and this is also helping them to retain members as well.
The average personal trainer will charge anything from £25-£50 per hour depending on their level of education and experience. For example a newly qualified trainer may only charge £25 per session as they may have their personal training qualification whereas some more qualified and experienced personal trainers who have been qualified as a personal trainer for a few years can charge £40 and upwards per session as they constantly update their qualifications and have a track record of satisfied clients.


Personal Trainer - Positive Experience


Personality is one of the most important factors in picking a personal trainer to work with because you are going to be partnering with them on your quest to achieve your fitness goals. Therefore it is a good idea to meet them first somewhere casual-be it at the gym, a public restaurant or coffee shop to get a feel for what they are like and what you can expect.
A personal trainer or fitness coach to work with, you will want to keep consider their personality, people-skills, level of professionalism, experience, education, and their location. If you factor all of these elements into your decision, you are bound to come up with a win-win relationship between yourself and your personal trainer.

Imagine if you are a happy, upbeat person who decides to get started with a trainer that you have never met or had many conversations with and during your first training session realize you have an evil, loud drill sergeant on your hands who shows no mercy during your training sessions? What if that is the last type of trainer that you would like to work with? Gulp!

Select a personal trainer or fitness coach with a personality that you feel compliments your own and that you can respect. After all, you want to look forward to your personal training sessions with them and if you do, they will be more productive for both of you.

Professionalism is another important consideration. Your personal trainer should be a good listener, understand what your goals are and help you devise a fitness plan to reach those goals. From time-to-time they should track your progress so that you can see the progress you have been making each month or every other month.

Being professional also includes giving you their full, undivided attention during your personal training sessions. They should not answer their cell phones all the time when their working with you, should show-up on time and stay on schedule, just as they expect you to do as a good client. In addition, they themselves should workout and train on a regular basis.

Experience & Education will factor into how you pick a personal trainer or fitness coach as well and as a general rule- the more experienced and educated the trainer the more they charge per session.

When you decide how much experience your trainer should have, try to stay open-minded. Newer trainers are not necessarily less desirable than trainers who have been around for a while depending on what your goals are. They can be motivated and enthused and fun to work with. However, if you have a very specific type of training you are after, then it is best to interview the trainer to see if the area is something that they feel comfortable with.

For example, let us say you are a competitive swimmer and want to work with a trainer to help enhance your swimming skills. You will want to make sure that your trainer is experienced in sports-specific training or is willing to work with your swim coach and will research and include exercises to best help you excel in your training plan.

Your trainer should have some type of educational background in fitness or in the sports that they are specializing in. Most personal trainers are certified in one or more organizations such as: IFA, IFPA, ACE, AAFA, etc. Being certified still does not mean they know what they are doing, however, they should have understand and know the basics of creating a safe, workout program for you. Feel free to ask your trainer what their background is, and what certifications that they have.

Location will be important to you and must be fairly convenient if you are going to commit yourself to working with a personal trainer. In an ideal world, it would be great if your trainer was located between 5-10 minutes from your home, job, or some other location that you are at on a regular basis. If you have to drive more than 15 minutes each way-then you may begin to talk yourself out of your workouts.

If you are having your personal trainer or fitness coach come to your home, that is even more convenient to your schedule, and to your follow-through. It may be as much as $10.00-$30.00 more a session to host your trainer at your residence or workplace, but again the benefit of saving you 20-30 minutes of travel time may outweigh the extra expense of each session.

When you pick a personal trainer following the suggestions in this article, you are bound to select one that you will enjoy working with and benefit from.
Best of luck to you as you strive to achieve your fitness and health goals!

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Digital Offset Printing Properties


Traditional offset printing is the most reliable printing method that exists today. Through the years, many printing techniques have come and gone but offset remains one of the most used and the most sought after printing service available. However, because of the advent of the digital age, traditional offset printing methods only got better. The merging of digital technology and the time tested principles of offset printing results in the birth if a new and more dynamic printing service - digital offset printing.
Digital offset printing maintains the strong points that defines traditional offset and helped in making it better by bringing in different printing options that will help you overcome some of the short comings that it has. Here are some of the features if digital offset printing.

Quality materials

There are many quality materials that you can produce through this method. Brochures, business cards, posters, flyers and greeting cards are only some of the materials that you can create. Printing through this method uses the traditional CMYK color space that enables you to create a wide range of colors in your prints. The colors that you use will enanble you to make lively images that will attract attention and evoke emotions. Colors will also help you in standing out and apart from the many advertising and marketing materials that are being used.

Still the king of mass production
Even with the digital phase of production, offset printing has not lost its ability to produce large amounts of orders at a very short period of time. In fact, thanks to the digital process, there are a lot less mechanical processes that you need to go through in order to finish your prints.

The digital phase of production allows for direct to printer approach that enables you to bypass traditional pre press processes like film stripping and color separation. The digital file from the computer can be directly transported to the plate that is going to be used in printing.

As always, the impression speeds of offset printers are very fast and you can create hundreds and even thousands of prints in just minutes. Also, do not forget that one of the most popular characteristics of offset printing is that the more copies you print, the less your prints will cost per printed piece. Even with the advent of the digital age, this is still retained in offset printing and because there are less pre press processes involved, the production cost will be lower.
Longer lasting prints

The materials that you create through offset printing also retain its high quality as evidenced by the strong bond between the substrate and the ink that you use. Offset printing stamps the inks and colors in place rather than just spraying them on top of the substrate. Spraying the ink on top of the substrate creates a weak bond that results in ink chipping whenever your prints are crumpled or folded. When the inks are stamped though, this is not a problem. The bond between the substrate and the ink is so strong that you can not chip it off even if you tried to.