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Work engagement denotes to a state of positive and affective motivation of elevated power joined with high educational levels and a great concentration on occupation and it is negatively affected by psychological problems. This study aims to assess the stress and work engagement among Palestinian nurses working in intensive care units.

A cross-sectional design was adopted. A convenience sample consisting of 225 intensive care nurses from governmental hospitals was recruited to participate. Data collection used the Nursing Stress Scale and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9, and demographic data were used to gather data throughout the period from February 10 to March 30, 2023.

Findings demonstrated that nurses’ stress levels were high (M = 105.9 ± standard deviation [SD] = 11.91). Concerning work engagement, the nurses endorsed moderate work engagement levels with a mean of 3.7 (SD = 0.4). Regarding work engagement subscales, the mean of vigor was 3.7 (0.6), dedication with a mean of 3.7 (0.6) and absorption with a mean of 3.7 (0.6). Also, the findings showed that stress, gender and monthly income were predictors of work engagement (p < 0.05).

Despite the significant results, this study had the following limitations: the design was cross-sectional, which limits the ability to explore the cause and effect of the study variables, thus longitudinal studies are recommended. In addition, the study adopted a self-reported questionnaire based on participants’ understanding, culture and work context which could influence their responses.

The intensive care nurses had high stress levels and moderate work engagement. Stress, gender and monthly income were predictors of the work engagement. Thus, interventions should be encouraged to minimize stress, which has a significant influence on work engagement.

The aim of this study is to provide an empirical investigation of the agricultural cluster’s economic, social and environmental values. By doing so, the authors aim to offer policymakers and decision-makers a strategic approach that promotes competitiveness and economic development through shared value.

The authors used AMOS software and applied structural equation modeling to achieve the study’s objectives. The study used this approach with path analysis through the Analysis of Moment Structures software.

The empirical results indicate that creating shared value (CSV) can enhance the agricultural sector’s competitiveness through clustering. Rather than enhancing competitiveness directly, CSV plays a crucial role in improving the relationship between clustering and competitiveness. The authors also examined Porter’s diamond of competitiveness and evaluated factors for creating a shared value strategy, such as factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, strategy, structure, rivalry and the role of government.

This study focuses solely on the agricultural cluster in Qalqilya governorate and cannot be applied to other regions without additional research.

Ensuring that stakeholders in the agricultural sector are kept informed about the activities of the cluster and the benefits of their participation is crucial. Empirical findings and conclusions have demonstrated that a shared value strategy can enhance the competitiveness of this sector. To achieve this, institutions involved in developing the agricultural cluster must increase their efficiency and capacity. Consulting experts in this field and drawing on experiences from other countries can aid in achieving this goal. Additionally, enhancing farmers’ productivity should be a priority, and the Ministry of Agriculture can provide training and workshops to improve their skills and expertise.

This study suggests that Palestinian policymakers should establish effective partnerships between the government and the agricultural sector’s firms in Qalqilya to reinforce the cluster’s competitiveness. This strategy can stimulate competitiveness and promote economic and social development in Palestine.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the linkage between stock markets in Middle Eastern countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic by using daily and monthly data sets for the period from 2011 to 2021.

The multivariate BEKK-GARCH model was computed to evaluate the existence of non-linear linkage among Middle Eastern stock markets. A correlation approach was used in this study to determine the type of linear connectivity between Middle Eastern stock markets. The study used monthly and daily data sets covering the years 2011 to 2021 to investigate the linkage between stock returns and the volatility spillover between the stock markets in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, both before and during COVID-19. To understand the types of relationships between markets before and during COVID-19, the daily data set was split into two periods.

Results from the pre-COVID-19 suggest that the Syria stock market is not related to any stock market in the Middle East markets; the Palestine and Lebanon stock markets exhibit a weak relationship, but Jordan and Palestine stock markets are strongly linked. Conversely, results from COVID-19 evince a very strong bidirectional volatility spillover between Middle East stock markets. Overall, the results indicate the existence of increased linkage during the COVID-19.

The data collection on a daily and monthly basis, both before and during COVID-19, presents certain limitations for the paper. Another limitation is that the data cannot be generalized to all other Middle Eastern countries; rather, the conclusions drawn can only be applied to these four countries. This is especially true if the scholars collected most of the necessary data but were unable to obtain certain data for various reasons.

These findings have implications for risk management, market regulation and the growth of local stock markets. Facilitating the growth of smaller, more specialized markets to improve integration with other Middle Eastern markets is one of the goals of the domestic stock market development policy. To ensure financial stability, Middle Eastern stock market linking policies should consider spillover risk and take steps to minimize it. Enhancing the range of investment opportunities accessible to shareholders and functioning as confidential risk-sharing mechanisms to facilitate improved risk management in Middle Eastern stock markets will not only significantly influence the mobilization of private capital to promote investment and local economic growth but also lay groundwork for integrated market platforms.

This paper adds to the body of literature by demonstrating the nature of the connections between these small markets and the larger markets in the Middle East region. Information from the smaller markets provides institutional insights that enhance the body of existing research, guide the formulation of evidence-based policies and advance financial literacy in these markets. This study contributes by comparing data from different stock markets to better understand the type and strength of the link and relationship between Middle Eastern stock markets, as well as any underlying or reinforcing factors that might have contributed to the relationship and the specific types of links that these markets shared prior and during COVID-19.

This paper aims to compare the impacts of adaptive daily and seasonal cooling setpoints on cooling energy consumption and overheating hours to determine which approach is more effective in a desert climate, develop a methodology that effectively integrates passive strategies with adaptive daily and seasonal cooling setpoint strategies and assess how future climate conditions will impact these strategies in the medium and long term.

(1) Integrate adaptive thermal comfort principles into mechanical cooling systems to find the optimized cooling setpoint. (2) Evaluating the optimized cooling setpoints using a mixed-mode operation: In this step, the natural ventilation is activated by opening 40% of the window area when the indoor temperature is higher than 23°C and the outdoor temperature. Both the adaptive seasonal and daily setpoint strategies are evaluated. (3) If overheating hours exceed acceptable limits gradually add mitigation measures (e.g. exterior shading, cool roofs and green roofs). (4) If necessary, further reduce the cooling setpoint until acceptable limits are met. (5) Generate extreme future climate scenarios and evaluate the optimized model. (6) Implement additional measures and setpoint adjustments to maintain acceptable overheating hours in future conditions.

Although the building complies with the Dubai Green Code and uses external shading, its cooling energy consumption was 92 kWh/m² in 2021 with a 24°C setpoint. Using the adaptive seasonal setpoint combined with a cool roof, night cooling and cross-ventilation reduces cooling energy consumption by 52, 48 and 35% in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, with overheating hours not exceeding 40 h annually. Using an adaptive daily setpoint strategy with the same mitigation measures is similarly effective; it achieved a 57, 42 and 34% reduction in cooling energy consumption in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, while eliminating overheating hours.

The originality and value of this study lie in optimizing cooling setpoints without the effect of overheating hours in desert climates. Using the adaptive seasonal setpoint combined with a cool roof, night cooling and cross-ventilation reduces cooling energy consumption by 52, 48 and 35% in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, with overheating hours not exceeding 40 h annually. Using an adaptive daily setpoint strategy with the same mitigation measures is similarly effective; it achieved a 57, 42 and 34% reduction in cooling energy consumption in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, while eliminating overheating hours.

• (1)

  A methodology is developed to find the optimal cooling setpoints

• (2)

  Adaptive thermal comfort concept is extended for integration with a cooling system

• (3)

  Validation simulation model is used using certain building information

• (4)

  Climate change effect is studied using current and future warmer typical years

• (5)

  Effective passive summer mitigation measures are studied

A methodology is developed to find the optimal cooling setpoints

Adaptive thermal comfort concept is extended for integration with a cooling system

Validation simulation model is used using certain building information

Climate change effect is studied using current and future warmer typical years

Effective passive summer mitigation measures are studied

Body weight has a long history of functioning as a symbol of one’s beauty, social status, morality, discipline, and health. It has also been a standard inflicted much more intensely on women than men. While US culture has long idealized thinness for women, even at risky extremes, there is growing evidence that weight standards are broadening. Larger bodies are becoming more visible and accepted, while desire for and approval of a thin ideal has diminished. However, the continued widespread prevalence of anti-fat attitudes and stigma leaves uncertainty about just how much weight standards are changing. This study used an online survey (n = 320) to directly compare evaluations of thin, fat, and average size women through measures of negative stereotypes, prejudicial attitudes, and perceptions about quality of life. Results indicated that, as hypothesized, thin women were perceived less favorably than average weight women. However, fat women were perceived less favorably than both average and thin women. Men were harsher than women in their evaluations of only fat women. Additionally, participants being underweight or overweight did not produce an ingroup bias in their evaluations of underweight and overweight targets, respectively. That is, participants did not rate their own group more favorably, with the exception of overweight participants having lower prejudice toward overweight targets. These findings add to the emerging evidence that women’s weight standards are in transition, marked by an increasingly negative perception of thin women, though not necessarily growing positivity toward fat women. This evidence further points toward the need for more extensive research on attitudes of people across the entire weight spectrum.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) characteristics and audit report lag (ARL) in Egypt, an emerging economy characterized by high power distance and a culture of secrecy. The study utilizes a theoretical framework that integrates agency theory, stewardship theory, and upper echelons theory as the foundation for examining this relationship.

The sample consists of 587 firm-year observations from non-financial firms listed on the EGX100, covering the period from 2012 to 2019. The primary variable of the study (ARL) is measured using different proxies. The analysis utilizes both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and logistic regression models, with additional analysis considering CEO power and using board gender diversity as a moderating variable.

The study finds that CEO characteristics significantly affect ARL, demonstrating a negative association between CEO ownership, founder status, family ties, duality and ARL. These findings remain robust after a series of tests using alternative measures. Additional analysis reveals that CEO power is negatively and significantly related to ARL. Interestingly, the negative association between CEO characteristics and ARL is more pronounced in boards without female members.

Although extensive research has been conducted on the factors determining ARL, few studies have examined the impact of CEO characteristics on ARL, particularly in emerging economies such as Egypt. The business environment in Egypt is characterized by high power distance and a secretive culture, providing a unique context for this study.

Nowadays, the main challenge in the higher education is the daunting task of transforming universities into digital era institutions. Improving HE students' competence to meet the flow of technological innovations through DT has been the focus of many countries. This task has imposed the restraint that HE institutions should implement the most effective strategies of DT. This chapter is focusing on how DT strategies play their role in making the transformation itself become germane and give its fruits. Therefore, this chapter presents the most effective DT strategies that can be implemented by HE institutions in order to prepare their students for the existing professional roles in their societies. A good DT strategy is one that connects the organization's current level of digital maturity with its future ambition. The well-known strategies in the DT field are as follows: the strategy of electronic projects, strategy of smart electronic platforms, integrated training strategy, participatory e-learning strategy, smart learning strategy, pervasive learning strategy, microlearning strategy and e-design thinking strategy, in addition to the strategy in which traditional learning methods are combined with e-learning methods. It is worth noting here that the chapter is not an attempt to favor a strategy over another or compare and contrast them to uncover their differences at any level. On the contrary, the writer will work on displaying how each strategy can be implemented in order to accomplish DT in HE instructional practices. Also, this chapter will show how complementary these strategies can be once they are utilized to reach DT.

Small islands are particularly vulnerable to environmental impacts, as multiple environmental as well as socio-economic changes are impacting their local communities and especially the most vulnerable segments of their population. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly viewed as an opportunity for small islands to mitigate and adapt to climate change. ICT may help to monitor short-term and long-term climate trends, raise awareness, help protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions. Though the ICT sector has been recognised as crucial in ensuring sustainable development, it is also important to address its potential adverse impacts like energy consumption, electronic waste generation and digital inequality among others. The ICT-environment link is thus rather complex. While there is extensive literature on the ICT-climate change nexus, the evidence remains mixed. The evidence on small island economies is rather scant. The objective of this chapter is to investigate into the ICT and environment linkage for small islands taking on board the specificities of island economies. The Panel Vector Error Correction Model (PVECM) is used on 38 small islands over a period 2000–2020, and the long-run results show that higher use of ICT has resulted in lower carbon emissions.

The research about the concept of Halal tourism has emerged recently. It becomes the vital factor in determining the tourists's satisfaction or their loyalty. Thus, this concept needs to be developed in certain areas because it still not acknowledged. The purpose of this study is to align the theoretical foundations of Halal tourism to conventional tourism paradigms. It investigates the value of Muslim tourists' perception in the context of Malaysian tourist destination. The six variables of Muslim tourist perceived value (MTPV) are examined such as quality, price, emotional, social, physical and non-physical attributes. The respondents of the research are a total of 205 Muslim tourists in Langkawi, Malaysia during October 2021 (Langkawi Tourism Bubble). The results indicated four (4) variables have impacts on tourist satisfaction. Practical implications will impact towards cognitive, affective and Islamic (i.e. Halal) values on tourist satisfaction. It was examined as one of the priotitize destination experience on tourist satisfaction. The findings provide Malaysian tourism with significant managerial implications. It also impacted the Halal tourism as a new approach specifically in the post COVID-19 era. Hence, in improving Muslim tourist satisfaction, destination marketers should consider the Halal tourism. Tour agencies also should scrutinize the product and services value including destination attributes that they offer. The destination's competitiveness will be strengthened with the right destination attraction, facilities, accommodation and activities that suit Muslim tourists.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, has been used in the health-care industry for over two decades. It is in high demand in the health-care industry due to its strength to manufacture custom-designed and personalized 3D constructs. Recently, AM technologies are being explored to develop personalized drug delivery systems, such as personalized oral dosages, implants and others due to their potential to design and develop systems with complex geometry and programmed controlled release profile. Furthermore, in 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first AM medication, Spritam® (Apprecia Pharmaceuticals) which has led to tremendous interest in exploring this technology as a bespoke solution for patient-specific drug delivery systems. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of AM technologies applied to the development of personalized drug delivery systems, including an analysis of the commercial status of AM based drugs and delivery devices.

This review paper provides a detailed understanding of how AM technologies are used to develop personalized drug delivery systems. Different AM technologies and how these technologies can be chosen for a specific drug delivery system are discussed. Different types of materials used to manufacture personalized drug delivery systems are also discussed here. Furthermore, recent preclinical and clinical trials are discussed. The challenges and future perceptions of personalized medicine and the clinical use of these systems are also discussed.

Substantial works are ongoing to develop personalized medicine using AM technologies. Understanding the regulatory requirements is needed to establish this area as a point-of-care solution for patients. Furthermore, scientists, engineers and regulatory agencies need to work closely to successfully translate the research efforts to clinics.

This review paper highlights the recent efforts of AM-based technologies in the field of personalized drug delivery systems with an insight into the possible future direction.