Welding Based Additive Manufacturing: Fundamentals

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has drawn abundant attention over the past decades in the manufacturing and fabrication industries, especially to make part models and prototypes. This chapter introduces a potential welding based AM process called Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for the fabrication of near-net shaped metal components including stainless steel components. To start with traditional AM processes, various fundamental traditional AM for the fabrication of components have been presented. Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has been explained with its variants, synonyms, different welding processes to suit WAAM particularly to weld stainless steel metal; primary process selections for working with WAAM, important metals, and alloys that could be used in WAAM have been elaborated. A case study for WAAM fabrication of AISI 316 L stainless steel plate is included to introduce the fabrication of metal components using WAAM. Further, the most common defects which possibly play a vital role in WAAM components fabrication and a few of the future challenges regarding WAAM development are discussed. Fundamental information covered in this chapter could be more beneficial to beginners for the understanding of WAAM process generally including stainless steel component fabrication in a lucid tactic

Characteristics of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Non Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC)-patients who developed resistance to first or second generation Egfrtyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) Therapy through T790M mutation / Vijayan Munusamy

The management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has undergone a major revolution in diagnosis and treatment over the past few years. The detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation has enable advanced NSCLC to be treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKls). However, most patients treated with first- or second-generation EGFR-TKls inevitably develop acquired resistance and disease progression. Objectives This study was conducted to determine the incidence of T790M mutation as an acquired resistance mechanism in patients with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC who have developed disease progression while on first- or second-generation EGFR-TKI therapy, and the clinical characteristics of such patients while being treated at the University of Malaya Medical Centre. This study also aimed to compare the clinical characteristic of patients with acquired T790M mutation, causing resistance to first-line EGFR-TK I treatment, with that of patients who develop resistance to first-line EGFR-TKI treatment not due to acquired T790M mutation. Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC patients on EGFR-TKI therapy who have developed disease progression during the period from 1st August 2015 to 211d August 20 17 at University of Malaya Medical Centre. Patients with disease progression according to Jackman's criteria underwent liquid and/or tissue re-biopsy to detect the secondary T790M mutation in exon 20 of the EGFR gene. Results: The data from a total of 68 patients who met the study inclusion criteria were analysed. Six patients underwent only liquid biopsy 36 patient underwent tissue re-biopsy and 15 underwent liquid biopsy and 11 tissue re-biopsy. Out of the 68 patients studied, T790M mutation was detected in 35 patients (51.4° o). T790M mutation was detected in the plasma of I 0 patients in tissue re- biopsy specimens of 20 patients and in both the plasma and tissue re-biopsy specimens of 5 patients. From the total of 68 patients, 57 (84.0%) were treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI and II were treated with second generation EGFR-TKI. Patients treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI were less likely to develop T790M mutation compared to those treated with second-generation EGFRTKI (52.6% vs 45.5%, p=0.9 15). The duration of first-line EGFR-TKI treatment was numerically longer in those patients who acquired T790M mutation (l 3.8 months) compared to those who did not (II. I months) (p =0.21). A higher proportion of patients who did not acquire T790M mutation had a better ECOG performance status of 0-1 (60.6%) at the time of disease progression compared to those who developed progression due to acquired T790M mutation (28.6%) (p=0.028). Conclusions: T790M mutation was identified as the acquired resistance mechanism causing first-line EGFR-TKI treatment failure in 51.4% of our patients. There was no difference in the clinical and treatment characteristics between patients with or without acquired T790M mutation as the cause of resistance to first-line EGFR-TKI treatment. At the time of disease progression, compared to patients with acquired T790l\1 mutation a significantly higher proportion of patients who did not h:\\ c acquired T790M mutation had a better ECOG performance status. The duration of first-line EGFR-TKI treatment was longer in those patients who acquired T790M mutation compared to those who did not

Developing GLOCAL leaders in Asia

This study examines leadership development in Western MNCs through the lens of glocalisation. Glocalisation is characterised by the melding of local and global considerations in business operations. To sustain and grow, Western MNCs need to effectively leverage Asian talent to fulfil their global aspirations. Our recent conversations with Western MNCs in Asia indicate that Asians tend to be under represented in Western MNC leadership roles. This under representation of leaders from different cultures in MNCs has been validated by previous research. For example, Ghemawat and Vantrappen reported that in 2013, the representation of non native CEOs in the Fortune Global 500 was only 13%. This is unfortunate as our interviews with HR and senior leadership in this study affirmed that: 1) There is no perceived leadership talent shortage in Asia. 2) Asian leaders have the potential to be just as successful as Western leaders in Western MNCs

Beyond 20/20: DNA of Progressive Employers

This research aims to decode the DNA of progressive employers — the keys to managing the future of work, the workforce, and the workplace. This DNA comprises five building blocks — Collaborative Networks, Employee Voice, Continuous Evolution, Talent Optimisation, and Holistic Care. These five blocks are derived from the evaluation process of the Tripartite Alliance (TA) Awarda 2021 finalists, who have excelled in the respective award categories — Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, Age Inclusive Practices, Work-Life Excellence, and Responsible Best Sourcing

SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.6 was the major contributor to early pandemic transmission in Malaysia.

Malaysia had 10,219 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of September 20, 2020. About 33% were associated with a Tablighi Jamaat religious mass gathering held in Kuala Lumpur between February 27 and March 3, 2020, which drove community transmission during Malaysia's second wave. We analysed genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 from Malaysia to better understand the molecular epidemiology and spread. We obtained 58 SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences from patients in Kuala Lumpur and performed phylogenetic analyses on these and a further 57 Malaysian sequences available in the GISAID database. Nine different SARS-CoV-2 lineages (A, B, B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.1, B.1.36, B.2, B.3 and B.6) were detected in Malaysia. The B.6 lineage was first reported a week after the Tablighi mass gathering and became predominant (65.2%) despite being relatively rare (1.4%) globally. Direct epidemiological links between lineage B.6 viruses and the mass gathering were identified. Increases in reported total cases, Tablighi-associated cases, and community-acquired B.6 lineage strains were temporally linked. Non-B.6 lineages were mainly travel-associated and showed limited onward transmission. There were also temporally correlated increases in B.6 sequences in other Southeast Asian countries, India and Australia, linked to participants returning from this event. Over 95% of global B.6 sequences originated from Asia Pacific. We also report a nsp3-C6310A substitution found in 47.3% of global B.6 sequences which was associated with reduced sensitivity using a commercial diagnostic real-time PCR assay. Lineage B.6 became the predominant cause of community transmission in Malaysia after likely introduction during a religious mass gathering. This event also contributed to spikes of lineage B.6 in other countries in the Asia-Pacific. Mass gatherings can be significant causes of local and global spread of COVID-19. Shared genomic surveillance can be used to identify SARS-CoV-2 transmission chains to aid prevention and control, and to monitor diagnostic molecular assays. Clinical Trial Registration: COVID-19 paper