Impact of Medical Libraries on Clinical Decision-Making in Pakistan

Medical libraries play a very active role in quenching the information thirst of their users. Library users of medical libraries are life savers. The focus of this study is on the impact of medical libraries on clinical decisions of the medical practitioners in Pakistan. Quantitative research approach was used to undergo the study. Journals were reported as the most used library resources in the medical libraries under study. Medical literature placed in these libraries have a great impact on the clinical decisions of the medical doctors working in hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Provision of latest, relevant and sufficient medical literature to the libraries of these medical libraries is the cry of the day

An Analytical Study of Library & Information Sciences Journals Published in Pakistan

This descriptive study was conducted in Pakistan in February 2021. The main objective was to identify and discuss the various aspects of the research journals of Library & Information Sciences (LIS) published form Pakistan till date. Documentary analysis was made for acquiring the basic and desired information about these journals. The scrutiny of the available record revealed that seven LIS journals are being published in Pakistan. Out of seven, three were Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognized. Two LIS journals are charging publication fee from authors. Five journals were started publishing in last decade by LIS schools or organizations working for LIS professionals in Pakistan. Amazing is to note that none of the Journals has Impact Factor and the oldest journal Pakistan Library Information Science Journal (PLISJ) has been de recognized after journey of 52 years. The LIS community of Pakistan needs to improve the quality of research journals to meet the international standards in the field of Library & Information Studies

ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY OF INTERNET AMONG POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL TRAINEES OF POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL INSTITUTE (PGMI) PESHAWAR

This study is quantitative in nature. It is conducted to determine the approach of Postgraduate Medical Trainees towards internet use. This study is carried out at Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The main theme of this piece of document was to examine the purpose, location of internet usage by Postgraduate Medical Trainees along with the Problems being faced during the browsing of internet. This study will also try to know the satisfaction level of these medical trainees. Data was collected through questionnaires. A total of 235 copies of questionnaires were distributed, out of which 231 copies were received with response rate of 98.29%. The findings of the study revealed that most of the trainees use the internet for entertainment purposes followed by enhancement of knowledge. Slow internet speed and lack of access to certain websites are the major obstacles to the use of internet. Training and orientation sessions, hands-on practice on online searching techniques, use of HEC digital library and provision of high bandwidth fiber optics internet are the tools with the help of which potential internet usage can be promoted and developed

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

University Libraries Ranking in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa- Pakistan: A Proposal

The present study aims to rank the university libraries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. Library services, resources, status of automation and application of emerging technologies were the parameters used for the assessment of ranking of the nineteen Public Sector Universities and Degree Awarding Institutes of North-West province of Pakistan. Survey based approach was adopted to collect the required information. It was reported that majority of university libraries under study are partially automated. Based on the above-mentioned parameters, the central library of The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, Peshawar was ranked top followed by central/main library of University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir, Malakand and central/main library of University of Peshawar, Peshawar. Provision of appropriate budget for the implementation of smart technologies, induction of technological adept human ware and awareness of higher-ups of the universities about the benefits of modern library technologies is recommended for the effective and smart library culture in the territory. The manifestation of these steps will help in the enhancement of quality education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS SCIENCES THE SHIELD

This quantitative study was carried out in 2018 with the analysis of eleven published issues of “Research journal; The Shield” from 2006 to 2016. The authors attempted to find the numbers of articles per year, authorship pattern, length of articles, form of cited documents, the ranking of contributors and country-wise contribution of first authors. The printed version of Shield issues along with web-based issues was consulted for the analysis. The data were entered into Excel sheets for refinement and interpretation. Journal papers are the more cited documents as per the analysis of the research articles. The contribution of Pakistani scholars is vigilant followed by Indians

Publication Trends in Aquaculture Research

The main theme of this piece of document is to review the literature related to aquaculture. Content analysis approach was adopted. The available literature was divided into two main groups: Local and foreign literature in the filed under study. It was pinpointed that a reasonable bulk of literature is available on this important financial entity of the world

University Libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This study was designed to investigate the history and administrative structure, financial management, collection, users and library staff of university libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study covered all those well-established public and private sector universities of the province which were chartered by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and recognized by HEC (Public= 18 and Private = 9, Total 27 universities). The newly established universities which were housed in rented buildings and had no proper library facilities were excluded from the study. Data was collected from the library professionals of universities through structured questionnaire. Results of the study show that University of Peshawar was established following the birth of Pakistan in 1950 and is generally known the “mother of all universities”. After independence in 1947 till 1995, the total number of universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both in public and private sectors were five which has now reached to 37. Centralized library system is the most dominating in all the private and majority of the public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Budgets are randomly allocated for collection which varies from millions to thousands. The collection of university libraries includes both traditional and electronic resources. However, access to most of the electronic resources is provided through HEC Digital Library. University libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa serve a wide range of users including graduates, post graduates, researchers, teaching community, administrative staff and to some extent the external users

Federal Investigation Agency against the Crime of Book Piracy in Pakistan

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is a counter-intelligence, criminal investigation and security agency of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which was established in 1975. The Economic Crime Wing (ECW) of the FIA has the mandate to protect the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the people of Pakistan. The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of FIA against the crime of book piracy in Pakistan. To achieve this objective, data was collected from the annual administration reports of FIA. The study found that FIA has been playing a vital role against the crime of book piracy in Pakistan. Through their prescribed procedures, FIA has been initiating inquires and registering cases against the culprits and confiscating the pirated books. The study suggests that easy legal redressal and mass public awareness can reduce the criminal act of book piracy in Pakistan. The study further suggested to the government of Pakistan to provide all out support to the FIA to make its role more effective against piracy and to safeguard intellectuals at national and international level

Publication Trends in Aquaculture Research

The main theme of this piece of document is to review the literature related to aquaculture. Content analysis approach was adopted. The available literature was divided into two main groups: Local and foreign literature in the filed under study. It was pinpointed that a reasonable bulk of literature is available on this important financial entity of the world