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Solid waste (SW) is the result of rapid urbanization and industrialization, and is increasing day by day by the increasing number of population. This thesis paper emphasizes on the prediction of SW generation in the city of Dhaka and finding sustainable pathways for minimizing the gaps in the existing system.

In this paper, the survey of different questionnaires of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) was conducted. The data of SW generation, for few years of each month, in the city of Dhaka were collected to develop a model named Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The ANN model was used for the accurate prediction of SW generation.

At first, by using the ANN model with the one hidden layer and changing the number of neurons of the layer different models were created and tested. Finally, according to R values (training, test, all) the structure with six neurons in the hidden layer was selected as the suitable model. Finally, six gaps were found in the existing system of solid waste management (SWM) in the DSCC. These gaps are the main barrier for the better SWM.

The authors propose that the best model for prediction is 12-6-3, and its training and testing results are given as 0.9972 and 0.80380, respectively. So the resulting prediction is so much close in comparison with actual data. In this paper, the opportunities of those gaps are provided for working properly and the DSCC will find the better result in the aspect of SW problem.

This study aims to understand Bangladeshi young consumers’ perceptions of sustainable apparel. Specifically, through the lens of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study investigates the impacts of man–nature orientation (MNO) and social influences on Bangladeshi young consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable apparel.

Empirical survey-based research was conducted, and data were collected from 387 Bangladeshi college students.

The findings of the study show that MNO significantly influences Bangladeshi young consumers’ attitudes toward purchasing sustainable apparel, which, together with social influences, impacts young Bangladeshi consumers’ intention of making efforts to purchase sustainable apparel.

This study incorporates the specific cultural value – MNO with the traditional TRA model to understand young Bangladeshi consumers’ sustainable apparel purchase intention. The results of this study demonstrate the applicability of the TRA framework in understanding young consumers’ sustainable apparel consumer behavior in the context of Bangladesh, which is a developing country with a collectivistic culture. This study provides insights into how apparel brands and retailers should design their sustainability strategies in developing countries such as Bangladesh.

The purpose of the study is to dive into various binge-watching habits of Netflix users amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers find themselves amidst the COVID-19 lockdown with more free time to indulge in these viewing habits. This study investigates motivational factors, amount of media consumption and negative attributes associated with binge-watching on Netflix during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This study has employed an exploratory research design and obtained primary data via an online survey using a semistructured questionnaire. Convenience sampling has been used to choose a sample (n = 105) of Netflix binge-watchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both sample selection and survey administration have been done through social media messaging services owing to the COVID-19 lockdown measures.

The results indicate that most of the respondents use smartphones for binge-watching on Netflix. Moreover, they have expressed that a wide range of shows available on Netflix incline them to engage in marathon viewing. However, the respondents spend just over 70 h per month binge-watching on Netflix. Finally, the majority of respondents have flagged “one more episode” syndrome as the most challenging aspect of being marathon viewers on Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is one of the few papers to exclusively focus on the impacts of binge-watching on Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings will originate the value with novelty and important implications to the Netflix consumers, telecom service providers and payment gateways.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) respond with a change in their shape against a specific stimulus by memorizing their original shape and are reformed after deformation most often by changing the temperature of the surrounding without additional mechanical efforts. In the coming years, these polymers indeed will be in limelight to manufacture textile materials which will retain their shape even after prolonged use under disturbed conditions. This study aims at defining shape memory materials and polymers as well as their technological characteristics and also highlights application in various fields of textiles.

The methodology used to explain these SMPs have been carried out starting with the discussion on their properties, their physical nature, types, viz., shape memory alloys (SMAs), shape memory ceramics, shape memory hybrid, magnetic shape memory alloy, shape memory composites, shape memory gels and SMP along with properties of each type. Other related details of these polymers, such as their advantages, structure and mechanism, shape memory functionality, thermally responsive SMPs and applications, have been detailed.

It has been observed that the SMPs are very important in the fields of wet and melt-spun fibers to offer novel and functional properties, cotton and wool fabric finishing, to produce SMP films, foams and laminated textiles, water vapor permeable and breathable SMP films, etc.

The field of SMPs is new, and very limited information is available to enable their smooth production and handling.

The purpose of this paper is to deliberate on the establishment of zakat (Islamic alms) on oil and gas in Malaysia. Being one of the five Islamic pillars, zakat contributes significantly to the country’s socio-economic development and prosperity. However, in Malaysia and other Islamic countries, there is not yet a proper mechanism for calculating zakat on extracted minerals. Similar to gold and silver, oil and gas are valuable minerals, which, upon extraction, are subject to zakat payment. In Malaysia, however, this is not the case.

This study uses a qualitative method. It presents a thorough review on the stipulation for paying zakat on minerals, specifically oil and gas. The deliberation is based on secondary data entailing a comprehensive content analysis of prominent books on the subject, current zakat rulings and legal acts on oil and gas.

Oil and gas are subject to zakat payment, as indicated in several Qurʾānic verses and based on the academic reasoning of Muslim scholars. The zakat calculation for oil and gas entails the nisāb (minimum threshold value of the assets) but not the ḥawl (the requirement for one full Islamic year of ownership for the assets), by analogy with zakat on agricultural produce. Despite the obligation to pay zakat on minerals under the zakāt al-māl (alms due on wealth) category, oil and gas is yet to be fully subject to this practice in Malaysia, although the country is known as an oil-producing Muslim country. Several legislative acts covering the managerial and business side of oil and gas operations have long been established, but the provision on zakat remains unclear. Hence, comprehensive legislation is needed to fine-tune the Malaysian oil and gas system, particularly with regard to zakat.

This study relies mainly on secondary data and literature without performing any empirical investigations.

In terms of academic implication, this study enriches the existing body of knowledge on zakat. Practical implications would include enhanced decision-making concerning zakat on oil and gas on the part of zakat institutions, policymakers and the government of Malaysia.

This study provides practical and academic contributions to the deep understanding of zakat on oil and gas, which has received very little attention in the existing body of literature. Despite being limited in literature, this is a breakthrough study that sheds light on zakat on oil and gas.

This study aims to theoretically explore and examine the possibility of developing an Islamic social welfare function (ISWF) within the Islamic moral economy (IME) frame by going beyond the traditional fiqhī approach. It focuses on issues of preference ordering and utility through the normative dimension of Islamic ontology, as expressed and articulated within the IME.

Being a theoretical paper, a conceptual and critical discursive approach is used in this paper.

To establish an ISWF, a narrow juristic approach remains inadequate; there is a need to integrate the substantive morality to complement the juristic approach to achieve the ihsani process as the ultimate individual objective, which makes an ISWF possible. As the scattered debate on the topic concentrates mainly on the juristic approach, the main contribution of this study is to present a model in which juristic and moralist positions endogenized and augmented to constitute ISWF.

As there is a limited amount of research available on the subject matter, this paper will be an important theoretical contribution. In addition, this study develops an IME approach rather than fiqh-based approach used in the available research, which makes it novel.

The purpose of this paper is to identify social entrepreneurship dimensions that emphasize the specific personal characteristics of social entrepreneurs (SPCSE) and social entrepreneurship organization (SEO) among students in higher education institutions who are active participants of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program in Malaysia.

Quantitative approaches and instruments were used to analyze the profile of social entrepreneurship in this cross-sectional survey study, which involved 394 active SIFE students in Malaysia in 2011. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data and describe the SIFE student's SPCSE and SEO.

The social entrepreneurship of the SIFE students was high, with a dominant SEO. However, the dimensions of SPCSE need to be applied effectively to the students involved, whose social entrepreneurship was merely moderate. There was a strong positive relationship between SPCSE and SEO of SIFE students, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.73.

It is recommended that further longitudinal research be conducted to assess the depth of the impact of social entrepreneurship on SIFE students. In this manner, more useful information related to the impact can be leveraged to improve the pattern of the social entrepreneurship program.

The SIFE participants’ social entrepreneurship profile can be used by the Ministry of Higher Education in formulating social entrepreneurship policy for higher education institutions. The Malaysia SIFE Foundation and the administrators of higher education institutions should encourage more university students to participate in SIFE program to increase the number of social entrepreneurs who will help solve social, economic, and environmental problems.

There has been no discussions of the social entrepreneurship programs in Malaysia. This paper attempts to fill the current gap.

This study aims to investigate the effects of incorporating seaweed composite flour on soft roll dough rheological characteristics and quality.

In this study, wheat flour was substituted with seaweed powder obtained from red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) at varying proportions (100:0; 99:1; 98:2; 97:3; 96:4; 95:5, 94:6, 93:7 and 92:8) and applied in soft roll production. The effects of seaweed composite flour were evaluated in terms of rheological characteristics, proximate composition and physical properties. The sensory characteristics of the soft rolls was evaluated by 40 untrained panellists by using a hedonic scale.

Farinograph analysis of the soft roll doughs showed that the incorporation of seaweed powder promoted an increase in water absorption, development time and mixing tolerance index, whereas it decreased stability time. Analysis of the proximate composition of the soft rolls showed that protein and carbohydrate contents decreased, but moisture, ash and crude fibre contents substantially increased. Dietary fibre increased with the increase in the proportion of seaweed powder added. The specific volume, bulk density and firmness of the soft rolls ranged from 3.01 to 5.48 cm³/g, 0.18 to 0.33 g/cm³ and 1.86 to 20.63 N, respectively. Sensory evaluation results showed that the mean score of sensory attributes decreased as the proportion of seaweed powder added was increased in the formulations. With regard to the overall acceptability, the panellists preferred the soft rolls with the least amount of seaweed powder added. The results of hedonic tests revealed that the panellists' acceptance decreased as higher amounts seaweed powder were added in the formulations.

This study showed that the seaweed powder of K. alvarezii can be utilised as an ingredient to improve the nutrient composition of baked products.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in Bangladesh’s healthcare sector. It identifies healthcare quality conformance, patient satisfaction and loyalty based on demographics such as gender, age and marital status. It examines the differences between public and private healthcare sectors regarding service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty.

The authors distributed 450 self-administered questionnaires to hospital patients resulting in 204 useful responses (45.3 per cent response rate). Data were analysed based on reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA and discriminant analysis using SPSS version 23.

Findings indicate that single patients perceive tangibles, reliability, empathy and loyalty higher compared to married patients. Young patients (⩽20 years) have a higher tangibles, empathy and loyalty scores compared to other age groups. The authors observed that private hospital patients perceive healthcare service quality performance higher compared to patients in public hospitals.

The authors focussed solely on the Bangladesh health sector, so the results might not be applicable to other countries.

The findings provide guidelines for enhancing service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in the Bangladesh healthcare sector and other countries.