Health sciences libraries and information services in Bangladesh

Basic problems relating to the status of health sciences libraries and information centers in Bangladesh are highlighted and discussed; strategies for improving the country's health sciences information services are suggested. A survey of libraries is reported, the country's national science and technology information policy is defined, and recommendations for action are proposed.     

Active fault tolerant control scheme for aircraft with dissimilar redundant actuation system subject to hydraulic failure

In this paper, an active fault tolerant control (AFTC) scheme is proposed for more electric aircraft (MEA) equipped with dissimilar redundant actuation system (DRAS). The effect of various fault/failure of hydraulic actuator (HA) on the system performance is analyzed in this work. In nominal condition, the state feedback control law is designed for primary control surfaces. In the presence of fault/failure of certain HA, control allocation (CA) scheme together with integral sliding mode controller (ISMC) is retrofitted with existing control law and engaged the secondary (redundant) actuators into the loop. A modified recursive least square (RLS) algorithm is proposed to identify the parametric faults in HA and to measure the effectiveness level of the actuator. In an event of failure of all HA’s in the system, electro hydraulic actuators (EHA) are taken in loop to bring the system back to its nominal operation. In order to stabilize the closed-loop dynamics of HA and EHA, fractional order controllers are designed separately for each actuator. Simulations on the lateral directional model of aircraft demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed scheme as compared to the existing methods in the literature.     

Quality of web-based medical information on stable COPD: comparison of non-commercial and commercial websites

The Internet provides an easy and accessible way to deliver medical information about the management of various diseases, both to practitioners and to their patients. As there is no control over who posts information on the Web, there is a risk that the interests of the web producer may bias the quality of information. The quality of medical information on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the Internet was evaluated, comparing non-commercial and commercial websites. An internet search was conducted to locate relevant websites using a metasearch engine. The quality of websites was scored on a scale of 0-10, based on three items about the credibility of the site and seven items about the accuracy of the information provided by the site. Quality differences between commercial and non-commercial websites were explored. The search revealed 23 relevant websites (12 noncommercial and 11 commercial). The overall quality of non-commercial websites was better than that of commercial websites (median score 7 vs. 4, P = 0.01). Compared to commercial sites, non-commercial websites more often provided information about cessation of smoking (100% vs. 64%, P = 0.03), preventative influenza vaccinations (42% vs. 9%, P = 0.07) and use of long-term oxygen therapy (92% vs. 45%, P = 0.02). Among websites providing information on COPD, commercial sites were much more likely to be of poorer quality compared to sites of non-commercial organizations. In particular, commercial sites do not provide information about simple preventative treatments. There is a need to be vigilant about the quality of health information about COPD on the Internet.     

Incorporating the views of obstetric clinicians in implementing evidence-supported labour and delivery suite ward rounds: a case study

Objectives: To implement evidence‐supported delivery suite ward rounds using strategies to overcome barriers. Design: Qualitative case study to identify barriers and a quantitative assessment of outcomes on ward rounds. Method: After an introduction to the proposed evidence‐supported delivery suite ward round reactions were elicited from 15 clinicians. Responses were categorized into barriers related to knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour. Using strategies to overcome these barriers, a weekly evidence‐supported ward round was established. During patient‐centred discussions, clinical questions were formulated. Following literature searches, evidence was acquired and appraised. Results: Clinicians had limited awareness about the potential benefits of a clinical librarian's support during ward rounds. They were unsure of their skills in evidence‐based practice. There was scepticism, fear of loss of autonomy, poor motivation and resistance to change. Clinicians identified several factors that could impinge on their practice. Using appropriate strategies when evidence‐supported ward rounds were conducted, 67 questions were raised. However only seven articles were appraised in time to affect decisions on that ward round. Conclusions: Knowledge of barriers was helpful in developing plans for implementation of evidence‐supported ward rounds. The pilot study indicates the feasibility of this approach.     

Minimization of students’ cognitive load in a virtual chemistry laboratory via contents optimization and arrow-textual aids

Education and Information Technologies - Virtual Chemistry Laboratories (VCLs) are used as an alternative to the physical laboratories, where users can enhance their performance for hands-on...