Digital Commons Network^™

Revisiting The Diffusion Of Innovations Theory In The Digital Era: Adoption Of Artificial Intelligence In Social Media, Aliaa Khaled Elshabassy

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aims at revisiting the applicability of Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory in the digital era, particularly in relation to recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence and their use in social media. The role of generational differences in influencing the adoption and non-adoption of these technologies is also explored. Drawing on the rich insights of qualitative data, the researcher adopts a multi-method approach comprising seventeen interviews with academic and professional experts and four focus group discussions among different generations to collect first-hand insights on AI adoption in the present time. AI was itself used for qualitative data analysis, including …

Design And Implementation Of Uvm-Based Verification Framework For Deep Learning Accelerators, Randa Ahmed Hussein Aboudeif

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advancements in deep learning (DL) have made hardware accelerators, known as deep learning accelerators (DLAs), a preferred solution for numerous high-performance computing (HPC) applications, including speech recognition, computer vision, and image classification. DLAs are composed of hundreds of parallel processing engines to speed up computations and can gain access to pre-trained networks from the cloud or through on-chip memory to implement the DNN inference process. DLA verification is becoming an important and challenging phase. The verification process is required to handle the complex DLA design. Moreover, the reliability of DLAs is critical for assessment as they are involved in …

Local And Transregional Networks Of Women In Late Medieval Mecca And The Mamluk Empire, Mona Hafiz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the local and transregional networks of women in Mecca during the ninth/fifteenth century, as represented in the biographical dictionaries of al-Sakhāwī (d. 902/1497), Ibn Fahd (d. 885/1480), and al-Fāsī (d. 832/1429). It combines qualitative and quantitative methods in order to analyze the family, knowledge, and travels networks of women in late medieval Mecca and the Mamluk empire. It argues that Meccan women’s social and intellectual roles extended beyond their families, to other families, scholars, and regions. Simultaneously, the thesis focuses on Mecca as a central node in the networks that tied together different regions of the Mamluk …

Advanced Construction Scheduling: Capturing Conditional And Stochastic Relationships, Amr Elsabagh

Theses and Dissertations

Proper planning is a key factor in all business endeavors. This is especially important in the construction industry as a project is sensitive to countless factors that affect the project's time and cost. This created the need for agile and flexible schedules for close monitoring and dynamic planning for construction projects. The currently prevailing scheduling techniques are CPM and PERT, which professionals in the field widely use. These methods create static schedules that are vulnerable to any changes in the schedule logic, which often happens during construction projects. In addition, these Scheduling techniques do not capture the uncertainties and complex …

Organizational Change Management In Egypt; Contractors’ Perspective, Karim Ayoub

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change management in the construction industry is a vital process for companies to consider in their operations. Successful implementation of the process allows the companies to go a step further in the market due to their competitiveness derived from better performance and efficiency. However, applying change to the organization and introducing new structure is a challenge for any company seeking better performance, but worth it if it is implemented properly. In general, this research sheds light on the organizational change management implementation in construction contractors in Egypt. Where, this study aims to demonstrate the organizational change management initiatives and …

Exploring The Contributing Factors To Irregular Migration Towards Sweden Among Eritreans In Egypt, Mohammad Ammar Alhasn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides an understanding of the interplay between individual aspirations, social networks, and policy frameworks to explore the impact of such factors on the mobility of Eritreans from Egypt towards Sweden. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, the study engaged with twenty-four Eritreans through semi-structured interviews to delve into their lived experiences and decision-making processes. The research is underpinned by theoretical frameworks as follows: social network theory, and institutional theory, which collectively inform the analysis of the migratory phenomenon. The findings reveal that the decision to undertake irregular migration is driven by a confluence of factors in Egypt as a …

A Framework To Harmonize Legal Provisions In Infrastructure Ppp Projects In Egypt Funded By Multilateral Development Banks, Menna Elkadi

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, Egypt has witnessed an increase in the number of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, specifically in infrastructure, as a result of the growing interest and popularity of various entities participating in such projects. Public infrastructure systems are no longer thought to be exclusively provided by the government; instead, the private sector’s contribution in the provision of such services is increasing. However, not every PPP program has been equally effective or has made the optimum use of planning and decision-making. The possibility of a project failure as a result of poor risk allocation is increased, if the potential …

Exploring Pragmatic Functions And Linguistic Features Analysis For Some Terms Of Endearment In Egyptian Colloquial Arabic As Discourse Markers, Samar Abdeltawab

Theses and Dissertations

In Arabic and many languages, terms of endearment are used as discourse markers to express affection. However, their meanings differ depending on the pragmatic context in which they are said.

Despite the abundance of research on terms of endearment in various languages, there is a noticeable lack of studies examining the pragmatic functions and linguistic features of these terms in Arabic. This research aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive exploration of the pragmatic functions and investigating the syntactic and morphological characteristics of selected terms of endearment in Egyptian colloquial Arabic. It offers a detailed analysis of their …

Rethinking Rupture And Continuity: Al-Jarād And Khamāsīn, Two Poetry Magazines Of The Egyptian 1990s, Caroline Benson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes two Egyptian poetry magazines, al-Jarād and Khamāsīn, to enrich critical understanding of the Egyptian literary 1990s. It uses The Rules of Art: Genesis and Structure of the Literary Field (Les Règles de l’art: Genèse et structure du champ littéraire), Pierre Bourdieu’s 1992 sociological study of the literary field, as a theoretical framework. Numerous scholars have noted that the “nineties generation” is known for its aversion to politics, ideologies, and collectivities; its rupture with stylistic and thematic conventions of its predecessors; and its turn away from the “major issues” (al-qaḍāyah al-kubrā) of the …

Evaluation Of The Adoption Of World Health Organization 10-Group Classification System For Cesarean Section In Egyptian Hospitals, Reham Dewedar

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt has seen a significant rise in Cesarean Section (CS) deliveries over the past decade. While CS is a crucial procedure that can save lives when medically indicated, its misuse poses risks to both mothers and infants, including potential mortality. To address this issue, the WHO introduced the 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) in 2015 to standardize CS monitoring, aiming to prevent overuse or underuse of CS and to enable comparisons across health facilities and countries. This tool was introduced in Egypt through a training session conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021.This study examines the effectiveness of this …

Unlocking Local Economic Potential: Understanding The Role Of Place-Based Industrial Policy In Egypt, Nashwa Shaban

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Policy has regained prominence in both academic and practical spheres over the years, as the discourse largely shifted from an ideological debate to exploring ways for effective implementation. This renewed interest, coupled with growing concerns over regional inequality and persistent economic distress, has sparked a growing interest in Place-based Industrial Policies. Place-based Industrial Policy is an approach to industrial policy that focuses on both specific industries and locations through various policy Instruments. Similar to industrial policies, the outcomes of place-based policies have been mixed, nevertheless, evidence suggests that they often achieve the intended objectives especially in lagging and declining …

Assessing Egypt’S Readiness To Introduce Program And Performance-Based Budgeting, Eman Negm

Theses and Dissertations

Program and performance-based budgeting is one of the recent and most controversial developments in the Egyptian budgetary system. As a results-based budgeting methodology, it can potentially support the government's endeavors to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and improve the overall levels of transparency and accountability. As per the new Unified Finance Law, Egypt is preparing for the full implementation of the program and performance budgeting reform to start in FY 2027-2028. The main objective of this study is to assess the readiness of Egypt to introduce program and performance-based budgeting based on six main assessment pillars which …

Determinants Of Physicians' Brain Drain In Egypt, Mennatallah Elbeheiry

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt is enduring a significant shortage of physicians, despite the annual graduation of approximately 10,000 medical students from its 27 medical schools. In 2016, the physician density was alarmingly low, with only one doctor per 12,285 people. This shortage is exacerbated by a physicians’ brain drain, as Egypt is a leading exporter of physicians to countries like the United Kingdom and Australia. As of 2020, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate reported 212,835 registered physicians, yet 56 percent of them work abroad, and only about 62,000 are actively employed in public hospitals, serving a population of over 110 million. The government’s efforts …

Functional Dissection Of The Periplasmic Domain Of Rcsd, The Phosphotransfer Protein Of Escherichia Coli Rcs System, Abdelraouf Dapour

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial resistance to antibiotics poses a major health threat worldwide, prompting the scientific community to dedicate considerable efforts toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance. The Gram-negative cell envelope serves as a formidable barrier to environmental stressors and numerous antimicrobials. In E. coli and other enterobacteria, the Rcs system (Regulator of capsule synthesis) is a crucial two-component signalling pathway that plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the bacterial envelope. One unique aspect of the Rcs system is the involvement of several auxiliary proteins in its signalling cascade. Among them, RcsD, an inner membrane 100 kDa protein, …

Expectations Versus Reality In New Cairo's Gated Communities: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Socio-Spatial Features, Ala'a Marwan

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to introduce a new framework to identify the disparities between gated community residents’ experiences and real estate developers' visions towards the development. As New Cairo experiences significant growth, many residents are increasingly relocating to gated communities. It has become crucial to assess users’ expectations before moving and their lived experience post-moving to allocate the gaps between their expectations and reality, otherwise, the GC developments will grow apart from users’ updated preferences. The research focuses on the socio-spatial qualities such as accessibility to services and facilities, community interaction, and vast green areas between buildings for privacy, all of …

Metaheuristic Techniques To Optimize Trajectory Planning Of Uav Swarms: Enhancing Data Acquisition In Wireless Sensor Networks, Nada Ali Mohamed Ahmed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly integrated into various applications due to their cost-efficiency, rapid deployment, flexible maneuvers, and enhanced performance. This has led to the development of a new field called UAV-assisted Wireless Sensor Networks (U-WSNs), which focus on data routing, network performance optimization, and planning UAV trajectories between sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks. In this thesis, a new framework has been proposed to manage a swarm of UAVs cooperatively serving large-scale wireless sensor networks. The framework consists of three optimization problems: distributing sensor nodes among UAVs, finding optimal trajectories in the presence of obstacles, and performing …

The Role Of Biofilm Matrix On The Growth, Survival, And Diagnosis In Enterobacteriaceae, Kavi Bharathi R

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria in nature live together encased in a matrix creating community ecosystems called biofilms, this structured space protects them from hostile environments. This study aimed to understand the role of the biofilm matrix in the growth and survival of Enterobacteriaceae. Our hypothesis proposes that subgroups of individuals within a biofilm can specialize in the production of different matrix components.

Matrix expression is metabolically costly, despite its unicellular simplicity, microbes can coordinate complex behaviour like sharing of matrix between producers and non-producers as an adept evolutionary strategy. Their resilience to stress during biofilm formation was studied to assess their abilities to …

Assessment Of Risk Factor Prediction Using Machine Learning Techniques And Hybrid Approach Based On Soft Sets, Menaga A

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and India reports a significantly high death rate due to its large population base and the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. National statistics indicate that 20–27% of deaths in India are attributed to CVDs, with the proportion steadily rising over the years. Recognizing the urgency of early detection and risk prevention, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced “The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2013–2020),” emphasizing early identification, risk reduction, and timely treatment. In this context, decision-making applications have gained importance across domains especially healthcare …

A Precoding, Companding, And Nonlinearity Reduction Approach To Optimize High-Speed Ado-Ofdm For Visible Light Communication, Swaminathan S

Theses and Dissertations

Using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for data transfer, visible light communication (VLC) presents a strong substitute for radio frequency communication. Yet, because of the non-linearity of LEDs, conventional Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) approaches in VLC are limited regarding spectrum efficiency, peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), and system linearity. Multi-carrier asymmetrically Clipped Optical OFDM (MADO-OFDM) is introduced in this study. For VLC operations based on Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (O-OFDM), a model-driven Deep Learning (DL) approach has been presented. Utilizing an Auto Encoder (AE) network technology reduced the non-linearity of the LEDs. A proposed improved ADO-OFDM protocol, called MADO-OFDM, adaptively modifies the …

Plants, Protests, Pachakuti: How Trees March And How People Tree, Ashley A. Lundquist

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the multi-faceted role of plants, specifically Wituk and Manduru, in Amazonian protests and environmental advocacy. By examining the communicative and relational ontologies inherent in Runa culture, the study elucidates how plants influence social movements and contribute to environmental protection. Wituk and Manduru create paint. Paint facilitates good communication which creates good relationality. Good relationality allows for increased capacities and inhibits greedy consumption allowing for a balanced world order. Through the use and agency of Wituk and Manduru, movements become multi-species phenomena in which ecological entities combine with Runa bodies. The relationships shared between Runa, Wituk, and Manduru …

Optimizing The Pass Program: Using Improvement Science To Enhance Holistic Support For First-Year Medical Students, Suzanne Julia Mosko

Theses and Dissertations

Medical students often face unique academic and personal challenges that can hinder their success and well-being, particularly in the first year. This dissertation examines the impact of the Proactive Academic Support System (PASS) Program, a program designed to provide timely, holistic support to first-year medical students. Guided by improvement science and the Universal Design Principles for Student Development Programs and Services framework, the study implemented two change ideas aimed at reducing the time between grade release and PASS meeting completion, thereby enhancing communication and engagement with students. The study focuses on one Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle that assessed …

Securing A Virtual Reality Classroom Using Unity, Okemute Samuel Idonor

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how security features might be incorporated into a Unity created virtual reality (VR) classroom, with a particular emphasis on important concerns including user privacy, data security, and illegal access. The increasing usage of virtual reality (VR) technology in educational settings has made it crucial to ensure the security of these immersive systems, especially when it comes to safeguarding sensitive user data. Designing and implementing a secure VR classroom prototype that could successfully protect against common security concerns, such as unauthorized access and data breaches, was the main goal of this project. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Role-Based Access Control …

Using Satellite Image Segmentation To Detect Trails, Jeremy Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

This masters thesis proposes an innovative approach to satellite image segmentation by focusing on the detection and mapping of walking, hiking, and biking trails. The motivation behind this project comes from the underexplored area in segmentation techniques for trail identification and offers potential benefits for urban planning, environmental monitoring, and public health. The problem statement addresses the need for a model that can differentiate between various trail types and other natural or man-made elements. The project aims for efficiency and scalability in processing satellite imagery across different compute hardware. The work details several stages: researching existing segmentation techniques, specifically road …

Autistic Female University Students And Their Experiences With Depression: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rosemarie Joy Hopkins Keenan

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (autism) can have significant impacts on the lives of those who experience it. However, as autism can affect each person in unique ways, the exact impacts of the condition on a person's experiences are not well understood. This is especially the case for women and girls with autism, who are on diagnosed later in life and have historically been neglected in research studies when compared to autistic men and boys. Autistic people are underrepresented in university populations, and characteristics of a university education present new challenges for autistic students. Little research has been done to inform supports …

Origami Without Paper: Surrogate Folds For Origami-Inspired Mechanisms, Ivyann Oveson Running

Theses and Dissertations

Origami is a useful tool for generating novel spatial mechanisms that can address needs in a variety of fields. However, replicating paper folding in other materials requires surrogate folds---some way to approximate folding in otherwise rigid materials. This work presents a collection of potential surrogate fold designs suitable for use in origami-inspired applications. The designs are sorted into families and rated against several design characteristics of interest to engineers and designers to create the Surrogate Fold Catalog. The catalog is formatted to be searchable and filterable based on manufacturability, kinematic motion, and additional utility. Using this collection of surrogate folds …

How Eye See, Now I See, Michael Anthony Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Michael Anthony Simon’s paper addresses ideas surrounding the fluid nature of perception, time, and ideas of control, or lack there-of. Creating a symbolic relationship between paintings and sculpture. Simon both embraces and confuses the notion that understanding is never truly stable or secure.

To Swallow The Stars, Catie Dillon

Theses and Dissertations

Through abstract paintings of illuminated voids, Catie Dillon explores ideas of interconnectedness. In "To Swallow the Stars", she traces the layers of her process, examining the function of gesture, color, light, and space as a means to capture the ineffable.

You Are Not A Good Photographer, Byungsuk Yoon

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the medium of photography as a dynamic space for exploring the interplay between reality, memory, and imagination. It positions photography as an imperfect medium that operates on the boundary between predictability and uncertainty, embracing its inherent limitations as a source of creative potential. By addressing the tension between subjective experience and objective reality, this study redefines photography as a tool for continuous questioning and reinterpretation, highlighting its role in navigating the gaps between what is seen and what is imagined.

Victim/Perpetrator, David D. Moy

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout this text, David Moy will discuss the inner working of his investigation on image overload and materialization. Through tactics of blurring, erasure, and layering he achieves obfuscation in his printed media. In doing so, he questions the compounding nature of image/text that negate themselves in the larger context of time in the digital age.

The Farthest I Can Sense Time, Danielle Alhassid

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the experiences of immigration, identity, and language through the lens of diasporic memory and intergenerational storytelling. At its core lies Communion of Empty Mouths (2024), a multi-channel video installation exploring the physical, communal, and ephemeral dimensions of language development and loss. The work juxtaposes live animation, tactile materials like ceramics, and experimental soundscapes to delve into the ancestral and embodied nature of linguistic expression.

Anchored in Yiddish poet Celia Dropkin’s text My Hands and inspired by familial narratives, the thesis critiques hierarchical and gendered dimensions of language, focusing on Yiddish as a diasporic medium of resistance and …