The Impact of Information Technology on Modern Librarianship: A Reflective Study

Libraries play a vital role in meeting the information needs of users. Therefore the University Libraries and libraries need the application of ICT in their daily library activities, considering the importance and roles it plays in ones’ information dissemination. Effective application of ICT in library activities helps the librarians to carry out their duties and services effectively and efficiently. This paper assessed the need for ICT application in modern librarianship. It discusses the impact of ICT in Academic Libraries and the gains of ICT. It went further to see ICT as a revolutionary trend instead of as a tool. This paper went further to assess application of ICT in libraries as a window of opportunity, the factors that affect information technology in modern librarianship. Key words; Information technology, librarianship, modeling, academics, digita

The Impact of Information Technology in Relation to Academic Librarianship a Philosophical Analysis

The world as a global village has witnessed quantum leap in areas of science and technology With great impacts in travel communication information and media industrialization and mechanization man has found it very easy to achieve great task within a limited scope of time This has given man a big relief as task that formally took man months and years to achieve are being met within a short period of time With improvements in information technology globalization has increased The world is brought closer and the world s economy is quickly becoming a single interdependent system Information can be shared quickly and easily from all over the globe and barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries can be torn down as people share ideas and information with each other Communication has become an easier cheaper and faster system with the help of information technology Using the internet people can speak to each other all over the world using video conferencing With these great impacts made in the area of information and its corresponding ills it becomes necessary to evaluate the concept of information technology as it affects our learning system This articles centers on the importance of information technology however it pays particular attention to the relation that exists between ICT and Academic Libraries This approaches thus exposes the positive and negative impacts of the ICT to learning process and goes on to suggest ways to enhancing a better understanding and use of the ICT in our academic librarie

Taking (back) the Wheel: Structural educational reform in the United States and Australia, and its Effect upon Inequality in Australian schooling

This study investigated educational reform policies in both the United States and Australia to discern a relationship between policies of reform and racial segregation in education. This thesis took as its object of study educational reform policies from the United States between 1983 and 2015 and from Australia between the years 2008 and 2013, examining them through a (Foucauldian-inspired) poststructuralist policy discourse analysis, WPR (Bacchi, 2007, 2009; Bacchi & Goodwin, 2016) and theories of affect (Wetherell, 2012; Ahmed 2004, 2013, 2016), to gauge their import to the observed phenomena of inequality, and specifically segregation within schooling. With regards to educational inequality, and to racial segregation specifically, the literature is clear as to what has happened. The more pertinent questions, however, are how, despite all the information regarding its effects, it has happened -and especially with regards to inequality-how (and why) it persists. By beginning at the end, with observed human actions within the field of policy, this research project reveals the manner through which policy constructs its issues. It develops an understanding of educational segregation which first, challenges hegemonic conceptions of neoliberalism as well as the simultaneous reification and culpability of the conception of choice within the neoliberalised policy paradigm. It also problematises the pursuance of choice through policy as a form of ‘regulated autonomy’ (Marginson, 1997a) and a manufactured form of freedom, a false freedom, as it were. This combination of methodological and theoretical traditions furthers the development of policy analysis and contributes to the body of possible perspectives for policy analysis. Specifically, it demonstrates the facility of the WPR methodology through its unique pairing with theories of affect, and in the formulation of a mechanism of a model of affective policy circulation, identifies how and why policy manifests in specific ways.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 201

EFFECT OF INVESTOR SENTIMENT ON FUTURE RETURNS IN THE NIGERIAN STOCK MARKET

The study examined the effect of investor sentiment on future returns in the Nigerian stock market. The OLS regression and granger causality techniques were employed for data analyses. The results showed that (1) investor sentiment has a significant positive effect on stock market returns even after control for fundamentals such as Industrial production index, consumer price index and Treasury bill rate; (2) there is a uni-directional causality that runs from change in investor sentiment (ΔCCI) to stock market returns (Rm). Derived finding showed that the inclusion of fundamentals increased the explanatory power of investor sentiment from 3.96% to 33.05%, though at both level, investor sentiment (ΔCCI) has low explanatory power on stock market returns. The study posits existence of a dynamic relationship between investor sentiment and the behaviour of stock future returns in Nigeria such that higher sentiment concurrently leads to higher stock prices. 

A Descriptive, Cross-sectional Study to Assess Pressure Ulcer Knowledge and Pressure Ulcer Prevention Attitudes of Nurses in a Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria

Globally, higher-than-expected pressure ulcer rates generally are considered a quality-of-care indicator. Nigeria currently has no national guidelines for pressure ulcer risk assessment, prevention, and treatment. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the pressure ulcer knowledge and the attitude of nurses regarding pressure ulcer prevention in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. During a period of 2 months, nurses were recruited to complete a 25-item paper/pencil survey that included participant demographic information (6 items), pressure ulcer knowledge questions (11 items), and statements on participants’ attitude toward pressure ulcer prevention (8 items). Data were entered manually into statistical analysis software, analyzed, and presented using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). The majority of the 90 nurse participants were female (60, 66.7%), 45 (50%) were married, and 75 (83.3%) had 1 to 10 years’ experience in nursing practice; 69 (76.7%) had received special training on pressure ulcer prevention. Overall, 58 (64.4%) nurses had correct pressure ulcer knowledge and 67 (74.4%) had a positive attitude toward preventing pressure ulcers. However, 56 nurses (62.2%) disagreed with regular rescreening of patients whom they deemed not at risk of developing pressure ulcer, and 70 (77.8%) believed pressure ulcer prevention should be the joint responsibility of both nurses and relatives of the patients. Thus, the majority of the 90 nurses knew the factors responsible for pressure ulcers and how to prevent them, but nurses need to be orientated to the fact that pressure ulcer risk screening of all patients with limited mobility is an integral part of their job and that it is important that nurses enlighten patients and their relatives on how to prevent pressure ulcers

Comparative Effects of Datura stramonium Leaf and Seed Extracts on Membrane Stabilization and Platelet Aggregation In-vitro

Despite the progress in developing new therapies, inflammatory diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality. In this study, anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extracts of Datura stramonium leaves and seeds were evaluated. Heat and hypotonicity-induced haemolysis of human red blood cells (HRBCs) were used to determine the effect of the extracts on membrane stabilization, and the effect of the extracts on platelet aggregation was determined using calcium chloride (CaCl2)-induced platelet aggregation. The concentrations of the extracts used were 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mg/ml. Indomethacin (0.4 mg/ml) was used as the standard drug. The leaf extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited heat-induced haemolysis by 44.47% and 52.89% at 0.2 and 0.1 mg/ml respectively compared to the seed extract. On the other hand, the seed extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited heat-induced haemolysis by 29.5%, 44.88% and 50.01% at 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mg/ml respectively compared to the leaf extract. Effect of the leaf extract on hypotonicity-induced haemolysis showed that it significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited haemolysis from 27.27% - 68.67% corresponding to concentrations 0.1 – 0.8 mg/ml, compared to the seed extract. The effect of the extracts on platelet aggregation showed that the leaf extract exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher inhibition of platelet aggregation from 0 – 120 seconds, compared to the seed. Both extracts thus, have comparable effect on heat-induced haemolysis of HRBCs, though at different concentrations. The ability of the leaf extract to inhibit hypotonicity-induced haemolysis and platelet aggregation outweigh that of the seed

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GLOBAL BUSINESSES (A STUDY OF COCA COLA PLC, OWERRI - IMO STATE)

In today’s socially conscious environment, employees and customers place a premium on working for and spending their money with strategic global businesses that prioritize Corporate Social Responsibility. The convenience sampling technique was used to determine a sample size of 100 from a population of 192. The study adopted a descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, and simple linear regression analysis to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility on Global business in Imo State, Nigeria.  Reliability statistics was conducted to ascertain the reliability of the test instrument. The scale proved reliable .823 (α ≥ .70). The study concludes that CSR have a very significant impact on global businesses with a correlation coefficient of -.503 and P- value of .309 at 0.01 level of significance

EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ON NEW BUSINESSES (A CASE OF BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IN OWERRI METROPOLIS)

The desire for independence, and to exploit opportunities, financial incentives, redundancy, and reduce unemployment are some of the major push and pull factors that have led to the formation of new businesses in Imo State of Nigeria. The fulfillment of the above desires is now being constrained by hash and inconsistent government policies. The purpose of this study is to examine how government regulations have affected the establishment of new businesses in the beverage industry (Pure Water Firms) in Owerri metropolis. A sample size of 310 was determined using the Taro Yammeh formula from a population of 1425 made up of staff of newly established firms in Imo State. Regression and correlation analysis was used for data analyses. Findings from the study disclosed that high statutory fees and bureaucratic bottlenecks have a significant effect on the formation and managing of new businesses in Imo State. The study, therefore, recommends among others that government should reduce the various costs associated with registration and issuance of licenses in order to encourage new entrepreneurial business formation