Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted The Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors on Firm Financial Performance: An Empirical Study of Non-Financial Constituents of the S&P 500(University of Liverpool, 2024-09) Fallatah, Ahmed Zaki; Giorgioni, GianluigiAbstract This study empirically examines the influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors on financial performance of non-financial firms listed on the S&P 500. It analyzes data for 425 firms over the period from 2010 to 2023. This research study apply panel data analysis using Generalized Least Squares (GLS) Regression and reveals a significant and positive relationship between overall ESG scores and Corporate financial performance metrics, Return on Equity, Return on Assets and Tobin's Q for current S&P 500 firms. For the firms that were removed from the index, while ESG scores significantly enhance Tobin's Q in terms of market evaluation and their impact on financial measurement is less pronounced. The analysis highlights that environmental scores influence financial outcomes across both current and dropped firms. Social scores positively affect financial performance in current firms but show limited impact for firms removed from the index. Governance scores appear to have a more nuanced impact, suggesting that good governance alone may not be enough to differentiate performance among firms. The study shows the importance of robust ESG practices, particularly in environmental and social pillars, for enhancing corporate financial success and market valuation. The firm’s market position and financial health may influence the relationship between ESG factors and immediate financial returns. The research shows that ESG investments can boost a market position of company and resilience and their direct impact on immediate financial returns can vary depending on the company’s financial health and market status. Therefore, this study reveals the complex relationship between ESG practices and financial performance. The findings provide useful valuable insights for business leaders, investors, and policymakers looking to align ESG practices with financial goals and foster sustainable, long-term growth.25 0Item Restricted ANALYSIS AND VALUATION OF CONVEX SETS(UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, 2024) Alrashidi, Amal; Montaldi, JamesThis dissertation explores the valuation of convex sets in Euclidean space. Starting with the Steiner formula, which provides a basis for studying mixed volumes, it pro ceeds to prove Groemer‘s integral theorem, showing how valuations extend within convex sets. The final chapter focuses on Hadwiger‘s theorem and its applications to projections and Grassmannians, offering insights into intrinsic volumes and their geo metric significance. These findings contribute to a clearer understanding of valuation theory in convex geometry.6 0Item Restricted AI in Telehealth for Cardiac Care: A Literature Review(University of technology sydney, 2024-03) Alzahrani, Amwaj; Li, lifuThis literature review investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in telehealth, with a specific focus on its applications in cardiac care. The review explores how AI enhances remote patient monitoring, facilitates personalized treatment plans, and improves healthcare accessibility for patients with cardiac conditions. AI-driven tools, such as wearable devices and implantable medical devices, have demonstrated significant potential in tracking critical health parameters, enabling timely interventions, and fostering proactive patient care. Additionally, AI-powered chatbots and telehealth platforms provide patients with real-time support and guidance, enhancing engagement and adherence to treatment regimens. The findings reveal that AI contributes to improving healthcare outcomes by enabling early detection of cardiac events, tailoring treatment plans to individual patient needs, and expanding access to care for underserved populations. However, the integration of AI in telehealth is not without challenges. Ethical considerations, such as ensuring data privacy, managing biases in AI algorithms, and addressing regulatory complexities, emerge as critical areas requiring attention. Furthermore, technological limitations, including the need for robust validation and patient acceptance of AI technologies, underscore the importance of bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. This review also examines future trends, including the integration of blockchain technology with AI to enhance data security and privacy in telehealth systems. Advancements in machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) are paving the way for innovative solutions, such as secure remote monitoring and personalized rehabilitation programs. While AI holds transformative potential in revolutionizing telehealth services for cardiac patients, addressing these challenges is imperative to ensure equitable, effective, and patient-centered care. This review underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and regulatory oversight to unlock the full potential of AI in telehealth and improve outcomes for cardiac patients globally.12 0Item Restricted DEVIATION INEQUALITIES FOR DISCRETE LOG-CONCAVE DISTRIBUTIONS(UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, 2024) Alqasem, Abdulmajeed; Marsiglietti, ArnaudIn this thesis we explore log-concave distributions starting from the Brunn-Minkowski inequality. We discuss some of the nice properties this class of distributions has. We then show new results about discrete log-concave random variables. In particular, we investigate remarkable conjecture of Feige (2006) for the class of discrete log-concave probability distributions and prove a strengthened version. More specifically, we show that the conjectured bound holds when the random variables are independent discrete log-concave with arbitrary expectation. Finally, we present various extensions of log-concavity in discrete settings. We define the notion of discrete gamma-concave random variables and establish a localization theorem. Also, we propose a definition for discrete log-concavity in higher dimensions.12 0Item Restricted Saudi EFL Teachers’ Journeys of Hope: A Case Study(University of Leeds, 2024) Alsulaiman, Raghad; Conlon, ErinAs an emotion, hope seems to play a critical role in the field of education. However, much of the research up to now has been preoccupied with the emotions of students, rather than teachers; and the Saudi Arabian context is not an exception. This study thus sought to fill this literature gap by exploring the hope journeys of Saudi EFL teachers. Using a qualitative collective case study design, I recruited four female Saudi EFL university-level teachers for the study. Open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews were used in generating data from these participants, while reflexive thematic analysis was used in the data analysis. The first set of findings suggested that the nature of hope is complex, with participants defining it in relation to emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and visual dimensions. The second set of findings showed that participants had internal, external, and interpersonal sources of hope they found in their teaching journeys. The third set of findings focused on the unique ways in which participants plan to cultivate and generate hope as they move forward in their journeys. The findings provided an important opportunity to advance our knowledge and understanding of the rarely investigated area of study, namely Saudi EFL teachers’ hope. The study thus holds important implications in the area, especially for interested teachers.4 0Item Restricted TOWARDS ROBUST AND ACCURATE TEXT-TO-CODE GENERATION(University of Central Florida, 2024) almohaimeed, saleh; Wang, LiqiangDatabases play a vital role in today’s digital landscape, enabling effective data storage, manage- ment, and retrieval for businesses and other organizations. However, interacting with databases often requires knowledge of query (e.g., SQL) and analysis, which can be a barrier for many users. In natural language processing, the text-to-code task, which converts natural language text into query and analysis code, bridges this gap by allowing users to access and manipulate data using everyday language. This dissertation investigates different challenges in text-to-code (including text-to-SQL as a subtask), with a focus on four primary contributions to the field. As a solution to the lack of statistical analysis in current text-to-code tasks, we introduce SIGMA, a text-to- Code dataset with statistical analysis, featuring 6000 questions with Python code labels. Baseline models show promising results, indicating that our new task can support both statistical analysis and SQL queries simultaneously. Second, we present Ar-Spider, the first Arabic cross-domain text-to-SQL dataset that addresses multilingual limitations. We have conducted experiments with LGESQL and S2SQL models, enhanced by our Context Similarity Relationship (CSR) approach, which demonstrates competitive performance, reducing the performance gap between the Arabic and English text-to-SQL datasets. Third, we address context-dependent text-to-SQL task, often overlooked by current models. The SParC dataset was explored by utilizing different question rep- resentations and in-context learning prompt engineering techniques. Then, we propose GAT-SQL, an advanced prompt engineering approach that improves both zero-shot and in-context learning experiments. GAT-SQL sets new benchmarks in both SParC and CoSQL datasets. Finally, we introduce Ar-SParC, a context-dependent Arabic text-to-SQL dataset that enables users to interact with the model through a series of interrelated questions. In total, 40 experiments were conducted to investigate this dataset using various prompt engineering techniques, and a novel technique called GAT Corrector was developed, which significantly improved the performance of all base- line models.11 0Item Restricted The Role of NF-κB Acetylation in Microglial Activation: Implications for Therapeutic Targeting in Neuroinflammation.(University Of Leeds, 2024-09) Algaradah, Salma; Wood, IanNeuroinflammation is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, largely driven by microglial activation. This study investigates the role of Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) acetylation, specifically at the lysine residues K122 and K314 in regulating microglial activity and its potential as a therapeutic target in neuroinflammatory conditions. Using wild-type and mutant NF-κB constructs, the impact of acetylation on nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of NF-κB was analysed, with a focus on Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid (SAHA), a histone deactylase inhibitor (HDACi). The findings indicate that acetylation at K314 is crucial for NF-κB’s nuclear retention and pro-inflammatory transcriptional activity, while K122 plays a lesser role. The K314Q mutant exhibited enhanced nuclear retention under inflammatory stimuli, whereas the K314R mutant was resistant to the effects of SAHA. These results highlight the importance of K314 acetylation in modulating NF-κB’s role in inflammation and suggest that HDACis like SAHA could be explored for targeted therapeutic interventions in neuroinflammation, particularly by modulating specific acetylation sites.11 0Item Restricted Perovskite Polycrystalline Direct Radation Detectors(University of Surrey, 2024) Alghamdi, Suad Saeed; Sellin, PaulThis thesis discusses the interaction of radiation with matter and the characterisation of advanced radiation detectors, focusing on the use of perovskite materials, specifically FAPbBr3 polycrystal- line, in the field of X-ray detection. The research begins with a comprehensive review of the main principles of radiation interaction with matter, including X-ray interactions such as Compton scat- tering, the photoelectric effect, and Rayleigh scattering. Basic concepts in radiation dosimetry and charge carrier transport in semiconductor materials are also discussed, providing a foundation for understanding the behaviour of semiconductor radiation detectors. The properties and synthesis of perovskite materials are examined, discussing various methods of synthesising polycrystalline perovskite materials, such as inverse temperature crystallisation, low-temperature crystallisation, and heating-assisted solvent evaporation. Different techniques to enhance perovskite detector per- formance, such as hot pressing, surface passivation, and mixing 2D and 3D perovskite structures, are also discussed. The experimental methodology for fabricating and characterising FAPbBr3 detectors is detailed, including FAPbBr3 synthesis, grinding methods to create powder, device fab- rication, and gold contact deposition. Different characterisation techniques were employed, such as photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy, to analyse FAPbBr3 properties and device performance. Significant findings on optimising the performance of FAPbBr3 pellets in the radiation detection field are presented, focus- ing on the impact of different pressures, grinding methods, environmental impact, annealing, and hot-pressing impact. Key performance evaluations include electrical resistivity and behaviour, pho- toluminescence properties, and X-ray sensitivity. The impact of lead acetate addition to FAPbBr3 during fabrication and the application of guard rings to enhance device performance are also ex- plored. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the key findings, limitations, and potential future studies to develop and improve the performance of radiation detection. The project demonstrates the promising potential of FAPbBr3 devices for advanced X-ray detection applications, highlighting areas of further study and research to optimise the performance of high-performance radiation detectors. After conducting the research, it has been found that the ideal thickness for FAPbBr3 pellets for radiation detection is 1 mm. A pressing time of 5 minutes and applying higher pressures resulted in better outcomes. Annealing significantly improved the overall detector quality, enhancing sensitivity. Additionally, including lead acetate helped decrease dark current, further optimising the device’s performance for efficient radiation detection. These findings provide a clear pathway for creating high-performance FAPbBr3-based radiation detectors.8 0Item Restricted A Comparative Analysis of CVD and MSK Comorbidities in Usual COPD and AATD-COPD(University of Birmingham, 2024-08) Mousa, Hatim Hammad; Michael, NewnhamBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-related COPD (AATD-COPD) are complex conditions associated with cardiovascular (CVD) and musculoskeletal (MSK) comorbidities, which exacerbate the severity of the disease and impact patient outcomes. Despite their clinical relevance, the prevalence and impact of these comorbidities in AATD-COPD compared to usual COPD have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to address this gap by comparing the prevalence of CVD and MSK comorbidities in these two COPD populations to improve treatment approaches and patient care. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis utilised data from the INTEGR-COPD trial and the Birmingham Alpha-1 cohort to compare the prevalence of CVD and MSK comorbidities in patients with usual COPD and AATD-COPD. Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and pulmonary exacerbations were analysed. Non-parametric tests, including chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests, were employed to compare categorical and continuous variables across the cohorts, respectively. Results: The study analysed 1,663 usual COPD and 754 AATD-COPD patients. CVD comorbidities were more prevalent in usual COPD (52.50%) than AATD-COPD (30.11%) (p < 0.001). Similarly, MSK comorbidities were more prevalent in usual COPD (30.07%) compared to AATD-COPD (11.41%) (p < 0.001). AATD-COPD patients were younger, had better lung function, and reported higher dyspnoea scores. Smoking status varied significantly, with higher current smokers in the usual COPD cohort. Pulmonary exacerbations were significantly more frequent in usual COPD patients with CVD than in AATD-COPD patients (p = 0.0011). Conclusion: This study highlights that usual COPD patients exhibit a higher prevalence of CVD and MSK comorbidities. Additionally, they tend to be older and have worse pulmonary outcomes compared to patients with AATD-COPD, who experience more severe dyspnoea. These findings emphasise the need for tailored clinical management approaches for both populations. Further research should explore the mechanisms and interventions to mitigate these comorbidities and improve patient outcomes.4 0Item Restricted The impact of e-HRM practices on employee satisfaction in telecommunications companies in Saudi Arabia(Aston University, 2024-09) Alkhathami, Abdullah Halsan; Zedias, MutemaIn the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry in Saudi Arabia, where companies continue to push the technological envelope, it is essential that a progressive approach to human resource management be deployed. The implementation of electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM) practices is a key strategy for telecom companies like STC, Zain, and Mobily to manage their workforce efficiently and contribute to their strategic objectives. This research study investigated the impact of e-HRM practices on employee satisfaction within the Saudi Arabian telecom sector. A quantitative approach, comprising a questionnaire survey, was employed to gather comprehensive insights from 113 participants. The findings revealed that telecom companies have adopted a range of e-HRM components, including e-recruitment, e-performance management, and e-learning, with varying degrees of implementation. The study also identified moderate levels of overall employee satisfaction, with key determinants such as organisational support, work-life balance, and compensation. Importantly, the research established a strong positive correlation between the effectiveness of e-HRM practices and employee satisfaction, supported by theoretical frameworks like the Technology Acceptance Model and Social Exchange Theory. The implications of this study offer valuable insights for telecom companies and HR practitioners in designing and deploying e-HRM systems that enhance employee satisfaction and drive organisational performance.7 0