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Ritual As Resistance: Orality, Identity, And Soviet Kazakh Childhood In Sayin Muratbekov’S The Smell Of Wormwood, Dana Akhmerova

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

This essay analyzes The Smell of Wormwood (1967), a short novel by Soviet Kazakh author Sayin Muratbekov, set in a Kazakh village during World War II. The narrative centers on Ayan, a nine-year-old orphan with a physical disability, who copes with trauma and marginalization by becoming a storyteller for the village children. Focusing on the role of Kazakh folklore—particularly storytelling and initiation rituals—I explore how these cultural forms shape the novel’s characters, structure, and central conflict. Drawing on Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner’s theories of ritual, I argue that Ayan’s storytelling creates an informal liminal space through which the …

When Reading For The Plot Goes Wrong: “Death And The Compass” (“La Muerte Y La BrúJula”) By Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) And “The Sunglasses Society” (《眼镜会》) By Sun Liaohong (1897-1958), Reuben Slade

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

Detective fiction was once considered the pulpy, mass-consumed genre of a newly literate class with unrefined taste and an unquenchable desire for temporary withdrawal from the chaotically modernizing urban centers of the early 20th century. It has since transcended national boundaries to become a fully potentiated sect of world literature. As it traveled the world, local additions that imitated a recognizable form were imbued with distinct locality– detective fiction became both global and local, undertaking the universal questions of morality, law, order, and modernity in juxtaposition with the domestic circumstances that complicated them. This presentation places two detective stories in …

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence For Infection Control And Prevention In Hospitals: A Comprehensive Review Of Current Applications, Challenges, And Future Directions, Fahad A. Alhusain

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) significantly burden global healthcare systems, exacerbated by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Traditional infection control measures often lack consistency due to variable human compliance. This comprehensive review aims to explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing infection control and prevention in hospitals. A systematic literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to October 2024, focusing on studies applying AI to infection control. The review synthesizes current applications of AI, including predictive analytics for early detection, automated surveillance systems, personalized medicine approaches, decision support systems, and patient engagement tools. Findings …

Advancing Genetic Counselling In Southern Africa: Unveiling Opportunities For Inclusive Healthcare And Genomic Education For Angola, Maria Chimpolo, Shahida Moosa, Nasser Calumbuana, Elka Kay, Hashim Halim-Fikri, Dhavendra Kumar, Bin Alwi Zilfalil

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To critically evaluate the current status quo of genetic counseling in Southern Africa by uncovering grey areas in their integration within national healthcare systems. It pinpoints the need for improved genetic education and healthcare inclusivity to advance genomic medicine and precision healthcare for underserved populations by analyzing policy frameworks, infrastructure, education, and initiatives. Methods: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines examined studies on genetic testing in Southern Africa from 2008 to 2023. Searches in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science employed keywords and MeSH terms. A 2-tiered screening process selected studies, and extracted data were …

Normative Pulse Oximetry Values In Healthy Children: A Cross-Sectional Study From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Turki S. Alahmadi, Mohammed A. Alsubaie, Abdullah Z. Alsuheili, Anas S. Alyazidi, Israa A. Habis, Taif K. Alotibi, Areen Y. Ibrahim, Saddiq B. Habiballah, Matter A. Alsulami

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To establish reference values for peripheral oxygen saturation levels in children using pulse oximetry. Pulse oximetry to assess peripheral oxygen saturation is widely used in pediatric care as part of vital signs monitoring. Although readings between 95% and 100% are often considered normal in clinical practice, recent studies suggest that the normal peripheral oxygen saturation range should be between 97% and 100%. Methods: This cross-sectional study included children aged ≤18 years attending pediatric clinics and not having respiratory distress or acute illness during their visit. Vital signs and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Oxygen saturation and pulse rate were …

Gender Differences In Patient-Reported Outcomes And Cardiac Symptoms In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sultan Alosaimi, Abdullah Alqarni, Turki Alkalifah, Mansor Aldaijy, Nawaf Alghamdi, Abdulltaif Altalhah, Ambreen Kazi, Waleed Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To measure the gender differences in patient-reported outcomes and cardiac symptoms in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 randomly selected ACS patients aged ≥18 years. Data were collected using validated questionnaires, including Patient-reported outcomes measures, the Rose Dyspnea Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Seattle Angina Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with quality of life (QoL). Results: The study included 60% males and 40% females. Females reported significantly lower global physical health scores (11.62 [±2.49] versus …

Emergency Patients With Mild Elevations Of Serum Lipase And Acute Pancreatitis, Saqer M. Althunayyan, Abdulmajed K. Alali, Laila K. Alanazi, Salma S. Alkhalifah, Emad M. Mashdali, Mohammed A. Malabarey, Saad A. Alasiri, Abdulmajeed M. Mobrad

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To estimate the incidence of AP and determine potential predictors and the outcomes. Elevated lipase level of <3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) cause diagnostic confusion for acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: A multicenter, 6-year retrospective study enrolled adult patients who were detected with lipase level of 80–240 IU/L in the Emergency Department (ED). The Revised Atlanta Classification was used to identify AP within 72 hour (hr) from the first ED visit. Results: Of 1082 patients, 68 (6.3%) had AP, 393 (36.3%) were hospitalized, 64 (6%) required intensive care unit admission, and 2 (0.2%) died. Most AP cases were confirmed using computed tomography CT; 47 (69.1%), followed by repeated lipase level 15 (22.1%) and ultrasound 14 (20.6%). Alcohol exhibited the highest adjusted odds ratio of predicting AP (3.9–45.6), followed by white blood cell count (1.340–6.222), male gender (1.451–4.308), and higher lipase level (1.009–1.02). Among AP cases, 11.8% required ICU admission and 1 died within 72 hr. Chronic heart disease, obesity, fever, and tachycardia were associated with these critical outcomes. Conclusion: Among the study sample, 6.3% were diagnosed with AP. Most of the cases confirmed by CT and alcohol was the strongest risk factor in predicting AP. A prediction score system to stratify AP risk when lipase is <3 ULN is warranted.

A Bibliometric Analysis Of Disability Research In Saudi Arabia: Evolving Trends, Thematic Mapping, And Gaps, Mahmoud Kandeel, Mohamed A. Morsy, Sameer Alhojaily

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To identify key trends and influential authors and institutions, provide thematic mapping, and determine recent evolutions and gaps in the disability research in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study started in June 2024 and the data was analyzed during July 2024 in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The analysis employed bibliometric techniques such as bibliometric coupling, and thematic mapping using VOSviewer and RStudio with the Bibliometrix package. Results: The bibliometric analysis identified a total of 3080 publications and showed that the annual growth rate in the number of publications was 13.5%. Emerging themes included intellectual disabilities, quality of life, rehabilitation, and …

Patterns Of Antibiotic Resistance In Uropathogens Isolated From Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter Study, Zeyad A. Almatroudi, Abdullah M. Almazrou, Abdullah H. Aljomoai, Zaid M. Alsulami, Abdulaziz M. Alotaibi, Abdulmohsen A. Almutairi, Aiman El-Saed, Faisal A. Alsehli, Majid M. Alshamrani

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate the antibiotic resistance patterns in common uropathogens isolated from pediatric patients. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review on the uropathogens causing first-time, community-acquired, symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI). The data for this study was collected from one tertiary care hospital and 4 primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with data spanning from 2017-2022. Diagnosis of UTIs was in line with the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Results: Isolates were gathered from 610 patients, 101 (16.6%) of whom were male and 509 (83.4%) were female. The 3 most common species isolated were Escherichia …

Risk Of Malignancy In Thyroid Nodules Bethesda Iii Sub Classification Into Nuclear Atypia And Architectural Atypia. A Retrospective Study

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To identify the risk of malignancy in the Bethesda III category based on histopathological subclassification. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 193 patients with Bethesda III thyroid nodules who underwent surgical resection. The primary outcome was the malignancy risk associated with each histopathological sub-classification. Results: Of 193 patients, final histopathology revealed malignant nodules in 96 (49.7%). The malignancy rates varied among the Bethesda III subcategories, with Hürthle cell atypia of undetermined significance demonstrating the highest rate (55.6%), followed by cytological atypia (55.4%), architectural atypia (50.6%), and combined cytological and architectural atypia (33.3%). However, no significant difference in malignancy rates was …

Unveiling The Dynamics Of Intersectional Aging: A Qualitative Exploration Of Aging And Social Participation Among Transgender Older Adults, Tiff Cunin

Doctor of Philosophy in Translational Health Sciences Dissertations

For more than thirty years, extensive research has focused on understanding and supporting healthy aging among older adults in the United States. This research has emphasized the importance of community engagement, access to resources, and interpersonal relationships among the broader older adult population, However, it has largely overlooked how transgender older adults experience aging and how those experiences shape their social participation. Additionally, understanding how intersecting marginalized identities—such as race and transgender identity—affect social participation is essential.

This study employed a qualitative multiple case study design to explore the experiences transgender older adults have while aging and how those experiences …

Essays On Empirical Asset Pricing, Qi Fan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

My dissertation consists of three studies on how investor behavior affects the outcomes in financial markets. The first study focuses on the investors’ limited capacity on processing the complicated information transmitted through interconnected firms. The other two studies explore the investor heterogeneity on preferred time of trading, due to their personal traits or irrational judgements on the market conditions.

In Chapter 2, I focus on the return predictability across economically linked firms, due to investor limited attention. I document significant outperformance of stocks whose industry peers currently experience salient (attention-grabbing) gains, especially for those with strong social ties. The long-short …

It-Enabled Services In Online Healthcare Platforms, Anqi Zhao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Despite the growing prevalence of IT-enabled applications and interventions, online healthcare platforms (OHPs) face notable challenges in addressing technological and informational barriers, maintaining patient and physician engagement, and ensuring quality of care. To address these challenges, this dissertation examines the impact of IT-enabled services in OHPs across key stages of the healthcare service process—preconsultation, consultation, and postconsultation.

In the preconsultation stage, we scrutinize the effects of online preconsultation from both physician and patient perspectives. The findings reveal that preconsultation, significantly increases the consultation physician’s response speed,support abundance, and informational support. However, because emotional support is the …

The Impact Of Sustainable Urban Development On The Issuance Of Urban Investment Bonds, Xinglin Shou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Investment, export, and consumption have been viewed as the three driving forces behind economic development in China. Among these, investment has remarkably contributed to the urbanization in the context of China's sustained growth and development. Urbanization involves the mergingof large and medium-sized cities with surrounding areas, renovation of shantytowns and aging urban neighborhoods, and transformation of rural regions into urban areas, culminating in the establishment of a unified market. Such advancements have promoted infrastructure projects that are spearheadedby local governments and aligned with urbanization, thus catalyzing the growth of China's real estate industry, stimulating the Chinese economy, andextending the urbanization-related …

Internal Control And Urban Investment Bond Issuance, Feixiong Zhu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the rapid growth of China's economy, the financing needs of local governments are increasing, and municipal investment bonds, as animportant financing tool for local governments, play a pivotal role in the capital market. However, the rapid development of the municipal investment bond market has also brought about problems such as inadequate informationdisclosure and accumulation of market risks, which has aroused widespreadconcern about potential financial risks. Against this background, the state has strengthened the regulation of municipal bonds, emphasized the importance of compliance management, and introduced a series of policies and measures toimprove the transparency and standardization of the market. …

Towards Real-World Unsupervised Anomaly Detection For Images, Zhonghang Liu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the era of big data, data quality plays a critical role in computer vision, where the reliability and purity of training images are essential for optimal performance. When training models such as image classifiers and object detectors, the quality of the training data directly influences the success of the model. In other words, if the training dataset is contaminated, the model’s performance might accordingly decrease.

To address this challenge, unsupervised anomaly detection (UAD) has become an attractive research area. By automatically removing these anomalous data points, UAD can help improve the accuracy and robustness of machine learning models in …

The Impact Of Awards And Honors On Project Bidding, Ren Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation conducts a systematic study on the successful transformation and upgrading of China's automotive industry over the past decade, especially the remarkable progress made in the field of Electric and Intelligent Vehicles, and examines how China's automotive industry chain has seized the historical opportunity of the great transformation of the global automotive industry by “Four Modernizations”—electrification, intelligentization, lightweighting and modularization along the path of "Independent Innovation", and realized the overall improvement of both corporate performance and industrial strength under the synergy of strategic investors.

China has newly become the world's largest automotive exporter and successfully built up an advantageous …

Essays On Labor And Family Economics, Yutao Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation comprises three chapters that investigate the trade-offs between the quantity and quality of children, as well as trade-offs between female labor supply and family formation.

The first chapter investigates how family size shapes child migration in China, where most rural families have at least two children, and nearly 50% of children have migrant parents. We propose a model showing that, conditional on family size, boys and girls are equally likely to migrate with parents to cities. However, in societies with strong son preference, daughters' migration may still be constrained as they tend to have more siblings, and larger …

Temporal Relational Graph Convolutional Networks For Financial Applications, Brindha Priyadarshini Jeyaraman

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The financial industry operates within a highly dynamic and interconnected ecosystem, presenting unique challenges for predictive modeling and decision-making. Accurately forecasting financial performance, assessing credit risk, detecting fraud, and ensuring compliance require methodologies that can capture complex temporal, relational, and contextual dependencies within financial data. This thesis investigates the use of Temporal Relational Graph Convolutional Networks (TRGCNs) combined with financial knowledge graphs (FKGs) to address these challenges and enable advanced analytics in the financial domain. We introduce FintechKG, a financial knowledge graph constructed through a threedimensional information extraction process, incorporating entities, temporal dimensions, and domain-specific financial relationships. A TRGCN-based framework …

Corporate Environmental (Ir)Responsibility Of Chinese Construction Companies, Bin Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Grounded in a multi-stakeholder perspective, this study delves into the impact of Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) on the performance of firms in the Chinese construction industry. Utilizing a panel dataset of listed companies in the Chinese construction sector from 2008 to 2023, the research conducts empirical analysis by incorporating key stakeholder relationship indicators (customer concentration, government support, and bank loan costs) while controlling for firm characteristics, aiming to assess the effect of corporate environmental information disclosure on financial performance. The findings reveal that CER significantly positively affects financial performance. More crucially, this relationship is partly attributed to the strengthening of …

The Effects Of Financial Vulnerability On The Prosocial Behavior Of Medical Staff At Pet Hospitals, Guoxing Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fundamentally disrupted business operations, causing widespread financial strain and uncertainty for employees, and research shows that financial vulnerability – the sense of insecurity regarding one’s economic resources – has reached unprecedented levels among workers. But while conventional wisdom might suggest that financial stress leads to decreased work performance, a critical gap exists in understanding how financial vulnerability influences employee behavior in service-oriented environments.

Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between financial vulnerability and employee behavior within the context of pet hospitals in China, examining how organizational factors moderate this relationship. Data were collected …

Research On The Impact Investment Evaluation System For Photovoltaic Power Generation Projects, Shumeng Tong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study aims to put forward a more comprehensive and scientific impact of photovoltaic power generation project investment evaluation system, in order to make up for the inadequacy of existing research, for photovoltaic power generation project investment decision-making to provide a more powerful support. The conclusions and contributions of this study are as follows.

（1）Build impact of photovoltaic power generation project investment evaluation system, can comprehensively reflect more interests related subject of value, makes up for the traditional investment evaluation tend to focus on economic benefit analysis of the defects.

（2）The impact investment evaluation system of this study highlights the …

Culture And Sustainability: Understanding The Roles Of Values, Norms, And Cultural Tightness In Sustainable Consumption Behaviour, Sook Sum Au

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The past decade has seen an increased interest in environmental sustainability. Yet, few studies have examined the relationship between culture, sustainable consumption intention (SCI), and sustainable consumption behaviour (SCB). This study addresses this gap by examining the roles of values, norms and CTL in an integrative model to predict SCI and SCB. This study focuses on four types of values that are considered most relevant in environmental research (biospheric, altruistic, egoistic, and hedonic). Drawing on data from a sample across the 10 most culturally "tight" and 10 most culturally "loose" states in the US, this study applied multilevel modelling to …

Impact Of Supervisor Support And Organisational Support On Individual Employee Engagement In Environmental Organisational Citizenship Tasks, Yuen Mei Susan Chong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the rising importance of sustainability in the light of climate change challenges and the rising voices of society, government and investors (UNEP, 2024a, 2024b) as well as the recent report that 2024 was the warmest year on record (Bardan, 2025), organisational sustainability is growing in importance and can be achieved when the organisation is able to contribute to sustainable development by achieving the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social/human performance simultaneously i.e. profit, planet and people (Boyer et al., 2016; Hart & Milstein, 2003a; Kim et al., 2016a; Spreitzer et al., 2012). The triple bottom line with …

The Impact Of Eva Performance Evaluation System On Market Value Management Of State-Owned Listed Companies, Xiaohua Cai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the backdrop of intensifying global economic competition and the deepening reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), improving the operational efficiency of central state-owned enterprises has become a core issue in China’s pursuit of high-quality economic development. Meanwhile, as market-oriented reforms advance and capital markets open further in both directions, central state-owned enterprises’ market value management has increasingly emerged as a pivotal mechanism connecting national strategies with market value, necessitating the establishment of an institutional framework that balances value creation and value realization. In 2009, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council introduced the Economic Value Added …

Flow Experience In Immersive Tourism Performance: Antecedents And Tourists’ Satisfaction, Xiaoli Zhu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the deep integration of culture and tourism, immersive tourism performance has emerged as a new form of experiential consumption and has gradually become an essential vehicle for shaping destination branding and enhancing tourists’ cultural identity. By breaking the boundaries of traditional stages and integrating spatial construction, narrative mechanisms, and multidimensional interactive experiences, immersive performances create a sense of presence and immersion for tourists. This study focuses on the mechanism influencing tourists’ flow experience and satisfaction in immersive tourism performances. A theoretical model incorporating authenticity, interactivity, sense of presence, and value congruence was constructed and tested to reveal how multidimensional …

Risk Management For Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Within Rapid Changing International Environment: An Empirical Study, Youbing Cao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Semiconductors, as a key upstream component in the electronics and information industries, have attracted global attention from nations and corporations due to their vast market values. The emergence of global semiconductor supply chains has fostered specialized industrial divisions, such as semiconductor materials, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and semiconductor fabrication. While China’s semiconductor industry holds certain global market shares across various sectors, it still lags in advanced technologies and high-end markets. Since 2018, the United States has imposed increasing tariffs and export restrictions on many Chinese firms (known as the US-China trade war) to prevent technology outflows, leading to substantial uncertainties that …

Exploring The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Coaching And Mentoring Models On Founder Capabilities And Business Performance, Zhixiang Wu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

China's current economic development faces multiple pressures, including contracting demand, supply shocks, and weakening expectations. Coupled with changes in the market environment and structural employment mismatches, entrepreneurship has become a key driver for economic growth, job creation, and the enhancement of social resilience. Against this backdrop, the impact of entrepreneurship coaching on founder development and business performance has drawn increasing attention. This study systematically explores how external coaches, through various coaching methods, frequencies, and competencies, influence entrepreneurs' growth and further improve business performance.

Based on literature review and theoretical analysis, a mediation effect model is constructed to empirically examine the …

Entrepreneurial Orientation In Family Firms: The Role Of Intergenerational Dynamics, Firm Size, And External Working Experience, Wai Sam Kong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Family firms are key contributors to the global economy, yet their long-term entrepreneurial sustainability remains uncertain, particularly during intergenerational transitions. While entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been studied widely in general business contexts, the interplay between intergenerational dynamics and EO remains underexplored in family firms. This study addresses the existing gap by methodically studying how family-specific factors influence EO, thereby contributing a novel perspective to entrepreneurship and family business research. Drawing on Constructivist Learning Theory, we conceptualise EO not as a static firm attribute but as a developmental process shaped by intergenerational interactions, governance structures, and external influences. Using a multi-method …

Moderating Effect Of Fantasy Football Participation And Location On Team Identification And Nfl Fandom, Devon Hudson

Masters Theses

This study explores how fantasy football participation in varying geographic proximities to NFL teams has altered traditional fan allegiances (i.e. team loyalty or fandom) as an alternate consumer product for the game of football. After utilizing survey data to quantify concepts of fandom and team identification amongst respondents, respondent groups were sorted into various groups based on both fantasy participation and location relevant to NFL teams. A series of hypotheses describing relationships between proximity, fantasy football participation, and fan perceptions are analyzed using a series of statistical tests. No statistical significance was found when comparing strength of team identification amongst …