Design for Library and Information Science program in E-Learning Environment

Internet is fast becoming an engine of innovation in education. Digital learning, digital content, online tutorial, examination and assessment, distance learning etc. are getting more popular day by day. Those concepts are throwing challenges to the traditional delivery of instruction and training in the changing age of globalization and e-resources. The Internet or indeed ICT and all its interactive elements are able to have an extremely positive impact to the learning potential of students as well as teachers. An effective e-learning strategy may be more than the technology itself and the content it carries. It must also focus on critical success factors that include building a learning culture, encouraging true leadership support, and sustaining the change throughout the organization. This paper is an attempt to provide an idea to build up a model program for LIS course in ICT environment

Prerequisites and Selection Criteria of Multimedia Authoring Tools (MAT)

The integration of audio, video, graphics and text on the desktop promises to fundamentally challenge the centuries old printed document as the basis of information exchange. Before this potential can be realized, however, systems must be devised that enable the production and presentation of complex, inter-related media objects. These systems are generically called multimedia-authoring tools. This article will discuss about different aspects of Multimedia Authoring Tools (MAT), its categorization, most common features and prerequisites. A special attention has been given to discuss the most common features of MAT and the best possible evaluation criteria of authoring packages. Lastly, three most popular MAT with their brief features are presented

Management of Internet Resources on Library HomePage : A special reference to NAL library homepage

The library profession is now heavily involved in providing access to information through library websites and it is a challenge to design a website that has reliable content and a user interface that is easy and intuitive to those who use it. As user acceptance and usability are major issues in the design of library websites this paper gives a view of creation of a model library website with special reference to NAL libray website

Present a library to the global community through WWW with proper content management to the library web site

Paper has been published on Proceedings of the National Conference on Information Management in Digital Libraries on 2-4 August, 2006, organized by central library, IIT Kharagpur.WWW is an effective source of information of the present day. There is no alternative or substitute to its abundance, utility and value. In the mist of fast emerging information explosion, finding particular relevant information is a very cumbersome job. The library professionals can’t avoid the effect of www as well as the emerging information explosion. They are now heavily involved in providing access to information through web. It is a challenge to them to design a qualitative website with proper content management and user interface that is easy and intuitive to those who use it. This paper is an effort to guide and built content management through a library’s model website

Effect of charge and spin multiplicity on hyperpolarizabilities of donor-acceptor substituted polyenes

Theoretical studies of the ground state structure and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of a number of donor-acceptor substituted singlet and triplet (neutral) and doublet (mono-positive and mono-negative) polyenes have been carried out. The variation of NLO property of the investigated molecules has been explained by using previously derived relationships between the different order polarizabilities and ground state dipole moment obtained in the framework of the standard sum-over-state expressions of Orr-Ward-Bishop and the generalized Thomas-Kuhn sum rule. The effect of charge and spin multiplicity on the molecular hyperpolarizabilities have been discussed in terms of relative changes of polarizability and ground state dipole moment. Among the investigated polyenes, the isotropic polarizability and the second-hyperpolarizability are predicted to be larger for the doublet anions in which the NH2 group is pyramidal. The position of nitrogen atom in the p-conjugative path strongly modulates the magnitudes of both the first- and second-hyperpolarizabilities of the investigated polyenes

Dispensing antibiotics without prescription at the community pharmacies and accredited drug dispensing outlets in Tanzania : a cross-sectional study

This study was part of the larger 3-country Holistic Approach to Unravel Antibacterial Resistance in East Africa (HATUA) project funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council and the Department of Health and Social Care, Award (MR/S004785/1).Worldwide, antimicrobial resistance is increasing rapidly and is highly associated with misuse of antimicrobials. The HATUA study (a broader 3-country study) investigated the antibiotic dispensing practices of pharmaceutical providers to clients, particularly the propensity to dispense without prescription. A cross-sectional study using a ‘mystery client’ method was conducted in 1,148 community pharmacies and accredited drugs dispensing outlets (ADDO) in Mwanza (n = 612), Mbeya (n = 304) and Kilimanjaro (n = 232) in Tanzania. Mystery clients asked directly for amoxicillin, had no prescription to present, did not discuss symptoms unless asked [when asked reported UTI-like symptoms] and attempted to buy a half course. Dispensing of amoxicillin without prescription was common [88.2, 95%CI 86.3%–89.9%], across all three regions. Further-more, a majority of outlets sold a half course of amoxicillin without prescription: Mwanza (98%), Mbeya (99%) and Kilimanjaro (98%). Generally, most providers in all three regions dispensed amoxicillin on demand, without asking the client any questions with [Chi2 = 11.8851 and p-value = 0.003]. In Mbeya and Kilimanjaro, providers in ADDOs were more likely to do this than those in pharmacies but no difference was observed in Mwanza. While the Tanzanian government has laws, regulations and guidelines that prohibit antibiotic dispensing without prescription, our study suggests non-compliance by drug providers. Enforcement, surveillance, and the provision of continuing education on dispensing practices is recommended, particularly for ADDO providers.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Treatment seeking behaviours, antibiotic use and relationships to multi-drug resistance : a study of urinary tract infection patients in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

Antibacterial resistance (ABR) is a major public health threat. An important accelerating factor is treatment-seeking behaviour, including inappropriate antibiotic (AB) use. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) this includes taking ABs with and without prescription sourced from various providers, including health facilities and community drug sellers. However, investigations of complex treatment-seeking, AB use and drug resistance in LMICs are scarce. The Holistic Approach to Unravel Antibacterial Resistance in East Africa (HATUA) Consortium collected questionnaire and microbiological data from adult outpatients with urinary tract infection (UTI)-like symptoms presenting at healthcare facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Using data from 6,388 patients, we analysed patterns of self-reported treatment seeking behaviours (‘patient pathways’) using process mining and single-channel sequence analysis. Among those with microbiologically confirmed UTI (n = 1,946), we used logistic regression to assess the relationship between treatment seeking behaviour, AB use, and the likelihood of having a multi-drug resistant (MDR) UTI. The most common treatment pathway for UTI-like symptoms in this sample involved attending health facilities, rather than other providers like drug sellers. Patients from sites in Tanzania and Uganda, where over 50% of patients had an MDR UTI, were more likely to report treatment failures, and have repeat visits to providers than those from Kenyan sites, where MDR UTI proportions were lower (33%). There was no strong or consistent relationship between individual AB use and likelihood of MDR UTI, after accounting for country context. The results highlight the hurdles East African patients face in accessing effective UTI care. These challenges are exacerbated by high rates of MDR UTI, suggesting a vicious cycle of failed treatment attempts and sustained selection for drug resistance. Whilst individual AB use may contribute to the risk of MDR UTI, our data show that factors related to context are stronger drivers of variations in ABR.Peer reviewe

"Arming half-baked people with weapons!" Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

Background The overuse of antimicrobial medicines is a global health concern, including as a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. In many low- and middle-income countries, a substantial proportion of antibiotics are purchased over-the-counter without a prescription. But while antibiotics are widely available, information on when and how to use them is not. Objective We aimed to understand the acceptability among experts and professionals of sharing information on antibiotic use with end users – patients, carers and farmers – in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi. Methods Building on extended periods of fieldwork amongst end-users and antibiotic providers in the three countries, we conducted two workshops in each, with a total of 44 medical and veterinary professionals, policy makers and drug regulators, in December 2021. We carried out extensive documentary and literature reviews to characterise antibiotic information systems in each setting. Results Participants reported that the general public had been provided information on medicine use in all three countries by national drug authorities, health care providers and in package inserts. Participants expressed concern over the danger of sharing detailed information on antibiotic use, particularly that end-users are not equipped to determine appropriate use of medicines. Sharing of general instructions to encourage professionally-prescribed practices was preferred. Conclusions Without good access to prescribers, the tension between enclaving and sharing of knowledge presents an equity issue. Transitioning to a client care-centred model that begins with the needs of the patient, carer or farmer will require sharing unbiased antibiotic information at the point of care