Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted An Anthropomorphic Multimodality (CT/MRI) Head and Neck Phantom for Radiotherapy Applications(University of Leeds, 2024-10) Alzahrani, Meshal; Speight, Richard; Broadbent, David; Teh, Irvin; Alqaisieh, BasharAims: To develop and evaluate an anthropomorphic multimodality phantom for the head and neck (H&N) anatomy that can be used with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for radiotherapy (RT) applications. The research aims to identify suitable materials for creating these phantoms, assess the suitability and effectiveness of a 3D head and neck phantom for MRI-based quality assurance (QA) in RT planning, and to optimise cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) protocols for H&N imaging as part of QA processes. Methods: Through literature research, candidate materials potentially suitable for developing multimodality (MRI/CT) phantoms were identified and produced. Their suitability and stability over time and after exposure to radiation were then evaluated. An anthropomorphic multimodality H&N phantom was used to evaluate the benefits of using such a phantom for conducting QA tests recommended by international bodies in MRI guided RT treatment planning services. Moreover, the scope of the phantom's use has been expanded to include optimising CBCT protocols, further demonstrating its value in enhancing QA processes across multiple imaging modalities. Results: The results of this project indicate that while some materials meet specific requirements for creating anthropomorphic multimodality phantoms, it has been challenging to find materials that simultaneously satisfy the needs of both MRI and CT modalities. However, the results have shown that the T1 and T2 relaxation times and CT numbers of 10% polyvinyl alcohol cryogel closely match those of normal brain grey matter, and remain stable over a year, and after exposure to radiation levels up to 1000 Gy, demonstrating its potential effectiveness in making phantoms. The anthropomorphic multimodality phantom has demonstrated superior performance to non-anthropomorphic phantoms in certain aspects of MRI-based RT planning QA, particularly in end-to-end testing. The phantom can be used in optimising CBCT protocols as part of QA processes, with results showing that it allows for a reduction in radiation doses by more than 50% compared to the default protocol for patients with head and neck tumours without significantly affecting image or registration quality and with the expectation that this would not have a consequential impact on treatment plans. Conclusions: The identification of only one suitable material underscores the need for expanded research into multimodality phantom materials. The phantom proves effective for MRI-based QA. Additionally, it was employed to test and optimise CBCT protocols, leading to reductions in radiation doses without compromising image quality.9 0Item Restricted CODIFYING INHUMANITY: LEGAL FOUNDATIONS, RACIALIZATION, AND DEHUMANIZATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND PERPETUATION OF AMERICAN AND NORTH CAROLINA CHATTEL SLAVERY(Wake Forest University, 2024-06-12) Salah, Yuossof; H. Knox, John; J. Morath, SarahThis dissertation argues that American chattel slavery, from its earliest inception, was developed through a deliberate legal framework that systematically transformed people of African descent into property, institutionalizing mechanisms of systematic dehumanization and violence to maintain the institution of racial bondage. By examining British, international, colonial, and constitutional laws, this study demonstrates how multiple legal systems actively and collectively constructed and perpetuated slavery in America rather than merely tolerating it. Furthermore, this analysis traces the legal interconnections between these systems across continents and time periods to reveal their role in codifying and legitimizing the forced commodification of human beings. Through analysis of key legal documents, including British court rulings, colonial slave codes, international treaties, and the U.S. Constitution, this dissertation challenges perspectives that position slavery as “a private matter,” underdeveloped, or merely a local matter outside or in contrast to the established legal order. Instead, the research argues that law and legal institutions were central to normalizing racial enslavement and embedding it within American jurisprudence. This study also argues that racial enslavement was enforced and sustained through systemic racial violence, institutionalizing mechanisms of “collective cruelty.” This system of "Collective Cruelty" served to suppress both individual and collective resistance among the enslaved population. The analysis contends that African enslavement and state-sanctioned violence were inextricably linked throughout both the mainland colonies and American constitutional eras. This dissertation finally explores North Carolina's unique legal foundations, where “absolute slavery” was instituted from its inception, demonstrating how legal frameworks did not merely accommodate slavery, but actively created, legitimized, and sustained a system of racial bondage through explicit mechanisms of dehumanization and commodification.6 0Item Restricted Early Detection of Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Using Transformers Models(Bowie State University, 2024) Almenwer, Sahar; El-Sayed, HodaChildhood cancer is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of fifteen, according to the American Cancer Society. The number of diagnosed cancer cases in children continues to rise each year, leading to many tragic fatalities. One specific type of cancer, pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), affects children from newborns to those as old as six years. The most common way to diagnose PPB is through imaging; this method is quick, cost-effective, and does not require specialized equipment or laboratory tests. However, relying solely on imaging for early detection of PPB can be challenging because of lower accuracy and sensitivity. It is time consuming and susceptible to errors because of the numerous potential differential diagnoses. A more accurate diagnosis of PPB depends on identifying mutations in the DICER1 gene. Recent advancements in biological analysis and computer learning are transforming cancer treatment. Deep learning (DL) methods for diagnosing PPB are becoming increasingly popular. Despite facing some challenges, DL shows a significant promise in supporting oncologists. However, some advanced models possess a limited local receptive field, which may restrict their ability to comprehend the overall context. This research employs the vision transformer (ViT) model to address these limitations. ViT reduces computation time and yields better results than existing models. It utilizes self-attention among image patches to process visual information effectively. The experiments in this study are conducted using two types of datasets, medical images and genomic datasets, employing two different methodologies. One approach uses the ViT model combined with an explainability framework on large medical image datasets with various modalities. The other involves developing a new hybrid model that integrates the vision transformer with bidirectional long short-term memory (ViT-BiLSTM) for genomic datasets. The results demonstrate that the ViT model and the new hybrid model, ViT-BiLSTM, significantly outperform established models, as validated by multiple performance metrics. Consequently, this research holds great promise for the early diagnosis of PPB, reducing misdiagnosis occurrences, and facilitating timely intervention and treatment. These findings could revolutionize medical diagnosis and shape the future of healthcare.6 0Item Restricted House Dust Mites in Irish Homes: Their Recovery, Associated Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance(University of Galway, 2024) Aljohani , Amal; Gerard FlemingAbstract Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) is amongst the most common house dust mite (HDM) species in Europe, and is associated with allergy and respiratory conditions in human beings. For Chapter 1, House Dust Mites (HDM) were sampled from fabrics by means of vacuuming. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus specimens were added to cotton, denim and fleece and the efficiency of two vacuuming protocols were tested. Protocol 1 involved a single pass of the vacuum head across the fabrics for 60, 90 and 120 seconds and Protocol 2 encompassed multi-directional vacuuming for the same time periods, after which the recovery of HDM was determined for both protocols. Protocol 2 (120 seconds vacuuming) was the most efficient for the recovery of HDM, particularly for the recovery of entrapped HDM in denim and cotton weaves. Chapters 3 and 4 detail the bacterial microbiome/resistome of HDM. Dust samples were collected from 56 homes in Galway, Ireland, between 2020 and 2022. Mites were recovered from household dust in 80% of homes and D. pteronyssinus was the most abundant species. Viable and cultivable bacteria were isolated from the exoskeleton of HDM, and the exoskeleton was predominately populated by Staphylococci (Staphylococcus equorum was the most abundant species detected). Exoskeleton-associated bacteria showed resistance to monobactam and carbapenen among others. Staphylococcus epidermidis survived on the exoskeleton of D. pteronyssinus for eight days during laboratory studies. With a culture-independent approach, Staphylococci dominated the microbiome of household-sampled mites (whole-mite approach). The bacterial microbiomes of HDM and household dust were significantly correlated. Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARG) encoding for multi-drug resistance, macrolide- lincosamide-streptogramin B, mobile genetic elements, beta-lactam, tetracycline, and aminoglycosides were detected in both mites and household dust. The mite and household dust resistome were significantly correlated but a history of antibiotic use in the domestic setting did not influence the magnitude of ARGs detected.6 0Item Restricted DETERMINANTS OF SAUDI NURSING FACULTY'S CONTINUANCE INTENTION TO USE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS USING THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL(Barry University, 2024) Aljouaid, Mohammad; Ferrona Beason , ARNPBackground: Information and Communication Technology is becoming increasingly critical in healthcare and education. Researchers have recently underlined the need to integrate these technologies into nursing education, recognizing their potential to elevate the quality of patient care. Even though Learning Management Systems are widely available to nursing educators, consistent usage has remained challenging, since not all faculty members continuously utilize these resources. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine constructs of Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness within the Technology Acceptance Model as determinants of the nursing faculty's Continuance Intention towards Learning Management Systems in Saudi Arabian institutions of higher education. Theoretical Framework: The study tested select constructs (Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness) of the Technology Acceptance Model. Methods: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional, correlational and predictive design, with data collected from a convenience sample of nursing faculty members in Saudi Arabia. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman Correlation, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal- Wallis Tests, and multiple regression analysis. Results: A strong positive correlation was found between Saudi nursing faculty's Perceived Usefulness and their Continuance Intention to use Learning Management Systems (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). The analysis also showed a significant positive correlation between Saudi nursing faculty's Perceived Ease of Use and their Perceived Usefulness (r = 0.49, p < 0.01). The multiple regression analysis explained 46% of the variance in Continuance Intention (R2 = 0.46), with Perceived Usefulness being a strong predictor of Continuance Intention and Perceived Ease of Use showing a positive association with Continuance Intention (β = 0.178, t = 1.951, p = 0.054). The demographic factors age, gender, academic rank, faculty specialty, teaching experience did not show significant associations with Continuance Intention. Conclusions: The findings showed that both Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use significantly influenced Saudi nursing faculty's continuance intention to use Learning Management Systems, with Perceived Usefulness emerging as the stronger predictor. The lack of significant associations between demographic factors (age, gender, academic rank, faculty specialty, and teaching experience) and Continuance Intention indicated that these factors did not impact faculty’s Continuance Intention to use Learning Management Systems. The findings' implications were essential for developing strategies to encourage the adoption and effective use of LMS in nursing education.7 0Item Restricted Saudi Cosmopolitan Transnational Parents’ Ideologies, Language Policy, and their Children’s Struggle with Homeland Integration(University of Arizona, 2024) Alshuhri ,Hasan; Mary Carol CombsThis study explored the language ideologies of Saudi cosmopolitan parents living in Western countries, their family language policies, and their children's reintegration into Saudi society. I used a qualitative research design to investigate the process of family language policies and practices and the underlying social, cultural, and religious ideologies. Drawing on the interviews with four Saudi families, and a survey with forty two Saudi parents, the research investigated how parents perceive and prioritize the use of Arabic and English within their households. It also examined the strategies they employ to maintain Arabic proficiency and cultural ties amidst a predominantly English-speaking environment. The findings revealed a complex interplay between parental aspirations, social pressures, and the linguistic realities faced by their children. The study highlighted the challenges and opportunities in balancing bilingualism by the families and the strategies they used to ease their reintegration into the Saudi homeland. This research contributed to a deeper understanding of the role of language in the transnational experiences of Saudi families and provided insights for educators and policymakers supporting these communities.1 0Item Restricted Assessing the Impact of urban renewal Gigaprojects through cultural preservation: A Case Study of Diriyah Gate’s Influence on Residential Property Prices in Riyadh(The London school of economics and political science, 2024) Alwabry, Alameer; Ignacio Aravena GonzalezThis research investigates a gigaproject that is set as a part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the research examines the extent that Diriyah Gate project inauguration has on nearby residential property prices. Using a variant of difference-in-difference methodology and a rare comprehensive dataset from Suhail.ai, this study is first of its kind in the region. The findings reveal that neighborhoods closest to the project experienced a significant decline in property prices ranging from 16% to north of 25% post-inauguration, likely due to the negative externalities that comes with the inauguration. Neighborhoods that are further away and buffered by those closest saw on average a 9% increase in residential property prices, reflecting positive spillovers from the project. The study contributes to the existing literature on both urban renewal and cultural preservation while also enriching the extensive body of research on rapidly developing regions.3 0Item Restricted Higher Education Faculty Perceptions and Implementation of Mobile Learning in Graduate Education(University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2024) Alyanbaawi, Afnan; Romero-Hall, EnlidaMobile learning (M-Learning) technology has emerged to enhance teaching and learning experiences, especially in higher education. This research aims to investigate graduate faculty perceptions of M-Learning. Also, the study investigates how faculty implement M-Learning in graduate education. There are three main research questions addressed in this dissertation study: (1) what are the graduate faculty perceptions of using M-Learning in graduate learning experiences? (2) Do the graduate faculty perceptions toward M-Learning differ according to demographic (i.e., age, gender, years of teaching experience, and area of expertise)? (3) How are graduate faculty implementing M- Learning in graduate education? Data were collected using an electronic survey and individual interviews. One- way ANOVA was used to analyze the data from the electronic survey demographic. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data and the open-ended survey questions. The electronic survey results indicate that there are significant differences in the perceptions of M-Learning among graduate faculty based on their (a) age groups and (b) area of expertise. However, there are no significant differences in the perceptions of M-Learning among graduate faculty based on their (a) gender and (b) years of teaching experience. However, based on the electronic survey results, overall faculty are neutral on their perceptions about the use of M-Learning in graduate education. Faculty interviews indicate a wide range of specific views on M-Learning. Some graduate faculty have prior experience with M-Learning, while others have never considered using it in their teaching. The research concludes that graduate faculty primarily considers M-Learning as hardware or software that can be used to fulfill basic course requirements such as accessing the learning management system (LMS) and the video conferencing software. The results suggest that graduate faculty members are interested in attending M-Learning professional development to better understand how to use M-Learning in graduate education.6 0Item Restricted Technoeconomic Performance Analysis of DAC: Case Studies in California and Scotland(The University of Edinburgh, 2024-08-19) Alhazmi, Abdulrahman; Hannah ChalmersDirect Air Capture (DAC) technologies, particularly those utilizing liquid sorbent systems, are increasingly recognized as essential tools for mitigating global climate change. However, their economic feasibility is highly sensitive to various input parameters. This study developed a comprehensive generic DAC model to identify the most significant input parameters affecting techno-economic performance, with a specific focus on CO₂ capture efficiency, capital expenditure (CAPEX), carbon pricing, and the annual growth rate of carbon prices. Detailed sensitivity analysis identified CAPEX and CO₂ capture efficiency as the most critical determinants of DAC economic performance. Enhancing CO₂ capture efficiency significantly reduced the Levelized Cost of CO₂ Capture (LCOC) from $151.43/ton to $125.50/ton, while a 20% increase in CAPEX drastically lowered the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) by up to 413%. The model was validated through case studies in California and Scotland. Results revealed that California’s favourable conditions—such as a lower fixed charge factor, higher carbon price growth, and a more aggressive annual growth rate—yield superior economic outcomes, including a Net Present Value (NPV) of $102.9 million and an IRR of 19%. In contrast, Scotland, despite its higher carbon price, faced increased CAPEX, leading to less favourable financial performance. The model's LCOC outcomes were validated against existing literature, aligning within the reported range of $94 to $232/ton, confirming its accuracy and relevance. These findings underscore the necessity for region-specific DAC deployment strategies and provide actionable insights for optimizing investments in DAC technologies, thereby supporting global climate mitigation efforts.17 0Item Restricted Investigating the importance of technological advancements in logistics and supply chain management and how they help meet global sustainability Goals(Kingston, 2024) Ibrahim, Mohammad; Ki-soon HwangLogistics management and Supply chain management are the terms associated with supply chain management, which involves activities such as planning, sourcing, generating, and delivering goods and services. Logistics, on the other hand, involves emphasising the track of processes so that the right products are at the right place at the right time. Along with these processes, technological advancements play significant roles in terms of productivity, efficiency and attainment of sustainable goals. In this context, this research study aims to explore the investigation of technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology (BCT), internet of things (IoT), automation and robotics in supply chain and logistics along with meeting the sustainability goals. Therefore, this research will fill the gap in the prevailing literature on technological advancements and carbon reduction by including a specific study of the automotive manufacturing sectors. In terms of methodology, a questionnaire survey was conducted through structured closed-ended questions including the sixty-four participants as stakeholders of the supply chains and logistics. The key findings or results reveal the information or understanding that, technological advancements optimise inventory management and also help in reducing waste for sectors like manufacturing in the Automotive industries. Along with this, technical development improves the productivity of supply chain management as well as logistics by accomplishing global sustainability objectives and reducing carbon emissions in the manufacturing sector. In this research study, the different obstacles to adopting sustainable logistics technology are also explored by promoting the application of renewable energy and green logistics in different sectors. One of the significant limitations of this research study is that it does not involve all aspects of green technology and green technologies can be a good option for future research study. The conclusion as well as recommendations drawn in the present studies, are expected to offer a significant insight for supply chain management and logistics to get a competitive advantage in terms of attaining sustainable execution with the usage of logical advancement. Acknowledg6 0