The social impact and cultural issues affecting the e-learning performance in Libyan Higher Education institutes

This paper analyses the social impact and cultural issues which affect the e-learning performance in Libyan Higher Education institutes (HEIs). It is described the development and implementation of e-learning systems in various HEIs with the emphasis on the digital gap in Libya and barriers to successful e-learning implementation in these institutions. Also the social impact of using e-learning packages and Internet by young people in Libya is studied and a SWOT analysis of ICT and e-learning in Tripoli University is performed in order to improve the effectiveness of the use of e-learning systems in Libyan HEIs

Mammography screening in Greece: an exploratory survey of women’s views, experiences and behaviours.

Background: Internationally, breast cancer comprises 29% of all cancer incidences. In Greece, 1,500-1,800women die annually from breast cancer out of the 4,000 who are affected. Only 5% are detected at an early diseasestage through mammography screening.Aim: This paper presents findings from a study exploring the factors that influence Greek women’smammography screening behaviour.Methodology: Data were collected in Athens-Greece, during the period March-July 2008, from individuals whowere members of six women’s associations. One hundred and eighty six questionnaires were completed and 33interviews were conducted from a sub-sample. This paper reports the findings from the questionnaire survey.Results: Participants had a variety of demographic characteristics with 85% of them having attendedmammography screening. Only 61% of them intended to continue in the future. Τhe majority of women agreedwith a number of factors which supported their decision to participate in regular mammography screening, such asdoctors’ encouragement and mammogram efficacy to detect breast cancer at an early stage, while anxiety wasidentified as a possible inhibitor to their participation.Conclusion: Women’s mammography screening behaviour and perceptions of mammography screening appearedto be positive in relation to their participation. However, the reasons as to why a large number of women indicatedthey were unlikely to go for mammography screening again is not known, and needs further investigation

Devolution and Fiscal Decentralisation

Fiscal decentralisation represents the transfer of resources from higher to lower levels of government usually accompanied by an enhancement in responsibilities and functions of sub- national governments and greater autonomy in their budget making and financial decisions. The rising demand generally for decentralisation in developing countries in recent years is a consequence of the broader processes of globalisation, liberalisation and deregulation. Political imperatives for decentralisation have been created by the urge for more effective democratisation and the need to bring governments closer to the people for greater accountability and better articulation of their needs and preferences. In a number of countries, including Pakistan, the failure of central or state/provincial governments to adequately capture local preferences and provide basic services have strengthened the case for use of local governments as delivery agents, such that the production and distribution of services is carried down to the lowest unit of government capable of capturing the associated costs and benefits.

Hidden Subsidies

Many governments use price subsidisation (total costs less total revenues from user charges) to meet social protection objectives in lieu of, or in addition to, direct income transfers. Such subsidies may be perceived as influencing behaviour to further other socially desirable policies. For example, the price response induced by lowering the price of schooling will both lower the cost of living for the beneficiaries and also increase the investment in education more than a similar income transfer would achieve. The incidences of benefits from a general price subsidy are proportional to purchases and can be deduced from the pattern of expenditures. Some goods are inappropriate vehicles for redistribution since subsidies on them will not only accrue mainly to the rich they will actually increase inequality in welfare. It is therefore important to ensure that commodities chosen for price subsidisation are largely consumed by the lower income groups. Also, detailed data on such commodities should be made public to make the extent of subsidy easily tractable. In the case of Pakistan, the problem of lack of transparency of federal and provincial budgets is vividly demonstrated by the inability of such budgets to readily highlight the subsidy on the various economic and social services, which are essentially in the nature of ‘private’ goods, provided by such governments. This is not only a reflection of the problem of the nature of budgeting practices whereby, first, revenues and expenditures on different heads are shown separately and no account is made either of depreciation of assets or the costs of capital used to finance the acquisition of assets which yield a stream of services. Second, to the extent that the subsidies largely benefit the upper income groups, political compulsions dictate that such subsidies largely remain hidden.

Perception and practice of self-medication with over-the-counter analgesics among students of a tertiary institution

Background: Although over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics increase access to and ease of medication, they are a major contributor to irrational use of medicines worldwide.This study assessed perception and practice of self-medication with OTC analgesics among students of Federal College of Education,Zaria.Method: It was a cross-sectional study of 200 students. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were computed, and Chi-square test was used to test association between practice of self-medication and other categorical variables.Results: Seventy-six (38.8%) had good knowledge of OTC analgesics and 187 (95.4%) had good perception. Majority 151 (77.0%) had taken at least one OTC analgesic in the last three months.The most common reason for taking OTC analgesics was their easy availability 66 (43.7%),and the most common symptom treated was headache 80 (53.0%).Self-medication with OTC analgesics was significantly associated with age (p = 0.010) and level of study (p = 0.001),but not with sex (p = 0.866),ethnicity (p = 0.416) or marital status (p = 0.104).Conclusion: Knowledge of OTC analgesics was poor,perception was largely positive,while self-medication was a common practice. Major factors influencing self-medication were age and level of education. It is recommended that efforts to control excessive self-medication with OTC analgesics should focus on creating public awareness and restricting the sale of OTC analgesics to licensed dealers.Keywords: Self-Medication, Over-The-Counter, Analgesics,Student

Office Ergonomics Assessment pada Kantor Bank X

Seiring dengan tingginya intensitas penggunaan komputer, risiko MSDs menjadi semakin tinggi. Kerja komputer memiliki tiga faktor risiko, seperti pengulangan, kekuatan statis dan postur canggung. Sebuah tindakan pencegahan untuk meminimalisir risiko adalah untuk melakukan penilaian office ergonomic. Hasil penilaian akan menjadi dasar tindakan pencegahan lebih lanjut. Pada penelitian ini, MIRTH Office digunakan untuk penilaian. Dalam kuesioner ini ada tiga bagian, yaitu informasi umum, penilaian kesesuaian, dan survei pengaduan. Data lingkungan fisik juga akan dikumpulkan pada penelitian ini. Pengolahan data dilakukan, antara lain, identifikasi masalah, masalah pengelompokan, dan pengolahan survei pengaduan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat empat kelompok masalah, antara lain isu manajemen workstation, lingkungan fisik, fasilitas kerja, dan istirahat. Hasil survei menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar keluhan responden pernah mengalami rasa tidak nyaman di mata, punggung, dan pinggang. Hasil ini menunjukkan perlunya intervensi ergonomi sedini mungkin, untuk mencegah risiko gangguan musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Intervensi ergonomi dapat dilakukan dengan fasilitas penyesuaian dan kondisi kerja, serta penyediaan ergonomi pelatihan yang terkait

A systems approach to determine how Toxoplasma gondii Infection causes neuropsychiatric disease

This thesis was previously held under moratorium from 16/03/2020 to 16/03/2022T. gondii infection acquired during life has been associated with psychoneurological disease in humans and behavioural changes in mice. However, less is known about the potential of congenitally acquired T. gondii infection, or for maternal T. gondii infection induced immune activation, to cause psychoneurological disease. The studies described herein, using LCMS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) demonstrate that adult acquired infection alters the neurochemistry and transcriptome of the brains of BALB/c mice. Notable changes to tryptophan, purine, arginine and carnitine metabolism were observed in infected mice. Congenitally infected and mice exposed to the maternal immune response to T. gondii, but not congenitally infected were found to have decreased mobility compared with control mice. Congenital T. gondii infection resulted in similar alterations in the neurochemistry of mice as seen in adult acquired infections. Some of these changes were observed, including tryptophan metabolism in mice exposed to the maternal immune response to T. gondii, but not congenitally infected. Both adult acquired T. gondii and congenital infection altered the brain transcriptome of mice relative to control uninfected mice with notable changes seen to transcripts of many immunologically important genes and enzymes in some of the metabolic pathways identified by LCMS. In addition, both adult acquired T. gondii infection, congenital infection and maternal exposure to different degrees were found to induce changes in a number of additional transcripts previously associated with psychoneurological diseases. These results demonstrate that maternal exposure to T. gondii infection during pregnancy induces a subset of neurochemical and transcriptomic changes found in mice with adult acquired and congenital T. gondii infection. The results therefore reinforce the potential of maternal immune activation to affect psychoneurological diseases and implicate T. gondii as a potential aetiological agent of this process.T. gondii infection acquired during life has been associated with psychoneurological disease in humans and behavioural changes in mice. However, less is known about the potential of congenitally acquired T. gondii infection, or for maternal T. gondii infection induced immune activation, to cause psychoneurological disease. The studies described herein, using LCMS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) demonstrate that adult acquired infection alters the neurochemistry and transcriptome of the brains of BALB/c mice. Notable changes to tryptophan, purine, arginine and carnitine metabolism were observed in infected mice. Congenitally infected and mice exposed to the maternal immune response to T. gondii, but not congenitally infected were found to have decreased mobility compared with control mice. Congenital T. gondii infection resulted in similar alterations in the neurochemistry of mice as seen in adult acquired infections. Some of these changes were observed, including tryptophan metabolism in mice exposed to the maternal immune response to T. gondii, but not congenitally infected. Both adult acquired T. gondii and congenital infection altered the brain transcriptome of mice relative to control uninfected mice with notable changes seen to transcripts of many immunologically important genes and enzymes in some of the metabolic pathways identified by LCMS. In addition, both adult acquired T. gondii infection, congenital infection and maternal exposure to different degrees were found to induce changes in a number of additional transcripts previously associated with psychoneurological diseases. These results demonstrate that maternal exposure to T. gondii infection during pregnancy induces a subset of neurochemical and transcriptomic changes found in mice with adult acquired and congenital T. gondii infection. The results therefore reinforce the potential of maternal immune activation to affect psychoneurological diseases and implicate T. gondii as a potential aetiological agent of this process

Integrated Social-sector Macroeconometric Model for Pakistan

While the traditional neoclassical production model postulates that it is the physical inputs such as private capital, labour, land, and technology that are the key determinants of output and economic development, in recent years, however, the social sector variables are also considered to be critical, particularly for the long-run sustainable growth of the economy. If fact, what has been argued in the form of “new growth theories” is that social variables (e.g., education, health, knowledge, etc.) generate “positive externalities” and, thus, may facilitate and foster the process of economic growth and development. Recently, the World Bank, based on a broad cross-country study, found some very interesting results in the above context. According to the World Development Report (1991): about fifty percent of the factor productivity contribution to output growth comes not from traditional physical inputs (capital, labour and land) but is a residual factor.

An Investigation of Perception of Business Process Reengineering in Indian Manufacturing Industry

The progress of manufacturing industry still sets the tone for the overall business cycle and the health of this sector is very much at the core of India's socio-economic fabric and hence the Government of India is erecting a pentagon of corridor to boost manufacturing sector and to project India as a Global Manufacturing hub of the world. To compete globally Indian manufacturing sector needs to undergo radical change and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is one such tool  for competing in the dynamic business environment. Although BPR as change initiative has various methodologies, techniques and tools for implementation, but these methodologies fail to demonstrate  their effectiveness in the absence of clear understanding and the perceptions of the employees  towards the initiative. Based on the perception, the organization will identify the right approach towards the BPR implementation and develop relevant appropriate plans for smooth and successful BPR effort.This study aims at investigating the several understandings of BPR in  various manufacturing sectors across India by  gaging the perception of the internal customers towards  BPR effort . The primary data  was collected from the various manufacturing industries comprising of Small Scale , Medium scale , Large scale, Very Large scale and Multi National Companies across India using structured  self-administered questionnaire. Upon investigation using One-way ANOVA , it is observed that the Indian manufacturing industry has positive approach towards BPR effort across different scales of the organizations and hence makes it fertile for change initiatives. Keywords: BPR, Business Process Reengineering, Perception, Indian, Manufacturing Sector, Make In India, ANOV

Exploration of Critical Organizational Climate Factors Impacting BPR Implementation: A Survey of Indian Companies

Business Process Reengineering ( BPR) is considered to be one of the most effective techniques  used by  the manufacturing organizations in dealing with turbulent global economy and ever-changing customer’s preferences. Implementation of BPR brings along with it many changes within the organization. This study attempts to understand and validate the organizational climate factors for effective change management Though extensive research has been done  worldwide, very few empirical studies have been carried out in India. The study is based on the various success / failure factors proposed by Al-Mashari. It is hoped that better understanding of the factors will lead to higher success rates of BPR implementation. The primary data  was collected from the various manufacturing industries comprising of Small Scale , Medium scale , Large scale and Multi National Companies across India using structured  self-administered questionnaire. Principal Component Analaysis ( PCA)  with varimax rotation using SPSS19.0 was carried out in order to verify the factors proposed on the basis of literature review with respect to Indian manufacturing Sector. Upon investigation it was observed that the factors were reduced to five without omitting the items and were renamed as Organizational Culture , Educations and training , Empowerment , Equitable Compensation and Team Work. Finally it was concluded that Proper identification and adequate understanding of the organizational climate factors fostering change adaptation becomes key ingredient for successful implementation of BPR effort. Keywords : BPR, Business Process Reengineering, Organizational climate, Indian, Manufacturing Sector, Critical factors, Organizational Cultur