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The aims of this paper is to study the effects of the V/III ratio of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) quantum wells (QWs) on the structural, optical and electrical properties of near-ultraviolet light-emitting diode (NUV-LED).

InGaN-based NUV-LED is successfully grown on the c-plane patterned sapphire substrate at atmospheric pressure using metal organic chemical vapor deposition.

The indium composition and thickness of InGaN QWs increased as the V/III ratio increased from 20871 to 11824, according to high-resolution X-ray diffraction. The V/III ratio was also found to have an important effect on the surface morphology of the InGaN QWs and thus the surface morphology of the subsequent layers. Apart from that, the electroluminescence measurement revealed that the V/III ratio had a major impact on the light output power (LOP) and the emission peak wavelength of the NUV-LED. The LOP increased by up to 53% at 100 mA, and the emission peak wavelength of the NUV-LED changed to a longer wavelength as the V/III ratio decreased from 20871 to 11824.

This study discovered a relation between the V/III ratio and the properties of QWs, which resulted in the LOP enhancement of the NUV-LED. High TMIn flow rates, which produced a low V/III ratio, contribute to the increased LOP of NUV-LED.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and transition metal (Tm)-doped ZnO using Tm elements from silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) by a first-principles study based on density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the pseudo-potential plane wave in CASTEP computer code.

The calculations based on the generalized gradient approximation for Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof for solids with Hubbard U (GGA-PBEsol+U) were performed by applying Hubbard corrections U_d = 5 eV for Zn 3d state, U_p = 9 eV for O 2p state, U_d = 6 eV for Ag 4d state and U_d = 9.5 eV for Cu 3d state. The crystal structure used in this calculation was hexagonal wurtzite ZnO with a space group of P63mc and supercell 2 × 2 × 2.

The total energy was calculated to determine the best position for Ag and Cu dopants. The band structures and density of states show that Tm-doped ZnO has a lower bandgaps value than pure ZnO because of impurity energy levels from Ag 4d and Cu 3d states. In addition, Ag-doped ZnO exhibits a remarkable enhancement in visible light absorption over pure ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO because of its lower energy region and extended wavelength spectrum.

The results of this paper are important for the basic understanding of the 3d and 4d Tm doping effect ZnO and have a wide range of applications in designing high-efficiency energy harvesting solar cells.

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.

The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

One challenge when launching new banking services is to overcome resistance to change so as to accelerate market acceptance. This is the case of Islamic credit card (ICC). In response, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework that combines the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) with religious obligation and customer awareness to explain behavior intention and usage behavior of ICC.

To test the conceptual model, the data are collected from 649 bank customers in Malaysia, and the structural equation modeling technique is used to test the forecasting model.

The study results support some relationships of IDT and TRA, such as relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, observability, attitude and also the customer awareness as a stronger predictor of intention of ICC.

To the author’s knowledge, there have not been any attempt to develop a conceptual model for identifying the factors that influence the adoption of ICC by integrating IDT and TRA and other added measures. Therefore, this study adds to the body of knowledge regarding ICC adoption studies by extending the IDT in this domain and integrating it with TRA as two well-established models in the area of acceptance and usage behavior studies.

The study aims to examine the difference of financial-based brand equity of Sharia-compliant and non-Sharia-compliant companies listed in the stock market.

The five-year data were collected from 561 companies listed in the Indonesian stock market (349 Sharia-compliant firms and 212 non-Sharia-compliant firms).

Based on five years of observations, the study shows that Sharia-compliant companies have much higher brand equity than companies that are not Sharia-compliant. However, the study did not find consistent results when the study examined the differences between brand equity in newly listed Sharia-compliant firms in the short run (two-quarters of the observations). In other words, Sharia-compliant status positively impacted a company’s brand equity only in the long run.

The study examines only the brand equity of Sharia- and non-Sharia-compliant companies in the Indonesian stock market.

The study suggests that companies should list their equity in the Islamic stock market as the empirical evidence shows that the companies listed in the Sharia index have much higher brand equity than companies listed in the non-Sharia index, although this impact can only be seen in the long run.

The study integrates finance and marketing perspectives, which are often disconnected in daily business. In addition, the study provides a piece of empirical evidence on the effect of financial decision to be listed in the Islamic stock market on the establishment of brand equity, which represents the long-term intangible assets of the firm in the eyes of the customers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption of cloud computing as a digital technology by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and assess its impact on sustainability of such enterprises.

A model was developed that featured factors influencing SMEs sustainability. Primary quantitative data was gathered using a survey as an instrument. Total set of n = 387 responses were gathered using a convenience sampling method.

Findings reveal that cost reduction, ease of use, reliability and sharing and collaboration factors have significant statistical impacts on SMEs sustainability, whereas privacy and security factor has no significant statistical on SMEs sustainability.

The study poses significant implications on managers and SME development authority to create an inductive environment for technological support for SMEs’ sustainability.

The study enhances SMEs’ performance and sustainability by upgrading their existing information and communications technology as a digital infrastructure and benefiting from novel IT-based cloud revolution. Several studies have provided an understanding of the use of cloud computing services in SMEs but lack enough information about the challenges and impact on SMEs sustainability.

This study aims to find out the problems of family Takaful (Islamic Life Insurance) operations in Bangladesh and proposes strategies to overcome the problems.

Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 32 respondents from two family Takaful operators in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The study finds a number of problems of family Takaful which relate to the government, Takaful company and the Shariah board. Lack of governing guidelines for Takaful companies in Bangladesh is causing numerous operational problems of family Takaful. To overcome these obstacles, the government should propose separate Act for Takaful. This requires support from the stakeholders along with Islamic scholars in the country.

It is anticipated that the findings and suggestions of the study will assist the policymakers in improving the situation of family Takaful companies particularly in Bangladesh.

If the proposed suggestions are implemented in Takaful companies, the problems facing Takaful will likely be solved and more people will take part in Takaful. This would contribute to developing the country economically, raise Islamic values and foster peace and harmony in the society.

Mainly, this study is based on the primary research that has been conducted in family Takaful companies in Bangladesh.

The purpose of this paper is to create a key performance indicator (KPI) that can be used as the benchmark tool for teaching performance and practices of both excellent teachers (ETs) and non-ETs and to investigate the possible interrelationships between the five thinking domains (teachers’ teaching philosophy, teaching objective, pedagogical content knowledge, teachers’ expectations and management style).

This study uses a quantitative approach with a sample of 306 ETs from eight states including the Federal Territory. Exploratory factor analysis was used to validate the instrument and confirmatory factor analysis for model fit.

The findings showed that an excellent classroom management style was the most significant domain for KPI with the highest factor loading, followed by ETs’ teaching philosophy and objectives. It revealed that there was no significant relationship between ETs’ expectations and their classroom management style and that the relationships between the other domains were weak.

With this research creating a KPI model for excellent teaching practices, it is suggested that an in-depth review should be conducted concerning the standardization of the classroom management and the national teaching objectives in Malaysia. Perhaps representatives from the Ministry of Education and the school principals could go into the field to determine whether the excellent and non-ETs are fulfilling the national education objectives and meeting the expectations. This could lead to setting KPIs for achieving teaching objectives among the ETs.

In continuation to the previous work on copper (lignin/silica/fatty acids) (Cu-LSF) complex as a natural antioxidant/electrical conductivity agent for nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), this study aims to perform further investigations for NBR vulcanizates loaded with different concentrations of Cu-LSF complex, including swelling behavior and hardness properties, as well as evaluating their thermal stability via thermogravimetric analysis.

The behavior of Cu-LSF complex in NBR matrix was compared with that of the standard commercial antioxidants (2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline/N-isopropyl-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine [TMQ/IPPD]).

Results revealed that Cu-LSF complex can act as an effective reinforcing and hardening agent, with exhibiting fluid resistance, even when compared with the commercial antioxidants. In comparison with the previous studies on its Zn and Ca analogues and their behavior in different rubber matrixes, Cu-LSF complex showed higher values of hardness and less susceptibility for swelling, respectively. Moreover, Cu-LSF antioxidant activity becomes in accordance with the previous work.

The new Cu-LSF complex could be used as a green alternative to the commercial antioxidants (TMQ/IPPD) with introducing further advantages to the rubber matrix, such as hardening, fluid resistance and thermal stability.

With a view to ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of construction projects, this study evaluates the critical success factors (CSFs) for the adoption of gamification principles by construction professionals in developing countries, with an emphasis on Nigeria.

This study adopted a post-positivism philosophical approach, using a questionnaire survey to obtain quantitative data from 126 construction professionals in Lagos State. The data obtained were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean item scores (MIS), Kruskal–Wallis H-test and principal component analysis (PCA) as part of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

The findings indicated that the most significant factors for the adoption of gamification principles in the construction industry were “clear game mechanics and rules,” “incentives and rewards for users,” “secure and reliable technology infrastructure,” “real-time progress tracking and feedback” and “clear and measurable objectives.” Employing factor analysis, these CSFs were subsequently grouped into three primary clusters, namely “relevance and user experience,” “technology and support” and “integration and process.”

These findings not only enrich the existing theoretical framework but also provide a solid foundation upon which researchers can build for further theoretical development. This study also offers valuable insights that can inform and improve practical applications of gamification within the construction industry.

While prior research has explored gamification in various contexts, the unique contribution of this study is the thorough investigation of CSFs for gamification adoption specifically within the construction industry. In essence, this study fills a critical gap in the literature by offering fresh perspectives and tailored solutions for the construction industry's specific gamification needs.