Digital Library North: Development of a Model Digital Library Platform for Northern Canada

Digital libraries provide organized, inclusive and open access to quality information sources. They are multifaceted and complex structures that offer a wide range and variety of information resources and services and reduce spatial, temporal and access barriers. One of the key challenges associated with information access in Canada’s north is the lack of a proper digital information infrastructure to provide relevant and reliable access to information resources. An example of this kind of information gap can be found in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) of the Northwest Territories, where access to relevant, digital information poses a number of challenges for the communities. We have proposed a multifaceted project to investigate the development of a model digital library platform to accommodate the information needs of the communities with the ISR region. The proposed study will focus on the ISR region of the Northwest Territories, comprising six communities: Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Aklavik, and 91,000 square kilometers of land

Finding KM Solutions for a Volunteer-Based Non-Profit Organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge needs of a small, volunteer‐based Non‐Profit Organization (NPO) and present recommendations for implementation of KM solutions. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used in this paper is the knowledge audit. Data collection methods include semi‐structured interviews, documentary photography, and a review of content on the NPO's website. Findings – The paper recommends a combination of web 2.0 technology and low‐tech solutions to meet the KM needs of the volunteer‐based organization within the constraints of its limited resources. Based on the observation that dedicated and reliable volunteers are critical to this organization's success, the paper proposes that the KM solution address personal knowledge needs related to volunteer motivation factors as a strategy for improving volunteer recruitment and retention. Research limitations/implications – The study examined a small group of volunteers engaged in a specialized form of knowledge‐sharing work. Future research could test this paper's conclusions in larger and more diverse volunteer‐based NPOs. Originality/value – The paper extends KM research into the realm of volunteer‐based NPOs and adopts elements from Motivation‐Hygiene theory as well as specific volunteer motivation factors as additional criteria for a KM solutio

Inter-organizational Knowledge Management within an NGO Community: A Pilot Study of a Unique Knowledge Sharing Structure

Knowledge management principles have traditionally been derived from for-profit organizations but are increasingly being utilized to support the success of non-profits organizations (NPOs). This pilot study examines the knowledge needs of a group of Alberta-based NPOs linked by a hub organization whose purpose is to facilitate knowledge sharing within this community

Awareness of triggers of headache in migraine patients – a study from a tertiary centre from central india

Background:A lot of discrepancies in the number of migraine triggers have been observed in numerous studies. Migraine patients do not recognize easily their headache triggers in clinical practice. Focusing the patient attention on migraine attack triggers is important for management of migraine. Awareness of migraine triggers has not been previously studied in India. Therefore, we planned to study the awareness of triggers of headache among migraine patients from central India.Materials and methods:We recruited 180 migraine patients to evaluate the awareness about their headache triggers. Patients were asked to perform two tasks. Task 1 was to report their migraine trigger spontaneously in 2 minutes. Subsequently, Task 2 was to identify common/uncommon known triggers from given lists. Awareness of triggers among population was estimated by difference of distribution of self reported versus identified common/uncommon triggers.Results:The average number of self reported triggers among all patients was found to be 2.21±1.80. Noise (74.4%), Sunlight (70.6%), Smoking (70.0%), Fasting (67.2%) were the most prevalent trigger factors. Difference of distribution between Task 1 and Task 2 was calculated, which showed (200% difference in self reported versus common triggers) and (83.3% difference in self reported versus uncommon triggers).Conclusion:Migraine patients have poor awareness of their headache triggers and hardly reports triggers unless asked specifically. Keywords: headache, migraine, triggers, migraine with aura, migraine without aura, awareness of triggers of migraine

Membrane-associated proteomics of chickpea identifies Sad1/UNC-84 protein (CaSUN1), a novel component of dehydration signaling

Dehydration affects almost all the physiological processes including those that result in the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which in turn elicits a highly conserved signaling, the unfolded protein response (UPR). We investigated the dehydration-responsive membrane-associated proteome of a legume, chickpea, by 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 184 protein spots were significantly altered over a dehydration treatment of 120 h. Among the differentially expressed proteins, a non-canonical SUN domain protein, designated CaSUN1 (Cicer arietinum Sad1/UNC-84), was identified. CaSUN1 localized to the nuclear membrane and ER, besides small vacuolar vesicles. The transcripts were downregulated by both abiotic and biotic stresses, but not by abscisic acid treatment. Overexpression of CaSUN1 conferred stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, functional complementation of the yeast mutant, slp1, could rescue its growth defects. We propose that the function of CaSUN1 in stress response might be regulated via UPR signaling

Diversity and status of migratory and resident wetland birds in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

Migration is the seasonal habitual movement, exhibited by many avian species along a flyway from breeding to wintering grounds and vice versa all over the world. Migratory birds are very sensitive to even small changes in water level which may be affected by flood or drought on their breeding and wintering grounds. High rains during monsoon season can cause flood conditions in the lower hills and Gangetic plains including Haridwar district. In our study, conducted during last ten years (2009-2018), we covered Bheemgoda Barrage and Missarpur Ganga Ghat of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where 46 species of Migratory (M) and Resident Migratory (RM) wetland birds were observed. Bird survey indicated that there was a significant increase (p = 0.064, t-test) in the population of certain species such as Bhraminy Shelduck (67%), Black Headed Gull (31%), Gadwall (7%), Northern Pintail (59%), Red Crested Pochard (10%) and Tufted Pochard (47%) in Missarpur Ganga Ghat as compared to Bheemgoda Barrage (based on the average abundance of the species observed during study period). It may be pointed out that after flood and loss of vegetated island, there was significant decrease (p= 0.023, t-test) in the population of species such as Black necked stork (76%), Great crested grebe (56), Pallas gull (47%) at Bheemgoda barrage, while some species such as Bar headed goose, Common pochard did not arrive in Bheemgoda barrage after the flood. The study would help to understand the effect of climatic change on water birds species distribution in natural and man-made wetlands

Papers, posters, and keynote presented at the 26th Polar Libraries Colloquy, hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA 10 – 15 July 2016

Published July 2023 by the University of Alaska Anchorage, UAA/APU Consortium Library, and edited by Daria O. Carle. Copyright in individual papers is held by the contributors. A digital copy of this publication can be found at https://polarlibraries.org/colloquy-proceedings/ and in ScholarWorks, the University of Alaska’s Institutional Repository, https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/. A copy of the 2016 Colloquy program is also available at https://polarlibraries.org/colloquy-proceedings/. Further information on the Polar Libraries Colloquy, including details of membership and upcoming conferences, is available at https://polarlibraries.orgHistory of Polar Information Science / Working in Antarctica: Mapping a Changing Experience through the British Antarctic Survey / Géoindex+: A Geospatial Platform for Northern Historical and Research Data / Establishing Criteria for the Development of the “Northern Collection” at Université Laval’s Library: An Exploratory Approach / Introducing Two New Reserach Platforms: seaiceportal.de and expedition.awi.de (abstract only) / Establishing a Digital Library Service for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region / Changing Patterns of Polar Research / Mapping the Rescue of an Archive / Byrd 1933: Films from the Discovery Lecture Series / History of the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library and Its Rare Books Collection / A Roadmap to Navigate the Range of Polar Libraries, Databases, and Archives Now Available Online / Mapping Change with Finna in an Arctic Research Joint Library (paper not listed in program) / Mapping Chang in a Small Library Environment: From Reading Room to Communications Center (abstract only) / The Continued Evolution of the Cold Regions Bibliography Project: Current Status of the Antarctic Bibliography and the Antarctic Journal of the United States and its Predecessors / Connect the North: The Arctic Connect Project / Languages and Dialects in the Digital Library North (abstract only) / Bridging Arctic Indigenous Knowledge with the Digital World: Sharing Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Partnership with Arctic Communities (abstract only) / The Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability (abstract and poster

Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF): The ‘Kyoto Consensus’-Steps From Asia

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a condition associated with high mortality in the absence of liver transplantation. There have been various definitions proposed worldwide. The first consensus report of the working party of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set in 2004 on ACLF was published in 2009, and the APASL ACLF Research Consortium (AARC) was formed in 2012. The AARC database has prospectively collected nearly 10,500 cases of ACLF from various countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This database has been instrumental in developing the AARC score and grade of ACLF, the concept of the \u27Golden Therapeutic Window\u27, the \u27transplant window\u27, and plasmapheresis as a treatment modality. Also, the data has been key to identifying pediatric ACLF. The European Association for the Study of Liver-Chronic Liver Failure (EASL CLIF) and the North American Association for the Study of the End Stage Liver Disease (NACSELD) from the West added the concepts of organ failure and infection as precipitants for the development of ACLF and CLIF-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and NACSELD scores for prognostication. The Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B (COSSH) added COSSH-ACLF criteria to manage hepatitis b virus-ACLF with and without cirrhosis. The literature supports these definitions to be equally effective in their respective cohorts in identifying patients with high mortality. To overcome the differences and to develop a global consensus, APASL took the initiative and invited the global stakeholders, including opinion leaders from Asia, EASL and AASLD, and other researchers in the field of ACLF to identify the key issues and develop an evidence-based consensus document. The consensus document was presented in a hybrid format at the APASL annual meeting in Kyoto in March 2024. The \u27Kyoto APASL Consensus\u27 presented below carries the final recommendations along with the relevant background information and areas requiring future studies

Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Rigorous analysis of levels and trends in exposure to leading risk factors and quantification of their effect on human health are important to identify where public health is making progress and in which cases current efforts are inadequate. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a standardised and comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of risk factor exposure, relative risk, and attributable burden of disease. Methods: GBD 2019 estimated attributable mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years of life lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 87 risk factors and combinations of risk factors, at the global level, regionally, and for 204 countries and territories. GBD uses a hierarchical list of risk factors so that specific risk factors (eg, sodium intake), and related aggregates (eg, diet quality), are both evaluated. This method has six analytical steps. (1) We included 560 risk–outcome pairs that met criteria for convincing or probable evidence on the basis of research studies. 12 risk–outcome pairs included in GBD 2017 no longer met inclusion criteria and 47 risk–outcome pairs for risks already included in GBD 2017 were added based on new evidence. (2) Relative risks were estimated as a function of exposure based on published systematic reviews, 81 systematic reviews done for GBD 2019, and meta-regression. (3) Levels of exposure in each age-sex-location-year included in the study were estimated based on all available data sources using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression method, or alternative methods. (4) We determined, from published trials or cohort studies, the level of exposure associated with minimum risk, called the theoretical minimum risk exposure level. (5) Attributable deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs were computed by multiplying population attributable fractions (PAFs) by the relevant outcome quantity for each age-sex-location-year. (6) PAFs and attributable burden for combinations of risk factors were estimated taking into account mediation of different risk factors through other risk factors. Across all six analytical steps, 30 652 distinct data sources were used in the analysis. Uncertainty in each step of the analysis was propagated into the final estimates of attributable burden. Exposure levels for dichotomous, polytomous, and continuous risk factors were summarised with use of the summary exposure value to facilitate comparisons over time, across location, and across risks. Because the entire time series from 1990 to 2019 has been re-estimated with use of consistent data and methods, these results supersede previously published GBD estimates of attributable burden. Findings: The largest declines in risk exposure from 2010 to 2019 were among a set of risks that are strongly linked to social and economic development, including household air pollution; unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing; and child growth failure. Global declines also occurred for tobacco smoking and lead exposure. The largest increases in risk exposure were for ambient particulate matter pollution, drug use, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body-mass index. In 2019, the leading Level 2 risk factor globally for attributable deaths was high systolic blood pressure, which accounted for 10·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 9·51–12·1) deaths (19·2% [16·9–21·3] of all deaths in 2019), followed by tobacco (smoked, second-hand, and chewing), which accounted for 8·71 million (8·12–9·31) deaths (15·4% [14·6–16·2] of all deaths in 2019). The leading Level 2 risk factor for attributable DALYs globally in 2019 was child and maternal malnutrition, which largely affects health in the youngest age groups and accounted for 295 million (253–350) DALYs (11·6% [10·3–13·1] of all global DALYs that year). The risk factor burden varied considerably in 2019 between age groups and locations. Among children aged 0–9 years, the three leading detailed risk factors for attributable DALYs were all related to malnutrition. Iron deficiency was the leading risk factor for those aged 10–24 years, alcohol use for those aged 25–49 years, and high systolic blood pressure for those aged 50–74 years and 75 years and older. Interpretation: Overall, the record for reducing exposure to harmful risks over the past three decades is poor. Success with reducing smoking and lead exposure through regulatory policy might point the way for a stronger role for public policy on other risks in addition to continued efforts to provide information on risk factor harm to the general public