Digital Commons Network^™

Parametric Study On The Plastic Hinge Length Of Precast Concrete Columns With Grouted Sleeve Connections, Rizky Tri Amalia, Harun Alrasyid

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The use of precast concrete structures with grouted sleeve (GS) connections has gained significant traction in the acceleration of bridge construction. The plastic hinge length (Lp) is a critical parameter for assessing the seismic performance and deformation capacity of such structural members. The previous study has proposed empirical equations for Lp in monolithic columns; however, a comprehensive understanding of the influential parameters on Lp in precast concrete columns with GS connections remains limited. This study presents a detailed parametric investigation to evaluate the effects of key design parameters on the plastic hinge length of a precast concrete columns with GS …

Dynamic And Statistical Analysis Of A Three-Phase Induction Motor Under Stator Resistance And Rotor Inertia Variations Using Matlab/Simulink, Ayodeji Joseph Akinremi, Ignatius Kema Okakwu, Ayodeji Akinsoji Okubanjo

Engineering and Technology Journal

Three-phase induction motors are widely used in industrial applications, and they are the backbone and driving force of modern manufacturing and production lines, owing to their robustness, reliability, and low maintenance requirements. However, variations in machine parameters such as electrical or mechanical parameters caused by thermal effects, machine lifespan or tolerances, operational conditions, or aging could significantly affect dynamic performance. This study examined the effects of varying stator resistance and rotor inertia using dynamic and statistical investigation of a three-phase induction motor in MATLAB/Simulink, analysed in the stationary reference frame. The dynamic performance was evaluated based on peak starting current, …

Characterization Of Natural And Synthetic Fiber-Reinforced Composites For Sport Prosthetic Feet Applications, Daniah F. Abbas, Jawad K. Oleiwi, Qahtan A. Hamad

Engineering and Technology Journal

Sports prosthetic feet reinforced with natural and synthetic fibers offer a promising solution for developing lightweight, cost-effective, and sustainable biomedical components. In this study, epoxy-based composite laminates reinforced with Hemp, Sisal, and Bamboo fibers were fabricated for potential sports prosthetic foot applications. Different reinforcement configurations (3, 6, 9, and 12 plies) were investigated, while hybrid laminates were produced by incorporating three carbon fiber layers to enhance overall performance. The fabricated composites were evaluated in terms of density, water absorption, fiber volume fraction, hardness, and microstructural characteristics using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The results demonstrated that increasing the number of reinforcement …

Experimental Investigation Of Seismic Bending Moment Amplification In Pile Groups Embedded In Layered Clay, Hind Nadhum Al Salami, Saad F. A. Al-Wakil, Ahmed Majeed Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

This study experimentally investigates the seismic bending-moment response of a five-pile group embedded in layered cohesive soil comprising soft clay overlying stiff clay. A series of 1-g shaking-table tests was conducted using a 0.8 × 0.6 × 0.84 m laminar shear box and a 1:50-scale physical model to examine the effects of seismic intensity, pile spacing, pile position, and soil condition. Two excitation levels (0.10g and 0.47g), two pile spacings (3D and 5D), and homogeneous and layered clay profiles were investigated. The results showed that increasing the excitation intensity generally increased the bending-moment response, with the magnitude of the increase …

From Data To Decision-Making: The Role Of Local Digital Twins In Cross-Domain Management Within Municipalities – A Research-In-Progress Study In Veenendaal, Diana M.E. Boekman, Koen Smit, Guido Ongena, Rob Peters

Communications of the IIMA

Municipalities are facing increasingly complex, interconnected challenges in areas like housing, climate adaptation, mobility, and social policy. Local Digital Twins (LDTs) are seen as a promising tool to make this complexity more understandable and support decision-making. At the same time, both literature and practice show that few initiatives get past the pilot phase, even though getting through that phase is essential for successful long-term adoption.

This paper presents a research-in-progress study on the development and application of an implementation method for LDT technology within the municipality of Veenendaal, based on human values rather than driven by technological possibilities. Based on …

Progress Without Consent: Ai Deployment And The Democratic Legitimacy Gap, Engin Obucic, Ekrem Nurovic, Mersid Poturak

Communications of the IIMA

Drawing upon critical and technology studies, this conceptual provocation introduces the concept of “Progress without Consent”, referring to the introduction of AI technological innovation into society without collective societal deliberation, legitimacy and consent. The paper problematises the introduction of structurally transformative AI technology into society, the strategy of depolitisation of this technology, robotic automation of society without social mandate, and the manner in which technological innovation moves faster than democratic institutions can process its implications on societal structures. Ultimately, the authors argue, the development and deployment of AI does not belong to isolated labs and the private sphere of technological …

Designing Classifact: Towards A Transparent And Secure Platform For Stakeholder-In-The-Loop Data Annotation, Philippine Waisvisz

Communications of the IIMA

AI systems depend on human judgment, yet many annotation workflows are either designed for data-science specialists or managed through external commercial platforms. The first approach may demand more technical skills than relevant stakeholders possess. The second can require organizations to transfer data, expertise, and governance to an outside provider. Both can limit the involvement of people who understand what data means in its real-world context. Human-in-the-loop approaches introduce human judgment. Stakeholder-in-the-loop annotation focuses on selecting and organizing people whose contextual knowledge fits the AI application.

This paper presents Classifact, a transparent and secure platform for stakeholder-in-the-loop data annotation and validation. …

A Novel Entropy Based Maintainability Measurement Algorithm For Java Source Code., Remi M. Yusuf Mr, Md Shadab Mashuk, Julian Bass

Communications of the IIMA

Software metrics play a central role in assessing and managing the quality of software systems providing quantitative insights into attributes such as complexity, reliability, rigidity, modifiability and maintainability. Among these, maintainability is particularly critical, as it directly influences the ease of system evolution, long-term sustainability, and overall cost effectiveness. Despite the widespread use of metric-based maintainability measurement algorithms, capturing a value that reflects the maintainability situation of software source code remains a challenging task, especially in the presence of design deficiencies such as code smells. To measure changes in maintainability, this study experimentaly characterises the relationship between code smells and …

Which Cultural Values Influence The Success Of Process Implementations Within Sme Service Oriented Organizations In The Netherlands?, Dennis Monkel, Benny De Waal, Pascal Ravesteijn

Communications of the IIMA

Digitalization has shifted Business Process Management (BPM) from a technical discipline toward a stronger emphasis on culture, behaviour and organizational knowledge. Yet little is known about which cultural values support process implementation in SMEs. This study examines how BPM culture influences process implementation success in Dutch service-oriented SMEs, drawing on six values: customer orientation, excellence, responsibility, teamwork, innovation, and results orientation. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted across four SMEs, based on thirteen semi-structured interviews and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). While implementation success was assessed through employee acceptance, actual use and structural embedding. The findings show that …

Crisis, Reform, And Remittances: A Corridor Level Mixed Methods Examination Of Gcc–Nepal–Sri Lanka (2019–2024), Rubhesh Jha, Aloma Jayasundera

Arab Economic and Business Journal

This study examines how institutions in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Nepal, and Sri Lanka affect migrant earnings, remittance stability, the choice of transfer channels, and the use of remittances for development. This study uses a mixed‑methods approach that integrates institutional mapping, policy tracing, comparative case studies, and quantitative analysis of remittance flows (2019–2024). Migration corridors with stronger institutions are associated with fewer wage disruptions, more stable remittances, and greater use of formal transfer channels, conditional on the observed macroeconomic factors. This study introduces a corridor-level three-pillar institutional framework linking destination wage protection systems (WPS), origin recruitment/welfare, and financial infrastructure …

Beyond Alternative Finance: A Multi-Case Study Of Relational Validation In The Moroccan Crowdfunding Ecosystem Through Signaling And Social Capital Theories, Lamya Bouziani, Jalal Azegagh

Arab Economic and Business Journal

This study examines how Moroccan entrepreneurs use crowdfunding as an alternative source of finance in a context characterized by limited access to traditional funding. Based on a qualitative multi-case design, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with ten entrepreneurs from different sectors and regions in Morocco. The study mobilizes Signaling Theory and Social Capital Theory to explore how entrepreneurs build trust and legitimacy throughout the crowdfunding process. The findings show that crowdfunding is perceived not only as a financing mechanism, but also as a way to overcome banking constraints and institutional limitations. Entrepreneurs rely on personal networks, storytelling, transparency, and …

The Role Of Financial Decision-Making Methods In Achieving Financial Performance, Kifah Sami Hussein

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This research provides a comprehensive study of the role of financial decision-making methods in improving the financial performance of organizations, focusing on the strategic importance of various financial tools in supporting the process. The study aims to explore how the quality of financial decisions affects key performance indicators of organizations, highlighting the positive relationship between effective financial decision-making and achieving optimal financial results. The research also addresses the various factors that influence the effectiveness of financial decisions, including analytical tools, predictive models, and high-quality accounting information.
The research methodology relies on integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in a comprehensive manner, …

Re-Evaluating Seagrass Ecosystem Services: Integrating Community Gleaning And Cultural Values Into Economic Valuation In Selayar Island, Indonesia, Hendriyadi Bahtiar Daeng Sila, Rohani Ambo-Rappe, Mahatma Lanuru, Sebastian C.A. Ferse

Forest and Society

Dominant marine conservation and blue economy paradigms systematically prioritize biophysical metrics, such as biodiversity or carbon sequestration, frequently rendering the cultural and subsistence values of coastal communities invisible. This study contests these biophysically-centered frameworks by applying a holistic valuation approach to seagrass meadows at the Selayar Archipelago, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Utilizing the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) framework as an instrument for recognition of cultural values, we applied participatory methodologies to evaluate the relational values embedded in traditional gleaning—the small-scale, intertidal harvesting of marine invertebrates (a'sulo/ngatti-ngatti). The findings reveal a socio-economic and cultural reality …

Stress-Driven Two-Phase Nonlocal Model For Nanobars Embedded In Elastic Substrates With Surface Effects, Suchart Limkatanyu, Worathep Sae-Long, Piti Sukontasukkul, Amorn Pimanmas, Preeda Chaimahawan

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

This paper develops a nonlocal bar–substrate medium model to study the axial (longitudinal) response of nanobars embedded in an elastic foundation. Small-scale behavior is represented through a two-phase mixture, stress-driven, nonlocal integral formulation. To reflect the surrounding medium and surface-related size effects, the Winkler foundation and the Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity framework are incorporated, respectively. The local bar–substrate governing differential equilibrium equation (GDEE) and associated boundary conditions (BCs) are first obtained via the virtual displacement principle, and the resulting local formulation is then generalized to the nonlocal setting using the adopted two-phase mixture model. The proposed framework is assessed through three …

Mechanics-Guided Ann Prediction Of Laminated Composite Beam Response, Fadi Alfaqs, Jamil Haddad

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

This study develops a mechanics-guided surrogate framework for the harmonic response of a simply supported, eight-ply Graphite/Epoxy beam. A shear-deformation formulation provides the physical interpretation, three-dimensional ANSYS models using SOLID186 elements supply the numerical responses, and feedforward neural networks approximate mid-span deflection, maximum axial normal stress and maximum interlaminar shear stress. The applied 1000 N load is evaluated through a 1–500 Hz excitation-frequency sweep; the forcing frequency is independent of the beam's natural frequencies. Each response dataset contains 1800 finite-element records covering 300 frequencies and six fibre orientations. Twenty L-BFGS bootstrap networks with two 10-neuron hidden layers were fitted per …

Instagram Marketing And Purchase Intentions In Malaysian Fashion Startups: The Mediating Role Of Online Consumer Engagement And Price Agreeableness, Chang Hao Han, Nelson Zee Yang Wong, Hoong Tat Teh

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

This study looks into how social media marketing campaigns run by Malaysian fashion startups on Instagram affect online consumer engagement, purchase intentions, and consumers' agreeableness toward the prices set by these brands. We conceptualized social media marketing campaigns as a second-order construct with four key dimensions： sharing, interactivity, popularity, and personalization. Consumer engagement, meanwhile, was captured through three behavioral dimensions: consuming, contributing, and co-creating brand-related content. Methodologically, we employed a quantitative single-method design. Data were gathered via an English-language online questionnaire, distributed from October 2023 to February 2024 to Malaysian Instagram users who followed fashion startup brands. After screening and …

The Role Of Financial Inclusion In The Quality Of Financial Decisions: A Descriptive And Analytical Study Of A Sample Of Startups In Iraq, Inam Abass Hamidi

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This research examines the role of financial inclusion in improving the quality of financial decisions for individuals and institutions in emerging and developing economies. The research focuses on how the availability of accessible formal financial services enhances the ability to make informed and rational financial decisions. The scope of the study includes examining the relationship between access to formal financial services and positive financial behavior, as the literature shows that individuals with higher levels of financial inclusion are more likely to engage in positive financial behaviors such as regular saving and responsible investing (Musa et al., 2025).  The research aims …

Latent Profile Analysis Of Physical And Cognitive Leisure Activity Level Among Chinese Middle-Aged And Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Zhenying Liang, Pankaew Tantirattanakulchai, Nuchanad Hounnaklang

Journal of Health Research

Background: The global aging trend has accelerated. This study tried to identify the factors related to different patterns of physical and cognitive leisure activities among Chinese middle-aged and older adults.

Method: Latent Profile Analysis was conducted to classify 12,480 participants aged 45 and above, followed by logistic regression to understand associations between activity profiles and related factors.

Results: Physical activity (n = 2,269) and cognitive leisure activity groups (n = 10,211) were identified according to their different levels of physical activity and cognitive leisure activity engagement. Middle-aged individuals (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.29–1.56), rural residents (aOR = 1.38, 95% …

Libs-Based Detection And Preliminary Classification Of Microplastic Signatures In Soil Samples., Ekhlas Jabir Mahmood

Al-Bahir

Contamination of terrestrial systems by microplastics (MPs) has become a critical environmental hazard, but detection of such contaminants in a complex soil system is a challenge for conventional analytical techniques. This research aims to assess the potential of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection and differentiation of different types of microplastics, including HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, and PVC, dispersed in the soil of Al Najaf, Iraq. Soil samples were collected from different functional zones, namely, Industrial, Commercial, Agricultural, Residential, and Roadside, at the surface level and 30 cm depth. Detection was done by measuring the intensity of the C/H …

A Transformer-Based Approach With Data Augmentation For Multilabel Emotional Context Detection, Mohsin Hasan Hussein, Marem H. Abdulabas, Azha Talal Mohammed Ali, Homam Aziz Ghazi

Al-Bahir

Emotion identification in texts is becoming increasingly difficult because of the wide variety of ways emotions are represented. This study uses a fine-tuned Robustly Optimized Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers Approach

(RoBERTa) to offer a Transformer-based model for identifying multilabel emotional context in textual data. To balance emotion categories and enhance the model's capacity for generalization, data augmentation is applied on two different datasets: Semantic Evaluation and Cross-lingual Emotion Dataset (SemEval and XED) English corpus. This stage is considered one of the most important steps in preprocessing as it greatly helps to improve the results. The RoBERTa model was then …

Review Of: A Research Agenda For Religious Tourism, By Kiran A. Shinde & Joseph M. Cheer (Eds.), Lucrezia Lopez, Laura Augello

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Review of: A Research Agenda for Religious Tourism, by Kiran A. Shinde & Joseph M. Cheer (Eds.)

Review by Lucrezia Lopez ([email protected]), University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, & Laura Augello ([email protected]; [email protected]), University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain & University ‘Gabriele d’Annunzio’ of Chieti-Pescara, Italy.

Spiritual Wanderings In ‘The Garden Of The Virgin Mary’ - Mount Athos, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, Polyxeni Moira, Kyriakos Tselegidis

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious-cultural tourism is a form of alternative tourism associated with trips taken by individual travellers or organised groups to areas, sites or monuments with a strong religious character. Simultaneously, pilgrimage is manifested in these places as the totality of activities carried out by individuals or groups in areas, spaces, sites, and monuments of religious significance, with the predominant motivation being spiritual ascent from earth to heaven, i.e., communication with the Divine, fulfilling vows, or substantial participation in religious ceremonies and events (as part of one’s religion). A significant site with intense visitation and a large number of pilgrims is the …

Religious Night Tourism During Ramadan In Mashhad, Iran: Lived Experiences Of Pilgrims, Neda Zarandian, Razieh Rabani, Daniel H. Olsen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran, is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations in the Islamic world, attracting millions of visitors annually to the Imam Reza Shrine (The eighth Imam of Shia Muslims). During Ramadan, the city transforms into a vibrant spiritual and social space where nocturnal religious practices and social gatherings shape distinctive emotional and temporal experiences for both pilgrims and tourists. Understanding these lived nighttime experiences is essential for developing culturally sensitive and spiritually meaningful tourism approaches. Despite the growing attention to religious tourism, the temporal, emotional, and sensory dimensions of night tourism in pilgrimage contexts remain unexplored. …

The Effect Of Religious Belief On Spiritual Tourism Intention: A Case Study Of Vietnamese Tourists To Thailand, Huong Thi Quynh Nguyen, Ngan Thi Huyen Nguyen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this paper, religious belief was integrated into the Goal-Directed Behaviour Model, to clarify the behaviour of tourists towards spiritual tourism. Data from 516 Vietnamese tourists visiting Thailand was used for PLS-SEM analysis. The research results indicated positive relationships of religious belief to the original elements of the MGB, including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, emotion, and spiritual tourism intention. Desire was shown to be a key predictor of intention, mediating the effects of attitude, subjective norm, behavioural control, and emotion on the tourists’ intention to engage in spiritual tourism.

Lgbtq+ People On The Camino De Santiago, Xose Santos, . Wisulanbou

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In the many published works on the Camino de Santiago, LGBTQ+ people have never been considered as an subject of study. The widespread idea that the Camino is for everyone serves to invisibilise this group of people. The problems and accusations we have had to face in our fieldwork are proof of how uncomfortable it is for some persons to talk about gender, sexuality and non-heteronormative identities on the Camino. Regardless of the variety of motivations for pilgrimage to Santiago, religion continues to have a very strong presence on this itinerary which generates tensions with sexualities, especially those that are …

Religious Tourism And Local Development In Rural Areas: Analysis Of The Social And Economic Impact Of Holy Week Celebrations In Osuna, Spain, Elena Garcia-De-Soto-Camacho, Miguel A. Garcia-Gordillo Dr., Antonio Montaño-Valle, Carlos Chavarría-Ortiz, Rosa María Vaca-Acosta

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study explores the role of religious tourism in promoting rural development through the case of Holy Week in Osuna, Spain. By applying a quantitative methodology with fieldwork conducted during the 2022 celebration, the research analyses the social and economic impacts derived from the influx of visitors. The study segments tourists based on their motivations, demographic profiles, levels of satisfaction, spending behaviour, and future intentions. Through cluster analysis, three distinct visitor profiles were identified, reflecting varying degrees of religious and cultural interest. The findings confirm that Holy Week tourism generates significant economic benefits for the locality through direct, indirect, and …

Possible Contestation Between Pilgrimage And Tourism: A Spatial Analysis Of The Shrine Of Shahjalal, Zarin Tasnim Rashid

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper aims to examine the contestation between pilgrimage and tourism by conducting a spatial analysis on the shrine of Shahjalal, a prominent pilgrimage site in Bangladesh. It analyses particular components of this site through the lens of Kim Knott’s (2009) concept of a spatial approach based on four essential characteristics that connect a location to the larger whole of space. This paper followed a qualitative research method and more specifically content analysis. Being a prominent pilgrimage site in Bangladesh, the Shrine of Shahjalal, turns into a centre of contestation due to the presence of tourists and other existing stakeholders. …

Religious Visitors’ Spiritual Values And Their Relative Importance: Evidence From Chinese Buddhist Tourism Contexts, Zhiqing Wang, Keji Huang, Jiankang Zhang, Yunyun Fan, Ge Zhang

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Spiritual values are affected by diverse factors with different roles and influence daily life in various ways. Using Mount Jiuhua and Mount Putuo, two mountains in Mainland China with great importance in Buddhism, as examples, this study explores the specific dimensions of religious visitors’ spiritual values. Through a survey study, five factors of these spiritual values were extracted and their relative importance was measured. The identified factors were transcendence, general connectedness, inner balance, positive life direction and special religious feelings. According to factor importance analysis, these spiritual values can be categorised into three levels: fundamental, reflective and surpassing. This study …

Hajj Pilgrimage And Spatial Behaviour In Sacred Space, Zuhriddin Juraev, Young-Jin Ahn, Ji-Yeong Gu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the behavioural and spatial dynamics of the Hajj pilgrimage through the conceptual lens of behavioural geography, focusing on how sacred space, ritual choreography, and communal experiences shape religious engagement. Centred on the Kaaba and surrounding pilgrimage sites, this study explores how ritual practices such as Tawaf, Sa’i, and standing at Arafat construct immersive and affective experiences for pilgrims. Drawing on an interpretive analysis of visual and textual sources, the study argues that sacred space operates not only as a physical setting but also as a symbolic framework that mediates spiritual transformation and social cohesion. It also highlights …

Exploring Challenges For Relationship Marketing Based On Vertical Partnerships Among Smes For Developing Spiritual Tourism: A Case Of Kartarpu, Farooq Haq, Mohit Vij, Naveed Yasin, Amitabh Upadhya

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Spiritual tourism has evolved as a growing segment of special-interest tourism, attracting increasing attention from both public and private sectors. While government agencies are primarily responsible for infrastructure development at spiritual sites, the private sector plays a crucial role is delivering products and services that enhance the visitor experience. Although collaboration between these stakeholders is vital, the role of relationship marketing, particularly through vertical partnerships, remains underexplored in the context of spiritual tourism. This study addresses this gap by examining vertical partnerships as a relationship marketing strategy at Kartarpur, a prominent Sikh pilgrimage site. Employing a case-study approach, the research …