Search results

The purpose of this paper is to present the current status of digital reference services (DRS) among selected academic libraries in the Philippines – the University Library of the University of the Philippines Diliman, the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University and the University Library of the De La Salle University Manila – by figuring out how information service is provided using instant messaging (IM) and social networking sites.

A survey was conducted to examine the nature, practice and impact of DRS and to ascertain users' preferences and level of awareness of the availability of Ask‐a‐Librarian – an information service offered through IM, and the Facebook fan page of the university libraries under study.

Interestingly, the findings reveal that the full potential of Reference 2.0 has not yet been maximized. When it comes to reference services in academic libraries, students and faculty members have chosen to go online: Ask‐a‐Librarian, web forms, e‐mail and Facebook. A significant increase in the number of reference transaction was observed after integrating Web 2.0 and digital reference tools to its information services. IM and Facebook were found to be the most useful tools in finding relevant information. A majority of the queries received were brief and factual information inquiries and questions on how to use online databases.

The paper further explores the different aspects of IM and Facebook reference service: statistics, content of the questions and quality of the answers, reference interview, and the user's awareness and preferences. The results of this study may prescribe practices integrating Web 2.0 applications to beef up reference service, in which academic librarians in the Philippines may benchmark.

This paper is the first systematic evaluation of the nature and practice of Reference 2.0 in the Philippine setting; it makes a valuable contribution that could boost academic libraries in the country as they endeavor to provide world‐class service to many.

This study aims to examine the perceived role of libraries and contributions to the internationalization of higher education and identify the available library services for international students and faculty.

This descriptive research used a survey method to study the different activities and practices of the internationalization of academic libraries.

The results of this study reveal that academic libraries support the teaching, learning and research needs of international students and faculty members, provide library instruction for international students to acquire information literacy skills and promote the rationale and goals of the institution's internationalization activities. Many respondents are engaged in staff development with internationalization dimensions and international library benchmarking and research paper presentation at international conferences with institutional support.

The results of this study could benefit the profession and library managers by deepening the managers' understanding of the role of libraries in the internationalization of Philippine higher education.

This study will be of interest and value to library and school administrators interested in developing or expanding internationalization activities that positively respond to the redefinition of the role of libraries and librarians in globalization.

This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) on firm performance and the moderating role of corporate governance on the CSRD–firm performance relationship of listed companies in Nigeria.

The paper uses a panel data set comprising 841 firm-year observations for the period covering 2007-2016. Fixed effect regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between CSRD and firm performance, and the moderating role of corporate governance in the CSRD–firm performance relationship.

The results of the study show that there are positive performance implications for firms that engage in CSRD. Although this study finds no effect of board size on the CSRD–firm performance relationship, it provides a strong evidence of a positive effect of board independence on the CSR–firm performance relationship.

The study contributes to the understanding of CSRD–firm performance relationship by providing evidence of the moderating role of corporate governance. It is, therefore, recommended that a stronger regulation be put in place for CSR engagement and the disclosure of same in Nigeria as well as robust measures for the enforcement of corporate governance mechanisms because there are economic benefits to be derived.

The findings contribute to the literature by providing up-to-date and original insights on the CSRD–firm performance relationship within a developing country context. It also uses an uncommon method of measuring CSRD, taking into account the institutional biases that may arise from other methods used in studies on developed countries.

This paper aims to derive tailor-made microtextures for elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) contacts under consideration of manufacturing possibilities.

Component tests were used for the evaluation of the influence of surface texturing on the friction behavior in the cam/tappet contact. Furthermore, the manufacturing possibilities and limitations of a combined μEDM and micro-coining process and the feasibility of integration into a forming process were studied. Finally, a methodology based on transient EHL simulations and a meta-model of optimal prognosis was exemplarily used for microtexture optimization.

It was found that surface texturing in EHL contacts with high amount of sliding is promising. Moreover, the combination of μEDM and micro coining and the integration into established production processes allow the manufacturing of microtextures with desirable structural parameters and sufficient accuracy.

This paper gives a holistic view on surface microtexturing over several phases of the product life cycle, from the design, over efficient manufacturing to application-related testing.

Collaborative research and development have remained a pertinent mechanism for conducting technological innovations. With the lens of knowledge-based view (KBV), this study aims to examine the role of changes in knowledge couplings and network cohesion to elevate innovation performance.

Data analysis has been performed on 53,459 patents through regression analysis with random effects. These independent and joint patents are extracted from Derwent Innovation Database.

Findings explicate that change in external existing or existing and new knowledge couplings have inverted U-shaped effects on a firm’s innovation performance. Changes in internal existing or existing and new knowledge couplings have direct positive effects on firm’s innovation performance. The moderation effect of network cohesion flattens the inverted U-shaped effect of external new and existing knowledge coupling, whereas it has no significant effect on external existing knowledge coupling. Network cohesion further elevates the effects of internal knowledge couplings – existing or existing and new.

This study theoretically contributes to KBV and innovation management literature by highlighting the scope of changes in internal and external knowledge couplings and subsequent output. Network cohesion flattens the curviness of changes in external new and existing knowledge couplings, which is a contribution to strategic management literature.

Organizations need to carefully manage changes in knowledge couplings and ensure their benefits (obtain new knowledge domain or new combination) outweigh liabilities (damages to organizational routines or increase in collaboration costs). Managers must consider four kinds of knowledge coupling changes along with developing network cohesion as an R&D strategy.

This study is one of its types to flatten the curve through network cohesion. This study divided the changes in knowledge coupling into four types and two dimensions; external existing and new and existing knowledge couplings and internal existing and new and existing knowledge couplings.

Design, balancing, and sequencing are the key issues associated with assembly lines (ALs). The purpose of this paper is to identify AL design issues and to develop an integrated methodology for mixed‐model assembly line balancing (MMALB) and sequencing. Primarily, mixed‐model lines are utilized for high‐variety, low‐volume job shop or batch production. Variation of a generic product is important for the manufacturers as the demand is mostly customer driven in the present global market.

Different AL design norms, performance indexes, and AL workstation indexes have been identified in the initial stage of this work. As the paper progresses, it has focused towards an integrated approach for MMALB and sequencing addressed for small‐ and medium‐scale assembly plants. A small‐scale practical problem has been justified with this integrated methodology implemented by MATLAB.

ALs execution in the production floor require many important factors to be considered. Different line orientations, production approaches, line characteristics, performance and workstation indexes, problem definitions, balancing and product sequencing in accordance with the objective functions are needed to be taken into account by the line designer.

This paper has highlighted the important AL design characteristics and also provided an integrated approach for balancing mixed‐model assembly lines (MMALs) combined with sequencing heuristic. The findings of this paper can be helpful for the designers while designing an AL. The integrated approach for balancing and sequencing of MMALs can be used as a functional tool for assembly‐based contemporary industries.

The following annotated list of materials on providing library orientation to users and instructing them in library and information skills is the tenth annual review of this literature and covers publications from 1983. A few items have not been annotated because the compiler was unable to secure a copy of these items.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is a relationship between asset-specific online search interest and movements in the US REIT market.

The authors collect search volume (SV) data from “Google Trends” for a set of keywords representing the information demand of real estate (equity) investors. On this basis, the authors test hypothetical investment strategies based on changes in internet SV, to anticipate REIT market movements.

The results reveal that people’s information demand can indeed serve as a successful predictor for the US REIT market. Among other findings, evidence is provided that there is a significant relationship between asset-specific keywords and the US REIT market. Specifically, investment strategies based on weekly changes in Google SV would have outperformed a buy-and-hold strategy (0.1 percent p.a.) for the Morgan Stanley Capital International US REIT Index by a remarkable 15.4 percent p.a. between 2006 and 2013. Furthermore, the authors find that real-estate-related terms are more suitable than rather general, finance-related terms for predicting REIT market movements.

The findings should be of particular interest for REIT market investors, as the established relationships can potentially be utilized to anticipate short-term REIT market movements.

This is the first paper which applies Google search query data to the REIT market.

The change in the way of active power filters (APF) location can lead to overall cost reduction due to less number or less power of APFs required. The goal of this paper was to minimize the APF currents what is equivalent to solution with less apparent power of installed devices. The next step consists in development of new methods of APF optimal location.

Some scripts integrating optimization and harmonic analysis methods in Matlab and PCFLO software environments have been developed in order to achieve the goal.

Solution to the minimization problem determines the current spectrum of an APF connected to a selected system bus in accordance with some optimization strategies which among others enable minimization of THDV coefficients.

The APF control algorithm defined in the frequency domain and based on given current spectrum could lead to some problems with synchronization between APF instantaneous current and compensated current waveforms.

There are many papers on APFs but usually systems in which an APF is connected near a nonlinear load are analyzed. Some attempts to solve the more complex problems of synchronized multipoint compensation have been already made but there is still no generally accepted and commonly used solution.

This study aims to investigate the effect of compound pit textures on the tribological properties of thrust cylindrical roller bearings (TCRBs) using several parameters, such as compound type, pit diameter, pit depth and pit area density.

The surface texture parameters of the shaft washer (WS) raceway include pit diameter (D; 100, 300 and 500 µm), pit depth (H; 10 and 20 µm) and pit area density (S; 10%, 13% and 18%). Pits were produced on the WS of the TCRBs using laser marking equipment. The friction and wear performances of compound pit-textured TCRBs under starved lubrication conditions are studied using a friction and wear test rig. The influence mechanisms of the compound pit texture on the friction and wear properties of TCRBs are discussed through real tests and discussions.

Compared with nontextured bearings, the average coefficient of friction (ACOFs) and wear loss of TCRBs with single/compound pit textures are reduced when rotating under starved lubrication. D has the greatest effect on the COFs curve. When D = 300 µm, H = 10 µm and S = 10%, the ACOF and wear loss are the lowest, that is, 0.0207 and 3.38 mg, respectively. Under the same lubrication conditions, compared with the nontextured bearing group, the COF and wear loss are reduced by 41.4 and 59.6%, respectively.

This study provides a useful reference for the raceways of textured TCRBs.