Parent Institution Research Articles

User perspectives on library digitization and its impact on research capabilities

This study assessed user perspectives on library digitization and its impact on research capabilities. A survey design with both quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents whereas purposive sampling was used to select key informants. Data were collected using online questionnaires and interviews. MS Excel was used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic method. Findings show that the majority of the respondents utilize library resources frequently with statistical analysis (MS = 0.387998, t = −1.45939, p < 0.146074) indicating there is no significant difference between education level and the frequency of library resources usage. Also, the majority of respondents have positive perceptions towards the use of library resources with t-statistic (6.599663291, is above 1.649982976 for one-tail and 1.967956506 for two-tail) indicating a significant difference between age and perceptions towards the use of library resources. Moreover, findings show capacity of a single document to be used by many users at once and information to be accessed at a fingerprint are major impacts of library digitization. Furthermore, findings reveal issues related to licensing, subscription costs, and copyright and overwhelming volume of information available as the major challenges user face when utilizing digital library resources. This study marks the pioneering exploration into the impacts of library digitization on research capabilities. The study therefore, recommends a continuous training to students to be able to access and critically evaluate the overwhelming amount of online information. Also, users should be trained on how to navigate copyright issues when accessing digital library resources. Additionally, libraries should consider expanding their collections by incorporating more open access resources. Moreover, parent institutions should make sure that they increase the budget to their digital libraries so that libraries can increase the subscriptions of all useful resources.

Using Collections in Specify to Manage Incoming Exchange Data

The Specify collection management system has been designed to accommodate data from multidisciplinary collecting institutions through a series of administrative units arranged in a hierarchical structure (Specify Collections Consortium 2024). Within the parent Institution, there can be multiple Divisions; within the parent Division there can be multiple Disciplines; and within the parent Discipline there can be multiple Collections (Fig. 1). While these administrative units were originally intended to house distinct collections within an institution, the model allows for flexibility and creativity in how they are implemented. The National Herbarium of Victoria’s (MEL) implementation of Specify utilises a single Discipline with 11 Collections. As well as storing data associated with sub-collections housed within the Herbarium—such as the Victorian Reference Set, which supports Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s plant identification service, and the Victorian Conservation Seedbank collection—Specify Collections are used to support curation workflows, including the management of data associated with specimens received as exchange material from other herbaria. The exchange of specimens between herbaria is a long-standing practice that enriches local collections and provides a form of insurance against damage or loss of specimens at the originating herbarium. Most consignments of exchange specimens are now accompanied by digital data, which helps streamline the data entry process and reduces the likelihood of transcription errors in the receiving institution’s collection management system. The National Herbarium of Victoria receives an average of 3000 exchange specimens from Australian and international herbaria each year. Due to resourcing constraints, incoming exchange specimens cannot always be processed upon receipt and are instead relegated to a curation backlog. Using the separate ‘Incoming Exchange’ Collection within Specify as a holding database for exchange data allows herbarium curators to upload the data at the time it is received as a guard against the loss or dissociation of specimen data, while allowing data validation work and the reconciliation of exchange specimens with their data to be postponed until staff resourcing permits, and after the specimens have been mounted. This workflow also allows exchange specimens to be reconciled with their data—and the data to be validated against the MEL data model—before being published into the main ‘National Herbarium of Victoria’ Collection, which forms our contribution to the Australasian Virtual Herbarium and, by extension, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Exchange data is uploaded to the ‘Incoming Exchange’ Collection via the Specify Workbench with the sending institution’s catalogue numbers recorded in the ‘Other identifier’ table for each record, but no MEL catalogue numbers applied. Once the exchange data is matched with a physical specimen and validated against the MEL data model, a MEL catalogue number is entered into the ‘collectionObject.CatalogNumber’ field. A stored procedure runs each night, transferring records with a CatalogNumber from the ‘Incoming Exchange’ Collection to the ‘National Herbarium of Victoria’ Collection, where they can be viewed by all user groups (Table 1).

Frequency, Risk Factors, and Methods of Deliberate Self-Harm Observed in Medical Students and Doctors in Pakistan.

To determine the frequency of deliberate self-harm (DSH), risk factors leading to DSH, and the methods adopted by medical students and young doctors to execute DSH. A cross-sectional study was conducted on medical college students and young doctors aged 18-26 years. After approval by the parent institute's ethical board, different medical students and doctors from Pakistani medical colleges of both male and female populations were recruited through non-probability sampling. Responses were collected from one to two medical colleges from each province. A high number of 490 (60.9%) out of 805 participants reported a history of at least one form of self-harm. Forty-four participants (0.05%) reported having attempted suicide in the past. The mean scores for the self-harm inventory scale were 2.51±3.25, the self-esteem scale 26.51±4.43, and the social support scale 23.1±6.96. Smoking, recreational drug use, History of mental illness, and family history of mental illness were significantly associated with increased odds of self-harm in medical students. On adjusted binary logistic regression, female gender, harmonious relationship with parents, satisfaction with the result, social support, and higherself-esteem were protective against deliberate self-harm. DSH is a critical issue among medical students and is becoming prevalent. Higher odds of DSH are associated with smoking and recreational drug use. Higher self-esteem and better social support are protective against DSH.

Readiness of Pakistani journals for open access publishing

PurposeThis study was designed to discover the readiness of the higher education commission (HEC)-recognized journals of Pakistan in terms of human, financial and technological resources, technical expertise, institutional support, availability of open access (OA) policy, availability of guidance and training, willingness, motivation and so on for OA journal publishing and to expose the challenges in OA journal publishing.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was used and a structured questionnaire was developed to meet the objectives of this study. A survey method was used to collect data from the editors of all 329 HEC-recognized journals in Pakistan.FindingsThe respondents of all the HEC-recognized journals of Pakistan are neutral and are not of the view that they have sufficient financial, human, technological/infrastructural resources and technical expertise to continue/initiate an OA journal publishing. ‘No academic reward’; and ‘no monetary reward for the editorial staff’ are both enormous challenges for OA journal publishing. The perceived challenges of OA have a negative impact on readiness for OA publishing. The readiness level of the respondents of the OA journals is higher as compared to the readiness level of the respondents of non-OA journals.Research limitations/implicationsThis study covered the lists of HEC-recognized journals of 2019. More studies may be conducted based on updated lists of HEC-recognized journals. Qualitative studies may also be conducted to discover the readiness of the HEC-recognized journals of Pakistan for OA journal publishing.Originality/valueThis study is the first comprehensive study on this phenomenon and is an effort to fill this gap to invigorate scholarly literature. It may attract the attention of policymakers, funding bodies, parent institutions of the journals and the HEC regarding the readiness of journals in terms of financial, human, technological/infrastructural resources, technical expertise of the journals and challenges of journals to prompt the OA journal publishing paradigm.

Acquisition Management in the University Libraries of Pakistan: A Provincial Perspective

Acquisition management is the kind of strategy that university libraries adopt to assist the information needs of the client population. This study attempted to understand the acquisition management in the university libraries in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. The study adopted a survey method and included all those well-established public and private sector universities that were chartered by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recognized by HEC until December 31, 2012, in the province (Public = 17 and Private = 9; Total = 26 universities). The population of this study was the senior library professionals working in the central libraries of the main campuses of all the universities in the province. The study’s findings show that the acquisition management in the university libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is more focused on fulfilling the curriculum requirements of the parent institutions to which they are attached.

חבלי הלידה של אוניברסיטת חיפה

The University of Haifa was founded in 1972 and was the first university in Israel to be established in a city that already had an academic institution, namely the Technion. The article discusses the principal questions and practical issues on the university’s journey from an affiliate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to an independent institution and analyzes the political struggles against both its parent institution and the Technion. The research period spans a decade: from the summer of 1962 with the initial contacts between the Haifa Municipality and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem until the summer of 1972 when it became an independent university. The article clarifies the motives for the Haifa Municipality's decision to establish a separate academic institution in the city, examines the responses of the Technion and the Hebrew University, and addresses how and why the University of Haifa became an independent university rather than merging with the Technion. These questions are discussed while examining the different interests of the three institutions involved—the Hebrew University, the Haifa Municipality and the Technion—and the power relations between them, against the backdrop of the political processes in the local and national arenas. The article surveys the relationships between the institutions, their collaborations, and the difficulty in merging them. The Technion was a national-state institution, which is closely aligned with state institutions and enjoys a reputation as a national institution, while the University of Haifa developed as a local-municipal institution, established by the municipality to serve the residents of Haifa and the North and to promote the city's status in the country. With the emergence of these two different models of academic institutions—national-state and local-municipal—the broader dilemma in the development of higher education in Israel comes into focus: centralization versus decentralization and the budget distribution between the small number of existing institutions versus the establishment of new institutions with particular characteristics.

A Study of the Mean Platelet Volume and Plasma Fibrinogen in Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Patients Versus Healthy Controls and Their Role as Early Markers of Diabetic Microvascular Complications.

Background Mean platelet volume (MPV) is considered an emerging biological marker of platelet function and activity. Higher MPV has been scientifically linked to diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Plasma fibrinogen is a circulating glycoprotein, serving as an acute inflammatory marker ultimately leading to enhanced atherogenic plaque formation. We conducted this study to evaluate the crucial role of MPV and plasma fibrinogen, which showed elevated levels in diabetes mellitus patients compared to non-diabetic healthy individuals. This study also elaborates on the pivotal role that MPV and plasma fibrinogen levels play in the pathogenesis of microvascular complications, which progress and eventually lead to mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methodology This study is a single-center hospital-based study including120 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 120 healthy non-diabetic individuals. It is across-sectional and observational study. The study wasconductedover a period of one and a half years in a medical college and hospital in a semi-urban locality in Western Maharashtra, India. We obtained informed written consent from the patients. All patients underwent thorough clinical assessment, and data were collectedusing proformas, which were latertabulated and entered in Microsoft Excel sheets. Later, the statistical data analysis was performed.Plasma fibrinogen was performed by photo-optical clot detection. MPV was analyzed by coulter principle in the central laboratory department of the parent institute. Patients above 18 years with cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus with or without any related complications, while the controls are healthy non-diabetic individuals attending the outpatient and inpatient departments of General Medicine. We excluded patients under the age of 18 years, those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus, hematological conditions associated with anemia and abnormal platelet counts, pregnant females, any acute or chronic infections, patients currently on antiplatelet medication and other drugs affecting the platelets, and all critical patients. Results The majority of patients in our study were in the age group of 41-50 years, with 49.2% having one or more microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. In our study, out of 120 cases, 3.3% and 23.3% had raised MPV and fibrinogen levels, respectively, above the normal range. When compared with males and females, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean value of MPV and fibrinogen. On the t-test (p < 0.05), there was a statistically significant difference in the mean value of MPV and fibrinogen level between diabetics with and without microvascular complications. The t-test (p < 0.05) showed that there was a statistically significant difference among cases in the mean values of MPV and plasma fibrinogen in relation to retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, which are all microvascular complications of diabetes. Conclusion The study reveals higher levels of MPV and fibrinogen in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic healthy individuals. In addition,higher levels of MPV and fibrinogen were present in patients with microvascular complications, correlated with age and diabetes duration.

Parent Institutions and Innovations in School Library Management in Nigeria: A Conceptual Review

School libraries have become vital resources of information that assist pupils, students, and staff in primary, secondary, and other non-tertiary institutions to appropriately respond to their varied information needs. They can be seen as indispensable facilities established with the objective of providing learning resources to enrich curriculum, supplement textbooks and classroom instruction and give users unlimited opportunities for learning. For any school library to remain relevant in this digital age and current climate, it has to be innovative. It has to the concern of parent institutions, “owners” to adopt cutting-age strategies to instill innovation into the management of school libraries. It is obvious that when school libraries receive proper attention from parent institutions, the school library resources, services, facilities, and physical environment, etc will be adequately innovated for desired patronage. This paper presents the conceptual description of school library and its imperatives. Innovation elements and roles of parent institutions in the school library management are highlighted. Implications, tools, and skills for innovation in school library management are extensively examined. The paper reveals factors affecting parent institutions and innovations in school library management. In conclusion, the paper establishes that for school libraries take their pride of place as learning hub, innovation must be embrace with all seriousness and sincerity by all stakeholders, especially the parent institutions. This study recommends among others, adequate funding of public school libraries in Nigeria and retooling of school librarians for effective implementation of innovative strategies.

Germany’s international branch campuses: neoliberalising the Humboldtian university through the backdoor?

ABSTRACT While comprehensive research exists on transnational strategies of universities from the Anglosphere, little is known about why institutions from less marketised higher education systems engage in transnational education provision abroad. Based on semi-structured interviews with decision-makers, we investigate why German public universities have established international branch campuses, and explore the underlying rationales and the consequences for university governance. We contribute to interdisciplinary transnational higher education literature by conceptualising the wider socio-political implications and spatialities of arguably non-market-driven transnational education. By analysing German branch campus projects against the backdrop of Anglosphere branch development, we show that although neoliberalisation has been subtle in German higher education, decision-making processes in university leadership are nonetheless strongly pervaded by a neoliberal paradigm. We argue that German branch campuses both reflect the specific form of German higher education’s neoliberalisation and further accelerate their parent institutions’ neoliberal reconfigurations by exposing them to commercialised higher education landscapes abroad.

Evaluation of Student Academic Performance After Curricular Content Reduction

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of curricular content reduction in an integrated course sequence spanning 3 years of a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum on student examination scores and course grades. MethodsThis 2-year, prepost study compared student overall average and final examination scores and overall course grades after the transition from a 5-day to a 4-day week of an integrated learning experience (ILE) course sequence. In addition, an anonymous, optional 23-item survey was distributed to first to third year pharmacy students asking about the 4-day week change, how they utilized the non-ILE day, and additional demographic and social characteristics to identify factors influencing success on examination and course performance during the 4-day week. ResultsThere were 533 students included in the overall analysis, with no significant differences in overall course grades in the 5-day vs 4-day week. Examination scores were not significantly different after the transition, except in 2 of 12 courses where scores were higher and final examination scores were not significantly different, except for higher final examination scores in 1 course during the 5-day week. Significant positive influencers of top quartile of examination performance included prepharmacy grade point average ≥ 3.5, age 25 to 29 years, and prepharmacy coursework at the parent institution, whereas using the non-ILE day primarily to sleep negatively influenced outcomes. ConclusionCurricular density is a prevalent problem and addressing it at a program level is essential. Reducing curricular content and hours at our institution did not adversely impact student examination and course performance and slight improvement was noted in some areas.

Investigation of research support services (RSS) in academic libraries of India

Research is crucial not only for the growth of a country but also for society as a whole, especially in a knowledge-based society. At each stage of research, scientists and researchers require support from various research stakeholders in the form of information resources and pertinent assistance. Consequently, academic libraries, as one of the most important stakeholders in research and the backbone of knowledge acquisition, storage, and dissemination processes, offer a variety of services to support research endeavors in their parent institutions. The current study classifies these services into eight major categories, viz. “Research Guides, Research Consultancy, Research Impact Measurement, Open Access, Research Tools Recommendation, Research Data Management (RDM), Scholarly Publishing, and Archiving and Preservation of Research Output (Article, Data, etc.).” The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation status of these Research Support Services (RSS) in academic libraries of India (which include a total of 212 institutions, counting all of India’s “Central Universities (CUs)” (56) and “Institutes of National Importance (INIs)” (156) by referring to the related information provided on their respective library websites. The findings show that Indian academic libraries lack significant adoption and cognizance of research support services, and their implementation is in its infancy. The study reveals that very few academic libraries offer RDM services, whereas the vast majority of academic libraries provide recommendations for research tools. Indian academic libraries need to actively explore various RSS and make them a part of their core offerings. Additionally, they should look into novel ways to support researchers at different phases of their studies.

Heterogeneity in PhD entrepreneurship: strategic alignment of institutional, organisational, and individual factors

AbstractMuch of the existing research on PhD entrepreneurship is focused on Academic Spin-Offs (ASOs) within the parent institution’s formal intellectual property (IP) structure. Cross-level analysis of a survey administered to 23,500 PhD students in Italy shows the heterogeneity of PhD students’ entrepreneurial activities, which, in addition to ASOs, include start-ups, corporate spin-offs and other types of businesses. We examine the types of drivers that matter most for different forms of PhD entrepreneurial ventures. Our findings reveal two forces at play: a technology-push model where PhD students rely on IP and support from the parent university, and a demand-led model that involves support from industry and sources of external finance. This study highlights the strategic alignment among the determinants of PhD entrepreneurship at the micro, meso and macro levels. These determinants include the individual PhD student’s choices, the interactions with different stakeholders and reconciliation of the tensions represented by the organizational and institutional resources and infrastructures.

Quantifying the Educational Value of a Student-Run Free Clinic.

Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) are settings in which students in health professions gain clinical experience, often while providing free or reduced-cost health care to the surrounding community. The current literature quantifies the many benefits these clinics provide to their patients and the impact they have on students' future careers; but few previous studies have assessed the financial impact of the education provided at an SRFC. We report on a net educational benefit, an educational benefit to educational cost ratio, and a net educational benefit to educational cost ratio of one SRFC from the perspective of the university. We calculated the value of education by multiplying all student hours worked in the clinic by the associated value of 1 hour in the typical tuition-based curriculum. Clinic educational costs and student hours were obtained from clinic records from August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022. We found the total educational value students received to be $73,571 over one academic year. The educational operating expenses of the clinic totaled $9,053, resulting in a benefit-cost ratio of 8.13. This analysis demonstrated a potential financial advantage of operating an SRFC when assessing clinic education expenses in relation to the value of university-generated education. Our research may serve as a starting point to showcase the economic benefit of SRFCs to their parent institutions and encourage further analysis of other benefits SRFCs may provide to institutions of higher education.

Banking sector reforms in a challenging environment: An emerging financial market experience

The long-lasting impact of reforms on financial institutions in the presence of country level risks and uncertainties may be unclear but has been rarely investigated. By using more than two decades of Pakistani banking industry data covering a period of uncertain policies and volatile political and economic environment alongside severe security threats due to terrorism, this study examines technical change, scale effect, and total factor productivity growth. Our estimates show that despite deep economic and regulatory reforms spreading over a decade, country level risks and uncertainties led to no longer run technological progress and productivity growth. This made the long-run outcome of broader reforms in the presence of a number of uncertainties less satisfactory and did not help materialize the true benefits of reforms. Change of ownership through privatization contributed positively in achieving technological progress and productivity growth, but this limited positive effect faded subsequently. Interestingly, the negative impact of risks and uncertainties is more severe for domestic privately owned and foreign-owned banking firms with parent institutions based in other than Western and developed countries. More specific analysis of the individual uncertainties and related risks shows that although economic, legal, and security-related risks and uncertainties are important for all firms in determining the outcome of reforms, increased uncertainty with corruption perception, law & order conditions, and investment climate in particular impacts more domestically owned firms.

The Role and Benefits of Physical Therapy Following Sport-Related Concussions.

Sport-related concussion management often requires referral to physical therapy (PT). To (1)outline the role of PT in the management of sport-related concussion, (2)describe patients who underwent PT, and (3)discuss outcomes of athletes who underwent PT. Retrospective cohort study. Single institution. Adolescent athletes aged 14-19years old who sustained a sport-related concussion from November 2017 to April 2022 were evaluated. The cohort was dichotomized into 2 groups: PT versus no PT. The outcomes were days from initial PT visit to symptom resolution (SR) and return-to-play. Subgroup analyses compared recovery metrics between those initiating PT before and after 30 (1mo) and 90days (3mo) of injury. A univariable and multivariable regression was used to determine predictors of recovery. Of 1010 concussed athletes, 205 (20.3%) received referral for rehabilitation, and 58 (28.3%) patients received PT at the parent institution. Those who received PT had a higher number of prior concussions compared with those who did not (PT: 1.0 [1.2]; non-PT: 0.6 + 1.0; χ2 = 19.37, P = .007). A large proportion of PT recipients reported headache (n = 45, 81.0%); visual disturbances (n = 32, 65.5%); and vestibular (n = 37, 63.8%), cervical (n = 25, 43.1%), or oculomotor dysfunction (n = 25, 43.1%). Most patients received exertional therapy (n = 32, 55.1%), vestibular therapy (n = 31, 53.4%), and/or cervical therapy (n = 30, 51.7%). Those initiating PT before 1 and 3months had significantly shorter median times to SR compared with those initiating after 1 and 3months, respectively. Multivariable regression showed that a shorter time between injury and the initial PT visit was predictive of faster SR (β = 1.66, P = .048). Headache, dizziness, and visual disturbances were commonly reported symptoms by patients who received PT. Cervical, vestibular, and oculomotor deficits were common objective findings by physical therapists, and cervical, vestibular, and exertional therapy were common interventions. Delayed time to PT was independently associated with a longer time to SR.

Daytime sleepiness in health-care employees: A cross-sectional study between shift duty and day duty

Background: Shift duty disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, leading to shift work disorder, which is characterized by daytime sleepiness and insomnia. Excessive daytime sleepiness decreases work performance, increases workplace accidents, and impairs neurocognitive function. Sleep disturbance also impacts the employee-patient relationship; thereby, it is necessary to assess the prevalence of daytime sleepiness. Aim and Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the prevalence of daytime sleepiness in healthcare employees working in the daytime versus shift duty. Materials and Methods: Subjects were chosen from the Parent Institute between the ages of 24 and 38. A total of 260 health-care employees were included in the study and were divided into two equal groups, with one working on day duty and the other working on shift duty. To evaluate subjective and objective daytime sleepiness, the Epworth sleepiness scale questionnaire was given to both groups. Results: The parameters were analyzed statistically. There was a significant difference in daytime sleepiness between the two groups. There was increased daytime sleepiness in health-care employees working on shift duty as compared to those working on day duty. Conclusion: Sleep deprivation due to disruption of internal sleep regulation leading to shift work disorder is thought to be an important cause of increased daytime sleepiness in health-care employees working on shift duty.

Celebrating the Scholarly Communication of Our Campus Community: How Can Today’s Academic Library Play an Integral Role in its Parent Institution’s Scholarly Output?

Celebrating the Scholarly Communication of Our Campus Community: How Can Today’s Academic Library Play an Integral Role in its Parent Institution’s Scholarly Output?

Body Composition of Medical Staff Working on Shift Duty and Day Duty: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The necessity for 24-hour patient care in the medical field often requires staff to work in shifts, disrupting their circadian rhythms controlled by the hypothalamus’s Suprachiasmatic Nuclei (SCN). This disruption can lead to sleep deprivation, which is linked to significant health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Sleep deprivation affects body composition by altering fat distribution, muscle mass, and Body Mass Index (BMI), and changes meal preferences towards high-calorie, carbohydraterich foods. Irregular eating patterns due to hormonal and gut microbiome changes can lead to over-eating and weight gain. The sedentary nature of many shift-based jobs exacerbates the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, promoting obesity. Aim: To address the limited research on how shift work impacts the body composition of medical staff by comparing those on shift duty to those on day duty. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study that included medical staff between the age group of 25 to 40 years working in the Parent Institute. The subjects were divided into two equal groups consisting of 100 staff working on shift duty (study group) and 100 staff working on day duty (control group). Subjects were tested for body composition by using Karada Scan. Various parameters of body composition were compared using an unpaired t-test. Results: The day duty group consisted of 36 females and 64 males (N=100) staff with a mean age of 33.0±4.6 years while the shift duty group consisted of 36 females and 64 males (N=100) staff with a mean age of 31.9±4.4 years. The study suggests a significant difference between the two groups for BMI, skeletal muscle mass, and subcutaneous fat with a p-value &lt;0.05. Conclusion: The study showed lower skeletal muscle mass and higher body weight, body fat percentage, visceral fat, BMI, and subcutaneous fat in medical staff working on shift duty.

A cross-sectional study to compare audio-visual reaction time in medical staff working on shift duty and day duty

Background: Medical staff must make quick decisions and respond rapidly in modern healthcare, often working irregular hours to provide continuous care. Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms aligned with the 24-h light-dark cycle, affecting sleep quality and quantity. Adults need 7–9 h of sleep nightly, and insufficient sleep leads to slower, less precise responses and attention lapses. Reaction time, the interval between stimulus and response, is critical in medical settings and is adversely affected by sleep deprivation, resulting in daytime fatigue and reduced cognitive efficiency. This study aims to understand how shift work and day duty impact the audio-visual reaction times of medical staff. By comparing these reaction times, the research seeks to uncover how sleep patterns and circadian disruptions affect cognitive and motor skills. Aims and Objectives: The study aims to know the effect of shift work on the audio-visual reaction time of medical staff working on shift duty to those on day duty. Materials and Methods: The study included medical staff aged 25–40 years working in the parent institute. It is a cross-sectional study. The study consisted of 100 staff working on shift duty (study group) and 100 on day duty (control group), totaling 200 subjects. The study was carried out for 8 months. Subjects were tested for audiovisual reaction time using an audio-visual reaction time apparatus. Audio-visual reaction time was compared using an unpaired t-test. Results: The study group consisted of 64 males and 36 females (n = 100) staff with a mean age of 31.9 ± 4.4 years while the control group consisted of 36 females and 64 males (n = 100) staff with a mean age of 33.0 ± 4.6 years. The study suggests a significant increase in the audiovisual reaction time of the study group compared to the control group with a P &lt; 0.05. Conclusion: The study shows a significant increase in audio-visual reaction time in medical staff working on shift duty compared to those working on day duty.

The Role of Libraries in Academic Institutes and Universities of India: A Survey of Online Portals

An online survey has been made to study the role of Libraries in prestigious Institute and University web portals of India. Leading Institute and University portals of India have been studied and evaluated with the functioning of Libraries for dissemination of knowledge resources in the parent Institution. Many of academic Institutions &amp;Universities have now been bringing Libraries under top Header as Library / Central Library / e -Resources / Digital Library / Library &amp; Information Center /e -Library etc. at par with Teaching, Research and Education system of learning. The study suggests that many Libraries of Institution/ University are envisaged by facilities / central facilities / infrastructure /quick links / student/ campus /facilities /life/ student welfare / student corner/ popular links / information desk / student information / services / support facilities /explore facilities / fraternities either at the Header or Footer side of Institutional web portals for awareness &amp; location. Besides library abilities, librarians must have multidisciplinary academic interactive skills to deliver lectures, promote educational trainings and decision making power to recommend procurement plans for any resources/items / services and works in the meeting with Chairman. The study implicates there is need to implement Library Resource Learning Center, Digital Resource Learning Centre, Educational Resource Learning Centre etc. With the adoption of trending technologies, the concept of Library and Information Science (LIS) subject has also been metamorphosed and contemplating with ICT based Library Management and Information Services (LMIS) ensuring parity and compatibility with existing work culture of any Library / E - library / Digital Library/Mobile Library system and services. The study highlights library at the executive levels , many of the Institutions and Universities are more concerned with designations like Director General /Director / Deputy Director / Professor / Assistant Professor (LIS) ,Chief Librarian/ Librarian / University Librarian / Head Librarian / Deputy Librarian / Associate Librarian/Asstt Librarian &amp; Library officer / Officer In charge to justify the works of Library Management and Information Services. With seamless participation of multidisciplinary academic teachers/officers can streamline parity of job structure with equal opportunities and accountability to support and justify common administrative work culture of library system and services irrespective of Library and Information Science (LIS) subject concerned. Libraries should not remain with collections or warehouse of resources but also execute efficient, effective services among user, for this, a