Identifying the roles of medical librarians in COVID-19 crisis in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The best mechanisms for medical librarians to be more involved in health, especially during crisis condition, and to expand their roles are using experiences of other individuals and performing new activities. This study aimed to identify the roles of medical librarians in the COVID-19 crisis in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was done by a qualitative content analysis method. Research participants in the first phase included whole scientific papers (19 documents) which had been published by medical librarians related to the COVID-19 issue and in the second phase 10 medical librarians involved in the COVID-19 who were interviewed and continued until data saturation. Data were collected through each interview, and data analysis was performed using content analysis method. Then, obtained information of the first and second phases was merged together, and codes, subcategories as well as main categories were formed. RESULTS: According to the results, 7 main categories and 24 subcategories regarding the roles of librarians in COVID-19 crisis were identified. The main categories include hygiene services promotion, development of health information-seeking skills, health research services, interaction-level development, evidence-based policy development, information dissemination services promotion, and management services development. Furthermore, regarding barriers to the role of medical librarians in the COVID-19 crisis in Iran, four subcategories were identified that are medical librarian-related barriers, organization-related barriers, profession-related barriers, and context of society (country conditions)-related barriers. CONCLUSION: Medical librarians relatively have been able to provide effective health information services to managers, health-care specialists, and the general public in a variety of health fields.

Designing a model of professional ethics excellence for clinical librarians.

OBJECTIVE: Developing and promoting professional ethics principles for clinical librarians can help the health care system balance the interests of all stakeholders, including clinical librarians, health care professionals, and patients. Therefore, the goal of this study was to design a model of professional ethics excellence for clinical librarians. METHODS: The authors conducted a descriptive applied study using literature review and the delphi method. The delphi panel included eleven experts in medical librarianship, library and information sciences, or information sciences and knowledge studies. RESULTS: After the delphi rounds, five concepts and forty-six components were identified and confirmed to provide a model of professional ethics excellence for clinical librarians. The highest-rated concept was excellence in communication. The highest-rated component was mastery in developing search strategies in information resources and databases. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying and applying principles of professional ethics among clinical librarians can enhance the professionalization of clinical librarians and result in better information services for physicians. Furthermore, incorporating these principles into the curriculum for health sciences library and information sciences students or into workshops for active clinical librarians can further formalize the profession and practice of evidence-based medicine.

Barriers to Research Activities from the Perspective of the Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

INTRODUCTION: Necessity to establish a coherent and targeted research context in order to development of any country is increasingly important. But the basic step in creating an effective research context would be enrichment motivation of researchers especially students and resolve barriers of research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine barriers of research activities from the perspective of students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: This is research. Data was collected with author made questionnaire. The study sample consisted of students from Isfahan medical university and sample size based on Krejcie and Morgan table was 357. Sampling was Stratified Random. The validity of questionnaire confirmed by Library and information professionals and reliability based on Cronbach's Alpha was 0.933, respectively. The type of descriptive statistics was (percentage, frequency and mean) and inferential statistics (T-test, ANOVA, one-Sample Statistics) and SPSS software was used. FINDINGS: Results showed that the mean of barriers to research activities among students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences was 3.89 ± 0. 483. The highest mean was related to density of students' curriculum (4.22± 0.968) and lowest mean related to lack of access to appropriate library resources. Also, the mean of research activities 's barriers, according to aspects showed that the mean in individual barriers level (4.06±0.635) was more than other aspects: social and cultural aspects (4.01± 0.661), economical aspect (4.04± 0.787) and organizational barriers (3.78±0.503). The lowest mean was related to organizational barriers. Also there is no difference between mean of research activities' barriers of student of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences with regarded of gender, level of education and college. CONCLUSION: According to results of this research, although, the main barriers between students was individual barriers such as: lack of sufficient familiarity with research methods, insufficient experience in research and lack of familiarity with the terms of the articles in publication, but other aspects like economic, cultural, social and organizational was in bad condition too. Therefore it is suggested that workshops related to research methodologies is executed, like proposal writing, writing articles in university especially for students and administrators support student's research activities, effectively.

Research self-efficacy among students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

INTRODUCTION: Research self-efficacy if the people's judgment of their abilities in order to organize and conduct meaningful research in different formats. The aim of this study is to determinate the rate of research self-efficacy among students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Research Self-efficacy Scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The method of this study is an applied survey method. Statistical population is all students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the sample size was calculated to be 361 samples based on Krejcie and Morgan table. Random sampling method was used with equal number of samples from every department. Data collection tool is Salehi et al. questionnaire (with 7 dimensions) with Likert scale (5 grades). Its validity and reliability were confirmed by Psychology and Research Method experts and Cronbach's alpha (r = 0.84) respectively. Data gathering method was direct visit to each department. The data was then analyzed using t-test and one-tailed ANOVA using SPSS 16 software. RESULTS: The finding showed that among research self-efficiency dimensions research ethics dimension had the highest and quality research dimension had the lowest means. Furthermore comparing the research self-efficacy scores with demographic characteristics suggests that there is no significant difference between total score of research self-efficacy of different departments, genders or educational degrees (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Since the score of most of the research self-efficacy dimensions were, lower than average, holding periodical workshops, inclusion of necessary courses in the educational plan, forcing student to perform research activity such as writing articles in lower educational levels and improvement of research culture for students with the help of experienced professors are some of practical solutions, which can lead to increasing the motivation of the students for conducting efficient research.

A survey on rate of media literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students using Iranian media literacy questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: Media literacy is a 21(st) century approach to education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms - from print to video to the Internet. Also, it builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy. The purpose of this research was to determine the rate of media literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students using Iranian Media Literacy Questionnaire (IMLQ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a survey research in which the data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. Its validity and reliability were confirmed by Library and Information Sciences specialists and Chronbach's alpha (r = 0.89), respectively. Statistical population consisted of all students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (7000 cases) and the samples were 364. Sampling method was random stratified sampling. Data were analyzed by descriptive (frequency distribution, mean) and inferential (T-test, ANOVA, and one-sample t-test) statistics through SPSS16 software. RESULTS: The findings showed that the mean level of media literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students was 3.20 ± 0.558 (higher than average). The highest mean was skill in avoiding confusion and focus on activates such as watching television, listening to radio, reading newspaper, and using internet; and the lowest mean was skill in membership and subscription in useful society networks. The mean of evaluation of media messages dimension was more than others. The lowest mean of dimensions was for selective and purposeful use of media with 2.99 ± 0.761. Comparison between gender, married status, educational degree, and college type and the rate of media literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the rate of media literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students was higher than average. But students didn't have enough skill in membership and subscription in useful society networks and Skill in tracking news about your favorite artists and musicians. Generally, all students and education practitioners should pay special attention to factors affecting in improving media literacy as a basic capability in using media.

The Amount of Media and Information Literacy Among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' Students Using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ).

INTRODUCTION: Media and Information literacy (MIL) enables people to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right. The purpose of this research was to determine the amount of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ). METHODS: This is an applied analytical survey research in which the data were collected by a researcher made questionnaire, provided based on specialists' viewpoints and valid scientific works. Its validity and reliability were confirmed by Library and Information Sciences specialists and Cronbach's alpha (r=0.89) respectively. Statistical population consisted of all students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (6000 cases) and the samples were 361. Sampling method was random stratified sampling. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The findings showed that the mean level of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students was 3.34±0.444 (higher than average). The highest mean was promotion of scientific degree with 3.84±0.975 and the lowest mean was difficulties in starting research with 2.50±1.08. There was significant difference between educational degree, college type and family's income and amount of Media and Information Literacy. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the students didn't have enough skills in starting the research, defining the research subject as well as confining the research subject. In general, all students and education practitioners should pay special attention to factors affecting in improving Media and Information Literacy as a main capability in using printed and electronic media.

Study on research anxiety among faculty members of isfahan university of medical sciences.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common anxieties in higher education is research anxiety. The purpose of this study was to determine the research anxiety level among the faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS). METHODS: this was survey- analytical study. The stratified random sampling method was used and a sample of 212 people was selected. For data collection was used a questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical (T Test, ANOVA and LSD) statistics. FINDINGS: The average anxiety research in IUMS was about 3.27 ±0.536. Among factors, highest scores in descending order are related to lack of timely payment of fees (3.97±0.961), the long approval process of proposals and research project reporting (3.86.±0.99) and lack of research efficiency on the part of faculty (3.70±1.00). The lowest scores were related to having insufficient funds to conduct research (2.67±1.08), another's understanding of inability for researching (2.84±1.192), and unfriendly behavior from journals and research center staffs (2.89±0.802). CONCLUSION: The mean level of research anxiety among faculty members of IUMS was found higher than average. So it's essential that authorities pay greater attention to the factors that cause research anxiety.

Sub-inhibitory concentration of biogenic selenium nanoparticles lacks post antifungal effect for Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans and stimulates the growth of Aspergillus niger.

BACKGROUND: The antifungal activity of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) prepared by Klebsiella pneumoniae has been reported previously for different fungi. In the present study, freshly prepared Se NPs produced by K. pneumoniae were purified and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and its post antifungal effects for two fungi were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Se NPs, determined by serial dilution were 250 µg/ml for Aspergillus niger and 2,000 µg/ml for Candida albicans. The effect of exposure of A. niger and C. albicans to Se NPs on later growth was evaluated by incubating the fungi for 1 hour at 25 °C in media containing 0, 1, 2 and 4 x MIC of Se NPs and diluting the cultures 100 times with Se free medium. The kinetics of growth of the fungi in control cultures and in non-toxic Se NPs concentration of, 0.01 × MIC, 0.02 × MIC or 0.04 × MIC were measured. RESULTS: The exposure of A. niger and C. albicans to 2 and 4 x MIC of Se NPs stimulated the growth of both fungi in the absence of toxic concentrations of Se. The strongest stimulation was observed for A. niger. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that exposure to high concentration of the Se NPs did not have any post-inhibitory effect on A. niger and C. albicans and that trace amounts of this element promoted growth of both fungi in a dose- dependent-manner. The role of nanoparticles serving as needed trace elements and development of microorganism tolerance to nanoparticles should not be dismissed while considering therapeutic potential.

Marketing information goods and services in medical libraries and information centers.

Marketing is one of the essential parts of any business corporation in the modern management. One can see the difference between corporations in gaining their goals, considering their marketing methods. Gaining more advantage or acquiring more funds can be of reasons for marketing, but these are not all the reasons. Perhaps the most important reason for marketing is increasing the customer satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to more willingness in payment and using services. Nowadays, due to rapid growth in ICT, changes in budgets, rapid growth in development and use of knowledge, variety of users and their needs, marketing has become an important factor in any library activities. Libraries are now more responsible in this regard, because marketing is now an important tool in improving users' satisfaction in using library services. Hence, marketing is now very important for libraries to survive in the increasing pressures of competitive conditions of the information market. This article is tapping on issues such as information marketing, principles of marketing, marketing techniques, developing markets, and marketing skills. Some recommendations are also presented for marketing in libraries.

Preparation of ciprofloxacin-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles and their antibacterial effects against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

In the present research study, ciprofloxacin-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared using a precipitation method. The nature of interactions between zinc oxide nanoparticles and ciprofloxacin (CAS 85721-33-1) was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the carbonyl group in ciprofloxacin is actively involved in forming chemical--rather than physical--bonds with zinc oxide nanoparticles. Also the antibacterial activity of free zinc oxide nanoparticles and ciprofloxacin-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles have been evaluated against different clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The free zinc oxide nanoparticles did not show potent antibacterial activity against all test strains. In contrast, only the low concentrations of ciprofloxacin-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (equivalent to the sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of pure ciprofloxacin) considerably enhanced the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles against different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (4 to 32 fold increase). The result is of particular value, since it demonstrates that, by using biocompatible zinc oxide nanoparticles in combination therapy, lower amounts of antibiotics may be needed.