A Path to an Understanding of the Internet Use and Its Impact on the Academic Achievement of Social Science Students

The purpose of this study is to assess the use and impacts of internet on academic success of Social Science student studying in the public sector Universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Survey research method using a questionnaire was employed for data collection from a sample of 303 Social Science students spread over five public sector universities of KP. The response rate was 66% and the data was analyzed through SPSS 20.0 using descriptive and inferential statistics. The key findings show that male respondents reported being more experienced in internet use than female and about 84% of the students agreed with the importance of getting the internet use training. University graduates mainly used internet for Social Networking Sites (SNSs), e-mail and academic purposes and were highly satisfied with e-reference material, SNSs and audio/visual resources. Similarly, watching sports online and using shopping and trading websites online correlates with students’ lower Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Furthermore, frequent use of indexes and abstracts, technical reports and presentations available on slide share correlates with graduates’ higher CGPA. Besides these the students reported that, the slow speed of internet, electricity shortage and restrictions on students from their parents to use internet due to the availability of immoral sites on internet were the problems in their internet use. This is the first study in KP, Pakistan that dealt with this important topic by covering a large number of social science students from large number of universities

INCORPORATING THE INTERNET IN LEARNING BY THE MANAGEMENT SCIENCE STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Abstract Purpose: The study was planned with a clear purpose to examine how Management Science students incorporate the internet in their education and what outcomes it has on their academic performance. Research Design: A quantitative survey approach was adopted. For this purpose data were collected from a sample of 225 Management Science students scattered in five selected universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan using non-random proportionate sampling technique. Key Findings: The findings of the study indicate that 55% of students do not possess personal computer/Laptops. A vast majority of the respondents (79%) used the internet at their homes and 80% students agreed to the importance of internet use training. Students’Internet use for chatting with friends and family and for spending leisure time negatively affect CGPA but spending more time on academic online resources enhance their academic results. Similarly, their computer problems solving skills have positive effects on their CGPA but the problems of slow internet connectivity, electricity shortage, and much more information to deal with badly effect students’ academic performance. Conclusions: The internet use has a significant co-relationship with the students’ academic success. Therefore, the research suggests the authorities to provide training in the light of findings of this study, which would undoubtedly improve the academic output of the Management Science Students in the Universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

INCORPORATING THE INTERNET IN LEARNING BY THE MANAGEMENT SCIENCE STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Abstract Purpose: The study was planned with a clear purpose to examine how Management Science students incorporate the internet in their education and what outcomes it has on their academic performance. Research Design: A quantitative survey approach was adopted. For this purpose data were collected from a sample of 225 Management Science students scattered in five selected universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan using non-random proportionate sampling technique. Key Findings: The findings of the study indicate that 55% of students do not possess personal computer/Laptops. A vast majority of the respondents (79%) used the internet at their homes and 80% students agreed to the importance of internet use training. Students’Internet use for chatting with friends and family and for spending leisure time negatively affect CGPA but spending more time on academic online resources enhance their academic results. Similarly, their computer problems solving skills have positive effects on their CGPA but the problems of slow internet connectivity, electricity shortage, and much more information to deal with badly effect students’ academic performance. Conclusions: The internet use has a significant co-relationship with the students’ academic success. Therefore, the research suggests the authorities to provide training in the light of findings of this study, which would undoubtedly improve the academic output of the Management Science Students in the Universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOR IN E-ENVIRONMENT: A STUDY OF MASS MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Purpose: This study investigates the Information-Seeking Behavior (ISB) of mass media professionals in E-environment working in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the most important strategic area of Pakistan. To explore the perceptions of mass media professionals towards information seeking in e-environment is significant, because traditional print newspapers, radio and electronic media (TV) face a steady decline in their information sharing due to the growth of free online contents available through internet. Research Design: A quantitative survey approach was adopted and 130 structured questionnaires were distributed and received back from the working journalists selected through snowball sampling. Key Findings: Findings of the study indicate that the formal information sources mainly used by respondents were internet, electronic library of reports produced by colleagues, and library. Similarly, the information channels critically important in the opinion of media personnel were internet, mass media (TV, radio, Newspapers agencies), and social media (Face book, Twitter, Whatsapp…etc). The main problems identified during the study, which restricted them from producing high level of news and information for the public were information explosion, lack of time, lack of information searching/retrieval skills. Conclusions: The study concluded that, the qualification of those media professional should be up-graded through Continuing Professional Development (CPD), who does not possess mass media qualification. The services of in-house media libraries should be improved, as these libraries have good effect on the work of media professionals. Furthermore, overcoming the identified problems would certainly improve the performance of media professionals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures

Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania: The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Objectives: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. Results: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p&lt;0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p&lt;0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. Conclusion: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral of usual models of care within cardiology