Ahmad Ghandour

Bio: Ahmad Ghandour is an academic researcher from Al Ain University of Science and Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Raman spectroscopy & Carbon nanotube. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 41 publications receiving 210 citations. Previous affiliations of Ahmad Ghandour include University of Otago & Lebanese International University.

Ecommerce website value model for smes

Abstract: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) continue to struggle to measure the success of their website. This results in ineffective eCommerce activities and the consequent disappointment in recognisable benefits. There is a need for a website operational model offering managers the ability to understand the payoffs from their investment. This paper presents an empirically proven intuitive eCommerce website operational model that offers managers a comprehensive way of understanding their website operation. The model premise is simple: the achievement of operational excellence will lead to improved financial performance. The central task for managers, then, lies in understanding what drives operational excellence and then committing the necessary resources to the development of the drivers. Managerial implications stemming from the empirical findings are also discussed. To cite this document: Ahmad Ghandour, "Ecommerce website value model for SMES", International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, Vol.6, No.2, pp.203-222, 2015. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijecs.1403

Using Learning Analytics to Predict Students Performance in Moodle LMS

Abstract: Today, it is almost impossible to implement teaching processes without using information and communication technologies (ICT), especially in higher education. Education institutions often use learning management systems (LMS), such as Moodle, Edmodo, Canvas, Schoology, Blackboard Learn, and others. When accessing these systems with their personal account, each student’s activity is recorded in a log file. Moodle system allows not only information sav-ing. The plugins of this LMS provide a fast and accurate analysis of training sta-tistics. Within the study, the capabilities of several Moodle plugins providing the assessment of students' activity and success are reviewed. The research is aimed at discovering possibilities to improve the learning process and reduce the num-ber of underperforming students. The activity logs of 124 participants are ana-lyzed to identify the relations between the number of logs during the e-course and the final grades. In the study, a correlation analysis is performed to determine the impact of students' educational activity in the Moodle system on the final assess-ment. The results reveal that gender affiliation correlates with the overall perfor-mance but does not affect the selection of training materials. Furthermore, it is shown that students who got the highest grades performed at least 210 logs dur-ing the course. It is noted that the prevailing part of students prefers to complete the tasks before the deadline. The study concludes that LMSs can be used to pre-dict students' success and stimulate better results during the study. The findings are proposed to be used in higher education institutions for early detection of stu-dents experiencing difficulties in a course.

High-pressure Raman response of single-walled carbon nanotubes: Effect of the excitation laser energy

Abstract: We report high-pressure Raman experiments on the tangential vibrational modes of CarboLex bundled single-walled carbon nanotubes up to 6.5 GPa using two different excitation energies: 1.96 and 2.41 eV. We show through the curve-fitting technique, together with the modified interband transition energies versus diameter plot, how the nature of the resonant tubes is modified under the excitation energy, in particular under the 1.96 eV excitation. Having metallic and semiconducting tubes in resonance at ambient pressure, we find that only semiconducting tubes are in resonance at 3.5 GPa. We associate this loss of resonance from the metallic tubes to a redshift pressure response of the first E11 transition energies from these tubes. Added to that, the change in the excitation energies leads to a change in the value of the transition pressure. This is simply associated with the fact of having different diameters in resonance under each excitation from the same sample.

Measuring eCommerce Website Success

Abstract: This paper presents a research model, which is built on communication theory (Shannon and Weaver 1948) and DeLone and McLean’s (1992, 2003) information system model, to identify eCommerce website success dimensions. The research model is aiming to make a contribution to literature by identifying and incorporating dimensions of success relevant to eCommerce websites. Further empirical research is required to validate the finding.

Structural (n,m) determination of isolated single wall carbon nanotubes by resonant Raman scattering

Abstract: We show that the Raman scattering technique can give complete structural information for one-dimensional systems, such as carbon nanotubes. Resonant confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy of an (n,m) individual single-wall nanotube makes it possible to assign its chirality uniquely by measuring one radial breathing mode frequency omega(RBM) and using the theory of resonant transitions. A unique chirality assignment can be made for both metallic and semiconducting nanotubes of diameter d(t), using the parameters gamma(0) = 2.9 eV and omega(RBM) = 248/d(t). For example, the strong RBM intensity observed at 156 cm(-1) for 785 nm laser excitation is assigned to the (13,10) metallic chiral nanotube on a Si/SiO2 surface.

Raman spectroscopy of covalently functionalized single‐wall carbon nanotubes

Abstract: Raman spectroscopy is one of the most extensively employed methods for the characterization of carbon nanotubes. In this review article, an overview about Raman spectroscopy as a tool for the characterization of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is given. First, the relevant Raman modes in SWCNTs are introduced. Then, in a phenomenological approach, the effects that are observed for the individual modes in the Raman spectra are compiled and discussed. It is shown that special care has to be taken in order to separate the effects of functionalization, which are specific to a subset of the SWCNTs (metallic/semiconducting or diameter dependent), from changes in sample morphology or doping effects. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Business strategic orientation, information systems strategic orientation, and strategic alignment : working paper

Abstract: Information systems strategic alignment---the fit between business strategic orientation and information systems (IS) strategic orientation---is an important concept. This study measured business strategic orientation, IS strategic orientation, and IS strategic alignment, and investigated their implications for perceived IS effectiveness and business performance. Analyses of data gathered in a mail survey of North American financial services and manufacturing firms indicated that 1) business strategic orientation, IS strategic orientation, and IS strategic alignment are modeled best by utilizing holistic, ‘systems’ approaches instead of dimension-specific, ‘bivariate’ approaches, 2) three generic IS strategic orientations can be detected, 3) user information satisfaction does not capture important strategic aspects of IS effectiveness, 4) IS strategic alignment is a better predictor of IS effectiveness than is strategic orientation, and 5) business strategic orientation, IS strategic alignment, and IS effectiveness have positive impacts on business performance.

Raman Studies of Carbon Nanostructures

Abstract: This article reviews recent advances on the use of Raman spectroscopy to study and characterize carbon nanostructures. It starts with a brief survey of Raman spectroscopy of graphene and carbon nanotubes, followed by recent developments in the field. Various novel topics, including Stokes–anti-Stokes correlation, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in two dimensions, phonon coherence, and high-pressure and shielding effects, are presented. Some consequences for other fields—quantum optics, near-field electromagnetism, archeology, materials and soil sciences—are discussed. The review ends with a discussion of new perspectives on Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanostructures, including how this technique can contribute to the development of biotechnological applications and nanotoxicology.