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Libraries are adapting to the changing times by providing mobile services. One hundred fifty-one libraries were chosen based on circulation, with at least one library or library system from each state, to explore the diverse services provided to mobile users across the United States. According to the data, mobile apps, mobile reference services, mobile library catalogs, and mobile printing are among public libraries' most-frequently offered services, as determined by mobile visits, content analysis, and librarian survey responses. Every library examined had at least one mobile website, mobile catalog, mobile app, or webpage adapted for a mobile device. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, services such as mobile renewal, subscriber database access, mobile reservations, and the ability to interact with a librarian were expanded to allow better communication with customers-all from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Libraries are continually looking for innovative methods to assist their mobile customers as the world changes.
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Introduction: VAC4EU (Vaccine monitoring Collaboration for Europe) is a not-for profit international association with 24 member organizations specialised in the collaborative generation of real-world evidence on coverage, safety, and efficacy of vaccines in Europe. VAC4EU was established as a result of the IMI-ADVANCE project with the aim to enable, coordinate and accelerate the creation of the best evidence at European level on vaccine effects. In the past two years, VAC4EU has proven preparedness and efficiency in designing post-authorization monitoring for COVID-19 vaccines responding to the requests of both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and vaccine manufacturers Objective: To describe the VAC4EU organization, data, tools and the accomplishments made towards the generation of real-world evidence on vaccine benefit-risk evaluation. Methods: Not applicable. Results: Since its creation in October 2019, VAC4EU has established a large research network composed of 24 institutions from 9 European countries (BE, DE, DK, FR, IT, NL, NO, ES, UK) providing access to different health care data sources covering more than 150 million European citizens. VAC4EU has implemented a research infrastructure including a catalogue, a codemapper tool, a sharepoint, Github, digital research environment (DRE), a phenotype library of more than 100 variables with definitions and a Zenodo community to facilitate collaboration, transparency, and federated data analysis. VAC4EU has adopted the ConcePTION common data model as a basis for the structural harmonization of electronic health data, but it also allows for primary data collection. VAC4EU has consolidated its governance structure for implementation of pharmacovigilance studies on vaccines and successfully participated in four public tenders regarding vaccines safety and effectiveness launched by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) [1-3] as well as four required post-authorization safety studies on COVID-19 vaccines sponsored by vaccine manufacturers [4-8], and other studies promoted by the Global Vaccine Data Network. All protocols developed within VAC4EU are registered in the EU PAS register, and results are published in the open science VAC4EU Zenodo community. Conclusion: We know already from the H1N1 pandemic that collaboration is needed to study vaccine effects. This collaboration was designed and tested in the IMI-ADVANCE project and implemented in VAC4EU. VAC4EU has demonstrated readiness of its research framework making a key difference in COVID-19 vaccine monitoring in Europe. Research and public health organizations can join the initiative.
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In recent years, one of the key postulates in the European Union’s policy has become the development of renewable energy sources. In order to achieve the desired synergy effect, the idea of combining two selected sources of energy appeared. This article presents a technical and economic analysis of a hybrid connection of a ground source heat pump with a photovoltaic installation. Taking into account the heat demand of the building, a ground heat pump with a catalog nominal heating power of 25 kW was selected. This article presents the problem of the economic profitability of using a hybrid combination of a heat pump and photovoltaic panels in domestic hot water and central heating systems. The justification for the use of such heat sources in these installations is due to global trends and the gradual departure from conventional energy sources such as oil or gas boilers. This paper presents the economic and ecological results of using the pump heat connected together with photovoltaic panels. In the economic analysis, with the assumed installation costs related to the use of the considered heat pump and PV, two parameters commonly used in the investment analysis (static and dynamic) were used, namely, the simple payback period and the net present value of the investment. For the adopted assumptions, the usable area of the facility and the number of years of use were indicated, at which the investment in question is competitive with other alternative investment interest methods and will start to bring tangible benefits. The performed analysis also has measurable environmental benefits in the form of a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions at the level of 2893 kg/year into the atmosphere. The presented solution will help future investors understand the investment profitability mechanism for their households.
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Not only can agricultural science and research help bolster the nutritional value of staple crops, but it can also produce hardier varieties that can withstand pests and disease, meaning more produce surviving to harvest and providing additional income as a buffer. Since 2013, quality potato seed, improved crop management and value chain approaches have helped more than two million smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia. [...]making the right crops available for changing climates and cultural environments, and improving the availability of resilient, adapted varieties relies on protecting a back catalogue of genetic material to safeguard different features of different crops. The economic benefits of conservation are clear: gene banks like CIP’s contributed almost three-quarters of the $1 billion generated by the Victoria potato variety alone in Uganda between 1991 and 2016, which is just one indication of the potential economic value of conservation and utilisation of genetic materials.
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Facing many challenges of division in all aspects (social distancing, political and social divisions, remote work environments), University of South Florida Libraries took the lead in exploring how to overcome these various separations by providing access to its high-quality information sources to its local community and beyond. USFs purchases were informed by work at other institutions, such as the University of Minnesotas antiracism reading lists, which has in turn grown into a rich resource that includes other valuable resources like the Mapping Prejudice Project and a link to the Umbra Search.2 The Triad Black Lives Matter Protest Collection at the University of North Carolina Greensboro is another example of a cultural institution reacting swiftly to document, preserve, and educate.3 These new pages and lists being generated by libraries and cultural institutions seem to be curated by hand using tools that require human intervention to make them and keep them up to date. Umbra Search is a tool that aggregates content from more than 1,000 libraries, archives, and museums.4 It is also supported by high-profile grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the Council on Library and Information Resources. Despite enthusiasm from libraries and other cultural institutions, new purchases and curated content are not going to reach the world as fully as hoped. [...]libraries adopt open data formats in favor of locking away content in closed records like MARC, library and digital content will remain siloed from the internet.
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Chapter 5 of Library Technology Reports (vol. 58, no. 1), “Library Engagement Platforms’ End Goal,” focuses on the end results. David Lee King describes scenarios where these services and engagement platforms succeed and what that might look like to the customer.