Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted PHENOTYPING RIGHT VENTRICULAR STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION USING ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN ARRHYTHMOGENIC RIGHT VENTRICULAR CARDIOMYOPATHY(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Aljehani, Areej; Rick, SteedsArrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy ARVC) is a rare inherited disease characterised by an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death often presenting before structural changes are apparent. Early detection and risk stratification for major adverse cardiac events are crucial to improving patient outcomes. However, limited data exist on identifying patients at high risk for MACE. This thesis aimed to comprehensively characterise, over time, a cohort of ARVC patients from a large tertiary university centre, with a focus on advanced cardiovascular imaging findings. It encompassed both retrospective and prospective studies across different disease stages of ARVC. We identified significant differences between definite and early stages of ARVC, with structural progression strongly associated with an increased risk of MACE. Notably, advanced imaging techniques, particularly strain imaging, demonstrated superior performance in detecting structural abnormalities and predicting MACE compared to conventional imaging parameters. Exercise-derived strain imaging showed superior diagnostic value compared to conventional resting measures. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating advanced imaging tools into the routine assessment and risk stratification of ARVC patients to enable early intervention and improve long-term outcomes.31 0Item Restricted CLEAR ALIGNER TREATMENT BY GENERAL DENTAL PRACTITIONERS IN THE U.K: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) BADABAAN, GHOFRAN MOHAMMED S; JOHAL, AMA; COLONIO-SALAZAR, FIORELLAIntroduction: The aim of this mixed-methods study is to understand the training and experience of GDPs (of less and more than 10 years qualified), in providing CAT for adults in private practice. Materials: A mixed methods approach was adopted, including an online questionnaire and one-to-one semi-structured interviews with GDPs who had completed a 32Co webinar course in CAT. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using MS Excel and SPSS v24 (Part 1) and qualitative data using framework methodology (Part 2). The qualitative and quantitative data were integrated through the triangulation process (Part 2). Results: In total, 100 completed surveys (55 males; 55 >10 years qualified) and 16 semi-structured interviews (9 males, 11 >10 years qualified) were conducted, 10 main themes and 29 sub-themes were generated from the interviews. GDPs (qualified >10 years) had gained basic understanding of the theoretical background of CAT. GDPs working experience in CAT (regardless of the years of qualification) was limited to simple mild-moderate malocclusion traits. Participants explored several reasons for choosing a specific provider. GDPs (>10 years of qualification) were more confident in complex treatment mechanics, including IPR and more aware of the reasons for undertaking and staging IPR and various attachment shapes. A retention preference following CAT provision was laboratory-made upper and lower fixed retainers, especially in complex malocclusions that have a high risk of relapse, as well as VFRs either in isolation or in combination. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that the training courses were of limited benefit to gain deep understanding of theoretical and clinical aspects of CAT. GDPs felt confident in treating mild or moderate malocclusion traits. GDPs with longer years qualified were more comfortable in using complex treatment mechanics and aware of the reasons for using and staging IPR. Retention preference following CAT to adult patient varied widely.11 0Item Restricted Healthcare Professionals' Understanding of Children's Rights: Development and Psychometric Testing of the Children's Rights Questionnaire(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alshammari, Sahar Mazied N; Noble, Helen; Linden, MarkThe United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) emphasises the active participation of children in matters related to their well-being. While numerous studies highlight the significance of understanding children’s rights, there is a notable lack of validated and reliable tools to assess healthcare professionals' (HCPs) comprehension of these rights. This gap poses challenges for consistent evaluation and progress tracking in both research and clinical practice. To date, studies have relied on invalid and unreliable measures, limiting their generalisability and underscoring the urgent need for the development of robust assessment tools. HCPs play a crucial role in advocating for and implementing children’s rights; however, their understanding of these rights vary significantly. Addressing this gap is essential for enhancing advocacy efforts among HCPs. Aim: This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the Children’s Rights for Healthcare Professionals Questionnaire (CRHPQ) to assess HCPs’ understanding of children’s rights. The study pursued four key objectives: (a) to establish and test the CRHPQ for face and content validity, (b) to determine its construct validity and internal consistency, (c) to examine its test-retest reliability, and (d) to utilise the CRHPQ in comparing the understanding of children's rights between HCPs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: A systematic review was conducted to critically appraise and synthesise the existing literature on HCPs’ understanding of children’s rights. The questionnaire was developed following a rigorous multi-phase process, including expert validation, pilot testing, and ii psychometric evaluation with a diverse sample of HCPs. The scale development methodology comprised two phases. Phase 1: focused on the development of the CRHPQ, detailing the steps involved in constructing the scale, including item generation, format selection, expert review for content validity, and pilot testing. The role of both the Children’s Project Advisory Group (CPAG) and the Adult Project Advisory Group (APAG) in refining the scale was also highlighted. The research team collaborated with advisory groups to assess the clarity, importance, and relevance of the questionnaire items, ensuring alignment with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) seven standards of children’s rights based on the UNCRC. The CRHPQ was piloted with 26 students to evaluate content validity. Phase 2: addressed the validation of the CRHPQ, involving scale administration and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to examine its construct validity. Reliability assessment, including internal consistency and test-retest reliability, was conducted to evaluate the scale’s stability and consistency. To test the psychometric properties of the CRHPQ, an exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency tests were performed. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 272 HCPs to assess the construct validity of the CRHPQ. Participants were recruited from three major hospitals using a convenience sampling strategy. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including reliability testing and factor analysis. Test-retest reliability was assessed with postgraduate healthcare students at Queen’s University Belfast. Participants completed the questionnaire twice, with a two-week interval. Recruitment was conducted via module coordinators, and data were collected online. A minimum of 30 paired responses was required, but 40 participants were recruited to ensure sufficient data. iii A cross-sectional online questionnaire study compared HCPs’ understanding of children’s rights in KSA and the UK. Primary data from 40 randomly selected HCPs in KSA were compared with responses from 40 postgraduate healthcare students in the UK. In KSA, participants were drawn from the larger sample of 272 HCPs, while in the UK, postgraduate students were recruited for accessibility and relevant clinical training. Results: The systematic review identified three main themes: (1) barriers to implementing children’s rights in healthcare, (2) factors facilitating implementation, and (3) study instruments used to measure outcomes. Several barriers hindered the implementation of children’s rights, including limited knowledge, misconceptions about legal and ethical principles, time constraints, resource shortages, and workforce pressures. Parental dominance in decision-making and a lack of formal training further exacerbated these challenges. Despite these challenges, certain factors facilitated the implementation of children’s rights. HCPs with specialist training demonstrated a stronger understanding and application of these rights. Effective communication strategies, such as age-appropriate explanations and trust-building, were crucial in encouraging children’s participation in decision-making. Institutional policies and legal frameworks also played a role in promoting consistent rights- based practices. Statistical analyses confirmed the CRHPQ’s validity and reliability, establishing it as a robust tool for measuring HCPs' awareness and comprehension of children’s rights. The EFA revealed a seven-factor solution consisting of 53 items. Internal consistency, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, demonstrated excellent reliability (α = 0.979). Test-retest reliability analysis, completed by 40 HCPs, indicated moderate reliability, with four out of seven subscales exhibiting poor test-retest reliability. In its first application, iv the CRHPQ was employed to compare HCPs' understanding of children’s rights in the UK and KSA. An independent t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in total scores between the two groups, t(50.529) = 2.034, p = .047 (two-tailed), suggesting that HCPs in the UK had a higher understanding of children’s rights than those in KSA. Conclusions: The CRHPQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing HCPs’ understanding of children’s rights. This research underscores the importance of equipping HCPs with the knowledge necessary to provide rights-respecting care in line with global frameworks such as the UNCRC. Findings indicate significant variations in understanding across different contexts, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to enhance HCPs’ awareness of children’s rights. The CRHPQ not only identifies understanding gaps but can also be utilised to support the development of educational programmes to improve HCPs’ understanding and application of children’s rights. Integrating rights-based approaches into healthcare is crucial, necessitating training, policy development, and practical application. Ultimately, the CRHPQ has the potential to drive systemic change in healthcare practices globally, ensuring that children’s rights are consistently upheld.22 0Item Restricted System Design and Evaluation of Spectrum Management Architectures for Co-Primary Sharing in the 37 GHz Band(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-05) Alsehali, Mohammed; R.Moser, BryanThis thesis presents a system design framework for evaluating spectrum management architectures enabling co-primary access in the 37 GHz band. Motivated by increasing demand for mid-band and mmWave spectrum, and recent policy directions for federal-commercial sharing, this research investigates the trade-offs between utilization efficiency, coordination overhead, and interference performance across thousands of feasible spectrum management system. Using a morphological matrix, eight key architectural decisions were defined, including coordination topology, licensing mechanism, frequency planning, sensing mode, and access priority. A parametric event-driven simulation model was developed in Python to evaluate 2,808 valid architectures under low, medium, and high spectrum demand scenarios. The performance metrics, Spectrum Utilization Efficiency (SUE), Coordination Index (Cindex), and Blocking Probability (BP), were used to generate multi-dimensional tradespaces and identify Pareto-optimal solutions. Results indicate that semi-dynamic spectrum management systems with decentralized or hybrid coordination topologies consistently dominate the Pareto frontier across all demand levels. Compared to fully dynamic systems, semi-dynamic designs achieve 80–90% of the utilization efficiency with way less than 50% of the coordination cost. The results validate key hypotheses about performance trade-offs and offer actionable insights for regulators and system designers. This thesis recommends semi-dynamic, co-primary frameworks for initial 37 GHz implementation and proposes future research directions, including agent-based modeling, economic behavior integration, and acuarate physics modeling.15 0Item Restricted Impact of TGFβ on Differentiation of Macrophages(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alsahli, Khalid; James, HewistonTransforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is an important cytokine that helps in macrophage differentiation and immune homeostasis in the tissue. This study explored the role of TGFb in the differentiation of macrophages and examined the response of the macrophages differentiated in the presence and absence of TGFβ to proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory stimulus. Macrophages differentiated with TGFβ were found to grow as a dark and round cell. Further, the expression of the synapse and adherence proteins, F4/80 and CD11b were found to be lowered in TGFβ treated macrophages compared to untreated cells. However, TGFβ differentiated macrophages has higher expression of MHCII and CD64 indicating the M2 polarization and better antigen presentation capability of the cells. It has been found that TGFβ differentiated macrophages has over 1000 times over expressed NOS2 to LPS stimulus and at the same time over expressed Retlna to IL4 stimuli. This indicates the controlled inflammation and antiinflammation in the TGFβ treated macrophages compared to untreated cells. The presence of low levels of nitric oxide in the cell supernatant in the TGFβ differentiated macrophages compared to normal macrophages indicate the controlled inflammation. Together this study suggests that TGFβ differentiate macrophages to M2 type with better antigen presenting ability and controlled inflammatory response to the external stimuli. This highlights the role of TGFβ in immune regulation during infection and tissue homeostasis9 0Item Restricted AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS OF BIG DATA ANALYTICAL COMPETENCY AMONG LEADERS AND ITS IMPACTS ON DECISION- MAKING QUALITY(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alqahtani, Amal; Vaccaro, Christian AThe requirement for leaders to have strong abilities in data analysis has increased due to the growing integration of big data analytics in corporate decision-making. This study explores the leaders' and data scientists' perceptions of data analytical competency among leaders and its relationship to the quality of decision-making in enterprises with a particular emphasis on quickly changing technology environments around the globe. Leaders are concentrating more on using big data to improve the ability of their firms to make decisions (Dahiya, 2021). The true value of big data lies in its effective utilization, requiring leaders to orchestrate multiple resources, thereby fostering dynamic capabilities and enhancing the company's capacity for big data decision-making. I conducted a qualitative study that involved interviews with leaders and data scientists. To investigate the perspectives of data scientists and leaders, three study questions were created regarding their respective roles and responsibilities, as well as the importance of collaboration, data literacy, and adapting to new technology. The data were collected from interviews with 10 Saudi participants, including 4 leaders and 6 data scientists from different big data organizations. Preliminary findings suggest that both leaders and data scientists perceive the importance of having analytical competencies, and they agree that leaders should focus on hiring experts to provide them with data-driven insights to inform their decision making as the ability to lead their organizations within the context of a data analytic environment. Both leaders and data scientists perceive it is important for data scientists to analyze incoming data regularly and to gain knowledge of the mission and vision of the organization.9 0Item Restricted COMPARING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CONVENTIONAL, MILLED, AND 3D-PRINTED OCCLUSAL SPLINT MATERIALS: AN IN VITRO STUDY(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-08) Alzaghran, Sadeem; Ahmed, AymanAim: Evidence on the mechanical properties of digitally manufactured occlusal splint materials remains scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of CAD/CAM fabricated occlusal splint materials versus conventionally heat-cured acrylic resin materials. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 specimens were manufactured for the present study. One CAD-CAM milled (ProArt CAD Splint), one heat-polymerized (SR IVOcap Clear), and three 3D-Printed (KeySplint Hard, NightGuard Firm2 and RoDIN Splint 2.0) resin materials were evaluated. Flexural strength, flexural modulus and surface hardness were measured. The three-point flexure test was used for the determination of flexural strength and modulus values, while Vickers hardness and Shore D hardness were measured to determine surface hardness. Twenty specimens (n = 20) of each material were tested using these procedures. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results are presented as mean±SD and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The values of flexural strength ranged from 9.8 ± 7.0 MPa to 121.0 ± 3.0 MPa. The values of flexural modulus ranged from 0.2 ± 0.2 GPa to 3.0 ± 0.2 GPa. The Vickers hardness values ranged from 10.1 ± 0.4 VHN to 22.9 ± 1.0 VHN, while the values of Shore D hardness ranged from 55.3 ± 0.5 HD to 95 ± 0 HD. Significant differences were found among the tested materials for flexural strength, flexural modulus and surface hardness (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: There are differences in the mechanical properties of the various tested occlusal splint materials. 3D-printed resins demonstrated adequate mechanical performance for occlusal splints when compared to conventional and milled PMMA, with the exception of surface hardness.14 0Item Restricted The Association of Patient Portal Engagement with Critical Diabetes Care Indicators and Healthcare Utilization Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Altamimi, Mujahid M; Imes, Christopher CType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a significant health problem that is increasing in prevalence. Despite recent advances in drug development and well-publicized guidelines for glycemic, blood pressure (BP), and cholesterol management, achieving the major goals of T2DM remains suboptimal. Patient portals can facilitate disease self-management by allowing patients to access and interact with their health records and communicate with their health care providers. Patient portals provide patients with T2DM the information and tools needed to achieve goal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and BP measurements. Methods This project aimed to comprehensively evaluate the long-term effects of patient portal use on critical T2DM care indicators (HbA1c, LDL-c, and BP assessed using mean arterial pressure [MAP]) and healthcare utilization metrics over four years of follow-up. A retrospective observational cohort study of patients with T2DM treated at UPMC was conducted. Propensity score matching was used to create comparable high and low portal engagement groups. Linear mixed-effect modeling was used to examine the longitudinal association between portal engagement and critical T2DM care indicators. Further, a comprehensive portal feature analysis and its association with improved HbA1c over time were completed using linear mixed-effect modeling. Negative binomial regression modeling was employed to evaluate the association of patient portal use with the utilization of the healthcare system. Results The study included 96,391 patients and identified 10,573 (11%) high-engagement users. This group, compared to 21,146 matched low-engagement users, was predominantly female (53 vs 51%), White (90 vs 82%), and exhibited a more favorable socioeconomic profile. Engaged portal users presented with lower baseline HbA1c (7.4 vs 7.7%) and a greater number of prescriptions (27 vs 25). The longitudinal analysis revealed a modest yet statistically significant negative association between portal engagement and HbA1c affecting both the baseline and the rate of change over time (P<0.01). The analysis of LDL-c showed an association between higher portal engagement and improved LDL-c trajectories (P<0.01). No significant association was found between MAP and portal use. The portal features of clinical data review and patient-provider communication had the strongest associations with better glycemic control. Portal use was also associated with significantly higher outpatient encounters but lower emergency visits. Discussion Patient portal engagement can lead to modest but meaningful improvements in HbA1c and LDL-c for patients with T2DM. These improvements assist patients in meeting treatment goals and potentially reduce the risk of complications. The proactive care pattern among engaged users can lead to consistent management of T2DM, limit complications, and ultimately lead to potential cost savings for both patients and the healthcare system. Future research should explore the development and testing of new portal functionalities and include patients and nurses in the process of design and implementation of new portal features.3 0Item Restricted Appropriate polypharmacy in older people: an assessment of evidence and methodological approaches(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alqahtani, Mubarak; Hughes, CarmelIntroduction Improving appropriate polypharmacy in older individuals remains challenging. Numerous interventions have been designed to address this, yet their effectiveness is debated. Variations in outcomes and their related measurement create inconsistencies and hinder comparative analysis across studies. This thesis aims to examine various aspects of polypharmacy including the evaluation of effective interventions, the methodologies used in measuring outcomes, and the assessment of intervention fidelity and complexity. Methods A systematic review, conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration's methodology, assessed the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving appropriateness of polypharmacy in older people. An extensive search across four databases, two trial registries, and other sources was performed to identify relevant trials. The Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guideline was applied to select outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) for use with a previously developed polypharmacy core outcome set (COS). OMIs were identified from systematic reviews targeting appropriate polypharmacy in older adults. The quality of the OMIs was assessed, and a Delphi study (two rounds) was conducted with a range of stakeholders to reach a consensus on OMIs for measuring outcomes in the polypharmacy COS. A paper-based assessment study applied the five domains of the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium (NIH-BCC) framework to examine intervention fidelity in the trials included in the systematic review. Finally, the ten dimensions (six core dimensions and four optional dimensions) of the intervention Complexity Assessment Tool for Systematic Reviews (iCAT_SR) tool were used to evaluate the complexity of interventions in the reviewed trials in the systematic review. Results A total of 18 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was included in the systematic review. It was uncertain whether interventions included in these RCTs improved medication appropriateness (as measured by an implicit tool), reduced the number of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) or potential prescribing omissions (PPOs), or decreased the proportion of patients with one or more PIMs or PPOs (as measured by explicit tools). The certainty of evidence was very low. The systematic review also highlighted inconsistencies in outcome reporting and measurement due to high heterogeneity across the trials. Following the COSMIN guideline, 20 potential OMIs for the polypharmacy COS were identified and assessed for quality of measurement properties. Of these, seven OMIs [‘number of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs)’, ‘medication appropriateness index’, ‘number of patients who fell’, ‘total number of prescriptions’, ‘EuroQol-5D’, ‘number of deaths’, and ‘number of symptoms of side effects’] met the COSMIN criteria for good measurement properties and demonstrated the best quality of evidence. These OMIs were presented to 50 participants from various countries and professional backgrounds who participated in the Delphi consensus study. Consensus was reached on three OMIs for the polypharmacy COS: ‘number of serious ADRs’, ‘number of deaths’, and ‘number of patients who fell’, corresponding to measuring ‘serious ADRs’, ‘mortality’, and ‘falls’, respectively. No consensus was reached for the remaining four OMIs. Using the NIH-BCC framework's five domains, intervention fidelity in the 18 trials was assessed, resulting in an overall poor fidelity rating. None of the trials covered all five domains. Barriers and facilitators to implementing effective interventions were also identified. Using the iCAT_SR tool the evaluation of each trial consistently revealed high complexity in only one core dimension: the behaviour or actions of the intervention recipients or participants targeted by the intervention. The four optional dimensions were assessed as unclear or incapable due to insufficient detail in study reports, making consistent application challenging across trials. Conclusion Evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving the appropriateness of polypharmacy among older people remains uncertain. The identification of OMIs may support the use of the polypharmacy COS in future studies to measure and compare intervention effects, and facilitate the synthesis of trial findings, generating stronger evidence in systematic reviews. Poor fidelity and variation in intervention complexity in the included trials highlight the need for well-designed studies with highly standardised approaches to reporting these elements in interventions to improve the appropriateness of polypharmacy in older persons.10 0Item Restricted Enhancing The Sustainability of Thermally Induced Phase Separation and Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation Techniques for Membrane Fabrication(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Dhameri, Sulaiman Ali A; Chwatko, MalgorzataMembranes are widely used in industrial applications to provide an alternative separation technique to thermally driven separations. Ultrafiltration membranes, in particular, are typically made using phase separation techniques, such as thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). However, these membrane fabrication strategies pose significant environmental challenges due to the use of hazardous solvents and high energy consumption. This dissertation aims to enhance the sustainability of membrane fabrication by utilizing eco-friendly solvents as such as terpineol, non-toxic plant-based solvent, commonly found in perfumes and cosmetics, and Rhodiasolv® PolarClean, a byproduct of Nylon-66 production that also has a low-hazard profile. Additionally, this research explores the use of recycled plastics. The first study of this dissertation successfully investigated the impact of the small molecules as additives on the polystyrene terpineol system exhibiting an upper critical solution temperature (UCST). This research highlights a new path to reduce the phase transition temperature for TIPS by managing hydrogen bonding interactions and polymer solubility by decreasing the transition from 65 °C to room temperature. This approach allows membrane formation at room temperature, resulting in lower energy consumption. The fabricated membranes were characterized by analyzing their pore size, morphology, and filtration performance, showing comparable or improved properties over conventionally fabricated membranes. The second study investigated the fabrication of poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene co-styrene) (ABS) membrane using green solvent and the effect of the diluents on the ABS membrane. Rhodiasolv® PolarClean was used as the primary solvent, and ethanol and acetone were used as additives to study the fabrication of ABS membrane using the NIPS. Using PolarClean as the primary solvent and varying the additive ratios allowed for the control of the membrane morphology and performance. Whereas, using only PolarClean for fabrication ABS resulting fingerlike pore morphology and relatively low bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection. The additive addition impacts the volatility and stability of the system therefore impacting the kinetic phase inversion, and membrane morphology. In the third study, recycled polymers from LEGO® blocks, including high impact polystyrene (HIPS), ABS, and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co styrene) (MABS), were employed to fabricate membrane via NIPS . There are limited studies of the impact of different polarity segments in HIPS, ABS, and MABS on phase separation of recycled polymer membranes. Membranes were fabricated from recycled LEGO blocks using NIPS with Rhodiasolv® PolarClean and acetone. Blending MABS and ABS allowed to control the ratio of acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate in the sample. The increase in the ratio of MABS in the blended samples altered the membrane structure from sponge-like to finger-like, likely due to the increased hydrophilicity attributed to the polar block, which allowed water to penetrate as a nonsolvent and caused growth in the lean polymeric phase, resulting in a stretched finger-like sublayer. Blended membranes exhibited only modest changes in their thermal stability and tensile strength, likely due to the similar chemical structures of some segments. Overall, this dissertation establishes that the sustainability of the membrane fabrication can be improved using small molecular weight additives, green solvent, and recycled polymers resulting in more environmentally friendly polymeric membranes with comparable performance to conventionally synthesized structures.11 0