Light-Weight Digital Receipt System

The sole purpose of this project is to develop a light-weight digital receipt system that can counter the short-comings of the conventional digital receipt system and meet the market expectations desirably. The proposed system mainly focuses on achieving simpler receipt data extraction, leverage the use of server to a third party and eliminate as much cost as possible. The approach proposed is mainly used to counter problems and complications which are found in existing digital system nowadays. The author believes that retrieving receipt data must not necessary be done at the server, but could also be done at the POS system, particularly at the printer point. Besides, the author's proposed digital receipt will not require any reconfiguration processes to be done at retailer's POS system, which retailers will not need to worry for their POS system being modified just to integrate with digital receipt applications. The author will strive to produce a digital receipt system that is very cost-effective as compared to the conventional digital receipt system so that both retailer and customer can afford to use such as technology

Adolescents' motivation to study music as compared to other school subjects: A Singaporean perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine the expectancies and task values held by Singaporean adolescents about learning music and other school subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, and Art) across Primary 6, Secondary 1, and Secondary 2 levels (Grades 6 to 8). The data was analyzed according to gender and music student status (music students, high aspiring non-music students, low aspiring non-music students) in order to provide suggestions that would foster music instruction within the Singaporean school system. A total of n = 1,733 participants from three primary and four secondary schools in Singapore completed a web-based survey questionnaire that was grounded in the Eccles and Wigfield expectancy-value theoretical framework as adapted in a series of studies by McPherson and his colleagues. The study found that music and non-music students held different perceptions of competence and valuing about school music. School music was generally less valued by students, particularly the low aspiring non-music students, when compared to the other school subjects. In addition, it was found that valuing of music among older adolescents was lower than their younger counterparts. Finally, the study found that students’ perceived usefulness of school music predicted their intention to enroll in instrumental music instruction outside of school. Implications arising from the study highlight the need for the music profession to evolve students’ negative attitudes towards school music. Providing students with positive classroom musical experiences and adopting differential teaching approaches to cater to students’ varied motivational profiles towards studying music in school were suggested as ways of raising the status of school music education. The need to assert and substantiate the role music can and should play in the education of all children is a continuing challenge within the Singapore education system, but one that must be addressed if school music is to become a more prominent subject within schools

A size-consistent Gr\"uneisen-quasiharmonic approach for lattice thermal conductivity

We propose a size-consistent Gr\"uneisen-quasiharmonic approach (GQA) to calculate the lattice thermal conductivity $\kappa_l$ where the Gr\"uneisen parameters that measure the degree of phonon anharmonicity are calculated directly using first-principles calculations. This is achieved by identifying and modifying two existing equations related to the Slack formulae for $\kappa_l$ that suffer from the size-inconsistency problem when dealing with non-monoatomic primitive cells (where the number of atoms in the primitive cell $n$ is greater than one). In conjunction with other thermal parameters such as the acoustic Debye temperature $\theta_a$ that can also be obtained within the GQA, we predict $\kappa_l$ for a range of materials taken from the diamond, zincblende, rocksalt, and wurtzite compounds. The results are compared with that from the experiment and the quasiharmonic Debye model (QDM). We find that in general the prediction of $\theta_a$ is rather consistent among the GQA, experiment, and QDM. However, while the QDM somewhat overestimates the Gr\"uneisen parameters and hence underestimates $\kappa_l$ for most materials, the GQA predicts the experimental trends of Gr\"uneisen parameters and $\kappa_l$ more closely. We expect the GQA with the modified Slack formulae could be used as an effective and practical predictor for $\kappa_l$, especially for crystals with large $n$.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Electrospinning of Polycaprolactone (PCL) and Gelatin Polymeric Fibers

Electrospinning is one of the commonly used polymeric fiber production technique, owing to its versatility and flexibility in spinning a wide range of polymers for various applications including tissue engineering. However, recent researches have been extensively focusing on exploring the electrospinnability of different polymers without fully realizing how the electrospinning parameters influence the electrospun fibrous structure, as the microstructure morphology will significantly affect the performance of electrospun membranes. The present work demonstrates the robustness of electrospinning technique in producing electrospun fibrous membranes with different microstructure morphology by altering the electrospinning parameters. Both PCL and gelatin solutions have been successfully transformed into electrospun fibrous membranes using an electrospinning machine. The PCL fibrous membranes consisted of beads and non-homogenous fibers while the gelatin membranes showed homogenous size of electrospun fibers. Results also revealed that the electrospinning parameters including solution and process parameters determined the microstructure morphology of electrospun membrane. The spindle-like beads in PCL membrane transformed into spherical size at higher solution concentration and applied voltage. Meanwhile, the gelatin membrane demonstrated similar morphology at different tip-collector distance. The size of gelatin fibers was also similar. Through this work, basic understanding on how the electrospinning parameters affect the morphology of different types of polymeric fibrous membrane can provide an insight for other researchers in facilitate production of electrospun membranes with desired microstructure morphology

Light-Weight Digital Receipt System

The sole purpose of this project is to develop a light-weight digital receipt system that can counter the short-comings of the conventional digital receipt system and meet the market expectations desirably. The proposed system mainly focuses on achieving simpler receipt data extraction, leverage the use of server to a third party and eliminate as much cost as possible. The approach proposed is mainly used to counter problems and complications which are found in existing digital system nowadays. The author believes that retrieving receipt data must not necessary be done at the server, but could also be done at the POS system, particularly at the printer point. Besides, the author's proposed digital receipt will not require any reconfiguration processes to be done at retailer's POS system, which retailers will not need to worry for their POS system being modified just to integrate with digital receipt applications. The author will strive to produce a digital receipt system that is very cost-effective as compared to the conventional digital receipt system so that both retailer and customer can afford to use such as technology

Ordering Control of Self-Assembled Colloidal Crystals

Colloidal crystals are 3D nanostructures formed by self assembly of nanoparticles in suspension. The interaction forces between the colloid particles are expected to affect the ordering and the defect density in the resultant crystal. Based on this insight, the effect of ionic strength on the quality of the colloidal crystal is examined. It is found that at intermediate ionic strength, it is possible to get the best ordering of the colloidal crystal. The reason for this is explained based on previous work on the structural changes in an assembling colloidal crystal. A method for reducing the defect density in colloidal crystal will also be proposed.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Defects in Self Assembled Colloidal Crystals

Colloidal self assembly is an efficient method for making 3-D ordered nanostructures suitable for materials such as photonic crystals and macroscopic solids for catalysis and sensor applications. Colloidal crystals grown by convective methods exhibit defects on two different scales. Macro defects such as cracks and void bands originate from the dynamics of meniscus motion during colloidal crystal growth while micro defects like vacancies, dislocation and stacking faults are indigenous to the colloidal crystalline structure. This paper analyses the crystallography and energetics of the microscopic defects from the point of view of classical thermodynamics and discusses the strategy for the control of the macroscopic defects through optimization of the liquid-vapor interface.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Bridging Web 4.0 and Education 4.0 For Next Generation User Training in ERP Adoption

This study addresses the critical issue of user comprehension and application within the sphere of cloudbased Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, a recurrent challenge exacerbated by the intricate nature of these systems. To bridge the existing gaps in training methodologies, a novel paradigm that synergizes Web 4.0 and Education 4.0 modules with traditional ERP systems is proposed. This innovative framework ushers in a paradigm shift in ERP adoption strategies, promising a marked enhancement in user interaction and efficiency. Rigorous qualitative evaluations, conducted with expert panels and potential end-users, provided robust validation of the framework's transformative potential in the realm of user training for ERP systems. This pioneering approach not only makes a substantial academic contribution by reframing the perception of ERP systems but also holds a significant practical value in ameliorating the user experience with cloud-based ERP systems. In essence, the adoption of a Web 4.0-oriented approach in user training heralds a revolutionary shift in ERP adoption strategies, setting a solid foundation for future explorations in this domain

Jet Noise Receptivity to Nozzle-upstream Perturbations in Compressible Heated Jets

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97078/1/AIAA2012-2259.pd

Synthesis of TiO2 nanotube arrays and preparation of agar based gel polymer electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cell.

Dalam kajian ini, katod-udara digunakan untuk menghasilkan tiubnano TiO2. Kesan pH dan voltan dalam pengubahsuaian morfologi tiubnano TiO2 telah dikaji. Tambahan pula, kestabilan katod udara dalam pelbagai keadaan penganodan juga dikaji buat pertama kalinya. In the current study, air-cathode is used to synthesize titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays. Effect of pH and voltage in tailoring the morphologies of TiO2 nanotube arrays is investigated