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Property performance assessment has become increasingly important in property management because of the emergence of a number of trends as issues of concern of property owners and occupiers. There are, however, many problems facing the consideration of performance measurement. Perhaps the main obstacle is the lack of a structured process for property performance measurement. The prime objective of the research work that underpins this paper therefore is to address this gap by the development of a structured model for property performance measurement. This involved three main steps. First, basic characteristics of an effective performance assessment in property managements are identified and the framework for a generic model is outlined. Next, key processes of performance measurement and property management tasks are identified. Then, these processes are set out into steps for better understanding and applicability of the model to actual property management practices. Some unique features of the model include consideration of clients and tenants requirements, integration of the functions of property management in the model and the inclusion of two property and resource databases to aid storage and retrieval of information. Besides, it is the first step in developing a dedicated computer tool for property performance assessment.

The aim of the research work that underpins this paper is, therefore, to examine the effectiveness of project management maturity in mitigation measures for risk response within construction companies to influence project success.

Ninety-three questionnaires were collected from respondents in different construction companies in the UAE, in order to assess project maturity in construction projects. Fifteen key success factors emerged from the literature and the questionnaire survey as being susceptible to improvement with increasing the project success.

The results reveal that maturity can be improved by developing mitigation measures which positively influence risk response for project success. Based on these results, a framework is proposed to improve the practical functioning of risk response.

This study, however, reflects the general view but for greater confirmation, in-depth investigation is required, and the suggestion is that more primary data should be gathered by the survey method in other project organisations that have adopted risk management maturity, in order to validate the preliminary findings in this paper. This research is being carried out and will be reported in a future paper.

This framework provides a better risk response to achieve a higher level of maturity. One of the unique features of the study is the creation of new knowledge by focusing on the UAE. At the same time, the use of maturity modelling to handle construction delays risks provides new knowledge for a wider audience.

Building developments are often capital intensive, have a long payback period and many associated risks and uncertainties. This makes investments in building projects to be a big challenge. This study aims to develop a computerized simulation-based binomial model (CSBBM) for building investment appraisal with a view to improving the economic sustainability of proposed building projects.

Mathematical equations and algorithms were developed based on the binomial method (BM) of real options analysis and then implemented on a computer system. A hybrid algorithm that integrates Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and BM was also developed. A real-life project was used to test the model. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted to explore the influence of input variables on development option value (DOV).

The test result shows that the model developed provides a better estimate of the value of an investment when compared with traditional net present value technique, which underestimate the value. Moreover, inflation rate (i) and rental value (Ri) are the most sensitive variables for DOV. An increase in i and Ri by just 5% causes a corresponding increase in DOV by 202% and 132%, respectively. While the least sensitive variable is the discount rate (r), as an increase in r by 5% causes a corresponding decrease in DOV by just 9%. The CSBBM is capable of determining the optimal time of development of buildings with an accuracy of 80.77%.

The hybrid model produces higher DOV than that of only the BM because MCS considers randomness in uncontrollable variables. Thus, building investment decision-makers should always use MCS to complement the BM in an investment analysis.

There is limited evidence on the use of this kind of hybrid model for determining DOV in practice.

There is almost a consensus amongst Muslim scholars that the most crucial problem faced by the Muslim world is in the prevailing ideas (including sanctification, archaism, the common paradigm, the absence of the role of the intellectual, etc.) which formulate people’s thoughts and determine their options. There will not be a genuine renaissance of Islam without updating these ideas and emerging from the cocoon of the past. This can be done through a modern approach which would respond to the changes by looking towards the future rather than towards the past. This study aims to identify the intellectual aspects of this crisis and how this crisis has formed and influenced Islamic banking.

To analyse this crisis, the methodology called causal layered analysis (CLA) is used, which is drawn from the field of strategic foresight and designed by Inayatullah (2002). CLA is designed on the basis that the way to understand the nature of the problem will determine the proposed solutions, by diving through the surface phenomena of the problem to the depth of the “motors” of the crisis.

The author finds that Islamic banking is the offspring of its incubator ideas and reform, and the change and progress of Islamic banking can only deal with a critical approach of these ideas; Islamic banking promotes itself as an alternative to conventional banking, but this has not been achieved except on the level of form rather than substance; Islamic banking is a movement within a variable reality, and inertia in specific form and context will keep it in a state of crisis and may lead to its demise.

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study showing the roots of the ideas making up the fabric of banking in the Muslim world and the repercussions of intellectual crisis on Islamic banking.

Najib Mahfuz is the first Arab‐language author to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Born in 1911 the son of a middle‐class Jamaliyah merchant, he became the most popular novelist in Egypt and the Arab countries.

Stakeholders of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector require information on the buildings economic performance throughout its life cycle. This information is neither readily available nor always accurate because building management (BM) professionals still face difficulties to fully incorporate the life cycle cost (LCC) concept into their daily practice. The purpose of this paper is to identify and contribute to solving these difficulties.

This paper provides a background knowledge review and set the ground for a structured research roadmap and a management framework that highlight the links and limitations to be addressed within and between LCC and BM. A six-stage method was used for developing conceptual frameworks targeting six goals: establishing a point of departure; mapping sources of information; literature research; notion deconstruction and conceptual categorization; overview of the applicable background knowledge; and structuring of a framework for LCC-informed decisions in BM.

Management solutions for the built context are necessarily connected with LCC and BM current concepts such as asset management, project, program and portfolio management, facility management and data management. These management approaches highlight the importance of incorporating life cycle concepts and promote LCC effective application within the AEC sector.

This paper identifies and discusses current limitations on the information availability for the economic performance of buildings throughout its life cycle. This work also identifies LCC-related topics that need to be further explored or addressed by both the scientific community and practitioners to overcome these limitations and facilitate the integration of the LCC concept into BM activities.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the present status of various fermented foods and beverages across the globe and reviews on the microbiology and therapeutic effects of fermented foods.

Fermented foods play an important socio-economic role in developing countries as well as making a major contribution to the nutrition requirements of natural populations. These foods have attracted attention all over the world as foods that might promote longevity. The approach is based on observations of online research with respect to fermented foods and their origins, analysis of research papers in journals and systematic research on the microbiology and health benefits of fermented products.

In general, traditional fermented foods produced with indigenous practices throughout the world are made under primitive conditions, which result in low yield and poor quality. But since, these foods are not only traditional but also functional foods. They are experiencing a burst of popularity as health foods worldwide. The raw materials traditionally used for fermentation are as diverse as: fruits, cereals, vegetables, milk, meat, and fish. It is possible to obtain a large variety of different food products by selecting different raw materials, starter cultures, and fermentation conditions.

The paper offers a holistic view that would guide a reader to identify various fermented products and enlighten them about their therapeutic properties.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically develop a delay risk terminology and taxonomy. This research also explores two external and internal dimensions of the taxonomy to determine how much the taxonomy as a whole or combinations of its elements are generalisable.

Using mixed methods research, this systematic literature review incorporated data from 46 articles to establish delay risk terminology and taxonomy. Qualitative data of the top 10 delay risks identified in each article were coded based on the grounded theory and constant comparative analysis using a three-stage coding approach. Word frequency analysis and cross-tabulation were used to develop the terminology and taxonomy. Association rules within the taxonomy were also explored to define risk paths and to unmask associations among the risks.

In total, 26 delay risks were identified and grouped into ten categories to form the risk breakdown structure. The universal delay risks and other delay risks that are more or less depending on the project location were determined. Also, it is realized that delays connected to equipment, sub-contractors and design drawings are highly connected to project planning, finance and owner slow decision making, respectively.

The established terminology and taxonomy may be used in manual or automated risk management systems as a baseline for delay risk identification, management and communication. In addition, the association rules assist the risk management process by enabling mitigation of a combination of risks together.

This study investigated the production of free and encapsulated nanoemulsions using Cordia myxa fruit peel (CMFP) extract and vitamin D3.

The CMFP extract was obtained using an ultrasonic technique, and its characteristics such as total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis were assessed. CMFP was encapsulated in vitamin D3 oil droplets of nanoemulsion prepared by ultra-homogenization using calcium alginate polymer. The nanoemulsions were evaluated for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, antimicrobial activity, morphology, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and release rate in a simulated gastrointestinal model.

The GC/MS results revealed that pyrocatechol, cholestanoids and propionaldehyde were the predominant compounds in the extract. The highest cytotoxicity effect of CMFP was observed at concentrations of 6.25 and 12.5 ppm of the extract. Encapsulated nanoemulsions exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218). The antioxidant activity of the free and encapsulated nanoemulsions ranged from 25.81 to 36.08 mg/100g and 49.25–55.7 mg/100g, respectively. Free nanoemulsions showed a higher release rate in the simulated gastric model compared to encapsulated ones. The FTIR spectrum allowed for the identification of functional groups responsible for antioxidant and antibacterial properties, indicating that these properties of the nanoemulsions were maintained.

This study demonstrates the successful co-encapsulation of CMFP extract and vitamin D3 in nanoemulsions, which significantly enhanced the stability, bioavailability and functional properties of both compounds. Encapsulated nanoemulsions exhibited higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to their free counterparts, with controlled release in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. These findings confirm that nanoemulsion-based encapsulation is an effective strategy to protect and enhance the bioactivity of plant extracts and vitamins, supporting their potential use in functional food products and therapeutic application.

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into the logistics management field.

Rooting their analytical categories in the LMD literature, the authors performed a deductive, theory refinement SLR on 307 interdisciplinary journal articles published during 2015–2022 to integrate this emergent phenomenon into the field.

The authors derived the potentials, challenges and solutions of drone deliveries in relation to 12 LMD criteria dispersed across four stakeholder groups: senders, receivers, regulators and societies. Relationships between these criteria were also identified.

This review contributes to logistics management by offering a current, nuanced and multifaceted discussion of drones' potential to improve the LMD process together with the challenges and solutions involved.

The authors provide logistics managers with a holistic roadmap to help them make informed decisions about adopting drones in their delivery systems. Regulators and society members also gain insights into the prospects, requirements and repercussions of drone deliveries.

This is one of the first SLRs on drone applications in LMD from a logistics management perspective.