Digital Library of IIITM-K – Experiences of Next Generation resource centre

Digital Library has many features that make it distinct from traditional libraries. These features make it an excellent medium to address information and interaction services related to quality of education, and management of learning environments. While the paper libraries have become very expensive and are the prerogative of only a few well endowed institutions, Digital Libraries make these services and more at affordable costs. This will remove the digital divide between developed and developing nations in long run. Transversal E-Networks [TEN] a company under incubation at IIITM-K has developed an academic aggregation server concept in which several academic functions such as Course Management, Authoring, and collaborative group-work are built around their unique metadata standards compliant Digital Library implementation. This server called “ACADO” is being field-tested as central information server for Indian Institute of Information Technology – Kerala. The server has more than proven its effectiveness in increasing the productivity and quality of academic collaboration, management of learning environment and research in the institution. The same server can network itself with similar servers in other institutions and form as Information, Knowledge or Educational Grids across the different Digital Library spaces

Effect of surgical experience and spine subspecialty on the reliability of the {AO} Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System

OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper was to determine the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System based on surgeon experience (< 5 years, 5–10 years, 10–20 years, and > 20 years) and surgical subspecialty (orthopedic spine surgery, neurosurgery, and "other" surgery). METHODS A total of 11,601 assessments of upper cervical spine injuries were evaluated based on the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System. Reliability and reproducibility scores were obtained twice, with a 3-week time interval. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine the percentage of accurately classified injuries, and Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to screen for potentially relevant differences between study participants. Kappa coefficients (κ) determined the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility. RESULTS The intraobserver reproducibility was substantial for surgeon experience level (< 5 years: 0.74 vs 5–10 years: 0.69 vs 10–20 years: 0.69 vs > 20 years: 0.70) and surgical subspecialty (orthopedic spine: 0.71 vs neurosurgery: 0.69 vs other: 0.68). Furthermore, the interobserver reliability was substantial for all surgical experience groups on assessment 1 (< 5 years: 0.67 vs 5–10 years: 0.62 vs 10–20 years: 0.61 vs > 20 years: 0.62), and only surgeons with > 20 years of experience did not have substantial reliability on assessment 2 (< 5 years: 0.62 vs 5–10 years: 0.61 vs 10–20 years: 0.61 vs > 20 years: 0.59). Orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons had substantial intraobserver reproducibility on both assessment 1 (0.64 vs 0.63) and assessment 2 (0.62 vs 0.63), while other surgeons had moderate reliability on assessment 1 (0.43) and fair reliability on assessment 2 (0.36). CONCLUSIONS The international reliability and reproducibility scores for the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System demonstrated substantial intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability regardless of surgical experience and spine subspecialty. These results support the global application of this classification system

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Electronic transport property of liquid Cd-Te alloys

394-396The temperature dependent electrical resistivity of liquid Cd₀․₆Te₀․₄ alloys has been studied theoretically by employing Faber-Ziman formula. Also, the Faber-Ziman formulation is used to generate the partial structure factor of the liquid Cd₀․₆Te₀․₄ alloys at 1062ºC. The electron-ion interaction is incorporated through a newly proposed local model potential alongwith Ichimaru-Utsumi (IU) dielectric screening function. Good agreement is achieved between the presently calculated results of resistivity with the experimental findings. Resistivity of liquid Cd₀․₆Te₀․₄ shows a semiconducting behaviour in the liquid phase. Thus, the resistivity data for Cd-Te system are in qualitative agreement with the nearly-free electron picture

Digital Library of IIITM-K – Experiences of Next Generation resource centre

Digital Library has many features that make it distinct from traditional libraries. These features make it an excellent medium to address information and interaction services related to quality of education, and management of learning environments. While the paper libraries have become very expensive and are the prerogative of only a few well endowed institutions, Digital Libraries make these services and more at affordable costs. This will remove the digital divide between developed and developing nations in long run. Transversal E-Networks [TEN] a company under incubation at IIITM-K has developed an academic aggregation server concept in which several academic functions such as Course Management, Authoring, and collaborative group-work are built around their unique metadata standards compliant Digital Library implementation. This server called “ACADO” is being field-tested as central information server for Indian Institute of Information Technology – Kerala. The server has more than proven its effectiveness in increasing the productivity and quality of academic collaboration, management of learning environment and research in the institution. The same server can network itself with similar servers in other institutions and form as Information, Knowledge or Educational Grids across the different Digital Library spaces.Digital Library Knowledge Management