Comparative analysis of the organisational learning process in Slovenia, Croatia, and Malaysia

Several empirical studies have proved that better organisational learning induces higher organisational performance. However, none of them addressed the issue of organisational learning process simultaneously in several countries. In our contribution, we aim to test differences in the way companies learn in Slovenia, Croatia, and Malaysia. We used the OLIMP questionnaire, a measurement instrument developed and tested by [Dimovski, V. (1994), Organisational learning and competitive advantage. PhD Thesis, Cleveland, Ohio; Dimovski, V., & Škerlavaj, M. (2005). Performance effects of organisational learning in a transitional economy. Problems and Perspectives in Management 3(4), 56–67]. It employs three measurement variables (information acquisition, information interpretation, and behavioural and cognitive changes) as well as 38 items (presented in the paper) to measure the organisational learning construct. In autumn 2005 data from 203 Slovenian, 202 Croatian and 300 Malaysian companies were gathered. The results indicate that companies in all three countries under scrutiny are closest in terms of behavioural and cognitive changes, meaning that globalisation and other challenges of the modern business environment demand all of them to change and adapt quickly. However, the ways they are coping with these challenges are different. There are more similarities than dissimilarities between Slovenia and Croatia, while this is not the case when comparing both countries to Malaysia. When acquiring information, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on internal sources (own employees, past decisions, etc.), while Malaysian companies tend to rely more on external sources and more often have employees dedicated to searching for external information. When trying to interpret the information acquired, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on personal contacts, informal team meetings and believe that information given to subordinates must be simple and concise, while Malaysian companies tend to use more formal collective decision-making and written communication to understand the meaning of information.     

Oxidative stability and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of linoleic acid encapsulated in cyclodextrins

The effects of α- and β-cyclodextrin (CD) on the oxidative stability of linoleic acid (LA) at 35°C were studied by measuring headspace oxygen depletion in airtight 35-mL serum bottles. LA was encapsulated in α-CD or β-CD in an aqueous solution during homogenization at 8000 rpm for 1 min and then dried under vacuum for 60 h at room temperature. Headspace oxygen was measured by thermal conductivity gas chromatography. The rate of oxygen depletion for the control, which contained LA only, was 93.8 μmole/L·h. The rates of oxygen depletion for LA, encapsulated at a 1:1 mole ratio (mole CD/moles LA) in α-CD and β-CD, were 13.8 and 111 μmoles/L·h, respectively. When LA was encapsulated in α-CD and β-CD at a 2:1 mole ratio (moles CD/moles LA), the rates of oxygen depletion were 0.573 and 53.9 μmoles/L·h, respectively. Although α-CD protected LA from reaction with oxygen at both ratios, the rate of oxygen depletion by LA encapsulated in β-CD at a 1:1 mole ratio was not statistically different from the control. β-CD protected LA from reaction with oxygen at a 2:1 mole ratio. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the complexes formed from 1:1 mole ratios of LA and CD indicated that LA was encapsulated in α-CD or β-CD. Presented at the 87th Annual AOCS Meeting, April 28–May 1, 1996, Indianapolis, Indiana.     

Uni-axial strain loading of a rubber rod by planar shock waves

Summary The uni-axial strain loading of a rubber rod struk head-on by a planar shock wave is studied experimentally and numerically. A physical model capable of describing the rubber response to its collision with the incident shock wave is proposed. This model takes into account the rubber compressibility and the friction forces developed in the contact surface between the rubber and its surrounding rigid walls. The good agreement that exists between experiments and their numerical simulations verifies the validity of the proposed physical model and the accuracy of the numerical scheme used for the numerical simulations. It is found that for the considered loading mode, i.e., uni-axial strain loading, no shock waves exists in the rubber rod. The stresses measured/calculated in the rod result from compression wave motion (with constant velocity) in it. It is also found that the friction developed between the rubber rod and its bordering rigid walls plays an important role in damping the intensity of the wave propagating in the rubber due to its collision with the incident shock wave. The larger is the friction, the larger is the stress damping rate in the rubber.     

Dietary fibre intake in eastern Croatia as determined by an enzymatic-gravimetric method in duplicated portions

The aim of this study was to estimate the intake of dietary fibre (DF) in an urban adult sample in eastern Croatia. Forty five people (28 women and 17 men) took part in the investigation based on duplicate diet study. An enzymatic-gravimetric method was used to determine the content of total, as well as soluble and insoluble DF in duplicated portions. The mean total dietary fibre (TDF) intake for all subjects was 30.0 g/day, which is quite adequate with regard to recommendations and intakes reported from other countries. A relationship of DF intake with certain physical and socio-economic parameters (age, body mass index, education level, income per household member) of those taking part was examined. TDF intake was also found to be significantly influenced by season in this group of people, as the mean intake for the summer period was 21% higher than the winter period.     

Contrasts between organic participation in apatite biomineralization in brachiopod shell and vertebrate bone identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Unusually for invertebrates, linguliform brachiopods employ calcium phosphate mineral in hard tissue formation, in common with the evolutionarily distant vertebrates. Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR) and X-ray powder diffraction, we compare the organic constitution, crystallinity and organic matrix–mineral interface of phosphatic brachiopod shells with those of vertebrate bone. In particular, the organic–mineral interfaces crucial for the stability and properties of biomineral were probed with SSNMR rotational echo double resonance (REDOR). Lingula anatina and Discinisca tenuis shell materials yield strikingly dissimilar SSNMR spectra, arguing for quite different organic constitutions. However, their fluoroapatite-like mineral is highly crystalline, unlike the poorly ordered hydroxyapatite of bone. Neither shell material shows ¹³C{³¹P} REDOR effects, excluding strong physico-chemical interactions between mineral and organic matrix, unlike bone in which glycosaminoglycans and proteins are composited with mineral at sub-nanometre length scales. Differences between organic matrix of shell material from L. anatina and D. tenuis, and bone reflect evolutionary pressures from contrasting habitats and structural purposes. The absence of organic–mineral intermolecular associations in brachiopod shell argues that biomineralization follows different mechanistic pathways to bone; their details hold clues to the molecular structural evolution of phosphatic biominerals, and may provide insights into novel composite design.     

Color reproduction on varnished cardboard packaging by using lower ink coverages due to the gray component replacement image processing

Even in these challenging times, cardboard packaging industry is increasing its revenue with stable annual increase prediction, but customers are increasing demands on the packaging with respect to environmental protection, attractiveness, and branding. This article aims to determine the influence of image processing in terms of gray component replacement and overprint varnishing on the color reproduction on a cardboard packaging material. A test chart with tertiary colors was defined and modified by different gray component replacement levels. It was printed in accordance with ISO norm on coated and uncoated cardboard and finished by overprinting water based, offset, and UV varnish. The prepared samples were evaluated by measuring surface coverage, tone value increase (dot gain) of primary colors and calculating ΔE₀₀ of defined tertiary colors. The results showed that gray component replacement application reduces ink consumption. Higher gray component replacement applied results in lower ink surface coverage, but the decrease is also dependent on the image content. The TVI (dot gain) is significantly influenced only by applying UV varnish, resulting with higher TVI. The color differences of the tertiary colors showed that increased level of the gray component replacement applied did not cause significant color differences, even decreased color difference in some cases. Additionally, applying gray component replacement decreased color differences in “reddish” part of the gamut. This research proved that lowering the ink consumption due to the gray component replacement will not cause significant differences in the color reproduction. Furthermore, varnishing with commercial offset or water-based varnish will not cause higher deviations in color reproduction, but use of the UV varnish would.     

Droplet Size Distribution Obtained by Atomization with Two‐Fluid Nozzles in a Spray Dryer

The possibility of predicting the droplet size distribution from the particle size distribution was investigated. For that purpose, suspensions of different types of materials were dried in a laboratory‐scale spray drier. Drying of suspensions was performed with different sizes of two‐fluid nozzles. Droplet size distribution was evaluated from the data obtained for spray drying of bismuth molybdate suspension. The method was validated experimentally with other tested materials. Investigated systems involve processes of drying, crystallization, and coating. The proposed methodology can be applied when nonagglomerated particles, spherical particles, or spherical agglomerates were obtained by spray drying.     

IV and IP administration of rhodamine in visualization of WBC‐BBB interactions in cerebral vessels

Epi‐illuminescence intravital fluorescence microscopy has been employed to study leukocyte‐endothelial interactions in a number of brain pathologies. Historically, dyes such as Rhodamine 6G have been injected intravenously. However, intravenous injections can predispose experimental animals to a multitude of complications and requires a high degree of technical skill. Here, we study the efficacy of injecting Rhodamine 6G into the peritoneum (IP) for the purpose of analyzing leukocyte‐endothelial interactions through a cranial window during real time intravital microscopy. After examining the number of rolling and adherent leukocytes through a cranial window, we found no advantage to the intravenous injection (IV). Additionally, we tested blood from both routes of injection by flow cytometry to gain a very precise picture of the two methods. The two routes of administration failed to show any difference in the ability to detect cells. The study supports the notion that IP Rhodamine 6G works as efficaciously as IV and should be considered a viable alternative in experimental design for investigations employing intravital microscopy. Facilitated intravital studies will allow for more exploration into cerebral pathologies and allow for more rapid translation from the laboratory to the patient with less chance of experimental error from failed IV access. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:894–899, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of fungal hyphae on the access of bacteria to phenanthrene in soil

The effect of fungal hyphae on the mobilization of soil-dwelling bacteria and their access to hydrophobic phenanthrene in soil was tested in columns containing air-filled agricultural soil. The experimental design included a spatial separation between zones of bacterial inoculation and contamination. Motile Pseudomonas putida PpG7 (NAH7) and fast-growing, hydrophilic Pythium ultimum were used as the model phenanthrene-degrading and vector organisms, respectively. Efficient translocation of strain PpG7 in the range of centimetres in presence of P. ultimum indicated that the fungal mycelia bridged air-filled pores and thereby provided a continuous network of water-paths that enabled bacteria to spread in the soil. Biodegradation of the soil-associated phenanthrene was found only in the presence of the fungal mycelia, hence proving that the fungal network facilitated the access of the bacteria to the contaminant. Our data suggest that the specific stimulation of indigenous fungi is a promising method to mobilize pollutant degrading bacteria and thereby improve soil bioremediation in-situ.