425 research outputs found

    PERCEPTION AND CONTRIBUTION OF LIBRARIANS TO OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

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    The study investigated the perception and contribution of Librarians to Open Access Resources in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted the expo-facto descriptive design. The sampled for the study comprised 100 Librarians who were randomly selected through simple random sampling. The Role of Librarians to Open Access Resources (RLOARs),Benefits Derived from Open Access Resources (BOARs) and Challenges encountered when promoting Open Access Resources (COARs) were the three instruments used to collect relevant data for the study. The research questions raised were answered using mean and standard deviation. Means scores cut off point of 2.50 and above would be accepted. The findings from the study indicated that librarians play significant roles in open access resources in order for researchers, universities, publishers and library users to accomplish their aims, goals and objectives with(weighted average = 3.53). Finding also revealed that many benefits were derived from using open access resources, that is, open access resources increase exposure to research work; enable researcher to publish without costs; provide free articles for teaching and learning with (weighted average = 3.16) and lastly from the finding that slow internet connectivity and lack of awareness of Open Access Resources are the major challenges encountered when promoting open access resourceswith (weighted average = 2.53). Based on the above finding, the following recommendations were made:Librarian should play an effective role to make open access resources accessible and available for the users such as researchers, students, staff, authors, publishers, societies and nations.Librarians should liaise with the universities administrators to endure users get what they want in terms of exposure to research work and publish without costs. The challenges of open access resources such as slow internet connectivity can be solve by upgrading the router which will make internet available and accessible to the users

    ICT SKILLS OF LIBRARY STAFF IN NIGERIA INSTITUTIONS: A case study of institution libraries in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

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    The purpose of the study is to know the ICT skills of library staff in Nigerian institutions: A case study of all institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The sample for the study consisted of 150 librarians across institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria who were randomly selected through simple random sampling. The extent to which library staff can prove their knowledge towards information and communication technology (ICT) skills, the ability of library staff towards information and communication technology (ICT), how library staffs are able to identify or recognize relevant information sources and the effectiveness of information and communication technology (ICT) literacy skills programmes for the institution libraries in Ekiti State. Findings show that institutions’ libraries have enough ICT facilities and their staffs are well familiar with them in order to deliver their services which can help the library staff in delivering their services very well. It further reveals that ICT skills were well known and made use of, by libraries staffs. Moreover, results indicated that different sources of information are recognized by the libraries staffs while the ICT programmes are available to develop themselves. These recommendation was made after the study that more ICT facilities are needed, latest ICT facilities should replace the former outdated facilities, libraries staffs should attend more ICT facilities training and seminars, In-house training should be regular e.g six (6) months interval, latest familiarized ICT package should be introduce to enhance the service rendered to patrons and library staff need to work with the ICT department in the institution for achieving parental goal

    Academic Librarians ICT Competency and Skills Towards Efective Library Service in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

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    The study investigated the academic librarians ICT competency and skills towards effective library services in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Sample for the study comprised about 100 librarians who were randomly selected through simple random sampling. The type of ICT skills possessed by the librarian, level of their ICT competency, sources of ICT skills acquisition and the Challenges Librarians face when using ICT in delivering Library services in their respective libraries were the instruments used to collect relevant data for the study. Findings from the study indicated that librarians have both basic and intermediate ICT skill in the area of their specialization. Results showed that respondents acquire skills from rightful sources which can help them to perform their duties has librarian effectively. Study recommended more availability of ICT equipment in the library, stable electricity is needed, staff motivation, employ ICT expert to train others staff regularly and increment in library budge

    "It All Ended in an Unsporting Way": Serbian Football and the Disintegration of Yugoslavia, 1989-2006

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    Part of a wider examination into football during the collapse of Eastern European Communism between 1989 and 1991, this article studies the interplay between Serbian football and politics during the period of Yugoslavia's demise. Research utilizing interviews with individuals directly involved in the Serbian game, in conjunction with contemporary Yugoslav media sources, indicates that football played an important proactive role in the revival of Serbian nationalism. At the same time the Yugoslav conflict, twinned with a complex transition to a market economy, had disastrous consequences for football throughout the territories of the former Yugoslavia. In the years following the hostilities the Serbian game has suffered decline, major financial hardship and continuing terrace violence, resulting in widespread nostalgia for the pre-conflict era

    Quality of Life in Chronic Pancreatitis is Determined by Constant Pain, Disability/Unemployment, Current Smoking, and Associated Co-Morbidities

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    OBJECTIVES: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) has a profound independent effect on quality of life (QOL). Our aim was to identify factors that impact the QOL in CP patients. METHODS: We used data on 1,024 CP patients enrolled in the three NAPS2 studies. Information on demographics, risk factors, co-morbidities, disease phenotype, and treatments was obtained from responses to structured questionnaires. Physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS, respectively) scores generated using responses to the Short Form-12 (SF-12) survey were used to assess QOL at enrollment. Multivariable linear regression models determined independent predictors of QOL. RESULTS: Mean PCS and MCS scores were 36.7+/-11.7 and 42.4+/-12.2, respectively. Significant (P \u3c 0.05) negative impact on PCS scores in multivariable analyses was noted owing to constant mild-moderate pain with episodes of severe pain or constant severe pain (10 points), constant mild-moderate pain (5.2), pain-related disability/unemployment (5.1), current smoking (2.9 points), and medical co-morbidities. Significant (P \u3c 0.05) negative impact on MCS scores was related to constant pain irrespective of severity (6.8-6.9 points), current smoking (3.9 points), and pain-related disability/unemployment (2.4 points). In women, disability/unemployment resulted in an additional 3.7 point reduction in MCS score. Final multivariable models explained 27% and 18% of the variance in PCS and MCS scores, respectively. Etiology, disease duration, pancreatic morphology, diabetes, exocrine insufficiency, and prior endotherapy/pancreatic surgery had no significant independent effect on QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Constant pain, pain-related disability/unemployment, current smoking, and concurrent co-morbidities significantly affect the QOL in CP. Further research is needed to identify factors impacting QOL not explained by our analyses

    Kinstate intervention in ethnic conflicts : Albania and Turkey compared

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    Albania and Turkey did not act in overtly irredentist ways towards their ethnic brethren in neighboring states after the end of communism. Why, nonetheless, did Albania facilitate the increase of ethnic conflict in Kosovo and Macedonia, while Turkey did not, with respect to the Turks of Bulgaria? I argue that kin-states undergoing transition are more prone to intervene in external conflicts than states that are not, regardless of the salience of minority demands in the host-state. The transition weakens the institutions of the kin-state. Experiencing limited institutional constraints, self-seeking state officials create alliances with secessionist and autonomist movements across borders alongside their own ideological, clan-based and particularistic interests. Such alliances are often utilized to advance radical domestic agendas. Unlike in Albania's transition environment, in Turkey there were no emerging elites that could potentially form alliances and use external movements to legitimize their own domestic existence or claims

    Change in Markers of Bone Metabolism with Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer: Interleukin-6 Response Is a Potential Early Indicator of Response to Therapy

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    Men with androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) frequently have bone metastasis. The effects of chemotherapy on markers of bone metabolism have not been well characterized. We conducted a prospective study of patients with AIPC randomized in the first cycle to receive either docetaxel/estramustine or zoledronic acid, a bisphosphonate, to inhibit osteoclastic activity. Here we report the effects of therapy on markers of bone metabolism in these patients following the first cycle of therapy. Serum levels of several indices of bone remodeling were evaluated using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Changes in markers of bone metabolism were compared in patients receiving initial chemotherapy versus bisphosphonate. There was no significant difference in median change in any of the measured bone markers in patients given zoledronic acid when compared to chemotherapy. When comparing responders to nonresponders, overall interleukin-6 (IL-6) decreased by 35% in prostate-specific antigen responders; whereas, IL-6 levels increased by 76% in nonresponders (p = 0.03). Elevated IL-6 levels and reductions in IL-6 levels early in treatment may reflect ultimate clinical response to docetaxel-based regimens.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78145/1/jir.2008.0024.pd
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