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The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, math, geology, astronomy and engineering. The paper highlights the struggles and successes of these scientists, as well as the cultural, social and political factors that influenced their lives and work. The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and make their own contributions to society by presenting these scientists as role models for hard work and dedication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to promote the importance of science and its impact on society.

The purpose of this review is to present the scientific biographies of Egypt's most distinguished scientists, primarily in the field of Natural Sciences, in a balanced and comprehensive manner. The work is objective, honest and abstract, avoiding any bias or exaggeration. The author provides a clear and concise methodology, including a brief introduction to the scientist and their field of study, an explanation of their major contributions, the impact of their work on society, any challenges or obstacles faced during their career and their lasting legacy. The aim is to showcase the important achievements of these scientists, their impact on their respective fields and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers.

The group of outstanding scientists in 20th century Egypt were shaped by various factors, including familial upbringing, education, society, political and cultural atmosphere and state support for scientific research. These scientists made significant contributions to various academic disciplines, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering. Their impact on their communities and cultures has received international acclaim, making them role models for future generations of scientists and researchers. The history of these scientists highlights the importance of educational investments and supporting scientific research to foster innovation and social progress. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals, preserving Egypt's scientific heritage and honouring the scientists' outstanding accomplishments.

The encyclopedia preserves Egypt's scientific heritage, which has been overlooked for political or other reasons. It is a useful tool for a variety of readers, including students, instructors and education professionals, and it offers insights into universally relevant scientific success factors as well as scientific research methodologies. The encyclopedia honours the outstanding scientific accomplishments of Egyptian researchers and their contributions to the world's scientific community.

The practical implications of this paper are several. First, it highlights the importance of education, family upbringing and societal support for scientific research in fostering innovation and social progress. Second, it underscores the need for continued funding and support for scientific research to maintain and build upon the accomplishments of past generations of scientists. Third, it encourages young people to pursue scientific careers and make their own contributions to society. Fourth, it preserves the scientific heritage of Egypt and honors the contributions of its outstanding scientists. Finally, it serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals seeking to understand the factors underlying scientific success and research methodologies.

The social implications of the paper include promoting national pride and cultural identity, raising awareness of the importance of education and scientific research in driving social progress, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers, reducing socioeconomic disparities and emphasizing the role of society, politics and culture in shaping scientific researchers' personalities and interests.

The paper's originality/value lies in its comprehensive documentation of the scientific biographies of Egypt's most prominent scientists in the 20th century, providing unique insights into the factors that contributed to their development and their impact across various academic disciplines. It preserves Egypt's scientific heritage and inspires future generations of scientists and researchers through the promotion of educational investments and scientific research. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for education professionals seeking to understand scientific success factors and research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for scientific development.

This study aims to look at challenges that hinder small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from using open data (OD). The research gaps identified are then used to propose a next generation of OD platform (ODP+).

This study proposes a more effective platform for SMEs called ODP+. A proof of concept was implemented by using modern techniques and technologies, with a pilot conducted among selected SMEs and government employees to test the approach’s viability.

The findings identify current OD platforms generally, and in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, they encounter several difficulties, including that the data sets are complex to understand and determine their potential for reuse. The application of big data analytics in mitigating the identified challenges is demonstrated through the artefacts that have been developed.

This paper discusses several challenges that must be addressed to ensure that OD is accessible, helpful and of high quality in the future when planning and implementing OD initiatives.

The proposed ODP+ integrates social network data, SME data sets and government databases. It will give SMEs a platform for combining data from government agencies, third parties and social networks to carry out complex analytical scenarios or build the needed application using artificial intelligence.

The findings promote the potential future utilisation of OD and suggest ways to give users access to knowledge and features.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study provides extensive research about OD in Qatar or GCC. Further, the proposed ODP+ is a new platform that allows SMEs to run natural language data analytics queries.

While the Noble Quran dictates the prohibition of interest, conventional banks promote Islamic banking by opening Islamic banking windows. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the perceived gaps between managers and clients in Islamic marketing and banking, focusing on conventional banks’ Islamic banking windows.

Guided by a qualitative approach, semi-structured personal interviews and observations served as the data collection methods, involving 25 banks and 50 respondents in 3 different districts, namely, Shirajganj, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj of Bangladesh from January to October 2023. The data were analysed using ATLAS.ti 2023 to explore codes and quotations derived from 14 interview questions. Further, ATLAS.ti 2023 facilitated synthesizing content, concepts, code occurrence, network analysis and thematic analysis.

Islamic and non-Islamic banks use Quranic verses, hadiths (prophetic traditions), images of mosques, the Kaaba and Arabic texts as Islamic marketing tools. These spiritual, divine and prescriptive tools are associated with Islamic banking. However, conventional banks receive criticism for having separate Islamic banking windows to serve religiously conscious clients, which generates tension among clients and bank managers.

The findings can theoretically assist academics in examining conventional banks’ Islamic marketing and banking practices, opening Islamic banking windows. Importantly, Shariah boards can play policy roles in safeguarding the function of Islamic marketing and banking. Managers can use the findings to anticipate client perceptions and enhance Islamic marketing and banking strategies. Likewise, the social implications include the explicit stance of Shariah to mitigate the mixture of halal and haram banking.

This pioneering study explores the perspectives of Islamic banking windows by non-Islamic banks. The combination of Islamic marketing and banking is a noteworthy novelty in this study and deserves recognition for its unique contribution to halal marketing and finance.

The major objective of this research work was to evaluate various physico-chemical characteristics, such as, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, objective color and texture profile analysis (TPA) of the wheat flour/chickpea flour (CF) blends, so that nutritious baked products could be consumed by the type-2 diabetic persons.

Wholegrain wheat flour (WGF) and white wheat flour (WWF) were substituted with CF at 0 to 40% levels. These wheat flour/CF blends were analyzed for proximate composition, the prepared dough and baked breads were tested for objective color, antioxidant capacity as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total phenolic content (TPC) and TPA.

WGF had the highest TEAC (117.42 mM/100g) value, followed by WWF (73.98 mM/100g) and CF (60.67 mM/100g). TEAC, MDA and TPC values varied significantly among all the three flour samples.

Inclusion of whole chickpea (without dehulling) flour in such type of blends would be another interesting investigation during the future research studies.

These research findings have a great potential for the production of these baked products for human consumption on an industrial scale.

Production of breads using wheat flour and CF blends would benefits the consumers.

Production of Arabic and pan breads using wheat flour and CF blends would, therefore, combine the benefits of both the needed proteins of plant origin and the health-promoting bioactive compounds, in a most sustainable way for the consumers.

Drawing on new insights from the perspectives and experiences of board members, the purpose of this study is to determine the board attributes that influence board roles in improving the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) into corporate governance structures. In total, 10 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with directors of listed Jordanian companies to explore their perceptions of the effect of board of directors' composition on CSR and CSR disclosure (CSRD). The key findings show that boards with a diverse range of directors is essential independent/nonexecutive members, directors with business and/or accounting backgrounds, and foreign members to determine if they aim to better manage their CSR. To take CSR to the next level in the Arab region, we need to strengthen corporate governance mechanisms, and put more pressures on companies to make changes in board composition. For example, we suggest that companies that appoint business-educated and foreign members to their boards tend to engage in more impactful social and environmental-related activities and reflect their sustainable development more effectively. The study responds to calls for further research adopting qualitative methods, such as case studies and interviews in order to obtain a complete and in-depth understanding of the influence of board composition on CSR/CSRD. The findings provide useful insights for practice, policymakers, and future research.

This paper has analysed the impact of cultural dimensions, investor sentiment and uncertainty on bank stock returns. Also, the study examined the influences of the interaction between cultural dimensions and individual (private) sentiment (investor sentiment).

To meet the study's objectives, a two-step generalised method of moments estimator was applied to the study sample, which included 105 banks in the nine Middle East and North African region countries between 2010 and 2020.

The cultural dimensions of individualism and masculinity were found to have a positive and significant effect on banks' buy and hold stock return (BUH). At the same time, power distance and uncertainty avoidance were discovered to have negative effects. Besides, the findings revealed that the interactions of power distance, individual sentiment and uncertainty avoidance had positive and significant relationships with banks' BUH. However, individualism, individual sentiment and masculinity had inverse relationships with banks' BUH. Furthermore, the findings revealed that investor sentiment positively influenced banks' BUH. Finally, uncertainty influenced banks' BUH stock returns positively.

Important implications for participants in the financial sector and governments may be learnt from this study's conclusions. Due to cultural biases, this study's findings suggested that investors overreact in the stock market.

Additionally, this research comprises one of the few studies that have overviewed the link between classical and behavioural finance in MENA countries with distinctive cultural characteristics.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of nurses’ competencies while providing care to COVID-19 patients.

A descriptive, correlational design was used to collect data from nurses who were providing care to COVID-19 patients at four public hospitals.

A total of 377 nurses (64.5% females) aged 23–50 consented to participate and completed the survey. The mean score of nurses’ competencies in providing care to COVID-19 patients was 2.5 (SD = 0.81). The results of correlation coefficient tests disclosed a significant positive correlation between reported competence level and sex r_pb (377) = 0.18, p < 0.01; working area r_pb (377) = 0.2, p < 0.01; disaster experience r_pb (377) = 0.16, p < 0.01; disaster education r_pb (377) = 0.25, p < 0.01; and disaster training r_pb (377) = 0.31, p < 0.01.

The COVID-19 pandemic response heavily relied on nurses. However, they had a gap in clinical competencies that indicates an urgent need to incorporate disaster management courses in basic nursing education and to update training in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their capabilities in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in providing care to COVID-19.

Improving the quality of madrasah in the digital era is a must. This can be committed by strengthening aspects of madrasah governance through implementing management strategies that refer more to the integration of technology and Islamic education. This research focuses on madrasah management strategies through the Madrasah Reform program.

This research uses a case study research design that focuses attention on strategic aspects of developing madrasah through the Madrasah Reform program. The informants in this study were 18 people consisting of three madrasah heads from Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) and Madrasah Aliyah (MA), five teachers and 10 students. Data collection in this study used in-depth and semi-structured interviews with madrasah heads and teachers regarding the implementation of the Madrasah Reform program and also regarding madrasah management strategies at three levels of education.

This study shows that the strategy of managing madrasahs through the Madrasah Reform program in three madrasahs in Indonesia has had a positive impact on improving the quality of madrasahs, although there are still aspects that require development.

This research implies that the quality of madrasah in the digital era is determined by management strategies based on the use of educational technology.

This program has implications for the development of the quality of human resources in educational institutions, especially in relation to digital literacy among students and teaching staff. The use of digital technology, which is one of the main projections of the Madrasah Reform program, is continuously able to change the face of education in a more modern direction, both in terms of governance and the learning process, so that the output of this program, especially what occurs at Madrasah Madani, is significant development in the aspects of digital literacy and technology. Which is the main criterion in facing a digital-based educational context.

For a policy aspect, the success of the Madrasah Reform program at Madrasah Madani can be used as a blueprint or model for implementing this program in Islamic educational institutions, specifically Madrasas in South Sulawesi and in general at Madrasas throughout Indonesia.

This proves that Madrasah Reform program is a program that can be implemented in madrasahs to improve the quality of madrasah management in the digital era while continuing to carry out simultaneous improvements and evaluations of the program.

Though Murabaha financing experienced substantial growth in several majority-Muslim countries, its market share in the Moroccan banking industry is still very narrow than other conventional banks’ instruments. The current research investigated the ability of an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework to explain the main drivers of attitude and intention to use Murabaha financing among Moroccan households. The moderating effect of Islamic religiosity was also scrutinized.

Data were collected via a survey of 512 Moroccan consumers and analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique.

First, attitude toward Islamic banking products is a key predictor of consumer intention to use Murabaha financing. At the same time, consumers’ attitudes are influenced by Islamic financial literacy, subjective norms, behavioral control and profit and loss sharing. Islamic religiosity was also found to positively moderate the link between attitudes towards Islamic banking (IB) and intention to use Murabaha financing, e.g. positive attitudes toward IB are more likely to convert into an intention to use Murabaha financing among Muslim consumers with higher levels of religiosity.

To boost consumers’ intention to use Murabaha financing, Islamic bank managers should consider further investment in advertising to enhance consumers’ awareness about IB products. Islamic banks should also consider digital and social media marketing to increase consumers’ awareness about the products and spread a positive e-WOM with regards to their products. Our findings emphasize the importance of Islamic religiosity in shaping Muslim consumers’ intentions to use Murabaha financing. Islamic banks ought to make sure that Murabaha financing contracts are strictly adherent to and compliant with Shari’ah principles. They should also train their frontline employees on Islamic financing activities so that they can effectively respond to the queries and questions of Murabaha potential consumers.

The study findings contribute to the IB literature by demystifying the key factors shaping Muslim consumers’ intentions to use Murabaha financing. The study also extends the literature by emphasizing Islamic religiosity as a basis for Muslim consumers’ behavior in the context of IB. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to empirically investigate Muslim consumers’ intention to use Murabaha financing in North Africa and the Arab countries.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2022-0680

This study aims to uncover apple preference and consumption in Indonesia, to disclose the risk of non-halal contamination of apples and the importance of maintaining the halal integrity of apples along the supply chain and to uncover the impacts of food miles of apples along supply chain segmentation.

This study adopted mixed research methods under a fully mixed sequential dominant status design (QUAN → qual). Data were collected through a survey in some Indonesian provinces (N = 396 respondents). Samples were collected randomly from individual consumers. The qualitative data were collected through interviews with 15 apple traders in Indonesia. Data were analysed using crosstab, chi-square and descriptive analysis.

First, Muslim consumers believe in the risk of chemical treatment of apples because it can affect the halal status of apples. Second, Indonesian consumers consider the importance of halal certification of chemical-treated apples and the additives for apple treatments. Third, the insignificance of domestic apple preference contributes to longer food miles at the first- and middle-mile stages (preference for imported apples). Fourth, apple consumption and shopping distance contribute to the longer food miles problem at the last-mile stage. Fifth, longer food miles have negative impacts, such as emissions and pollution, food loss and waste, food insecurity, financial loss, slow development of the local economy and food unsafety.

This research has implications for the governments, farmers, consumers (society) and business sectors.

This study proposes a framework of food miles under a halal supply chain (halal food miles) to reduce the risk of food miles and improve halal integrity. The findings from this research have theoretical implications for the development of the food mile theory, halal food supply chain and green supply chain.