5324 research outputs found
Sort by
Determinants of the voluntary formation of a company audit committee : evidence from Palestine
No full textDrawing on agency theory, this paper investigates the determinants of voluntary audit committee (AC) formation among non-bank firms listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange (PSE). We used the annual reports of nearly all non-bank companies listed on the PSE as well as the company guides issued by the PSE for the period between 2010 and 2012. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influence of a set of corporate governance mechanisms, ownership structures and company characteristics on the voluntary formation of ACs among non-bank Palestinian firms. The result of the analysis demonstrated that the AC is influenced by foreign ownership, institutional ownership, board diligence and external auditor type. This paper adds to the limited AC literature in Middle Eastern countries in general and in the Arab World in particular. This paper not only examines the determinants of the voluntary formation of ACs but also attempts to theorise about this formation
Birth of the Arab Citizen & the Changing of the Middle East
No full textThis chapter examines the symbolic interactions between Palestinian social and political movements and Arab protest movements. It also seeks to show the influence of the Arab revolts on the reconfiguration of social movements in the west bank, the Gaza strip, and their transnational connection. Likewise it examines political and social issues, different modes of mobilization, and symbolic practices by Palestinian activists. While some might argue that these youth groups’ views are the result of old parties and ideologies of political organizations, their actions, this study demonstrates, are independent of any direct political affiliation with specific parties, while they maintain a presence within the resistance movement.
The chapter deals primarily with the Palestinian youth movement, whether Islamist or leftist, providing a new political map in the form of new political movements and their associations, especially as a result of the mobilization of 2011 and 2012. It begins with a brief historical analysis of the role these movements played in Palestinian society, examining first the conditions of their emergence and then their sociological context It then explores the dominant groups of actors within these organizations, and how they behaved. In doing so, it shows the novel modes of communication used, especially in new virtual media, to influence public opinion. Finally, the author explores the literature produced by these movements, including leaflets and flyers, which Elucidates their political aims, visions, and demands. The information presented here is based on direct observation or testimonies of participants in the new movements. The author relies on interviews with activists, as well as on direct observations
A novel process design for enhanced biogas production from poultry manure using a solar water heating system.
No full textThis paper analysis the enhancement of biogas production from poultry manure using a small scale anaerobic digester assisted by a solar water heating system in a Palestinian poultry farm. The farm, located in Ramallah district, with a total area of 140 m2 and accommodating around 1800 birds every 50 days produces annually about 6.57 tons (18 kg/day). An anaerobic digester with a design volume of 0.5 m3 and a working capacity of a 0.3 m3 was fed by poultry manure (total solids: 20%, C:N ratio: 32:1) in a continuous mode. A solar water heating system circulated water within the digester to enhance the anaerobic digestion process. The daily biogas yield ranged from 80 to 300 L and the methane content of the biogas ranged between 46% and 66%. As substitute to natural gas, the biogas with heat generated of 777 MJ was directly used for on farm heating purposes during the study period. Digester monitoring during the winter period revealed that biogas production rate increased by 33% and the temperature increased by 50% by using solar system. The fresh anaerobically digested slurry showed a nutrient rich fertilizer (NPK ratio of 1:1.3:1.3). Solar drying tank enhanced the removal of fecal pathogens (F. streptococcus) up to 3 log10. The economic profitability is expected to increase, making the capital investment worthwhile to farmers as of free-cost feed.This research study was funded by Birzeit University. Lab analysis for biogas composition by the staff at the Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan is acknowledged
عرب ما قبل الدعوة : بين نقد العقل العربي و نقد نقد العقل العربي
No full textمقال صدر في مجلة : الفكر العربي المعاصر، ربيع 2015، السنة 35، عدد 168يتناول كل من الجابري والطرابيشي ما يدعوانه بالعقل العربي، محاولا تحديد خصائصه، مدعما رأيه بالتحاليل و البيانات، معتمدا فيما يعتمد على ما جاء من لغة انتهجها عرب ما قبل الدعوة الإسلامية، فبينما يرى الجابري ان لغة عرب ما قبل الدعوة هي لغة حسية و ليست تاريخية ، يرى طرابيشي بان لغة عرب ما قبل الدعوة طورا من أطوار حركة تاريخ اللغة ، وإذا لم تكن اللغة العربية لغة عقل قبل الدعوة، فقد تحولت لتكون كذلك بعد الدعو
Cell envelope virulence genes among field strains of brucella melitensis isolated in West Bank part of Palestine
No full textElena,Awwad:
Mohammad,Farraj:Clinical Laboratory
Kamel,Adwan:An-Najah National UniversityDespite the conjunctival vaccination program against Brucellosis in Palestine for more than 15 years, brucellosis continues to be
a big problem concern, with increased incidence widely noted. Brucella melitensis is a facultative intracellular bacterium that
replicates within macrophages. Recent reports showed that certain cell envelope associated genes of the B. melitensis is
associated with its environmental stress adaptation and intracellular survival. Identification and characterization of these genes
are essential to implementing efficient disease control and prevention systems. The aim of this study is to identify the cell
envelope virulence associated genes of B. melitensis strains in Palestine. A total of 80 non-repetitive B. melitensis isolates were
obtained from milk samples collected from infected small ruminants in the northern districts of the West Bank, Palestine during
2013 and 2015. The milk were cultured on Brucella agar (Oxoid) then incubated at 37ͼC for 3 to7 days. Positive cultures were
identified by standard biochemical methods and confirmed by IS711 and Rev 1 rpsL gene PCR. All samples were negative for
vaccine strain Rev 1 rpsL gene-PCR. The 80 B. melitensis under investigation were tested by multiplex PCR for 19 cell envelope
virulence associated genes. Interestingly, our results revealed that all the 80 isolates were positive for the following genes: lpsB,
lpsA rfbD, wbpL, pgm omp19, omp25, omp10, mgtA, uppS, amiC and dacF, while the other genes: wbdA, wbpZ, pmm, wbkA,
perA, manB and wpbW were detected in more than 95% of the isolates
Mobile application testing in industrial contexts : an exploratory multiple case-study
No full textRecent empirical studies in the area of mobile application testing indicate the need for specific testing techniques and
methods for mobile applications. This is due to mobile applications being significantly different than traditional web and desktop
applications, particularly in terms of the physical constraints of mobile devices and the very different features of their operating
systems. Nonetheless, very few of the existing studies are based on a thorough investigation and understanding of real-world
software development teams in an industrial contexts. Therefore, we were motivated to conduct the study reported herein: a multiple
case-study approach involving four software development companies in the area of mobile and smartphones application. We aimed
to identify testing techniques currently being applied by developers and challenges that they are facing. Our principle results are that
many industrial teams seem to lack sufficient knowledge on how to test mobile applications, particularly in the areas of mobile
application life-cycle conformance, context-awareness, and integration testing. We also found that there is no formal testing approach
or methodology that can facilitate the development team to systematically test a critical mobile applicatio
مساهمة قسم الانشطة في تفعيل الرياضة المدرسية في محافظة رام الله من وجهة نظر معلمي التربية الرياضية
No full textهدفت الدراسة للتعرف إلى مساهمة قسم الأنشطة في تفعيل الرياضة المدرسية، في محافظة رام الله، من وجهة نظر معلمي التربية الرياضية. كما هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة الاختلاف في مساهمة قسم الأنشطة في تفعيل الرياضة المدرسية في محافظة رام ً اهلل من وجهة نظر معلمي التربية الرياضية، تبعا لمتغيرات ) العمر، المؤهل العلمي، نوع المدرسة، الجنس (؛ و لتحقيق ذلك قام الباحثان بإعداد استبانة مكونة من )37 )فقرة موزعة على ست مجالات هي : التخطيط للبطولات،إدارة البطولات، تنفيذ البطولات، الحوافز، الإمكانات، وتجهيز المنتخبات . و تكونت عينة الدراسة من )76) ً معلما ومعلمة من مدارس مديرية تربية رام الله . وعوجلت باستخدام المتوسطات والانحرافات المعيارية، وتحليل التباين الأحادي واختبار )ت( مجموعتين مستقلتين للمقارنة بين المتوسطات .و أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن مساهمة قسم الأنشطة في تفعيل الرياضة المدرسية في محافظة رام االله من وجهة نظر المعلمين جاءت متوسطة على مجالي التخطيط وإدارة البطولات الرياضية، وبدرجة قليلة على مجالات ) تنفيذ البطولات ، الحوافز ، الإمكانات ، و جهيز ً المنتخبات(.بينما أشارت النتائج إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية تبعا لمتغيرات العمر والمؤهل العلمي ، كما كانت نتائج الدراسة غير دالة على متغير الجنس على جميع مجالات الدراسة، ما عدا مجال إدارة البطولات ، و قد أشارت نتائج الدراسة الى وجود ً فرق ذات دلالة إحصائية تبعا لمتغير لنوع للمدرسة و لصالح المدارس الحكومية. وأوصي الباحثان بعدة توصيات أهمها ضرورة تأمني الإمكانات المادية للفرق المدرسية و إشراك المعلمين في تخطيط و إدارة البطولات و تنفيذها و العمل على تحفيز المعلمين
