Knowledge Management Systems from Description to Prescription: An Actor Network Approach

As the awareness of the importance of managing organizational knowledge grows, the issue of how to build information and communication technology (ITC)-based systems to support knowledge management activities, i.e., knowledge management support systems (KMSSs), has been raised. However, knowledge and its manipulating activities, by their very nature, are sociotechnical phenomena in which social and technical factors interweave the ways in which people work. Therefore, the success of any knowledge management support system depends not only on its technical excellence, but also on its compatibility with the social and cultural fabric of the firm in which it is embedded. In this exploratory work it is argued that actor-network theory (ANT) provides theoretical foundations for the KMSS development process. In order to apply ANT in the context of knowledge management, several concepts are introduced, namely, Business Thing, Knowledge Thing and Knowledge Actor, together with a Role ontology

Recent Foraminifera From the Firth of Clyde

Seventy-four samples were collected from the central part of the Firth of Clyde; sixty-three of these were collected with a Van Veen Grab, the remainder with a 10 cm sq. tray from intertidal sand flats. The sediment was analysed and divided into seven categories using the Wentworth scales gravel, sandy gravel, gravelly sand, sand, muddy sand, sandy mud and mud. Sixty-five of the stations yielded Foraminifera, belonging to fifty species, of which thirteen were predominant, constituting 76% of the total population. Living individuals were rare except in the shallow water, but this may have reflected the method of sampling. The distribution of the dead specimens was examined by cluster analysis, using Jaccard's Coefficient. This indicated the presence of eight thanatotopes which were principally controlled by type of sediment and depth of water. Four thanatotopes are characteristic of shallow water; one of these is from intertidal sand flats, the second from sands and gravels of about 1 m depth of water, the third from sandy sediments of average depth 14 m (range 5 - 45 m), the fourth from muddy sands of 12 - 16 m depth. The remaining four thanatotopes were from deeper water, average depth 44m, with muddy sediments. Diversity is greatest in shallow water sands and gravelly sands (1 - 45 m), and the distribution of living species in the shallow water can be correlated with the shallow water thanatotopes. The dominant species of the areas is Egerella scabra. The species recorded are similar to those found in other places around the British Isles

Enseñanza para la sostenibilidad: un programa basado en actividades de instrucción para enseñar algunos valores económicos para niños de jardín de infantes

This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of an instructional activities based program in develop-ing some economic values for kindergarten children. 60 kindergarten children in public schools were included . The average age was 5.5 years. They were divided into two groups with equal number of children in both( one experimental, n=30 children, and the other was control group n=30 children). A Pictured Economic Values Questionnaire for Children was used to collect and analyze data. The t-test was employed, run by SPSS V18.0. Findings obtained from the study showed that there was a statistical-ly significant difference between the mean scores of the children of the experimental and control groups in the total score of Pictured Economic Values Questionnaire for Children(sub- scales and composite score)in the post test, after applying the instructional activities based program, which is in favour of the experimental group.Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la efectividad de un programa basado en actividades de instrucción en el desarrollo de algunos valores económicos para niños de jardín de infantes. Se in-cluyeron 60 niños de kínder de escuelas públicas. La edad promedio fue de 5,5 años. Se dividieron en dos grupos con igual número de niños en ambos (uno experimental, n=30 niños, y el otro grupo control n=30 niños). Se utilizó un Cuestionario de valores económicos ilustrados para niños para recopilar y analizar datos. Se empleó la prueba t, ejecutada por SPSS V18.0. Los hallazgos obtenidos del estudio mostraron que hubo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre las puntuaciones medias de los niños de los grupos experimental y de control en la puntuación total del Cuestionario de valores económicos ilustrados para niños (subescalas y puntuación compuesta) en la prueba posterior, luego de aplicar el programa basado en actividades instruccionales, lo que resulta a favor del grupo experimental

Assessment of Multi-Story Building Seismic Design Factors with Structural Irregularity

Many high-rise buildings are practically irregular as a result of the architectural and service requirements in the design process, errors and modification during the construction phase, and changes of the building use throughout its service life. Structural irregularities could increase the uncertainties related to the ability of the building to meet the design objectives. This study is thus devoted to assess the safety margins and calibrate the seismic design response factors of modern high-rise buildings with different vertical irregularity features. A brief survey of the most common vertical irregularities inn reinforced concrete multi-story buildings is conducted to select reference structures. Five 50-story high-rise buildings are then selected and fully designed using international building codes to represent well-designed tall buildings with principal vertical irregularity types. Fiber-based simulation models are developed to assess the seismic response of the five benchmark buildings under the effect of forty earthquake records representing far-field and near-field seismic scenarios. The comprehensive results obtained from inelastic pushover and incremental dynamic analyses are employed to provide insights into the local and global seismic response of the reference structures. The probabilistic vulnerability assessment of the five high-rise buildings is conducted at different limit states using fragility relationships. The study concluded that the seismic performance of well-designed regular and vertically irregular high-rise buildings is satisfactory under the design earthquake. Under severe earthquakes, the seismic response of tall buildings with extreme soft story and geometry irregularity is not inferior to that of the regular counterpart at different seismic performance levels. Despite the over strength factor adopted in the design of buildings with discontinuities in the lateral-force-resisting system and extreme weak story, the observed negative impacts of these irregularity categories on increasing the vulnerability of high-rise buildings are substantial. This confirms the pressing need for mitigation strategies to reduce the expected seismic losses of the latter classes of building. The calibration of seismic design response factors of the reference high-rise buildings also confirms that, although the code coefficients are adequately conservative, they can be revised to arrive at a more efficient and cost-effective design of regular and irregular high-rise building

Histological and Histochemical Studies on the Seminal Vesicles of Donkey (Equus asinus): with Special Reference to their Seasonal Variations

The objective of this study was to describe the histological and histochemical structure of the seminal vesicles during different seasons of the year. The specimens were collected from the seminal vesicles of 24 sexually mature apparently healthy male donkeys (5 to 7 years of age) during different seasons of the year. The seminal vesicles (Vesiculae seminales) of the donkey were paired pear-shaped sacs. The wall of the seminal vesicles of the donkey was consisted of tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa or adventitia. The tunica mucosa of the seminal vesicle was highly folded, surrounding a large irregular oval central lumen. These folds carried many lateral secondary branches with numerous tubular invaginations into the underlying connective tissue. The lamina epithelialis of the seminal vesicles consisted of principal and basal cells. The activity of seminal vesicles of donkey varied during different seasons of the year. It reached maximal activity during spring which was manifested by increasing in the epithelial height of the glandular epithelium, decreasing the nuclear/ cell ratio and the interstitial/ glandular tissue ratio and increasing the secretory activity. This activity of the seminal vesicles decreased gradually during summer and autumn to reach its minimal during winter. In conclusion, the seminal vesicles of donkey have more pronounced activity in spring than in other season of the year

Pelvic Urethra and its Associated Glands in Donkey (Equus asinus): Histological and Histochemical Findings with Special Reference to their Seasonal Variations

The reproductive ability of male animal is dependent to a great extent on the effective functions of the genital glands. The present study was carried on the pelvic urethra of 32 sexually mature male donkeys. 5µm sections were prepared from the samples and stained with different stains to show the different structures of the pelvic urethra. Scanning electron microscopic studies were performed on the lumen of the pelvic urethra to show the different shape of the urethral gland opening on the surface layer of the lamina epithelialis of the pelvic urethra. The pelvic urethra of donkey is formed of prostatic and membranous parts. The lamina epithelialis of the pelvic urethra varied at its different regions. The urethral glands were observed along the entire length of the pelvic urethra within the lamina propria-submucosa. They were mostly of the branched tubulo-alveolar glands lined by high cuboidal or pyramidal-shaped epithelial cells. The activity of the urethral glands in donkey varied throughout the year. It was more pronounced during spring, which was manifested by increased epithelial height, decreased nuclear/cell ratio, decreasing interstitial connective tissue/glandular tissue ratio and increased cellular secretory activity. This activity decreased gradually during the summer and autumn to reach its minimal level during winter

A Novel Approach in Pigment Printing Using Nano-keratin Based Binder

This study is devoted to preparation and characterization of nano-keratin based binder (NKBB) from cheap renewable natural resources, namely coarse Egyptian wool or feather. The prepared NKBB is utilized as a biodegradable, environment-friendly and relatively cheap binder in textile pigment printing of polyester, pure polyacrylic, viscose, polyester/viscose, and polyester/acrylic fabrics. Different concentrations of the prepared NKBB as well as its mixture with commercially produced one are used in the pigment printing paste. The colour strength of the printed fabrics as well as their fastness properties to light, washing, and perspiration are evaluated. The effect of the used binder on the bending stiffness of the printed fabrics is also assessed. Results show that the NKBB gives almost the same colour strength and fastness properties as the commercial binder with improved stiffness of the printed samples in relation to that printed with commercial one

Distribution and ecology of recent benthic Foraminifera from Tarut Bay, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

Abstract available : p.iii-i

An empirical investigation of International Fisher Effect on 10 Asean countries

In this study the empirical evidence of International Fisher Effect is investigated among ASEAN member countries and assuming Malaysia as the home country. In general the results of this study indicated that exchange rates movements do not follow the International Fisher Effect theory and nominal interest rate differentials cannot completely offset the currency value changes among ASEAN countries in the long run except the fact that this theory is partially held in Malaysia-Indonesia case for the surveyed period

Nursing Students' Perception of Conflict Management Styles of their Nursing Educators

Background: The interactive nature of the teaching process is built on a social relationship between teachers and students. Conflicts in the relationship between students and teachers may occur for a several reasons. Effective and constructive management of conflict can decrease its negative effects on the learning environment, students, and educators. Purpose: This study aims to investigate nursing students' perception of conflict management styles of their nursing educators. Methodology: The study was conducted in Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University. 475 nursing students enrolled in the four academic years of the faculty were participated in the current study. Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory–II (ROCI–II) used in this study to determine conflict management styles nursing educators use to handle conflict with students as perceived by students. Results: Nursing students perceived that Avoiding was the most frequently style used by their nursing educators for conflict management. While, Integrating style was the lowest one. Other variables could influence their perception of conflict management styles such as sex, class year, frequency of experiencing conflict, and status of feeling successful in conflict management. Recommendation: The findings highlighted the importance of providing appropriate training programs for conflict management and resolution periodically to nursing educators in order to teach them how to deal with student’ conflict more effectively. Nurse educators should utilize strategies like communicating respect, clarifying course goals, involving students in solving problems, and encouraging a sense of clinical and classroom community  which could be helpful in managing conflict successfully. Keywords: Conflict management style, nursing educators, student - teacher conflict, ROCI-I