Availability of Library Facilities, Knowledge Sharing as Determinants of Job Performance of Library Staff in Southwest Nigeria

It is pertinent for the library staff to work in the direction of providing adequate information resources that will satisfy the library users and sustain effective library service delivery. This study examined on how the availability of library facilities can enhance knowledge sharing among librarians and improves their job performance. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and total enumeration that covers staff in the three universities in Southwest Nigeria. They are the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, University of Ibadan, Ibadan and University of Lagos, Lagos. The questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data for the study. The result indicated that the majority of the staff were highly exposed to library facilities that encourage job performance. The finding revealed that some were not willing to share their knowledge because people don’t appreciate it. The study revealed that knowledge sharing had impacted greatly on their job performance. The study revealed that a relationship exists between the three variables; availability of library facilities, knowledge sharing, and job performance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analysis the result using descriptive statistics with tables of frequencies and percentages, ANOVA and Correlation in analyzing the data. It was recommended that the library management should endeavor to give equal opportunity to the staff in terms of staff development and training. This will, in turn, encourage staff to embrace knowledge sharing practices

Fungi - an Amalgam of Toxins and Antibiotics: a Mini- Review

Fungi are eukaryotes with many functions. Earlier, fungi were classified in the plant kingdom but were later classified as a separate kingdom due to their unique cell walls. Fungi are heterotrophs like animals and are more closely related to animals. The perception of fungi is inconspicuous due to their small sizes and their ability to grow symbiotically in plants, animals, other fungi, and parasites. Fungi are used for their nutrition, fermentation potential, and bactericidal potential. However, fungi are also toxic due to certain bioactive compounds known as mycotoxins. Candida and Aspergillus are invasive species that contribute to a high percentage of mycoses in oncological and haematological patients. The mortality rate due to invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis is high, at 4% and 2%, respectively. In the agriculture sector, a significant contributor to damage to crops globally is the invasion of filamentous fungi. Fungi invasion destroys over 125 million tons of wheat, rice, soybeans, potatoes, and maize annually. If prevented, 600 million people may be fed. Therefore, it is vital to consider the dual role of fungi, therapeutic, and pathogenic

Predatory efficiency of Hippodamia variegata (Col.: Coccinellidae) on common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae (Hem.: Aphalaridae), under laboratory conditions

Common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt & Lauterer, is the most economically important species among the psyllid pests of pistachio in Iran. Hence, the possibility of using nonchemical control methods against A. pistaciae and the existence of its natural enemies need to be investigated. The spotted amber ladybird, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), is one of the most effective predators in pistachio orchards. It is a highly polyphagous coccinellid that preys mainly on aphid and psyllid pests of pistachio trees. This study is intended to improve the knowledge about the predation capacity of A. pistaciae. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions of 25oC and 30oC, 55 ± 5 RH and 16: 8 L: D. Logistic regression was used to determine the type of functional response and nonlinear regression calculated the parameters of the rate of searching efficiency (a) and handling time (Th). The functional response on different density of prey at both temperatures was type II. The attack rate and handling time were 0.088 ± 0.012 h-1 and 0.0647 ± 0.011 h at 25ºC and 0.195 ± 0.031 h-1 and 0.0698 ± 0.056 h at 30ºC, respectively. The density and temperature affected the predation rate significantly. The data suggests that the H. variegata is a viable biological agent against A. pistaciae

Preferential Paths of Air-water Two-phase Flow in Porous Structures with Special Consideration of Channel Thickness Effects.

Accurate understanding and predicting the flow paths of immiscible two-phase flow in rocky porous structures are of critical importance for the evaluation of oil or gas recovery and prediction of rock slides caused by gas-liquid flow. A 2D phase field model was established for compressible air-water two-phase flow in heterogenous porous structures. The dynamic characteristics of air-water two-phase interface and preferential paths in porous structures were simulated. The factors affecting the path selection of two-phase flow in porous structures were analyzed. Transparent physical models of complex porous structures were prepared using 3D printing technology. Tracer dye was used to visually observe the flow characteristics and path selection in air-water two-phase displacement experiments. The experimental observations agree with the numerical results used to validate the accuracy of phase field model. The effects of channel thickness on the air-water two-phase flow behavior and paths in porous structures were also analyzed. The results indicate that thick channels can induce secondary air flow paths due to the increase in flow resistance; consequently, the flow distribution is different from that in narrow channels. This study provides a new reference for quantitatively analyzing multi-phase flow and predicting the preferential paths of immiscible fluids in porous structures

The geology and hydrology of the CarbFix2 site, SW-Iceland

Injection of CO2 and H2S emissions from the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, SW-Iceland, as part of the CarbFix project, is currently taking place in the Húsmúli reinjection zone. Here we present detailed descriptions of the geology of the reservoir rock in Húsmúli including descriptions of its intrusions, secondary mineralogy and sources of permeability. We further present preliminary results from a modelling study of the Húsmúli reinjection zone that was conducted to obtain better understanding of flow paths in the area. The model was calibrated using results from an extensive tracer test that was carried out in 2013-2015

Recognizing Speech in a Novel Accent: The Motor Theory of Speech Perception Reframed

The motor theory of speech perception holds that we perceive the speech of another in terms of a motor representation of that speech. However, when we have learned to recognize a foreign accent, it seems plausible that recognition of a word rarely involves reconstruction of the speech gestures of the speaker rather than the listener. To better assess the motor theory and this observation, we proceed in three stages. Part 1 places the motor theory of speech perception in a larger framework based on our earlier models of the adaptive formation of mirror neurons for grasping, and for viewing extensions of that mirror system as part of a larger system for neuro-linguistic processing, augmented by the present consideration of recognizing speech in a novel accent. Part 2 then offers a novel computational model of how a listener comes to understand the speech of someone speaking the listener's native language with a foreign accent. The core tenet of the model is that the listener uses hypotheses about the word the speaker is currently uttering to update probabilities linking the sound produced by the speaker to phonemes in the native language repertoire of the listener. This, on average, improves the recognition of later words. This model is neutral regarding the nature of the representations it uses (motor vs. auditory). It serve as a reference point for the discussion in Part 3, which proposes a dual-stream neuro-linguistic architecture to revisits claims for and against the motor theory of speech perception and the relevance of mirror neurons, and extracts some implications for the reframing of the motor theory

Comparison of anti Chlamydia antibodies in tubal and non-tubal infertile patients

Background and purpose: Chlamydia trachomatis infection is one of the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection in most countries. This organism may stay in genital tract for long time and cause subtle yet progressive damage in fallopian tubes. In this study we evaluate the correlation between chlamydia antibodies and tubal and other factors of infertility.Materials and Methods: In this case control study, 28 patients with tubal factor infertility, 28 patients with non tubal factor infertility and 30 normal patients were enroled. Presence or absence of tubal factor was assessed by direct vision via laparscopy, then titres of IgA and IgG were evaluated in all of them using ELISA method in the same labratory. Data were recoded and analyzed using SPSS software and chi-square, Fisher's exact, T-test and Mann- Whitney test.Results: Positive titre of IgG was higher in tubal factor infertility but it was not statistically significant between three groups (p>0.294). Positive titres of IgA were more common in non tubal factor infertility (p=0.007). Though positive and negative titres of IgA (P=0.224) and IgG (P=0.273) were not statistically different in fertile and infertile patients. Positive and negative titres of IgA and IgG were also not statistically different in patients with or without PID (p>0.05).Conclusion: No correlation was found between the positive titres of IgG and IgA against Chlamydia and tubal factor infertility

Tech Stock Returns and Empirical Analysis of CAPM

We empirically tested a modified version of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) using the past twenty one years of 30 largest companies of NASDQ traded at the NASDAQ exchange. We used quarterly data from 1998Q1 until 2018 Q4. The results show that Risk Premium, Real GDP growth, VIX and SMB are good predictors of overall stock returns. In general, our results indicate that risk premium, real GDP growth, and Treasury Yield are consistent predictors of stock returns – with positive coefficient. On the other hand SMB and the change in VIX are negatively significant and weak predictor of stock returns