Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Cybersecurity Awareness In The United Arab Emirates: An Assessment Of Current Practices And The Development Of An Ai-Enhanced Mobile Application, Meera Humaid Alalawi

Theses

In today's interconnected world, individuals, private corporations, public institutions, and governments face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and attacks, highlighting the critical need for individuals and organizations to understand cybersecurity comprehensively. Cyberattacks have affected many countries and infrastructures in different sectors worldwide, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has become a main target for cybercrime due to its booming economy and tourism. The UAE considers cybersecurity an increasingly critical issue in our digital world, and increasing cybersecurity awareness among residents is essential to protect themselves and their organizations from cyberattacks. The primary objectives of this study are to identify key …

Evaluating The Impact Of Hybrid Ventilation Strategies On Reducing The Cooling Load And Achieving Thermal Comfort Of Buildings: Regarding Arid Climate Of Uae, Sheikha A Hmed Al Niyadi

Theses

The hybrid ventilation system has shown considerable potential in managing indoor thermal comfort, preserving indoor air quality, and minimizing energy usage. This is achieved by integrating natural and mechanical ventilation. When natural ventilation is unfeasible, the system smoothly transitions to mechanical ventilation to uphold optimal indoor thermal comfort levels. However, the application of this system in extremely arid regions poses a challenge due to the high energy consumption linked to air conditioning and cooling during the summer. In these areas, air conditioning and cooling alone represent approximately 60% of urban energy consumption. This study aims to assess the viability of …

Organic-Based Nutrient Solutions For Sustainable Vegetable Production In A Zero -Runoff Soilless Growing System, Maitha Salem Almheiri

Theses

As the adoption of soilless production systems escalates to meet the rising demand for safe and healthy fresh produce, the growing environmental awareness and consumer’s preference for sustainable production systems are stimulating the reduction of synthetic inputs. A greenhouse study using an auto-pot zero-runoff hydroponic system and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as a model vegetable crop was conducted to evaluate the potential of substituting synthetic fertilizer Nutrient Solutions (NS) with organic-based NS. The use of organic NS resulted in lettuce plants with fewer leaves and a smaller leaf area, plant height, stem diameter, and fresh biomass compared to those …

Optimization Of In-Vitro Regeneration And Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Of Lactuca Sativa, Mohamed Omer Elsiddig

Theses

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy vegetable consumed worldwide, mainly as a green salad. It is an herbaceous, self-pollinated annual plant of the family Asteraceae. Lettuce is low in calories, fat, and sodium. It is a good source of fiber, iron, folate, and vitamin C. Improving existing lettuce varieties for water use efficiency, photosynthesis efficiency, salt tolerance, increased nutritional content, etc., is the need of the hour, considering that lettuce is a crop ideal for vertical farming in the UAE.

This study aimed to develop a highly efficient in vitro regeneration and Agrobacterium- mediated transformation protocol for a popular …

Locally Tailored Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Towards Diet Sustainability Questionnaire: Validation Among Uaeu Adults, Asma Bahaaldeen Numan

Theses

Food production is a major contributor to global environmental change and sustainability. Sustainable diets can be defined as “diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and healthy life for present and future generations”. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to enhance its food security to meet the current local demand and future needs of an increasing population. Before determining a sustainable diet pattern for the UAE population, it is foremost more important to understand the perception of sustainable diet production and consumption. A thorough comprehension of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the United Arab …

Improving Early Design Processes With The Use Of Bim And Vr Technologies In The Gcc Construction Industry, Mohamed Wahid Mohamed

Theses

The early stages of construction projects play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the entire project life cycle. However, conventional early design practices have been facing significant challenges and limitations in recent times. These challenges include a lack of coordination among various disciplines, communication gaps, and poor decision-making. Unfortunately, these challenges often lead to increased costs, project delays, and change orders. To tackle these challenges, it is essential to adopt the latest technological advancements in the construction industry. This is especially important given the complexity of modern construction projects and the rapid construction growth. One of the most …

Mapping And Analyzing Urban Growth In The Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Using Geospatial Technologies Integrated With Machine Learning, Hamsa Mohamed Yusuf

Theses

Urbanization is happening at a rate twice the increase in population on a worldwide scale. This has great environmental and social impacts, along with large impacts on regional climate and one of the reasons for this is the ever-continuous change of land use and land cover. The availability of high-resolution satellite imagery in addition to the advancements in geospatial technology allow mapping of LULC changes to be done accurately, efficiently and covering wide areas. This thesis studies the urban Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) that happened in Abu Dhabi city for the last 3 decades by utilizing geospatial …

Increasing The Phytoremediation Efficiency Of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils In The Uae Using Endophytic Actinobacteria For Sustainable Agriculture, Archana Mathew Mathai

Theses

Pollution caused by heavy metals (HMs) is a major environmental concern worldwide. Human actions, agriculture practices and industrial activities can cause the release of HMs into the environment. Soil contamination with HMs may have negative effects on crops, thus disrupting the food chain and posing risks to human health. Lead (Pb) is a common pollutant found in the soil when at high concentrations. Conventional land remediation techniques depending on chemical and mechanical methods are quite expensive and would lead to long-term deterioration of the ecosystems, while phytoremediation can serve as an alternative, eco-friendly approach to restore the lands for agricultural …

Pea And Hemp Protein-Polyphenol Complexes For Improved Curcumin Delivery Via Emulsion System, Muhammed Suhail Ashraf

Theses

This study focuses on producing and characterizing protein-polyphenol complexes derived from pea and hemp proteins, paired with a variety of polyphenols including 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid, Ferulic acid, and Rutin. The complexes were characterized using various techniques: UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, total phenolic content analysis, and radical scavenging activities. Further, oil-in-water emulsions stabilised using these protein-polyphenol complexes and starch were explored as delivery systems for curcumin respectively. The formation of complexes was revealed by UV-visible spectroscopy, which indicated significant changes in the spectra of hemp and pea proteins upon complexation with polyphenols. The findings from UV-visible spectroscopy were supported by data from …

The Invasive Bank Vole (Clethrionomys Glareolus); A Longitudinal Investigation Into Rodents And Their Pathogen Communities, Using The Irish Rodent Invasion As A Model System., Andrew Mcmanus

Theses

The recent emergence of zoonotic pathogens such as, SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and Mpox, have emphasised the necessity to study wildlife and their pathogens. A knowledge gap currently exists in longitudinal studies of biological invasions, which are needed to understand the change in pathogen communities caused as the invader becomes more established. The invasion of Clethrionomys glareolus in Ireland provides a unique model system to study these changes at different stages of the bio-invasion. This is due to the depauperate small mammal community in Ireland, identifiable source population, introduction point, and ongoing expansion of C. glareolus in Ireland. Extensive work has been …

Enhancing Pharmaceutical Waste Management: Insights From Pharmacists' Perspectives On The Drug Take-Back Program, Mona Daher

Theses

Pharmaceutical waste management is essential for mitigating environmental risks associated with improper medication disposal, with pharmacists playing a pivotal role in drug take-back programs (DTBPs). However, there is limited understanding of pharmacists' engagement, perceptions, and challenges within these initiatives. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating these aspects among licensed pharmacists in the United States. A mixed-methods survey was distributed to 2200 pharmacists, yielding 81 responses (3.7% response rate). The findings revealed that familiarity with DTBPs did not significantly differ by state or practice setting, but positively correlated with experience and perceived effectiveness. Interestingly, on-the-job learning emerged as …

The Optimisation Of A Customised Methodology For The Determination Of The Lime Requirement Of Irish Soils, Fionan Mackessy

Theses

Soil pH plays a pivotal role in agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, influencing various soil processes crucial for plant growth and ecosystem functions. It is a master variable that affects the biological, chemical and physical properties of soil. Maintaining a correct soil pH – generally through the addition of a liming product - is central to sustainable and productive agriculture and therefore accurate determination of soil pH is a vital piece of information that is central to any soil lab test. However, the accuracy of any soil pH test will be dictated by a number of soil properties such as …

Marketing Video Games To Aging Demographics: A Generational Profile Analysis, Brinna Louise Ball

Theses

Marketing video games to aging demographics like Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials requires a unique approach by video game studios and consumer products divisions alike. The strategies employed for younger generations such as Generation Z and Generation Alpha differ from conventional methods, requiring a fresh outlook and a need for more innovative and inventive approaches. To comprehend the current aging audience more effectively, it's essential to examine four crucial factors: accessibility, exposure, media habits, and motivations to play video games. Examining these factors by generation, we can better grasp how to effectively market video games to these demographics. It's …

Advanced Nanostructured Materials For Water Harvesting And Energy Storage, Ahmed Elsir Ali

Theses

This thesis presents the work done developing nanotechnology-based compositions contributing to the advancement of two main sectors: Water and Energy. For they present vital impact and correspondence for sustainability and development worldwide. Composites constituted following the most recent trends in material science and nanotechnology while revolving around Manganese Oxide as the material of investigation. Water security is one of the most important challenges in our current times. Moreover, reports warn of the predicted restricted access to clean water by 2050, which is expected to impact more than half the population. Thus, many scientists and societies are exerting efforts to develop …

Utilizing Hyperspectral Remote Sensing For Saline Soil Assessment In The Emirate Of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Alya Hassan Aldhaheri

Theses

This study presents the application of hyperspectral remote sensing techniques to measure soil salinity. Soil salinity is a major concern in many arid and semi-arid regions, affecting crop productivity and ecosystem health. In most arid and semi-arid areas various levels of salinity can be encountered including sabkhas. Sabkha (salt flat) is a geological feature composed of saline and salt marshes that typically occur in shallow or coastal environments within arid and semi-arid climates. Traditional methods of measuring soil salinity are time-consuming and labor-intensive, making remote sensing techniques an attractive alternative. This study employed a hyperspectral sensor specifically the SVC-XHR-1024i to …

Ellagic Acid Inhibits Α-Synuclein Propagation And Alleviates The Neurotoxicity By Enhancing Autophagic Flux In Animal Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Nada Akram Abdellatif

Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disorder pathologically characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNc) as well as the formation of Lewy bodies composed mainly of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates. It has been documented that abnormal aggregation of α-syn is one of the major causes of developing PD. Ellagic Acid (EA) is a widely known dietary supplement found in pomegranates as well as a plethora of berries and nuts. EA has been shown to prevent α-syn aggregates’ toxicity in cellular model of PD. In the current study we aim to evaluate whether …

Investigating The Mass Mortality Induced Factors Of Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Radiata) At Abu Dhabi Pearls Farm, Uae, Hamad Ahmed Almansoori

Theses

The aquaculture of shellfish plays a crucial role in enhancing maritime environments by mitigating algal blooms and improving water quality through the filtration of organic matter, nutrients, and bacteria. This study investigated the environmental factors influencing oyster (Pinctada radiata) mortalities through a comprehensive analysis of water quality in Al Mirfa and Al Mughirah farming sites of Abu Dhabi (UAE), from February 2021 to February 2022. To reach such understanding of the main factors led to mass mortalities of cultivated oysters, different monthly sampling and both chemical and biological analyses of the farm water, sediments as well as for both living …

Intro To Poetry: An Immersive Workshop Experience, My'chyl Purr

Theses

A syllabus driven thesis for an undergraduate intro to poetry class that starts at the foundation of poetry and builds to creating and performing poetry.

Establishing A Seven-Stage Iterative Framework And Card-Based Toolkit For The Facilitation And Sustainment Of Communities Of Practice, Michelle O'Keeffe

Theses

This thesis explores the establishment of a framework and card-based toolkit to support the facilitation and sustainment of Communities of Practice (COPs), with a particular focus on COPs in the education domain. COPs have been present in various sectors, such as healthcare, business, finance, and education, for over three decades. These communities bring together individuals who share common problems, concerns, or areas of expertise, aiming to improve their practices collectively. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the best approaches to facilitating, developing, and sustaining COPs over time. To address this gap, four empirical studies were conducted. These studies …

What Are Munster Technological University Students’ Experiences Of Menstruation And Reusable Period Products?, Kate Dolan Crowley

Theses

This study examines the attitudes of students in Munster Technological University (MTU) towards menstruation and period products. It is estimated that in Ireland, between 53,000 and 85,000 Irish menstruators may be at risk of period poverty (Government of Ireland, 2021). There is also evidence to suggest that some students have experienced period poverty (Ministry of Education, 2023; Brinkley and Niebuhr, 2022; Munro et. al., 2021). Period poverty has an impact on the physical, mental, and social well-being of menstruators, ultimately affecting their quality of life.

A mixed-method study was undertaken, consisting of questionnaires (n=319) and one-toone semi-structured interviews (n=10) to …

Screening And Analysis Of The Urobiome For The Production Of Antimicrobial Peptides To Target Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Jennifer Jones

Theses

Urobiome research is currently at a nascent stage, due to a previously incorrect assumption that the bladder is a sterile environment. Improvements in bacterial culturing and DNA sequencing techniques have revealed a diverse resident bacterial community within the urinary tract (urobiome). As global incidences of multidrug- resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs) continue to increase, so too does the demand for novel antimicrobial therapies. Due to its relatively understudied nature, the urobiome represents a reservoir that could be mined as a potential source of novel antimicrobial compounds (e.g., bacteriocins). The aim of this thesis was to identify urobiome bacteriocins that could …

An Ontology Based System For Cancer Diseases Knowledge Mining, Shinead Casey

Theses

National cancer registries play an important role in understanding the patterns and trends of cancer diseases, prevention methods, and treatment management. However, issues arising from data silos and an inability to link heterogeneous data sources have led to problems within the healthcare industry. This became apparent in Ireland in 2018 when Dr Scally’s scoping inquiry into the CervicalCheck controversy highlighted patient safety issues relating to disjointed data and an inability to link datasets.

Worldwide, semantic technologies are being utilised for their ability to link diverse data and enhance analytical capabilities. Therefore, this thesis will examine the use of a knowledge …

Consumer Acceptance And Sensory Evaluation Of 3d Printed Dairy Snacks, Laura Davis

Theses

3D printing technology has been established since the early 1980s by the inventor Charles Hull, with its initial applications in the moulding of plastic veneers for furniture. More recently, 3D printing has been gaining popularity as a food technology due to its potential benefits, such as personalised nutrition and reduced environmental impact. This study explored the consumer acceptability of 3D printed dairy snacks across participants in the UK and Ireland, through an online survey and sensory trials. The online survey was designed and distributed across 402 UK participants and 400 Irish participants. The sensory trial was conducted with a group …

Strategic Use Of Once-A-Day Milking For Pasture-Based Dairy Cows In Ireland, John Paul Murphy

Theses

The current perception of dairy farming in Ireland is one of long hours, physically demanding work and poor remuneration, especially when compared to that of a modern, high-tech industry with career opportunities and advancement possibilities at many levels (Teagasc, 2018). One of the biggest factors in attracting and retaining people to work on Irish dairy farms is that they must be desirable places to work (Teagasc, 2018). Milking is the most labour demanding task on Irish dairy farms (Deming et al., 2018) and one, which necessitates farmers being present on the farm twice daily if milking twice-a-day (TAD). Altering milking …

The Impact Of Data Quality On Beef Genetics, Shauna Walsh

Theses

Efficiency and profitability in the beef industry are driven by cattle live-weight, therefore, to optimise live-weight data it is essential to maintain consistency across data collection methods. Data for this thesis was collected from 97,780 Irish suckler herds across the years 2019 to 2022, inclusive, with a total of 1,311,870 calf and dam live-weight records available. Live-weight data originated from five different sources including: professionally-recorded, producer recorded using either owned, borrowed or hired weighing scales, or from an unknown recording source. The objectives of this thesis were to: i) identify anomalies within cattle live-weight data for both calf and dam, …

Characterisation Of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (Abu) Isolates And Their Antimicrobial Activity Against Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli (Upec), Ciara Kenneally

Theses

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common aetiological agent of community and hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs caused by E. coli result in considerable morbidity, mortality, and economic loss worldwide due to increasing resistance to antibiotics. Substantial efforts are being made to develop novel alternatives to conventional antibiotic therapies. One approach is the principle of bacterial interference; using low-virulence, or commensal, bacteria to prevent colonisation of pathogens by competing for nutrients, or producing antimicrobial compounds such as bacteriocins. E. coli isolates inducing asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) have been proposed as a therapeutic alternative for UPEC infection. ABU is a …

The Exploitation Of Genomic Information For Dairy And Beef Cattle Breeding, Cliona Ryan

Theses

Genotype information is now available for over 4 million Irish dairy and beef cattle, and is primarily used for parent verification and genomic evaluations. Additional benefits that can be generated from genomic data should be explored to maximise the respective return-on- investment. This thesis investigated novel approaches that leverage genome-wide genomic information in cattle, focusing on using the genotype data to accurately determine breed composition, to quantify the association between major genes and performance traits, and to identify karyotype abnormalities. Furthermore, the value of genotyping for the purpose of identifying genetically superior animals depends largely on the accuracy of the …

Deep Learning Approach For Robust Structural Health Monitoring Using Guided Lamb Wave Responses, Sameer Gopali

Theses

Guided Lamb waves offer a promising solution for the early detection of internal damages in structures due to their high sensitivity to small damages. However, noise can adversely impact the development of data-driven models for damage detection, leading to inaccurate monitoring systems. This thesis explores deep learning techniques to robustly predict the location and severity of damage in cantilevered beams using noisy guided wave responses. Initially, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) is trained with frequency domain features to achieve robust performance against noisy data. Further performance improvement is achieved using end-to-end learning models, which include autoencoder and one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). …

Characterizing A Web Server Deployed In A Lightweight Kubernetes Cluster In An Iot Computing Environment, Jackson Lawrence

Theses

As the world’s reliance on the internet continues to grow, so does the need for cloud-based computing solutions. These solutions offer a degree of flexibility, scalability, and reliability that traditional computing methods cannot provide. This thesis focuses on characterizing a web server deployed in a lightweight Kubernetes cluster hosted across three Raspberry Pi 4 minicomputers. Characterization metrics include the transfer rate of data from the web server as well as the CPU utilization and power consumption of the Raspberry Pi devices when under load. The background on cloud-based technology is introduced and the tools used in the thesis research are …

Establishment And Validation Of A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analytical Method For Targeted Metabolomics: Towards Comprehensive Profiling Of Metabolic Signatures, Ayan Barua

Theses

This research aims to establish advanced analytical methods for targeted metabolomics using Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The focus is on quantifying key metabolites involved in specific metabolic pathways, optimizing sample preparation, and ensuring rigorous validation of method development parameters. By targeting thirteen specific metabolites, the research seeks to enhance metabolite extraction efficiency and analytical sensitivity. Analytical parameters such as selectivity, specificity, range, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were evaluated. This study's findings will contribute to a more precise understanding of metabolic alterations in disease states and improve the robustness of GC-MS-based metabolomics.