Total Quality Management Practices and Technology Transfer in Malaysian Public University

It is widely accepted that the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) as a management philosophy has significantly contributed to good management practice in business organization particularly in the manufacturing and service sectors. The applications of that concepts, techniques and tools have been successfully tailored to non-profit service or government-based organization. In the context of higher education institution, it has been seriously debated by the TQM scholars and academicians on the issue of to what extent TQM can be applied and how relevant its practices are to higher education\u27s core business i.e. teaching and research. Despite having sufficient knowledge and research on TQM implementation in the scope of manufacturing practices and administration-related services, it is hard to find a research on TQM, which focuses on the scope of R&D at a university. This gap has to be filled because the management of research is a critical topic for universities worldwide. For developing countries such as Malaysia the need to have good management practice in R&D is even greater. Without effective research management, the task of becoming significant players in the global knowledge market will become harder. Thus, the first part of this paper will discuss the applicability of TQM and propose a theoretical framework or model of TQM to suit the need of R&D context. The constructs for the TQM framework are based on previous empirical studies and the evaluation criteria of world standard criteria such as MBNQA, EFQM, and QMS ISO 9000. The TQM constructs that will be proposed are leadership, strategic planning, student/stakeholder & industry focus, data & information management, staff management, process & system approach, partnership & resource and continuous improvement. The second part of the paper will discuss the performance indicators of R&D activities particularly in the context of public university. The review of International literatures stressed that the performance of R&D activities have to be measured. The current issue related to research performance at university is the level the research output that can be transferred to the stakeholders. Therefore, this study will use technology transfer framework to measure research performance such as publication, patents, royalty and Spin-off Company. Finally, this paper will conceptually develop a model that would show the relationship between the TQM practices in the area of research and the level of technology transfer

Study of the Isomers of Isoelectronic C₄, (C₃B)⁻, and (C₃N)⁺: Rearrangements through Cyclic Isomers

Optimized structures of the isoelectronic cumulenes (CCCB)−, CCCC, and (CCCN)+ and of their isomers formed by rearrangement have been calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+ G(3df) level of theory with relative energies and electronic states determined at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The ground states of CCCC and (CCCN)+ are triplets, whereas the ground state of (CCCB)− is a quasi-linear singlet structure that is only 0.6 kcal mol−1 more negative in energy than the linear triplet. When energized, both triplet and singlet CCCC cyclize to planar rhomboids, of which the singlet is the lowest-energy configuration. Ring-opening of rhomboid C4 reforms CCCC with the carbons partially randomized. Similar rearrangements occur for (CCCB)− and (CCCN)+, but the reactions are different in the detail. In the case of (CCCN)+, rearrangement of atoms is supported both experimentally and theoretically. Because (CCCB)− and (CCCN)+ are not symmetrical, two fully cyclized forms are possible; the one more resembling a rhomboid structure is called a “kite” structure, and the other is called a “fan” structure. The rearrangement of (CCCB)− is more favored via the triplet with equilibrating kite and fan structures being formed, whereas the singlet (CCCN)+ ring closes to give the singlet kite structure, which may ring open to give a mixture of (CCCN)+ and (CCNC)+. Intersystem crossing may occur for the triplet and singlet forms of CCCC and (CCCB)− but not for (CCCN)+

Schematics showing organisation of <i>A</i>. <i>queenslandica</i> PCs.

Schematics show predicted ‘PRE’ and ‘PRO’ regions, transmembrane domains (TM), catalytic regions with essential amino residues (D, H, S), P domains with the presence of important motif (RG or RGD) and Furin-like regions (Fu).</p

How Does Energized NCCCCCN Lose Carbon in the Gas Phase? A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study

Neutral NCCCCCN may be prepared in a collision cell of a VG ZAB 2HF mass spectrometer by charge stripping of (NCCCCCN)•−, formed in the ion source by the process NCCCCH(OEt)(CN) + HO− → H2O + NCCCC−(OEt)(CN) → (NCCCCCN)•− + EtO•. A comparison of the neutralization/reionization (−NR+) and charge reversal (−CR+) spectra of (NCCCCCN)•− indicate that some neutrals NCCCCCN are energized and rearrange to an isomer which decomposes by loss of carbon. An ab initio study at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-311+G(3df) level of theory indicates that (i) triplet NCCCCCN is the ground state with a T/S energy gap of −14.9 kcal mol−1; (ii) the structures of triplet and singlet NCCCCCN need to be described by molecular obital theory, and a simple valence bond approach cannot be used for this system; and (iii) there are several possible routes by which an energized neutral may lose carbon, but the major route involves the triplet nitrile to isonitrile rearrangement NCCCCCN → CNCCCCN → NCCCCN + C

Gene expression of carboxypeptidases throughout life-stages of <i>A</i>. <i>queenslandica</i>.

Stages are additionally grouped into 4 main phases; Embryo, Larvae, Metamorphosis and Adult.</p

Gene expression of prohormone convertases throughout life-stages of <i>A</i>. <i>queenslandica</i>.

Stages are additionally grouped into 4 main phases; Embryo, Larvae, Metamorphosis and Adult.</p

Phylogeny of the prohormone convertase family.

Tree was constructed using Maximum Likelihood method and JTT-matrix based model. The bootstrap consensus tree was inferred from 500 replicates is taken to represent the evolutionary history of the taxa analysed. Branches corresponding to partitions reproduced in less than 50% bootstrap replicates were collapsed. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 replicates) are shown next to the branches. Initial trees for heuristic search were obtained by Neighbour-Join and BioNJ logarithms to a matrix of pairwise distances estimated using JTT model and then selecting topology with superior likelihood. This analysis involved 59 amino acid sequences. All positions with less than 95% site coverage were eliminated. A total of 459 positions were used in the final dataset. Different colours used to distinguish signal peptidase subunits (White: furin, Red: prohormone convertase 6, Orange: prohormone convertase 5, Yellow: prohormone convertase 1, Green: prohormone convertase 2, Cyan: basal prohormone convertase 1, Blue: basal prohormone convertases, Pink: prohormone convertase 7). Accession numbers for all species sequences is shown in S1 File.</p

Phylogeny of the signal peptidase complex family.

Tree was constructed using Maximum Likelihood method and JTT matrix-based model. The bootstrap consensus tree was inferred from 500 replicates and is taken to represent the evolutionary history of the taxa analysed. Branches corresponding to partitions reproduced in less than 50% bootstrap replicates were collapsed. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 replicates) are shown next to the branches. Initial trees for heuristic search were obtained by Neighbour-Join and BioNJ logarithms to a matrix of pairwise distances estimated using JTT model and then selecting topology with superior likelihood. This analysis involved 70 amino acid sequences. All positions with less than 95% site coverage were eliminated. A total of 72 positions were used in the final dataset. Different colours used to distinguish signal peptidase subunits (SP12: Pink, SP22/23: Red, SP25: Green, SP18/21: Blue). Accession numbers for all species sequences is shown in S1 File. Right: Topology schematics for A. queenslandica SPs generated for highest scoring hit, showing conservation between species. Red arrows on SP 18/21 indicate conserved residues essential for catalytic function. ERL, endoplasmic reticulum lumen; EM, endoplasmic membrane; CC, cell cytoplasm. Accession numbers for all species sequences is shown in S1 File.</p

Phylogeny of the carboxypeptidase family.

Tree was constructed using Maximum Likelihood method and JTT-matrix based model. The bootstrap consensus tree was inferred from 500 replicates is taken to represent the evolutionary history of the taxa analysed. Branches corresponding to partitions reproduced in less than 50% bootstrap replicates were collapsed. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 replicates) are shown next to the branches. Initial trees for heuristic search were obtained by Neighbour-Join and BioNJ logarithms to a matrix of pairwise distances estimated using JTT model and then selecting topology with superior likelihood. This analysis involved 27 amino acid sequences. All positions with less than 95% site coverage were eliminated. A total of 313 positions were used in the final dataset. Different colours used to distinguish signal peptidase subunits (Pink: carboxypeptidase E, Red: carboxypeptidase D, Blue: basal carboxypeptidase D). Accession numbers for all species sequences is shown in S1 File.</p

Gene expression of signal peptidase complex subunits throughout life-stages of <i>A</i>. <i>queenslandica</i>.

Stages are additionally grouped into 4 main phases; Embryogenesis, Larval development, Metamorphosis and Adult.</p