A national priority: LIS faculty and students as library advocates

Library advocacy is a long-standing tradition at UNCG’s Department of Library and Information Science. The LIS faculty take leadership roles in advocacy and legislation both at state and national levels and make it a point to engage students in their efforts as part their students’ learning experience while earning the MLIS. Over the years, practicum and independent research studies have been offered and student interns have served for years as the backbone of advocacy efforts for the state under the supervision of faculty including overseeing the North Carolina Library Advocacy’s website (nclibraryadvocacy.org) and social media, helping coordinate state and legislative days, and helping schedule visits with members of Congress. ALA’s Committee on Library Advocacy discovered this educational partnership and has identified student advocacy internships in LIS programs as a high priority win-win advocacy activity for 2020-2021. What better way to learn about advocacy in your master’s program then to actually do advocacy as an internship experience? What better way to add young, strong advocates to speak on behalf of libraries then by having them earn credit as part of their degree? Student Perspectives What did you learn in terms of the current state of advocacy for libraries during our internship? Synergistic thought Organizational support is essential. Synergistic thinking among library associations partnered with a more collaborative approach are critically important and often lacking in North Carolina’s advocacy efforts according to former North Carolina Advocacy and Legislation Committee interns. Organizations within the state who operate as independent entities, as opposed to elements in a wider scheme, hinder the growth and success of the whole. Discrepancy in the support that library associations receive is evident. Helping library associations recognize the importance of library advocacy critical as is aligning advocacy goals with the agenda of each organization. Dawn Haney, former committee intern observed “There should be a regular system of “check ins” with leaders of the organizations about convergence points of interest, for example, increasing the funding of libraries within North Carolina. It should be formal and regular - once quarterly at least - to discuss progress toward shared goals.” Haney feels that formal division of labor toward a collaborative goal would be helpful within NC’s advocacy organizations. Convincing library organizations to take on the task of advocating for libraries is essential and should not be taken for granted. Lack of communication and unity. Continuity is a challenge and an area for future development. Creating a sense of overall community and a shared vision would have an enormous impact on the efficacy of library advocacy in North Carolina. What best practices proved to be most beneficial to our efforts? Developing a network Finding library supporters to advocate for you should be the most important goal for any advocacy organization. Librarians consider their work to be essential and can often speak eloquently on this subject. This is a relevant aspect of advocacy but in some instances the importance of libraries is best illustrated by those who have personally benefited from the existence of a library. Advocate to every level of the hierarchy, some of which can only be done at a highly localized level leading to the need for a large network of advocates. When formulating advocacy goals every aspect of the hierarchy that you wish to advocate to should be considered. Decisions are made on every level. A legislator may become more amenable to the idea of increased library funding after a successful library visit but this change of mindset is somewhat irrelevant if, in fact, the city council makes all funding decisions. Former intern Martha McGehee cites the importance of developing a large network of advocates, “involve as many people as possible. Increased participation increases investment as well as awareness. A large team willing to advocate for a library also illustrates support for the library in question. Each advocate brings a unique and valuable perspective to the effort. Our Panel The panel will include Dr. Anthony Chow, Associate Professor at UNCG’s Department of Library and Information Science who is also Co-Chair of Advocacy and Legislation with the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) and a member of ALA’s Committee on Library Advocacy; Martha McGehee and Ashley Conte, former student advocacy interns; Megan Cusick, ALA’s Assistant Director, State Advocacy; and Justin de la Cruz, Chair, ALA’s Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA). Our panel addresses the conference theme of “Crafting a Resilient Future: Leadership, Education, & Inspiration” by bringing together LIS faculty, students, alumni, and ALA advocacy staff to discuss how we can work closer together and provide a win-win-win scenario where students support statewide and national advocacy efforts, LIS faculty can leverage the current need to advocate for libraries as an experiential learning opportunity, and students learn first hand how to advocate for themselves and libraries

Genome Sequences of 18 Salmonella enterica Serotype Hadar Strains Collected from Patients in the United States

Despite being linked to a number of recent poultry-associated outbreaks in the United States, few reference genomes are available for Salmonella enterica serotype Hadar. Here, we address this need by reporting 18 Salmonella Hadar genomes from samples collected from patients in the United States between 2014 and 2020

Dietary Nitrate Ingestion Does Not Improve Neuromuscular Performance in Male Sport Climbers

Beetroot juice (BJ) is commonly used as an ergogenic aid in endurance and team sports, however, the effect of this supplement on climbing performance is barely studied. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of acute BJ ingestion on neuromuscular and biochemical variables in amateur male sport climbers. Ten physically active sport climbers (28.8 ± 3.7 years) underwent a battery of neuromuscular tests consisting of the half crimp test, the pull�up to failure test, the isometric handgrip strength test, the countermovement jump (CMJ) and the squat jump (SJ). Participants performed the neuromuscular test battery twice in a cross-over design separated by 10 days, 150 min after having consumed either 70-mL of BJ (6.4 mmol NO3-) or a 70-mL placebo (0.0034 mmol NO3-). In addition, nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) saliva concentrations were analysed, and a side effect questionnaire related to ingestion was administrated. No differences were reported in particular neuromuscular variables measured such as the CMJ (p = 0.960; ES = 0.03), the SJ (p = 0.581; ES = −0.25), isometric handgrip strength (dominant/non dominant) (p = 0.459–0.447; ES = 0.34–0.35), the pull-up failure test (p = 0.272; ES = 0.51) or the maximal isometric half crimp test (p = 0.521–0.824; ES = 0.10–0.28). Salivary NO3- and NO2- increased significantly post BJ supplementation compared to the placebo (p < 0.001), while no side effects associated to ingestion were reported (p = 0.330–1.000) between conditions (BJ/placebo ingestion). Acute dietary nitrate supplementation (70-mL) did not produce any statistically significant improvement in neuromuscular performance or side effects in amateur sport climbers

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Evidence for Hitchhiking of Deleterious Mutations within the Human Genome

Deleterious mutations present a significant obstacle to adaptive evolution. Deleterious mutations can inhibit the spread of linked adaptive mutations through a population; conversely, adaptive substitutions can increase the frequency of linked deleterious mutations and even result in their fixation. To assess the impact of adaptive mutations on linked deleterious mutations, we examined the distribution of deleterious and neutral amino acid polymorphism in the human genome. Within genomic regions that show evidence of recent hitchhiking, we find fewer neutral but a similar number of deleterious SNPs compared to other genomic regions. The higher ratio of deleterious to neutral SNPs is consistent with simulated hitchhiking events and implies that positive selection eliminates some deleterious alleles and increases the frequency of others. The distribution of disease-associated alleles is also altered in hitchhiking regions. Disease alleles within hitchhiking regions have been associated with auto-immune disorders, metabolic diseases, cancers, and mental disorders. Our results suggest that positive selection has had a significant impact on deleterious polymorphism and may be partly responsible for the high frequency of certain human disease alleles

Febrile illness diagnostics and the malaria-industrial complex: a socio-environmental perspective

Abstract Background Global prioritization of single-disease eradication programs over improvements to basic diagnostic capacity in the Global South have left the world unprepared for epidemics of chikungunya, Ebola, Zika, and whatever lies on the horizon. The medical establishment is slowly realizing that in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly urban areas, up to a third of patients suffering from acute fever do not receive a correct diagnosis of their infection. Main body Malaria is the most common diagnosis for febrile patients in low-resource health care settings, and malaria misdiagnosis has soared due to the institutionalization of malaria as the primary febrile illness of SSA by international development organizations and national malaria control programs. This has inadvertently created a “malaria-industrial complex” and historically obstructed our complete understanding of the continent’s complex communicable disease epidemiology, which is currently dominated by a mélange of undiagnosed febrile illnesses. We synthesize interdisciplinary literature from Ghana to highlight the complexity of communicable disease care in SSA from biomedical, social, and environmental perspectives, and suggest a way forward. Conclusion A socio-environmental approach to acute febrile illness etiology, diagnostics, and management would lead to substantial health gains in Africa, including more efficient malaria control. Such an approach would also improve global preparedness for future epidemics of emerging pathogens such as chikungunya, Ebola, and Zika, all of which originated in SSA with limited baseline understanding of their epidemiology despite clinical recognition of these viruses for many decades. Impending ACT resistance, new vaccine delays, and climate change all beckon our attention to proper diagnosis of fevers in order to maximize limited health care resources

Severe Asthma Standard-of-Care Background Medication Reduction With Benralizumab: ANDHI in Practice Substudy

Background: The phase IIIb, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled ANDHI double-blind (DB) study extended understanding of the efficacy of benralizumab for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Patients from ANDHI DB could join the 56-week ANDHI in Practice (IP) single-arm, open-label extension substudy. Objective: Assess potential for standard-of-care background medication reductions while maintaining asthma control with benralizumab. Methods: Following ANDHI DB completion, eligible adults were enrolled in ANDHI IP. After an 8-week run-in with benralizumab, there were 5 visits to potentially reduce background asthma medications for patients achieving and maintaining protocol-defined asthma control with benralizumab. Main outcome measures for non-oral corticosteroid (OCS)-dependent patients were the proportions with at least 1 background medication reduction (ie, lower inhaled corticosteroid dose, background medication discontinuation) and the number of adapted Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) step reductions at end of treatment (EOT). Main outcomes for OCS-dependent patients were reductions in daily OCS dosage and proportion achieving OCS dosage of 5 mg or lower at EOT. Results: For non-OCS-dependent patients, 53.3% (n = 208 of 390) achieved at least 1 background medication reduction, increasing to 72.6% (n = 130 of 179) for patients who maintained protocol-defined asthma control at EOT. A total of 41.9% (n = 163 of 389) achieved at least 1 adapted GINA step reduction, increasing to 61.8% (n = 110 of 178) for patients with protocol-defined EOT asthma control. At ANDHI IP baseline, OCS dosages were 5 mg or lower for 40.4% (n = 40 of 99) of OCS-dependent patients. Of OCS-dependent patients, 50.5% (n = 50 of 99) eliminated OCS and 74.7% (n = 74 of 99) achieved dosages of 5 mg or lower at EOT. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate benralizumab's ability to improve asthma control, thereby allowing background medication reduction

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good