In an era characterized by technological advancement and innovation, the emergence of Electronic Government (e-Government) and Mobile Government (m-Government) represents significant developments. Previous studies have explored acceptance models in this domain. This research presents a novel acceptance model tailored to the context of m-Government adoption in Jordan, integrating the Information System (IS) Success Factor Model, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, and considerations for law enforcement factors. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the strategies for promoting and enhancing the adoption of m-Government applications within Jordanian society. Data collection involved the distribution of 203 electronic questionnaires, with subsequent analysis conducted using SPSS. The findings reveal the acceptance and significance of three hypotheses: Information Quality, Service Quality, and Power Distance. Additionally, the study incorporates the influence of Law Enforcement factors, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted determinants shaping the adoption of m-Government services in Jordan.

Plasma thermal gasification can be one of the most relevant and environmentally friendly technologies for waste treatment and has gained interest for its use in thethermos-conversion of biomass. In this perspective, the objective of this study is to evaluate the gasification of sugarcane bagasse by studying the effective areas of operation of this process and to establish a comparison with conventional autothermal gasification. A thermochemical equilibrium model was used to calculate the indicators that characterize the performance of the process on its own and integrated with a combined cycle. As a result, it was obtained that plasma and gasification of bagasse is technically feasible for the specific net electrical production of 4 MJ with 30 % electrical efficiency, producing a gas with higher calorific value than autothermal gasification. The operating points where the electrical energy production and the cold gas efficiency reach their highest values were determined; then the effects of the operational parameters on these performance indicators were analyzed.

In the process of seeking sustainable development, enterprises have chosen international business strategy. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the degree of internationalization of Chinese listed firms and financial reporting quality, as well as whether audit committees can moderate the impact of enterprise internationalization on financial reporting quality. The empirical analysis results of Chinese listed manufacturing firms from 2014 to 2018 show that: the degree of corporate internationalization has a significant U-shaped relationship with earnings management. This new finding solves the problem that scholars have inconsistent views on the internationalization of enterprises and the quality of financial reporting. The study also found that audit committees with experience working in accounting firms can inhibit firm earnings management behavior in the early stage of internationalization; audit committees with experience working overseas can inhibit firm earnings management behavior in the later stage of internationalization; the higher the remuneration of audit committee experts, the more it can inhibit firm earnings management behavior in the early stage of internationalization. In the later stage of internationalization, the higher the remuneration of audit committee experts, it helps the earnings management behavior of firms. This provides new evidence on the functioning of the audit committee’s role; however, the independence of the audit committee and the proportion of financial experts do not have a significant effect on the inhibition of earnings management.

Iran has one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and many elements of today’s urban planning and design have their origins in the country. However, mass country-city migration from the 1960s onwards brought enormous challenges for the country’s main cities in the provision of adequate housing and associated services, resulting in a range of sub-standard housing solutions, particularly in Tehran, the capital city. At the same time, and notably in the past decade, Iran’s main cities have had significant involvement in the smart city movement. The Smart Tehran Program is currently underway, attempting to transition the capital towards a smart city by 2025. This study adopts a qualitative, inductive approach based on secondary sources and interview evidence to explore the current housing problems in Tehran and their relationship with the Smart Tehran Program. It explores how housing has evolved in Tehran and identifies key aspects of the current provision, and then assesses the main components of the Smart Tehran Program and their potential contribution to remedying the housing problems in the city. The article concludes that although housing related issues are at least being raised via the new smart city technology infrastructure, any meaningful change in housing provision is hampered by the over centralized and bureaucratic political system, an out of date planning process, lack of integration of planning and housing initiatives, and the limited scope for real citizen participation.

The present study assessed the potential of sediment loading in Beteni, Lauruk, Andheri, and Harpan sub-watersheds of Phewa Lake and estimated the sediment yield in the year 2020. Morphometry, land use/land cover, geology, climate, and human and development factors of the sub-watersheds were studied to assess the potential of sediment loading in the sub-watersheds. SRTM DEM was used for the computation of morphometric parameters and land use/land cover maps were prepared by using Landsat imagery. Geology, rainfall data, census data, and road maps were collected from various secondary sources. The sediment yields of the four sub-watersheds in the year 2020 were estimated by measuring the sediment volume deposited in the sediment retention ponds at the outlet of each sub-watershed. Results indicated that Beteni had the highest potential for sediment loading, while Harpan had the lowest. Likewise, the sediment yields for Beteni, Lauruk, Andheri, and Harpan sub-watersheds in 2020 were estimated at 1,420.67 m³/km²/year, 2,280.14 m³/km²/year, 1,666.77 m³/km²/year, and 766.42 m³/km²/year, respectively. To reduce sedimentation in Phewa Lake, it is recommended to regularly maintain siltation dams and construct check dams along the drainage slopes, alongside other soil conservation measures and appropriate land use practices in the upstream areas of the sub-watersheds.

The biomass of three dominant mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha) in the Indian Sundarbans, the designated World Heritage Site was evaluated to understand whether the biomass vary with spatial locations (western region vs. central region) and with seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon). The reasons for selecting these two regions and seasons are the contrasting variation in salinity. Among the three studied species, Sonneratia apetala showed the maximum biomass followed by Avicennia alba and Excoecaria agallocha. We also observed that the biomass varied significantly with spatial locations (p<0.05), but not with seasons. The variation may be attributed to different environmental conditions to which these forest patches are exposed to.