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Coronavirus (COVID-19) has captured the attention of the globe very rapidly. Therefore, predicting the spread of the disease has become an indispensa- ble process, this is being due to its extremely infectious nature and due to the negative effects that some courses of actions, which were taken to minimize the spread of the disease, have on economy and key sectors (e.g., health, pharmaceu- tical and industrial sectors). Therefore, in this research work, the nonlinear autore- gressive exogenous model (NARX) is developed to predict the spread of COVID-19 in Jordan by mapping the related factors (i.e. sociodemographic characteristics and government actions) to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the twelve governorates in Jordan. It has been shown that the developed NARX model can predict the number of confirmed cases with a root mean square error of approxi- mately 28. The NARX model developed in this paper can therefore lead to an efficient management of the available resources, and help decision-makers in selecting the best course of actions to minimize the spread of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architecture is a profession in a perpetual state of change. Thus, it is essential for students to have a solid research foundation on which they can apply their knowledge and evidence-based solutions to architectural design, to enhance the quality of the built environment. Despite the fact that students' views and engagement in research have been receiving great attention recently, no studies have yet been conducted to assess Jordanian students' perspectives regarding scientific research. This paper examines the attitudes of a Jordanian university's architecture students toward scientific research. The descriptive study sampled 184 students from the College of Architecture who were asked to fill out a sel-fadministered questionnaire. The data were both descriptively and quantitively analyzed using correlation, a Mann-Whitney U Test, and a Kruskal-Wallis Variance Test. The findings revealed that female students' outlook on research was more optimistic than that of male students. Moreover, fifth-year students had the least favorable opinions compared to third and fourth-year students. Furthermore, participants who followed architectural channels and broadcasts had more favorable sentiments toward research than those who did not. Finally, participants with previous experience in scientific research had fewer unfavorable opinions regarding research than those who were inexperienced. In conclusion, the majority of the students who participated in this study had positive attitudes toward scientific research. However, there is still a need to promote a culture of scientific research among undergraduate students, encouraging them to engage in scientific activities and providing them with opportunities to conduct research that will contribute to the architectural scene in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic energy-generating has attracted widespread attention, because of its efficiency and environmental benefits. As the number of buildings floors increases, the area of the façade grows substantially larger than the roof, which led to increasing the potential for a solar system installed on the vertical walls, although they receive less solar radiation than roof surfaces. As a result, it has become critical to assess the solar installation possibilities on buildings’ roofs as well as facades in the early design stage. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to present a method to evaluate the suitable area on the building surfaces for photovoltaic installation, taking Apartment buildings in Amman, Jordan as a case study. The methodology is based on the assessment of the incident solar radiation on different surfaces, considering the shading effect from surrounding buildings in the most common residential urban zone in Jordan, and architectural suitable areas for PV installation. Different simulation software was used, Autodesk Ecotect simulation software was used to calculate the incident solar radiation on the building surfaces and IDA ICE 4.8 simulation software to predict the overshadowing area. The main findings of this study show that conducting a solar potential in the early design stage is critical to defining the most suitable surfaces for PV installa- tion. Moreover, the highest potential envelope part of installing the solar photo- voltaic technologies is the roof because it is unshaded and received the highest solar radiation, followed by the south façade with about 40% less received solar radiation. This study can contribute to supporting energy and urban planners in determining the best locations for solar photovoltaic installations on building surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural towns worldwide are undertaking tourism programs to diversify and revitalize their economies. Despite its natural, cultural, and historical tourist potential, Jordan is not a top agritourism destination. This research examines the possibilities for agritourism in an agricultural village in Jordan that has not yet embraced it. The research investigates what motivates or discourages village farmers from engaging in agritourism and the geographical aspects of this expected agritourism venue. The research method relies on GIS analysis of the case study site to establish its suitability for agritourism development. Farmers were asked about their views and motives for engaging in Al-Baqura’s agritourism development. The GIS study revealed that Al-baqura has the geographical characteristics that identify it as a prospective agritourism destination. The economic, social, and environmental benefits of agritourism motivate the local community to support it. This study reveals that improving demand for local products, promoting cultural interchange and experience possibilities, and enhancing the region’s image, are vital to agritourism’s success. The variance analysis found no statistically significant association between participants’ economic, social, and environmental perspectives of agritourism depending on gender, education level, or farm ownership. Despite the farmers’ eagerness, the town has no agritourism initiative yet. Therefore, the government should offer aid to the local community to promote tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical devices used in healthcare organizations are costly, and the process of selecting these devices requires considering multiple criteria such as effectiveness and ease of use. Careful selection of these devices is daunting since it entails the evaluation of various measures. This research investigates the selection process of the same type of medical devices, especially when alternatives are available, and the organization needs to make a good selection. A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) framework based on the integration of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ELimination Et Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) method is developed. The framework model includes 10 criteria, which are selected based on real-life inputs from professional physicians. Seven Ultrasound machines (referred to as alternatives) are evaluated using the developed framework. A case study is conducted on the best selection practice of an Ultrasound machine in a gynecology clinic based in the Kingdom of Jordan. Results revealed that the best and worst alternatives of ultrasound machines are identified and compared with all other options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research discusses the usage of thermal mass of construction materials to produce comfortable thermal indoor environment and to reduce energy consumption used for cooling and heating. What motivated this research is the disappearance of traditional construction methods and materials, such as thick stone and clay walls. Stone is used as a coating material in new buildings, but little attention is given to its significant thermal properties. These construction methods which are ideal to perform as thermal masses are becoming extinct in modern buildings. To achieve this aim a test of thermal mass efficiency is conducted on a case study building which consists two parts of different thermal mass under same climate condition in Jordan. Indoor temperatures of two rooms; one with clay walls; and a second room with concrete brick walls are measured at day and night times in summer and winter. Findings indicate that in hot and cold climates, the temperature inside the room of clay walls are kept within the human comfort zone, unlike the temperature in the room with concrete walls, which was not in the human comfort zone by 5°C. Results are recorded and analyzed to draw useful insights and recommendations. This research concludes that construction materials of high thermal mass, such as clay-bricks, significantly keep the indoor environment within the human thermal comfort zone. Thus, the energy required for maintaining the thermal comfort of the room is greatly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]