Contemporary Trends of Information Seeking Behaviour of Research Scholars of Gujarat University: A Case study

The study inspects the Information needs and seeking behavior of research scholars of Gujarat University in Social science and Linguistics disciplines. Sample constituted the population of total 80 research scholars from social science and linguistic disciplines. The study conducted through survey methodology with questionnaire developed basis on the core compounds of information seeking behaviour and collected the research data from the registered research scholars of Gujarat University. The results revealed that female little dominated in research work and the major purpose of seeking behaviour is for research work, knowledge enrichment and writing research and conference papers. Research scholars desired to use Gujarat university central library and their department library to pursue information. Study shows that research scholars have initiated to use various e-resources and internet based services but still they are not aware about remote login and File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Majority of research scholar’s consults print resources mainly reference collection, subject books and periodicals followed by digital resources for their on-going research work. Research scholars desired to discuss with subject experts and participates workshops and conferences on their areas for updating with current trends. Study also explored the difficulty faced by the scholars in information seeking activities. Study found that majority of scholars reported problem to access e-resources of university library and due to the information overload facing difficulty to identify appropriated sources. Study concluded with the recommendations to the university library authority to understand the research scholar’s needs and reframe the library management system based on the social scientists requirement and provide batter quality library services to this important community

Application of Cloud Computing in University Libraries: Case Study of Selected University Libraries in Gujarat

The purpose of this paper is to determine the awareness and use of cloud computing services and technology among library personnel and library users in selected university libraries in Gujarat, India. A detailed survey was piloted using structured set of questionnaires among 210 library users which comprised of post graduate students, research scholars and faculty of the respective university and 15 senior library professionals participated in the survey. Study discovered that 78.57% of library users and 80% of library staff are aware about cloud technology. They are using multiple devices for cloud computing and 65.71% of library users using Laptop and 31.41% of them using smart phone, tablets and ipads. Majority of professional library staff use desktop and expressed that cloud technology is very useful in providing library services. Maximum 96% of respondents using Gmail services, 52.44% video service through YouTube, 65.78% using Google drive for file storage & sharing services. It is observed that library personnel used less of event calendar and online presentation. They are using cloud technology for acquisition and technical work data import and export purpose. 73.33% of library staff expressed that library services is improved by using cloud technology and overall 66.67% of them are satisfied with application of existing cloud technology in university library. It is also perceived that majority of library professionals stated that basic training is required to use advanced cloud technology in university library. Study concluded with the recommendations to enhance library services with maximum utilization of available cloud technology in university library

Prevalence of Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases in a District of Gujarat, India

The study attempted to identify the prevalence and distribution of risk factors of non-communicable diseases among urban and rural population in Gujarat, India. Using the WHO stepwise approach, a crosssectional study was carried out among 1,805 urban and 1,684 rural people of 15-64 years age-group. Information on behavioural and physiological risk factors of non-communicable diseases was obtained through standardized protocol. High prevalence of smoking (22.8%) and the use of smokeless tobacco (43.4%) were observed among rural men compared to urban men (smoking-12.8% and smokeless tobacco consumption-23.1%). There was a significant difference in the average consumption of fruits and vegetables between urban (2.18\ub11.59 servings) and rural (1.78\ub11.48 servings) area. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed to be high among urban men and women in all age-groups compared to rural men and women. Prevalence of behavioural risk factors, overweight, and obesity increased with age in both the areas. Twenty-nine percent of the urban residents and 15.4% of the rural residents were found to have raised blood pressure, and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). For both men and women, the prevalence of overweight and obesity, hypertension, and lack of physical activities were significantly higher in the urban population while smoking, smokeless tobacco consumption, poor consumption of fruits and vegetables were more prevalent in the rural population. The results highlight the need for interventions and approaches for the prevention of risk factors of non-communicable diseases in rural and urban areas

Concurrent variations of median and musculocutaneous nerves and their clinical correlation – a cadaveric study

Variations of median nerve, musculocutaneous nerve and their communicating branches are of interest for anatomists and surgeons. These variations may be vulnerable to damage in surgical procedures. We examined median nerve and musculocutaneous nerve concurrently in 58 cadavers, i.e. 116 superior extremities, and found median nerve innervating muscle of the anterior compartment of arm in the absence of musculocutaneous nerve in 11.2% superior extremities, splitting of median nerve in the arm into median nerve proper and musculocutaneous nerve in 5.12% superior extremities, and communication between median and musculocutaneous nerves in 20.7% superior extremities. Knowledge of such anatomical variations is helpful for surgeons treating neoplasm or repairing trauma

Global research trends of interleukin-6 in SARS-CoV-2 infection

528-535IL-6 levels are significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Inhibiting IL-6 is thought to be a unique therapeutic strategy for the control of dysregulated host responses in SARS-CoV-2. The present study focuses on evaluating the research productivity of IL-6 level in SARS-CoV-2 infection using various bibliometric indicators and analysed 4510 research papers related to IL-6 levels in SARS-CoV-2 from the Scopus database and VOS Viewer tool applied for visualization. The results revealed that ascendant trends in the publications and USA, China and Italy have secured top three position in numbers of publications. Study observed that “Dagna L.” received top prolific author rank. Article entitled “Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China” received maximum of 15364 total citations, whereas “Frontiers in Immunology” and “Journal of Medical Virology” secured in top two highly productive journals in the subject with extreme link strength. With regard to organisation, “Tongji Medical College-China” reported highly dynamic organization. “COVID-19”; “SARS-CoV-2”; “Interleukin” received maximum occurrences with high link strength. In view of global mounting public health issue of COVID-19, primarily due to increased viral transmissibility and associated cytokine storm, the present study will helpful for the medical professionals to know the research trends and also library authority for updating collection development policy in the specific subject domains

Early ultrasound surveillance of newly-created haemodialysis arteriovenous fistula

IntroductionWe assess if ultrasound surveillance of newly-created arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) can predict nonmaturation sufficiently reliably to justify randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of ultrasound-directed salvage intervention.MethodsConsenting adults underwent blinded fortnightly ultrasound scanning of their AVF after creation, with scan characteristics that predicted AVF nonmaturation identified by logistic regression modeling.ResultsOf 333 AVFs created, 65.8% matured by 10 weeks. Serial scanning revealed that maturation occurred rapidly, whereas consistently lower fistula flow rates and venous diameters were observed in those that did not mature. Wrist and elbow AVF nonmaturation could be optimally modeled from week 4 ultrasound parameters alone, but with only moderate positive predictive values (PPVs) (wrist, 60.6% [95% confidence interval, CI: 43.9–77.3]; elbow, 66.7% [48.9–84.4]). Moreover, 40 (70.2%) of the 57 AVFs that thrombosed by week 10 had already failed by the week 4 scan, thus limiting the potential of salvage procedures initiated by that scan’s findings to alter overall maturation rates. Modeling of the early ultrasound characteristics could also predict primary patency failure at 6 months; however, that model performed poorly at predicting assisted primary failure (those AVFs that failed despite a salvage attempt), partly because patency of at-risk AVFs was maintained by successful salvage performed without recourse to the early scan data.ConclusionEarly ultrasound surveillance may predict fistula maturation, but is likely, at best, to result in only very modest improvements in fistula patency. Power calculations suggest that an impractically large number of participants (>1700) would be required for formal RCT evaluation

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

© The Author(s) 2018. Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection