COVID-19 has spread to more than a hundred countries worldwide since the first case reported in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. As one of the countries affected by the spread of COVID-19 cases, the local government of Malaysia has issued several policies to reduce the spread of this outbreak. One of the measures taken by the Malaysian government, namely the Movement Control Order, has been carried out since March 18, 2020. In order to provide precise information to the government so that it can take the appropriate measures, many researchers have attempted to predict and create the model for these cases to identify the number of cases each day and the peak of this pandemic. Therefore, hospitals and health workers can anticipate a surge in COVID-19 patients. In this research, confirmed, recovered, and death cases prediction was performed using the neural network as one of the machine learning methods with high accuracy. The neural network model used is the Multi-Layer Perceptron, Neural Network Auto-Regressive, and Extreme Learning Machine. The three models calculated the average percentage error (APE) values for 7 days and obtained APE values for most cases less than 10%; only 1 case in the last day of one method had an APE value of approximately 11%. Furthermore, based on the best model, then the forecast is made for the next 7 days. In conclusion, this study identified that the MLP model is the best model for 7-step ahead forecasting for confirmed, recovered, and death cases in Malaysia. However, according to the result of testing data, the ELM performs better than the MLP model.

When operating in highly competitive business environments, contemporary manufacturing firms must persistently find ways to fulfill timely orders with quality ensured merchandise, manage the unanticipated fabrication disruptions, and minimize total operating expenses. To address the aforementioned concerns, this study explores the optimal runtime decision for a manufacturing system featuring an expedited fabrication rate, random equipment failures, and scrap. Specifically, the proposed study considers an expedited rate that is linked to higher setup and unit costs. The fabrication process is subject to random failure and scrap rates. The failure instance follows a Poisson distribution, is repaired right away, and the fabrication of interrupted batch resumes when the equipment is restored. The defective goods are identified and scrapped. Mathematical modeling and optimization method are used to find the total system cost and the optimal runtime of the problem. The applicability and sensitivity analyses of research outcome are illustrated through a numerical example. Diverse critical information regarding the individual/joint impacts of variations in stochastic time-to-failure, expedited rate, and random scrap on the optimal runtime decision, total system expenses, different cost components, and machine utilization, can now be revealed to assist in in-depth problem analyses and decision makings.

With growing concerns about healthcare services especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals are compelled to provide non-traditional forms of quality services. Total quality management (TQM) practices are gaining attention and becoming a driving force to improve quality performance. This research aims to investigate the impact of TQM practices and quality performance in Jordanian public hospitals. The research used an online survey to collect data from 222 respondents from several public hospitals in Jordan. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) confirms a positive relationship between supplier quality management, customer focus, and quality performance.

The article presents an analysis of the stress state of workpieces during upsetting of workpieces with an additional shear. For the analysis, the slip line method and the finite element method were used. A schematic diagram of upsetting in dies with “floating” elements, contributing to the implementation of additional shear, reduction of barreling, inhomogenous deformation and contour tensile stresses, is presented. The analysis of the research results showed that during upsetting of workpieces with additional shift forces, tensile stresses on the side surface of the workpieces decrease, which excludes the appearance of cracks on the side surface of the samples, especially when processing low-plastic alloy steels and alloys, and also reduces the barreling of the side surface.

This study examines effect of transformational leadership (TFL) on work motivation in Vietnam, through the mediating role of employee emotions (expressed by the effect of leader on employee satisfaction). This paper considers employee motivation using independent and intermediate variables characterizing individuals and organizations. In order to find relationships between the select-ed variables, and to evaluate the role of the mediator, a technique of Explore Factor Analysis method (EFA) is sued with primary data collected from 286 among 317 employees currently working using regression models and 500 bootstrapping samples in order to quantify the role of the mediator. For the purposes of the analysis, the structural equation modelling (SEM) method was efficiency applied. The quantitative research was conducted in SMEs selected by stratification technique. In both cases the outcomes are significantly determined by employees’ motivation. This practical model demonstrates an influential relationship between TFL and work motivation. The study provides proof that the relations of transformational leadership have been shown to have a direct indirect influence on employee motivation, in which the mediator is the satisfaction which has direct impact on work motivation. The results of the research show strong evidences for policy makers and enterprises for management at SMEs as well as it contributes to literature review of behavior organization. Findings also strongly show implied solutions which would support for Vietnamese SMEs to improve stable job performance.

Organic pollutants cause many environmental problems to our environment because of their toxicity, non-degradation and ability to long-range transport. The most common organic pollutants are known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and are known as hydrocarbons. Effective techniques for the removal of hydrocarbons and heavy metals from soil have drawn great attention. Remediation techniques represent one of the most important of these techniques because of their gentle impact on the environment. The study highlights numerous methods for Physical and chemical remediation techniques with explanation of the ability of some plants and agricultural wastes for remediation.

Nowadays, companies are recognizing their primordial roles and responsibilities towards the protection of the environment and save the natural resources. They are focusing on some contemporary activities such as Reverse Logistics which is economically and environmentally viable. However, the integration of such an initiative needs flows restructuring and supply chain management in order to increase sustainability and maximize profits. Under this background, this paper addresses an inventory control model for a reverse logistics system that deals with two separated types of demand, for new products and remanufactured products, with different selling prices. The model consists of a single shared machine between production and remanufacturing operations, while the machine is subject to random failures and repairs. Three stock points respectively for returns, new products and remanufactured products are investigated. Meanwhile, in this paper, a modeling of the problem with Discrete-Event simulation using Arena® was conducted. Regarding the purpose of finding, a near-optimal inventory control policy that minimizes the total cost, an optimization of the model based on Tabu Search and Genetic Algorithms was established. Computational examples and sensitivity analysis were performed in order to compare the results and the robustness of each proposed algorithm. Then the results of the two methods were compared with those of OptQuest® optimization tool.

In this study, Carbon, Glass, and Aramid fiber reinforced composite and their hybridized forms were fabricated using five different stacking sequences of the fabrics. Using the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) procedure, epoxy resin was injected into these fabrics and allowed to cure at room temperature. From these five stacking sequences, a standard specimen with four different orientations viz. 0/90°, 15/75°, 30/60°, 45/-45° orientations were obtained using the Abrasive Water Jet Machining(AWJM) Process. The influence of stacking order and fiber orientation on tensile and flexural properties of composite was investigated. From the result of tensile testing, the highest and lowest tensile strength values were observed for neat carbon fiber reinforced composite at 0/90° orientation and at 45/-45° orientation respectively. The highest flexural strength was achieved in a hybrid combination of two layers of carbon, glass and aramid fabric for 0/90° whereas the lowest flexural strength was found in glass reinforced composite for the 45/-45° orientation.

In this study, we examined the volatility trend of stock return in eight ASEAN stock markets. These includes the Singapore Exchange (SGX), Bursa Malaysia Stock Exchange (YSX), the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), Indonesia stock exchange, the Vietnam Stock Exchange (VNX), the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX), the Lao Securities Exchange (LSX), and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Secondly, we evaluated the factors that influence the level of return in those stock markets with exchange rate volatility as a control variable. By employing FIGARCH-DCC and ARDL models, the study aimed to provide a more robust understanding of stock market dynamics. The findings reveal significant negative returns effect of market volatilities and liquidity crisis in all the stock exchanges of all sample countries in the study. In Singapore, money supply variation, market volatility, liquidity risks, and exchange rate volatility significantly influenced stock returns positively. The short-run model explains 52.26% of the variation in stock returns. Only in Malaysia, we had significant positive returns from exchange rate volatility. Nevertheless, the Russian model explains just 22.22% of the variation in stock returns. In Thailand and Indonesia alike, returns significantly and positively responded to variation in money supply, while the volatility in the market and currency rate exchange adversely impacted returns. The short-run models explain 53.66% and 65.21% of the variation in stock returns for Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively. The variation in money supply does not significantly affect stock returns and has no significant contribution to returns in Cambodia. The Cambodia model explains around 48.34% of the variation in returns. For Lao Stock Exchange, return effects of liquidity risk, and exchange rate instability were significant and negative. Market volatility had insignificantly impacted stock returns in Nigeria. The Lao model explains 50.38% of the variation in stock returns. In the Philippine Stock Exchange, the returns effect of exchange rate volatility and liquidity crisis are adverse and significant. Money supply variation and market volatility had insignificant influence on returns. The model explains 68.11% of the variation in returns. In the Philippines, market volatility, liquidity risks, and exchange rate volatility adversely impacted returns. Money supply variation had no such significant influence on returns. The panel model of the Philippines explains 62.9% of the variation in stock returns. The research accentuates the need for governments to stabilize exchange rates, boost liquidity, through targeted policies aimed at managing stock market dynamics especially as it relates to stock volatility in order to foster meaningful growth and development of the financial market.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and find out the influence of the Tudang Sipulung, public accountability and transparency on budget performance in the Regional Government of Parepare. Respondents in this study were 102 employees of the Regional Government of Parepare. The analytical model used to determine the effect between variables is a structural model with the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. The results show that Tudang Sipulung had no significant effect on Budget Performance, Public Accountability had a significant effect on Budget Performance, and Transparency had no significant effect on the Budget Performance. This means that the implementation of the Tudang Sipulung and transparency has not been optimal in seeing the performance of the budget, in contrast to public accountability which is considered quite good. To improve the performance of the budget, it is good for the regional government to be open starting from the planning process to reporting, creating good management and open to all information.