Information Seeking Behaviour of the Elderly Persons in Ethiope East, Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

The study is focused on examining the information-seeking behaviour of elderly persons in Ethiope East, Local Government Area. Four research objectives guided the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study. Two hundred (200) elderly persons were selected through systematic random sampling from each of the districts in the Ethiope East (Abraka, Otoro-Agbon, and Ovu) amounting to a sample size of six hundred (600) elderly persons used for the study. Questionnaires were used to elicit data from the respondent with the aid of three (3) research assistants who are proficient in the Urhobo language. The data collected via the questionnaire were analysed using the descriptive statistics method. Out of the 600 copies of the questionnaire distributed to the elderly respondents, the researchers were able to get the required information for analysis from 525 copies, thus, there was an 88% return rate. The findings revealed that the information needs of the elderly persons\u27 understudy are mainly health-related information, COVID-19 information, and sources of finance-related information, among others. The findings also revealed that friends and family members, health professionals, radio, and television are the major sources of information for elderly persons, among others. The findings revealed the elderly use the information they get to meet health needs, understand about COVID-19 pandemic, get financial sources, to make a better life decisions, among others. The militating factors against the access and use of information by the elderly include declining physical abilities due to aging, inadequate patience from friends and family members, inadequate finance, lack of awareness of information sources, lack of information literacy/ search technique, among others. The researchers recommend that friends and family members caring for elderly persons should try to be patient with them to serve them better in meeting their information needs and government should sponsor information literacy programmes for the elderly to boost their information search and use as they strive to meet their information needs

Causes and Effects Of Theft And Mutilation Of Information Material In Academic Library Services In Delta State

Academic Libraries are library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary school level, serving the teaching and research needs of students, staff and the community. This library serves two complementary purposes; to support the school’s curriculum and to support the research of the students. Academic library according to Okiy (2014) is a library that is established in tertiary institution they include libraries in the universities, colleges of Educations and polytechnics. Academic libraries are established by institutions of higher learning to help satisfy information needs of the academic community. Academic library is an integral part of institution of higher learning and met appendices or adjuncts of the institutions. Aguola,(1989)and Edoka (1992). It is also seen as those libraries that exist in institutions of higher education such as universities, colleges of education, colleges of technology and polytechnics From the above, “definitions provided by various authors, it is wise for one to conclude that academic libraries are established to cater for their individual parent bodies. That is, the academic community. The academic community includes lecturers, undergraduates, postgraduates, faculty specialists and researchers. Academic libraries usually have rich collections covering variety of subjects. . Hant S. (2003) observe that Academic libraries in particular, assume a focal point where users of diversified resources that are relevant to their individual needs. As a result of this diverse use of the materials, these libraries stand to be vulnerable to all forms of crime and security risk from not only the users, but the library staff as well. Prasad (1968) defines mutilation as “any act that makes materials unfits for reading either partially or completely. In support of Prasad’s definition

Optimisation globale à complexité réduite: Application à divers problèmes industriels

In this paper we introduce two main ideas : We reformulate global optimization problems in term of boundary value problem (BVP). This allow us to introduce new optimization algorithms using what is known to solve BVPs. Indeed, current optimization methods, including non-deterministic ones, are based on discretization of initial value problems for differential equations. On the other hand, we introduce low complexity sensitivity evaluation techniques using incomplete sensitivity concept, reduced complexity models and multi-level discretizations. Sensitivity knowledge permits to distinguish between points of a Pareto front in multi-criteria optimization problems characterizing these points from a robustness point of view

Attitude, Anxiety, and Technostress as a correlate of the use of mobile phones by Undergraduate Students in a Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka

This study assessed attitude, anxiety, and technostress as a correlate of the use of mobile phones by undergraduate students in Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. The total population for this study was 6,675 undergraduate students registered with the library of Delta State University in the 2019/2020 academic session. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was designed in print formats. A total number of 1001 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents with the aid of 5 research assistant and a total of 797 questionnaires was duly completed and found usable for the study. There was 80% return rate. The data collected for this study were analyzed using simple percentage and frequency counts. The finding revealed that the undergraduates have a positive attitude towards the use of mobile phones. The finding also revealed that the majority of the respondents experience a high level of anxiety in their use of mobile phones. The finding shows clearly that the undergraduate students in DELSU use mainly Android phones, iPhone, and Blackberry. The findings revealed that the major effects of anxiety relating to the usage of mobile phones as indicated by the respondents are poor concentration and lack of interest in their academics and other events. The findings also show that the major effects of technostress relating to the usage of a mobile phone as indicated by the respondents is that they feel worn out most times after using their mobile phone. It was recommended that university management offering internet access within campuses should block some sites students spend hours using for non-academic purposes, an example is gambling sites, and regular training should be conducted for undergraduates on how to use their phones for accessing information and for other academic purposes

Shape optimization on FEMLAB 3.1 platform

A new global optimization algorithm coupled with Femlab 3.1 software is used for the design of a Fast Microfluidic Protein Folding Device. Our aim is to reduce the mixing time for protein folding by modifying the device shap

Optimal shape design of coastal structures minimizing coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is and will be an increasing major environmental issue. We apply shape optimization techniques to the design of coastal structures such as breakwaters, groins and other innovative shapes. Actually, we compute the solution of a boundary value problem describing the water waves scattered by the structure and modify accordingly its shape, in order to minimize a pre-defined cost function taking into account the strength (energy) of the waterwaves. The optimization procedure relies on a new global semi-deterministic algorithm, able to pursue beyond local minima

Information Seeking Behaviour of Academic Staff in a Nigerian College of Education

This study assessed the information seeking behaviour of academic staff in the college of education, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study is 249 (Two hundred and Forty-Nine) full-time academic staff working in the college of education, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. A total of 249 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents and 228 (92%) copies were returned and found sufficient enough for the study. The data collected via the questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency count and percentage). The findings revealed that the preferred sources of information by the academics are books, journals, internet sources, electronic resources, colleagues and friends, reference materials, among others. The finding also revealed that academics need information on research, career advancement, teaching, personal self-development, condition of service/ promotion criteria, among others. It was revealed from the findings that the academics demand for the information they require by consulting books, journals, internet/ online webpages, electronic resources, interacting with colleagues and friends, and demand for information using less of associational meetings, index/ abstracts, bibliographies, and government documents/ websites. The respondents indicated that they use information for getting materials for research purposes, materials for teaching purposes, to advance their academic career, to understand the condition of service/ promotion criteria, among others. It was revealed from the findings that the challenges that militate against the access and use of information by the academic staff are too many outdated library materials, issues with ascertaining trustworthiness of information sources, information explosion, erratic power supply, poor information evaluation/ searching skill, no adequate assistance from information professionals, among others. It was recommended that library management should acquire more recent books, journals, and electronic information resources since they remain the preferred information source of the academics, and training should be undertaken for the academics in the college of education to enable them to ascertain with ease if an information source is trustworthy or not

Modélisation,simulation numérique et optimisation en génie côtier

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude de phénomènes hydrodynamiques, relatifs au génie côtier, du point de vue de l'optimisation de formes. Deux axes distincts peuvent néanmoins être mentionnés. D'un côté, nous nous intéressons à l'optimisation d'ouvrages de défense pour la protection de ports ou de plages. Nous appliquons des techniques d'optimisation de formes, généralement utilissées en aéronautiques, pour la conception d'ouvrages en mer afin de réduire des phénomènes responsables du processus d'érosion. En particulier, une étude sur la protection du Lido de Sète (Mer Méditerranée, France) a été réalisée en collaboration avec le bureau d'étude BRL ingénierie. Ensuite, nous nous intéressons à un modèle d'évolution de dunes en régime fluvial. Nous étudions théoriquement ce modèle non-local et nous démontrons l'existence et l'unicité de solutions en temps long. Cette étude est un premier pas vers l'étude de modèles morphodynamiques pour l'évolution du fond marin. Des premiers résultats numériques sont également présentés, confortant les résultats théoriques obtenusMONTPELLIER-BU Sciences (341722106) / SudocSudocFranceF

Access and use of public libraries by disabled persons in Nigeria

This study surveyed the access and us e of public libraries by disabled persons in Nigeria. The role of public libraries in providing services to all irrespective of disability has been a daunting task for public libraries as a result of government`s negligence. The methodology adopted for the study is the survey design in which questionnaire was use for obtaining data. The target population was public library staff in some selected states in Niger Delta region of Nigeria. However, public li braries in Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and River States were used for the study. The sample size of the study was 86 librarians drawn from study population of 126. Data were analysed using descriptive statistic. Among the finding s were, that library building were not design to take care of people with special needs, coupled with the poor state of public library services in general. The need for public libraries to embrace the use of ICTs was recommended. Government should ensure that public library policy statements are translated into reality through proper funding.Key Words: Access, use, public, library, Disabled, Persons, Nigeria

Optimal shape design of defense structures for minimizing short wave impact

International audienceThe paper presents coastal structures design in the presence of waves by the minimization of a cost function. It aims to show that shape optimization can be efficiently applied to ocean engineering. This is an underlying guiding principle for the design of harbors or offshore breakwaters. We compute the solution of a specific simplified boundary value problem describing the short wave propagation toward a vertical sea cliff or vertical wall and modify accordingly the shape of defense structures in order to minimize a pre-defined cost function taking into account the strength (energy) of the water waves. The optimization procedure relies on a global semi-deterministic search algorithm able to escape from local minima