Engineering Commons^™

Monetary Condition Index And Its Relation With Other Macroeconomic Variables: An Empirical Study In Selected Mena Countries, Jinan Jihad Kassem

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This article aims to construct a monetary condition index (MCI) for five countries in the MENA region, namely Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, in order to interpret the stance of monetary policy in these countries. A broad MCI has been constructed by combining two transmission channels of monetary policy, the real interest rate and the real effective exchange rate, along with bank credit to the private sector. These three indicators of the monetary conditions are collected for these countries over the period 1995–2020 for all countries except for Bahrain, which has data from 1995 to 2015. Principal component analysis …

Examining Elevation Opening Ratio And Space Proportions In Lebanese Schools, Chirine Traboulsi, Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The academic performance and outcomes of students are significantly impacted by the architecture of educational institutions. When designing learning spaces, two important considerations are the size of the room and the elevation opening percentage that describe how much daylight enters the space through windows. Previous studies showed that these factors have an important effect on student learning performance. This study explores the link between elevation opening percentage and space proportions in educational institutions. In order to assess daylight dispersal in a classroom in Lebanon that faced north—the direction required for the nation's best solar exposure—a quantitative approach utilizing modelling software …

The Influence Of Environmental Tax And Technology On Different Air Pollution Emissions In Oecd Countries, Malak Ali Assaf

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Although countries continuously employ taxation and technological measures to control air pollution in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the results of these practices should be evaluated to determine whether they reach their intended outcomes. This study used panel autoregressive distributed lag model to establish how environmental taxes and technology affects the emission of air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, Carbon dioxide, and particulate matter 2.5). Using secondary data present in the OECD Database and The World Bank, EViews panel was derived to create 3 model in which each of the three variables would be sufficiently explained by environmental tax, abatement …

Evidence On The Impact Of Corruption On Economic Growth: A Systematic Literature Review, Nour Mohamad Fayad

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The relationship between corruption and economic growth is complex and has been extensively studied. Till recent days it is still one of the most genuine political challenges that all countries face. Even though anti-corruption measures have improved, they still lack consistency and clarity. Accordingly, this paper reviews the extant literature on this issue, by examining 66 research papers on the impact of corruption on economic growth. The study was aided by analysis of the theme Corruption and economic growth identified in the present literature. Impact of Corruption on economic growth has been tested in multiple studies utilizing time series, panel, …

A Novel Specialized Search Engine For Ai-Models And Their Comparison, Imane Haidar, Ziad Doughan, Ali M. Haidar Prof.

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

In recent years, the world of AI has tremendously increased in size and depth. Both new and old researchers are facing the problem of fast emerging AI researches, models and services. One needs to continuously read complete papers to understand the idea behind any novel research. This work presents a novel AI service that removes the burdens of long text reading and uncategorized search. It consists of a website that categorizes all the AI researches in a well-designed database. The users just have to select the models they are interested in, and the website will return a table containing the …

Discussing Different Images Of Pharmaceutical Company, Roula Afif Bou Assi, Ola Bazaza

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Every organization is a complex, non-linear, and dynamic system. Gareth Morgan discussed eight different metaphors where they can be useful devices to create mental images to clarify and interpret our organizations. These eight metaphors are: machine, organism, brain, culture, political, flux and transformation, psychic prisons and instruments of domination. This combination of metaphors helps us understand our organization, analyze the structure, the leadership style (NAGY, December 2014). In this paper I will discuss the different metaphors of a pharmaceutical company (X). It is a growing pharmaceutical company, where reading and analyzing the different metaphors will definitely help them to prepare …

Studying Changes And Addressing The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Restaurants, Nael Mohamed Nabil Alsarrag

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Several everyday activities were majorly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting these activities to become safe for people to perform and become "covid-friendly" required many studies. Dining out in restaurants was one of the major activities that were affected by this pandemic. Permanently or partially closed, restaurants adapted quickly to sidewalk pickups, and excessive delivery demand, and accordingly, their menus and even the staffing were shortened. Several months later, the foodservice industry was one of the first to move a step forward against coronavirus and positively adapt by coming up with creative and innovative ways to be able to re-open …

Architectural Representations Of Human Rights, El-Bastawissi Y. Ibtihal, Youssef Maged

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The United Nations defines the Human Rights as the rights of all human beings, regardless of race, gender, language, religion, nationality, or any other status. These rights include all claims to live freely, to educate and work in equality, and to inhabit humanistic urban and architectural spaces. Throughout the history of architecture, civilisations have generated different perspectives towards respecting the human rights. Temples of Ancient Egyptian Architecture crushed the human scale to introduce religious experiences to their visitors. Tibetan temples over mountains enforced people to make anti-humanistic journeys to reach them. After thousands of years, the mega-scale palaces and cathedrals …

Partial Systems' Analysis Of Traffic Noise Reduction In Tarik Al Jadidah, Beirut, Ibtihal Y. El-Bastawissi, Nour El Baba, Shireen Khalil, Nour El Hage, Rouba Joumblat, Franz Gatzweiler

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Traffic noise is considered one of the main pollutants in an urban space and has multiple side effects regarding the physical and mental health of the human being. Tarik Al Jadidah, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Beirut City- Lebanon, is selected as urban area for a project-based initiative and the focal point of different studies in BAU Urban Lab. The area suffers from various urban problems, but prominently traffic noise that highly damages the urban residents' quality of life due to its high levels of traffic noise that surpasses the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

BAU Urban …

Evaluation Of Root-End Resection With Conventional And Ultrasonic Methods: A Single-Blind, Randomized In-Vitro Study, Mohammad Al Shammaa, Roula S. Abiad, Nayer Abo Elsaad

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The root-end resection is considered critical endodontic surgical procedure. Three millimeters of the root tip is resected and root-end cavity with parallel walls and comparable depth is cut to receive a root-end filling. The literature discussed dentinal cracks after root canal instrumentation and/or root dentine cutting. The aim of the present study was to assess cracks at root ends after resection with conventional versus ultrasonic techniques. Material and Methodology: Thirty-two extracted human lower premolar teeth with single root were used. Their root canals were prepared and received gutta-percha. Sixteen roots Group 1 were resected using tungsten carbide fissure burs, while …

The Feasibility Of Using A Phenomenological Approach To Explicate The Experience Of Being-In-Community: Experience Of Reviving The Marine Heritage In Bahrain, Islam Hamdy Elghonaimy, Layal Tahsine Ahmed Channaa

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The strategic location of Bahrain and its wealthy marine and coastal environment were the main drivers for the country’s flourishment before the discovery of oil. For a long time, Bahrain has functioned as a pioneer maritime trade center and represented a significant trade transit route between the east and west that transfers the affluent marine productions. This mainly formed an eminent cultural heritage for the country reflected within its inveterate maritime history and the authentic bond between the Bahraini grandparents and the sea. Unfortunately, along with the life evolution, this bond became weak and the biodiversity of the country’s marine …

The Role Of Theme Parks In Creating Sustainable Development, Islam Hamdy Elghonaimy, Salma Alsaeed

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Theme parks offer various types of entertainment that compete in both local and international markets. They include attractions, rides, arcade games, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Over the years, the industry has been growing due to the increasing tourism rates. Designing a project like an indoor theme park would increase tourism rates, leading to a boost in the country’s economic status. The success of a theme park depends highly on the demand and user’s selection of the theme. The setting and location also play a vital role in the success of the park. The purpose of this research is to introduce …

Extensive Descriptive Literature Review Revealing The Impact Of Banking Secrecy On Money Laundering: Prominence On The Lebanese Banking Sector, Nour Mohamad Fayad, Sara Karam Nassredine

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Worldwide financial institutions face complexity in balancing between business ethical standards on one hand, and the act of competitiveness on the other hand. Thus, while selecting their customers they seek customers that lead them to the optimum position of competitiveness in the market, taking into consideration the act of financial investigation to avoid money launderer customers. Money launderer customers seek to deal with financial institutions to proceed with operating their financial crimes. Therefore, this paper spots the light on “money laundering” alongside with the impact of banking secrecy on money laundering with prominence on the Lebanese banking sector. Thus, in …

Maintaining Root Canal Curvatures After Preparation With Different Nickel-Titanium Rotary Systems (A Comparative In Vitro Study), Wael Betbout, Mohammad Al Shammaa, Roula S. Abiad

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The ongoing advancement of materials and methods for root canal instrumentation is resulting in improved techniques with minimal variations to the canal morphology. One standard for assessment of the shaping quality of curved root canals is preparation-induced straightening of the canal. The aim of the study: To compare the effects of 2 Nickel-Titanium rotary systems, 2Shape (Micro-Mega, Besançon, France) and ProTaper Next (Dentsply,Sirona, Ballaigues, Switzerland), on maintaining the distobuccal canals curvature of extracted human maxillary molar teeth using periapical radiographs. Materials and methods: In this study a total of 26 distobuccal roots of upper maxillary molars were used and divided …

Establishing A New Restoration Strategy To Use Nanomaterials In Reviving Damaged Buildings Post-Disaster, Khouloud Walid Darwiche

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Nanotechnologies are a new solution of many problems of contemporary society, by creating products and processes for more specific uses with less environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The use of new technology such Nanotechnology in the restoration of damaged buildings post-disaster will be a contemporary solution to achieve sustainable development. After the explosion of Port of Beirut in August 4, 2020, it is necessary to search a new technology that restore and retrofit damaged buildings and in the other hand, to achieve the architectural quality, comfort and energy saving, in addition to its impact on energy consumption rates, its …

Use Of Biomimicry Design Approach In Constructing Sustainable Resilient Structures (Case Study: Port Of Beirut), Farouk Bader, Marwan Halabi, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Resiliency is not the same as sustainability, nor its substitute, but definitely the two concepts complement each other’s. Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance whereas resiliency is to recover, adapt and keep going in the face of setbacks. While designing with green approach is important but what will happen to leed points if the building becomes uninhabitable due to disasters, that’s where resiliency comes into play. The 2019 statistics showed that natural disasters accounted for 133 billion dollars losses and manmade ones accounted for other 7 billion in addition to 11,755 people worldwide …

Optimised Retrofit Strategies For Energy Reduction And Comfort In Dwellings For Future Climate Scenario In Southeast England, Bahaa El Dine Abou El Khoudoud

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This paper aims to find an optimum retrofit scheme utilising adaptation and mitigation techniques to a Sub-urban English old house, for an inevitable future climate change. It seeks its aims by investigating the energy performance, as well as the summertime comfort of old dwellings in current and future weather predictions. Studies shows that pre-1990 building stock represents one of the least energy-efficient, as these houses were built before the introduction of building envelope directives in building regulation. Specifically, uninsulated semi-detached houses of the inter-war period can potentially be an essential target for retrofits to reach the 2030 carbon emission goal. …

Comparison Between Nano-Hydroxyapatite And Cpp-Acpf In Remineralizing Early Carious Lesions (In Vitro Study), Raneem Saudi, Mohamed A. Ibrahim

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Poor oral hygiene, bacteria and orthodontic appliances mainly lead to early demineralized lesions where early detection and diagnosis of the lesion is a must so that it can be assessed and cured with the least invasive treatment. The objective was to evaluate the effect of nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (CPP-ACPF) on early demineralized enamel using DIAGNOdent pen and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Materials and methods: A total of 60 enamel specimens were divided into four groups (n=15), where Group A: experimental; treated with nano-HA tooth paste, Group B: self-control for group A, Group C: experimental; …

Antecedents Of Career Development Success: Insights Into 10 Years Of Research, Sara Karam Nassredine, Nasser Fathi Easa

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This paper intends to review a flow of previous literature on the antecedents of career development success over ten years, from 2008 to 2018. A systematic literature review has been employed to extract the constitution of literature. A total of 41 relevant articles have been extracted from 16 different top ranked journals. Drawing on the literature, a conceptual model is provided as a clear depiction of what has been studied. Specifically, dependent, independents, mediators, and moderators variables are determined. The systematic literature review identifies six main themes; leadership, organizational and individual commitment, talent management, human resources management practices, career management …

Guidelines For Sustainable Construction Methods To Build Over Difficult Topographies, Israa R. Fadel, Marwan Halabi, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Sustainable construction development is a recent term that is required to create an eco-friendly built environment using renewable and recyclable resources and to reduce energy consumption and waste within protecting the natural environment. This term means such an improvement that pleases the current requirements without limitation of the prospect of sustaining requirements in future. Many problems face builders while executing projects, especially these projects were decided to be built over difficult topographies, such as rivers, falls, inclinations, caves, ridges, cliffs, and mountains. Construction challenges to build a project over a difficult topography are diverse starting by executing piles, retaining walls, …

The Reflection Of Effective Interactive Graphic Design, George Nader Naguib Morcos

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Graphic design has a rich history as a creative practice, which connects different design elements to build effective message. It combines typography and visual elements like Illustrations or photos to create a visual message, graphic design is considered as an important branch in the modern communication technology. Graphic design nowadays has becoming more advanced and moves from the static phase to the dynamic phase which includes unlimited technologies like virtual reality, 3D motion and interactivity, which becomes one of the important factors that affects the successes of the visual communication or the message that has to be sent via the …

Effect Of Different Visible Light Curing Systems On The Color Stability Of Resin Cements, Mohamed A. Ibrahim, Ehab A. Farghaly, Sherine B.Y. Badr

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The present study aimed to compare the color stability of zirconia cemented veneers, using self-etch adhesive cement after curing with various systems and aging process. Materials and methods: A total of 27 veneers zirconia samples were cemented using resin cement on 27 labially prepared extracted anterior teeth to reach a flat surface, and classified into three groups according to the light curing units (LCU); Group I (Cured with Polywave Ivoclar Bluephase style LCU), Group II (Cured with Polywave Woodpecker iLED LCU), Group III (Cured with Monowave 3M Elipar LCU). Results: Monowave LCU exhibited significantly higher color changes than the polywave …

Re-Interpretation Of City’S Radial Expansion In The Developing Countries Through Green Affordable Housingcase Study: Greater Sour Southern Expansion Axis, Lebanon, Maged Youssef, Aya Dikmak

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The footprint of the city is at major risk. Cities are growing out in a fast and unplanned way thus increasing ground stress, both environmentally and economically. When the population increases, the suburbs are exposed to an amorphous expansion, which leads to a modification in the form and content of the city’s periphery. Greater Sour is one of the coastal cities in Lebanon that passed through major phases of expansion over time and has the potential for major future growth. This growth is resulting in a radial-shaped structure located along the major roads linking the city to the surrounding towns. …

Monitoring Participatory Approaches In Mediterranean Waterfront Developments (El Mina, Lebanon; Alexandria, Egypt; And Antalya, Turkey), Sima El-Cheikh, Mary Felix, Nabil Mohareb, Ibtihal Y. El-Bastawissi

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Public participation is an important tool for communities to influence development decisions for public spaces in general and waterfronts in particular. In coastal cities, waterfronts are an important touristic attraction and are affected by social and economic issues. Users’ activities and responsiveness to waterfront projects are affected by the development types and methods. This study is part of ongoing research aiming to evaluate the participatory approach methods in the waterfronts of Mediterranean cities. It examines three coastal cities that have developed differently based on sustainable development studies. This study is a top–down approach that investigates the applied phases and methods …

Clinical And Radiographic Evaluation Of Periodontal Infrabony Defects Treated With Chitosan In Periodontitis Patients, Nayer Aboelsaad, Roula Abiad

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Chitosan is a naturally derived polymer that has been investigated for its uses as a biomaterial for drug delivery and anti-inflammatory. Recently, chitosan applications in bone regeneration has gained distinct interest. The aim of this study was to. evaluate clinically and radiographically the healing of the periodontal infra-bony defects using chitosan gel in periodontitis patients .Material & methods: Twenty periodontitis patients with bilateral infrabony defects having stage II and Stage III periodontitis were selected according to the criteria of AAP (2017) classification system of periodontal diseases and conditions. Using split mouth design, 20 defects were treated using chitosan gel; while …

The Digital Fabrication Lab Contribution To The Sustainable Development Goals: Exploring Waste Materials And Fabrication Techniques, Marwan Halabi

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The SDGs, commonly known as Sustainable Development Goals, unveil the shortcomings and deficiencies of the building sector facing of the challenges of the planet. Unfortunately, the news is not positive since the objectives established by the United Nations General Assembly should be reached by 2030. From the 17 goals and 169 targets, a case study was developed in order to test its effectiveness against SDG 9, which deals with Infrastructure, Innovation and Industry. In this sense, technology should play a significant role in the mapping criteria against the objective and its targets. Therefore, an overview of the potential digital tools …

Knowledge Sharing And Innovation At The Lebanese Banking Industry, Sherine Al Ahmad, Nasser Fathi Easa, Nehale Mostapha

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Knowledge is considered the main critical resource for competitive advantage. By encouraging a knowledge‐sharing culture within service settings such as banks, the quality of service is enhanced and the opportunities for innovation is created. This research seeks to test the relationship between knowledge sharing (KS) and innovation. A quantitative and explanatory analysis was done by using Structural equations modeling (SEM) to investigate the effect of KS on process and product innovation. Research data were collected through a survey method. The sample result was determined through a probability stratified sampling technique of about 310 employees at 27 banks in Lebanon. The …

A Legal Perspective On Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr), Tala Zein, Sarah Zein

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Recent years have been marked by a remarkable decline in trust and confidence in the economy as well as in the business community, as a growing number of economic scandals are being reported by observers and whistleblowers. The need for better governance and higher ethical standards has become a focal issue for governments, regulators, supervisors and business actors themselves. In this context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has come to play an increasingly important role in business and corporate regulation, paving the way for ethical business practices, as the concept of corporate social responsibility encompasses key components of economic growth, social …

Reiterpreting The Territory-Fragmentation Through Creating Cultural Promenadecase Study: Possibility To Reinterpret Zokak El-Blat District, Maged Youssef, Sarah Abou Shahine

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

"This paper focuses on tools and actions of urban planning that help the creation, enhancement, transformation or revitalization of cultural identity and historical meaning of central public spaces that suffer from urban disruption or fragmentation. This work uses the case study of a well-known district, Zokak el Blat, in Beirut, Lebanon, which has undergone noticeable changes in terms of morphology of the urban fabric as well as disparities in functionality. According to these facts, this district has a high potential for defining a strong central dynamic zone, where local character is reinforced, which creates a sort of fragmentation and discontinuity …

Towards A Creative Sustainable Promenade In Informal Souk Architecturecase Study: Mar Elias Camps, In Beirut, Lebanon, Maged Youssef, Farah Mefleh

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Informal settlement and slums are from the past decades growing continuously with urbanization, where informal souk or small market propagate informally in slums. Mainly the informal settlement is defined as residential areas where a group of housing has been constructed on land to which the occupants have an illegal claim. These informal settlement maintain few shops in unorganized way which influence the economic conditions. There are also the lack of open spaces where small alleys are mainly allocated in these informal urban fabric. The main aim is to provide a new applicable and better living condition, by providing new retails …