Library and Information Services to the Visually Impaired-The Role of Academic Libraries

Abstract: Libraries have a moral obligation to make information available to all categories of users regardless of their gender, age, race, political affiliation or disability. However, a lot of people have limited access to information materials most especially in developing countries like Nigeria. A review of the literature shows that library and information services to the visually impaired in Nigeria is largely undertaken by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Years of underfunding and neglect has weakened the functionality of the public libraries in this regard. Using the interview method, the study assessed library and information provision to the visually impaired by academic libraries across the country. The findings revealed that none of the libraries surveyed has Braille book, talking books, talking newspaper and assistive technologies were not available in the libraries. The only materials that were available were a few audio books. The study suggested some practical solutions to improving library and information services to the visually handicapped in Nigeria. Key words: Visually impaired; Library and information services; Nigeria; Academic libraries; Assistive technology; Information; Social inclusionRésumé: Les bibliothèques ont une obligation morale de rendre l'information accessible à toutes les catégories d'utilisateurs, indépendamment de leur sexe, âge, race, appartenance politique ou d'un handicap. Cependant, beaucoup de gens ont un accès limité aux documents d'information plus particulièrement dans les pays en développement comme le Nigeria. Une revue de la littérature montre que le service d'information et les bibliothèque pour les malvoyants au Nigeria est en grande partie menées par les agences non gouvernementales (NGO). Aa cet égard, les années de sous-financement et de la négligence a affaibli la fonctionnalité des bibliothèques publiques. En utilisant la méthode de l'entretien, l'étude a évalué la bibliothèques et la disposition des informations pour des malvoyants par des bibliothèques universitaires à travers le pays. Les résultats ont révélé qu'aucun des bibliothèques interrogées a un livre en braille, livres sonores, journaux parlants et de technologies d'assistance ne sont pas disponibles dans les bibliothèques. Les seuls matériaux qui étaient disponibles étaient quelques livres audio. L'étude suggère quelques solutions pratiques pour améliorer la bibliothèque et les services de l’information pour les malvoyants au Nigeria. Mots clés: Déficience visuelle; Bibliothèque et services d'information; Le Nigeria; Les bibliothèques universitaires; Technologie d’aides; L'information; L'inclusion social

Analisis Pergerakan Vertikal Titik Pantau Jembatan Penggaron, Kabupaten Semarang, Propinsi Jawa Tengah

Penggaron bridge toll highway is located in road Semarang-Ungaran, 20th kilometer in the Susukan region, East Ungaran, Semarang regency, Central Java province. Penggaron bridge has a 400 m length and nine pillars that support the weight of the bridge. This bridge has began operation since 2010. The bridge visually deformed as indicated by small cracks in the pillars of the bridge. Natural factors such as unstable soil conditions are suspected as the cause of deformation. To minimize and prevent damage that may occur on the bridge then the Penggaron bridge deformation monitoring should be performed. Therefore, this study analyze the vertical movement on the Penggaron bridge using height difference observation data by waterpass in 2014 s.d. 2015.  This study used  four epoch height different observation data on the 18 bridge monitoring points. The 18 monitoring bridges points was tied to two reference points around the bridge. These observation data is processed by Least Squares Adjustment parameter method to get the height and its standard deviation, vertical movement and its standard deviation, vertical movement velocity and its standard deviation as well as average velocity and average acceleration on every bridge monitoring points on each epoch. The next step includes the computation and analysis of vertical movement, as well as the significance of two parameter different test. The results of this study are the vertical movement vector of the 18 monitoring points with magnitude from 3,1 mm to 170,3 mm with the majority down direction. The vertical movement velocity has a range between 3,05 mm/month to  89,35 mm/month with the movement direction tends to downward. The average velocity of vertical movement for epoch I and II is 7,08 mm/month, epoch II and III is 4,93 mm/month, epoch I and  III is 6,00 mm/month, epoch III and IV is 6,03 mm/month, epoch I and IV is 1,29 mm/month with the movement direction tends to downward. The average  acceleration of vertical movement for epoch I and II is 7,08 mm/month2, epoch II and III is 4,93 mm/month2, epoch I and III is 3,00 mm/month2, epoch III and IV is 6,03 mm/month2. The majority of the significance of two parameter different test parameters is rejected, it means that monitoring points had a significant movement. &nbsp

Profil Rasio Koleterol Ldl dan Hdl pada Pasien Stroke di Bagian Saraf RSUD Arifin Achmad Provinsi Riau Periode Januari Sampai Desember 2012

Dyslipidemia is one of an important stroke risk factor. This case would be strengthened if there are other risk factors for stroke. One form of dyslipidemia is high of LDL and HDL cholesterol ratio causes atherosclerosis. The purpose of this research was to know the profile of LDL and HDL cholesterol ratio in stroke patients in Neurology Department Arifin Achmad General Hospital of Riau Province during January – December 2012. This was a descriptive retrospective study. Data is used about 95 medical record of stroke patients. The LDL and HDL cholesterol levels of patients were classified based on the NCEP ATP III classification. Data obtained from this study is that stroke patients have optimal LDL cholesterol (9,47%), above optimal (15,79%), borderline high (26,31%), high (24,21%, very high (24,21%). Low HDL cholesterol (50,53%), moderate (44,21%), and high (5,27%). LDL and HDL cholesterol ratio of 3,5 (60%). The result of this study indicate that the majority of stroke patients had LDL and HDL cholesterol ratio of >3,5

PREVENTION OF ARBITRARY DATA TUPLES IN OPEN NETS USING APACHE SPARK

Because the progress of internet application, the regularity of storing the great deal of information is growing day-to-day. Generally, file systems are made to handle file procedures like store, edit, retrieve etc. But, the primary crisis would be to enhance the storage efficiency, not understanding the information and semantics of files you're storing exactly the same file multiples occasions i.e., duplication. To solve such problems, a note digest formula (MD-5) produced hash code can be used to check on if the file already is available or otherwise to lessen storage and improve resource utilization. The goal of the paper would be to generate Hadoop Distributed File System with Deduplication method to maintain bulk of information. For this reason, you are able to increase storage efficiency and improve network bandwidth for cloud atmosphere also

Implications of Non-Farm Work to Vulnerability to Food Poverty-Recent Evidence From Northern Ghana

SummaryUsing survey data from northern Ghana, this study seeks to establish the impact of participation in non-farm work on the vulnerability of resource poor households to food poverty. Vulnerability to food poverty is assessed based on expected future food expenditure of households. The potential endogeneity problem associated with participation in non-farm work by households is overcome using a novel instrumental variable approach. Analysis of the determinants of expected future food expenditure is done using a standard Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) method. Demographic and socioeconomic variables, location variables, and household facilities are included in the model as control variables. Our study finds that participation in non-farm work significantly increased the future expected food consumption, thereby alleviating the vulnerability of households to food poverty. Our study also confirms that current food poverty and future food poverty, i.e., vulnerability to food poverty, are not independent from each other. Non-farm work plays a crucial role in providing the means to overcome the risk of food poverty in these resource poor households. Policies that promote off-farm income generating activities, such as small businesses and self-employment, as well as the creation and support of businesses that absorb extra labor from the farm, should be encouraged in the study region. Because households in the study region are exposed to above average levels of hunger and food poverty, the study recommends the government of Ghana and development partners to take measures that enhance the resilience of these resource poor households

Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?

International audienc

D-band point to multi-point deployment with G-band transport

The first Point to MultiPoint wireless system at D-band has been designed and is in advanced development. The European Commission H2020 ULTRAWAVE "Ultra capacity wireless layer beyond 100 GHz based on millimeter wave Traveling Wave Tubes"project aims to respond to the demand of high capacity at level of tens of Gigabit per second, in urban areas, where fiber backhaul is not economically viable and high density small cell architectures are deployed. A transmission hub powered by a novel D-band TWTs will feed a number of terminals arbitrarily allocated in the corresponding area sector. This paper illustrates the main characteristics, advantages and networking aspects and provide a summary of the latest results of the ULTRAWAVE project

RT-qPCR reveals opsin gene upregulation associated with age and sex in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) - a species with color-based sexual selection and 11 visual-opsin genes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>PCR-based surveys have shown that guppies (<it>Poecilia reticulata</it>) have an unusually large visual-opsin gene repertoire. This has led to speculation that opsin duplication and divergence has enhanced the evolution of elaborate male coloration because it improves spectral sensitivity and/or discrimination in females. However, this conjecture on evolutionary connections between opsin repertoire, vision, mate choice, and male coloration was generated with little data on gene expression. Here, we used RT-qPCR to survey visual-opsin gene expression in the eyes of males, females, and juveniles in order to further understand color-based sexual selection from the perspective of the visual system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Juvenile and adult (male and female) guppies express 10 visual opsins at varying levels in the eye. Two opsin genes in juveniles, <it>SWS2B </it>and <it>RH2-2</it>, accounted for >85% of all visual-opsin transcripts in the eye, excluding <it>RH1</it>. This relative abundance (RA) value dropped to about 65% in adults, as <it>LWS-A180 </it>expression increased from approximately 3% to 20% RA. The juvenile-to-female transition also showed <it>LWS-S180 </it>upregulation from about 1.5% to 7% RA. Finally, we found that expression in guppies' <it>SWS2-LWS </it>gene cluster is negatively correlated with distance from a candidate locus control region (LCR).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Selective pressures influencing visual-opsin gene expression appear to differ among age and sex. <it>LWS </it>upregulation in females is implicated in augmenting spectral discrimination of male coloration and courtship displays. In males, enhanced discrimination of carotenoid-rich food and possibly rival males are strong candidate selective pressures driving <it>LWS </it>upregulation. These developmental changes in expression suggest that adults possess better wavelength discrimination than juveniles. Opsin expression within the <it>SWS2-LWS </it>gene cluster appears to be regulated, in part, by a common LCR. Finally, by comparing our RT-qPCR data to MSP data, we were able to propose the first opsin-to-λ_maxassignments for all photoreceptor types in the cone mosaic.</p

Postoperative outcomes in oesophagectomy with trainee involvement

BACKGROUND: The complexity of oesophageal surgery and the significant risk of morbidity necessitates that oesophagectomy is predominantly performed by a consultant surgeon, or a senior trainee under their supervision. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of trainee involvement in oesophagectomy on postoperative outcomes in an international multicentre setting. METHODS: Data from the multicentre Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Study Group (OGAA) cohort study were analysed, which comprised prospectively collected data from patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer between April 2018 and December 2018. Procedures were grouped by the level of trainee involvement, and univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to compare patient outcomes across groups. RESULTS: Of 2232 oesophagectomies from 137 centres in 41 countries, trainees were involved in 29.1 per cent of them (n = 650), performing only the abdominal phase in 230, only the chest and/or neck phases in 130, and all phases in 315 procedures. For procedures with a chest anastomosis, those with trainee involvement had similar 90-day mortality, complication and reoperation rates to consultant-performed oesophagectomies (P = 0.451, P = 0.318, and P = 0.382, respectively), while anastomotic leak rates were significantly lower in the trainee groups (P = 0.030). Procedures with a neck anastomosis had equivalent complication, anastomotic leak, and reoperation rates (P = 0.150, P = 0.430, and P = 0.632, respectively) in trainee-involved versus consultant-performed oesophagectomies, with significantly lower 90-day mortality in the trainee groups (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Trainee involvement was not found to be associated with significantly inferior postoperative outcomes for selected patients undergoing oesophagectomy. The results support continued supervised trainee involvement in oesophageal cancer surgery