Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Essays on Blockchain Technology(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-05-15) Alkhars, Kazem Abdulkarim; Radhakrishnan, AbiramiThis dissertation consists of two essays on blockchain technology adoption and application. The first essay empirically examines the factors affecting the adoption of cryptocurrency at the individual level using the theoretical lenses of the Theory of Technological, Personal, and Environmental factors and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The existing literature emphasizes the need for broader adoption by individuals. Therefore, in this large-scale, theory-driven study, I investigate the factors influencing the intention to adopt cryptocurrencies at an individual level. The findings show that the main technological factors impacting the intention to adopt cryptocurrency are complexity, perceived benefits, and trialability. The main personal factors are compatibility, individual risk propensity, and trust. Finally, it reveals the role of positive market sentiments as the main environmental factor. The second essay uses the Dynamic Capabilities View as a theoretical lens to empirically investigate the impact of blockchain technology usage on a firm’s resilience to supply chain disruptions and operational performance. Witnessing the negative impacts of disruptions such as COVID-19 on supply chain performance, this research addresses this gap. While prior studies present blockchain chain technology as a potential solution a firm can use to enhance resilience, not one study has shed light on how blockchain usage can impact firms' resilience and operational performance. The findings provide empirical evidence of the relationship between blockchain technology usage and supply chain capabilities. Second, it also provides empirical evidence of the indirect relationship between blockchain technology usage and a firm's resilience and operational performance in the face of environmental uncertainty.9 0Item Restricted Resilience and Reality: Exploring the Lived Experiences of People Living with HIV in Texas During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study.(The University of Texas at Arlington, 2025-05) Alanazi, Ahmed; Eusebius, SmallThis study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities in access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mental health services, while simultaneously highlighting the remarkable resilience of the participants. Adaptive coping mechanisms, community support, and advocacy efforts emerged as critical strategies for navigating the layered challenges of living with HIV during a global health crisis. The study identified key themes such as social isolation and estrangement, the emotional toll of the diagnosis, resilience in navigating health crises, and redefining possibilities through HIV services, with each theme branching into sub-themes that offer deeper interpretations. Participants' narratives underscore the necessity for tailored interventions that address the broad-ranging needs of PLWH, including the integration of mental health services into HIV care and the development of socially-led education campaigns to combat stigma. By focusing on the unique experiences of PLWH, this research contributes to the broader understanding of syndemic health crises, where HIV/AIDS interacts synergistically with other social, economic, and health issues, exacerbating the overall impact on affected communities. The study calls for a paradigm shift in public health policy, emphasizing the need for inclusive and intersectional approaches that prioritize equity, resilience, and community empowerment. The findings also provide actionable insights for healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations, advocating for robust telemedicine infrastructure, stigma reduction initiatives, and comprehensive support systems that ensure continuity of care during public health emergencies. As the global community still grapples with the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study underlines the urgency of reimagining public health strategies. By centering the voices of those living at the intersection of HIV and COVID-19, it challenges existing paradigms and paves the way for innovative solutions that transcend individual health crises, offering a blueprint for more equitable, inclusive, and resilient healthcare systems. The research not only highlights the structural inequities that deepen health disparities but also illuminates the resilience and adaptive capacities of PLWH, providing a foundation for policies and practices that uphold dignity, wellbeing, and social inclusion for all.13 0Item Restricted Detecting abuse of cloud and public legitimate services as command and control infrastructure using machine learning(Cardiff University, 2024) Al lelah, Turki; Theodorakopoulos, GeorgeThe widespread adoption of Cloud and Public Legitimate Services (CPLS) has inadvertently created new opportunities for cybercriminals to establish hidden and robust command-and-control (C&C) communication infrastructure. This abuse represents a major cybersecurity risk, as it allows malicious traffic to seamlessly disguise itself within normal network activities. Traditional detection systems are proving inadequate in accurately identifying such abuses. Therefore, this thesis is motivated by emphasizing the urgent need for more advanced detection techniques that are capable of identifying the C&C activity hidden within legitimate CPLS traffic. To assess the extent of the cyber threat of abusing CPLS, this thesis presents an ex- tensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) encompassing academic and industry lit- erature. The review provides a comprehensive categorization of the attack techniques utilized to abuse CPLS as C&C infrastructure. The open problems uncovered through the SLR motivate this thesis to propose a novel Detection System (DS) capable of identifying malware that abuse CPLS as C&C communication channels. Furthermore, to evaluate our system robustness against attempts to evade detection, this thesis intro- duces the Replace Misclassified Parameter (RMCP) adversarial attack. The proposed detection system leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, combining static and dynamic malware analysis methods to accurately identify CPLS abuse. The effective- ness of the proposed system is validated through extensive experiments, demonstrating its ability to detect novel and sophisticated attacks that evade traditional security measures. The outcomes of this thesis have significant implications for enhancing the security of cloud environments, contributing valuable knowledge and practical solutions to the field of cloud security.26 0Item Restricted Tracing the Trajectory and Development of Language Teachers’ Resilience Stories from the Saudi context(The University of Nottingham, 2024-01) Aloufey, Mariam; Muir, Christine; Conklin, KathyAcross the world, teachers in general and language teachers in particular, are experiencing significant levels of stress and burnout, leading to their exodus from the profession. The construct of resilience gained considerable interest in education, and studies on resilience have been rapidly growing as it provides a comprehensive framework on how resilient teachers maintain their motivation and commitment to the profession. Although teacher resilience has been widely research in Western contexts, to date no research has examined language teacher resilience in the Saudi context. Accordingly, three qualitative studies have been conducted in sequence to examine the development and trajectories of Saudi language teachers’ resilience throughout their career span. The first of these was an exploratory study that aimed to examine the teaching challenges that teachers experienced throughout the years and how they coped. Data from 11 teachers revealed universal and specific teaching challenges to the Saudi context, and use of faith as one of their coping strategies. Significantly, the data suggested four resilience archetypes that were called 1) A smooth resilience 2) roller-coaster resilience, 3) maladaptive resilience, and 4) a reluctant resilience. To further investigate these findings, a second study was conducted with the 4 teachers representing the archetypes. The results revealed that teachers’ resilience developed gradually and emerged from the dynamic interaction between teachers’ inner systems, which included many components (e.g., learning experience, and self-efficacy) and the different contextual factors in the teaching context over time. Furthermore, the study showed the complex change and development of coping strategies influenced by the reciprocal interaction between teachers and their contexts.13 0Item Restricted Optimising the design of passive optical networks-based data centres(University of Leeds, 2024) Alharthi, Mohammed; Elmirghani, JaafarThe recent growth in cloud-based applications has motivated researchers to focus on improving the scalability, power efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of data centre architectures. State-of-the-art data centres consists of numerous access and aggregation switches which can be costly and can lead to inefficiencies such as unbalanced traffic and high-power consumption. Passive Optical Network (PON) technology, known for its high performance in access networks, can offer energy-efficient, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for modern and future data centres. This thesis aims to propose and enhance a PON-based data centre architecture to enable multi-path routing, load balancing and scalability, enhance resilience and energy efficiency, and reduce latency. The proposed design is based on a two-tier cascaded Arrayed Waveguide Grating Routers (AWGRs) fabric. We develop a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model to optimise the wavelength assignment and multipath routing in the proposed architecture. Additionally, we investigate the resilience of the proposed architecture by evaluating its power consumption and delay under several failure scenarios. We also optimise virtual Machine (VM) placement in the proposed architecture to minimise power consumption. A MILP model and a heuristic are developed for VM placement in the proposed architecture and the results show significant power consumption reductions, up to 66% compared to VM placement in the state-of-the-art architecture, the spine and leaf architecture. Furthermore, we consider the use of WDM/TDM multiple access technique with multipath routing in the proposed architecture. A MILP model is developed to jointly optimise time slots allocation and routing and wavelength assignment.23 0Item Restricted Sustainable and Cost-Effective Work Zone Scheduling on Two-Lane Highways with Managed Lanes(New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2024-04-23) Edrees, Ahmed; Chien, StevenRoadway maintenance projects greatly influence the roadway capacity, resulting in potential traffic disturbances captured by delays. Additionally, costs associated with these projects tend to be exorbitantly extensive. Most agencies and planners try to find a solution that minimizes roadway maintenance costs, traffic delays, crash risks, and environmental impact. Work zones on two-way two-lane roadway typically avoids high-demand periods. Lane-closure scenario is commonly used and converts the open lane into a phantom intersection, alternating two-direction movements on one lane with the help of a flagger or a temporary signal. Alternatively, using shoulders as temporarily managed lanes allows for simultaneous two-way movements with minimal interruptions. This scenario can potentially enhance the efficiency of the work zone by allowing for longer work zone segments and fewer setups, while increasing the project cost due to shoulder preparation cost, which is sensitive to the condition of the existing shoulders and the amount of preparation work needed. This study addresses the feasibility of utilizing managed lanes scenarios for two-way two-lane highways, while previous work focused on assessing and optimizing one-lane scenarios. The objective of this study is to develop a cost optimization algorithm and resilience assessment model for work zone scenarios on two-way two-lane highways. The cost optimization process assesses the trade-offs between agency, user, accident, and emission costs. This study enhances several assumptions and limitations of previously developed models by accounting for hourly demand variations, heavy vehicle presence, and work zone buffer areas. Additionally, this study utilizes the latest models for crash risk predictions as illustrated in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) and emission rate simulator developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The results of the optimization models serve as framework for comparison of potential scheduling schemes by exploring the effects of traffic demand variations, work zone lengths, and project starting times, while taking into consideration scheduling restraints, accident risks, and emission standards.17 0Item Restricted ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE THROUGH INTEGRATION OF A MAX-MIN FAIRNESS-INSPIRED STRATEGY IN MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEMS(The University of Oklahoma, 2024-04-26) Moshebah, Osamah Yahya; González, AndrésThis dissertation's primary contribution to Supply Chain and Transportation Network (SCTN) resilience lies in the implementation of a sequence of Multicriteria Mixed Integer liners programming MCMILP models that incorporate Max-Min Fairness-Inspired (MMFI) approach as a fundamental constraint, thereby delivering both effective distribution and cost-efficiency. The research's novelty is accentuated by its reliance on actual network data from Colombia's intricate multimodal transportation and supply chain system, which involves a diverse flow of multicommodity. This setting provides a robust backdrop for elucidating the real-world efficacy of the proposed models. The foundational layer of resilient supply chains and transportation networks is their capacity for an immediate and efficient response in the wake of disruptions. Chapter2 introduces the first model within this dissertation MCMILP model—that pioneers the incorporation of MMFI strategy directly into the optimization process. This innovative approach is essential for curtailing the detrimental effects of unforeseen events by guaranteeing prompt and effective resource distribution. The effectiveness of this model is not merely theoretical; its application to Colombia’s multimodal transportation data reveals a substantial enhancement in user satisfaction. By significantly reducing the performance loss across the network, the model demonstrates its exceptional capacity to uphold a high level of service and requirements, validating the concept that immediate fairness can indeed coexist with, and even bolster, operational efficiency. In Chapter 3, the spotlight shifts to the critical long-term recovery phase, where the principles of effective distribution are further operationalized to ensure sustained resilience. Here, a refined version of MCMILP model is employed, extending the concept of MMFI strategy to a more complex and temporally extended recovery process. This model proves to be a powerful tool in the unbiased distribution of resources over time, promoting a swifter restoration trajectory. The Colombian multimodal transportation system once again serves as the proving ground for this model's efficacy. The empirical results showcase not only a higher rate of network-wide satisfaction but also demonstrate that effective distribution strategies can effectively minimize the recovery timeframe. The model's application thus substantiates the assertion that MMFI integrated into recovery planning is paramount for expediting the restoration of services and maintaining a consistent satisfaction rate during periods of gradual network recovery. In Chapter 4 of the dissertation, the focus shifts toward enhancing strategic planning for enduring resilience within Supply Chain and Transportation Networks (SCTN). The chapter introduces an innovative evaluation model that incorporates MMFI, a pivotal element that significantly strengthens the model's foundation. By embedding MMFI, the evaluation framework is anchored securely in the principles of robust optimization. This methodology is particularly adept at addressing the most challenging aspects of planning and operation by emphasizing the preparation for worst-case scenarios. Such a focus ensures that the network's integrity remains uncompromised in the face of severe disruptions. The introduction of this evaluation model marks a critical phase in the dissertation, laying down a comprehensive foundation for constructing a resilient network. Unlike conventional approaches that primarily aim at survival in the aftermath of disruptions, this model elevates the network's objectives. It seeks to enable the SCTN to not just survive but to thrive amid adversities. This ambition is realized through the model's capability to maintain essential service levels, even under extreme conditions that typically would cripple unprepared networks.20 0Item Restricted Modeling the Resilience of Multimodal Rural Freight Corridors: An Integrated Area-based and Link-Based Framework(Saudi Digital Library, 2023) Alkhaldi, Talal; Abdel-Rahim, AhmedResilience analysis for multimodal freight corridors involves assessing the ability of freight networks to sustain and robustly recover from major disruptions such as natural disasters, accidents, or system failures. Such resiliency analysis should consider factors such as the risk of different disruptions, infrastructure health and robustness, and the redundancy of different network components. The primary focus of the research presented in this thesis is the resiliency of rural multimodal freight corridors that serve local industries such as agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, and mining. The research was conducted through several major tasks: a comprehensive literature review to synthesize the results of previous research; review of data available in the federal, state, county, and city levels to identify and document the availability of data as well as to highlight gaps that exist in this data; and the development of an integrated area-based and link-based framework to model the resiliency of multimodal rural freight corridors. Several disruptions are considered in this study including disruptions due to structural failure of one or more network element, disruptions due major crashes such as HAZMAT crashes on highway or railways, and disruptions due to natural hazards such as landslides, floods, and wildfires. While cyberattacks, such as ransomware attacks, can target ports and railway operations and cause considerable disruptions, they were not included in this research. Based on the review of data available for rural multimodal freight corridor analysis, several observations have been made: • While structural health data for bridges and culverts on the state highways are available and can easily be accessed, such data are either not available or difficult to access for all structures on the local highway system and for structures on railway lines. This causes a significant gap in the data needed to assess the structural failure risk indicators for major elements of the rural multimodal freight corridors, • Major crashes data on the highway system is available and accessible from different sources. However, crashes and incidents on private railway lines are not publicly available, • Data for the risk indexes of different natural hazards is publicly available from federal sources at the county level. Few data are available in the more disaggregated route specific levels, and • Data on past disruption incidents to document details of the disruption, the response plan, and the recovery plans are either not available or hard to access. This data is very valuable to document lessons learned from each disruption incident and to enhance coordination and communication among stakeholders to facilitate effective and prompt response and recovery efforts to future disruptions. The integrated link-based and area-based framework introduced in this research can be used to estimate structural failure and HAZMAT/railway crash risk indexes for different links on the rural multimodal freight corridor networks. Additionally, at the link-based level, the redundancy and criticality index for each link can be estimated. Area-based natural hazards data can be used to estimate the natural hazards risk indexes that are associated with each link in the network. The outcome of this integrated framework can assist transportation agencies in the following tasks: • Developing comprehensive risk management strategies that account for a wide range of potential disruptions and emergencies, • Implementing the outcome of the criticality and redundancy indexes for different network links to create redundancy and alternative options for freight movement, and • Establishing robust contingency plans and implementing data-driven decision-making processes to predict the likelihood of different disruptions and optimize response and recovery plans and operations.40 0Item Restricted High Reliability Organizing in Digital Platforms: Managing Uncertainties in Negative Events(2023-08) Alsahli, Amal; Lyytinen, KalleDigital platforms, such as Facebook, Amazon, and Uber, are becoming crucial components of modern societies' infrastructure. In addition to driving innovation and economic growth, they shape political opinion and facilitate social change. Despite their pervasiveness, digital platforms are increasingly challenged with emerging uncertainty that stems from a variety of sources and affects a wide range of platform actors. Without a proper and prompt approach to navigate such uncertainty, digital platforms are susceptible to potential failures and business discontinuity. This dissertation provides a preliminary understanding of the emerging uncertainty in digital platforms. It focuses on uncertainty associated with negative events that range from incidents in the interactions between the platform’s external users to major exogenous shocks that have a system-wide impact on the digital platform. Drawing on qualitative methods and interdisciplinary research, the dissertation is comprised of three independent studies. The first study utilizes a grounded theorizing approach to understand how users of digital platforms attribute blame for negative incidents. It follows media coverage of extreme incidents in two major platforms: YouTube and Airbnb. Findings show that the initial attribution of blame is transformed into a collectively distributed attribution through a retrospective sensemaking process. Study 2 seeks to understand how digital platforms organize for high reliability to manage uncertainty in negative incidents. An in-depth case study of the support function in a marketplace platform demonstrates evolving routine dynamics in the upstream (preventing incidents) and the downstream (resolving incidents) processes. Study 3 adopts a macro perspective on negative incidents by studying how digital platforms maintain operational resilience against major shocks. A longitudinal case study follows the response of a marketplace platform to the disruptions caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The study identifies digital capabilities for absorbing, adapting, and ultimately transforming to a new stable state following a disruption. Taken together, the three studies contribute to research and practice by: (1) understanding the multidimensional and emergent nature of uncertainty in the context of digital platforms; (2) providing a rich description of digitally-enabled capabilities that a digital platform develops and uses to navigate uncertainty; and (3) providing suggestions for platforms seeking to organize for high reliability and resilience.18 0Item Restricted COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE: LESSONS AND IMPLICATIONS FROM THE RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC(2023-05-05) Alshayhan, Norah; Yusuf, Wie; Jordan, Meagan; Whitehead, JessicaCollaborative leadership is a critical component in emergency management and resilience. Although cross-sector leadership is considered compulsory in the management of many disasters, the skills and competencies for successful execution of collaborative leadership approaches in emergency management and resilience are still largely unknown, especially as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic response. The perspectives of emergency management and resilience leaders may fill in this research gap. This qualitative study relies on semi-structured interviews to explore the needed skills and competencies for collaborative leadership in emergency management and resilience during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the South-Atlantic states. The study relies on Transformational Leadership and Integrative Public Leadership theories to answer the research questions. This study employs qualitative methodology to gain in-depth information of emergency management and resilience leaders’ stories. The researcher used a thematic analysis approach to categorize the identified skills and competencies from the literature and the generated themes from the qualitative data from interview participants. These findings contribute to public administration by broadening the leadership concept through the exploration of collaborative leadership skills and competencies in emergency management and resilience. State-level emergency management and resilience leaders are stewards of our health and safety, tax dollars, and trust, putting them at the center of scholarly conversations about the COVID-19 pandemic and building effective collaborative teams. The study has implications for practitioners and theorists alike.22 0