bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Model of the international competitiveness of SMNEs for Latin American developing countries
Authors: C. Peña-Vinces Jesús , J. Acedo Francisco , L. Roldán José 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model for evaluating the international competitiveness of small and medium multinational enterprises (SMNEs) located in Latin American developing countries.Design/methodology/approach– Industrial economics and international business theories were linked for establishing the firm international competitiveness model. Literature on each variable determining of firm competitiveness is reviewed and the linkages between them are discussed.Findings– The use of a global strategy is one of the most important factors to compete abroad. Domestic environment and national industry might help its use. Human resources background of staff working within the SMNEs affects the global strategy as well.Practical implications– SMNEs should be more taken into account as they are the main generators of the economic development of countries and, consequently, foster the progress of underdeveloped countries through creating jobs.Originality/value– This study is one of the pioneers in developed a model for evaluating the international competitiveness of firms based on developing countries of Latin America. Researchers and professionals will count on a theoretical tool for evaluating the Latin American international competitiveness in global contexts. Additionally we include the full survey for testing the competitiveness model.
Chinese outward investments to emerging markets: evidence from Latin America
Authors: Fornes Gaston , Butt-Philip Alan 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– This paper aims to analyse the characteristics of Chinese multinational corporations in other emerging economies using evidence from Latin America (LA)vis-à-visthe features found in previous studies of Chinese companies operating in developed countries.Design– It does this by studying the fit of theoretical frameworks recently developed for Chinese firms, the support from the government and the strength of their capabilities in relation to those of local competitors. The analysis is based on case studies with data collected from a theoretical sample of Chinese companies operating in LA.Findings– The results show that these companies seem to be following a pattern similar to that described by Mathews’s (2006) Linkage–Leverage–Learning, that the support from the government does not seem to play an important role in their internationalisation process, that they appear to have developed a set of capabilities strong enough to compete in the host market (in particular how to combine their strengths with those of local partners) and that they are engaged in a positive cycle of development that helps them to overcome some of the challenges and barriers of operating in Latin American emerging markets by complementing/leveraging their strengths with those of local firms.Originality/value– The findings indicate that Chinese companies are following patterns in their internationalisation to Latin American emerging markets that seems to be a combination of conventional theories (including previous studies on emerging markets-based firms) with idiosyncratic elements.
Pacific peoples, mental health service engagement and suicide prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Tiatia-Seath Jemaima 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the engagement of Pacific peoples in mental health services in Aotearoa New Zealand and Pacific strategies for suicide prevention.

Design/methodology/approach
– This qualitative study involved 22 interviews with Samoans who had made a suicide attempt and/or had suicide ideation, were engaged in a mental health service.

Findings
– Narratives of mental health services and suicide prevention focused on issues of cultural competency, the importance of family involvement, dichotomous views of western and traditional beliefs around mental illness and the unsuccessful engagement of Pacific youth.

Originality/value
– This research argues that cultural considerations for Pacific communities are of paramount importance if mental health service engagement and developments towards Pacific suicide prevention strategies are to be effective.
Reasons for participating and not participating in a e-health workplace physical activity intervention
Authors: Bardus Marco , Blake Holly , Lloyd Scott , Suzanne Suggs L. 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons for participating and not participating in an e-health workplace physical activity (PA) intervention.Design/methodology/approach– Semi-structured interviews and two focus groups were conducted with a purposive sample of employees who enrolled and participated in the intervention and with those who did not complete enrolment, hence did not participate in it. Data were examined using thematic analysis according to the clusters of “reasons for participation” and for “non-participation”.Findings– Reported reasons for participation included a need to be more active, to increase motivation to engage in PA, and to better manage weight. Employees were attracted by the perceived ease of use of the programme and by the promise of receiving reminders. Many felt encouraged to enrol by managers or peers. Reported reasons for non-participation included lack of time, loss of interest towards the programme, or a lack of reminders to complete enrolment.Practical implications– Future e-health workplace behavioural interventions should consider focusing on employees’ needs and motivators to behaviour change, provide regular reminders for participants to complete enrolment and ensure that procedures are completed successfully. Barriers to participation could be identified through formative research with the target population and feasibility studies.Originality/value– This study combines a qualitative analysis of the reasons why some employees decided to enrol in a workplace PA intervention and why some others did not. This study highlights factors to consider when designing, implementing and promoting similar interventions and that could inform strategies to enhance participation in workplace PA interventions.
Organization of work in Estonian university libraries: a review and survey
Authors: Kont Kate-Riin , Jantson Signe 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The aim of the current article is to investigate satisfaction of the staff of Estonian university libraries with the organization of work by analyzing characteristics, aspects and dimensions of the work, such as self-realization and skills realization opportunities, task complexity, task interdependence and fair division of tasks.

Design/methodology/approach
– The data used in this paper is based on a review of relevant literature to provide an overview of the concept of work organization, and the results of the original online survey created by the paper’s authors, conducted among Estonian university libraries. The results are interpreted on the basis of direction in the literature, and the authors’ opinions, based on our long-term working experience in Estonian academic libraries.

Findings
– Although a number of Estonian university librarians were mostly satisfied with the division of labor within their departments, the respondents feel that duties in the library as a whole should be reorganized and workloads should be divided more equally. Almost half of the respondents have performed (in addition to their main job) duties that are not included in their job descriptions.

Originality/value
– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been previously carried out in the Estonian library context into work organization and coordination. Based on the current study, it can be concluded that the biggest challenge for university libraries in Estonia is to fixate clearly job descriptions and work procedures, divide job duties fairly and guarantee balanced work load. Additional duties should be accompanied with additional remuneration.
Theses and dissertations in institutional repositories: an Asian perspective
Authors: Ahmed Aquil , Alreyaee Sulaiman , Rahman Azizur 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– Institutional repositories constitute an integral part of present day digital libraries allowing global access to scholarly publications and provides an opportunity for future research enhancement and long term preservation of information. Electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) represent a growing segment of available content in institutional repositories where they contribute to the impact and ranking of their institutions. The present study traces the growth and development of online e-theses repositories in Asia within the broader framework of open access.

Design/methodology/approach
– The present study tries to discover the composition of ETD repositories in Asia based on the seven key parameters, i.e. country, types, language, disciplines, software, content types and repository policies. To achieve the stated objectives, the ETD repositories developed by Asian countries were identified by selecting the database of OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories) and the retrieved data were thoroughly analyzed for the necessary information.

Findings
– Theses and dissertations are considered an important part of information resources in any institution. They are often the only source of research work. Unfortunately, access to these valuable unpublished resources is often restricted to parent institution only. The authors found that ETD repositories are addressing this problem by making institutional knowledge available online and thereby not only increasing its visibility and use, but also making them contribute to the impact and ranking of their institutions. Asian countries are beginning to embrace the idea of digitizing, archiving and making their theses and dissertations available online. The study found that more than half of all IRs listed in the directory of OpenDOAR contain ETDs. ETD system is growing fast in some Asian countries. However, the number of universities having e-theses repositories is meager considering the large number of quality academic and research institutions across Asian countries.

Practical implications
– The paper argues that ETD repositories not only benefit students and institutions by enhancing education and expanding research, but also by increasing a university’s visibility and use and thereby contributing to the impact and ranking of its parent institutions.

Originality/value
– The study hopes to heighten awareness of research being conducted in Asia and its contribution to a global knowledge base. Some of the suggestions to improve the existing conditions and strengthen the growth rate of ETDs in Asia are also presented.
Embedded librarianship in branch settings: customizing liaison services
Authors: L. Hall Susan , Hunter Marshall Derek 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present analysis of the role of the branch librarian as a valuable paradigm for embedded librarianship. Branch librarians develop strong connections to specialized client groups and build programs and services in response to their unique environments.

Design/methodology/approach
– A review of research in embedded librarianship was conducted with particular emphasis on branch librarians. This article provides critique of research on embedded librarianship from the perspectives of branch management and an overview of strategies typically employed.

Findings
– In important ways, branch librarians present an ideal model for embedded librarianship. They work toward close communication with the faculty and students of their academic unit, and are on location, identifying the specific needs and customizing services for patron groups in their academic settings.

Originality/value
– The authors are Coordinators of Branch Library Services at Mississippi State University for the College of Architecture, Art, and Design and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The authors’ experiences as branch managers and immersion within their academic units provide a unique and more comprehensive analysis of embedded librarianship, one that has been overlooked.
Job prospects for Mzuzu university library and information science graduates
Authors: Harvey Chaputula Aubrey 
Published: October 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of a study that was conducted to find out the employment prospects of Mzuzu University (Mzuni) library and information science (LIS) graduates.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study made use of a survey designehil it was mainly quantitative in nature. A census of all LIS graduates from 2006 to 2013 was taken. The study also purposely sampled some major employers of LIS graduates. Self completion questionnaires were administered to both study groups by the researcher personally, and also through emails. Data were collected between September and October 2013, and SPSS was used to analyse the data. Findings from the two questionnaires were discussed in relation to prevailing literature in the field.

Findings
– The study established that there are few job opportunities for LIS graduates in the library sector. This came about because libraries have not taken deliberate steps to recruit LIS graduates while opportunities in the private sector were limited. Consequently, some LIS graduates were unemployed, while the majority had taken up alternative jobs. Nevertheless, LIS graduates had the requisite skills and attributes required for the job. Absence of a career structure for LIS professionals in the public sector, failure to recognise role of librarians and LIS qualifications and lack of training opportunities were some of the challenges which LIS graduates faced.

Research limitations/implications
– The study covers all LIS graduates who graduated from Mzuni between 2006 and 2013. However, lack of updated contact information means that the researcher had challenges to reach out to most of the graduates save for those working in the major libraries. Furthermore, a good number of the graduates did not respond to the questionnaire sent, particularly those who graduated from the generic programme. This led to a lower than anticipated response rate. This implies that some of the study findings may have some bias towards the LIS graduates in the mature group.

Practical implications
– The research findings have a big bearing on policy formulation and decision making in government, the public and private sector players, professional associations and LIS training institutions.

Originality/value
– No formal studies have been done to determine the employment prospects for Mzuni LIS graduates ever since the diploma and degree programmes were launched. This research is, therefore, the first of its kind, and could help shape the future of the programmes in terms of curriculum content and methods of delivery. Recommendations made could also help the Malawi Library Association, the Mzuni’s Department of Library and Information Science, and relevant government ministries and departments to come up with appropriate interventions to the challenges being faced.
Secukinumab efficacy and safety in Japanese patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis: Subanalysis from ERASURE, a randomized, placebo‐controlled, phase 3 study
Authors: Ohtsuki Mamitaro , Morita Akimichi , Abe Masatoshi , Takahashi Hidetoshi , Seko Noriko , Karpov Alexander , Shima Tomohiro , Papavassilis Charis , Nakagawa Hidemi ,   the ERASURE Study Japanese subgroup
Published: October 2014

AbstractSecukinumab, a fully human anti‐IL‐17A monoclonal antibody, neutralizes IL‐17A, a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Efficacy and safety of secukinumab was evaluated in Japanese patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis as part of a large Phase 3 global study (ERASURE). In this 52‐week, double‐blind study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01365455, JapicCTI‐111529), 87 patients from Japan (11.8% of 738 patients randomized in the overall study population) were equally randomized to receive secukinumab 300 mg or 150 mg, or placebo once weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4, then every 4 weeks. Co‐primary endpoints (Week 12) were ≥75% improvement in psoriasis area‐and‐severity index (PASI 75) from baseline and a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) on a 5‐point Investigator's Global Assessment scale (IGA mod 2011 0/1) versus placebo. PASI 75 and IGA mod 2011 0/1 responses at Week 12 were superior with secukinumab 300 mg (82.8% and 55.2%, respectively) or 150 mg (86.2% and 55.2%, respectively) versus placebo (6.9% and 3.4%, respectively; P < 0.0001 for all). Greater than 90% improvement in PASI (PASI 90) was also superior with secukinumab 300 mg (62.1%) or 150 mg (55.2%) versus placebo (0.0%) at Week 12 (P < 0.0001 for both). Clinical responses were sustained up to Week 52 in the majority of patients. During a 12‐week induction period, adverse event incidences were 48.3% with secukinumab 300 mg, 55.2% with 150 mg, and 41.4% with placebo. Secukinumab showed robust and sustainable efficacy in symptom reduction for moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis in the Japanese patients.
Congenital “self‐healing” Langerhans cell histiocytosis (Hashimoto‐Pritzker disease): A report of two cases with the same cutaneous manifestations but different clinical course
Authors: Mandel Victor Desmond , Ferrari Chiara , Cesinaro Anna Maria , Pellacani Giovanni , Del Forno Corrado 
Published: October 2014

AbstractCongenital self‐healing Langerhans cell histiocytosis or Hashimoto‐Pritzker disease is a rare condition present at birth or in the neonatal period characterized by small reddish‐brown crusted papulonodular lesions. In most cases these lesions are not accompanied by systemic findings and tend to involute spontaneously within weeks or months, but in other cases there may be extracutaneous involvement and/or recurrence of the disease. This emphasizes that the clinical course is variable and a long‐term follow‐up is mandatory in order to reveal possible systemic involvement. We describe two cases of congenital self‐healing Langerhans cell histiocytosis with widespread and very similar cutaneous manifestations but different clinical course. The first patient had multisystemic disease (with lymph nodes, bones, liver and lungs affected) that required systemic therapy. The second patient had cutaneous and bony lesions that resolved spontaneously. We think that the adjective “self‐healing” is misleading and should be abandoned. We stress the importance of a complete systemic evaluation and the necessity of a long‐term follow‐up.
Valsartan Blocked Alcohol‐Induced, Toll‐Like Receptor 2 Signaling‐Mediated Inflammation in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Wang Yushu , Li Yi , Shen Qingyu , Li Xiangpen , Lu Juan , Li Xiangping , Yin Deling , Peng Ying 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundAlcohol consumption induces inflammatory damage in vessels, and the underlying mechanism is unclear. Valsartan, as one of the angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), plays a role in the inhibition of inflammatory reactions in vascular dysfunction. This study is to investigate the role of Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) in alcohol‐induced inflammatory damage in vascular endothelial cells in vitro and to explore the protective effect of valsartan on alcohol‐induced and TLR2‐mediated inflammatory damage.MethodsThe human umbilical vein cell line (EA.hy926) were exposed to alcohol at 0 to 80 mM for 0 to 48 hours with or without valsartan pretreatment. The expression of TLR2 signaling, including TLR2, tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF‐6) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) p65 were detected by Western blot. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), were determined by ELISA. To confirm the role of TLR2, we functionally up‐regulated or down‐regulated TLR2 by using TLR2 agonist or TLR2 small interfering RNA (siRNA), respectively. To further investigate the mechanism of alcohol on renin‐angiotensin system, we detected the expression of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) in protein levels.ResultsThe expression of TLR2, TRAF‐6, NF‐κB p65, and the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF‐α and IL‐6, were significantly increased after alcohol exposure in EA.hy926 endothelial cells. This was enhanced by TLR2 agonist, and was inhibited by TLR2 siRNA transfection. The pretreatment of valsartan resulted in an inhibition of TLR2 signaling and proinflammatory cytokines. The expression of AGTR1 was up‐regulated after alcohol exposure, and was blocked by valsartan pretreatment.ConclusionsTLR2 signaling‐mediated alcohol induced inflammatory response in human vascular epithelial cells in vitro, which was inhibited by valsartan.
Impacts of Small‐scale Clearings due to Selective logging on Dung Beetle Communities
Authors: Hosaka Tetsuro , Niino Masahiro , Kon Masahiro , Ochi Teruo , Yamada Toshihiro , Fletcher Christine D. , Okuda Toshinori 
Published: October 2014

AbstractConservation of biodiversity in production forests is crucial for mitigating biodiversity loss in the tropics. The major ecological impacts of selective logging are often the result of small clearings for skid trails, logging roads, log yards, and logging camps; however, their impacts on forest biodiversity have rarely been examined. The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of these clearings on a forest‐dependent faunal group, dung beetles, and to identify the environmental factors responsible. Abundance and species richness of dung beetles decreased drastically in clearings, but directly increased in forests with the distance from roads/trails; abundance and species richness at 10 m from roads/trails were almost comparable with those detected in further interior forests. Similarly, species composition was significantly different between forests and clearings (except skid trails) but recovered within a short distance from roads/trails. Canopy openness was the most important environmental factor affecting the abundance, and species richness and composition of dung beetles; most dung beetle species were concentrated under closed forest canopy with less than 10 percent of canopy openness, whereas canopy openness ranged from 16 to 53 percent in clearings. Our study demonstrates that even small‐scale, unpaved clearings affect dung beetle communities through increased canopy openness. Although the effective distance was not very large, a considerable portion of logged areas can be affected when road networks are dense therefore minimizing the density of road networks and enhancing canopy recovery after logging are important for retaining biodiversity in tropical production forests.