The impact of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on education: The role of virtual and remote laboratories in education

To avoid the spread of the COVID-19 crisis, many countries worldwide have temporarily shut down their academic organizations. National and international closures affect over 91% of the education community of the world. E-learning is the only effective manner for educational institutions to coordinate the learning process during the global lockdown and quarantine period. Many educational institutions have instructed their students through remote learning technologies to face the effect of local closures and promote the continuity of the education process. This study examines the expected benefits of e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a new model to investigate this issue using a survey collected from the students at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed on 179 useable responses. This study applied Push-Pull-Mooring theory and examined how push, pull, and mooring variables impact learners to switch to virtual and remote educational laboratories. The Protection Motivation theory was employed to explain how the potential health risk and environmental threat can influence the expected benefits from e-learning services. The findings revealed that the push factor (environmental threat) is significantly related to perceived benefits. The pull factors (e-learning motivation, perceived information sharing, and social distancing) significantly impact learners' benefits. The mooring factor, namely perceived security, significantly impacts learners’ benefits.     

The sustainability of applied technologies for water supply in developing countries

This paper discusses the best use of technologies to assist people in critical living conditions. Developing countries with huge shortages of water, food, education, and services rely on external help for relief and possible paths to development. This paper considers the appropriate introduction and use of technologies in the water sector and provides examples to underline how their sustainability is crucial to achieving real development in a specified location.     

Advanced product development integration architecture: an out-of-box solution to support distributed production networks

This paper presents novel collaboration methods implemented using a centralized client/server product development integration architecture, and a decentralized peer-to-peer network for smaller and larger companies using open source solutions. The product development integration architecture has been developed for the integration of disparate technologies and software systems for the benefit of collaborative work teams in design and manufacturing. This will facilitate the communication of early design and product development within a distributed and collaborative environment. The novelty of this work is the introduction of an ‘out-of-box’ concept which provides a standard framework and deploys this utilizing a proprietary state-of-the-art product lifecycle management system (PLM). The term ‘out-of-box’ means to modify the product development and business processes to suit the technologies rather than vice versa. The key business benefits of adopting such an approach are a rapidly reconfigurable network and minimal requirements for software customization to avoid systems instability.     

Fuzzy sets analysis for ballast water treatment systems: best available control technology

An overview on various ballast water treatment (BWT) technologies aboard different types of ships is presented. These technologies are: (1) Filtration, (2) Cyclonic systems, (3) Heat treatment, (4) Chemical treatment, (5) Ultraviolet radiation, (6) Ultrasound, (7) Electroporation, and (8) Radiolysis. These technologies are proven technologies for BWT in the marine industry. The fuzzy sets methodology is used to perform a comparison among these different Ballast water systems to choose the best available control technology that should be given the highest priority in terms of development and research. The main objective of this paper is to determine the order in which ballast water systems should be given higher priority to be installed to tackle the world wide ballast water pollution problem. These systems are compared according to their benefits and cost. Based on the benefit to cost ratio, the results show that the filtration treatment appears to be the method that will provide the best combination of effective treatment and feasibility. The next two options are the use of ultraviolet and ultrasound. All these three options could be used to produce effective and reliable BWT with minimum cost and optimum benefits in terms of issues related to effectiveness, reliability, global benefits, and safety. The least options are radiolysis and chemical treatment due to their high costs and low safety factors. Also this study tries to clear the way for developing new and existing technology, and to provide a platform for successful treatment solution.     

Internet of Cultural Things: Current Research,Challenges and Opportunities

Driven by the visions of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and 5G communications, the Internet of Cultural Things (IoCT) realize the comprehensive interconnection among cultural products, cultural services, cultural resources, and cultural platforms, bringing individuals with richer humanistic experience, increasing economic benefits for the cultural sector, and promoting the development of cultural heritage protection and education. At present, IoCT has received widespread attention in both industry and academia. To explore new research opportunities and assist users in constructing suitable IoCT systems for specific applications, this survey provides a comprehensive overview of the IoCT components and key technologies. A comparison study of representative IoCT systems is presented according to their applicability. A general platform architecture of IoCT is proposed to link cultural objects with the internet and human. Finally, open issues for research challenges and future opportunities of IoCT are also studied in this paper.     

Soil and groundwater cleanup: benefits and limits of emerging technologies

Contaminated soil and groundwater have been the subject of study and research, so that the field of remediation has grown and evolved, continually developing and adopting new technologies in attempts to improve the decontamination. The cleanup of environmental pollution involves a variety of techniques, ranging from simple biological processes to advanced engineering technologies. Cleanup activities may also address a wide range of contaminants. This article is a short analysis of the technologies for cleaning up groundwater and soil, highlighting knowledge and information gaps. Challenges and strategies for cleaning up different types of contaminants, mainly heavy metals and persistent organic compounds are described. Included are technologies that treat ground water contaminants in place in the subsurface and soil technologies that treat the soil either in place or on site in a treatment unit. Emerging technologies such as those based on oxidation–reduction, bioremediation, and nanotechnologies are covered. It is evident that for a good efficiency of remediation, techniques or even whole new technologies may be incorporated into an existing technology as a treatment train, improving its performance or overcome limitations. Several economic and decision-making elements are developed in the final part, based on the analysis carried out throughout the article. The work highlights the fact that excellence in research and technology progress could be attained by the development of technologies to deal more effectively and economically with certain toxic contaminants such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and persistent organic pollutants, associated with optimization of technologies under field remediation conditions and requirements, improving capacity and yields, and reducing costs. Moreover, increasing knowledge of the scope and problem of equipment development could improve the benefits.     

Die Geschichte der Deutschen Vakuum‐Gesellschaft DVG e. V.

The history of the German Vacuum Society DVG e. V. – All for vacuum‐supported sciences and technologies For almost half a century, the German Vacuum Society and its preceding organizations have been supporting the research and application of vacuum‐assisted sciences and technologies, fostering the national and international exchange of scientific information and opinions in related disciplines, honoring outstanding scientific achievements and promoting training and further education in all aspects of vacuum technology. Highlights and turning points of this development are described here.     

nanoTruck on Tour: Reise in den Nanokosmos. nanoTruck on Tour: A Journey to the Nanokosmos

Nanotechnology is one of the key technologies of our future and is considered as a driving force for science and economy. Mediating a comprehensive understanding of nanotechnology is a main interest of the nanoTruck. This activity shows, that economy and employment in Germany can be increased by the technological productivity of nanotechnology. It aims at disseminating the benefits of nanotechnology and thus providing highly skilled new recruits. It is vital to communicate the opportunities and potentials of nanotechnology to the public, to research centres, to schools and in further education to make a new technology successful. The initiative ?nanoTruck: a journey to the nanocosmos – a world of minute proportions”? of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) contributes significantly to that aim.     

Suspicious minds? – users’ perceptions of autonomous and connected driving

Abstract

In this article, the public perception and acceptance of novel vehicle technologies – autonomous driving (AD) and connected driving (CD) – is investigated. Following a multistep empirical procedure, we explore participants’ cognitions towards AD and CD. Therefore, a questionnaire study was run in which the perceived benefits and barriers of the technologies were evaluated by 443 participants in a wide age range (18–76 years). In addition, we took a closer look at the impact of user diversity (gender, age, need for privacy, control, risk taking tolerance and technical self-efficacy) on the evaluation of both driving technologies. Finally, cluster analyses were used out to identify evaluation profiles in both benefits and barriers, respectively. Overall, CD is seen significantly more positive compared to AD. With increasing risk taking tolerance and technical self-efficacy, the perception of the benefits was higher. In contrast, the perception of barriers in novel vehicle technologies was independent of personality factors and attitudes. Here, privacy and data protection issues were seen as key disadvantages. The findings can be used to develop timely and individually tailored public information and communication strategies for automated and connected vehicle technologies.     

Analytical foundations for development of real-time supply chain capabilities

The emergence of real-time supply chain visibility technologies has raised challenges for organisations in developing the required management capabilities required to exploit enhanced visibility. The convergence of cloud computing, mobile technology, distributed computing, and data integration technologies has enabled managers for the first time to have real-time visibility of material flows in end to end supply chains, enhancing their ability to identify bottlenecks and disruptions of material flows anywhere in their network. To effectively harness these technologies, a new set of managerial decision-making capabilities as well as enhanced data governance disciplines will be required. In this research, we employ organisational information processing theory to explore the relationship of analytical capabilities, data quality, reporting quality, and real-time data capabilities on supply chain performance. Our research model suggests that the benefits of real-time information technologies are dependent on quality reporting and managerial analytical strengths to derive supply chain benefits. The implications for managerial applications and research are further described based on these findings.     

新时代交通类高校“数智”融合下美育模式的构建与发展研究

目的 探讨了新时代,尝试如何利用数智技术构建交通类高校的“智能+”美育模式。考虑到AIGC技术、虚拟现实等在艺术设计教育领域的应用前景广泛,旨在回应数智美育新挑战。方法 结合理论研究和相关课程实践,采用多维视角,探索数智技术与美育融合的方式并持续改进以增强交通类高校的美育教学效果。方法包括现有文献分析法、课程案例实践探索与研究等。结果 交通类高校数智美育的良好发展须关注的方面,包括兼顾美育教学规律,明确“智能+”美育愿景,指导美育工作的良性、可持续发展;构建虚拟美育教研室以沟通学校、社会和企业三方的美育资源,定期进行“智能+”美育研究与师资培训;明确“智能+”美育目标,专心打造交通类高校特色美育通识课程,并以AIGC等新技术为辅助进行美育课堂创新;结合交通类高校优势,融合跨学科专业促进高校美育持续向好发展。结论 本研究强调高校美育引入数智技术以更新美育模式的重要性。须切实立足交通类高校的专业及学生情况,展开先统合、多调整、有节奏、分步骤、重体验、重文化和跟前沿等美育发展步伐,扎实推进“智能+”美育模式的探索。     

3D printing technology and its impact on Chinese manufacturing

For both developed and developing countries, manufacturing plays a crucial role in international competition. There is a growing consensus that 3D printing (3DP) technologies will revolutionise the development of global manufacturing. Although considerable research has previously been conducted to define the technological and economic benefits of 3DP on global manufacturing, minimal research has linked 3DP with Chinese manufacturing (CM). Therefore, to address this research gap and to investigate 3DP’s potential impact on alleviating CM’s development issues, this paper explores the definition, characteristics and mainstream technologies of 3DP, presents the current situation and the main problems of CM, and analyses the potential impact of 3DP on the development of CM. Then, this study introduces the current 3DP promotion and industrialisation situation in China as well as the issues with promoting 3DP in CM.     

Investigating the role of ICT intervention in grassroots innovation using structural equation modelling approach

Research on information communication technologies (ICT) for entrepreneurship development is burgeoning, yet our understanding of the use of ICT in support of grassroots innovation remains unclear. This paper examines the moderating role of the use of ICT on the relationship between grassroots innovation (GRI) and entrepreneurial success (ES). The study involved 400 grassroots entrepreneurs selected from three states in India, and the moderating effect of the use of ICT was analysed using moderated structural equation modelling. The results revealed that the use of ICT partially moderates the relationship between the new learning practices and economic benefits. It also partially moderates the relationship between local solution and economic benefits, but it fully moderates the relationship between networking capabilities and economic benefits, where the relationship is stronger when the use of ICT is high. Furthermore, the study found that the use of ICT does not moderate the relationship between new learning practice and non-economic benefits, relationship between local solution and non-economic benefits and relationship between networking capabilities and non-economic benefits.     

数字技术融合儿童美育教育创新发展研究

目的 数字技术是连接科学技术、美学教育的重要纽带,运用数字技术融合儿童美育教育工作,提出科技与美育相融合的创新发展思路。在科普中注重美育,在美育中探索科学,为前沿数字技术与儿童科普美育教育协同创新发展提供新思路。方法 分析目前儿童科普美育教育的路径研究;以科普美育教育为主要研究内容,从数字技术的沉浸式、交互性、构想性出发进行分析;探索其对儿童科普美育教育中科学认知、趣味互动、审美素养等的有效影响。结果 数字技术运用在儿童科普美育教育过程中,能够有效促进儿童建立美学思维和科学意识,提高儿童在科普体验中的兴趣度与参与度,提升科普教育成效。结论 随着科学技术的不断深化,数字化教育已经成为儿童科普美育教育发展的重要途径。运用虚拟现实、增强现实等前沿技术,能够全方位、多角度、多感官地促进儿童美育教育工作,是对当代儿童科普美育教育工作方式的有效补充,有着长远的意义和引导作用。     

Disruptive technologies for advancing supply chain resilience

Disruptive technologies provide a new paradigm for supply chain risk management and bring opportunities and challenges for the improvement of supply chain resilience (SCRes). This study summarizes the application cases of some disruptive technologies in the SCRes and analyzes the benefits and damages brought by disruptive technologies to the SCRes. The results show that disruptive technologies can provide the supply chain with flexibility, visibility, agility, and other capabilities at various stages of risk management. Hence, technology advancements greatly increase the level of the SCRes. Although disruptive technologies undermine the construction of SCRes, these damages can be eliminated through technology iteration or other disruptive technologies. Furthermore, disruptive technologies will provide better stability for the SCRes. The study also makes several suggestions for the use of disruptive technologies in the construction of the SCRes.     

Perspectives on the Role of Educational Technologies

Educational technologies and software hold tremendous potential for improving the process of teaching and learning through, for example, delivering information, facilitating communication, and promoting certain aspects of cognition. While this paper discusses these, its overall aim is to view the larger picture of what educational technologies can and cannot do. It begins by noting the overall aims of higher education and posing the question: What part can educational technologies play in achieving these goals? The paper summarizes Perkins' five facets of any learning environment in order to provide a framework for evaluating educational technologies and to reveal that most technologies provide only part of the total learning environment. Specifically, the “task manager” facet plays the most important role in achieving the aims of education, but it is difficult to create software with meaningful task management capability.     

设计的自由源于艺术感觉的表达--再论"纯艺术"对"艺术设计"思维意识的拓展

文章探讨了对当下艺术设计教育拓展的可能性空间，寻求和建构一条既有利于各画种特色的多元发展，又有利于学生自我整合能力和创新能力培养的教学思路。     

高校飞行器制造工程专业的综合实验课程教学研究

针对高校飞行器制造工程专业的综合实验课程教学,论文提出了设置飞机数字化设计制造一体化技术实验、飞机钣金精密塑性热成形工艺教学实验、飞机数字化柔性装配教学实验及飞机复合材料构件设计制造一体化技术等四大实验系列共14个实验的教学设想。这些实验既涉及传统的飞机制造工艺,也包括最新的飞机研制信息化手段。完成上述实验可提高本专业学生的动手能力,加深对飞行器产品制造过程各项知识点的理解。     

生物医用材料的3D打印技术与发展

近年来,由于3D打印技术的迅猛发展,有关3D打印技术的应用受到科学界广泛关注,特别是生物医学领域。3D打印材料的瓶颈制约着3D打印技术的发展,特别是用于生物医学领域的打印材料,只有非常局限的几种,但是研究可打印生物医用材料意义重大,经济效益显著。简述了3D打印技术在生物医学工程上的应用。重点综述了用于3D打印的生物医用材料,主要涉及金属、陶瓷、高聚物、复合材料以及生物墨水等,并且阐述了3D打印材料的发展前景。