55 research outputs found
A Qualitative Study of Librarians’ Negative Emotions in Taiwan
No full text情緒會影響個體之工作績效，亦會影響個體對他人之態度；對服務業而言，員工的工作情緒為服務品質之關鍵因素。就圖書館之資訊專業服務品質之關鍵因素。就圖書館之資訊專業服務而言，其服務品質亦受到館員負面工作情緒狀態之影響，在圖書館界亟思提升服務品質，強調「顧客導向」、「服務導向」，追求卓越服務品質目標之際，館員負面工作情緒之議題，自是值得當前圖書館管理者重視。因此，對圖書館館員負面工作情緒之了解與研究實有其必要性，本研究即在瞭解我國圖書館組織中館員負面工作情緒之類型及其成因，並探討其對圖書館組織與館員之影響
The Adoption of Innovations in Library Organizations
No full text近年來，圖書館為了提升服務品質，在圖書館行政管理上已漸引用企業界策略規劃、品質評估等觀念與作法，至於引進變遷加強圖書館對環境之適應等相關主題──企業組織的創新行為研究──則尚少觸及。觀諸企業界已然深知組織的創新行為乃是企業生存與永續發展的依據，面對快速變遷的環境，圖書館實可參考企業界的研究結果，加強創新，提升與改善館員工作生活品質，進而達到圖書館卓越服務品質之目標。基於此，本文擬探討關於創新的涵義、種類與模式及各種要素的配合，並導出創新行為對圖書館組織的重要性與成功之鑰。To enhance the quality of library and information service, libraries have borrowed from business theory and practice in planning and evaluating library services. However, an area of business theory that has received relatively little attention in library science is organizational innovation. Reports in the business literature provide evidence that innovation is essential for both development and survival. In increasingly unstable times of rapidly changing information technology, libraries must use the literature of innovation as well as that of planning and evaluation to shape better libraries. This paper explores key issues related to innovation in libraries including the nature, the barriers, and the ways to adopt and implement innovative strategies successfully
An Empirical Study on Ways of Coping with Job-related Stress among National College and University Librarians in Taiwan
No full text過度的工作壓力會影響館員的工作績效，適度的壓力長期而言可激發人們的行為動機，積極面對挑戰，是增進個體生命力必要的刺激。惟有在適度壓力下方可促使個體產生最佳工作績效，而如何使個體有效地紓解壓力，使其調節再適度的壓力範圍內，則屬於壓力因應行為的議題。本研究顯示，受訪館員的工作壓力因應行為是綜合問題取向與情緒取向二者，但當工作壓力逐漸增大時，館員易傾向於以情緒取向的方式因應，且多偏向如自責、發洩、遷怒、退縮等不健康的情緒行為，值得圖書館管理階層注意。Stress is not a naturedly bad thing - it may be stimulating, motivating and provide excitement to individuals. However, when it exceeds individuals' ability to cope it becomes harmful both to library and staff. Adequate coping strategies keep the librarians in a state of good health and high job performance. The purpose of this study is trying to explore librarians' ways of coping with job-related stress in the library settings of national colleges and universities in Taiwan. The study indicates that librarians' ways of coping are both problem-focused and emotionfocused. And as the stress getting greater, librarians are inclined to cope with emotionfocused ways
Research on Readers' Advisory Services in American Public Libraries
No full text本研究採用網路問卷調查法，以美國公共圖書館從事讀者諮詢顧問服務之106位館員為研究對象，藉由其對此項服務之認知，探討美國公共圖書館讀者諮詢顧問服務施行之範圍與內涵，瞭解其對讀者諮詢顧問服務的定義、功能、訓練目標等方面之看法，及其對美國公共圖書館施行讀者諮詢顧問服務所遭遇的困難與障礙，與讀者諮詢顧問服務未來發展方向之看法。研究者依據研究結果，針對本次問卷調查之填答者所服務之美國公共圖書館、未來國內規劃提供讀者諮詢顧問服務之公共圖書館以及國內圖書資訊學教育與圖書資訊學相關組織提出數項建議。This research investigated the scope and contents of readers' advisory services in American public libraries. Specifically, it explored librarians' perspective on the following issues: definition, function, and training objectives of readers' advisory services; the problems and challenges librarians face; their opinions on future developments in readers' advisory services. The data collection was carried out by an online questionnaire and the participants included 106 librarians who provided readers' advisory services in American public libraries. Through literature reviews and research results, the author provides suggestions for readers' advisory services in Taiwan's public libraries to consider. The author also provides suggestions for American public libraries that participated in this research, Taiwan's public libraries that intend to provide readers' advisory services in the future, and Library and Information Science related majors in the educational realm
Cavity Energetic Sizing Algorithm Applied in Polymeric Membranes for Gas Separation
No full textAbstractPolymeric membranes demonstrate the fastest emerging field in membrane gas separation since it has huge reproducibility for large scale production and low cost fabrication. To date, many research works have emerged to propose different polymeric materials for membrane synthesis and fabrication in order to enhance gas separation performance. It has been suggested that the underlying factor that distinguishes the difference in separation efficiency among varying polymer is the amount of free volume formed throughout the polymeric matrix. Therefore, in current work, through adaptation of atomistic models by a combination of molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo or commonly known as the Cavity Energetic Sizing Algorithm (CESA), the cavity size distributions of several commonly adapted polymeric membranes for gas separation have been determined. The accuracy of the simulated molecular structure has been verified by comparing the simulated and measured experimental density. It is found from the study that that the CESA algorithm is capable of capturing the free volume distribution within the polymeric matrix, with the higher free volume polymeric membrane inheriting higher average cavity size [PTMSP (10.30A) >PPO (4.86A) >Matrimid® 5218 (4.01A) >PSF (3.25A)]. In addition, the higher free volume polymers, which exhibit shift towards the larger cavity sizes, also reveal higher gas permeability for gas molecules. The sieving capability of the polymer is also demonstrated to be correlated with the kinetic diameter of the gas penetrants as compared to the cavity size. In future work, the methodology is proposed to be employed as a preliminary step to predict polymeric membrane morphology in order to evaluate the feasibility of any polymers before being applied in gas separation
Increasing Solar Absorption for Photocatalysis with Black Hydrogenated Titanium Dioxide Nanocrystals
No full textWhen used as a photocatalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO 2) absorbs only ultraviolet light, and several approaches, including the use of dopants such as nitrogen, have been taken to narrow the band gap of TiO 2. We demonstrated a conceptually different approach to enhancing solar absorption by introducing disorder in the surface layers of nanophase TiO 2 through hydrogenation. We showed that disorder-engineered TiO 2 nanocrystals exhibit substantial solar-driven photocatalytic activities, including the photo-oxidation of organic molecules in water and the production of hydrogen with the use of a sacrificial reagent.We thank M. S. Dresselhaus for encouragement, M. T. Lee and S. H. Shen for their assistance, and R. Greif for discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. This research has been supported by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. S.S.M. and X.C. also acknowledge support from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology–University of California Academic Excellence Alliance. TEM work was performed at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, which is supported by the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy
An agent-based memetic algorithm (AMA) for solving constrained optimazation problems
No full textIn recent years, memetic algorithms (MAs) have been proposed to enhance the performance of evolutionary algorithms by incorporating local search techniques with evolutionary algorithms' global search ability, and applied successfully to solve different type of optimization problems. This paper proposes a new memetic algorithm and then introduces an agent-based memetic algorithm (AMA), for the first time, to further enhance the ability of MA in solving constrained optimization problems. In a lattice-like environment, each of the agents represents a candidate solution of the problem. The agents are able to sense and act on the society, and their performances i.e. fitness of the solution improves through co-evolutionary adaptation of society with the individual learning of the agents. The proposed algorithm is tested on 13 benchmark problems and the experimental results show promising performance.</p
Bioinformatics Analyses of Spatial Peripheral Circadian Clock-Mediated Gene Expression of Glucocorticoid Receptor-Related Genes
No full textGlucocorticoids are ubiquitous, pleotropic steroid hormones secreted from the cortices of the adrenal glands in a circadian fashion under the strong influence of the central Clock center located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. In previous work, we reported that the circadian transcription factor CLOCK and its heterodimer partner BMAL1 suppress the transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) by acetylating a lysine cluster located in its hinge region between the DNA- and ligand-binding domains. This regulation of GR transcriptional activity by CLOCK/BMAL1 functions as a counter-regulatory loop against the diurnally fluctuating circulating glucocorticoids. Here, we have performed further analyses of our data using bioinformatics and computational methods. Gene expression data were analyzed using unsupervised machine learning methods, such as hierarchical clustering, k-means, Naïve Bayes classification, and polynomial regression analyses. We determined expression patterns of Clock-related genes, unraveled the dynamics of spatial data, and defined the temporal function of Clock-mediated GR-regulated genes. Gene expressions manifested nonlinear dynamics, possibly because we obtained dynamic results from stationary measurements. The mechanics of the circadian rhythms are still obscure, and more studies are required to understand how such rhythms influence mammalian physiology. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Self-management challenges of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Ekurhuleni district primary health care facilities amid COVID-19 lockdown
Get PDFDATA AVAILABITY STATEMENT: Derived data supporting the findings of this study are
available from the corresponding author, S.S.M., on request.BACKGROUND: Self-management is highly recommended in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus
(T2DM). Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown, many restrictions were
imposed, which might have affected the continuum of care and self-management. However,
little is known about how people with T2DM experienced self-management during COVID-19
lockdown within the primary health care (PHC) facilities.
AIM: The study explored and described the self-management challenges of adults with T2DM
in Ekurhuleni PHC facilities amid COVID-19 level 5 and 4 lockdowns.
SETTING: The study was conducted in three community health centres in Ekurhuleni which are
rendering PHC services.
METHODS: A phenomenological, qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design was utilised.
Purposive sampling was used to select adult patients with T2DM. Data were collected
telephonically between July 2022 and August 2022 using semi-structured interviews. Inductive
content analysis was used to analyse data.
RESULTS: Two themes emerged from the interviews, namely, uncontrolled blood glucose levels
and financial challenges.
CONCLUSION: The patients with T2DM experienced uncontrolled blood glucose levels and
financial challenges during the COVID-19 lockdown. Guidelines to improve self-management
programmes during restrictions are needed to promote good health during future pandemics
to prevent complications and mortality. The telehealth model can be designed to monitor
chronic patients at home during lockdown as a two-way communication.
CONTRIBUTION: More knowledge and insight into self-management and health promotion of
patients with T2DM was provided by this study. Increased training needs arose for PHC
nurses in managing and monitoring patients.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfmNursing ScienceSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein
Practical Short Signature Batch Verification
Get PDFIn many applications, it is desirable to work with digital signatures that are short, and yet where many messages from different signers be verified very quickly. RSA signatures satisfy the latter condition, but are generally thousands of bits in length. Recent developments in pairing-based cryptography produced a number of “short” signatures which provide equivalent security in a fraction of the space. Unfortunately, verifying these signatures is computationally intensive due to the expensive pairing operation. Toward achieving “short and fast” signatures, Camenisch, Hohenberger and Pedersen (Eurocrypt 2007) showed how to batch verify two pairing-based schemes so that the total number of pairings was independent of the number of signatures to verify. In this work, we present both theoretical and practical contributions. On the theoretical side, we introduce new batch verifiers for a wide variety of regular, identity-based, group, ring and aggregate signature schemes. These are the first constructions for batching group signatures, which answers an open problem of Camenisch et al. On the practical side, we implement each of these algorithms and compare each batching algorithm to doing individual verifications. Our goal is to test whether batching is practical; that is, whether the benefits of removing pairings significantly outweigh the cost of the additional operations required for batching, such as group membership testing, randomness generation, and additional modular exponentiations and multiplications. We experimentally verify that the theoretical results of Camenisch et al. and this work, indeed, provide an efficient, effective approach to verifying multiple signatures from (possibly) different signers
- …
