Zulfaqar Journal of Defence Science, Engineering & Technology

A NUMERICAL SIMULATION VALIDATION STUDY: HIGH-VELOCITY BLUNT PROJECTILE IMPACTS ON 2024-T351 ALUMINUM ALLOY PLATES OF VARYING THICKNESSES

Mohd Zaid Othman — 2025-05-30

In this current study, a numerical simulation approach is employed to investigate the post-impact behaviours of a blunt cylindrical projectile colliding with a fully clamped and bolted square plate made of 2024-T351 aluminium alloy. The plate has a circular perimeter with a diameter of 116 mm, and its top surface is oriented at a right angle to the incoming projectile. Various initial velocities are applied to rigid projectiles, which impact plates of thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 8 mm, all made from 2024-T351 aluminium alloy. A total of forty-four numerical simulation analyses are conducted to study the impacts of blunt cylindrical projectiles on these aluminium alloy plates. The results show excellent agreement with an average difference of 15.04 % when compared to published experimental test data, validating the accuracy of the numerical simulations.

EXPLORATORY STATISTICS USING R PROGRAMMING FOR DIABETES MELLITUS DATASET

Yih Jeng Cheong — 2025-05-30

Exploratory data analysis is a must in conducting every research. By going through the process we could organize the dataset, understand the variables, identify relationships between variables, choose the right model, and help find patterns in a dataset. In this research we choose a healthcare dataset concerning diabetes mellitus. We explored the dataset and came up with few conclusions. We identified the relationship between variables in the dataset with diabetes mellitus. The correlation between variables and the disease were presented in visual graphs. We developed R codes to assist analysis as well as graphical representations. While conducting the exploratory statistics we discovered the flaws of the data collection and proposed few steps to advance the research in a developing a predictive model.

MODELLING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTROL LAW DESIGN FOR UAV CONTROL SURFACE USING PIDS CONTROLLER AND FEEDBACK CONTROLLER WITH INTEGRATOR

Zuhairi Abdul Rashid — 2025-05-30

This paper will discuss on designing a control law for UAV’s control surfaces deflection. The approach in obtaining the control law start by designing the test bench follows by identifying the characteristic of test bench, follow by designing the control law itself. Two method of control design which are the PID controller and the poles placement method has been used with four control law has been derives. Only one control law been selected which is the PI controller with 0.3s settling time. The control law selected shown its capability to reject perturbation while maintaining the desired response characteristic. Thus, the control law for UAV control surfaces has been successfully design and implemented.

BRIDGING THE GAP: REFLECTIONS ON PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION IN MEDICAL EDUCATION THROUGH THE WORLD DIABETES DAY EXPERIENCE

Hasliza Abu Hassan — 2025-05-30

Public-private collaboration in healthcare helps improve medical education by exposing students to real clinical situations. Through this event, medical students from the National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM) joined the exhibition, helping with patient education, teamwork and programs for the community. Groups of students joined endocrinologists, primary care specialists, dietitians, wound care experts and physiotherapists at five interactive booths to provide information on managing diabetes. Working in labs helped students better understand what they learn in class and communicate about difficult medical topics. At the same time, the event paid special attention to mentorship, making connections and working in teams, sharing what is important in treating patients and why a multidisciplinary approach helps. The simulation experience helped students understand both theory and practice about the mental effects of diabetes and how could react with more empathy toward each patient. This article points out that public-private collaboration in medical education can be transformative and suggests that more emphasis be placed on experiential learning. As medical education adjusts, universities and healthcare organizations must grow close so they can raise well-prepared, kind and flexible healthcare workers.

INCULCATING HAND HYGIENE HABITS AMONG CHILDREN: REFLECTIONS FROM THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY HANDWASHING AWARENESS PROGRAM

Siti Nadirah Ab Rahim — 2025-05-30

During the school holiday in September 2024, lecturers from the faculty of medicine and defence health, National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM), in collaboration with the management of Kidikobucare Centre Seri Kembangan, organised a "Handwashing Awareness" activity for children. This program aimed to raise understanding about the significance of handwashing as a preventive measure to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Proper hand hygiene is especially crucial in kindergarten settings, where children are in close contact with one another. Through this program, we provided training based on a pre-planned COM-B model framework of behavioural change. We emphasized various aspects of handwashing, including the “why”, “how”, “when”, and “where”. A total of 26 children, aged 3 to 12 years, participated in this activity. Based on the feedback from teachers involved in the program, they found the activity to be highly useful in cultivating the habit of handwashing among children. It is hoped that this programme will continue to be an effective effort in increasing awareness about the importance of handwashing among children from a very young age.

PROLONGED NEUROLOGICAL DEFICIT AFTER SPINAL ANAESTHESIA: A DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE IN UNDIAGNOSED SPINAL PATHOLOGY PATIENT

Siti Hajar Haryati Fauzi — 2025-05-30

Spinal anaesthesia is a widely used regional anaesthesia technique known for its effectiveness and safety. However, post-operative neurological deficits, though rare, can pose diagnostic challenges. This case report discusses a 53-year-old male with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent spinal anaesthesia for an emergency incision and drainage of a gluteal abscess. Despite an uneventful perioperative course, the patient developed persistent bilateral lower limb weakness and numbness post-operatively. MRI findings revealed an L4/L5 posterior disc bulge with impingement of the left L4 exiting nerve root, but no evidence of cauda equina syndrome or epidural hematoma. This case underscores the importance of thorough preoperative neurological assessment and the need for differentiating between anaesthesia-related complications and pre-existing spinal pathology. Early multidisciplinary evaluation is crucial in managing prolonged post-spinal anaesthesia neurological deficits.

LEVENBERG MARQUARDT AND BAYESIAN REGULARIZATION TRAINING ALGORITHM BASED MLP NETWORK PREDICTION FOR SHAPE AGGREGATE

Ja'afar Adnan — 2025-05-30

The assessment of aggregate quality is predicated on a combination of manual grading and mechanical filtering through established traditional methods. Aggregates are mandated to undergo a series of mechanical, physical, and chemical testing protocols to verify their compliance with predefined standards. The manual evaluation processes are intrinsically inefficient and subjective, resulting in significant temporal resource expenditure. This project aims to design an image processing system capable of categorizing aggregates into distinct classifications. The classification system leverages an artificial neural network (ANN) to perform image analysis for the identification of aggregate morphologies. The study systematically evaluates the performance of various training algorithms for the ANN, specifically juxtaposing Levenberg Marquardt (LM) against Bayesian Regularization (BR) as training paradigms. The findings demonstrate that BR training outperforms other methodologies, as evidenced by superior mean square error (MSE) metrics and improved regression results. The integration of the BR training algorithm with a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network achieves optimal performance in terms of regression accuracy and MSE assessment. Through the implementation of BR training, the network attained an MSE of 1.2042 and a regression coefficient of 0.9892, thereby validating its capability to classify aggregates through image analysis effectively. This novel approach provides researchers with a robust and objective solution that supersedes traditional manual classification methodologies.

OPTIMIZING OUTCOMES IN GERIATRIC BLUNT THORACIC TRAUMA: INSIGHTS FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY NON-OPERATIVE APPROACH – A CASE REPORT

Sarah Iziani Ramli — 2025-05-30

Blunt thoracic trauma significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality among the geriatric population, often arising from falls or motor vehicle accidents. These demographic faces unique challenges due to age related physiological changes and comorbidities. This report describes a case of a 71-year-old male pedestrian who sustained blunt thoracic trauma after being struck by a vehicle. The patient initially received care at a local clinic but developed worsening chest pain and shortness of breath within 24 hours. A chest X-ray revealed a right pneumothorax and extensive subcutaneous emphysema, while computed tomography confirmed multiple rib fractures, a flail chest, pneumomediastinum, and bilateral lung contusions. The patient required intubation due to severe respiratory distress and was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit. Management involved a multidisciplinary approach focusing on pain optimization and aggressive chest physiotherapy. Unfortunately, the patient developed ventilator-associated pneumonia two days after extubating, necessitating re-intubation and tracheostomy. The patient was discharged in stable condition on day 26 post-trauma. This case highlights the complexities of managing blunt thoracic trauma in elderly patients and underscores the critical role of a multidisciplinary approach. Timely imaging, early ICU support, and a multidisciplinary care strategy are critical for optimizing outcomes in elderly patients with severe thoracic trauma, especially those complicated by flail chest and pulmonary contusions. Given the significant risks associated with surgical procedures in elderly patients, the non-operative approach emerges as the preferred strategy for managing geriatric chest trauma.

A SIMULTANEOUS ARTHROSCOPIC PULL-OUT SUTURE FIXATION FOR ACL AVULSION WITH DIRECT REPAIR OF PATELLA TENDON AVULSION USING ANCHOR SUTURE IN AN 11-YEARS OLD GIRL – A CASE REPORT

Mohd Asyraf Hafizuddin Ab Halim — 2025-05-30

Tibial tuberosity avulsion and tibial spine fractures are rare injuries, though they occur more commonly in children and adolescents due to incomplete ossification of the tibial tuberosity and tibial spine, which renders these structures weaker than the attached ligaments and musculature. However, to our knowledge, no case of combined tibial tuberosity avulsion and tibial spine fracture has been reported in the literature, presenting unique diagnostic and surgical challenges. This case report details the presentation, diagnosis, and surgical management of an 11-year-old girl who sustained this unprecedented dual injury following a motor vehicle accident. The surgical approach included the Krackow suture technique of patella tendon with a knotless anchor for tibial tuberosity fixation and an arthroscopic suture pull-out technique with cortical button fixation for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial spine fracture. This case underscores the importance of early diagnosis and a tailored surgical approach to ensure optimal outcome.

AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF MICROPROCESSORS AND MICROCONTROLLERS: A FOCUS ON THE ARDUINO UNO AND INTEL 80386DX

Ahmad Alif Ahmad Fairoze — 2025-05-30

Microprocessors and microcontrollers have significantly revolutionized the electronics industry, serving as foundational components in a diverse array of devices and applications. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of two prominent microcontrollers and microprocessors: the Arduino Uno and the Intel 80386DX. Through a meticulous exploration of the architectural attributes of these integrated circuits, this study seeks to unveil the remarkable functionalities afforded by these technologies. By delving into the operational principles of both the Arduino Uno and the Intel 80386DX, we endeavour to elucidate the design philosophies and technological advancements that have shaped their development. Furthermore, we will examine the practical applications, advantages, and limitations associated with these microprocessors, offering insights into the implications of their architectural designs on real-world applications. Ultimately, this article will underscore the intricate craftsmanship and sophistication inherent in microprocessor and microcontroller architectures, highlighting the exceptional capabilities of the Arduino Uno and Intel 80386DX.This discourse is intended for electronics enthusiasts, students, and professionals alike, providing valuable insights into the intricate workings of these remarkable devices.