Gaseous reduction of iron oxide

Imperial Users onl

Availability and Utilization Enhancement of Library Services by Social Science Researchers in Federal Universities in South-South Nigeria

The study investigated the factors that will lead to the enhancement of the availability and utilization of library information services among Social Science researchers in the Federal university libraries in south-south Nigeria. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study which employed descriptive research design. The study population comprised five hundred and fourty-six researchers of lecturers and postgraduate students. Census method was used to include the entire population considered manageable. Three experts validated the Instrument which was found reliable with an overall average reliability co-efficient of 0.88. Four Federal Universities in South-South Nigeria were studied namely the Universities of Benin, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Uyo. Eight library information services were studied:- lending reference, interlibrary, lending, current awareness, selective dissemination of information, photocopying, information communication technology (ICT) and literature search services. Data collection was by questionnaire which was self designed titled Availability and utilization of Library Information Services among Social Science Researchers in the Federal University libraries in South-South Nigeria. The mean was used to answer research questions whereas the hypothesis was tested using regression analysis at the probability level of 0.05 some findings were made which includes that, attending workshops, conferences and in-service training by researchers and library staff can enhance utilization of the services, and funding by the Federal government can enhance service availability. It was recommended that the Federal government should make funds available to it\u27s universities to procure facilities that will help the services in the university libraries

Performance and Evaluation in Computed Tomographic Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Each year over 20,000 people die from colorectal cancer (CRC). However, despite causing the second highest number of cancer deaths, CRC is not only curable if detected early but can be prevented by population screening. The detection and removal of pre-malignant polyps in the colon prevents cancer from ever developing. As such, screening of the at-risk population (those over 45-50 years) confers protection against CRC incidence and mortality. Although the principles and benefit of screening are well established, the adequate provision of screening is a complex process requiring robust healthcare infrastructure, evidence-based quality assurance and resources. The success of any screening programme is dependent on the accuracy of the screening investigations deployed and sufficiently high uptake by the target population. In England, the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) delivers screening via initial stool testing to triage patients for the endoscopic procedure, colonoscopy, or the radiological investigation CT colonography (CTC) in some patients. There has been considerable investment in colonoscopy accreditation processes which contribute to high quality services, suitable access for patients and a competent endoscopy workforce. The performance of colonoscopists in the BCSP is tightly monitored and regulated; however, the same is not true for CTC. Comparatively, there has been little investment in CTC services, and in fact there is no mandatory accreditation or centralised training. Instead, CTC reporting radiologists must learn ad hoc on the job, or at self-funded commercial workshops. This inevitably leads to variability in quality and expertise, inequity in service provision, and could negatively impact patient outcomes. To address this disparity and develop evidence-based training, one must determine what factors affect the performance of CTC reporting radiologists, what CTC training is necessary, and what training works. This thesis investigates these topics and is structured as follows: Section A reviews the background literature, describing the public health burden of CRC and the role of screening. Aspects of CTC screening and its role in the BCSP are explored. The importance of performance monitoring and value of accreditation are examined and the disparity between CTC, colonoscopy and other imaging-based screening programmes is discussed. Section B expands on radiologist performance by determining the post-imaging CRC (or interval cancer) rate through systematic review and meta-analysis. Factors contributing to the interval cancer rate are evaluated, and an observational study assessing factors affecting CTC accuracy is presented. The impact of CTC training is assessed via a structured review and best principles for training delivery are discussed. Section C presents a multicentre, cluster-randomised control trial developed from the data and understanding described in Sections A and B. Section D summarises the thesis and discusses future recommendations and research

THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE AND THE CRISIS OF LEGITIMACY: RE-DEFINING THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE NIGERIA POLICE

The objective of the paper is to examine the Nigerian Police Force as a colonial institution that has survived for several decades, in order to understand the modifications and adaptations which have occurred in its historical role and functions, especially, after indigenous personnel had replaced the expatriate ones. It is assumed that such adaptations would be able to achieve greater congruence with the values and norms of the Nigerian society. The Nigerian Police Force, surely, has experienced different leadership qualities, training and several reorganizations, including purging it of the ‘bad eggs’. But how near is the nation to a sufficiently friendly, responsive, literate, largely honest, well-equipped, numerically adequate and efficient police force that is able to sustain public confidence in any appreciable sense? The paper argues that a meaningful inquiry into the historical evolution of the role and functions of the Nigeria Police would be a helpful analytical framework with which to deal with the crisis of confidence in the Nigeria Police Force. The paper affirms that there can be a ‘good’ Nigeria Police Force which can achieve institutional significance and endear itself to the collective popular psyche

Using Blockchain to support Data & Service Monetization

Two required features of a data monetization platform are query and retrieval of the metadata of the resources to be monetized. Centralized platforms rely on the maturity of traditional NoSQL database systems to support these features. These databases, for example, MongoDB allows for very efficient query and retrieval of data it stores. However, centralized platforms come with a bag of security and privacy concerns, making them not the ideal approach for a data monetization platform. On the other hand, most existing decentralized platforms are only partially decentralized. In this research, I developed Cowry, a platform for publishing metadata describing available resources (data or services), discovery of published metadata including fast search and filtering. My main contribution is a fully decentralized architecture that combines blockchain and traditional distributed database to gain additional features such as efficient query and retrieval of metadata stored on the blockchain

Colon cancer screening with CT colonography: logistics, cost effectiveness, efficiency and progress

Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality can be significantly reduced by population screening. Several different screening methods are currently in use, and this review focuses specifically on the imaging technique computed tomography colonography (CTC). The challenges and logistics of CTC screening, as well as the importance of test accuracy, uptake, quality assurance and cost-effectiveness will be discussed. With comparable advanced adenoma detection rates to colonoscopy (the most commonly used whole-colon investigation), CTC is a less invasive alternative, requiring less laxative, and with the potential benefit that it permits assessment of extra colonic structures. Three large-scale European trials have contributed valuable evidence supporting the use of CTC in population screening, and highlight the importance of selecting appropriate clinical management pathways based on initial CTC findings. Future research into CTC-screening will likely focus on radiologist training and CTC quality assurance, with identification of evidence-based key performance indicators that are associated with clinically-relevant outcomes such as the incidence of post-test interval cancers (CRC occurring after a presumed negative CTC). In comparison to other CRC screening techniques, CTC offers a safe and accurate option that is particularly useful when colonoscopy is contraindicated. Forthcoming cost-effectiveness analyses which evaluate referral thresholds, the impact of extra-colonic findings and real-world uptake will provide useful information regarding the feasibility of future CTC population screening

Digital Twin Technology: A Review of Its Applications and Prominent Challenges

Digital twin is a virtual representation of physical product that is used as benchmark to evaluate, diagnose, optimize and supervise operational performance of products before venturing into mass full production in accordance with global standard. Digital twin merges virtual and physical objects together via sensors and IoT to transmit data and keep traces of objects interactivity within present environments. In virtual model environment, digital twin permits product troubleshooting and testing to minimize rate of failure and product defects during product manufacturing to enhance effectiveness and customers’ satisfaction. Digital twin is utilized throughout product life-cycle to simulate, optimize and predict product quality before final production is financed. Digital twin is beneficial to modern digital society because attitude of modern factory workers can be boosted to improve motivation to work. Digital twin has come to stay, future product suppliers may be required to put forward digital twin of their products beforehand for virtual lab testing before making order while suppliers that fail to comply may be left over. With emergence of digital twin, virtual testing can be conducted on proposed products before finding their ways into physical marketplaces. Business sector remains most beneficiaries of digital twin to predict present and future state of physical product via digital peer analysis. Today, digital twin application can support enterprises by improving product performances, decision making and customers’ satisfactions on logistic and operational workflow. However, in this survey of digital twin research, efforts have been made to review in detail about digital twin, its impact and benefits to modern society, its architecture; security challenges and how solutions are proffered. It is believed that ICT experts, manufacturers and industries will leverage on this research to improve QoS (Quality of Service) for new and future products to take full advantage of profits on investment returns via digital twin

Der Dienstleistungsscheck

Vorliegende Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich mit (den Perspektiven von) rumänischen Haushaltsarbeiterinnen, die stundenweise in österreichischen Privathaushalten arbeiten und deren Entlohnung mit dem Dienstleistungsscheck (DLS) erfolgt. Die gestiegene Nachfrage nach bezahlter Haushaltsarbeit wird als ein Resultat nicht-stattgefundener Vergesellschaftung und geschlechtergerechter Umverteilungsprozesse hinsichtlich Reproduktionsarbeit dargestellt, wobei der entstehende Bedarf zunehmend an migrantische Frauen delegiert wird. Dadurch verbleibt gesellschaftlich traditionell niedrig bewertete, jedoch notwendige Arbeit ein weiblich vergeschlechtlichter Zuständigkeitsbereich, der jedoch im Zuge neoliberaler Restrukturierungsprozesse und globaler Ungleichheitsverhältnisse zunehmend auch eine Frage von Herkunft und Klasse ist. Das Hauptaugenmerk der Forschung richtet sich dabei auf (transnationale) Lebens- und Arbeitsverhältnisse, wobei hier untersucht wurde, welchen Einfluss die Legalisierung eines irregulären und meist (nach wie vor) informellen Arbeitsbereiches auf die Gestaltbarkeit eigener Lebensentwürfe und Handlungsoptionen hat. Die Beschreibung sozioökonomischer Transformationsprozesse des Herkunftskontexts der interviewten Frauen beleuchtet zudem die komplexen Motive sowie Ausgangslagen für ihre Migration. Durch die Nachzeichnung der Umsetzung des DLS-Gesetzes in Österreich wird der gesellschaftliche und politische Rahmen abgesteckt, innerhalb dessen Instrumente neoliberaler Transformationsprozesse implementiert werden. Den Ergebnissen liegt eine empirische Forschung zugrunde, die teilnehmende Beobachtung und qualitative Interviews umfasst. Anhand derer werden die Arbeitsverhältnisse, Perspektiven und Ressourcenzugänge rumänischer Haushaltsarbeiterinnen in Österreich sichtbar

Effectiveness of Training in CT Colonography Interpretation: Review of Current Literature

International guidance recommends that readers be specifically trained before embarking on independent interpretation of CT colonography (CTC) examinations. Systematic comparison of both international training requirements and the effectiveness of CTC training is lacking in the published literature. Therefore, we identified available international training standards for CTC and performed a review of studies published in the last 20 years to assess the impact of CTC interpretation training on reader diagnostic accuracy. A wide variation in training requirements was observed. Studies of the effectiveness of CTC reader training were heterogenous in methodology, with large variation in sample size and the type of training administered. Although training in CTC interpretation improves reader sensitivity overall, it has varying impact on specificity. Consensus agreement on the best way to train and assess readers in CTC interpretation may lead to lasting improvements in reader performance

Training in Computed Tomographic Colonography Interpretation: Recommendations for Best Practice

The value of computed tomographic colonography (CTC) as a sensitive diagnostic investigation for colorectal cancer is well established. However, there is lack of consensus in the best way to achieve expertise in interpreting these studies. In this review we discuss the value of CTC training, accreditation and performance monitoring; the qualities of good CTC interpretation training, and specific training cases with associated learning points