Palestine Polytechnic University

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Recent Submissions

  • Item type:Item,
    The Role of Digital Innovation in Advancing the Circular Economy: Evidence from Plastic Manufacturing Enterprises in Hebron City, Palestine
    (2026-05-13) Diyar Ziyad Ahmad Rjoub; Prof. Husam Rjoub
    In recent years, Digital Innovation and Circular Economy have received growing interest as important solutions towards sustainability and resource efficiency in industrial companies. The use of advanced digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics, and Cloud Computing has become a key enabler to improve operational performance and environmental sustainability. The Circular Economy aims to maximize resource use, minimize waste, and prolong product lifespans as a means of sustainable development. Despite significant global interest in the relationship between Digital Innovation and the Circular Economy, there is a lack of empirical evidence in the Palestinian context, particularly in the plastic manufacturing sector. This study set out to examine the effect of Digital Innovation on the Circular Economy of plastic manufacturing companies in Hebron City—the effects of Organizational Readiness as a mediator and Government Support as a moderator were also explored. A quantitative research method was used, and data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 63 plastic manufacturing enterprises in Hebron City. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used in this study to test the hypotheses and analyze the relationships among the variables. The results indicated that Digital Innovation plays an indirect role in the development of the Circular Economy via Organizational Readiness, underscoring the role of organizational readiness, technological infrastructure, and human resources in driving digital innovation initiatives to effective circular economy practices. The results also showed that the relationship between Digital Innovation and the Circular Economy was not statistically significant when moderated by Government Support. The study suggests that organizational readiness for digital transformation can be increased by establishing technological infrastructure, training employees in digital skills, and equipping them with the organizational resources needed to implement advanced digital technologies. These efforts can help to implement Circular Economy Practices effectively and contribute to sustainable industrial development.
  • Item type:Item,
    Response Modification Factor In Intermediate Moment-Resisting Reinforced Concrete Frame System
    (2026-06) Moath Baher Qasem Qubajeh; Dr. Haitham Ayyad
    The Response Modification Factor (R) is a critical parameter in seismic design, reflecting a structure’s ability to withstand earthquake-induced forces through controlled inelastic behavior, including ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation, rather than relying solely on elastic response. Given that R is governed by a complex interaction between structural configuration, material properties, and detailing, its accurate determination is essential for achieving reliable and realistic seismic performance assessments. This study examines the response modification factor (R) of Intermediate Moment Resisting Concrete Frame Systems (IMRCFS) through a comprehensive nonlinear analytical framework. Four three-dimensional reinforced concrete frame models, comprising 1, 3, 6, and 9 stories, were developed with consistent geometric and material properties, while varying in height and stiffness distribution. Each model incorporates four bays in the transverse direction and three bays in the longitudinal direction, enabling a systematic evaluation of height-dependent seismic behavior. The structural systems were initially designed using ETABS in accordance with ACI 318-19, with seismic design parameters defined based on ASCE 7-16 provisions. Subsequently, nonlinear static pushover analyses, incorporating gravity loading and P–Δ effects, were conducted using SAP2000 and ABAQUS to capture the full nonlinear response of the structures. The base shear–displacement capacity curves were obtained from pushover analysis, and the response modification factor (R) was subsequently determined using the Equal Energy Method according to ATC-19 procedures.. The results demonstrate that the base shear corresponding to the yield point provides a consistent and realistic basis for estimating the response modification factor across all investigated configurations. Although R-values exhibit an overall increasing trend with building height, the findings highlight a pronounced sensitivity of R to stiffness distribution and vertical irregularities, particularly in mid- and high- rise systems. Notably, the computed R-values are consistently lower than those prescribed by design codes, indicating that reliance on generalized code values may lead to unconservative estimations. Overall, the study confirms that accurate evaluation of the response modification factor necessitates explicit consideration of nonlinear structural behavior, stiffness irregularities, and system configuration. Furthermore, it validates nonlinear pushover analysis as a robust and reliable approach for assessing the seismic performance of IMRCFS.
  • Item type:Item,
    Arabic Synonyms Extraction using Singular Value Decomposition and Self-Organizing Maps
    (2026-06) Tala Sarabtah; Dr. Dia AbuZeina
    Arabic is a morphologically rich language where many words share the same root. This causes a well-documented problem when using automatic synonym extraction, where standard methods based on embeddings and cosine similarity -- the Baseline -- consistently return root-related word forms instead of true functional synonyms. This thesis addresses this problem. This thesis proposes a three-stage pipeline combining a pre-trained Arabic language model (BERT), SVD, and the SOM. BERT generates contextual word representations; SVD reduces the embedding dimensionality of any given word to suppress noise; and the SOM reorganises the space so that functionally equivalent words cluster together rather than root-related ones. The SVD-SOM pipeline was trained on approximately 3,800 Arabic articles covering 157 target words from variety of domains including education, economics, law, and media. A key limitation of the SVD-SOM pipeline is the absence of a standard Arabic synonym evaluation benchmark, which makes performance measurement inherently difficult. Evaluation was therefore conducted by comparing the SVD-SOM pipeline output against the Microsoft Word Arabic Thesaurus and several established Arabic online dictionaries (Almaany, Al-Maajim, Arabic Wiktionary), and the system was shown to retrieve true functional synonyms directly and reliably. To make this comparison quantitative, a lexically-grounded weighted synonym evaluation (the WSS@k and wDCG@k measures, defined in Chapter 2) scores each retrieved candidate on a 0--1 closeness scale and rewards ranking true synonyms near the top of the list. The results are clear. For the word تعليم (Education), the Baseline ranked terms such as أستاذ (Professor) and طلابي (Student-related) within its top-15 output -- neither of which is a functional synonym. The proposed SVD-SOM pipeline ranked تدريس (Teaching) and تثقيف (Enlightenment) in the top two positions, exactly matching the Microsoft Word Arabic Thesaurus. This pattern was reproduced consistently across the case studies presented in Chapter 5. A quantitative cross-validation using an architecturally independent Sentence-BERT model across all 2,512 experimental scenarios showed a modest but consistent improvement of the SVD-SOM pipeline over the Baseline. Future work should prioritise building a publicly available Arabic synonym benchmark and extending the SVD-SOM pipeline to include Arabic dialects and downstream applications such as information retrieval.
  • Item type:Item,
    Nonlinear Seismic Response of Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Frames: A Comparative Finite Element Investigation Using CFRP, RC Jacketing, and UHPC
    (2026-06) Dunya Firas Kasem Abu Mayyaleh; Dr. Belal Almassri
    This study investigates the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames strengthened using different retrofitting techniques under cyclic loading conditions through advanced finite element simulation. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was developed in ABAQUS and calibrated using the experimental results of a previously tested RC frame reported in the literature. Concrete behavior was simulated using the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model, while reinforcing steel was modeled using an elastoplastic constitutive relationship. The numerical model achieved a high level of agreement with the experimental response, with an accuracy of approximately 95.12% in predicting the peak lateral load, as well as accurately capturing stiffness degradation, crack propagation, and hysteretic behavior. Following validation, three strengthening techniques were investigated, including CFRP strengthening, RC jacketing, and UHPC jacketing. The results demonstrated that all strengthening methods enhanced the seismic behavior of the frame; however, UHPC strengthening exhibited the best overall performance, achieving an increase of approximately 88.5% in load-carrying capacity, 44.73% in ductility, and significant improvement in stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. The findings confirm the effectiveness of advanced strengthening techniques, particularly UHPC jacketing, in improving the seismic resistance and structural performance of deficient RC frames. Keywords: Reinforced Concrete Frames, Seismic Strengthening, Cyclic Loading, Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis, ABAQUS, CFRP, RC Jacketing, UHPC
  • Item type:Item,
    Features of Videographics Produced by (AJ+) Arabic and Distributed via Facebook
    (2026) هيا مروان امريش; د. حافظ عاكسره
    This study aimed to reveal the features of videographics produced by the )AJ+( Arabic platform and distributed via Facebook by analyzing its technical and structural characteristics alongside audience engagement patterns, addressing the central question: "What are the features of videographics produced by )AJ+( Arabic for its digital platform on Facebook?" Employing a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative content analysis tools, the study examined a sample of 21 videographic clips selected over seven consecutive months (three clips monthly representing the beginning, middle, and end of each month) from the )AJ+( Arabic Facebook page. Theoretically anchored in the Diffusion of Innovations Theory—to explain the adoption of videographics as an emerging digital format—and Semiotic Theory—to analyze the semantic and persuasive dimensions of visual symbols—the study revealed that )AJ+( Arabic heavily relies on modern graphic elements and intensive visual processing in short-form videos to boost engagement, effectively leveraging color schemes, iconography, and visual storytelling to simplify complex information for digital audiences. Consequently, the study recommends that Arab media institutions refine their digital visual production strategies and calls for further academic research in this understudied domain, underscoring its own contribution to bridging a significant knowledge gap in Arab digital journalism, video production, and visual narrative studies.