Metaverse technology has various uses in communication, education, entertainment, and other aspects of life. Consequently, it necessitates using some interactive mobile applications to enter the virtual world and gain real-time, face-to-face experiences, particularly among students. This research focused on the factors accelerating metaverse technology acceptance particularly, Metaverse Experience Browser application acceptance among the students under the factors proposed by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Notably, lack of studies in metaverse browsers and their prevalence during the post pandemic era, indicates a strong literature gap. The researchers gathered data from n = 384 higher education students from the two cities in the United Arab Emirates and applied Structural Equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis. Results revealed that Performance Expectancy (p < 0.003) and Social Influence (p = 0.000) were significant factors affecting the Behavioral Intention of the students to consider Metaverse Experience Browser as an interactive mobile application. On the other hand, behavioural Intention significantly affects (p = 0.000) Effort Expectancy, which shows how fewer efforts and greater accessibility are associated with one’s behavioural Intention. Besides, the effect of Behavioral Intention (p = 0.000) on Metaverse Experience Browser acceptance also remained validated. Finally, Effort Expectancy (p = 0.000) also indicated its significant effect on the Metaverse Experience Browser. These results indicated that the factors proposed by UTAUT have greater applicability on the Metaverse Experience Browser as they showed their relevance to its acceptance. The present study concludes that the acceptance of Metaverse Experience Browser as an interactive mobile application is a level ahead in improving students’ experiences. Thus, the Metaverse Experience Browser is considered a modified way of creating, sharing, participating, and enjoying the virtual world, indicating its greater usage among students for different purposes, including education and learning.
An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different organic nutrient solutions and day of harvest on growth parameters, biomass and chemical composition of hydroponically grown sorghum red fodder. The experiment was a 3 × 2 factorial design comprising of 3 nutrient solutions (cattle, poultry and rabbit) and 2 harvesting regimes (8th and 10th day). Cattle, poultry and rabbit dungs were collected fresh and processed into nutrient solutions. Sorghum red seeds were treated, planted on trays, and irrigated twice per day with organic nutrient solution according to the treatments. Growth parameters which were investigated included fodder mat thickness, seedling height, leaf length and width, number of leaves, fresh and dry matter yield; and proximate composition. The results showed that sorghum red fodder irrigated with cattle manure nutrient solution (NS) harvested at 10 days was higher in all, except one (fodder mat thickness) of the growth parameters considered. The crude protein (CP) was highest and similar (P > 0.05) for Poultry NS harvested at 8 and 10 days, and Cattle NS at 10 days (13.13%, 12.67%, and 12.69% respectively). The ash content also favored Cattle NS at 10 days. Cattle NS at 10 days harvest was significantly (P < 0.05) the highest (7.00%), but comparable (P > 0.05) with Rabbit NS at 10 days for NDF. Fresh and DM yields were highest for Cattle harvested at 10 and 8 days respectively. The study recommends Cattle NS as hydroponic organic NS for sorghum red as it enhances fresh and dry matter yields, and nutritive values.
After the oil and economic boom of the 20th century, Doha experienced significant development in terms of the architectural scene, design, function, and sociocultural transformations. The advancements in global architecture have facilitated innovative and streamlined construction processes, while creating a paradigm shift in the overall architecture of dwellings and how people navigate around the house. In this context, this research aims to study the impact of globalization on housing typologies and the factors influencing their evolution, focusing on the city of Doha as a case study. This study is based on a qualitative research approach that centers its investigation on Doha while exploring strategies for preserving Arabic-Islamic identity. The research investigation used a content analysis methodology to analyze three additional case studies within the MENA region. The results indicate that new housing typologies have emerged in cities due to globalization and changes in physical and sociocultural dimensions. In addition, preserving older neighborhoods and housing typologies through a bottom-up approach is essential for design creativity and climatic and sociocultural sensitivity while exchanging knowledge and sharing experiences between generations. Furthermore, this article promotes heritage awareness and encourages local authorities to preserve Doha’s surviving historic neighborhoods and architectural language to restore the city’s urban identity. The findings of this research can provide helpful guidance to architects and urban planners on how Doha’s housing has developed until the contemporary period.
Rural tourism plays a crucial role in rural development in Indonesia by providing employment opportunities, livelihood, infrastructure, cultural preservation, and environmental preservation. However, it is prone to external shocks such as natural disasters, public health events, and volatility in the national and global economy. This study measures the resilience of rural tourism to external shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 24 rural tourism destinations in Indonesia covering four years from 2019 to 2022. A synthetic composite index of the Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto index (AMPI) is used to measure rural tourism resilience followed by clustering analysis to determine the typology of the resilience. The AMPI measure is also compared with the conventional Mazziotta-Pareto index (MPI) method. The resilience index is composed of capacity and performance components related to resilience. The results show that in the first year of COVID-19, most tourism villages in Indonesia were severely affected by the pandemic, yet they were able to recover afterward, as indicated by positive differences in the AMPI index before and after COVID-19. Thus, rural tourism villages in Indonesia have a strong capacity and performance to recover from pandemic shock. Lessons learned from this analysis can be applied to policies related to rural tourism resilience in developing countries.
Given the heavy workload faced by teachers, automatic speaking scoring systems provide essential support. This study aims to consolidate technological configurations of automatic scoring systems for spontaneous L2 English, drawing from literature published between 2014 and 2024. The focus will be on the architecture of the automatic speech recognition model and the scoring model, as well as on features used to evaluate phonological competence, linguistic proficiency, and task completion. By synthesizing these elements, the study seeks to identify potential research areas, as well as provide a foundation for future research and practical applications in software engineering.
Graphene and derivatives have been frequently used to form advanced nanocomposites. A very significant utilization of polymer/graphene nanocomposite was found in the membrane sector. The up-to-date overview essentially highlights the design, features, and advanced functions of graphene nanocomposite membranes towards gas separations. In this concern, pristine thin layer graphene as well as graphene nanocomposites with poly(dimethyl siloxane), polysulfone, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyimide, and other matrices have been perceived as gas separation membranes. In these membranes, the graphene dispersion and interaction with polymers through applying the appropriate processing techniques have led to optimum porosity, pore sizes, and pore distribution, i.e., suitable for selective separation of gaseous molecules. Consequently, the graphene-derived nanocomposites brought about numerous revolutions in high-performance gas separation membranes. The structural diversity of polymer/graphene nanocomposites has facilitated the membrane selective separation, permeation, and barrier processes, especially in the separation of desired gaseous molecules, ions, and contaminants. Future research on the innovative nanoporous graphene-based membrane can overcome design/performance-related challenging factors for technical utilizations.
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