F. Jayakanth, K. Maly, M. Zubair and L. Aswath
A dynamic approach to making legacy databases, like CDS/ISIS, interoperable with OAI‐compliant digital libraries (DLs).
Abstract
Purpose
A dynamic approach to making legacy databases, like CDS/ISIS, interoperable with OAI‐compliant digital libraries (DLs).
Design/methodology/approach
There are many bibliographic databases that are being maintained using legacy database systems. CDS/ISIS is one such legacy database system. It was designed and developed specifically for handling textual data. Over the years, many databases have been developed using this package. There is, however, no mechanism supported by the package for seamless interoperability of databases. The open archives initiative (OAI) addresses the issue of interoperability by using a framework to facilitate the discovery of content stored in distributed archives or bibliographic databases through the use of the OAI Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI‐PMH). The protocol is becoming a de facto standard for interoperability of DLs. Many of the legacy database systems that are in use today, to the best of our knowledge, for various reasons, are not OAI‐compliant. This makes it difficult for the legacy databases to share their metadata automatically. There are two possible approaches to make legacy databases OAI‐compliant – static and dynamic. In this paper, we discuss the dynamic approach to make CDS/ISIS databases OAI‐compliant.
Findings
The dynamic approach is a simple way to make legacy databases OAI‐compliant so that they become interoperable with other OAI‐compliant DLs.
Research limitations/implication
Developing a general‐purpose tool to make legacy databases OAI‐compliant may be difficult as the driver software needed for database connectivity may not be easily available. Also, the structure of the databases are likely be so varied that identifying the fields that make up the databases programmatically will be very challenging.
Originality/value
Provides a dynamic approach to making legacy databases interoperable with OAI‐compliant libraries.
Details
Keywords
F. Jayakanth, K. Maly, M. Zubair and L. Aswath
To make CDS/ISIS databases OAI‐compliant.
Abstract
Purpose
To make CDS/ISIS databases OAI‐compliant.
Design/methodology/approach
One of the biggest obstacles for information dissemination to a user community is that many digital libraries or bibliographic databases use heterogeneous technologies that inhibit interoperability. The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) addresses interoperability by using a framework to facilitate the discovery of content stored in distributed archives or bibliographic databases through the use of the OAI Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI‐PMH). Though the OAI‐PMH is becoming the de facto standard, many of the legacy databases or bibliographic systems, for various reasons, are not OAI‐compliant. CDS/ISIS is one such database system. In this paper, we discuss the static repository (SR) approach to make CDS/ISIS databases OAI‐compliant. The records from a CDS/ISIS database are exported onto a file and the exported records are then converted to the SR XML file format. The SR file is made OAI‐compliant either by ingesting it into the Kepler Archivelet or through the intermediation of a static repository gateway (SRG).
Findings
The SR is a simple approach for making bibliographic records contained in non‐OAI‐compliant systems, OAI‐compliant.
Research limitations/implications
The SR approach is meant for records, which are relatively static. If the OAI‐compliance is achieved through the SRG, then the number of records contained in a SR file should not exceed 5,000. However, if the SR file is ingested into the Kepler Archivelet, then there is no restriction on the number of records contained in a SR file.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to describe very reproducible boundary lubrication tests, conducted as part of design of experiment (DOE) to study the behavior of fluorinated…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe very reproducible boundary lubrication tests, conducted as part of design of experiment (DOE) to study the behavior of fluorinated catalyst mixed with polutetrafluoroethylene or Teflon (PTFE) in developing environmentally friendly (reduced P and S) anti‐wear additives for future engine oil formulations. The paper presents both the statistical and experimental solution to the fluorinated interactions in fully formulated (F‐fully formulated) and plain ZDDP (F‐plain) oils.
Design/methodology/approach
The wear performance of fluorinated additive in combination with conventional commercial oil and ZDDP plain oil were investigated using DOE software. Several chemistry combinations were prepared and tested under extreme boundary lubrication (385 N with maximum Hertzian contact pressure of 2.72 GPa). Wear and frictional properties were evaluated using DOE and the interactions of fluorinated mix with minimum phosphorus were studied and compared with respect to fully formulated and plain ZDDP oils.
Findings
The optimized desirability shows the best condition that leads to more consistency in the breakdown of the tribofilm for a fixed contact load and fixed amount of fully formulated ZDDP oil. The influence of catalyst and PTFE fluorinated mix were examined. Scanning electron microscopy with chemistry analysis was developed. Hardness of the tribofilms, X‐ray of the wear track and Auger spectroscopy confirm the present of fluorine and phosphorus.
Originality/value
To ensure the reliability of the model, two original tests were conducted on the fully formulated and plain oil with minimum fluorinated mix.
Details
Keywords
Gabi N Nehme and Saeed Ghalambor
This study aims to examine the effect of the antiwear resistance of plain zinc-dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) oil in the presence of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of the antiwear resistance of plain zinc-dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) oil in the presence of Titanium-fluoride/iron-fluoride/polytetrafluoroethylene (TiF3/FeF3/PTFE) in the time to tribofilm breakdown and extent of wear under extreme boundary lubrication using a contact load of 317 Newton and a rotational speed of 700 rpm to simulate the cold start of a car engine. The mechanism of tribofilm formation and breakdown was followed carefully by monitoring the friction coefficient for different surface roughnesses over the duration of several reproducible tests that were performed in a ball on cylinder tribometer.
Design/methodology/approach
The heating time of the cylinder dipped in the specified lubricant blend then set for one minute before testing and the break in period of 2 minutes to cool the contacting metal to metal surfaces during tribological testing played important roles in minimizing friction and wear, and are directly proportional to the durability and time for breakdown of the tribofilm. This article addresses the improvement of water drop contact angles for different surfaces during heat treatment and the tribological enhancement of antiwear additives when optimum concentration of fluorinated catalysts and PTFE is used in connection with reduced surface roughness and break in period.
Findings
Design of Experiment software, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and nanoindentation were used in this study to evaluate the antiwear resistance films when using 0.05 per cent phosphorus ZDDP plain oil with 0.5 weight per cent TiF3 + 0.5 weight per cent FeF3 + 2 weight per cent PTFE and when applying 2 minutes break in time to cool down the contacting bodies when temperature rises. Results indicated that the coated film on the thermally treated surfaces that is reflected as white patches on the SEM images is a function of the antiwear additives contribution; it is also shown to have positive influence on the friction and wear performances during tribological testing.
Originality/value
This research involved the study of lubricant and surface interactions with antiwear additives under boundary lubrication and extreme pressure loading. Several researchers studied these effects and submitted articles to the journal. This is the first time that a break in period was used with surface conditions to simulate car stops in heavy traffic conditions.
Details
Keywords
Balakrishnan V Nair and Chandramalar Munusami
The purpose of this paper is to investigate KM practices that may be in place in the higher education institutions (HEIs) and whether the KM practices are made known to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate KM practices that may be in place in the higher education institutions (HEIs) and whether the KM practices are made known to the employees for improving the teaching and learning environment provided at the Malaysian higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a personal administrated method made available to private higher education institutions academic members in five states with 30 or more employees. A total of 1,100 survey questionnaires were handed out, out of which 273 were collected and were usable (24.8 per cent response rate). The sample was checked for response and non-response bias. Results were tested using SPSS application and questionnaire tools.
Findings
It was essential to establish the knowledge management (KM) capacity in key areas such as the ability to recognise experts within the institution, leadership’s innovation, knowledge sharing and knowledge acquiring work culture, and technology usage. KM tools and techniques would help the institutions to meet their competitive goals; therefore, it is vital for HEIs to create KM awareness among the employees.
Research limitations/implications
Similar to most studies, it is anticipated that the participants’ awareness of KM practices at their HEIs is very high. The samples were collected to evaluate the general view of KM awareness and how participants perceived KM practices. The total samples received for this study were expected; however, they were sufficient to study the impact.
Practical implications
This paper provides support for the importance of KM practices and employees awareness at HEIs to enhance innovation and performance teaching and learning environment.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first papers to find empirical support for the role of KM practices at HEIs. Further, the positioning of KM practices as a competitive tool can be considered as an influential factor to competitive advantage.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Arif and Khalid Mahmood
The aim of this study was to explore the pattern and extent of the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies by Pakistani librarians.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to explore the pattern and extent of the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies by Pakistani librarians.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted using web‐based surveying software (SurveyMonkey) and Pakistan based LIS e‐mail discussion groups. Professional librarians serving in all types of libraries participated in the study.
Findings
Instant messaging, blogs, social networking and wikis were the most popular Web 2.0 technologies. Librarians adopted such technologies in their professional and personal lives. Gender, length of professional experience and place of work have no effect on the frequency of use, while perceived skill level of internet use and perceived ease of Web 2.0 use have a significant effect on the frequency. Lack of computer literacy, and lower availability of computers and internet facilities were the major hindrances of Web 2.0 adoption by librarians. Awareness and training programs could enable librarians to cope with Web 2.0 technologies.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the use of a non‐probability/non‐representative sampling method, the results cannot be generalized.
Practical implications
This study will create awareness among LIS professionals toward the use of advanced technology in their professional environment. The findings of this study will contribute to the successful adoption of Web 2.0 in libraries.
Originality/value
This is the first study on the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in Pakistani librarianship.
Details
Keywords
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of organizational factors, such as the culture of trust, human resources (HR) practice and top management support on librarians’…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of organizational factors, such as the culture of trust, human resources (HR) practice and top management support on librarians’ attitudes towards knowledge sharing (KS), and the degree to which this attitude affects their perceived readiness to adopt knowledge management (KM).
Design/methodology/approach
A soft copy of the questionnaire was sent to 217 academic librarians in both public and private universities in Kuwait. A total of 150 valid responses were collected and tested using a structural equation model. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS and LISREL software to verify the research hypotheses.
Findings
The study found that apart from HR practices, all the other factors had significant effects on librarians’ attitudes towards KS. In addition, the attitude of librarians towards KS was found to significantly affect the readiness to adopt KM in academic libraries.
Practical implications
Findings should help libraries identify opportunities and barriers to adopting KM. Results indicate that strengthening the affecting factors, such as a culture of trust and top management support, lead to a more positive attitude towards KS and ultimately a better chance of success for any KM initiative that will take place in an academic library.
Originality/value
The primary research contribution is the conceptual model of the effect of the organizational factors of a culture of trust, HR practices and top management support on librarians’ attitudes towards KS, and the degree to which this affects their perceived readiness to adopt KM.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to proffer a glimpse of diverse e-resources and materials accumulated by National Digital Library of India (NDLI) for facilitating open access resources (OARs…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to proffer a glimpse of diverse e-resources and materials accumulated by National Digital Library of India (NDLI) for facilitating open access resources (OARs) during the difficult times of global pandemic. Out of all the resources, an attempt has been made to place a focus on COVID-19 research repository maintained at NDLI platform to facilitate related research activities for envisaging experiments by scientists and researchers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on COVID-19 research repository assimilated by NDLI, and a detailed investigative research has been made about various resources and materials available for research community. The official website of NDLI (direct link of NDLI website: https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/) has been referred for collection of requisite data for study. The collected information has been presented through eight tables, two charts and two figures, which have further been analyzed and interpreted to attain the objectives.
Findings
The brief examples in this paper indicates that a wealth of OARs related to COVID-19 such as scholarly communications, data sets, documents and videos and journals and conferences, etc. are available for access and research by scientists and researchers to expand their research during and also beyond this global crisis. Social distancing has forced academics to displace to online platform from physical deliverables. Institutions are forced to adopt new technologies for delivering education in online mode such as online teaching, online access of educational resources, online conferences, webinars and a host of such related activities. NDLI has been instrumental in this journey by accumulating providing research materials through its platform.
Originality/value
In addition to the blended learning process, this paper provides a structured overview about COVID-19 research repository facilitated by NDLI to provide access about related research activities by scientists and researchers. This investigative research on NDLI platform has been done originally by the author with a sacrosanct aim to help serious academia and has a high referral value for the scientific, technocratic and realistic researchers with deep thrust on availability of all materials under one roof, i.e. NDLI.
Details
Keywords
Gabi N Nehme and Saeed Ghalambor
This paper aims to focus on the topics of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) in engine oil. Very reproducible boundary lubrication tests were conducted as part of Design of Experiments…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the topics of phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) in engine oil. Very reproducible boundary lubrication tests were conducted as part of Design of Experiments software to study the behavior of fluorinated catalyst iron fluoride (FeF3) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in the development of environment-friendly (reduced P and S) anti-wear additives for future engine oil formulations. Multi-component fully formulated oils were used with and without the addition of PTFE and fluorinated catalyst to characterize and analyze their performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A boundary lubrication protocol was used in the DOE tests to study their tribological behavior. Lubricant additives like PTFE and FeF3 catalyst were used at different concentrations to investigate the wear resistance and the time for a full breakdown under extreme loading conditions. Experiments indicated that new sub-micron FeF3 catalyst plays an important role in preventing the breakdown of the tribofilm.
Findings
This paper explores the effect of PTFE and FeF3 catalyst on the performance of fully formulated engine oils. The purpose was to develop equations for minimum wear volume and maximum time for full breakdown. Emphasis was, therefore, given to conditions where the additives were working effectively for minimizing zinc dialkyl dithio phosphate (P per cent). Lubricating oils are normally multi-component additivated systems. They contain different additives such as viscosity improvers, detergents, dispersants and antioxidants. It is known that these additives interact at the surface, affecting the function of the lubricating oil. Therefore, it is important to note that the performance with PTFE and FeF3 catalyst was significantly improved when compared to fully formulated commercial oils used alone.
Originality/value
Lubricating oils are normally multi-component additivated systems. They contain different additives such as viscosity improvers, detergents, dispersants and antioxidants. It is known that these additives interact at the surface, affecting the function of the lubricating oil. Therefore, it is important to note that the performance with PTFE and FeF3 catalyst was significantly improved when compared to fully formulated commercial oils used alone.