Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Analyzing the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation on Twitter: Patterns, Impact, and Countermeasures(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Abokhanjar, Hissah; Li, Weihua; Wang, XiaodanTwitter, as a significant information hub during the pandemic, has facilitated the rapid spread of accurate updates and false narratives, contributing to the ‘infodemic.’ This study investigates the most common types of COVID-19 misinformation spread on Twitter and examines their impact on public perception and behavior. By analyzing a substantial dataset of COVID-19-related tweets, the research identifies recurring misinformation themes, including erroneous claims about the virus’s origin, prevention strategies, treatments, and vaccine efficacy. Prominent misinformation types include theories falsely attributing the virus’s origin to human engineering or intentional release, unproven prevention methods like natural remedies, and misleading treatment options, such as the promotion of unapproved drugs. Additionally, vaccine-related misinformation, including baseless claims about vaccine safety, side effects, and hidden agendas, contributed significantly to public skepticism and hesitancy. The study explores how these misinformation narratives influenced public attitudes and behaviors, revealing that exposure led to increased vaccine hesitancy, reduced compliance with public health guidelines, and the widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories. These effects complicated public health efforts and deepened social and political divisions, further impeding effective pandemic management. The findings highlight the urgent need for strategies to counter misinformation and promote accurate public health information, especially during global crises. Public health authorities, social media platforms, and educators must collaborate to enhance information literacy, improve content moderation, and develop targeted interventions. These efforts are crucial to mitigating the spread and impact of misinformation, thereby safeguarding public health and trust in scientific expertise.22 0Item Restricted The interactive effects of juvenile hormone analogs and environmental factors on mosquito phenotypic traits and susceptibility to arbovirus infection(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-09-10) Alomar, Abdullah Abdulaziz; Alto, Barry WilmerEmerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are among the most important global public health concerns. Arboviruses, such as Zika virus (ZIKV) have caused explosive epidemics affecting thousands of people worldwide. In the absence of effective antiviral medications, prevention measures rely largely on reducing the number of adult mosquito vectors by targeting juvenile stages. However, a full understanding of the interactive effects of these measures and environmental factors in determining mosquito phenotypic traits and interactions between arboviruses and mosquito vectors is poorly understood. Pyriproxyfen is a juvenile hormone analog (JHA) that primarily blocks adult emergence, by mimicking the natural insect juvenile hormone, and minimally affects larval growth and development. This mechanism of JHA has the potential to act in combination with other larval sources of mortality in nature to affect mosquito populations. Here, we designed a series of experimental manipulations to determine the influence of juvenile exposure to JHA on the Ae. aegypti life-history traits and susceptibility to infection with ZIKV under different environmental factors, including predation and variation in temperature. Concentrations of JHA that cause over 50% inhibition in adult emergence of Ae. aegypti had no effect on adult emergence and lifespan of predatory mosquito Tx. rutilus. Weights of adult Ae. aegypti and Tx. rutilus were not influenced by JHA exposure. The combination of the presence of JHA and Tx. rutilus heavily lowered Ae. aegypti emergence to adulthood more than the independent effects of JHA or Tx. rutilus. Lifespan of adult Ae. aegypti was shortened by exposure to JHA and Tx. rutilus. The effects of JHA on mosquitoes were modulated by temperature. Phenotypic traits (development time, wing size, and adult emergence) and susceptibility to ZIKV infection, dissemination, and transmission were differently influenced by JHA and temperature interactions. These findings suggest that the use of JHA to control mosquito vectors may have low effects on mosquito biocontrol agents, but it may influence adult susceptibility to arboviruses under different environmental conditions. Understanding the ultimate consequences of juvenile mosquito control measures on subsequent adults’ ability to transmit viral pathogens is critical to fully understanding their overall impacts on the epidemiology of arboviruses.22 0Item Restricted Challenges Facing COVID-19 Vaccines Cold Chain Systems in Low-income Countries and Their Effects on COVID-19 Vaccine Inequity in Africa and Globally(Saudi Digital Library, 2022-10-03) Alfaraj, Ghaidaa; Roberts, StephenRealizing that the COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous public health burden due to dramatically increased morbidity and mortality rates, countries undertook measures to limit the transmission of the virus. Eventually, experts and scientists met the urgency of this matter with unprecedented extensive efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, and little attention was drawn to their deployment. Therefore, it is justified to expect supply chain challenges in low-income countries, especially those related to the vaccination cold chain. This literature review dissertation aims to explore the challenges facing the COVID-19 vaccines’ cold chain systems in low-income countries and discuss what impacts these challenges have on vaccine inequity in the African region and on larger global efforts to end the pandemic. The methodology of this dissertation is a literature review that employs a qualitative research approach to address the research questions. It is conducted by referring to the six-phase framework for doing a thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. All publication types were retrieved electronically by searching relevant databases. A total of 14 papers were included in this review. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes, including the challenges facing cold chain systems in low-income countries which are: inadequate cold chain establishment, special vaccine requirements, lack of human resources, and poor infrastructures. Findings show that low-income countries struggle to provide and maintain cold chain systems for COVID-19 vaccines, leading to difficulty deploying them where they are needed, which confirms the contribution of the COVID-19 vaccines cold chain systems’ deficiencies in low-income countries to vaccine inequity in Africa and globally. These consequences and delays in COVID-19 vaccines’ deployment cause vaccine inequity in low-income countries, further exacerbating the pandemic’s dire global effects and challenging global health’s progress towards achieving global health equity.19 0Item Restricted An Exploration of the Negative Impact of Social Media and Strategies for Intervention(2023-05-11) Kurdi, Maram; Mishra, ShivakantSocial media platforms are vital in connecting individuals globally. However, to thrive, these platforms must prioritize user and content creator satisfaction and engagement, which are key to their success. This highlights the importance of designing social media platforms with a user-centric approach that considers not only the technical aspects of interaction but also the psychological and emotional effects on the user. For instance, the sudden deletion of user-generated content without any explanation or warning can elicit negative emotions and frustration, while exposure to appealing digital food cues can indirectly affect users’ well-being and fuel the obesity epidemic. This thesis explores the impact of social media on individuals’ physical and emotional states and evaluates possible interventions aimed at mitigating its potential risks. It presents a comprehensive, large- scale examination of videos that have been removed by YouTube or deleted by their uploaders. It develops and assesses three prediction models that can predict which videos will be removed at three stages of their lifespan. Additionally, it presents a large-scale, mixed-method approach to quantify the prevalence of food cues on Snapchat in three countries with different cultural backgrounds (Saudi Arabia, the United States, and France). It also measures the impact of exposure to Snapchat food content on appetite and whether it may inadvertently exacerbate cravings. Finally, it sheds light on Snapchat users’ perceptions of a proposed intervention design idea, allowing them to customize their feed and hide food content to reduce exposure to it. The outcomes of this thesis offer valuable insights and recommendations for how social media platforms can be improved to promote a healthier and more positive user experience.28 0