COVID-19 and Philippine Academic Libraries

Background. Libraries have rapidly adapted their services and policies during the lockdown and have likewise adopted new initiatives. This study investigated on the impact of  COVID-19 to academic libraries in the Philippines. Objectives. The study aimed to: (1) determine the readiness of academic libraries to provide online services and resources in the pre-COVID-19 period or at the onset of the community quarantine in the Philippines in March 2020; (2) look into the different initiatives and innovations introduced by academic libraries during the quarantine period so as to continuously provide services and access to resources, in the absence of face-to-face interaction; (3) explore the different issues and challenges encountered by academic libraries in the delivery of library services during the pandemic; and finally, (4) find out how academic librarians envision the post-COVID-19 era of academic libraries in the country. Methods. The study made use of descriptive quantitative method. Data were gathered through survey using an instrument developed by the authors. Sampling was purposive with head librarians in academic libraries from all over the country as the respondents. Spreadsheet was used to process data which were presented in simple tables, graphs and charts. Responses to the open ended question were analyzed and manually coded using inductive coding. Results. Majority of academic libraries in the country were caught unprepared when the pandemic hit. Despite this, they managed to provide services that were delivered online, while simultaneously embarking on a number of different initiatives. COVID-19 showed to have made considerable impact in terms of staffing, utilization, collection development, and funding.  Finally, the respondents envision academic libraries in the post-pandemic era to still be hybrid, with digital resources gaining prominence over printed resources. Contributions. The shared experiences of academic libraries in the Philippines amidst the pandemic and how they were able to rise above the challenges they were confronted with as they shift their services to online mode may serve as a guide and help inspire other libraries in developing countries faced with similar situations. Keywords. COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine academic libraries, pre-during-post pandemic scenario, innovation, online services, resilience

Successional changes in epiphytic rainforest lichens : implications for the management of rainforest communities

We explored lichen species richness and patterns of lichen succession on rough barked Nothofagus cunninghamii trees and on smooth barked Atherosperma moschatum trees in cool temperate rainforests in Victoria, Australia. Nothofagus cunninghamii trees from the Yarra Ranges, and A.moschatum trees from Errinundra were ranked into size classes (small, medium, large and extra-large), and differences in species richness and composition were compared between size classes for each tree species. Nothofagus cunninghamii supported a rich lichen flora (108 trees, 52 lichen species), with the largest trees supporting a significantly higher number of species, including many uncommon species. This success was attributed to varying bark texture, stand characteristics and microhabitat variations as the trees age. Atherosperma moschatum supported a comparable number of species (120 trees, 54 lichen species). Indeed on average, this host supported more lichen species than N. cunninghamii. However, successional patterns with increasing girth were not as clear for A. moschatum, possibly due to the more stable microclimate that this smooth barked host provided. Victorian cool temperate rainforests exist primarily as small, often isolated pockets within a sea of Eucalypt-dominated, fire-prone forest. Many are regenerating from past disturbance. We find that protection of Victoria&rsquo;s oldest rainforest pockets is crucial, as they represent sources of rare, potentially threatened lichen species, and may be acting as reservoirs for propagules for nearby ageing rainforests. Indeed, even single, large old trees have conservation importance, as they may provide exceptional microhabitats, not found elsewhere in the regenerating rainforest environment.<br /

How coworkers attribute, react to, and shape job crafting

Job crafting, or proactive changes that individuals make in their job design, can influence and be influenced by coworkers. Although considerable research has emerged on this topic, overall, the way job crafting is responded to by coworkers has received little theoretical attention. The goal of this article is to develop a model that allows for a better understanding of job crafting in interdependent contexts. Drawing on attribution and social information theories, we propose that when job crafting has a negative or positive impact on coworkers, coworkers will make an attribution about the crafter’s prosocial motive. This attribution in turn influences whether coworkers respond in an antagonistic or a supportive way toward job crafters. Ultimately, coworkers’ reactions shape the experienced affective work outcomes of job crafters. We also theorize the factors that moderate coworkers’ reactions to job crafting behaviors and the job crafter’s susceptibility to coworker influence

Latinx and Asian Immigrants Across California Regions have Different Experiences with Law and Immigration Enforcement

Latinx and Asian immigrants, California's two largest immigrant groups, face barriers to health care and experience worse health outcomes compared to U.S.-born Californians. This is in part due in part to restrictive immigration policies that permit local law enforcement (e.g., police, sheriffs) to collaborate with immigration enforcement authorities in the surveillance, policing, and deportation of noncitizens.Authors used data from the Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy Study (RIGHTS) to examine Latinx and Asian immigrants' experiences with local law and federal immigration enforcement policies and practices in three California regions, Bay Area (n=305), Los Angeles and Southern California (n=989), and the San Joaquin Valley (n=141). The survey is a follow-up to the 2018 and 2019 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Respondents were asked if they had ever experienced any of six different encounters with surveillance, policing, or deportation by law enforcement, including local police, sheriffs, or immigration enforcement authorities

Biosensor technology for the screening of cancer risk biomarkers related to diet

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers found in the developing countries. Recently, it has been indicated that a diet with a high intake of red and processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. This is mainly because high red meat consumption is known to enhance the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds, which are potent carcinogens. Studies have detected the presence of O6-carboxymethyldeoxyguanosine (O6CMdG), a DNA adduct due to the nitrosation of glycine, in human exfoliated colonocytes and human blood. O6CMdG in DNA, is resistant to repair proteins and may be a potential urinary biomarker of colorectal cancer risk. The aim of our present research is to develop analytical methodologies for the measurement of this adduct in urine and correlate it to dietary studies. Samples are from previous studies of human volunteers carried out at MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit at Cambridge in which high read meat diets were consumed over a period of 15 days and various samples collected including 24 h urine samples. The ideal method for the routine screening in the general population of cancer risk biomarkers should be simple, fast, easy to perform and cost-effective. Biosensor technology fulfil this need, in particular thick film technology using screen-printing procedure allows inexpensive mass-production of disposable electrochemical sensors for point-of-care analyses. An immunosensor based on an indirect competitive assay is being developed and validated for the detection of O6CMdG in synthetic urine. The detection of this DNA adduct is based on competition for binding to a polyclonal antibody with an ovalbumin conjugate, followed by incubation with a secondary antibody labelled with horseradish peroxidise

Education of Children with Disabilities as Constructed within a Russian Newspaper for Teachers

This study explored the ways in which the varied meanings of the education of children with disabilities were discursively constructed in a Russian newspaper for teachers, the Teacher’s Gazette. We identified three articles addressing issues related to children with disabilities. Based on our analysis, we identified the use of two broad discourses: special education as separate and special education as inclusive. In our discussion of the findings, we point to the importance of giving voice to children with disabilities and engaging with children with disabilities and their families in constructing new imaginings of what education might be