Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Habit Recording Tool To Improve Mental Health Of University (Auc) Students, Noran Nounou

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: According to previous research, the mental health of university students has become an alarming public health concern worldwide. Most of the mental disorders begin among young adults, attributed to the transition to university and increased financial and societal pressure. Despite the important effect of daily habits on mental health, there still remain research gaps in Egypt in exploring their effect among university students and exploring the potential opportunities to support their well-being. Objectives: To assess depression rates among AUC students and to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly designed habit recording board, Make an Impact (MAI) to improve depression …

Emergency At The Borders: Response To Refugees In Sallum Camp, Shaimaa Hy Hassanein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the emergency humanitarian response at Sallum camp at the Egyptian border upon the Lybian crisis between 2011 and 2014. By positioning the lived experiences and perspectives of humanitarian aid workers at the center, this research argues that the camp constituted a distinct and dynamic space shaped by shifting geopolitical conditions, state sovereignty concerns, and bureaucratic ambiguity. Drawing on qualitative interviews with frontline humanitarian aid workers who operated and lived in the camp over extended periods, the study explores how humanitarian interventions were negotiated, adapted, and implemented within a highly constrained environment.

The thesis highlights the Egyptian state’s …

Managing Capacity Development For Administrative Staff In Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study Of The American University In Cairo, Amal Gamal Kaldas

Theses and Dissertations

Capacity development (CD) is a fundamental factor in the success of an organization, particularly in the initiation of higher education (HEIs) where administrative staff have a significant role in operational functions. This thesis presents several aspects that shape the capacity development for administrative staff in higher education institutions and the foundation of theories that relate to CD. Focusing on The American University in Cairo (AUC) as a case study to explore the current CD programs, how the administrative staff perceive the CD programs, and the challenges that hinder AUC in implementing these programs, and how AUC manages these programs. A …

Digital Replica For Trustworthy Cooperative Autonomous Vehicles, Hady Farahat

Theses and Dissertations

Trust in an automated system can be defined as confidence in a vehicle's reliability, safety, and predictability, which is essential for the acceptance and widespread adoption of fully autonomous vehicles (FAVs); without it, users might disengage from using autonomous vehicles or reject the technology altogether. Most of the previous research has focused on trust from an ego vehicle perspective.

However, next-generation vehicles are becoming more autonomous and connected, relying on vehicle-to-vehicle technology and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology with no human intervention. Hence, trust becomes more complex and fragile as multiple agents interact with each other, and it might become harder to establish …

Assessing School Readiness For Social And Emotional Learning: A Study Of School Leadership Perceptions And Attitudes, Nahla Elharati

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) in a number of British schools across Egypt, focusing on how school leaders defined and perceived its importance in student development. Through in-depth interviews with twelve school leaders, this study found that school leaders’ definitions of SEL emphasized self- awareness, self-regulation, and relationship-building, alongside a strong focus on the real-life applicability of SEL both within school settings and in students’ future lives. School leaders also expressed positive attitudes toward the benefits of SEL, particularly its role in enhancing academic performance, promoting student well-being, improving peer relationships, and reducing bullying, …

Exploring The Perspectives Of Afl Teachers On Teacher Development Needs, With Reference To The Level Of Professional Experience, Fathiyya Refky Abdelwahhab

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the perceptions of teachers of Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) regarding their training needs, with an attempt to examine whether those needs might vary according to the level of teaching experience. It also examines the views and reflections of AFL teachers about their training experiences; highlighting perceived strengths, weaknesses, and preferred training formats. The teaching competence examined in this study are based on the Cambridge Framework (n.d.) and the British Council CPD (1) Framework (2016). The key areas surveyed are Learning and the Learner, Teaching and Assessment, Arabic Language in the Classroom, Arabic Language Knowledge and …

Formulaic Sequences: Teacher And Student Perceptions And Teaching Strategies, Ali Sayed Muhammad Abd Allah

Theses and Dissertations

Formulaic Sequences (FS), common word combinations stored and used as single units, are crucial for achieving oral fluency yet remain underrepresented in pedagogical materials. This study explores this gap by examining teacher and student perceptions of FS and the teaching techniques within an online Egyptian EFL context. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered via teacher interviews (n=4), student questionnaires (n=100), a student focus group (n=4), and classroom observations. Results indicated that teachers unanimously perceived FS as essential building blocks for fluency, accuracy, and learner confidence, and they utilized a spectrum of techniques ranging from explicit instruction to incidental exposure …

Harnessing Ml And Iiot For Traceability In Continuous Production Systems: A Conceptual Framework, Kholoud M. Abdelaal

Theses and Dissertations

In the era of rapid technological advancement, the manufacturing sector faces increasing pressure to leverage emerging technologies to enhance operational efficiency and minimize waste. In this context, traceability plays a pivotal role, as it provides complete visibility of processes and products throughout manufacturing systems, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and take corrective actions accordingly. Additionally, traceability ensures compliance, supports product recalls, provides a clear understanding of the system’s performance, and enables fact-driven decision-making in multiple aspects of the manufacturing system. Although the broad spectrum of traceability applications in batch production-based plants, traceability remains challenging to achieve in continuous …

Copper Metal Organic Framework-Based Nanomaterial For Non-Enzymatic Glucose Electrochemical Sensor, Sameha Mohamed Sadek

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the development of non-enzymatic glucose sensors by engineering advanced electrode materials based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Conventional enzymatic glucose sensors, although widely used, suffer from inherent limitations, including poor long-term stability, narrow operating conditions, and sensitivity to environmental factors, due to their reliance on biological enzymes. Non-enzymatic sensors offer a more robust alternative by enabling direct electrochemical oxidation of glucose on engineered electrode surfaces. MOFs represent a highly tunable class of hybrid materials with structural and chemical features that are ideal for sensor applications, including a high surface area, tailored porosity, and excellent thermal and chemical stability. …

The Philosophy Of Selling Community: Developer Narratives And Resident Experiences Of Privacy And Community In Gated Communities In Cairo, Yosr Samir Raghib

Theses and Dissertations

Gated communities have become a global urban form with diverse impacts on their inhabitants. In recent years, Cairo has been expanding to the edges, and land that has always been a desert is now rapidly transforming into new cities that people are leaving their homes in the center of the city to move to seeking seclusion, security, privacy, and sense of community. Despite the tension proven between privacy and community, developers attempted to sell both concepts to coexist in gated communities in different manners to express their unique brand. Both concepts are defined differently by each developer, resulting in different …

Stakeholder Views Of Real Estate Registration In Egypt And The Reform Of 2022, Karim Alsisi

Theses and Dissertations

Real estate registration in Egypt has historically remained low despite the enactment of a deeds registration law in the 1940s and a title registration law in the 1960s. The 2022 reform (Law No. 9 of 2022) warranted an assessment of its effectiveness through a Public Policy and Administration lens. This thesis has two main objectives: first, to examine stakeholders’ views of the reform; and second, to explore stakeholder perspectives on formal registration and the factors driving registration avoidance by employing a qualitative design, using in-depth interviews with four stakeholder groups encompassing both system users and service providers. The findings revealed …

Students' Perceptions Of English Pop Culture, Andrew Ruffing

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate AUC students’ perceptions of English pop culture. Literature has shown that pop culture can be a beneficial engaging resource for students in the classroom. It provides students with comprehensible input for the language. However, there are concerns that students are disproportionately exposed to American pop culture while learning English. The purpose of this study is to investigate what nation students typically associate with English pop culture as well as if they use it to connect with those around them or the world outside their culture, as well as investigating their perceptions …

Evolving Skills And Stakeholder Dynamics: Investigating The Transformative Influence Of Generative Ai On Egyptian Public Policy, Zeinab Hosny Abdelgawad

Theses and Dissertations

Since its public release in November 2022, OpenAI's Generative AI (GenAI) has been met with varied responses, from widespread individual adoption to institutional caution. This phenomenon is evident among Egyptian public policy makers, where some institutions quickly embraced GenAI, while others have been slow to integrate it. The adoption of GenAI among these professionals is influenced by multiple factors, with institutional factors and budget constraints being the most significant. The varied adoption creates a need for new skills and the enhancement of existing ones. This uneven adoption is hypothesized to cause two main issues in Egyptian public policy: a policy …

Family Caregivers And Suicide Prevention: A Needs And Assets Assessment In Egypt, Lina Osama Allam

Theses and Dissertations

In the Arab world, suicide prevention is shaped by cultural stigma and religious beliefs, shaping both help-seeking behaviors and the design of support systems. Family caregivers play a vital role in suicide prevention but often face significant emotional and logistical burdens. This study is the first known scholarly effort in Egypt to examine the intervention needs of these caregivers. It explored three key questions: the roles and challenges of caregivers supporting individuals with suicidal thoughts or behaviors; the availability of clinical and community-based resources; and the characteristics of future interventions to support them. A total of 92 mental health professionals …

Representations Of "Black"-Type Coffins In The New Kingdom, Yunyao Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines depictions of twenty-three owners’ “black”-type coffins depicted in tomb wall paintings from eleven Theban tombs and on eight Theban papyri dating from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the early Twenty-first Dynasty. Four research methods are employed: descriptive, analytical, comparative, and contextual. First, a stylistic and iconographic analysis identifies four phases in the evolution of the “black”-type coffins depicted in the funerary art and explores the factors that influenced these representations by comparing them with actual “black”-type coffins and relevant artistic representations. The results indicate that the representations of “black”-type coffins feature a distinct evolution pattern, which is based …

An Impact Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Utilizing Informal Health Communication Interventions To Spread Health Recommendations And Change Public Perception, Lina Mohamed Ezzat Ahmed Abdel Mawgoud

Theses and Dissertations

Brain health is an increasingly urgent but critically under-addressed public health priority in Egypt and the wider MENA region. Despite its centrality to aging, productivity, and overall quality of life, public understanding of brain health remains limited, and stigma continues to shape responses to dementia and cognitive decline. This study evaluates the effectiveness of informal, culturally adapted health communication as a tool to shift perception, increase awareness, and promote behavior change among non-medically trained adults in Egypt.

Grounded in global evidence on cognitive reserve, neuroplasticity, and the life-course approach to brain health, the intervention translated expert-informed brain health recommendations into …

Advancing Climate Transition Through Fiscal Tools: The Role Of Carbon Taxation And Fuel Subsidy Reform, Farah Amgad Zayed

Theses and Dissertations

This study highlights how fiscal policy tools can accelerate Egypt's climate transition, with emphasis on carbon taxes and fossil fuel subsidies reforms. It investigates how fiscal tools can reduce carbon emissions and promote economic development by primarily relying on qualitative interviews with policymakers, consultants, representatives of the private sector, and civil society actors, paralleled with some descriptive and comparative analysis. The results show that even though Egypt has made significant strides in advancing green transition, including updating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), introducing the first African Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), as well as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies gradually, institutional …

Investigating The Risk Factors Affecting The Control Of Diabetes And Hypertension In The Refugees Living In Egypt, Noura Seada

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 74% of global deaths, with high prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension worldwide. Egypt hosts over 1 million registered refugees and asylum seekers, often lacking inclusion in social protection or insurance schemes. This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the control of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Hypertension (HTN) among Syrian and Sudanese refugees in Egypt, focusing on healthcare access, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health behaviours.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design using a self-administered questionnaire and BMI measurement. Data were collected from 246 refugees diagnosed with type T2D and/or HTN in the …

A Bim-Based Flexible Flow Shop Framework For Scheduling Linear Infrastructure Projects, Mahmoud Mohamed Elbassuony

Theses and Dissertations

Repetitive, multi-stage linear projects, such as pipelines or highways, are primarily impacted by spatial and resource constraints during their execution. Cost overruns, delays, and inefficient resource allocation make construction management for such projects complex. Traditional scheduling techniques, such as Critical Path Method (CPM) and Line of Balance (LOB), are less efficient for scheduling dynamic, complex, and multi-objective projects. There are more advanced scheduling methods that can be applied as a decision-making process to determine the optimal timing of activities and achieve other objectives. One of those techniques is the Flexible Flow Shop model (FFS), which can be effectively applied to …

Keeping It Together: Assessing The Wellbeing Of Project-Based Development Practitioners In Egypt, Amira Ahmed Abdallah Fekry Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the wellbeing of project-based development practitioners in Egypt, revealing how systemic pressures—bureaucracy, job insecurity, and fragmented workloads—undermine both wellbeing and productivity. The study employed a mixed-approach, combining 10 in-depth interviews with subject matter experts and practitioners and 75 surveys with development practitioners in Egypt. Data revealed that while many practitioners are driven by purpose, structural challenges erode resilience and motivation over time. Social support networks and personal coping strategies help but cannot replace institutional protections. The study argues that wellbeing must shift from being treated as an individual concern to a structural responsibility. Reframing organizational models around …

Digital Payment Adoption And Firm Performance In Egypt: An Empirical Study From The Digital Transformation Era In Mena, Alhussein M. Mowafi

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between digital payment adoption and firm-level innovation and revenue performance in Egypt, using microdata from the Survey of Enterprise Digitization published by the Economic Research Forum (ERF). Digital transformation, specifically payments, has accelerated across emerging economies, yet empirical evidence on its firm-level impacts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains limited. The study is framed through the Technology-Environment-Organization (TOE) framework and is highly incorporated with the Solow Growth Model through indirect technological growth inputs in the Solow residual. To address this gap, the study employs probit and ordered logit models to examine whether …

Social Media And Public Opinion In Times Of Conflict: How Arab Social Media Impacted International Perspectives On The Gaza War, Mariam Rizk

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines how Arab social media content creators impacted the international public perception of the 2023 Gaza war through English-language content. The research is conducted through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants: 4 Arab social media content creators and 15 English-speaking university students (13 American citizens and 2 international students studying in American universities). Through these semi-structured qualitative interviews, the research investigates the agenda-setting capabilities of social media during conflicts and identifies effective cross-cultural communication strategies. The study employed purposive sampling with snowball technique, targeting content creators with established social media presence (37,000-426,000 Instagram followers) and university students who …

The Effect Of The Socioeconomic Variety In Greater Cairo On Transport Mode Choices, Rafik Yanni

Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, Egypt has experienced a noticeable upgrade in its infrastructure investment, implementing a lot of transport projects, especially in the Greater Cairo region. In a city with over 20 million residents, variations lie in socioeconomic elements like income, age, gender, and neighborhood, which shape people’s choice of mobility modes based on their culture and lifestyle. The questions then become: whom are these new projects targeting? What are the barriers to using these services? And is there any willingness to change commuting habits if conditions changed? This thesis investigates how the socioeconomic variety in Greater Cairo metropolitan region …

Intelligent Skies: Deep Learning Architectures For Scalable Aviation Safety Systems, Amine Khelifi

Theses and Dissertations

The growing complexity of aviation operations, particularly in rotorcraft and vertical flight necessitates the development of intelligent, automated systems to enhance safety and situational awareness. This thesis investigates the application of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on deep learning (DL), to address critical safety challenges in aviation. Four core use cases are examined: helicopter cockpit flight data monitoring, runway detection, helipad segmentation, and obstacle localization around rotorcraft landing zones. Each application targets a specific gap in current aviation infrastructure, with an emphasis on operational needs identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Leveraging a range of DL architectures, including …

Development Of Salinomycin Analogs As Potential Anti-Cancer Agents, Pavan Goud Juluri

Theses and Dissertations

Salinomycin, a poly-ionophore antibiotic originally isolated from Streptomyces albus, exhibits antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Over the years Salinomycin has been studied in the effects it has on cancer, specifically cancer stem cells. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an enzyme involved in DNA repair. Inhibiting PARP has been explored as a strategy in cancer treatment, particularly in cancers with defective DNA repair mechanisms, such as those with BRCA mutations. The benzo-thiazoles, and -imidazoles are identified as inhibitor scaffolds, which compete with nicotinamide in the binding pocket of human poly- and mono-ADP-ribosylating enzymes. Benzothiazole, and benzimidazole based compounds particularly with modification at …

Investigation Of The Phase Space Of Tungsten Oxides Nanostructures Via Resistive Hot Wire Oxidation For Efficient Electrochemical Energy Storage And Conversion Applications., Krishna Kc

Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of tungsten oxide (WO3−δ, 0 ≤ δ ≤ 1) nanostructures with controlled phase and morphology remains a significant challenge, particularly for applications in energy conversion and storage. This dissertation presents an eco-friendly and time-efficient method for synthesizing tungsten oxide nanostructures with tailored stoichiometry and crystal phases through the Resistive Hot Wire Oxidation (RHWO) technique. In this method, a tungsten wire is heated via resistive heating in an oxygen environment, and by precisely controlling the growth conditions, we successfully synthesized WO2.72, WO2.76, WO2.80, WO2.83, WO2.90, and WO2.98 phases with controlled morphologies using simple instrumentation. This approach eliminates the need …

Assessing Abuse And Neglect In U.S. Nursing Homes: A Comparative Analysis Across Pre-, During, And Post-Pandemic Periods, Katherine Gane

Theses and Dissertations

Nursing homes are among the most closely regulated providers in the U.S. healthcare system, with both federal and state agencies working together to monitor care and help protect residents. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, introduced unprecedented challenges for facilities and survey agencies alike, disrupting normal operations, limiting in-person visits, and temporarily shifting regulatory priorities. The purpose of this study was to examine how these pandemic-related disruptions were reflected in the severity and reporting patterns of substantiated abuse and neglect deficiencies in U.S. nursing homes. Using publicly available data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this study analyzed 39,607 …

A Little Blue Hedgehog That Runs A Lot And Has An Attitude: An Analysis Of The Covers Of Archie Comics’ Sonic The Hedgehog, Eleanor Herman

Theses and Dissertations

Through the lens of Robin Williams principles of design as outlined in her book, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, this thesis analyzes selected covers of Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series to see how the covers evolved over time, as the nearly 25-year continuous run allows for a unique analysis opportunity. 18 issues were selected and analyzed, with conclusions drawn from the covers’ use of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity.

Developing A Multimodal Approach To Channel Characterization On Youtube, Shadi Shajari

Theses and Dissertations

YouTube has become a dominant arena for global information sharing, where creators and audiences interact through content, comments, and engagement dynamics. Understanding how these interactions shape a channel’s identity requires a comprehensive characterization of both audience behavior and content structure. This dissertation develops a unified framework for characterizing YouTube channels through multimodal analysis that integrates behavioral modeling, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and content-based characterization to provide a holistic view of audience and editorial patterns. The framework begins by analyzing the structural relationships within co-commenter networks, where users who repeatedly comment on the same videos are connected to capture patterns of interaction …

Defining And Evaluating Performative Activism: A Mixed Methods Approach, Caitlyn Renee Upton Massaro

Theses and Dissertations

Activism, specifically Performative Activism (PA), has been difficult to study due to its wide variation and individual complexity. Study 1, a qualitative exploration of PA, involved interviews with 9 individuals, who were highly variable on the ADDRESSING Framework, regarding their experiences with and opinions on PA. Study 1 used Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify 6 behavioral markers of PA which were used to create a definition of Performative Activism based on the voices and opinions of diverse people in activist spaces. Study 2 was an ABA (test-retest) design using fictional scenarios to train participants to identify PA. Participants were 54 …