Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Job satisfaction and publication output among librarians in Nigerian universities

Survey data were used to determine the influence of job satisfaction on the publication output of librarians in Nigerian universities. A stratified random sampling method was used to select 202 librarians working in 22 out of the 35 university libraries in Nigeria. A multiple regression statistical analysis was employed to examine the influence of job satisfaction on publication output of librarians. The results of the empirical analysis indicate that of the six dimensions of job satisfaction used in the study, only three (librarians’ levels of satisfaction with their achievement responsibility and recognition) had a significant influence on their publication output. Other dimensions including salary, university library policies and administration, and supervision, had no significant influence on their publication output. The study also reveals that the intrinsic job satisfaction dimensions were the greatest influence on the quantity of publications among the sample population. This should be given top priority. However, the extrinsic job satisfaction dimensions which do not influence publication output should not be neglected, rather they could be improved to enhance job satisfaction and raise publication productivity.
Capital Markets and the Exchange Rate with Special Reference to the Dollarization Debate in Latin America

The paper reviews the main challenges faced by policymakers in emerging market economies, EM, in light of recent financial crises, and taking into account salient factors like the existence of partial dollarization, imperfect credibility, weak financial systems, and contagion. The standard theory of optimal currency areas is discussed and criticized for omitting the above factors. When these factors are taken into account, an extreme foreign exchange regime like dollarization is shown to become much more attractive. The paper discusses the pros and cons of dollarization and, among other things, shows that the lack of a lender of last resort is not necessarily a major drawback in EM. The paper also discusses inflation targeting, IT. In a formal model, it is shown that IT could be subject to credibility problems similar to those found in exchange rate-based stabilization programs.
The dimensions of prescription drug brand personality as identified by consumers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to describe the development and validation of a two-dimensional scale measuring prescription drug brand personality as identified by consumers. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 483 US respondents rated a subset of 15 well-known prescription medications on 22 different personality traits. A total of 2,245 individual brand evaluations were generated and subsequently analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Findings – The findings revealed that consumers are in fact able to attribute human personality traits to prescription drugs. A stable and generalizable two-dimensional (competence and innovativeness) scale was established: the Prescription Brand Personality Scale (PBPS). Research limitations/implications – The “stacked” data structure required to aggregate data across subjects discounts the variation between brands and subjects. The brands included in the study are relatively few compared to consumer brands. Practical implications – This research has importan.
A Precision Medicine Approach to the Rescue of Function on Malignant Calmodulinopathic Long-QT Syndrome

Rationale: Calmodulinopathies comprise a new category of potentially life-threatening genetic arrhythmia syndromes capable of producing severe long-QT syndrome (LQTS) with mutations involving CALM1, CALM2, or CALM3. The underlying basis of this form of LQTS is a disruption of Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent inactivation of L-type Ca2+ channels. Objective: To gain insight into the mechanistic underpinnings of calmodulinopathies and devise new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this form of LQTS. Methods and Results: We generated and characterized the functional properties of induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with D130G-CALM2–mediated LQTS, thus creating a platform with which to devise and test novel therapeutic strategies. The patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes display (1) significantly prolonged action potentials, (2) disrupted Ca2+ cycling properties, and (3) diminished Ca2+/CaM-dependent inactivation of L-type Ca2+ channels. Next, taking advantage of the fact that calmodulinopathy patients harbor a mutation in only 1 of 6 redundant CaM-encoding alleles, we devised a strategy using CRISPR interference to selectively suppress the mutant gene while sparing the wild-type counterparts. Indeed, suppression of CALM2 expression produced a functional rescue in induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes with D130G-CALM2, as shown by the normalization of action potential duration and Ca2+/CaM-dependent inactivation after treatment. Moreover, CRISPR interference can be designed to achieve selective knockdown of any of the 3 CALM genes, making it a generalizable therapeutic strategy for any calmodulinopathy. Conclusions: Overall, this therapeutic strategy holds great promise for calmodulinopathy patients as it represents a generalizable intervention capable of specifically altering CaM expression and potentially attenuating LQTS-triggered cardiac events, thus initiating a path toward precision medicine.
HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum is associated with genital infections and partnership characteristics

Objective:The objective of this study is to determine the risk and cofactors for HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum. Design:A prospective cohort study Methods:Pregnant women in western Kenya were enrolled if HIV seronegative at that visit or within 3 months. Serial HIV nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) were conducted at 1 to 3-month intervals to 9 months postpartum. Genital swabs were collected for detection of chlamydia and gonorrhoea at baseline, and for trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis and yeast at baseline and follow-up. Results:Among 1304 pregnant women, median age was 22 years, 78% were married for a median of 4 years, 66% reported knowing partner HIV status and 8% reported using condoms. Study retention was 98%. During 1235 person-years of follow-up, HIV incidence was 2.31/100 person-years [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.71–4.10]. Incident HIV was associated with syphilis (hazard ratio 9.18, 95% CI 2.15–39.3), chlamydia (hazard ratio 4.49, 95% CI 1.34–15.0), bacterial vaginosis (hazard ratio 2.91, 95% CI 1.25–6.76), yeast (hazard ratio 3.46, 95% CI 1.46–8.19), sexually transmitted infection (STI) history (hazard ratio 3.48, 95% CI 1.31–9.27), lifetime number of sex partners (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.03–1.37), partner age discordance (hazard ratio 1.07 per year, 95% CI 1.02–1.13) and shorter marriage (hazard ratio 1.19 per year, 95% CI 1.03–1.38). No women with incident HIV reported an HIV-infected partner. In multivariate analyses, chlamydia, older partners and yeast infection remained significant; however, power was limited. Conclusion:Pregnant and lactating women may not perceive HIV risk and rarely used condoms. Prevention and treatment of genital infections and risk stratification to identify women for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could decrease HIV acquisition in pregnant/lactating women.
Sex Education; or, How the Blind Became Heterosexual

This essay began as a general inquiry into the interaction between sexuality and blindness. I expected to draw on a wealth of materials, written from a number of perspectives: scientific, autobiographical, and theoretical. The first thing that confronted me was the paucity of materials. Barely a word was written about the sexuality of the blind for much of the twentieth century. Perhaps, on the one hand, this fact was related to the social and political marginality of blind people at the time, coupled with the general reluctance to discuss sexual matters, which left the story of blind sexuality unwritten. Perhaps, on the other hand, it was thought that blind people’s sexuality, already dealt with in the supposedly general writings on human sexuality, demanded no special treatment. Whatever the reasons for this relative silence, it was abruptly punctured in the 1970s. In 1975 the American Foundation for the Blind published its eightyeight-page Resource Guide and anthologized a “selection” of relevant papers in book form; influential American blindness journals published at least eighteen articles between 1971 and 1986; two journals devoted special issues to the subject. The authors of these articles were invariably sighted professionals who drew on their experiences in working with blind people in institutional contexts. It is curious that so little was written before and so little has been written since that flurry of activity. The material is remarkably homogeneous not only in terms of its historical and geographic origins but also in terms of its content. It is characterized by a relentless focus on the problem of whether (and how) to educate the blind about sex. It eschews the task of giving a broader account of blindness and sexuality, as might be gained from ethnographic or autobiographical accounts. Such limitations are probably to be expected. The written word is a technology developed by and for the sighted, through which the blind are spoken about
Effects of a Tier 2 Intervention on Classroom Disruptive Behavior and Academic Engagement

As multi-tiered systems of support for social behavior problems are increasingly utilized in schools settings, school personnel are often in need of effective and efficient Tier 2 interventions. Although Check-in/Check-out (CICO) is a promising intervention, more robust experimental demonstrations are needed to provide evidence confirming its effectiveness when implemented by school practitioners. Using an ABAB single subject design, this study examined the effects of CICO on disruptive behavior and academic engagement of three typically developing elementary school boys who were considered at-risk for escalating problem behavior. CICO was used as part of an ongoing School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program. It was implemented by two classroom teachers and the school counselor, who served as the CICO coordinator. Results indicated that for all three participants, disruptive behavior decreased from baseline levels during intervention phases. Academic engagement increased during CICO phases for two of the three participants. Findings, limitations, and implications for future research and practice are discussed. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
Immigrant dairy workers' perceptions of health and safety on the farm in America's Heartland.

BACKGROUND Dairy farming is dangerous. Yearly, farms grow fewer and larger by employing immigrant workers, who have limited industrial agriculture experience and safety and health training. METHODS We examined results of five focus groups with 37 Hispanic, immigrant dairy workers. Analysis followed a grounded theory approach and employed ATLAS.ti. RESULTS Reported injury experience affirmed the hazardous nature of dairy. Some workers received appropriate worker compensation benefits, whereas others were instructed to deny work-relatedness. Some employers covered medical injury costs out-of-pocket, whereas others did not. Cows were a major injury source. Pressure to work and weather were noted as injury risk factors. Worker compensation was poorly understood, and immigration status and fear of deportation influenced injury and hazard reporting. CONCLUSION Injury management practices range from benevolent to threatening. Workers compensation is poorly understood and undocumented status is an occupational hazard. We underscore the need for further research and immigration policy change.
Urban planning and the design of towns in the Middle Ages: the Earls of Devon and their ‘new towns’

This paper examines what processes might have been involved in the design and planning of new urban landscapes in the High Middle Ages. It does so by looking in detail at the morphology of a group of late twelfth century ‘new towns’ established by one particular aristocratic family in southern England. The paper seeks to encourage a move away from orthodox interpretations of medieval urban forms, and challenges the view that irregularities in plan-form signify a lack of planning.
Managing alcohol problems in general practice in Europe: results from the European ODHIN survey of general practitioners.

AIMS To document the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) from eight European countries to alcohol and alcohol problems and how these attitudes are associated with self-reported activity in managing patients with alcohol and alcohol problems. METHODS A total of 2345 GPs were surveyed. The questionnaire included questions on the GP's demographics, reported education and training on alcohol, attitudes towards managing alcohol problems and self-reported estimates of numbers of patients managed for alcohol and alcohol problems during the previous year. RESULTS The estimated mean number of patients managed for alcohol and alcohol problems during the previous year ranged from 5 to 21 across the eight countries. GPs who reported higher levels of education for alcohol problems and GPs who felt more secure in managing patients with such problems reported managing a higher number of patients. GPs who reported that doctors tended to have a disease model of alcohol problems and those who felt that drinking was a personal rather than a medical responsibility reported managing a lower number of patients. CONCLUSION The extent of alcohol education and GPs' attitudes towards alcohol were associated with the reported number of patients managed. Thus, it is worth exploring the extent to which improved education, using pharmacotherapy in primary health care and a shift to personalized health care in which individual patients are facilitated to undertake their own assessment and management (individual responsibility) might increase the number of heavy drinkers who receive feedback on their drinking and support to reduce their drinking.
Three Facets of Organizational Adaptation: Selection, Variety, and Plasticity

When considering the adaptive dynamics of organizations, it is important to account for the full set of adaptive mechanisms, including not only the possibility of learning and adaptation of a given behavior but also the internal selection over some population of routines and behaviors. In developing such a conceptual framework, it is necessary to distinguish between the underlying stable roots of behavior and the possibly adaptive expression of those underlying templates. Selection occurs over expressed behavior. As a result, plasticity, the capacity to adapt behavior, poses a trade-off as it offers the possibility of adaptive learning but at the same time mitigates the effectiveness of selection processes to identify more or less superior underlying roots of behavior. In addition, plasticity may mitigate the reliability with which practices are enacted. These issues are explored in the context of a computational model, which examines the interrelationship among processes of variation, selection, and plasticity.
Sports Teams as Organizations

Sport teams by definition can be considered a type of organization; yet, the incorporation of an organizational perspective has not been utilized to examine athletes’ interactions. The current study utilizes leader–member exchange theory as theoretical lens to examine the influence that athlete–coach communication has on relationships and communication with coaches and teammates. A sample of 158 former high school athletes produced results that indicate that athletes with in-group relationships with coaches report more satisfaction and symmetrical communication with coaches, and more task cohesion, social cohesion, and cooperative communication with teammates. These results highlight the importance of athlete–coach communication for influencing perceptions of relationships and communication with coaches and teammates.
A Chick Model of Retinal Detachment: Cone Rich and Novel

Background Development of retinal detachment models in small animals can be difficult and expensive. Here we create and characterize a novel, cone-rich retinal detachment (RD) model in the chick. Methodology/Principal Findings Retinal detachments were created in chicks between postnatal days 7 and 21 by subretinal injections of either saline (SA) or hyaluronic acid (HA). Injections were performed through a dilated pupil with observation via surgical microscope, using the fellow eye as a control. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed at days 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14 after retinal detachment to evaluate the cellular responses of photoreceptors, Müller glia, microglia and nonastrocytic inner retinal glia (NIRG). Cell proliferation was detected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-incorporation and by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Cell death was detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). As in mammalian models of RD, there is shortening of photoreceptor outer segments and mis-trafficking of photoreceptor opsins in areas of RD. Photoreceptor cell death was maximal 1 day after RD, but continued until 14 days after RD. Müller glia up-regulated glial fibriliary acidic protein (GFAP), proliferated, showed interkinetic nuclear migration, and migrated to the subretinal space in areas of detachment. Microglia became reactive; they up-regulated CD45, acquired amoeboid morphology, and migrated toward outer retina in areas of RD. Reactive NIRG cells accumulated in detached areas. Conclusions/Significance Subretinal injections of SA or HA in the chick eye successfully produced retinal detachments and cellular responses similar to those seen in standard mammalian models. Given the relatively large eye size, and considering the low cost, the chick model of RD offers advantages for high-throughput studies.
An application-independent concurrency skeleton in Ada 95

Building high-quality concurrent software is a significant challenge. Issues such as performance, scalability, extensibility, and correctness, form a complex web of design decisions that software developers must navigate. In a number of well-understood software domains, reduction in the complexity of sequential software design has been enabled by the availability of collections of existing software components. Jn this paper, we present a component that provides similar benefits to developers of concurrent Ada 95 software that uses a replicated workers paradigm. Our strategy is to factor out concurrent aspects of a computation; this allows users to focus on the computational and data elements of an application. Our componentry supplies a skeleton in which to embed such elements that reduces the complexity and time required for software development, enables modular reasoning about correctness properties of concurrent software, and enables control of software performance characteristics. We illustrate the utility of this approach and the Ada 95 features that enable the approach, by solving a variety of concurrent programming problems using the replicated workers skeleton.
Therapeutic Antioxidant Medical Gas

Medical gases are pharmaceutical gaseous molecules which offer solutions to medical needs and include traditional gases, such as oxygen and nitrous oxide, as well as gases with recently discovered roles as biological messenger molecules, such as carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide. Medical gas therapy is a relatively unexplored field of medicine; however, a recent increasing in the number of publications on medical gas therapies clearly indicate that there are significant opportunities for use of gases as therapeutic tools for a variety of disease conditions. In this article, we review the recent advances in research on medical gases with antioxidant properties and discuss their clinical applications and therapeutic properties.
The SAHRC's enquiry into racism in the media: Problematising state-media relationships

This article examines media discourses about the South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) 1999/2000 enquiry into racism in the media. The article examines these discourses in the light of the history of the relation between South Africa's ethnic presses and the apartheid state. This history explains, in part, why the two key media discourses about the SAHRC's enquiry into racism in the media focused on the threat to press freedom and the illegitimacy of any form of state intervention into media performance. However, given the history of the media's support for the apartheid state, it is argued that in a vibrant democracy with a constitution that protects freedom of expression and freedom of the press, questioning media performance should be seen as a legitimate part of civil society's participation in maintaining democratic practice. In examining the tension between freedom of expression and the rights to dignity and equality, a critical race theory perspective is offered and it is suggested that this perspective, as well as that of critical legal theory, underpins South African jurisprudential approaches to this tension.
An empirical channel model for the effect of human body on ray tracing

This paper presents a empirical model for near human body UWB propagation channel that is valid for the frequency range from 3GHz to 8GHz. It is based on measurements conducted in a anechoic chamber which can be regarded as free space. The empirical model shows the joint propagation characteristics of the on body channel and the channel between body surface and external access point. It includes the loss of the first path, arrival time of the first path and the total path loss. Models for all three aspects have been partitioned into two sections by a break point due to the geometrical property of human body and the creeping wave phenomenon. The investigation on first path behavior can be regarded as a theoretical basis of ray-tracing technique that takes the effects of human body into consideration.
Cantonese tone discrimination using amplitude envelope: Implications for cochlear implants

The purpose of the current study is to investigate whether amplitude envelope alone can cue the auditory discrimination of any two lexical tones in Cantonese, and to tease apart the relative contributions of three acoustic factors to lexical tone perception using amplitude envelope. Signalcorrelated noise stimuli were re-synthesized based on six Cantonese lexical tones produced naturally. Thirty native listeners of Cantonese and thirty native listeners of American English were presented pairs of the stimuli, and were instructed to report whether each pair consisted of identical or different Cantonese lexical tones. The results indicated that native listeners of Cantonese discriminated each of the thirty-six lexical tone pairs in Cantonese significantly above chance and with greater accuracy and shorter reaction time than the native listeners of English. The relative contributions of three acoustic factors and one linguistic factor were delineated. These findings could potentially help improve the encoding of lexical tone contrasts for lexical tone perception in cochlear implant users, who typically have difficulties with lexical tone perception due to the limited capacity of cochlear implants in conveying F0.