Investigation of ballistic performance on 3D compound structure fabric by finite element analysis

Ballistic performance and moldability are two important properties for 3D curved-surface ballistic applications. However, these two properties are contradictory to each other and impossible to improve at the same time, which is a technical issue that needs to be solved urgently in the research for ballistic materials for 3D curved-surface ballistic applications. In order to solve this issue, a new 3D compound structure fabric has been developed as part of our former research and has been shown to provide better ballistic performance with equivalent moldability compared to 3D angle-interlock fabric—a well-known 3D material for 3D curved-surface ballistic applications. Nevertheless, the ballistic performance of this new fabric itself is not clear, and further research is necessary. In this study, the ballistic performance of this new 3D compound structure fabric was investigated via the finite element analysis (FEA) model to examine energy absorption and penetration resistance. A ballistic test was also carried out to verify the results of the FEA model, and this demonstrated that the theoretical model was consistent with the experimental results.

Perception of Dental Students towards the usage of Online Assessment during COVID -19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic have forced educational institutions to shift rapidly to distance and online learning. This study aims to explore attitude and perception of dental students towards online assessment during pandemic. Objective: To assess student’s perception, attitudes, and readiness toward online assessment. Methodology: A self constructed questionnaire including 10 questions was designed with 5 specialists, to improve the design ambiguity. The study was conducted through electronic media. Results: A total of 270 dental students answered the survey. The overall response rate was 70.68%. More than 50% students are well versed with online assessment. One fourth of the participants found convenience as the advantage while 64.7% students encountered technical issue as the limitation of online assessment. There was overall positive attitude towards usage of online assessment. Conclusions: This study showed acceptable levels of individual characteristics and system ability levels as well as the perceived importance of using online tools in dental education among the participants.

Creating safe spaces to prevent unintentional childhood injuries among the Bedouins in southern Israel: A hybrid model comprising positive deviance, community-based participatory research, and entertainment-education

Background Despite several intervention programs, the Bedouin population living in the Southern District of Israel has the highest mortality rate among children and adolescents from unintentional injuries. Our research questions asked: (1) How does increasing the involvement and participation of Bedouin community members influence the issue of unintentional injuries among children? (2) How does reframing of the technical issue of safety into security influence community involvement and cooperation? Objectives 1) To identify effective and efficacious positive deviance practices through community-based participatory research with adults, children, and professionals in the Bedouin community. 2) To create wider and deeper connections and cohesion between and among diverse Bedouin communities by seeding and sparking opportunities for social networking and cross-learning. Methods The study used a qualitative multi-method approach to generate a hybrid intervention model for reducing unintentional childhood injuries among the Bedouins. To frame the issue of unintentional injuries from the lived perspective of the Bedouins, we employed the Positive Deviance (PD) and Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. Drawing upon theatrical traditions, entertainment-education (EE), was employed as a way to narratively engage and persuade the Bedouins. Results Our research resulted in: (1) the emergence of several PD ideas and practices for preventing and avoiding children’s injuries; (2) the actual creation of a safe and secure playroom for children at a neighborhood mosque; and (3) the creation of cascading and cross-learning social networks between and among members of the Bedouin community spread across various locations. Conclusion This study helped in reframing the technical issue of accidents and safety into the notion of sacredness and security, enhanced the association between emotions and cognition by means of experiential and EE methods, and stimulated creative thinking and the emergence of new culturally and contextually relevant ideas and practices through the PD process. It demonstrated the synergistic power of using a hybrid model that combined the rigor and vigor of different health communication approaches to address a significant disparity in the burden of child accidents faced by the Bedouins. Our study generated solutions that emerged from, and directly benefitted, Bedouin children—those, who face overwhelming risk of injury and death from preventable accidents.

Satisfaction on Housing Quality in Mukim Bandar Johor Bahru and Mukim Plentong

Housing study is one of the vital subjects these days as a home is a part of every person. The significance of it is undeniable because it has become one of the necessities of human life. Studies have shown that housing adequacy is connected with the Quality of Life because everything starts at home. The preceding housing problems will reflect on the policy problems of local authorities and management. Some of the previous aftermaths on housing might affect the balance and sustainability of residents. A lot of issues about housing have been drawn to the media especially in Malaysia. Water supply crisis, flood issue, a technical issue like elevator problem, waste management, security, lack of facilities such as public transport are some of the examples. It is also affecting the satisfaction towards housing quality indirectly. This study investigates the satisfaction on housing quality in Mukim Bandar Johor Bahru and Mukim Plentong, Johor Bahru, Johor which cover a total of 696,500 people. A sample of 196 respondents is surveyed to identify the locals' satisfaction with their housing quality in three aspects which are the physical of house, infrastructure, and the environment by using Cochran’s formula. Descriptive analysis is used to analyse the quantitative data obtained. The result depicts the majority of respondents (74.0%) are satisfied with their housing condition overall. Despite identifying housing quality, this study also helps to identify the problems that the locals encountered which came out from the three highest rankings on common problems. They are drainage ditch, road damage or narrow, and roof damage.

Identifying and prioritizing barriers to digital transformation in higher education: a case study in Indonesia

Purpose This study aims to test a theoretical framework to identify and prioritize barriers in the implementation of digital transformation in higher education. Design/methodology/approach The framework was tested using the context of a particular nation: Indonesia. First, a survey questionnaire was conducted to identify the key barriers. Second, the contextual relationship between the key barriers was determined based on an expert’s input to find the importance level of barriers and the degree of difficulty to fix the barriers. Finally, a barrier priority matrix was developed to prioritize the barriers. Findings This study identified the key barriers in the implementation of digital transformation in higher education in Indonesia including eight contextual issues, one technical issue and two cultural issues with different levels of importance and difficulty. Based on the matrix constructed, this study also presented a list of the top 11 priorities of barriers. Research limitations/implications The results were based on a particular region context. Practical implications This study lays the foundation for the theoretical framework that is practically useful to perform the identification and prioritization of barriers. Besides, the result discussed in this study gives some direction for policymakers in designing sensible strategies to overcome the barriers. Originality/value The main contribution of this study is an empirical study that systematically identifies and prioritizes barriers to digital transformation in higher education.

Adaptive Kalman Filter for Linear Systems with Additive and Multiplicative Noises

This manuscript investigates adaptive Kalman filter problem of of linear systems with multiplicative and additive noises. The main contributions are stated in two aspects. Firstly, compared with the estimation problem of linear systems with additive noises, we propose an algorithm that is applicable to the linear systems with both additive and multiplicative noises. To solve the technical issue raised by the multiplicative noise, a variational Bayesian approach is proposed. Moreover, the proposed approach is capable of estimating the multiplicative and additive measurement noise covariances as a whole, while the existing algorithms often operate in a separate way. Secondly, in contrast with existing literature, where the covariance of the multiplicative noise is assumed to be fixed and known, we focus on the situation that the covariances of both additive and multiplicative noises are time-varying and unknown. Towards this end, a novel adaptive Kalman filter is proposed to jointly estimate the covariances of multiplicative and additive noises based on projection formula and a VB approach.

Adaptive Kalman Filter for Linear Systems with Additive and Multiplicative Noises

This manuscript investigates adaptive Kalman filter problem of of linear systems with multiplicative and additive noises. The main contributions are stated in two aspects. Firstly, compared with the estimation problem of linear systems with additive noises, we propose an algorithm that is applicable to the linear systems with both additive and multiplicative noises. To solve the technical issue raised by the multiplicative noise, a variational Bayesian approach is proposed. Moreover, the proposed approach is capable of estimating the multiplicative and additive measurement noise covariances as a whole, while the existing algorithms often operate in a separate way. Secondly, in contrast with existing literature, where the covariance of the multiplicative noise is assumed to be fixed and known, we focus on the situation that the covariances of both additive and multiplicative noises are time-varying and unknown. Towards this end, a novel adaptive Kalman filter is proposed to jointly estimate the covariances of multiplicative and additive noises based on projection formula and a VB approach.

(Re)politicizing disaster governance: Simulating Conflicting Interests Over Matters of Concern By Means Of A Board Game

<p>The disaster risk reduction (DRR) community tends to treat disasters and risk in a managerial and technocratic way, thereby disregarding the highly political nature of DRR. An alternative epistemology of disasters, as matters of concern, is proposed and tested. Mobilizing concepts from Chantal Mouffe and Bruno Latour, this paper illustrates how DRR can be transformed into a public issue. It is argued that education and policy making on DRR would benefit from a recognition of the hybrid nature of disasters. A serious game is used to test proposed epistemology. The board game simulates political decision making on the reduction of risks due to floods and landslides in West Uganda. It is hypothesized that the game can generate an ideal speech scenario that fosters discussions among players and possibly even creates a space of political confrontation. Discussions during ten gameplays in South-West Uganda have been recorded and transcribed. Participants effectively experience affects, power relations and confrontations during the game, but a call for consensus and technical solutions are sometimes used to prematurely close the discussions and move on with concrete solutions. Insights from this paper contribute to understanding why DRR is frequently treated as a technical issue in local and international disaster governance. Proposed epistemology and approaches are expected to stimulate innovative experiments towards a more political approach of DRR education and policy.</p>

Digital Receipts of Online Transactions in the Reconciliation Process and the Preparation of Financial Reports

Introduction/Main Objectives: This research seeks to analyze the use of digital receipts and multi-platform e-commerces’ data integration and the influence they have on the process of reconciliation and the preparation of financial reports by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Background Problems: The use of multi-platform online transactions requires the validation and conversion of the data, which can be an issue during the reconciliation process and the preparation of financial reports. The issue of the data’s integration is due to differences in the interfaces used for the multi-platform transactions and the MSMEs internal abilities. Novelty: The integration and treatment of online transactions via multi-platforms should an internal records or database for the MSMEs, the reconciliation process and preparing financial reports. Research Methods: This research uses a quantitative method with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis and descriptive analysis to reveal the reconciliation process and the conditions under which financial reports are prepared. Finding/Results: The problems of integrating data from various platforms into internal reports causes duplication of the internal reporting and a long reporting process and the chance of errors. The digital receipt is treated as proof of a manual transaction. Records’ duplication is a technical issue that causes delays in the processing time and reconciliation. None of the MSMEs have a machine-to-machine based (automized) reconciliation process. Conclusion: Transaction receipts from all the platforms affect the transactions’ recording, the reconciliation process, and the preparation of financial reports. Digital receipts provide high levels of confidence because of their completeness, accuracy, easiness, efficiency, simplicity, and suitability for use by MSMEs. The adoption of online sales and payments by MSMEs is highly effective, yet this has not been followed-up with the data’s integration into the reconciliation and accounting process for preparing financial reports.