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Writing a research paper as a graduation requisite by university students is an important part of university education. It is not a simple task for most university students who face several problems during writing the graduation project. Several kinds of research have been conducted onrecognising the challenges and problems that face students in academic writing, but to the researcher's best knowledge, no study has been conducted on the problems faced in writing a graduate research paper by Jordanian undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature major. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the academic writing challenges and difficulties encountered in writing graduation papers by EFL undergraduate students in the Department of English at Alzaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ). The data for the study was collected through distributing a questionnaire of three parameters: attitude about writing a research paper, methodology challenges, and background knowledge about research. The questionnaire is based on identifying the causes of the students' challenges in writing their graduation papers. The respondents were 45 undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature. The findings revealed that the most important problems were lack of an academic prerequisite of teaching the techniques of how to write a research paper, lack of knowledge of research paper writing process, lack of resources, lack of the methodology, etc. Thus, for these reasons, the present study attempts to present suggestions and recommendations to overcome such hurdles faced by graduate students in writing their graduation research papers.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the Arab World are still in their infancy. Many Arab countries are now starting to launch their MOOC platforms; however, there are only a few who have actually implemented such systems. This paper will explore online learning, in particular the rise of MOOCs around the world and their impact on the Arab World. The purpose of this paper is to give a true picture of the development of the first MOOC platforms in the Arab World. It will analyse in detail the concept, definitions, background, and types of MOOCs (xMOOCs and cMOOCs), as well as the main MOOCs platform in the Western and Arab worlds, and a timeline of the development of MOOCs. It will then observe the status of MOOCs in the developed world, opportunities in the Middle East, and the influence of Western MOOCs on the Arab world, from many perspectives, e.g. educational, religious, cultural and social.

How has education for refugees been shaped by broader dynamics of educational privatization? This paper argues that the invoking of the 'refugee crisis' narrative has been a crucial force in facilitating the privatization of this sector. The urgency of crisis helps to naturalize private actors' participation in refugees' education as equal partners to host governments, multilateral agencies, and civil society. Consistent with Stephen Ball's (2012) distinction between privatization in and of education, the privatization of refugee education also advances through two dimensions: the creation of a new space -- a new 'market' -- for private actors, and the infusion of market and business principles such as 'innovation' into all aspects of education. The crisis narrative has created a new 'horizon of taken-for-granted' (Hall, 1993), where it is simply natural that private actors must participate in the assumption of the traditional responsibilities of the state in providing education for refugees.

Study aims to determine whether the university students' scores in the compulsory Islamic culture course test on a selected sample differ across the paper-and pencil test (PPT) & computer-based test (CBT) versions, and to reveal the relationship between gender and the student's level of performance in the test. Therefore, the study evaluated the comparability of two versions of a compulsory Islamic culture course test (PPTs) and (CBTs). The importance of conducting the study in Jordan stems from the fact that public and private universities have begun to move away from the traditional patterns of tests such (PPTs) and went towards (CBTs). In addition to detecting which model gives the best in the output and has the characteristics of the psychometric test, furthermore, indicates whether there were any differences between males and females, the study sample consisted of 120 individuals, 67 females and 53 males from scientific, health and humanities colleges. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the two versions provided to students CBT and PPT with 0.36 moderate correlation indicators in the pre-CBT test, no significant differences between the males and females in the CBT test results. Therefore, on the basis of the results of the present study, the CBT test is an option and a preferred alternative for regular students of the bachelor's level at the University of Jordan.

This research paper investigates students' perceptions of whether English or the indigenous language (Arabic) should be used as a medium of instruction in English learning centers at the preintermediate level. This argument which is of both sides (Arabic or English should be used as a medium of instruction) has been investigated through students' responses. While there has been a great deal of research into students' perception of EMI in education, this study offers deeper explanations, from a psychological perspective, of why students prefer EMI despite the difficulty, which would negatively affect their attitudes toward English. In this study, the researcher employed a questionnaire survey to elicit some data from the participants studying in the EFL centers to present substantial evidence, represented by this study's findings, consulted, and supported by psychology-based explanations. Among the main findings is that although the participants of this study hold positive attitudes toward their native language (Arabic), they prefer to use English to Arabic as a medium of instruction. This study also found that awareness associated with business plays a key role in this preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal comfort is usually calculated using discrete point measurements. This procedure is not suitable to study thermal comfort for inhabited areas with rugged terrains where climate gradient is high. The wide availability of remote sensing data and GIS tools has revolutionized data management, processing, and visualization. The present paper implemented digital elevation data, GIS tools, and a computational algorithm to generate spatially continuous maps of climatological elements which were employed to derive thermal comfort levels across Jordan. Results show detailed information of the spatial distribution of the degree of thermal comfort in winter and summer across the country which cannot be resolved using discrete point measurements. It is shown that most mountainous areas in the country, where most urban centers are situated, experience "slightly warm" to "warm" indoor apparent temperatures in summer in 50% of the diurnal cycle. The Jordan Valley and the desert experience high indoor apparent temperatures in summer with warm and hot conditions for the most part of the diurnal cycle. Cold conditions prevail over most parts of the country in winter, with the heating degree days ranging from 2200 in the southern mountains to values close to zero near the Dead Sea area. Mountainous and desert areas experience cold or very cold conditions in more than 75% of the diurnal cycle. The presented procedure demonstrated that the very low levels of ambient vapor pressure is an important atmospheric forcing contributing to the widespread cold conditions prevailing over the desert areas in winter. The efficiency of direct evaporative cooling systems to achieve thermal comfort in the various parts of the country is investigated. The procedure presented can be used over regional scales with different levels of spatial resolutions for a wide range of climatological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the process of in-site sorting of the generated solid waste (SW) in some educational institutions in Ma’an city, Jordan. The study included eight schools and one University. The students and employees of seven schools, as well as the students and employees of the University, had received the awareness campaigns concerning the importance and benefits of in-site sorting of SW. As a control, one school student and employee who had not received awareness campaigns were involved. The institutions were provided with four bins at each collection site (glass and plastic, paper and cardboard, metals, and bread). The content of bins in each institution was collected and sorted manually to evaluate the efficiency of the conducted awareness campaigns on onsite sorting behavior. The mass ratios of many SW components in their designated bins in the reference school (control) were higher than the average ratios in the assigned bins for the same component in all schools. As for the University, the results of the manual sorting showed that all bins included a mix of SW in different ratios; moreover, the proportions of glass and plastic, and metals were lower than the proportions of other components. On the basis of the above mentioned results, it can be concluded that the awareness campaigns did not achieve the stated goals; subsequently, the in-site sorting failed in the schools and the University. Thus, different awareness campaigns should be assessed to identify the best approach positively affect the SW sorting and disposal habits of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates solid-waste management performance potential within Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), Jordan, in the context of environmental benefits and the UI green metric rating system waste category indicators. First, a field survey was conducted to characterise and quantify solid waste generated in AAU. Second, a checklist of the solid-waste management practices in university campuses was developed, based on the UI green metric rating system. Finally, the environmental impact of implementing solid-waste management in AAU campus was measured using the zero waste index (ZWI). The findings show that 491 tonnes of mixed waste are produced each year on campus, of which compostable waste, recyclables, and non-recyclables account for around 21%, 47%, and 32%, respectively. Using the ZWI to measure the performance of waste management practices, the study found a score of 0.75 for non-recyclable paper and plastic prevention; paper, plastic, and metal recycling; and organic composting. Paper recycling was found to have the greatest impact on virgin material substitution, and metal recycling has the highest potential for energy, water, and greenhouse-gas savings. Waste management projects in Jordanian universities should include reduction, in addition to paper and metal recycling in phase 1; and plastic recycling and composting should be applied in phase 2. Since not all waste management practices have the same environmental impact, the study recommends redistributing the UI green metric waste indicators points in accordance with environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the prevalence of ambiguous citizenship policies that say one thing in law and another in implementing regulations, few studies have focused on systematically studying this type of implementation gap, particularly in contexts beyond North America and Europe. This largely has remained the case despite research on discursive policy gaps, which occur between a policy's stated objectives and its laws, efficacy gaps, which describe when a policy's outcomes fail to meet its goals, and compliance gaps, which reflect disparities between a state's commitments to international law and its corresponding domestic policies. How can we advance conceptualizations of law-regulation implementation gaps? This paper proposes one approach by focusing on the content of domestic laws, on the one hand, and the content of related implementing regulations, on the other. When law-regulation discrepancies occur, they illustrate the agency of senior officials in writing this intentional ambiguity into different levels of legislation, challenging assumptions about institutional weakness and lower-level bureaucratic discretion as chief drivers of implementation gaps. The paper illustrates this concept by analyzing discrepancies between Jordan's nationality and passports laws and their related implementing regulations, particularly regarding Gaza refugees' access to passports, investors' access to nationality, and Palestinian-Jordanians' subjection to nationality withdrawals. These diverse cases of intentional ambiguity demonstrate that such gaps can serve to partially exclude or include a group and can occur with noncitizen and citizen as well as more or less vulnerable groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jordan Museum is the most important modern archeological museum in Jordan. This paper assesses the quality of design and the visitors' satisfaction with the Jordan Museum. Also, it investigates which of the selected performance elements contribute most to visitors' satisfaction. Investigative Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was used within a mixed methodology approach. A questionnaire was used for the quantitative part, complemented by other qualitative methods. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the design quality and visitors' satisfaction. Stepwise regression was used to detect which performance elements predict overall visitors' satisfaction. The design quality of the museum was rated as good, and its permanent galleries were exceptionally rated as excellent. The visitors were generally satisfied with the museum. Visitors were satisfied with the interior and exterior finish but were not impressed with the heavy use of stone in the façade. The simplicity of the museum layout made navigation easy, and visitors were satisfied with wayfinding. This paper is the first to use POE to assess the Jordan Museum. The findings can be used to enhance the management and operation of the Jordan Museum. Also, important performance elements can be developed into guidelines to guarantee effective museum designs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Society for Consumer Protection in Jordan is a non-governmental organization seeking to educate the public on consumer problems. The objective of this paper was to elucidate the role of this association and the challenges it faces in the absence of courts for consumers and the failure to activate the role of the Consumer Protection Association in defending consumers. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of this association and the challenges it faces in the absence of defending the rights of consumers and pleading before the courts on their behalf. This research has been achieved by adopting numerous study techniques and methodologies. In this study, numerous methods are employed; the online questionnaire method (survey online), and doctrinal method. the researcher has also conducted online questionnaire. The purpose was to get responses from laymen in of this method was to support and achieve the objectives of this study and to get feedback from consumer in Jordan particularly on the issues regarding to the role of Consumers Association in Jordan. The main objective of this paper is to given the Consumer Protection Association in Jordan the legal stand in defending the rights of consumers, as it was found through the result that the Jordanian legislator did not give the association the legal authority to defend consumers. Thus, this study also gives suggestions to the private agency such as legal committee of Consumers Association to strengthen its power legally and formally in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prolonged presence of Syrian refugees in Jordan has highlighted the need for sustainable health service delivery models for refugees. In 2012, the Jordanian government adopted a policy that granted Syrian refugees access, free of charge, to the national health system. However since 2012, successive policy revisions have limited refugee access. This paper seeks to understand factors that initially put refugee integration into the health system on the policy agenda, as well as how these same factors later affected commitment to sustain the policy. Methods: This paper draws on data from a document review of 197 peer-reviewed and grey literature publications, a media analysis of newspaper articles retrieved from four officially recognized newspapers in Jordan, and 33 semi-structured key informant interviews. We used Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model – a well-established tool for analyzing policy adoption – to understand how political priority developed for integration of refugees into the health system. Results: We find that several factors helped bring attention to the issue, namely concerns over infectious disease transmission to host communities, high rates of chronic conditions among the refugee population and the increasingly urban and dispersed nature of refugees. At the outset of the conflict, the national mood was receptive to refugees. Politicians and government officials quickly recognized the crisis as an opportunity to secure material and technical support from the international humanitarian community. At the same time, global pressures for integrating refugees into national health systems helped move the integration agenda forward in Jordan and the region more broadly. Since 2012, there were several modifications to the policy that signal profound changes in national views around the continued presence of Syrian refugees in the country, as well as reduced external financial support which has undermined the sustainability of the policy. Conclusion: This case study underscores the dynamic nature of policymaking and the challenge of sustaining government commitment to the right to health among refugees. Our analysis has important implications for advocates seeking to advance and maintain momentum for the integration of refugees into national health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper brings to the attention the newly discovered terracotta mask from the classical Decapolis city of Gerasa/Jerash in Jordan dated to the Roman period. The aim of this paper is to describe and to identify the personification and the function of the mask. The authors conclude that the mask is a miniature replica for character representing Hercules used as souvenir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to analyze the effects of current exchange rate regimes on the economic growth achieved by the MENA countries. To determine in a dynamic perspective new relationships that will be established between growth and exchange rate regimes, we are looking for an answer to two major concerns, namely: the question of the choice of the exchange rate regime and the question of the impact of this choice on economic performance. To reach our objective we first studied the theoretical and empirical literature of the exchange rate regime and then we had to study the evolution of the exchange rate regime in MENA countries. Then, we got an economic model based on the determinants of growth. The data used on this model takes the form of panel data for 5 MENA countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia) for the period 1984-2019, as well as, several methods of modeling will be discussed, to finally adopt one from them that best applies to our research goal and shows several possibilities that can be used to apply this model in different ways depending on the country considered. The results reveal that it is very important to take into account the monetary policy framework that accompanies the exchange rate regime when assessing the effects of this regime on the overall performance of the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the latter part of the 21st century, the prevalence of online games has significantly increased, encompassing titles connected to the Internet via smart devices, enabling multiplayer interaction. Recent media attention has shed light on the adverse effects associated with online gaming. This research paper explores the viewpoints of 4,700 university students in Jordan regarding the physical, psychological, and behavioural impacts of Internet games. Additionally, it predicts how these impacts may affect the academic performance of 1,410 students. To analyze student trends and forecast outcomes based on sustained game engagement, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was specifically developed for the neural network. The findings revealed student consensus with recommended university measures to limit online game usage, emphasizing a prevalent belief in the negative influence of games on the body, behaviour, and mental health. In terms of the prediction process, the training data encompassed 60%, 70%, and 80% of the dataset. The results revealed that the highest accuracy, 96.69%, was achieved at the 70% threshold for predicting students' grade point average (GPA). The analysis suggested that projecting a decrease in the percentage of hours dedicated to playing online games could act as a mitigating factor to prevent GPA decline. Consequently, the system advises a range from 99.9% to 4.1%. This implies that a student with a maximum of 99.9% is encouraged to significantly reduce playing hours to preserve their GPA, while a student with a minimum of 4.1% is recommended to decrease playing hours by 4.1%. On average, for the 1,090 students, the system proposes a 48.36% reduction in playing hours to safeguard their GPAs and mitigate potential risks. This high level of accuracy played a crucial role in forecasting students' GPA outcomes following a year of sustained daily engagement with online games. Notably, the results unveiled a concerning revelation that 80% of students would face a detrimental impact on their academic performance after one year of such consistent online game involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to delve into the intricacies of econtracting within a legal framework. The researcher undertakes an in-depth exploration of the legal aspects associated with e-contracting, elucidating the fundamental components that constitute an e-contract. The initial section of the study encompasses the researcher's definitions and discussions regarding the concept, execution, and methods for validating e-contracts. Subsequently, the paper explores the domain of arbitration specific to such contracts, with a particular emphasis on electronic arbitration and electronic negotiations in its second segment. Employing an analytical descriptive approach, the researcher addresses the central theme, focusing on the application of traditional contract articles to electronic contracts. This encompasses an examination of electronic consent, acceptance, and electronic arbitration. The study's findings offer insights into e-contracts, characterizing them as agreements forged online. Furthermore, the study scrutinizes critical elements such as satisfaction, Lex loci, rationale, and the mode of communication, whether visual or auditory. This analytical inquiry aims to provide significant contributions to the comprehension of e-contracting within the legal landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the years, the knowledge translation (KT) field has moved from promoting linearized models to embracing the importance of interaction and learning. Likewise, there is now increased attention on the transfer of KT approaches to new environments. Some scholars, however, have warned that ideas about transferability still hinge on linear thinking and doing. In the current study, we therefore sought to use a more reflexive approach to KT and to study how actors align KT approaches with their local environments. Methods: Our (auto) ethnographic study took place in a wider KT project. This project intended to combine three components: (1) co-organizing demand-driven, locally led and embedded KT cycles in Cameroon, Jordan, and Nigeria, (2) building upon established KT methods and (3) equipping and empowering local teams. We conducted 63 semi-structured interviews with key KT actors, observed 472 h of KT practices, and collected a paper trail of documents. At the same time, we also compiled project exchanges, such as project documents, plans, protocols, field notes, meeting notes and an archive of (email) correspondence between project members. We analysed all data abductively. Results: We show that there were numerous moments where the design of our project indeed enabled us to align with local practices and needs. Yet this often did not suffice, and the project design sometimes conflicted with other logics and values. By analysing these tensions, we want to show that doing KT work which acts upon different values and knowledges and is sensitive towards the different effects that it produces demands both structuring projects in a specific way and requires significant alignment work of KT actors in practice. Conclusions: We show that practising KT more reflexively relies on two important conditions. First, KT projects have to be structured with sufficient discretionary space. Second, even though the structure of a project is important, there will be continuous need for alignment work. It is important to facilitate such alignment work and to further support it. In the discussion of this paper, we therefore articulate three design principles and three sensitivities. These elements can be used to make future KT projects more reflexive and sensitive to (social) complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of the private sector in fostering sustainable development is propelled by significant advancements in commercial and industrial spheres. However, despite these advancements, there is a noticeable decline in corporate social responsibility, attributed to various factors such as scepticism among owners or board members regarding sustainability concepts and the perceived high costs associated with adopting sustainable technologies. This paper endeavours to investigate the relationship between community responsiveness and the extent of businesses' commitment to sustainability in the context of Jordan. Utilizing a mixed methods approach comprising interviews and a comprehensive questionnaire, data was collected from a sample of two hundred and ten members of the Jordan community through an online platform. The collected data underwent rigorous analysis including descriptive and regression analyses as well as relevant correlations. Encouragingly, the findings of this study reveal a robust association between individuals' social consciousness and their support for businesses and organizations operating within the Jordan community. Future research endeavours could further explore additional influential factors. The conclusions drawn from this research hold potential significance as they may provide valuable insights for incentivizing businesses to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency in cultivating a genuine societal commitment to sustainability, thereby contributing to scholarly discourse on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although Jordan has made significant progress toward expanding the utilization of facility‐based intrapartum care, prior research highlights that poor service quality is still persistent. This study aimed to identify quality gaps between women's expectations and perceptions of the actual intrapartum care received, while exploring the contributing factors. Methods: Utilizing a pre–post design, quality gaps in intrapartum care were assessed among 959 women pre‐ and postchildbirth at a prominent tertiary hospital in northern Jordan. Data were gathered using the SERVQUAL scale, measuring service quality across reliability, responsiveness, tangibles, assurance, and empathy dimensions. Results: The overall mean gap score between women's expectations and perceptions of the quality of intrapartum care was −0.60 (±0.56). The lowest and highest mean gap scores were found to be related to tangibles and assurance dimensions, −0.24 (±0.39) and −0.88 (±0.35), respectively. Significant negative quality gaps were identified in the dimensions of assurance, empathy, and responsiveness, as well as overall service quality (p < 0.001). The MLR analyses highlighted education (β = 0.61), mode of birth (β = −0.60), admission timing (β = −0.41), continuity of midwifery care (β = −0.43), physician's gender (β = −0.62), active labour duration (β = 0.37), and pain management (β = −0.33) to be the key determinants of the overall quality gap in intrapartum care. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of fostering a labour environment that prioritizes enhancing caregivers' empathetic, reassuring, and responsive skills to minimize service quality gaps and enhance the overall childbirth experience for women in Jordan. Patient or Public Contribution: This paper is a collaborative effort involving women with lived experiences of childbirth, midwives, and obstetrics and gynaecologist physicians. The original idea, conceptualization, data generation, and coproduction, including manuscript editing, were shaped by the valuable contributions of stakeholders with unique perspectives on intrapartum care in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the utilisation of heritage building information modelling (BIM) in order to improve the architectural heritage documentation process at Ad Deir, a significant historical building within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, Jordan. Ad Deir, also known as 'The Monastery', requires accurate and complete documentation for its preservation and effective management. Traditional documentation methods, such as manual surveys and 2D drawings, frequently fail to obtain the intricate details and complexity of heritage structures. This study proposes the use of heritage BIM, which involves creating a digital representation of Ad Deir by combining various data types such as geometric, material, and historical information. Laser scanning technology is used to capture the site in three dimensions, providing a precise representation of its current state. The point clouds are exported to the BIM workflow once they have been processed. The longitudinal and cross-sections of the point clouds revealed the dimensions of regular and irregular elements, which were then traced and modelled accurately. This digital model serves as a platform for future data integration, which may include historical documentation, architectural plans, and construction details. Creating accurate heritage BIM, which involves various levels of knowledge, improves quality control during conservation work and aids in informed decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordan faces significant, immediate challenges of enhancing energy security while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most promising approaches to achieve sustainable development, energy security, and environmental conservation is to increase the integration of renewable energy into electricity generation. To this end, the Jordanian government aims to expand investments in the green energy sector, with solar and wind energy expected to play a crucial role in meeting energy demands and promoting environmental sustainability. This paper aims to examine the distinct dynamics, challenges, obstacles, and potential solutions related to establishing community solar and wind farms in suburban areas of Jordan. It seeks to highlight the opportunities and barriers influencing the adoption of sustainable energy in the country. Evaluation results from engaging 320 key stakeholders were obtained through a questionnaire, and after comprehensive analysis, it became evident that the benefits and positive aspects of solar and wind farms outweigh their drawbacks and obstacles. These insights can be useful in guiding policies and practices to make renewable energy community projects a reality within Jordan's suburban areas. Additionally, the findings may serve as a valuable benchmark for other regions facing similar challenges in their pursuit of a sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in Jordan requires massive efforts to prepare the infrastructures that serve the transportation sector. The lack of EV charging stations is the major obstacle that faces EV drivers. Utilizing renewable energy in EV charging stations contributes to the spread of these stations. Renewable energy technologies are environmentally friendly as they mitigate greenhouse gases that cause the global warming phenomenon. In this paper, an EV charging station, based on a PV-biodiesel-battery hybrid system, is investigated. The importance of this article is to discuss the hybrid system of PV and waste vegetable oil (WVO) along with storage that applies the maximum reliability supply, having an environmentally friendly supply and achieving the lowest energy cost of charging. This station is designed based on renewable and WVO utilization. In fact, WVO, coming from restaurants, is exploited to produce electricity by a diesel generator through direct burning after converting it into biodiesel. The capacity of each station is 14 cars/day with a medium-speed charger of 7 kW. The system is simulated and optimized using iHOGA software where multiobjective optimization is applied to achieve the minimum net present cost (NPC) and CO2 emissions considering three cases, PV-diesel, PV-biodiesel, and PV-WVO, all with battery-hybrid system. These values for the EV charging station that uses the PV-biodiesel-battery hybrid system are 624408 € and 15.4 tons/year, respectively. The corresponding values are 781473 € and 15.14 tons/year and 615310 € and 18.84 tons/year for the systems that work with diesel and WVO, respectively, and energy cost is achieved in best solution to be 0.11 Euro/kWh. Simulation results show that the proposed technique led to enhanced operational efficiency in terms of both NPC and annual CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to investigate the moderating role of corporate governance on the relationship between earnings management and debt level in capital structure. The paper used a hypothesis-testing research approach to gather data from the annual reports of 13 industrial companies listed on Palestine Exchange and 25 Jordanian companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed, along with correlation analysis to evaluate linear relationships between variables. The fixed and random effect regressions were utilized to develop the research model. In the case of Palestinian manufacturing firms, the results revealed that Earnings Management (EM) had a significant negative impact on debt level. According to the moderating role of Corporate Governance (CG), larger boards and the existence of female members on the board of directors causes an increase in the high-leverage impact of EM, whereas CEO duality mitigates the high-leverage impact. However, in the case of Jordanian manufacturing firms, EM showed an insignificant impact on debt level. Regarding the moderating role of CG, it was proved that the presence of female members on the board of directors increased the firm's reliance on debt financing as a result of EM practices, while institutional investors mitigate the effect of EM on debt financing, leading to a decrease in reliance on debt. The findings of this research are suitable for the regulators while formulating policies on the Corporate Governance and the Impact of Earnings Management on Capital Structure. These findings have guided the policymakers that they should enhance their focus on Palestine and Jordan companies to test Corporate Governance Moderates the Impact of Earnings Management on Capital Structure. This study is also helpful for the new researcher while investigating this area in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jordan Valley's territorial extent is defined for this study as an elongated stretch of border area, located west of Jordan's boundary with the West Bank, Palestine. This region along with the West Bank was conquered by the Israeli Army during the June 1967 War and has been held by Israel since. Almost 88% of its 200,000 Palestinian population then living in the region were expelled and turned overnight into refugees in Jordan and elsewhere. In the subsequent 56 years since, the region, declared by Israel as a highly militarized zone, has often been discursively publicized as the front line of Israel's eastern defense. This paper seeks to refute such a notion that indirectly gave Israel justification to subject the remaining Palestinian inhabitants residing there (currently numbering ca. 60,000) to a harsh discriminatory regimen of surveillance and control under military occupation. At the same time, the Israeli government has over decades privileged the ca. 10,000 incoming Jewish settlers, now living in some 30 Israeli Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley. Employing a grounded theory approach in our study provided an opportunity for the local Palestinians to have their voices heard, shedding needed analytical light on their difficult situation on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of different soil mulch materials and herbicides on growth and yield of tomato and weed control at two locations in Jordan during the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. Treatments included different new nonwoven biodegradable UV-treated polypropylene fabrics, paper, black plastic, animal manure, straw mulches, five soilapplied herbicides, and weed-free and weed-infested controls. On average, weed competition with tomato for the entire growing season reduced marketable fruit yield by 58.6% of the weed-free control. Animal manure, black/white mulch/double face 45 g/m2 (GSM) density (B/WMD45) and paper mulches resulted highest tomato growth and fruit yield at the University of Jordan Campus. Other polypropylene treatments gave similar yield to that of plastic mulch while all mulch treatments gave higher yield than herbicides. Of the herbicides, metribuzin and trifluralin treated plots produced the lowest fruit yield. Similar trends for tomato yield and weed growth were also obtained at the Jordan Valley Research Station except for black plastic that gave the highest fruit yield but not significantly different from that of B/WMD45, paper and weed-free control. Among herbicides, oxyfluorfen resulted highest yield but differences between herbicide treatments were not significant. The highest tomato growth and fruit yield were from paper, black plastic, B/WMD45, and animal manure treatments and the lowest for herbicides and weed-infested treatments. B/WMD45 may be considered as a suitable substitute for black plastic in tomato fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence and drivers of employment vulnerability among youth in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, and their propensity to transition to better jobs over time. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on longitudinal data from Labor Market Panel Surveys spanning 6–20 years. The authors use transition matrices to examine the prevalence of transitions between labor market statuses for the same individuals over time, distinguishing between youth and non-youth, and men and women, as well as multinomial logistic regressions that control for individual and family background, including previous labor market status, family wealth and parental education. Findings: The paper finds that youth in all three countries were disadvantaged in terms of labor market outcomes with most young men in particular ending up in vulnerable jobs while women of all ages were most likely to exit the labor market all together, unless they had formal jobs. Moreover, youth who started out in the labor market in a vulnerable job were unlikely to move to a better-quality job over time. Family wealth, parental education and father's occupation were found to be important determinants of labor market outcomes and vulnerability, even after a long period of work experience. Social implications: The paper finds that wealth effects, parental education and occupation effects follow workers throughout their careers, implying low equality of opportunity and inter-generational and lifetime mobility. Originality/value: The findings indicate worsening labor market outcomes over time, heavily influenced by family background. High levels of vulnerable employment persistence, regardless of skill and experience, reinforce the importance of initial labor market outcome on the quality of lifetime employment prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The current study examined employment rates and predictors of employment among Syrian refugees currently living in Lebanon and Jordan. This paper argues that men and women refugees have different experiences seeking out employment after resettlement due to patriarchal structures and attitudes toward women that are present in the Arab Middle East. The goals of this paper were a) to examine employment rates among Syrian refugees, b) to examine predictors of employment among male and female refugees, and c) to examine refugee status as a moderator of the relationship between attitudes toward women and employment status. Design/methodology/approach: Nationally representative data from the Arab Barometer on 600 refugees and 1400 native-born individuals living in Lebanon and Jordan from 2016–2017 were used. Findings: Native-born individuals living in Lebanon and Jordan were 2.16 times more likely to be employed than refugees. Men living in Lebanon and Jordan were 7.83 times more likely to be employed than women. Finally, refugee status moderated the relationship between attitudes toward women's rights and roles and employment. Among native-born women, a positive attitude toward women's rights and roles predicted employment status, whereas this positive relationship was not found for women refugees. Among refugee men, a positive attitude toward women's rights and roles was linked to a lower likelihood of holding a job. Practical implications: These findings suggest that agencies supporting refugees should communicate realistic expectations about employment during resettlement and should address the challenges that women refugees face when seeking employment. Originality/value: This study is the first study to identify attitudes toward women's rights and roles as a predictor of employment among refugee populations and highlights the unique struggles that refugee women face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The refugee crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic continue to negatively impact access to education, and especially disproportionately affect underserved communities. Apart from access, such communities experience additional barriers including inadequate classroom infrastructure and suitable localization of such infrastructure. This paper aims to provide an analytical framework to identify the most suitable locations for mobile classrooms for underserved communities, thereby mitigating the lack of access to equitable education for underserved communities. To construct the analytical framework, we conduct a critical literature review to conceptualize the educational needs of underserved communities. Next, we proposed parameters that may be applicable for determining locationally metrics that match the educational needs of underserved communities. On this basis, we explore tools and methods applicable for suitability analysis and developed a geo-information framework that integrates an analytical hierarchy process tool to prioritize parameters decision-makers can apply to identify optimal areas to locate classroom infrastructure. This framework was applied to a use case of determining suitable location areas for an innovative mobile classroom (EDUBox) in Jordan. Using the framework, we demonstrate its applicability by identifying appropriate locations adapted to the tertiary and vocational education needs of underserved persons including refugee communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study is based on extensive evidence-based assessments. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how well Jordan's health information system (HIS) incorporates social determinants of health inequity (SDHI) and to propose suggestions for future actions. Methods: An extensive evidence-based assessment was performed. A meta-synthesis of the inclusion of the SDHI in the HIS in Jordan was conducted. After searching and shortlisting, 23 papers were analyzed using Atlas.ti 9.0 employing thematic analysis technique. Results: The HIS in Jordan is quite comprehensive, comprising numerous data sources, various types of information, and data from multiple producers and managers. Nevertheless, the HIS confronts several obstacles and fails to ensure the timely and secure publication of available data. The assessment of the inclusion of the SDHI in the HIS showed that the HIS allows for the measurement of progress in relation to social policies and actions but has a very limited database for supporting the inclusion of health inequity measures. One reason for the difficulty in identifying fairness is that certain crucial information necessary for this task cannot be obtained through the available institutional HIS or population survey tools. Additionally, relevant modules for fairness may be missing from population surveys, possibly due to a failure to fully utilize the capabilities of the institutional HIS. Conclusion: There are opportunities to make use of Jordan's dedication to fairness and its already established strong HIS. Some social determinants of health exist in the HIS, but much more data, information, and effort are needed to integrate the SDHI into the Jordanian HIS. A proposal from a regional initiative has put forward a comprehensive set of indicators for integrating SDHI into HIS, which could aid in achieving health equity in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the policies taken by Jordanian tourism sector before and after COVID-19; it is divided into two parts: the first dealt with the period 2011-2019 which followed the events of Arab Spring, the second focused on the postCOVID-19 period. A mixed methodology was used as for the Arab Spring case a quantitative approach that aimed at measuring the satisfaction of 54 travel agents about policies taken by public tourism sector was used. A Structure Equation Modelling analysis was conducted to test the relationship between specific satisfaction about promotional and economic policies as independent variables, and the general satisfaction as a dependent variable. As for the case of COVID-19, a different approach was used where the Tourism National Strategy 2021-2025 and reports on the influence of COVID-19 on Jordanian Economy were referred to make an evaluation of governmental performance. There was an obvious absence of the concept of “Crisis Management" in tourism national strategies (MOTA, 2003 ; 2010 ; 2015) ; where the focus was on diversifying the tourism product, enhancing the image of the country and increasing competitiveness [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Khirbat Iskandar is an Early Bronze Age (ca. 3800-1950 BCE) mound in the Madaba Governorate of Jordan. Until a decade ago, it was better known as a key site for the non-urban Early Bronze IV period (ca. 2500-1950 BCE), but is increasingly emerging as a signature site for the urban Early Bronze II-III period (ca. 3050-2500 BCE). The contour of the tall site is shaped by the presence of buried fortifications that were investigated in the north-western sector of the mound, where a long sequence of rebuilds was recognized, but were exposed to and impacted by modern construction activities along the southern and south-eastern areas prior to being recorded. There, due to erosion and weathering, the stone fortifications dating to the first half of the Early Bronze III (ca. 2850-2650 BCE) fell down. In this paper, we report on our strategies to assess threats, document damages, sustainably stabilize, and consolidate the collapsed ancient fortifications in the 2023 field season at Khirbat Iskandar. At the same time, we discuss the conceptual/methodological and practical challenges of identifying best practices in the conservation and preservation of antiquities that collapsed prior to being excavated. We conclude with some thoughts on how to build on these actions to efficiently present the archaeology and cultural heritage at protohistoric sites, like Khirbat Iskandar, and to make it accessible for the local and the international communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Midwives can play a pivotal role in promoting natural-birth experiences. However, limited information is available about Jordanian laboring women’s experiences of natural childbirth guided by midwives. Understanding women’s experiences of natural birth can inform healthcare providers and policymakers to improve the care provided for laboring women. Purpose: This study aims to explore women's experiences of natural childbirth in a midwife-led care unit. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach guided the study protocol. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews with 10 Jordanian women who experienced natural childbirth in a midwife-led care unit. Results: Two main themes emerged: “The journey of empowerment “and “being prepared for natural childbirth". The first theme consisted of two sub-themes: Making an informed decision, and being supported. The second theme consisted of three sub-themes: The power of the place, being satisfied with natural-childbirth practices, and feeling relieved. Conclusion: Women had positive childbirth experiences shaped by having autonomy in decision-making, perceived support, and being satisfied with the midwife-led care unit. Women’s positive experiences emphasize the need for social and political change to promote natural childbirth. Implications for Nursing: This paper provides evidence that supports the incorporation of midwife-led units to promote natural childbirth. New data will play a critical role in strengthening the responsibilities of nurses and midwives by raising public awareness and calling for policy changes to promote natural childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global concern for the environment and sustainable development goals has led to a growing focus on the increasing activities of city logistics. This research study aims to evaluate the current state of city logistics within the framework of sustainable development and analyze the key factors that impact the efficient management of city logistics in Jordan. Methods: To achieve these research objectives, a quantitative approach utilizing a survey questionnaire was employed. The findings emphasize a significant disparity between current practices in city logistics and desired outcomes, indicating an urgent need for improvement in cost reduction, enhancement of quality of life, and promotion of sustainability. Results: The results reveal that the performance of urban authorities in managing city logistics is influenced by various factors, including regulatory inefficiencies, suboptimal human resource performance, deficiencies in information systems, and challenges related to coordination amongst stakeholders. Conclusions: Consequently, this paper puts forth actionable recommendations for improving city logistics management, which involve amending existing regulations, implementing comprehensive training programs for employees, strengthening infrastructure for information systems, and fostering robust communication channels between urban authorities and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of key financial indicators influencing the operational efficiency of banks in Jordan over the period 2006 to 2021. The study, focusing on fifteen commercial banks, employs seven regression models to assess the impact of selected variables on bank operating efficiency. Our findings reveal novel insights with substantial contributions to banking practice. We identify a statistically significant influence of both bank-specific factors and temporal effects, demonstrating the nuanced dynamics shaping the operational efficiency of Jordanian banks. Notably, a positive and significant correlation is established between the operating efficiency ratio and return on assets, bank size, and the ratio of loan loss provisions to net interest income, providing valuable strategic guidance for effective management. Conversely, a significant negative relationship is observed between the operating efficiency ratio and the total expense ratio, underscoring the critical importance of careful cost management. No significant associations are found between the operating efficiency ratio and credit risk, the equity-to-asset ratio, the deposit-to-liability ratio, and the equity-to-liability ratio. This study makes a unique contribution by shedding light on these previously unexplored correlations, offering actionable insights for enhancing operational efficiency in the banking sector. Additionally, our research advocates for the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) to persist in adaptive policy measures, which are crucial for ongoing banking reforms and improved monitoring practices. Based on our empirical findings, these recommendations aim to fortify the resilience and adaptability of Jordan's banking sector, contributing both academically and practically. Importantly, they reinforce the symbiotic link between a stable banking sector and sustained economic development in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the dynamic interplay among intellectual capital, the intention to adopt business intelligence (BI) technology, and the decision to innovate within the industrial landscape of Jordan. Using a quantitative approach, the study employs bootstrapping and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from participants familiar with their companies' technological and innovation orientations. The findings reveal a noteworthy positive correlation between human capital and structural capital with the intention to adopt BI technology. Additionally, human capital demonstrates a significant positive association with the decision to innovate. The research further validates a positive relationship between the intention to adopt BI technology and the decision to innovate. The practical implications of these findings extend to decision-makers and managers in Jordan's industrial sector, underscoring the pivotal role of adopting business intelligence technology in fostering innovation. Significantly, by concentrating on innovation orientation in the Jordanian context, this paper contributes to the expanding body of research in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic health records provide a vast amount of text health data written by physicians as patient clinical notes. The world health organization released the international classification of diseases version 10 (ICD-10) system to monitor and analyze clinical notes. ICD-10 is system physicians and other healthcare providers use to classify and code all diagnoses and symptom records in conjunction with hospital care. Therefore, the data can be easily stored, retrieved, and analyzed for decision-making. In order to address the problem, this paper introduces a system to classify the clinical notes to ICD-10 codes. This paper examines 7541 clinical notes collected from a health institute in Jordan and annotated by ICD-10's coders. In addition, the research uses another outsource dataset to augment the actual dataset. The research presented many approaches, such as the baseline and pipeline models. The Baseline model employed several methods like Word2vec embedding for representing the text. The model structure also involves long-short-term memory a convolutional neural network, and two fully-connected layers. The second Pipeline approach adopts the transformer model, such as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), which is pre-trained on a similar health domain. The Pipeline model builds on two BERT models. The first model classifies the category codes representing the first three characters of ICD-10. The second BERT model uses the outputs from the general BERT model (first model) as input for the special BERT (second model) to classify the clinical notes into total codes of ICD-10. Moreover, Baseline and Pipeline models applied the Focal loss function to eliminate the imbalanced classes. However, The Pipeline model demonstrates a significant performance by evaluating it over the F1 score, recall, precision, and accuracy metric, which are 92.5%, 84.9%, 91.8%, and 84.97%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordanian healthcare institutes have launched several programs since 2009 to establish health information systems (HISs). Nowadays, the generic expectation is that the use of HIS resources is performed on daily basis among healthcare staff. However, there can be still a noticeable barrier due to a lack of knowledge if medical doctors do not receive proper training on existing HISs. Moreover, the lack of studies on this area hinders the clarity about the received versus the required training skills among medical doctors. To support this research initiative, survey data have been collected from specialized medical doctors who are currently affiliated with five Jordanian universities to assess their need for HIS training. The results also aim to explore the extent of medical doctors' use of HIS resources in Jordan. Moreover, they examine whether medical doctors require additional training on using HIS resources or not, as well as the main areas of required training programs. Specifically, this paper highlights the main topics that can be suitable subjects for enhanced training programs. The results show that most respondents use HISs in their daily clinical practices. However, most of them have not taken professional training on such systems. Hence, most of the respondents reported the need for additional training programs on several aspects of HIS resources. Moreover, based on the survey results, the most significant areas that require training are biomedical data analysis, artificial intelligence in medicine, health care management, and recent advances in electronic health records, respectively. Therefore, specialized medical doctors in Jordan need training on extracting useful and potential features of HISs. Education and training professionals in healthcare are recommended to establish training programs in Jordanian healthcare centers, which can further improve the quality of healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper describes the accounting practices of Jordanian companies engaged in agricultural activities, and identifies the influence of company characteristics on measurement practices related to asset pricing and level of disclosure required by IAS 41. Company characteristics were considered as: size, intensity of biological assets (BA), level of international activities, and audit for the Big Four. Dependent variables were considered measurement practices related to valuing BA as well as resultant harvest and disclosure level, the latter being measured by mandatory and voluntary disclosures. The entire population of companies that include one or more agricultural activities in their purposes and are considered reporting companies formed the research sample, giving a total of 259 companies. The findings revealed that both intensity of BA and level of international activities have a positive impact on measurement practices. Audit for the Big Four was the strongest variable influence, the overall disclosure level prescribed by IAS 41, followed by the level of international activities variable. However, the intensity of the BA variable affects only the overall disclosure level for companies that measure their BA based on the cost method. Firm size was found to have no influence on either measurement practices or disclosure level. The key value of this paper is its examination of the role of company characteristics on measurement practices and level of disclosure required by IAS 41 in the context of Jordanian companies. Through this examination, this study is helpful to standards setters and regulators who obligate and issue the financial regulation and reporting standards at a national or international level, supporting their understanding of measurement and disclosure practices adopted in agricultural companies in the developing country context of Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at presenting newly-found safaitic inscriptions discovered in the Black Desert, north-eastern Jordan by the Badia Epigraphic Survey (BES) during the second (2017) field season at Wādī ar-Ru'aylah and in Wādī Suway'id. Through this paper, we aim to explain the toponyms Gl'd and Ngd in the Safaitic inscriptions, shed light on their interpretation in Safaitic and give translation and some commentary. This paper provides a comparison of inscriptions that mention these two toponyms in order to determine whether those names belong to a toponym or an adjective of a toponym. All photo credits are of 'Badia Epigraphic Survey (BES) Project'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of needy-students who cannot afford their university fees has become a phenomenon in countries like Jordan. Thus, supporting such students by establishing a reliable cloud-based platform for collecting donations from wealthy people is a very noble action. Such donations will enable needy-students to continue their education to up their development, reduce their poverty, improve their health, scale-up their gender equality, promote peace across their communities, enhance stability in their societies, and enrich the field of cloud-based services development. This paper proposes a new cloud-based platform that aims at connecting donors with needy-students in a very discrete way that preserves and honors the privacy and confidentiality of their information. We claim that our proposed cloud-based platform depicts a unique novelty that can be easily anticipated from the perspectives of its status as a cloud-based donations and financial support services platform; its ability to interconnect its users privately and confidentially; and its ability to easily verify the credentials of its users and confirm their eligibility to receive financial support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imageability is the quality of a place that makes it distinct, recognizable, and memorable. It defines the character and identity for cities. However, the fast expansion of urban development affects the image of city and its fabric toward the mega scale and transforms cities local cultural life as loosing most of their historic fabrics. These make cities loose there images gradually. Hence, the aim of this paper is to explore the main physical elements that contribute toward attractiveness as one of imageability character in Salt City in Jordan. Historical review and site analysis were the main methodology used in this study. This paper show some of the physical elements that contribute to attractiveness connected with image of the Salt City in Jordan, these elements are: building appearance (material, façade design) and landscape (topography). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper aims to investigate the moderating role of liquidity in the relationship between accounting and advertising expenditures and the financial performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. Furthermore, the present paper highlights the importance of managing expenditures and improving financial performance. Since the performance of Jordanian SMEs is extremely critical, furthermore, the present paper explores the possibility of empowering these businesses in order to achieve profitability. This paper is based on descriptive statistics, regression, and correlation analysis in order to analyze the data, collecting secondary data from 200 SMEs. The results demonstrate that accounting expenditures are key factors for financial performance, especially in SMEs. Moreover, SMEs are more sensitive to liquidity challenges, which significantly impact their short-term expenditure and consequently influence their financial performance. It is evident that accounting expenditures moderated by liquidity have a positive effect on the financial performance of SMEs. However, our findings indicate a negative effect regarding the relationship between advertising expenditures and financial performance. According to the results of this study, regulators may offer new regulations and legislation in the future to the Ministry of Finance and the Amman Stock Exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]