31 research outputs found
Organizational Factors and Office Workers’ Health After the World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks: Long-Term Physical Symptoms, Psychological Distress, and Work Productivity
No full textObjective: To assess if organizational factors are predictors of workers' health and productivity after the World Trade Center attacks.Methods: We conducted a survey of 750 workers and compared those who had direct exposures to the World Trade Center attacks (south of Canal Street workers; primary victims) with those less directly exposed (north of Canal Street workers; other victims and non-victims).Results: South of Canal Street workers reported headache more frequently than north of Canal Street workers did (P = 0.0202). Primary victims reported headache and cough more frequently than did other victims and non-victims (P = 0.0086 and 0.0043, respectively). Defensive organizational culture was an independent predictor of cough and job stress, and job stress was an independent predictor of on-the-job productivity losses.Conclusion: Organizational variables may modify health and productivity outcomes after a large-scale traumatic event in the workplace.This research was supported in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Grant 5 R21 OH007713-02, and the NIEHS sponsored UMDNJ Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease, Grant NIEHS P30ES005022.This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (50(2):112-25, 2008 Feb) a publication of Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. The published article is available at http://journals.lww.com/joem/Fulltext/2008/02000/Organizational_Factors_and_Office_Workers__Health.4.asp
Remediation and college writing: an examination of the effectiveness of basic writing programs at selected historically black colleges, 2003
No full textThis study examines the effectiveness of basic writing programs at selected Historically Black Colleges. The objectives of many writing programs include, but are not limited to, the following: identifying students whose English, and/or reading comprehension skills are below acceptable levels; determining appropriate course placement for each individual student; providing advisement and learning enhancement courses for provisional students; and providing a writing/tutoring center for students who need supplemental assistance with writing assignments. This study was based on the premise that not all students entering their first year of college have strong writing skills; therefore, basic writing programs are necessary for students who have deficiencies in writing. Basic writing programs exist at Historically Black Colleges just as they exist at many other American colleges. For that reason, it seems impractical for many colleges to assume that these students who need basic writing skills can be simply ignored. A case study analysis approach was used to analyze data gathered at selected Historically Black Colleges. The selected colleges which constitute this sample are as follows: Spelman College, Morehouse College; Tougaloo College; Bethune-Cookman College; Oakwood College; and Morris Brown College. These colleges include those that are utilizing basic writing programs and those that are not utilizing such programs. Among this selected sample of six Historically Black Colleges, the colleges that are utilizing basic writing programs are Bethune-Cookman, Oakwood, and Morris Brown, whereas Spelman, Morehouse, and Tougaloo have no such programs. The researcher found that the selected colleges not using basic writing programs have on their campuses remedial level writing students who could have benefited from a basic writing program, but due to political or financial reasons, these institutions choose to ignore the basic writing student. In contrast, however, those colleges that utilize some level of remedial writing instruction actually find improvement in the writing of students who have actively participated in their basic writing programs. The study's findings reveal that basic writing programs should be established and preserved at Historically Black Colleges because the basic writing student still exists. In other words, the longevity of the basic writing program should be contingent upon whether or not the basic writing student is still alive and well on college campuses. Therefore, in order for Historically Black Colleges to fulfill their mission of producing young men and women who are truly educated, the colleges must find the means and the commitment to provide basic writing assistance to students who need this assistance
The impact of late capitalism on Nigerian economy and culture: 1960-2010, 2018
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation is to utilize a historical comparative analysis to examine how capitalism influenced the growth of the nation, its effects on culture, politics and the economy. The study will examine the shift of the economy under varying governments (civilian, presidential and military), as well as the economic effect of an oil economy on the politics and development of the country. This dissertation included an analysis of the historical implications of imperialism as well as the current implications of foreign interference. The research further explored the historical effects of colonialism on a newly independent nation attempting to govern and unite different ethnic groups as one nation as well as the effects the discovery of oil had on the precarious undertaking of establishing and maintaining democracy. This dissertation found that after independence the country shifted its focus in the agriculture sector from production for consumption to export for capital gains. This shift led to infrastructure development such as building roads, railways, and other essential structures for the transportation and exportation of cash crops. The downside in the shift from consumption crops to export crops was the occurrence of food shortages during the seventies. The discovery of oil in 1956 also changed the direction and strength of the economy and eventually led to an unstable and under-developed nation. This dissertation will also examine the initiatives towards development and national unity as the nation struggles to stabilize economically and politically. KEY TERMS: Nigeria, capitalism in Nigeria, history of Nigeria, World bank, Oil and Nigeria, Civil War in Nigeria, African History, African Studies, Arts and Humanities, History, International and Area Studies, Political Scienc
Examining the female leader in Octavia Butler's dawn and Fledgling, 2011
No full textThis study examines the prototypical female leader as constructed by Octavia Butler in her science fiction novels, Dawn and Fledgling. The premise of the study relates to the protagonists capacity to undergo arduous tasks in extraordinary circumstances so that they can ultimately lead their people into a revolutionized society. Overcoming enormous obstacles, including the rejection of the very people they must lead, proves that both protagonists, Lilith Ilypo, in Dawn, and Shori Matthews, in Fledgling, are the women of the future, created to lead human beings into a brave new world. The study further examines Butlers portrayal of the othemesses that continue to plague societies, despite the societies higher evolution, and concludes that only through continuous compromise will the world become unified. Butler indicates that the onerous task of achieving this ultimate unification lies on the shoulders of women who will serve as, what I term, the futures female Adams
The perfect mask: examining the diligence in masking in Daniel black's perfect peace and Obery Hendricks's living water, 2011
No full textThis thesis examines the efforts necessary to mask and the aftermath in doing so as illustrated in Daniel Blacks Perfect Peace and Obery Hendrickss Living Water. The focus of this study is to explore how Black and Hendricks demonstration of Dunbars concept of masking evolves from societal oppression. The environment and social constructions within the two novels centralizes the cause to wear the mask. The female characters discussed in this paper tacitly agree with their oppressors to at least pretend to submit to their own oppression. Black and Hendricks develop female characters that emerge from their oppression and achieve self-assertion. The female characters redefine and redeem themselves through unconventional concepts of heroism
Personal experiences and adversities: the existential struggles of women in American women's literature, 2011
No full textThis is a study of womens struggles in a system of patriarchy as portrayed in the works of Willa Cather, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison. The selected works include: My Antonia, The Color Purple, and Sula. Most commonly, in a patriarchal society, masculinity is usually defined by aggression and dominance, whereas femininity is portrayed as symbolic of passivity and submission. The need for women to be submissive in a male-dominated society caused many of the women characters to begin to suffer from lack of individuality and self-expression. The idea that women often evolve into different personalities because of their life experiences and struggles is at the center of the works selected for this study. In these particular works, the writers demonstrate that in spite of ethnicities and family backgrounds, many women living under the system of patriarchy become strong and outspoken because of their personal experiences and life challenges, while some of them become casualties of their struggles but learn from the experiences in order to become agents of social change
mBio
No full textBats are reservoirs for emerging zoonotic viruses that can have a profound impact on human and animal health, including lyssaviruses, filoviruses, paramyxoviruses, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs). In the course of a project focused on pathogen discovery in contexts where human-bat contact might facilitate more efficient interspecies transmission of viruses, we surveyed gastrointestinal tissue obtained from bats collected in caves in Nigeria that are frequented by humans. Coronavirus consensus PCR and unbiased high-throughput pyrosequencing revealed the presence of coronavirus sequences related to those of SARS-CoV in a Commerson's leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros commersoni). Additional genomic sequencing indicated that this virus, unlike subgroup 2b CoVs, which includes SARS-CoV, is unique, comprising three overlapping open reading frames between the M and N genes and two conserved stem-loop II motifs. Phylogenetic analyses in conjunction with these features suggest that this virus represents a new subgroup within group 2 CoVs.20105R01AI079231-02/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United StatesAI051292/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United StatesAI57158/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States1073
Factors influencing canine rabies vaccination among dog-owning households in Nigeria
No full textRabies perpetuates in Nigeria despite initiatives like the Regional Disease Surveillance System Enhancement Project, with evidence indicating suboptimal canine vaccination rates as a contributing factor. To inform effective planning of mass dog vaccination campaigns, it is crucial to understand the factors associated with variation in canine vaccination rates. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2022 to understand factors associated with canine vaccination. We used stratified random sampling of the streets and dog-owning households to survey 4162 households from three states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). We then built a joint probabilistic model to understand factors associated with dog vaccination and non-vaccination. First, we modelled rabies knowledge as a latent variable indirectly measured with several targeted survey questions. This method allowed a respondent's unobserved understanding of rabies to be estimated using their responses to a collection of survey questions that targeted different aspects of rabies epidemiology and took various possible response distributions (i.e., ordinal, categorical, binary). Second, we modelled factors influencing pet owners' decisions to vaccinate their dogs against rabies and barriers to dog vaccination among dog owners whose dogs were not vaccinated against rabies. Posterior distributions revealed that the probability of dog vaccination was positively associated with the owner's latent knowledge of rabies, civil servant service employment, residence in the FCT, ownership of a single dog, providing care to dogs, and a preference for contemporary treatment following a dog bite. Conversely, non-vaccination was positively associated with private employment, residing in Anambra and Enugu states, owning multiple dogs, allowing dogs to search for leftovers, and a preference for traditional treatment after a dog bite. Cost was the primary barrier against vaccination for dog owners in Anambra and Enugu, while mistrust posed a major challenge for those in the FCT. Owners in areas with veterinary establishments cited cost as a barrier, while those without a veterinary establishment cited access as the primary barrier. Our study underscores the need to enhance rabies knowledge, tailor vaccination campaigns to specific demographics, address financial and access barriers, and combat hesitancy to improve rabies vaccination rates in Nigeria
Emerg Infect Dis
No full textUsing questionnaires and serologic testing, we evaluated bat and lyssavirus exposure among persons in an area of Nigeria that celebrates a bat festival. Bats from festival caves underwent serologic testing for phylogroup II lyssaviruses (Lagos bat virus, Shimoni bat virus, Mokola virus). The enrolled households consisted of 2,112 persons, among whom 213 (10%) were reported to have ever had bat contact (having touched a bat, having been bitten by a bat, or having been scratched by a bat) and 52 (2%) to have ever been bitten by a bat. Of 203 participants with bat contact, 3 (1%) had received rabies vaccination. No participant had neutralizing antibodies to phylogroup II lyssaviruses, but >50% of bats had neutralizing antibodies to these lyssaviruses. Even though we found no evidence of phylogroup II lyssavirus exposure among humans, persons interacting with bats in the area could benefit from practicing bat-related health precautions
