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The purpose of this study was to identify needs of Jordanian families of hospitalized, critically ill patients. The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was introduced to 158 family members who were visiting their hospitalized, critically ill relatives. The findings revealed that ≥ 80% of the family members perceived 16 need statements as important or very important. The participants ranked order needs for assurance, information and proximity the highest and needs for support and comfort the lowest. Specifically, the most important needs of the families were to receive information about the patients, to feel that the hospital personnel care about the patients and to have the information given in understandable terms. Results of this study indicated that Jordanian families had specific and identifiable needs. Providing families of critically ill patients clear, simple and updated information about the patients, and assuring them about the quality of care the patients receive, should be essential components of the critical care nursing delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood is the period when inequality originates and the intergenerational transmission of poverty and inequality begins. It is therefore important to understand what drives inequality in early childhood health and nutrition in order to provide children with equal chances for healthy growth. In Jordan, there are substantial socioeconomic disparities in children's health and nutrition; children from wealthy households grow normally while other children falter. This paper examines the determinants and mediators of health disparities in children's height and weight in Jordan, including parental health knowledge, food quantity and quality, health conditions, the health environment, and prenatal development. While this paper demonstrates that the health environment and food quantity and quality contribute to inequality in child health, these effects explain only a small share of disparities. A large share of inequality in children's health is determined prenatally, and nutrition policies need to prioritize this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between pension funds and development of capital market in Jordan over the period 1980–2017. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approaches for co‐integration (bounds test) are employed to achieve the objectives of the study. Using annual data, the results indicate no statistically significant relationship between pension funds and development of capital market on the short run. However, the co‐integration tests show a statistically significant long‐run equilibrium relationship between pension funds and development of capital market regardless of whether capital market development was measured by market depth or market liquidity. Moreover, the co‐integration tests show a statistically significant long‐run equilibrium relationship between economic growth, and interest rate and development of capital market regardless of whether capital market development was measured by market depth or market liquidity. These findings have important implications for academics, investment managers, and policy makers in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores co‐production of knowledge for impact with young people through the process of creating digital story maps, drawing on co‐produced research from two projects: with homeless youth in African cities; and with youth refugees in Uganda and Jordan. It examines the process of creating three story maps with the intention of enabling young people to co‐produce knowledge exchange and research impact. Participants were able to engage in the latter stages of research as part of research analysis, outcomes and outputs beyond the temporal and spatial confines of data collection. The story maps were therefore used not only to 'bring life' to reports produced for stakeholders and funders, but also to take young people's research stories beyond locally bound contexts to reach a variety of global audiences. The reflections in this paper also highlight that while the approach adopted was not without challenges, in all three story maps a knowledge exchange process was fostered that resulted in young people feeling they had been listened to; were able to contribute to debates that affect their own lives and to instil a desire to create change, influence policy and inform publics about their lives. The paper concludes that story mapping is a useful creative process for extending young people's input into knowledge exchange and longer‐term research impacts. [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]

Youth displaced from home by war, civil conflict, and poverty face a difficult transition into adulthood. Their ability to access education, employment, and social adulthood is often disrupted, restricted, and delayed. Yet, despite youth making up a large percentage of refugees in Africa and the Middle East, their specific circumstances are rarely considered. While international humanitarian and development programming aims to respond to the disrupted lives of youth affected by prolonged displacement, little is known about how these conditions affect transitions as youth struggle to create adult lives in contexts of multiple and competing survival pressures. This paper conceptualises youth transitions to adulthood for young refugees growing up in situations of protracted crisis, suggesting that major global challenges such as conflict not only delay, modify, or disrupt certain life events but in fact can have a rupturing effect on young people's capabilities and aspirations for the future. The paper draws on research with over 500 10–24‐year‐olds growing up as refugees in Uganda and Jordan, from five different national groups and located in camp and urban settings. Analysis of their in‐depth experiences highlights that current thinking around youth transitions has not yet accounted for the ruptures they experience, located outside of their home countries for extended periods of time. This "rupture," as an accumulation of the effects of displacement itself, the extended temporality of displacement, and the life course phase affected, more fundamentally impacts on the key phase for creating adult lives than has previously been understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a case study on Za'atari camp in Jordan, this paper joins a growing body of critical studies highlighting discrepancies between developmental humanitarian policies promoting the resilience and empowerment of refugees vis‐à‐vis realities inside camps. It shows how camp authorities incrementally unwound and stifled refugee self‐governance structures and informal entrepreneurialism. It also highlights the influence of Jordanian state priorities over the aid operation and the supportive role played by the UN Refugee Agency in affirming state priorities. The paper argues that even if well‐intentioned developmental humanitarianism can ultimately diminish the scope for meaningful refugee empowerment. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some of the new Safaitic inscriptions that were found in 2022 in one of the branches of Wādī al‐Khuḍarī, which is in al‐Ḥarrah approximately 35 km to the northwest of al‐Ruwayshed (H4). Two of these inscriptions bear an attestation for the verb ṣlb, meaning 'to crucify'. This is the fourth appearance of that verb in Safaitic inscriptions. The verb is thoroughly discussed in this study since the topic of crucifixion in the context of Safaitic epigraphy is of particular interest and has been the subject of scholarly dispute. The present research also provides an explanation for some geographical terms that are used by local residents and researchers to refer to the locations of the inscriptions. Apart from the philological analysis of these selected texts, the paper presents an overview of the 'Badia Epigraphic Surveys' (BES) project, which was launched by Michael C. A. Macdonald and Ali Al‐Manaser in 2015, and aims to redocument the inscriptions and rock art from the Jordanian Ḥarrah region. As a part of this project, five survey seasons have been conducted so far. During these surveys, nearly 400,000 images from the Jordanian Badia were photographed. These include images of the inscriptions and images of the sites where the texts were found. Some of these images are a redocumentation of inscriptions that were previously reported by various researchers, and some of the images contain new inscriptions that will be added to the 'Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia' (OCIANA) database. It is important to note that soon after the launch of the BES project, interest in the Jordanian Badia region began to increase, and many epigraphic and archaeological surveys have been conducted in this region. Furthermore, the Jordanian government has recently registered the Jordanian Ḥarrah region on the Tentative List of World Heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure deterioration threatens urban water security and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6, "water for all"). One billion urban residents worldwide already face intermittent piped water access, making their public water supply unreliable and unequal. Thus, effective investments in water infrastructure improvements are critical. In a recent WRR paper, Jeuland et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033897) evaluate the impacts of a large infrastructure improvement project on various water security metrics and assess the challenges of such an investigation. They apply a rigorous difference‐in‐difference approach to data from a US$275 million investment in upgrades to water supply and sewage networks in the Zarqa governorate in arid Jordan, analyzing its effects on households, businesses, farms, and the water utility. The authors find a range of moderate improvements to water access and re‐use metrics, including a significant reduction in reported shortages. Key water security indicators related to access intermittency, however, such as the supply duration per day and the expenditure on water deliveries by tanker trucks, saw little to no improvement. The findings reveal that the efforts required to overcome the insecurity and inequity of intermittent public water supply systems might be considerably larger than expected. This suggests an urgent need to further enhance both the accuracy of impact evaluation methods and the effectiveness of infrastructure investments to support the pursuit of SDG 6. Plain Language Summary: One billion people in cities worldwide experience frequent interruptions in their tap water supply. Improving unreliable and inefficient public water supply networks is critical to cope with growing water scarcity. How do we know if these improvements are effective? A recent WRR paper by Jeuland et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033897) reveals how difficult it is to determine this. This commentary discusses what their findings mean for efforts to make public water supply reliable and equitable. The authors are only able to confirm moderate benefits for a large‐scale water infrastructure investment. This suggests that the challenge to achieve secure water supply for all is greater than expected. Key Points: This commentary discusses the findings of an impact evaluation study for a large‐scale investment in water infrastructure improvementsThe study finds only limited impacts of the investment regarding public water supply intermittency despite a suitable setting and approachThe study's findings suggest that overcoming public water supply intermittency poses an unexpectedly large challenge [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to 'visiting friends and relatives' (VFR) discussions within migration and diaspora literatures by proposing a closer theorization of religious mobilities through the conceptual framework of 'diasporic pilgrimage'. It advances VFR thinking by considering religion as a productive analytical category to interrogate relationships between people and place which sustain and constitute diasporic connection and attachment. This will be explored through the experiences and encounters of Palestinian–Jordanian Christians undertaking visits to places of religious and relational significance across Israel and/or Palestine from Jordan. Through an exploration of ethnographic data collected amongst diasporic Palestinian Christians living in Jordan, diasporic pilgrimage will be theorized as a localized process critically engaging with everyday facets of familiarity and regularity. This will revolve around three main elements of diasporic pilgrimage: translocal connections, temporalities and power geometries which constitute visits from Jordan and the so‐called 'Holy Land' a diasporic form of religious mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a case study on Za'atari, the largest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, this paper critically explores a contemporary example of intersection between local and global humanitarian and securitization processes in refugee governance. The paper argues that Syrian refugees have been subjected to humanitarian care and securitized treatment, with their construction in terms of potential threat to State security interests spiking in correlation with insecurities over the expansion of the "Islamic State" (IS). The paper tracks the suit of measures implemented by the host Jordanian State, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to produce docile refugee subjects of "humanitarian government" in a closed camp. It notes how the UNHCR invariably augments and extends the remit of Jordanian State power at the expense of refugee rights, in the name of ensuring refugee and aid worker security and the effectiveness of the aid operation. The camp plays a critical role in a performative politics of containment targeting local and global audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility on organizational reputation in Jordanian universities. Quantitative approach was adopted; electronic survey was employed wherein there was distribution of questionnaires to a sample of employees selected through a simple random approach. The sample was made up of a total of 340 employees based within both private and public universities in Jordan. This current study was founded upon the assumption that the commitment of organizations to social responsibility leads to increases in their abilities to achieve an organizational reputation that is good. The findings showed that all social responsibility practices (ethical, philanthropic and legal) have a significant and positive impact upon improving organizational reputation. In addition, the findings found that the legal responsibility is considered most practiced in Jordanian universities followed by ethical responsibility. Finally, there no significant impact for economic responsibility on organizational reputation. This paper can provide theoretical and practical contribution to social corporate responsibility and organizational reputation knowledge through explored the role of social responsibility in organizational reputation in new context in general and universities in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of smart infrastructures is a political act that intersects, in powerful ways, with ongoing decolonial struggles across the uneven landscapes of the postcolonial world. This paper develops a grounded, relational approach to the critical geographies of smart development that starts from place‐based relations of power to investigate how specific postcolonial dynamics inflect the global articulation of smart development. Drawing on the work of Gillian Hart, our approach situates the development of smart infrastructures within longer, contested histories of geopolitical intervention and capitalist transformation and foregrounds ongoing land, labour and livelihood struggles that transect the urban–rural divide. Using critical ethnography and relational comparison in South East Asia and the Middle East, we show how Myanmar's smart farms and Jordan's smart grid were built and selectively adapted or refused in ways that furthered existing inequalities and ontologies of disconnection, while providing material conduits for the enhancement of ethno‐nationalist projects to define the postcolonial state. This approach reframes the stakes of smart development, providing pathways for generative comparison that centres ongoing equity struggles and historically situated constellations of power to understand how smart development materialises in the postcolonial world. The development of smart infrastructures is a political act that intersects, in powerful ways, with ongoing decolonial struggles across the uneven landscapes of the postcolonial world. This paper develops a grounded, relational approach to the critical geographies of smart development that draws on the work of Gillian Hart to situate the development of smart infrastructures within longer, contested histories and foreground ongoing land, labor, and livelihood struggles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an integrated petrographic–geochemical–geomechanical study of the growth mechanisms of carbonate and chert concretions observed at outcrop and core from the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene organic‐rich carbonate mudrocks, central Jordan. It provides evidence for displacive and replacive concretion growth from the analysis of primary lithological characteristics, compaction strain and deformation structures associated with concretion growth. Concretions were analysed to determine the primary lithological controls on their development and the measurement of strain in the host rock to develop a method for constraining the growth mode and their paragenesis. Concretions exhibit either a replacive or displacive growth mode largely dependent on the original host lithology. Displacive concretions exhibit irregular shapes and semi‐fibrous internal structures in contrast to regular shapes and microcrystalline textures observed for replacive concretions. Cement fraction is high in both carbonate concretion types, indicating early formation in high‐porosity sediments at shallow burial depths. The strain field around displacive concretions is vertically asymmetrical. Conversely, it is symmetrical with uniform differential compaction for the replacive concretions. Evidence for displacive growth comes from triangular areas of chert at the lateral margins of some carbonate concretions, interpreted as areas of reduced strain. Another indicator is the forced asymmetrical folding of heterolithic host rocks around displacive concretions, with displacive carbonate units separated by trace laminae of the original (chert) beds. Enveloping chert beds exhibit early‐formed radial silica fractures with increased aperture size in the areas of maximum curvature. Carbon isotopic signatures of carbonate concretions show a strong correlation between concretion centres and host rock, suggesting a relatively shallow depth (first few tens of metres) of initial growth. Carbonate concretions are interpreted to have formed at shallow depths in the presence of alkaline pore waters rich in dissolved organic carbon in the presence of Mg2+ ions, available organic matter and redox‐sensitive metals such as U and Mo. A paragenetic history for the different concretion types is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative perceptions are associated to women with tattoos. This paper explores the impact of culture on Middle Eastern women with tattoos and their response towards rejection and perceptions. The study adopts a social constructivist approach that integrates narratives from Middle Eastern women. This is precisely conducted to obtain an insider's view through reflections of personal experiences of women with tattoos in Jordan. Such methods help by extracting social insights that can be limited in traditional positivistic methods. The findings generated from the narratives, narrated by seven Middle Eastern women, reveal the symbolic meanings associated to tattoos and the sense of ownership and control women have over their own bodies. Furthermore, results reveal a form of individualism in a collective and masculine culture with a patriarchal mindset. Middle Eastern women in this study are considered warriors that are successfully overcoming cultural‐bound impediments. This paper allows Middle Eastern women to express their voice in the ownership of their own bodies and in the decision taken in the practice of tattooing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The household solid waste (HSW) constitutes a main segment of municipal solid waste (MSW). Therefore, effective management of HSW has become an imperative issue to solve the problems caused by massive generation of HSW, the protection and sustainability of the environment, as well as the protection of public health in Jordan. The present study was conducted to assess the amount and components of urban HSW generated and to determine the influencing factors in the urban areas of Irbid city, Jordan. The study was conducted on 383 households. The driving forces behind Irbid household waste generation were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. The outcomes of this study indicated that the average waste produced by households was 0.90 kg/cap/day. Also, the data analysis displayed that organic waste represents more than half of the total composition of waste 58.56% followed by plastic 14.59%, paper and paper products 9.61%, glass 7.49%, metal 4.19%, rubber and leather, others, and textile had the lowest concentrations, being less than 2% wt. The multiple linear regression outcomes displayed that the value of R2 was found to be 0.614 for the household waste generation per capita. Also, according to Pearson's coefficient and Point‐Biserial correlation values, a positive correlation was found between HSW generation and gender of household head r = 0.256, household size r = 0.629, and monthly household income r = 0.529, while a negative correlation was found between household waste generation and age of the household head r = ‐0.329, and education level of the household head r = ‐0.303.The study findings serve to provide crucial inputs to the policymakers and planners concerned with environmental issues in making their decisions toward a more effective and sustainable solid waste management (SWM) system, which helps to protect the environment and the maintain natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discipline of geography struggles to engage with urban futures on terms that are meaningful to the world's urban majority. This paper reflects the need to open up empirically grounded dialogue on aspirations and their complex connections to perceptions of possibility and temporality. Drawing on research carried out in two medium‐sized cities overlooked by research (Bharatpur, Nepal; Zarqa, Jordan), this paper speaks back to contemporary discourse surrounding urban life and futurity. These two projects explore aspirations located within people's everyday attempts to secure urban presents and carve out spaces for the immediate future within the realm of their control. Urban futures, it is argued, need to be imagined from the perspective of the communities experiencing the complexities and uncertainties of the urban present first‐hand, and who tailor their aspirations and expectations accordingly. In both Bharatpur and Zarqa, "grey space" proves successful in framing the roles of influence, control, and management of power in determining possibility. In Bharatpur, residents learned that only by working together in neighbourhood groups could they begin to influence the local authority to provide certain aspects of physical infrastructure – the paved roads that residents had particularly hoped for. In Zarqa, residents turn to a variety of formal channels – political and developmental – in their attempts to reverse locally manifesting urban decay and provide much‐needed green spaces for the local community. In both contexts, these local, collectively‐held aspirations are deeply linked to local perceptions of possibility, which in turn are a direct result of governance structures seeking to maintain particular urban relations and to control the pace and space of urban development. The discipline of geography struggles to engage with urban futures on terms that are meaningful to the world's urban majority. This paper reflects the need to open up empirically grounded dialogue on aspirations and their complex connections to perceptions of possibility and temporality by drawing on research carried out in two medium‐sized cities overlooked by research (Bharatpur, Nepal; Zarqa, Jordan). These two projects explore aspirations located within people's everyday attempts to secure urban presents and carve out spaces for the immediate future within the realm of their control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, relative education profiles of recent refugees arriving to Germany from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are described and compared to the profiles of Syrians in Jordan and Lebanon and of internally displaced Iraqis. Relative education describes a migrant's position in the educational distribution of the origin population. For recent refugees, relative education could be reflected in the decision of where to migrate: those who are relatively better educated may be more able to reach a distant destination. The empirical analyses use data from the project 'ReGES – Refugees in the German Educational System', the IAB‐BAMF‐SOEP Survey of Refugees, the Arab Barometer and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). The findings suggest that on average, Syrians and Afghans in Germany and Syrians in Jordan are positively selected on education, while Syrians in Lebanon and internally displaced Iraqis appear slightly negatively selected. The findings for Iraqis in Germany show mixed evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Background Method Result Discussion Conclusion and implications for nursing and/or health policy This research examines the effects of artificial intelligence (AI)‐based decision support systems (DSS) on the operational processes of nurses in critical care units (CCU) located in Amman, Jordan.The deployment of AI technology within the healthcare sector presents substantial opportunities for transforming patient care, with a particular emphasis on the field of nursing.This paper examines how AI‐based DSS affect CCU nursing workflows in Amman, Jordan, using a cross‐sectional analysis. A study group of 112 registered nurses was enlisted throughout a research period spanning one month. Data were gathered using surveys that specifically examined several facets of nursing workflows, the employment of AI, encountered problems, and the sufficiency of training.The findings indicate a varied demographic composition among the participants, with notable instances of AI technology adoption being reported. Nurses have the perception that there are favorable effects on time management, patient monitoring, and clinical decision‐making. However, they continue to face persistent hurdles, including insufficient training, concerns regarding data privacy, and technical difficulties.The study highlights the significance of thorough training programs and supportive mechanisms to improve nurses' involvement with AI technologies and maximize their use in critical care environments. Although there are differing degrees of contentment with existing AI systems, there is a general agreement on the necessity of ongoing enhancement and fine‐tuning to optimize their efficacy in enhancing patient care results.This research provides essential knowledge about the intricacies of incorporating AI into nursing practice, highlighting the significance of tackling obstacles to guarantee the ethical and efficient use of AI technology in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whole of society has been passing through difficult times due to the effects of COVID‐19. Such a lengthy period has greatly impacted lifestyles and living standards. Accordingly, this paper aimed to examine the role of Jordanian children in purchasing decision‐making within the framework of parental mediation during COVID‐19. A quantitative methodology was applied, and a questionnaire targeted 287 children aged 8–12. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the influence of COVID‐19. They changed the purchasing behaviour of children, as their daily habits have changed to increased periods of stay at home, leading to a long preoccupation with watching the Internet/commercials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By a classical theorem of Jordan, every faithful transitive action of a non‐trivial finite group has a derangement (an element with no fixed points). The existence of derangements with additional properties has attracted much attention, especially for faithful primitive actions of almost simple groups. In this paper, we show that an almost simple group can have an element that is a derangement in every faithful primitive action, and we call these elements totally deranged. In fact, we classify the totally deranged elements of all almost simple groups, showing that an almost simple group G$G$ contains a totally deranged element only if the socle of G$G$ is Sp4(2f)$\mathrm{Sp}_4(2^f)$ or PΩn+(q)$\mathrm{P}\Omega ^+_n(q)$ with n=2l⩾8$n=2^l \geqslant 8$. Using this, we classify the invariable generating sets of a finite simple group G$G$ of the form {x,xa}$\lbrace x, x^a \rbrace$ where x∈G$x \in G$ and a∈Aut(G)$a \in \mathrm{Aut}(G)$, answering a question of Garzoni. As a final application, we classify the elements of almost simple groups that are contained in a unique maximal subgroup H$H$ in the case where H$H$ is not core‐free, which complements the recent work of Guralnick and Tracey addressing the case where H$H$ is core‐free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show that a minimal state space realization in Jordan canonical form for linear multivariable continuous‐time systems described by rational transfer function matrices could be obtained in a natural and basic way by using the concept of Nerode equivalence. While the minimal state space realization is known, the contribution of this note is to provide an alternative realization procedure which is directly introduced in a simple and self‐contained manner. Both scalar and multivariable cases in the continuous‐time setting are discussed. The presentation also provides a concrete construction of rational vector function with preassigned poles to interpolate any 2‐norm bounded analytical vector function in the open left‐half of the complex plane. The basic idea of Nerode equivalence is that the state can be identified with a corresponding equivalence class of inputs. For a linear finite dimensional time‐invariant continuous‐time system, the zero state is identified with the kernel of certain Hankel operator. This characterization via Nerode equivalence class sheds light on the construction of state for general nonlinear input–output systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the theoretical problem of how to approach Islamic charity in a humanitarian world, without simultaneously reproducing a secularization narrative in the terms of analysis. First, I outline the economic theology of an Islamic reformist organization serving Syrian refugees in Jordan. I argue that it should be disarticulated from the interpretative frame of "neoliberal piety" to which the academic literature often refers modern Islamic charity. Second, I outline how the organization's director locates Islamic charity and international humanitarianism together within the same moral economy. I argue that his account, which relates but does not assimilate distinctive regimes of care, problematizes the acts of secular translation which generally mediate humanitarianism and religion. Taken together, these two arguments methodologically return us to the anthropological reclamation of historical difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in understanding Wasta and its influences on individuals and organizations alike, but little attention has been paid to uncovering elements related to the psychology of offering Wasta, to understand how individuals make their decisions about being Wasta patrons. Extending on the article "Narrative inquiry: a proposed methodology for Wasta research" in Thunderbird International Business Review Journal, this article presents a set of narratives of five individuals in various occupations and industries who were asked to be the patrons of Wasta in an organizational setting in Jordan. The findings generated from the narratives indicate that the decision of offering Wasta depends on the type of network with the receiver, perceived recipient deservingness, the impact of offering Wasta on the donor, and the donor's reciprocity expectations. Through the narratives, a deep understanding of the psychology of offering Wasta and how it works is obtained. The implications of this research are theoretical and practical and are presented at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to republish, reread and interpret an Arabic inscription from the Black Desert, north‐eastern Jordan, to shed light on the practice of the dating system used before the Umayyad era, in which the dating of the inscription is linked to a specific event. The inscription was re‐discovered by the present authors during the 2019 Badia Epigraphic Survey. It dates to the death of Hishām, who, as can be assumed, is the Umayyad caliph Hishām b. ʿAbd al‐Malik (r. 724–743CE). In addition, this paper argues that according to the epigraphic records, when a caliph died, his title was removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to bring to light and edit two Byzantine funerary inscriptions from El‐ʿAynūn (Kerak Governorate; Southern Jordan). The first one is perhaps dated in the year 485–486 AD [year 380 EPA]; the second one, although not dated, probably belongs to the same period, ranging between the fifth and the sixth century AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examined the effect of oil prices on headline and core inflation in Jordan over the period 2002Q1–2019Q4. Using the Johansen cointegration test and the vector error correction model, the empirical findings show that, in the short‐run, oil prices have a positive significant effect on headline inflation, and a unidirectional Granger causality relationship from oil prices only to headline inflation is found, while core inflation is not affected by oil prices movements. In the long run, oil prices—that appear to be transitory—have no substantial positive effect on headline or core inflation, while both inflation indices are affected by the GDP growth, interest rate, and the import prices for the core inflation model. The study suggests that policymakers should be concerned about targeting core inflation movements when implementing monetary policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy policy in Jordan is a contested issue as several options for deployment of technologies exist. Shale oil and renewable energy sources are two energy generation technologies which are currently being intensively considered by the Jordanian energy policy process and there are shale oil and renewable energy projects which are currently in operation, in planning or in construction. Each of these options relates to various perceptions of risks and benefits of a given technology and has its opponents and supporters. Understanding of how inhabitants of communities where infrastructure is planned perceive these energy generation technologies is crucial as infrastructure will impact the life of the community and the feedback from the community can improve the deployment of infrastructure. The major focus of this paper is on attitudes of local communities where shale oil and renewable energies are in operation. To identify of how various environmental, technical, social and environmental factors influence attitudes including awareness and perceptions of these two energy generation technologies we conducted large scale surveys in four different communities of Jordan. Two of these communities (Ma'an and Tafileh) had renewable energy projects and other two communities (Lajoun and Attarat) had projects on shale oil extraction and power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the theoretical problem of how to approach Islamic charity in a humanitarian world, without simultaneously reproducing a secularization narrative in the terms of analysis. First, I outline the economic theology of an Islamic reformist organization serving Syrian refugees in Jordan. I argue that it should be disarticulated from the interpretative frame of "neoliberal piety" to which the academic literature often refers modern Islamic charity. Second, I outline how the organization's director locates Islamic charity and international humanitarianism together within the same moral economy. I argue that his account, which relates but does not assimilate distinctive regimes of care, problematizes the acts of secular translation which generally mediate humanitarianism and religion. Taken together, these two arguments methodologically return us to the anthropological reclamation of historical difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War affects women from the bedroom to the battlefield, but for most women war is experienced within intimate spaces. Intimate spaces are rarely the focus of mainstream academic research or media reporting; thus women's experiences with war and displacement are often concealed. Building from literature in feminist geopolitics that helps focus our attention toward everyday and intimate geopolitics, I conducted in‐depth interviews with Syrian women refugees in Jordan in order to examine how they are coping. Of the many ways that they've learned to cope, these women asserted that earning an income and adjusting to altered gender performances and relations have been both dire and formative. Many Syrian women refugees have become income providers for the first time in their lives. Some women have become their families' sole providers, and other women are now heads of households as well. Bringing literature from feminist geography, transnational and migration studies, and critical home studies together with feminist geopolitics, I offer the ideas of coping and coping labour as a framework to examine the intimate spaces of displacement. I highlight that paid work is understudied within feminist geopolitics, but such a focus renders important insights into how gender shapes experiences of displacement and how displacement is reshaping gendered relations. In this paper, I show that in the intimate spaces of displacement women have taken on traditionally masculine practices, but while their gendered performances shift, they are simultaneously entrenched as the ideals of appropriate feminine and masculine performances are recreated. Though these multiple gendered performances are creating numerous demands and challenges for Syrian women refugees, these women are also experiencing an increased sense of strength, confidence and respect as a result of their shifting performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordan has long been a party to the main international instruments prohibiting discrimination against women, yet it still displays a significant gender pay gap. Using data from the 2002, 2006 and 2008 Household Expenditure and Income Surveys for decomposition analysis, while also accounting for the labour force participation decisions of women and men, the author finds that the pay gap is entirely explained by gender differentials in his estimated coefficients. The gap is initiated upon recruitment into wage employment through 'screening discrimination', though it tends to narrow over time. Women's selectively low participation also contributes to a statistical improvement in their relative earnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions should take into account the needs of stakeholders in the planning and development of quality educational services. In general, the stakeholders are divided into two categories: internal and external stakeholders. This study aims to explore the diverse basic needs of the university internal stakeholders (students, academic staff, and employees) and the impact of the services on the brand image of the educational institutions. Consensus has been built that an organization's image can only be or assessed by its stakeholders or constituents. Utilizing the qualitative approach through empirical semi‐structured interviews, data were collected from both Benghazi University in the country of Libya and Yarmouk University in the country of Jordan. To gain an in‐depth understating of the basic services, interviews were conducted with 41 university internal stakeholders (students, academic staff, and employees). The findings have a remarkable impact on the education services quality and the perception of brand image of both institutions, which subsequently affects the Libyan and Jordanian economy. The paper explores the differences between the needs of the three groups. This study is of value to educational leaders as it serves as contribution to the well designing of comprehensive plans of the university, by providing the decision makers with information on the needs of the university internal stakeholders. Managements can develop policies, which will improve the safety of customers and staff and increase collaborations with both universities stakeholders, etc. Accordingly, the results provide a foundation on which future research can be built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to examine whether internal corporate governance (CG) mechanisms affect corporate environmental disclosure (CED) in emerging economies. Using a sample of 500 firm‐year observations, this study distinctively applies a linear panel quantile regression (PQR) model to examine the CG–CED nexus in Jordan. This technique is supplemented with conducting a two‐step dynamic generalised method of moment (GMM) model to overcome any potential occurrence of endogeneity problems. This study reports an increasing trend in CED practice among the sampled companies over the period of analysis, yet it is still at an early stage as compared with their developed counterparts. Furthermore, this study suggests that board size, board independence, CEO duality and foreign ownership have positive associations with CED. In contrast, managerial ownership, institutional ownership and ownership concentration are negatively associated with the disclosed amount of environmental information in the Jordanian context. Theoretically, board structures appeared to be more efficient than ownership structures in reducing agency conflicts by addressing the asymmetric gap of information and promoting the disclosure of environmental information. These findings add to the debate about whether ownership structures detrimental to CED in developing economies. Specifically, when it comes to spending money on CED, owners seemed to be more concerned about any reductions in their share of the pie and may, therefore, be less motivated to disclose their companies' environmental information. This paper provides managers, owners and policymakers with a set of context‐specific recommendations related to the crucial need for a more concerted effort to integrate governance and environmental regulations in order to ensure sustainability in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the macro-national level factors that influence women's work engagement in Arab countries. First, it offers an overview of the notions of work engagement and gendered work engagement. Next, the macro-national context is investigated where economic, socio-cultural, and legal factors are analyzed that may explain differences in workplace engagement between men and women. Lastly, the discussion, implications for future research and practice, and conclusion are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new evidence, based on systematic fieldwork, concerning the most likely path of the Roman road, the via nova Traiana, in the area between Petra and Ayn al-Qana in southern Jordan. Special attention is given to the work of David Graf, the most recent fieldwork study, prior to the present investigation, dealing with the same issue, that of the via nova Traiana. It also presents a detailed description of the route of the Roman road, adds new information to Graf's study, and challenges some of his suggestions. The paper also considers other ancient roads that were directly connected to the Roman highway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the study `Prevalence of Enamel Hypoplasia in Jordanian Children' by S.A. Al-Abbasi.

In this paper, we consider one‐dimensional Schrödinger operators Sq on R with a bounded potential q supported on the segment h0,h1 and a singular potential supported at the ends h0, h1. We consider an extension of the operator Sq in L2R defined by the Schrödinger operator Hq=−d2dx2+q and matrix point conditions at the ends h0, h1. By using the spectral parameter power series method, we derive the characteristic equation for calculating the discrete spectra of operator Hq. Moreover, we provide closed‐form expressions for the eigenfunctions and associate functions in the Jordan chain given in the form of power series of the spectral parameter. The validity of our approach is proven in several numerical examples including self‐adjoint and nonself‐adjoint problems involving general point interactions described in terms of δ‐ and δ′‐distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifecycle of a Nabataean and Roman community shrine at Humayma, Jordan reflects the evolving values of the town's inhabitants from the first to the third century CE. This paper reviews the evidence for the shrine's appearance and significance over this period, as well as the nature of the cult practised there. Beginning its existence as a Nabataean shrine, whose design incorporated the rising sun and the town's primary peak, the building was damaged when the Romans converted Nabataea into Provincia Arabia. The Roman garrison initially dismantled the shrine to build their fort, but a few decades later the shrine was restored with a centrally placed Nabataean betyl and legionary altar symbolising harmony between the garrison and the town. The garrison's god, Jupiter‐Ammon‐Serapis, and possibly Isis, were now worshipped alongside the town's Nabataean deity. This shrine stressing military‐civilian harmony was later deliberately damaged, most likely during Zenobia's revolt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of blended learning on the development of clause combining as an aspect of the acquisition of written discourse by Jordanians who are learning English as a foreign language. Sixty participants majoring in English language at the University of Jordan took part in this study. The participants were divided into treatment and control groups, and the experimental design of a pretest and posttest was employed to test the effectiveness of blended learning on the ability of these participants to combine clauses in English using parataxis or subordination through a writing task. The results reveal that the treatment group outperformed their control group counterpart on the posttest in terms of verb morphology, distinguishing between nucleus and subordinate clauses, use of parataxis, use of subordinate clauses for temporal reference and to structure information, among others. The results also show that the use of technological devices improved students' attitudes to learning clause combining and made the learning process easier and more enjoyable. We suggest that blended learning develops the techniques of clause combining by learners of English as a foreign language, which in turn enhances their discourse knowledge in the target language and positively affects their ability to package information. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter Blended learning combines traditional teaching methods with online digital data. This gives students the chance to engage in online discussions or even to conduct research at home, introducing them to new concepts they can later discuss with their teacher inside the classroom.The flipped classroom technique frees up class time for activities, allowing a deeper exploration of content.The essential aim of this technique is to engage students in active learning in which there is more focus on students' applying and practicing conceptual knowledge instead of factual recall.The popularity of this technique has substantially grown as a potential method to improve students' engagement in class, to leverage technology, and to allow for active online learning (e.g., O'Toole & Absalom, 2003; Reasons et al., 2005; Graham, 2006; Adas & Bakir 2013; Al‐Qahtani & Higgins, 2013, among others). What our paper adds to this Although several studies examined the effect of blended learning as a teaching method on the various aspects of second language (L2), few studies examined the effect of blended learning on the acquisition of written discourse by Arabic‐speaking English as a foreign language (EFL) learners.Those few studies (e.g., Adas & Bakir, 2013) tested their students based on a rubric that contained several items, for example, coherence, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.These researchers did not fully explain how the online material they prepared could have affected each item on their rubric.Our study aims to focus on the effect of blended learning on only one aspect of written discourse acquisition, namely, clause combining as measured through syntactic integration and information packaging to determine whether this method can, in fact, have an impact on students' acquisition of written discourse in L2.Blended learning is relatively new in Jordan, and to the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted in Jordan to investigate the effectiveness of this approach on the acquisition of written discourse by Jordanian EFL learners. The implications of study findings for practitioners We propose that blended learning develops EFL learners' techniques of clause combining, which in turn improves discourse knowledge in L2 and positively affects the ability to package information.We found that information packaging may override processing effects as far as clause combining is concerned. The way information is packaged in various cases makes the processing of information more difficult. Thus, we proposed that teachers need to help EFL learners establish a balance between these two factors in order to produce a good piece of writing. Thus, we recommend that more focus should be given to this area by English as a second language/EFL teachers.We proposed that blended learning can help teachers abandon ineffective teaching methods, such as grammar translation and deductive learning, and adopt more effective and modern methods, such as providing online real‐life examples and using inductive approaches to teaching L2 grammar.We recommend that this study be replicated to test the effect of blended learning on the acquisition of other linguistic phenomena such as compounds by Arabic‐speaking EFL learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research exploring the development of postdoctoral nursing research careers in non-Western contexts. This paper reports on a qualitative study of Jordanian graduates of UK PhD programs. Interviews were held with 16 graduates who worked in the nursing faculty of seven different universities in Jordan. Participants reported that their doctoral degree had equipped them with confidence and enthusiasm for developing a research career. Mentorship, leadership, and peer support were identified as essential to supporting ongoing research activity. Access to these sources of support was variable and participants also described a range of institutional and organizational structures that directly or indirectly discouraged them from developing research productivity. This research suggests that support for postdoctoral novice researchers is an important area for further attention - for Jordanian universities, for UK PhD supervisors (and their associated academic departments), and for the wider nursing community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the midst of an unprecedented refugee crisis and the shortfall of aid organization resources, a shift toward utilizing the capacity for collective resilience in refugee communities could be helpful. This paper explores experiences of psychosocial social support among a community of Syrian urban refugees in Jordan, especially the kind of support that helps them deal with secondary stressors. We were specifically interested in the role of shared social identity as a basis of support and the sources of such shared identity. We conducted an 8‐month ethnography that included observations and semistructured interviews with 13 refugees. We found many examples of support among refugees, on both personal and collective levels. Some of this support was based on sharing the identity of “refugee” that stemmed from a sense of common fate. This is similar to the process identified in the literature on disasters. Psychological membership in the refugee group is stigmatic, but it can also lead to positive outcomes in line with the social cure perspective. However, we also found examples of support that were value‐based or based on pre‐existing interpersonal networks. Implications of the findings for models of group processes in stressful situations and the practical question of refugee support are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study is to research the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Jordan, which was one of the first Middle Eastern emerging economies to adopt IFRS. The paper investigates the related factors that pressure and prevent such adoption over time, and illustrates the developmental aspects of such adoption. An interpretive methodology is employed, and perceptions of the study's participants are analysed regarding the adoption of IFRS in Jordan, which is an area that is under researched. Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken to collect Jordanian experts’ perceptions. Based on the empirical data analysis and prior theoretical and empirical literature, an adoption model was developed, which can serve future studies as well. The model illustrates the paradox of accounting changes in emerging economies, in which the actual conditions that pressure IFRS adoption are also the conditions that prevent full adoption. The model also provides an explanation of the implementation process of IFRS in emerging economies at both country and corporation levels. It combines practical features and related theories in an integrative model seeking to explain the phenomenon of IFRS as a new accounting regulation change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Early diagnosis of health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress, which have been recognized as global health issues, is essential for providing psychological support to people who experience negative emotions. Therefore, it is important to identify a reliable method for diagnosing depression, anxiety, and stress. To this end, this study investigated the factor structure and evaluated the psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21) in Jordan. Methods: A university sample of 336 Jordanians completed the Arabic version of the DASS‐21 and several psychopathology measures. Cross‐sectional study and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied to achieve the study's aims. Results: CFA favored the bifactor model compared to the other four models. In contrast, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II) strongly correlated with the DASS‐21, indicating that the DASS‐21 has adequate convergent and divergent validity. Subsequently, the scale's discriminant validity was tested using the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) correlation ratio, which was found to be relatively insufficient. While DASS‐21 showed strong reliability, Cronbach's α and McDonald's omega values ranged between 0.83 and 0.93. Conclusion: The bifactor model best fits the Jordanian sample data. The DASS‐21 has optimum psychometric properties; therefore, it can be used to assess the general distress experienced by the Jordanian community during research investigations and in non‐clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 828-833 Cross-cultural Validation of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™) generic core scale into Arabic Language Background: A range of scales is available to measure health-related quality of life. Recently, established quality of life scales have been translated for use in a wide range of Western and non-Western cultures. One of the most widely used health-related quality of life scales for use with children is the PedsQL™ 4.0. In this paper, we describe the process of translating this scale into Arabic and establishing its reliability and validity. Aim: This paper has three aims: first, to explain the process of translating the PedsQL™ (4.0) self- and proxy-reports for the ages 8-12 and 13-18, from English into Arabic; second, to assess the reliability of the new Arabic version of the scale and third, to assess its validity. Method: The scale was translated from English to Arabic and back-translated to ensure accuracy. The Arabic version was administered to healthy children and those with cancer and a range of chronic illnesses in Jordan. Statistical methods were used to test the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Arabic version of the PedsQL™ (4.0) and its ability to discriminate between children in the above groups. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficients for child self- and parent proxy-reports exceeded 0.7 for the total scores, health summary scores and psychological health summary scores. Testing for discriminant validity showed that the healthy (control) group had a higher health-related quality of life than children and young people with cancer and chronic illness. The children with chronic illnesses had the lowest scores for physical, emotional and school functioning. Conclusion: Initial testing of the Arabic version of the PedsQL™ (4.0) suggests that the scale has satisfactory psychometric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ethical analysis of Jordan's Clinical Research Law, which became effective in 2001, was performed. Accordingly, this paper discusses the major components, key strengths and weaknesses of this law. As an initial effort, the Law addresses important aspects of research ethics and, hence, should serve as an example for other Arab Countries in the Middle East. Unique aspects of the Law include the requirement that those conducting any study have insurance that can compensate for research injuries and a system of fines and punishments for noncompliance with the Law. There are, however, some key items missing in the Jordanian Law. For example, the Law does not mention the requirement of a favourable assessment of risks and benefits, the fair selection of subjects, or articles regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of children and other vulnerable subjects participating in research. The paper concludes with the suggestion that new amendments should be considered for future revisions of the Clinical Research Law in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid expansion of development in Jordan, more water resources are being consumed and, consequently, incremental quantities of wastewater and sewage sludge are being generated from wastewater treatment plants. These quantifies will end up in streams, open ponds or one at the other environmental media, which can cause adverse impacts on human health and the environment. In the mean while, a country like Jordan faces a remarkable shortage of fresh water resources and poor soil. The best way to mitigate the adverse impacts and compensate the water budget and enrich the poor soil is through the proper utilization and management of heated wastewater and sewage sludge in the agricultural sector. One of the main obstacles to this is public rejection of this solution, largely due to lack of Information. The purpose of this paper was to examine the acceptability to the Jordanian farmers of the utilization of reclaimed wastewater and treated sewage sludge in their irrigation activities. The scope of this study considered two potential areas at the northern part of the country, where a representative sample of local farmers were interviewed. The results were very encouraging and positive signs of acceptability were shown at all levels. These results were analyzed and documented and the recommendations are developed at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most distinctive landscape feature at the southern Jordanian site of Humayma is Jebel Qalkha's highest peak, which is split at the top by a wide notch. The Nabataean town of Hawara (Roman Hauarra/Hauara) was built on the plain immediately east of this peak. This paper draws on the site's foundation myth, petroglyphs, betyls and religious and civic structures to illustrate the significance of this notched peak for the site's ancient populations. The evidence suggests that this distinctive peak served as a focus of veneration and a marker of civic identity for Humayma's Nabataean and Roman inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first define a new regular matrix by using the arithmetic function called Jordan totient function and study the matrix domain of this newly introduced matrix in the Banach space ℓp. After computing the dual spaces of this new space, we characterize certain matrix mappings related to this space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessary and sufficient conditions for compactness of a matrix operator between Banach spaces is obtained by utilizing the concept of the Hausdorff measure of noncompactness. This is one of the most interesting application in the theory of sequence spaces. In this paper, the compact operators are characterized on Jordan totient sequence spaces by using the concept of the Hausdorff measure of noncompactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]