The Relationship between Humanness and Knowledge Sharing in Malaysia Empirical Evidence from Malaysian Managers

Abstract: This paper explores whether there is a relationship between humanness and the willingness to share knowledge in Malaysia. Furthermore, the differences between the Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnicities are researched for the presence of humanness and the willingness to share knowledge. Two hundred and fourteen respondents from privately owned companies participated in this research showing that there is a strong relationship between humanness and knowledge sharing. However, the differences between the three ethnicities are small, which is a surprising finding. It can be concluded that people-oriented managers (one of the ways to express humanness) are more willing to share knowledge, and differences between ethnicities have no influence in this matter. From these results, it can be recommended to managers and organizations in Malaysia that they pay more attention and be aware of their management style.Stressing the humanness aspects more as they are described could improve the knowledge transfer within companies. Abstrak: Artikel ini bertujuan untuk melihat apakah ada hubungan antara kemanusiaan dan keinginan untuk saling berbagi pengetahuan di Malaysia. Penelitian ini juga meneliti perbedaan antara etnis Melayu, Tionghoa, dan India untuk mengetahui keberadaan kemanusiaan dan kemauan dalam berbagi pengetahuan. Dua ratus empat belas responden dari perusahaan swasta yang berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada hubungan yang kuat antara kemanusiaan dan berbagi pengetahuan. Namun, ada temuan yang mengejutkan bahwa perbedaan diantara tiga etnis tersebut kecil. Hal ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa seorang manajer yang peduli dengan anak buah (people-oriented managers) lebih bersedia untuk berbagi pengetahuan, dan perbedaan antar etnis tidak memiliki pengaruh dalam hal ini. Dari hasil penelitian, dapat dikatakan bahwa manajer dan organisasi di Malaysia lebih memperhatikan dan menyadari tipe atau gaya manajemen mereka. Penekanan yang lebih pada aspek kemanusiaan seperti yang telah digambarkan dapat meningkatkan transfer pengetahuan (knowledge transfer) dalam perusahaan

Modeling of primary dendrite arm spacing variations in thin-slab casting of low carbon and low alloy steels

Solidification structure of a High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steel, in terms of dendrite arm spacing distribution across the shell thickness, is studied in a breakout shell from a thin-slab caster at Tata Steel in IJmuiden. Columnar dendrites were found to be the predominant morphology throughout the shell with size variations across the shell thickness. Primary Dendrite Arm Spacing (PDAS) increases by increasing the distance from meniscus or slab surface. Subsequently, a model is proposed to describe the variation of the PDAS with the shell thickness (the distance from slab surface) under solidifiction conditions experienced in the primary cooling zone of thin-slab casting. The proposed relationship related the PDAS to the shell thickness and, hence, can be used as a tool for predicting solidifcation structure and optimizing the thin-slab casting of low alloy steels

Improving the aseptic transfer procedures in hospital pharmacies. Part B:evaluation of disinfection methods for materials with a non-sterile surface

Objectives To improve the disinfection methods for materials with a non-sterile surface to be used in aseptic handling. Methods The surface bioburden on ampoules (A) and injection vials (IV) is determined by contact plates and total immersion. The occurrence of spore-forming bacteria is determined by strain colouring and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry. The disinfection procedures of non-sterile materials in 10 hospital pharmacies are judged by observing. Results After wiping according to local disinfection methods, the mean surface bioburden determined by contact plates in 10 hospital pharmacies is 0.36 (plastic A), 0.50 (glass A) and 0.29 colony-forming unit (cfu) (IV). The observers found great differences in accuracy of wiping and degree of wetting the sterile gauzes. After improved wiping with commercially available alcohol impregnated sterile wipes and a two-towel technique (one-step TT disinfection), the mean surface bioburden determined by contact plates is 0.03 (plastic A), 0.2 (glass A) and 0.13 cfu (IV). Further improvement can be reached by submerging A and IV in ethanol 70% followed by improved wiping (two-step TT disinfection), but still micro-organisms will remain (mean surface bioburden determined by total immersion is 0 (plastic A) and 0.3 cfu (IV); glass A not determined). Two-step TT disinfection is more labour intensive. Spilling of alcohol is another disadvantage. However, we presume one-step TT disinfection is effective enough in daily practice. Routine surface bioburden determinations have to prove this. The effectiveness of the combination of spray and wipe is not examined because we observed a quick disappearance of alcohols from vertical as well as horizontal surfaces, which shortens the contact time to far below the advised 2 min. Spore-forming bacteria disappear as quickly as other micro-organisms during disinfection by alcohols. Conclusion Local disinfection procedures can be improved. Complete removal of micro-organisms from materials with a non-sterile surface, even after two-step TT disinfection, is impossible. Routine surface bioburden determinations have to prove if one-step TT disinfection is effective enough

Tuberculosis in Dr Granville's mummy: a molecular re-examination of the earliest known Egyptian mummy to be scientifically examined and given a medical diagnosis

‘Dr Granville's mummy’ was described to the Royal Society of London in 1825 and was the first ancient Egyptian mummy to be subjected to a scientific autopsy. The remains are those of a woman, Irtyersenu, aged about 50, from the necropolis of Thebes and dated to about 600 BC. Augustus Bozzi Granville (1783–1872), an eminent physician and obstetrician, described many organs still in situ and attributed the cause of death to a tumour of the ovary. However, subsequent histological investigations indicate that the tumour is a benign cystadenoma. Histology of the lungs demonstrated a potentially fatal pulmonary exudate and earlier studies attempted to associate this with particular disease conditions. Palaeopathology and ancient DNA analyses show that tuberculosis was widespread in ancient Egypt, so a systematic search for tuberculosis was made, using specific DNA and lipid biomarker analyses. Clear evidence for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA was obtained in lung tissue and gall bladder samples, based on nested PCR of the IS6110 locus. Lung and femurs were positive for specific M. tuberculosis complex cell-wall mycolic acids, demonstrated by high-performance liquid chromatography of pyrenebutyric acid–pentafluorobenzyl mycolates. Therefore, tuberculosis is likely to have been the major cause of death of Irtyersenu

Solitary magnetic perturbations at the ELM onset

Edge localised modes (ELMs) allow maintaining sufficient purity of tokamak H-mode plasmas and thus enable stationary H-mode. On the other hand in a future device ELMs may cause divertor power flux densities far in excess of tolerable material limits. The size of the energy loss per ELM is determined by saturation effects in the non-linear phase of the ELM, which at present is hardly understood. Solitary magnetic perturbations (SMPs) are identified as dominant features in the radial magnetic fluctuations below 100kHz. They are typically observed close (+-0.1ms) to the onset of pedestal erosion. SMPs are field aligned structures rotating in the electron diamagnetic drift direction with perpendicular velocities of about 10km/s. A comparison of perpendicular velocities suggests that the perturbation evoking SMPs is located at or inside the separatrix. Analysis of very pronounced examples showed that the number of peaks per toroidal turn is 1 or 2, which is clearly lower than corresponding numbers in linear stability calculations. In combination with strong peaking of the magnetic signals this results in a solitary appearance resembling modes like palm tree modes, edge snakes or outer modes. This behavior has been quantified as solitariness and correlated to main plasma parameters. SMPs may be considered as a signature of the non-linear ELM-phase originating at the separatrix or further inside. Thus they provide a handle to investigate the transition from linear to non-linear ELM phase. By comparison with data from gas puff imaging processes in the non-linear phase at or inside the separatrix and in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) can be correlated. A connection between the passing of an SMP and the onset of radial filament propagation has been found. Eventually the findings related to SMPs may contribute to a future quantitative understanding of the non-linear ELM evolution.Comment: submitted to Nuclear Fusio