bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Size matters: the effect of European Union membership on firms in Slovenia
Authors: Šuštar Boris , Šuštar Rozana 
Published: August 2005

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between the size of a firm and the strategic choices it makes with regard to the level of internationalisation, product range and breadth of the customer base, in the context of a new Member State of the European Union: Slovenia.Design/methodology/approachThree hypotheses were tested by data collected by a self‐completion postal survey of almost one in five of all manufacturing exporters in the country, directed at general managers or executives involved in making strategic marketing decisions and calling for answers on Likert scales. The response rate was 24 percent.FindingsThere was a clear association between choice of internationalisation strategy and the size of Slovenian firms, which is generally small. That characteristic is a strong predictor of the number of products marketed abroad and the number of customers in export markets served.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies of other variables that may determine export behaviour would add to the utility of these findings for the development of export strategy for firms in developing economies.Practical implicationsAs the new countries of the European Union enter new competitive environments, such findings as these are vital intelligence for their marketing planners.Originality/valueSlovenia is self‐evidently a country of interest to international marketing academics and practitioners.
Organizational and human resource aspects of IT management
Authors: Marouf Laila , ur Rehman Sajjad 
Published: August 2005

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the organizational arrangements and employment policies and practices of 30 Kuwait corporate companies in five selected IT operations of system development, software applications, database management, networking, and web applications.Design/methodology/approachFor the purpose of data collection, key human resource managers of these companies were interviewed. It was investigated what organizational placement had been practiced in these companies and who were the IT professionals in terms of their education, professional background, and other significant affiliations. Issues related to employer perceptions about the preparedness of these professionals and the problems they had faced in their employment were specifically addressed. These companies were conveniently organized into three categories for having distinct organizational policies.FindingsIt was noted that the practices greatly varied. Outsourcing was widely practiced for web applications, system development, and database management. A majority of employers showed dissatisfaction with the quality of local graduates and demanded a number of remedial measures from different quarters in order to ameliorate the problems they faced.Practical implicationsThe findings have relevance for the executives and IT managers of Kuwaiti corporate companies for critical assessment of their human resource.Originality/valueProvides information on the organizational arrangements and employment policies and practices of several Kuwaiti companies.
Displays of Arabic script on web‐based OPACs in GCC institutions
Authors: Elhafiz Ibrahim Ahmed 
Published: August 2005

PurposeThis study has the aim of evaluating the compliance of bilingual Arabic scripts web‐based catalogues in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC). It also seeks to highlight some of the challenges facing the exchange of bibliographic records and resource sharing among Arabic script online public access catalogues (OPACs).Design/methodology/approachTen OPACs in the GCC countries accessible via the internet were surveyed. Modified guidelines of OPAC displays published in the literature were used for evaluating the Arabic script display in the surveyed web‐based OPACs. The study emphasizes the absence of a dominant model for the display of bibliographic data in the surveyed OPACs. There is inconsistency in label wording, access points provided in record default display, hyperlink to bibliographic elements, and data sequence. MARC format is not utilized in over two thirds of the surveyed catalogues, as well as the Z39.50 protocol. The study argues that the web‐based OPAC could play a landmark role in networking the catalogues of the GCC University libraries as a web‐based e‐union catalogue.FindingsOPACs have broadened the capacity of the academic library in recording, indexing, archiving, and organising its growth‐oriented collections. The advent of the internet into the library setting has also provided OPACs with powerful searching and retrieval capabilities at a one‐stop portal. Meanwhile, great efforts are currently being done to design and operate an Arabic version of OPAC to be compatible with agreed‐upon MARC standards. This challenge sparked strong interest in evaluating the compliance of the bilingual (Arabic/English) web‐based OPAC operated particularly by some GCC University libraries.Originality/valueProvides an evaluation of the compliance of bilingual Arabic scripts web‐based catalogues in the GCC.
An evaluation of library automation in some Ghanaian university libraries
Authors: Amekuedee John‐Oswald 
Published: August 2005

PurposeThe study was undertaken to find out which library processes have been automated in Ghana's three older public university libraries namely, the Balme Library, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Library and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Library.Design/methodology/approachUsing data obtained through the use of questionnaires, the study examined areas of general automation, automation of specific library processes, networking, internet connectivity, training, and major constraints to library automation.FindingsThe study found out that even though the university libraries realize the importance of library automation, they are hampered by lack of funds, lack of support from the university administrations, and lack of skilled staff to embark on automation of all library processes. It was also revealed that none of the libraries have on OPAC (online public access catalogue).Originality/valueThe study concludes with recommendations that would enhance the university libraries drive towards automation of their library processes and ensure effective and efficient use of the new technology to raise the image of the libraries and give their library clients more services.
Decision support system for library acquisitions: a framework
Authors: Uzoka F.M.E. , Ijatuyi O.A. 
Published: August 2005

PurposeAcquisition of books, serials and other educational materials by libraries involves a complex decision process; especially when there are many books to choose from and the resources are meager. Attempts have been made in the past to take decisions concerning library acquisitions using structured information such as cost, availability of funds, and number of copies needed by the library, author and year of publication. The purpose of this research is to provide a framework for the combination of both structured and unstructured information in the library acquisitions decision process.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology involves the design of a knowledge‐based system, which is powered by the classical method of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which carries out a pairwise comparison (PWC) of acquisition decision variables.FindingsThe results of the study show that decision variables involved in library acquisitions can be grouped and hierarchically structured. The application of the pairwise comparison matrix produces eigenvectors that aid in stepwise refinement of the results of the conventional acquisition process in order to achieve some level of optimality in the decision process.Originality/valueThe framework provided in this study could be useful for library professionals and information scientists as a veritable library decision support tool that applies both structured and unstructured information in the acquisition decision process.
Regional digital libraries in Poland
Authors: Andrzej Nikisch Jan , Górny Miroslaw 
Published: August 2005

PurposeTo review selected activities of Polish libraries in the field of digitising library collections.Design/methodology/approachProvides descriptive information on Wielkopolska Digital Library (WDL) – organisational assumptions, technology, functionality and resources. This paper discusses the problem of relations between regional libraries and central library.FindingsIt describes the organisation and technological solutions applied in the WDL, and characterises its resources and functionality. In addition, main problems of librarians developing digital libraries in Poland were indicated.Originality/valueA concept of a network of regional digital libraries in Poland was presented. Tasks were discussed, which regional libraries should carry out as the completion of tasks performed by the central library.
Constrained finite rotations in dynamics of shells and Newmark implicit time‐stepping schemes
Authors: Brank Boštjan , Mamouri Said , Ibrahimbegović Adnan 
Published: August 2005

PurposeAims to address the issues pertaining to dynamics of constrained finite rotations as a follow‐up from previous considerations in statics.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual approach is taken.FindingsIn this work the corresponding version of the Newmark time‐stepping schemes for the dynamics of smooth shells employing constrained finite rotations is developed. Different possibilities to choose the constrained rotation parameters are discussed, with the special attention given to the preferred choice of the incremental rotation vector.Originality/valueThe pertinent details of consistent linearization, rotation updates and illustrative numerical simulations are supplied.
Prediction of crack pattern distribution in reinforced concrete by coupling a strong discontinuity model of concrete cracking and a bond‐slip of reinforcement model
Authors: Dominguez Norberto , Brancherie Delphine , Davenne Luc , Ibrahimbegović Adnan 
Published: August 2005

PurposeTo provide a reinforced concrete model including bonding coupled to a classical continuum damage model of concrete, capable of predicting numerically the crack pattern distribution in a RC structure, subjected to traction forces.Design/methodology/approachA new coupling between bonding model and an alternative model for concrete cracking is proposed and analyzed. For concrete, proposes a damage‐like material model capable of combining two types of dissipative mechanisms: diffuse volume dissipation and localized surface dissipation.FindingsOne of the most important contributions is the capacity of predicting maximal and minimal spacing of macro‐cracks, even if the exact location of cracks remains undetermined. Another contribution is to reiterate on the insufficiency of the local damage model of concrete to handle this class of problems; much in the same manner as for localization problem which accompany strain‐softening behavior.Practical implicationsBonding becomes very important to evaluate both the integrity and durability of a RC structure, or in particular to a reliable prediction of crack spacing and opening, and it should be integrated in future analysis of RC.Originality/valueShows that introduction of the influence of concrete heterogeneities in numerical analysis can directly affect the configuration of the crack pattern distribution. Use of a strong discontinuity approach provides additional cracking information like opening of macro‐cracks.
Shape optimization of two‐phase inelastic material with microstructure
Authors: Ibrahimbegović Adnan , Grešovnik Igor , Markovič Damijan , Melnyk Sergiy , Rodič Tomaž 
Published: August 2005

PurposeProposes a methodology for dealing with the problem of designing a material microstructure the best suitable for a given goal.Design/methodology/approachThe chosen model problem for the design is a two‐phase material, with one phase related to plasticity and another to damage. The design problem is set in terms of shape optimization of the interface between two phases. The solution procedure proposed herein is compatible with the multi‐scale interpretation of the inelastic mechanisms characterizing the chosen two‐phase material and it is thus capable of providing the optimal form of the material microstructure. The original approach based upon a simultaneous/sequential solution procedure for the coupled mechanics‐optimization problem is proposed.FindingsSeveral numerical examples show a very satisfying performance of the proposed methodology. The latter can easily be adapted to other choices of design variables.Originality/valueConfirms that one can thus achieve the optimal design of the nonlinear behavior of a given two‐phase material with respect to the goal specified by a cost function, by computing the optimal form of the shape interface between the phases.
The quality of prescribing in general practice in Kerman, Iran
Authors: Gholamreza‐Sepehri  , Meimandi Manzumeh‐Shamsi 
Published: August 2005

PurposeThe aim of the present study was to assess the prescribing pattern of general practitioners (GPs) in Kerman province of Iran.Design/methodology/approachA total of 45,384 prescriptions issued in one year (2002) by GPs in ten cities of Kerman province were investigated for the number of drugs/prescription, drug name, drug category and route of administration. The mean number of drugs/prescription was 3.43.FindingsOverall most of the drugs (97.2 per cent) were prescribed by generic name. The most frequently prescribed drugs were antibiotics (33.95 per cent), sedative/hypnotics (19.56 per cent), non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (19.2 per cent) and corticosteroids (11.2 per cent). About 42.4 per cent of the patients received an injectable drug.Originality/valueThe results of this study showed inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, NSAIDs, corticosteroids and injectable drugs. So intervention methods should be chosen to change physicians' prescribing behavior, through education of rational drug prescription, to improve the quality of prescribing practice of GPs.
An ISO 9001 quality management system in a hospital
Authors: van den Heuvel Jaap , Koning Lida , Bogers Ad J.J.C. , Berg Marc , van Dijen Monique E.M. 
Published: August 2005

PurposeTo describe how The Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk, The Netherlands implemented an ISO 9000 quality management system throughout the entire organisation, obtained an ISO 9002:1994 and subsequently an ISO 9001:2000 certificate.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a global implementation plan was written concerning the process obtaining in each department. Once improved, each process was subjected to a procedure, and specific protocols effected. On completion the Quality Manual was put together. Quality management was completed by implementing an internal audit system involving 50 co‐workers.FindingsA number of advantages are found from using ISO. The focus on patients has been re‐established. All processes are identified and subject to continuous improvement. Performance measurements were introduced and give an integrated picture of results. Measurements subsequently lead to improvement of quality of care and to quality system improvements. The documentation system serves the organization's needs without leading to bureaucracy. Positive effects on patient safety could be demonstrated compared with ten other hospitals.Originality/valueGiven the need for adequate quality management tools in health care and the need for demonstrating quality, the positive effects reported in this article show how ISO is expected to become more prevalent in health‐care organisations.
“To protect or not to protect?” Complaining vulnerable adults? That is the challenge
Authors: Bell Louise , Osborne Rachel , Gregg Peter 
Published: August 2005

PurposeHidden camera television documentaries filmed in care home settings have shown evidence of the abuse of vulnerable adults, been widely discussed in the mass media and have brought the attention of the mass population to the importance of these issues. Governmental documents have also emphasised the need to protect vulnerable adults. It is therefore known that vulnerable adults exist and require protection from abuse in any shape or form. However, this paper aims to argue that protecting vulnerable adults and the current mechanisms for encouraging such individuals to make their views known to services are not mutually compatible. The main technique vulnerable adults may use, the complaints procedure, currently may not be sufficient to enable vulnerable adults to express themselves and their anxieties adequately.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a case study which clearly demonstrates the nature of the problems, and then recognises and describes a number of levels which could be explored to learn more about these issues.Research limitations/implicationsPotential solutions are explored by the authors, who draw conclusions about the need for further research into this area.Originality/valueThis paper defines a gap between adult protection and complaints procedures, questioning both their efficacy and abilities to meet their stated aims. The paper also highlights that the nature of these may not sufficiently enable complaining vulnerable adults to express their views of services.
Reducing costs through improved returns processing
Authors: Stuart Julie Ann , Bonawi‐tan Winston , Loehr Sarah , Gates Joyce 
Published: August 2005

PurposeTo provide fashion catalog distributors with an approach to reduce costs from returns processing by considering an array of characteristics related to demand, lead‐time, and inventory level.Design/methodology/approachApparel return rates from catalog sales are frequently 10‐30 percent of shipped orders. Despite the magnitude of returns processing, return operations are characterized by high backlogs, inefficiency, and excess material handling. Typical catalog clothing returns processing considers the condition of the returned item, fashion obsolescence, and back‐order status to make disposition decisions. In the proposed algorithm, added considerations to select a disposition option for a return include inventory level, demand pattern, cost and lead‐time factors.FindingsThe current and proposed algorithms are tested using disguised data from a fashion catalog sales company. It is shown that the proposed algorithm fills back‐orders more quickly, while reducing the returns‐processing cost and time by over 20 percent.Research limitations/implicationsBy combining the tasks, open packaging, credit customer, and evaluate item characteristics including backorder status at the first workstation, the training for staff at the first workstation is increased.Practical implicationsFashion catalog distributors should examine their returns‐processing system for opportunities to reduce returns‐processing time and costs by consolidating and eliminating tasks and by considering inventory level, demand pattern, cost, and lead‐time when selecting a disposition option for a return. The proposed algorithm can be integrated into the information technology system at the fashion catalog distributor.Originality/valueThis paper addresses how to reduce inefficiency and excess material handling in returns processing at a fashion catalog distributor.
A framework for understanding the interaction of uncertainty and information systems on supply chains
Authors: Prater Edmund 
Published: August 2005

PurposeToday, global supply chains must deal with large amounts of uncertainty. This paper seeks to provide a framework for understanding the different types of uncertainties that can impact supply chains and their attendant information systems.Design/methodology/approachAddresses the following questions. What are the different types of uncertainty at the general macro level? How are these macro level uncertainty types broken down into more specific types of uncertainty seen in supply chains? What impact do these uncertainties have on the supply chain and the supporting IS, and what are the current methods for dealing with them?FindingsThe term uncertainty is used as a generic reference for various and sundry different types of problems within the management of supply chains and their supporting information systems (IS). This can lead to confusion about what tools and techniques are available and which tools apply to which types of problems. The framework presented allows researchers and practitioners to more accurately converse about the exact problems encountered in the management of supply chains and the tools that are needed to address these problems.Originality/valueThe paper addresses uncertainty in supply chains and provides a starting‐point for further discussion and research on the management of uncertainty within them.
Radiation hybrid mapping of all 10 characterized bovine Toll‐like receptors
Authors: McGuire K. , Jones M. , Werling D. , Williams J. L. , Glass E. J. , Jann O. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryToll‐like receptors (TLRs) are cell‐surface signalling molecules that recognize a range of highly conserved pathogen molecules and instigate the appropriate immune response. Here, we report the mapping of all 10 characterized bovine TLR genes using a radiation hybrid panel. The genomic organization of the bovine TLRs is similar to that of humans and mice. TLR1, TLR6 and TLR10 map closely together on Bos taurus chromosome 6 (BTA6), while TLR7 and TLR8 map to the X chromosome. TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5 and TLR9 map to BTA17, BTA27, BTA8, BTA16 and BTA22 respectively. Our increased knowledge of the genomic organization of the bovine TLR genes may promote our understanding of their evolution and help in the identification of bovine genes underlying disease‐resistance traits.
Membrane‐penetrating trehalase from silkworm Bombyx mori. Molecular cloning and localization in larval midgut
Authors: Mitsumasu K. , Azuma M. , Niimi T. , Yamashita O. , Yaginuma T. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe main blood sugar in insects, trehalose, differs from glucose in mammals. To incorporate trehalose into cells and utilize it, tissue cells possess the enzyme trehalase (EC3.2.1.28), which catalyses trehalose into glucose, in the organellar membrane or in the cytoplasm. Soluble and membrane‐bound trehalase proteins have been isolated from insects. To date, however, only genes encoding the soluble trehalase have been reported in insects. Soluble trehalase is therefore believed to become localized on the cell surface via modification. In contrast, cDNAs encoding trehalase localized on the apical cell surface via the glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchor have been isolated from mammalian small intestines. The amino acid sequence contains a specific hydrophobic region and an upstream omega site, which is cleaved for glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐attachment, at the C‐terminus. Here, we describe a cDNA from the silkworm Bombyx mori that encodes a novel trehalase (type‐2) with one transmembrane domain and lacking the omega site. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that in the midgut tissue of Bombyx larvae, soluble trehalase‐1 is present mainly in goblet cell cavities, but membrane‐bound trehalase‐2 is predominantly seen on the visceral muscle surrounding the midgut. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a cDNA encoding trehalase that penetrates the cell membrane in insects and its cellular localization.