The metaverse is an imaginary network of parallel universes. Using this technology might liven up dull lecture halls. By expanding synchronous communication into the "metaverse," many individuals may have meaningful conversations and exchange perspectives. This research focuses on finding out how medical students in the UAE feel about the metaverse system. The conceptual model incorporates elements from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), including perceived value and perceived ubiquity as adoption determinants. To test the validity of the suggested framework, a survey was developed and distributed to 369 full-time students at one of the universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Machine learning (ML) and structural equation modeling using partial least squares (PLS-SEM) are used for data analysis. According to the results, the extent to which users saw value in and adoption of the metaverse system was a significant factor in whether or not they intended to participate. This study was helpful since it elucidated the relative significance of various healthcare components, allowing professionals to prioritize their efforts better.

The primary objective of this article is to present the findings of an experimental study on the use of a human-like “naturalistic” avatar (of both genders) for information presentations. The primary goal is to investigate how users' frame of mind, purchasing behavior, and satisfaction are affected by being presented with information by a naturalistic avatar that lacks expressive capabilities. Two different types of information presentations were developed and empirically tested on 48 participants, namely: (i) two dimensional static graphical and textual information presentation and (ii) non-expressive naturalistic avatar. For this comparative research study, a simplified version of the user experience model that was used in our earlier research (the EUX-DM) was selected to serve as the measurement model. Participants' perceived values of the measured qualities were found to be independent of both their own and the naturalistic avatar's gender, and the non-expressive avatar had a positive effect and a stronger encouragement on participants' intention to purchase, usage attitude, and satisfaction than other types of information presentations.

This study assessed the critical success factors (CSFs) of public-sector road construction projects execution from the perspective of definitive stakeholders associated with such projects by drawing on in-depth semi-structured interviews (16) and surveys (372) in Ghana, thirty-four (34) CSFs were identified. Using Relative Importance Index (RII), Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficients, and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance and the Chi-square test of significance statistics, the top ten most important factors in descending order are: the absence of political interference, project continuity by successive governments, adequate project funding, support from financial institutions and donor agencies and countries, government commitment to the project, absence of clientelism, absence of nepotism, no political corruption, payments of contractors on time and absence of court injunction or legal suit and land litigations. This study contributes to road construction CSFs in the context of public sector road construction in developing economies.

This paper presents a study on the structural performance of a modified shear-head assembly for edge steel column embedded in reinforced concrete slab. The structural performance was investigated in terms of punching shear capacity of the reinforced concrete flat slab. The study consisted of a laboratory punching shear test on the contra-flexure bound slab of dimension 1060mm × 1250mm by 130mm thick in a reactant test frame using a 500kN load cell. Results of the experimental study was validated using finite element based numerical method. Both experimental and numerical results show that increase in tensile strength of concrete, increases punching shear capacity of the connection. It was also observed that punching shear failure of the connection depended largely on concrete shear strength. This study has also revealed that punching shear occurs when concrete shear strength is reached, irrespective of the robustness of the shear-head connection.

The adoption of EVA as a compensation and management plan, generally, impacts positively the performance of companies adopting this method. However, this paper examines whether the adoption of the EVA framework enhances the firm’s performance and gauge the long-term effects of such an adoption on the firm’s value. It also assesses whether the market reacts to the announcement of the adoption of EVA as a compensation system. Moreover, the paper fills this gap in research literature by showing whether or not EVA adoption leads to a significant increase in firm value as reflected by its market prices on the long run. Growing evidence in research indicates that the stock market does not incorporate all firm information into the stock price quickly and completely (REF). Therefore, the critique that contemporaneous association between price and EVA does not reflect reality is likely to be correct. However, this paper takes a different action. The basic contention is that although prices adjust slowly to information, long horizons are sufficiently long for markets to incorporate almost all relevant information into prices. The study sample consists of 89 US firms adopted EVA as a compensation system. It compares the performance of adopting firms to that of selected matching firms and to the market indexes, particularly, the S&P500 portfolio. Then it uses two common aggregating methods to test the event of adopting EVA by different US firms namely the CAR and BHAR methods. The results obtained, however, showed a slight improvement in the performance of companies adopting EVA within five years from the date of adoption.

Government construction projects are vital to the economic development of developing countries. However, although most of these projects suffer from abandonment, little evidence exists concerning the causes that account for this setback. This paper investigates the causes of government construction project abandonment in Ghana. We used a sequential data collection approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire surveys to solicit the views of project management practitioners, contractors, and clients associated with Ghana government construction project implementation. Using factor analysis and structural equation modelling, we find that Ghanaian government construction project abandonment is influenced by five sets of causes: political leadership, culture, external forces, resources (including funding) and administrative/institutional bottlenecks. Three of these sets of causes – political leadership, cultural and external forces, are the primary causes, while resources (including funding) and administrative/institutional causes are secondary causes.

Reinforcement of structural timber members with fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) rods offers merits over that of the conventional steel type. In recent times, near surface mounted (NSM) FRP reinforcement with timber has emerged as a promising alternative for reinforcing timber structures in both flexural and shear loading configurations. Previous investigations have shown that NSM FRP reinforcement technique has higher bond performance than externally bonded equivalents because it (NSM FRP technique) is able to utilise the full capacity of the FRP materials. In spite of these merits, the investigations and the use of this innovative technique are limited. In this paper, an experiment was conducted to investigate the bond characteristics and performance of NSM basalt FRP reinforcement with solid timber structures. In order to predict the performance of the reinforced beam structures, unreinforced control timber members of the same timber characteristics were tested. The results showed that the average bond capacity of the NSM FRP reinforced members was 16% higher than the corresponding unreinforced beams.

Social media influencers have become a more effective modern marketing approach used by businesses to influence consumers' intention and attitude. This study explores this influence by involving several factors of influencer’s characteristics on both consumers’ attitude and intention. Also, a moderation role of vloggers as a new emerging marketing tool is also examined in this research. To conduct this research and achieve its key objective, the study uses a quantitative research method to collect data from TikTok users which has also become a more worldwide favorable web device for short videos. PLS-SEM method is conducted in the phase of analysis and the results show a significant influence of the hypothesized research model except the influence of source relatability on consumer attitude and the moderating role of vloggers on consumer intention. The research findings provided unsurprisingly implications and supported the existing related literature in this field but contribute to cover the research knowledge gap through the integrated new model including numerous variables that have not been examined previously together in a unique framework.

In online shopping enterprises, AI technology has been widely used to provide accurate and fast personalized consumer services. This research demonstrates the use of AI technology in the e-commerce business, specifically online enterprises, to determine different effects. The study was conducted in Jordan and involved about 230 participants. The study evaluated different impacts of AI, such as e-payment and stimulating consumers' sentiments. The study used the Stimulus–Organism–Response model (SOR) empirical model, which states that the examination of human processes differs from that of the machine assessment. The model classified the AI technology experienced by the customers' when they visit online to do purchasing. Online purchasing behaviors can be influenced by insight, accuracy, and interaction experience. Also, the perceived value was used as a mediating variable from the prospects of perceived hedonic and utility value. The research integrated empirical research models such as SEM and SPSS to analyze the data on the effects of three-dimension. The results indicated that the AI technology accuracy, interactive experience, and insight significantly affected customers' perceived hedonic and utilitarian values.

Recent studies on e-feedback have answered many questions concerning the effectiveness of e-feedback in educational and non-educational sectors. They stated clearly that e-feedback is efficient and practical. From both teachers’ and students’ perspectives, e-feedback has influenced their learning and teaching environment effectively. It is a good technique to personalize the learning strategies. Based on the previous assumption, this study aims at exploring the effectiveness of e-feedback in an educational environment taking into consideration the TAM model and the external factors of trustworthiness and enjoyment. The data is collected by an online questionnaire that was distributed among a group of students. Facilitating communication among teachers and students. It helps in replacing the traditional feedback and assess the learning environment during the pandemic periods. The two constructs of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness affect positively the intention to use the e-feedback and initiates this type of feedback as a prominent procedure to be used frequently in the learning environment. In addition, the perceived enjoyment and perceived trustworthiness increase the chance of using e-feedback. Recently, e-feedback is highly dominant among online platform users.