Commercialisation activities in biotechnology research related among academicians in Malaysia

The paper analyses the perceptions of 79 academic researchers regarding their involvement in ommercialisation activities of their research activities in a research university environment base on a questionnaire. Factor analysis and reliability tests were conducted to identify dimensions of commercialisation activities and to determine statistical reliability of the dimensions. Subsequently, Kruskal Wallis tests were conducted to examine whether perceptions on commercialisation activities results differ based on the demographic background of the researchers.The findings of this study reveal perceptions on the commercialisation dimensions are ranked highest for researchers who are professors with more than 10 years research experience while having high level of experience as university administrators

Commercialisation activities of research results among academic researchers in Malaysia

This paper discusses the results of a survey conducted on academic researchers working on biotechnology related research from four leading research universities in Malaysia. One-way ANOVA tests were conducted to examine whether perceptions on commercialisation activities of research results differ based on the demographic background of the researchers.The result of this study revealed significant differences in perceptions on commercialisation initiatives particularly with regards to years of research experience, experienceas administrator/top level management at university level and job status.Other researches which could be conducted were recommended to complement this exploratory study

Al-Wasatiyyah in the practice of religious tolerance among the families of new Muslims in sustaining a well-being society

Purpose – The main value in a culture of tolerance is wasatiyyah. The fragility of relationships and misunderstanding between Muslim and non-Muslim communities occurs when attention to values of tolerance which need more attention on moderation was not practiced especially in the life of a new Muslim convert community. Thus, the practice of moderation is one mechanism proposed by the government to ensure a harmonious continuation of life in a religious community can be achieved. For that, a qualitative study design was used to describe the current status of a phenomenon that occurs among new Muslim converts. The purposive sampling method is used to determine the applications of wasatiyyah in new Muslims’ life tolerance at Kota Kinabalu (East Malaysia) and Kuala Terengganu (West Malaysia). Although the study was conducted at two different locations, there is a relationship between religious phenomena that occur in the new Muslims community in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to see the practical concept of moderation in the life of new Muslims and their relation with Muslims and non-Muslims. The results showed that the value of moderation was applied in the aspect of tolerance. The application of Wasatiyyah in practice of tolerance had helped non-Muslims family members to change their attitudes and perception towards Islam. This study suggests the values of wasatiyyah in the life of religious tolerance, need to be nourished especially in multiethnic society when sharing a living places, education and employment for better social development as well as a well-being pluralistic society. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted through descriptive data qualitative methods. Purposive sampling was used which refers to a group that has the characteristics of samples required by researchers (Mohd Najib Abdul Ghafar 2003). This study applies the method of in-depth interview with the selected new Muslims around Kota Kinabalu (representing East Malaysia) and around Kuala Terengganu (representing Peninsular Malaysia / West Malaysia).Thus, data accumulation involves new Muslims(new Converts) from various ethnics (Sabahan and Sarawakian) which comprise Kadazandusun, Murut, Rungus, Sino and Iban. Secondly, those are from the Peninsular Malaysia which includes Chinese and Indian. Whereas in Kuala Terengganu, data accumulation involves new Muslims from various ethnics (Chinese, Indian, Sarawakian and others). The result of the interview is shown through descriptive narratives which display the practice of tolerance in the form of supportive interaction from the non-Muslim families towards the new Muslims in Islamic lifestyle. Findings – The concept of wasatiyyah has nurturing tolerance among Muslim, newly Muslim and non-Muslim as well as fostering harmony among the diverse ethnics in Malaysia. Based on the discussion, it was observed that the concept of wasatiyyah had a great influence on the relationship among Muslim, newly Muslim and non-Muslim, as it had a strong link with the value of akhlaq that have been embedded in the Muslim community. The wasatiyyah is the main element that shapes the relationship, and it is the results of interaction with social norms, for it has bred certain social values that include tolerance, compromise, modesty, respect and cooperation as transpired when they (Muslim and newly Muslim) interact among themselves or with other communities. Furthermore, the main goal for the concept is to maintain peace and built well-being in the society as well as bracing racial ties in Malaysia, especially among Muslim, newly Muslim and non-Muslim. Originality/value – Tolerance is a culture that founded the co-existence of pluralistic society in Malaysia. The culture of tolerance can only be built if ethnic tolerance and religious tolerance is accepted as a common practice – Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The description of wasatiyyah in the practice of religious tolerance among the families of new Muslims is the platform towards the acculturation of tolerance in the societal life from different faith and ethnics. It can be said that the higher the tolerance of ethnic, the higher is the religious tolerance, which is manifested through the application of wasatiyyah between people from different religions. This situation is highlighted in the relations of Muslim, newly Muslim and non-Muslim in Sabah and Terengganu where the culture of tolerance is apparent in the life together. Extensive interaction through encounters, acquaintance and co-existence that shape the friendship, brotherhood and kinship is the best formula in nurturing the culture of tolerance in the pluralistic society of Malaysia. Perhaps, the concept of wasatiyyah may be implemented in the whole aspect of life in the context of Malaysia. It is because the term wasatiyyah has the main sources of Islamic epistemology as well as sustaining the well-being pluralistic society without destroying the differences

Perceptions of commercialization activities of research results among academic researchers in Malaysia

Problem statement: This study discusses the results of a survey conducted on academic researchers working on biotechnology related research from four leading research universities in Malaysia. The analyses used in this study are essentially exploratory and broadly seeks to address the research question of interest, i.e., to document any differences in opinion between demographic backgrounds group. Approach: Factor analysis and reliability tests were conducted to identify dimensions of commercialization activities and to determine statistical reliability of the dimensions. Subsequently, a series of one-way ANOVA tests were conducted to examine whether perceptions on commercialization activities results differ based on the demographic background of the researchers.Results: The result of this study revealed significant differences in perceptions on commercialization initiatives particularly with regards to years of research experience, experience as administrator/top level management at university level and job status. Conclusion/Recommendation: Qualitative studies were recommended to complement this exploratory study

Study of plant oil and its ageing effect on system and rheological performance

The effects of oil ageing on hydraulic system efficiency and oil rheological performance were studied. The various physical and chemical properties of fresh and aged oils were studied by determining total acid value, iodine value and density. The variation of oil functional group was analyzed by FTIR. The rheological behavior i.e., variation of viscosity with time, temperature and shear rate was studied using Brookfield viscometer. An attempt was made to establish the relationship between variation of viscosity and time of fresh and aged oil. The hydraulic performance has been investigated by determining system volumetric and mechanical efficiencies. The results show that the volumetric efficiency increases with ageing period while mechanical efficiency decreases when the oil ageing time increases

A Comprehensive Review on the Effectiveness of Existing Noise Barriers commonly used in the Railway Industry

Nowadays, advanced development and sophisticated new technology have led to various types of environmental pollution such as water, air, land, thermal pollution and so on. Recently, however, noise pollution is becoming one of the major threats to the world especially in urban areas where it adversely affects the quality of life of the public. In Malaysia, the Department of Environment has identified that the average transportation noise levels in major cities in peninsular Malaysia are 71.6 dB (A) and 70.4 dB (A) during the day and night respectively. The noise is usually emitted by airplanes, trains, vehicles, motorcycles, trucks and etc. Even though rail transport requires less energy and emits less hazardous substances, it has contributed to noise pollution issues and several health hazards among urban inhabitants such as deafness, nervous breakdowns, mental disorder, heart troubles, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, inefficiency and insomnia. Therefore, many studies attempt to reduce noise pollution by applying noise barriers at noise polluted areas via various approaches. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of noise barriers using noise absorption performance due to several factors such as type of absorbent materials, material thickness, density, porosity and design. This research has found that the thicker the specimen and the denser the absorbent material, the better the sound absorption performance. Besides that, barrier design also plays a major role in determining its effectiveness, where the effectiveness of noise barriers should be high and long enough to break the line-of-sight between the sound source and the receiver. There are several methods that can be used to measure the effectiveness of noise barriers such as the Adrienne Method (in-situ measurement method) and impedance tube method (laboratory measurement method) to measure the acoustic absorption. Nevertheless, the impedance tube measurement method provides the most precise results with the least measurement uncertainty as it only required small samples of the material

A Comprehensive Review on the Effectiveness of Existing Noise Barriers commonly used in the Railway Industry

Nowadays, advanced development and sophisticated new technology have led to various types of environmental pollution such as water, air, land, thermal pollution and so on. Recently, however, noise pollution is becoming one of the major threats to the world especially in urban areas where it adversely affects the quality of life of the public. In Malaysia, the Department of Environment has identified that the average transportation noise levels in major cities in peninsular Malaysia are 71.6 dB (A) and 70.4 dB (A) during the day and night respectively. The noise is usually emitted by airplanes, trains, vehicles, motorcycles, trucks and etc. Even though rail transport requires less energy and emits less hazardous substances, it has contributed to noise pollution issues and several health hazards among urban inhabitants such as deafness, nervous breakdowns, mental disorder, heart troubles, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, inefficiency and insomnia. Therefore, many studies attempt to reduce noise pollution by applying noise barriers at noise polluted areas via various approaches. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of noise barriers using noise absorption performance due to several factors such as type of absorbent materials, material thickness, density, porosity and design. This research has found that the thicker the specimen and the denser the absorbent material, the better the sound absorption performance. Besides that, barrier design also plays a major role in determining its effectiveness, where the effectiveness of noise barriers should be high and long enough to break the line-of-sight between the sound source and the receiver. There are several methods that can be used to measure the effectiveness of noise barriers such as the Adrienne Method (in-situ measurement method) and impedance tube method (laboratory measurement method) to measure the acoustic absorption. Nevertheless, the impedance tube measurement method provides the most precise results with the least measurement uncertainty as it only required small samples of the material