INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF FINAL YEAR STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI

This paper investigated the pattern of information needs and seeking behavior of final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, for consecutive three academic sessions; 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016. A questionnaire instrument was designed and administered to 5885 final year students in the six schools for the three consecutive academic sessions. The sample sizes of respondents were selected within and across the six (6) schools per academic session at the University using stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. 5767 questionnaire representing 98% were returned in a usable form. The findings show that final year students need for course-related information was highest in each of the year studied. The use of Google search engine was the common strategy for seeking information while the purpose for information varied within the years –from examination, self development to selecting project topic (long essay). The study concluded that the information need and seeking behavior of students depends on the year and course (school) of study. Improvement on staff-student relationship and information search strategy was highly recommende

A measles and rubella vaccine microneedle patch in The Gambia: a phase 1/2, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised, active-controlled, age de-escalation trial.

BACKGROUND: Microneedle patches (MNPs) have been ranked as the highest global priority innovation for overcoming immunisation barriers in low-income and middle-income countries. This trial aimed to provide the first data on the tolerability, safety, and immunogenicity of a measles and rubella vaccine (MRV)-MNP in children. METHODS: This single-centre, phase 1/2, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised, active-controlled, age de-escalation trial was conducted in The Gambia. To be eligible, all participants had to be healthy according to prespecified criteria, aged 18-40 years for the adult cohort, 15-18 months for toddlers, or 9-10 months for infants, and to be available for visits throughout the follow-up period. The three age cohorts were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio (adults) or 1:1 ratio (toddlers and infants) to receive either an MRV-MNP (Micron Biomedical, Atlanta, GA, USA) and a placebo (0·9% sodium chloride) subcutaneous injection, or a placebo-MNP and an MRV subcutaneous injection (MRV-SC; Serum Institute of India, Pune, India). Unmasked staff ransomly assigned the participants using an online application, and they prepared visually identical preparations of the MRV-MNP or placebo-MNP and MRV-SC or placebo-SC, but were not involved in collecting endpoint data. Staff administering the study interventions, participants, parents, and study staff assessing trial endpoints were masked to treatment allocation. The safety population consists of all vaccinated participants, and analysis was conducted according to route of MRV administration, irrespective of subsequent protocol deviations. The immunogenicity population consisted of all vaccinated participants who had a baseline and day 42 visit result available, and who had no protocol deviations considered to substantially affect the immunogenicity endpoints. Solicited local and systemic adverse events were collected for 14 days following vaccination. Unsolicited adverse events were collected to day 180. Age de-escalation between cohorts was based on the review of the safety data to day 14 by an independent data monitoring committee. Serum neutralising antibodies to measles and rubella were measured at baseline, day 42, and day 180. Analysis was descriptive and included safety events, seroprotection and seroconversion rates, and geometric mean antibody concentrations. The trial was registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202008836432905, and is complete. FINDINGS: Recruitment took place between May 18, 2021, and May 27, 2022. 45 adults, 120 toddlers, and 120 infants were randomly allocated and vaccinated. There were no safety concerns in the first 14 days following vaccination in either adults or toddlers, and age de-escalation proceeded accordingly. In infants, 93% (52/56; 95% CI 83·0-97·2) seroconverted to measles and 100% (58/58; 93·8-100) seroconverted to rubella following MRV-MNP administration, while 90% (52/58; 79·2-95·2) and 100% (59/59; 93·9-100) seroconverted to measles and rubella respectively, following MRV-SC. Induration at the MRV-MNP application site was the most frequent local reaction occurring in 46 (77%) of 60 toddlers and 39 (65%) of 60 infants. Related unsolicited adverse events, most commonly discolouration at the application site, were reported in 35 (58%) of 60 toddlers and 57 (95%) of 60 infants that had received the MRV-MNP. All local reactions were mild. There were no related severe or serious adverse events. INTERPRETATION: The safety and immunogenicity data support the accelerated development of the MRV-MNP. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Utilization of Cloud Computing Technologies by Final Year Students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri: Implications on Academic Performance

The paper examined utilization of cloud computing and its relationship on the academic performance of final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. A 4-point Lickert scale of Strongly Agree; Agree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree was used to obtain responses from the 285 sample respondents. The result shows that majority of 206(72%) out of 285 utilizes cloud computing for e-mail and other social media platform. Following in descending order, 96(33.6%) for University portal; 95(33.3%) for e-learning; 88(30.9%) for digital archiving; 88(30.9%) for research application; 87(30.5%) use it to search online database; 85(29.8%) for online file storage. This therefore resulted to a pooled mean value of 2.17 which is below the accepted 2.5 value for a 4-point lickert scale; thus requiring higher utilization. However, the null hypotheses was rejected hence there is a strong relationship between knowledge/utilization of cloud computing and academic performance. As shown in the table, f-ratio calculated value is 31.844 with an alpha value of 0.011 which is higher than f- tabulated value at 0.05 and df=1 and 284 is 3.89

INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF FINAL YEAR STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI

This paper investigated the pattern of information needs and seeking behavior of final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, for consecutive three academic sessions; 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016. A questionnaire instrument was designed and administered to 5885 final year students in the six schools for the three consecutive academic sessions. The sample sizes of respondents were selected within and across the six (6) schools per academic session at the University using stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. 5767 questionnaire representing 98% were returned in a usable form. The findings show that final year students need for course-related information was highest in each of the year studied. The use of Google search engine was the common strategy for seeking information while the purpose for information varied within the years –from examination, self development to selecting project topic (long essay). The study concluded that the information need and seeking behavior of students depends on the year and course (school) of study. Improvement on staff-student relationship and information search strategy was highly recommende

Police Officers Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour in the Three Geopolitical Zones of Imo State, Nigeria

The police profession largely utilizes timely and comprehensive information in work performance without which its duty of safeguarding human lives and property is highly jeopardized. To this end, vital information needs to be sought and obtained for effective and efficient policing in Nigeria. This study assessed the kinds of information needed by police officers in the performance of their duties, the means used to obtain such information and barriers encountered while seeking information. Using the descriptive statistics of close-ended questionnaire structure, analyzed with one sample proportion right-tailed test for quantitative data and interview for qualitative data, the study found that all options specified as kinds of information needed by officers such as information on crises and crime areas within the state, information on the location of criminals and information on the arrest of culprits are essential and needed except information on games and social life. On the barriers encountered while seeking for information, calculated using frequencies and percentages and obtained from the interview responses, the study found that uncooperative members of the public and bad road condition were major barriers. The study made recommendations based on barriers affecting information seeking among police officers in Imo State

Utilization of Cloud Computing Technologies by Final Year Students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri: Implications on Academic Performance

The paper examined utilization of cloud computing and its relationship on the academic performance of final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. A 4-point Lickert scale of Strongly Agree; Agree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree was used to obtain responses from the 285 sample respondents. The result shows that majority of 206(72%) out of 285 utilizes cloud computing for e-mail and other social media platform. Following in descending order, 96(33.6%) for University portal; 95(33.3%) for e-learning; 88(30.9%) for digital archiving; 88(30.9%) for research application; 87(30.5%) use it to search online database; 85(29.8%) for online file storage. This therefore resulted to a pooled mean value of 2.17 which is below the accepted 2.5 value for a 4-point lickert scale; thus requiring higher utilization. However, the null hypotheses was rejected hence there is a strong relationship between knowledge/utilization of cloud computing and academic performance. As shown in the table, f-ratio calculated value is 31.844 with an alpha value of 0.011 which is higher than f- tabulated value at 0.05 and df=1 and 284 is 3.89

DETERMINING STUDENTS’ ATTRIBUTES AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA.

In this paper, we carry out a research on determining students’ attributes and utilization of information resources in academic libraries in Imo State. The study focused on four (4) Universities in Imo State with a sample of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents. The sample was drawn using a simple random sampling technique through questionnaires. The answer to the research questions were arrived at using the descriptive analysis while the hypotheses were tested using t-test. Our findings showed thus: That students ‘study in the library and balance their study time with recreation to avoid conflicts, these determine the students’ utilization of library resources in the Universities in Imo; That students find it fascinating to learn new information was why they come to the library; they come to the library to explore new ideas and when they learn something new, they like to find out more, that is why they visit the library. That the extent of students’ utilization of library resources is determined by students use of computer facilities provided to access electronic resources in the library, students use of the internet facilities provided by the library to have access to information resources for their assignment, etc. There was significant relationship between students’ study habit and the utilization of library resources in universities, that students’ intellectual curiosity significantly affects the utilization of library resources and finally, the students’ information literacy skill significantly affects the utilisation of library resources

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially