Digital Commons Network^™

Binge-Watching Effect On Egyptian Youth Perceptions: The Case Of Netflix, Layla Umara

Theses and Dissertations

With the emergence of VOD content worldwide, and its increasing popularity in the Middle East and Egypt, this paper examines the effect of binge-watching the subscription video on demand streaming service “Netflix” on Egyptian Youths’ perceptions and how they perceive the real world. The Study tests both the number of hours spent watching Netflix and the frequency of binge-watching on the impact on perceived reality of societal values, third person effect and the acceptance of controversial societal values in Egypt. It also studies whether the influence of the cumulative long-hours of exposure to Netflix may give a new dimension to …

Undergraduate Medical Student Perspectives On The Role Of Autopsy In Medical Education, Patrick Hearle, Wing Fei Wong, Joanna Chan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Medical autopsy has historically been considered a valued experience in undergraduate medical education; however, student participation has declined in recent years. Medical education literature from the educator point of view supports autopsy as an educational tool, but more data are needed on undergraduate medical students' (UMS) perspectives on autopsy. This study aims to assess UMS opinions on the role of autopsy in undergraduate medical education. A 5-point Likert scale survey concerning autopsy and medical education was offered to all UMS at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. In addition, 28 senior students were assigned a 500 word essay on hospital autopsy and …

Technology Acceptance Among Library Male And Female Users Of Lahore-Based Public And Private General Categories Universities, Qaiser Iqbal, Tahira Akbar, Zaheer Ahmad

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Purpose- The purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of digital library resources & services, and the value of multidisciplinary databases among postgraduate researchers/ students. This research study is an investigation of technology acceptance behaviours of university library users in Lahore, Pakistan. It also works on user’s perception and usage of digital databases, user’s level of satisfaction, user’s ease of use and usefulness to use digital library databases and identifications of factors affecting accessing digital databases. This research study is based on the TAM model in the context of technology acceptance by postgraduate researchers.

Design/ methodology/ approach …

The Egyptian National Action Plan Of Antimicrobial Resistance: Governance Mechanism And Public Awareness, Aalaa Afdal Mogheith

Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed primarily to understand the governance mechanism adopted for improving the public awareness on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as the first goal of the Egyptian National Action Plan (NAP) for curbing AMR. The secondary purpose was to assess the public awareness, and to identify areas for improvement on raising awareness on AMR. A mixed approach was adopted; firstly, eight in-depth interviews with different stakeholders` representatives involved in the NAP development were held to understand the governance of the NAP. Secondly, a public awareness survey was conducted on 565 respondents to assess their knowledge and awareness on AMR and antibiotic …

Price Prediction Models Of Metals Considering International Crises, Haidy Ghali

Theses and Dissertations

Steel, copper, and aluminum are essential raw materials in the construction industry and are used in any construction project whether commercial, industrial, or mega projects. During normal market conditions, the prices of these metals normally fluctuate due to general inflation in the economy; however, during crises, the prices of these metals significantly fluctuate exposing both contractors and suppliers to an unexpected financial risk. Various researchers have developed metal prediction models for normal market condition and did not consider testing it on the crises time; also, the developed models are devised using past metal prices or macroeconomic indicators of trading countries …

An Epileptic Seizure Detection Method From Eeg Signals Based On A Classifier-Driven Feature Reduction Technique, Raymond N. Kamel

Theses and Dissertations

Epileptic seizure detection can improve the quality of life of epileptic patients, allow for more accurate medication, and minimize the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). This thesis work aims to develop a robust and stable algorithm for epileptic seizure detection through the classification of EEG signals. To achieve this aim, a methodology is proposed to develop a classifier that can differentiate between the healthy (normal), interictal, and ictal states of EEG signals, while maximizing the classification accuracy and minimizing the computational redundancy. The main pillar upon which this methodology is designed is using a problem-specific classifier-driven feature …

Security Governance Strategies: Comparing Rebel Groups In Lebanon And Syria, Nourhan Samir Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of civil wars especially after the end of the Cold War led to the rise of rebels who control parts of national states in the absence or weakness of the central government. Therefore, scholars who are interested in studying civil wars started to give more attention to how these rebels function after controlling a territory. It is substantial to study rebels who govern since they influence the post conflict peace-building. This study aimed at exploring the different factors that contribute to the sustainability of rebel governance during civil wars, and how this sustainability might lead to inclusion in …

Measuring Citizens’ Acceptance And Usage Of E-Government Services: Applying The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam) In Egypt, Rana Khamis

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of public services delivery has been realized by all governments worldwide. An overarching tool to enhance government productivity and enabling citizen-centric public services, especially in developed countries, has proven to be the electronic government (e-Government).

While many scholars focused on the supply side of e-government, few researches studied e-government adoption from the citizens’ perspective. To contribute to filling this research gap, this study aimed at measuring the perceptions of citizens towards the adoption of e-government services in Egypt. Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the main objective of this research was gaining a better understanding of the factors affecting …

Waste-Derived Hybrid Nanocomposite For The Simultaneous Removal Of Antibiotics And Dyes From Water Bodies, Abdelkader Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

A novel eco-friendly approach was used to synthesize a hydroxyapatite-carbon nanocomposite (HAP-C) by utilizing the industrial waste of cement kiln dust (CKD) as a source of calcium for the synthesis. Citric acid was first used to chelate the calcium from CKD, then the chelate was converted into a mixture of calcium carbonate and carbon by calcination at 450°C for 1 h. The mixture was used as a precursor for the synthesis of HAP-C by reacting it with ortho-phosphoric acid via a precipitation method. HAP-C was then calcined at different temperatures of 400, 500, and 700°C under inert atmosphere, with a …

Adsorption Of Antibiotics In Wastewater By Stevia Rebaudiana Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, Hania Guirguis

Theses and Dissertations

Green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), synthesized using Stevia rebaudiana extract, are investigated as novel adsorbents for the removal of the antibiotics ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET) from water. The green ZnO NPs were synthesized using a novel, rapid and ecofriendly technique that utilized a natural source with high sugar content as a reducing agent and a less energy intensive approach that did not require annealing or calcination at high temperatures. The particles are mesoporous, with a hexagonal wurtzite structure, a BET surface area of 15.28 m2/g and a size range of 37.36-71.33 nm. At pH 5, the green ZnO …

An Artificial Intelligence Framework To Contractor Financial Prequalification, Salah Elgamal

Theses and Dissertations

Financial distress in the construction industry always causes major disruptions that

usually result in a rippling effect on the economy. Avoiding such defaults is a top priority for employers to meet their demands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) models have provided increased accuracy in predicting financial distress compared to statistical, fuzzy and logistic regression models, and other classification models. The main objective of this work is to support project employers in pre-qualifying contractors by predicting the status of construction contractors during a bid analysis to disqualify contractors with a high probability of experiencing financial distress during the project duration. Eight financial indicators …

Adherence To Antihypertensive Medications Among African Americans Adults, Obiageli Obah-Mbanefo

Dissertations

Purpose: To describe adherence to antihypertensive medications among African Americans adults aged 35 to 65 years in south Los Angeles.

Study Aims: Aim 1: Describe patient sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education, insurance, employment, living arrangement and income), clinical factors (history of current depressive symptoms, comorbidities, comorbidity Charlson score and number of comorbidities), health literacy level, and medication adherence to hypertension (HTN) medications. Aim 2: Describe the relationships between sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, health literacy level, and medication adherence. Aim 3: Compare medication adherence between patients with high health literacy level, low possible health literacy, and low health literacy level.

Background: …

A Review Of Biodegradable Plastics From Multidisciplinary Perspectives, Winnie Courtene-Jones, Falco F De, Imogen E. Napper

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Nonhuman Primate Genetic Models For The Study Of Rare Diseases, Eric J Vallender, Charlotte E Hotchkiss, Anne D Lewis, Jeffrey Rogers, Joshua A Stern, Samuel M Peterson, Betsy Ferguson, Ken Sayers

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pre-clinical research and development relies heavily upon translationally valid models of disease. A major difficulty in understanding the biology of, and developing treatments for, rare disease is the lack of animal models. It is important that these models not only recapitulate the presentation of the disease in humans, but also that they share functionally equivalent underlying genetic causes. Nonhuman primates share physiological, anatomical, and behavioral similarities with humans resulting from close evolutionary relationships and high genetic homology. As the post-genomic era develops and next generation sequencing allows for the resequencing and screening of large populations of research animals, naturally occurring …

Mutations In The Transcriptional Regulator Mecp2 Severely Impact Key Cellular And Molecular Signatures Of Human Astrocytes During Maturation, Jialin Sun, Sivan Osenberg, Austin Irwin, Li-Hua Ma, Nigel Lee, Yangfei Xiang, Feng Li, Ying-Wooi Wan, In-Hyun Park, Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, Nurit Ballas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mutations in the MECP2 gene underlie a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, most commonly Rett syndrome (RTT). We ask whether MECP2 mutations interfere with human astrocyte developmental maturation, thereby affecting their ability to support neurons. Using human-based models, we show that RTT-causing MECP2 mutations greatly impact the key role of astrocytes in regulating overall brain bioenergetics and that these metabolic aberrations are likely mediated by dysfunctional mitochondria. During post-natal maturation, astrocytes rely on neurons to induce their complex stellate morphology and transcriptional changes. While MECP2 mutations cause cell-intrinsic aberrations in the astrocyte transcriptional landscape, surprisingly, they do not affect the neuron-induced …

Assessing Ecosystem Health Through Contaminants In The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Nancy Torres

Theses

Although the Tijuana River Estuary (TRE) remains the largest, most-intact coastal wetland in Southern California, it has a history of major changes, much of this related to its location immediately north of the US / Mexico Border. One of the primary challenges is cross-border flows from the rapidly growing city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, and the delivery of wastewater, debris, and sediment to sensitive coastal wetland ecosystems. There is a need to more fully investigate these environmental changes to assess the ecosystem health of the Tijuana River Estuary over time, especially related to pollution impacts. This can inform an …

Effect Of Histology On Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Oligometastatic Pulmonary Lesions, Alexander J. Allen, Dominic A. Labella, Roman O. Kowalchuk, Michael R. Waters, Charles R. Kersh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is commonly used to provide targeted treatment to metastatic lung disease. Investigation is needed to understand the influence of histology on treatment outcomes. We report how tumor histology affects local control (LC) in a cohort of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving SBRT for oligometastatic and recurrent pulmonary lesions.

METHODS: Patients who received SBRT to recurrent or oligometastatic NSCLC pulmonary lesions from 2015-2019 at our institution were included in this retrospective cohort study. Minimum follow-up was 2 months. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was performed to assess local progression-free survival (LPFS). Local failure cumulative incidence …

Final-2023 Update, Butte Mine Flooding Operable Unit, Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit And Mt Pole, Babcgwa Quality Assurance Project Plan, Ver 1, And Crosswalk, Montana Bureau Of Mines And Geology

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Al-Aqsa University Students' Use Of Metacognitive Reading Strategies In Relation To Their English Reading Comprehension Competence, Enas Hammad

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Little research has been conducted on English reading comprehension of Gaza university students. Thus, the study aimed to examine Al-Aqsa University students' use of metacognitive reading strategies in relation to their English reading comprehension. The researcher collected the study data through administering the reading section of the international English language testing system test (2019) and a closed-ended questionnaire to 95 students. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 students selected from the 95 participants. Findings indicated that the participants' use of metacognitive reading strategies was high (75.9%), and there was no statistically significant correlation between the participants' reading comprehension …

Effects Of Performance Feedback On High School Teachers’ Use Of Opportunities To Respond And Positive Feedback: Considering Efficiency In High Need Schools, Nathan Meyer, Amy Stevens, Terrance M. Scott, Marlene Parish

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The transition into high school presents new challenges for adolescents and performance in ninth grade is highly predictive of success throughout the remainder of high school. However, focus on teacher performance has great promise for increasing student engagement in the classroom and raising student achievement. Unfortunately, many of these practices typically are not implemented within classrooms where students are at highest risk for failure. Two studies were implemented to examine the effect of simple performance feedback strategies as a means of increasing teachers’ provision of opportunities for student responses and positive feedback during instruction. Results showed no effect in teacher …

An Examination Of Response Requirements Associated With Teachers' Use Of Different Opportunities For Student Response During Instruction, Todd Whitney, Terrance M. Scott, Justin T. Cooper

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Providing effective instruction that increases the degree to which students are engaged with the instructional content has been identified as a research-based practice in that it is associated with positive academic and behavioral outcomes. One high-leverage practice for engaging students is the provision of opportunities to respond (OTR) during instruction. However, previous research has shown that teachers at every level typically use OTRs at rates far below research-based recommendations. This study adds to the literature by breaking OTRs into verbal, non-verbal, and partner categories to further examine how teachers typically foster student engagement. Across 1095 total observations, OTR rates were …

Intelligent Cluster Provisioning, Shivram Salem Arunachalam, Raji Vinayagam, Abhisek Talasu, Rahul Joshi, Roli Kumar, Sajeev Ramachandran

Defensive Publications Series

Currently, cluster formation through a network management system (NMS) within a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a manual, multi-step process that is error-prone and time-consuming and which requires multiple interventions (along with validations) by a user at each and every intermediate step. Moreover, that process is extremely difficult to scale with the increased cluster sizes that are required in larger deployments. To address the types of challenges that were described above, techniques are presented herein that support an end-to-end automation of the above-described cluster provisioning process. Aspects of the presented techniques encompass the scanning of an inter-cluster network and …

Preschoolers And Mind Body Health, Kari A. Sassu

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

N/A

Understanding Basic Relational Concepts In Directions: A Study Of Native Mexican And U.S. Children In Early Elementary Grades, Adrian E. Tovar, Zheng Zhou

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The present study uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine: (1) U.S. and Mexican children’s ability to understand basic relational concepts in directions; and (2) to analyze language arts and math textbooks to determine the levels of complexity in directions (i.e., number of qualifiers or concepts embedded in the directions). A total of 265 first grade (n = 128) and second-grade (n = 137) children in Mexico were assessed using the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised (BTBC-R) Applications Booklet. Their performance was compared to the U.S. standardized sample of the BTBC-R to make cross-cultural comparisons. Results from the quantitative …

Assessing Social-Emotional Abilities Of Preschool-Aged Children Within A Social-Emotional Learning Framework, Joseph R. Engler, Vincent C. Alfonso, Jenna M. White, Cory D. Roy

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

During the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of research demonstrating a positive relationship between early childhood social-emotional abilities and later life outcomes. As such, practitioners who work with preschool-aged children are called to understand the social-emotional abilities that constitute healthy development. Doing so provides practitioners with a social-emotional framework from which to work so that they may efficiently assess and intervene in these abilities. This manuscript grounds social-emotional abilities within the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s (CASEL) Framework for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). We describe the need for a multi-method, multi-sourced, multi-setting comprehensive social-emotional assessment of …

Mind Body Health Interventions In Preschoolers, Melissa Bray, Emily Winter, Aarti P. Bellara, Johanna Deleyer-Tiarks, Jessica Dirsmith, Adeline Bray, Sai Aravala

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

There are myriad of mind body health (MBH) interventions that are effective for the preschool population. Supports may include, yet are not limited to, journal expression, yoga, music therapy, mindfulness, video self-modeling, and muscle relaxation. These particular interventions have resulted in positive changes for preschoolers with anxiety, depression, stress, and attention, as well as various physical conditions. Benefits of these MBH interventions include being effective with respect to teacher time, economically feasible, and are well-received by parents, teachers, and preschoolers.

Cumulative Experience Of Educational Assets From Preschool Through First Grade And The Social-Emotional Well-Being Of English- And Spanish-Speaking Children, Tutrang Nguyen, Tara Hofkens, Robert C. Pianta, Jessica V. Whittaker, Virginia E. Vitiello, Erik A. Ruzek

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Children’s social and emotional experiences influence brain development and are therefore central to outcomes of behavior, learning, and health. The current study examined associations between children’s cumulative educational assets in the early grades and end of first grade social-emotional outcomes for children from English- and Spanish-speaking families. Data were drawn from a sample of preschool-aged children (N = 1,132) from low-income families in a large, culturally, and linguistically diverse sample followed annually from pre-kindergarten through first grade. A multi-method, multi-informant approach was used to assess predictor and outcome variables. Results indicate overall that cumulative experiences of educational assets (teacher-student interaction …

Promoting Health And Wellness In Young Children: Preschool Assessment, Bruce A. Bracken, Lea A. Theodore

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Children’s formative development is most critical during the preschool years. It is during the earliest years of a child’s life when the fundamental building blocks of learning, cognitive development, academic achievement, information processing, language, and interpersonal skills are acquired and developed. Preschools are well suited to shape children’s overall health and well-being, with burgeoning research demonstrating a relationship between early life experiences and subsequent adult health. Preschool and quality daycare provide rich opportunities for children’s learning, yielding long-lasting and significant effects. Comprehensive preschool assessment sheds light on aspects of the whole child, providing early identification of potential problems and the …

Nutritional Wellness In Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jayanthi Kandiah, Constance Mcintosh, Naomi R. Boucher

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Preschool age is a time when children experience erratic appetite and fluctuations in growth and development. Typically developing preschoolers have picky eating habits leading to varied nutrient deficiencies. Dietary inadequacies are further compromised in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to abnormal sensory sensitivity, social deficits, and repetitive behaviors of interests. To promote health and wellness in this population, school psychologists and educators in collaboration with registered dietitian nutritionists who are the food and nutrition experts need to identify avenues to promote healthy eating for this pediatric population. This article focuses on nutritional needs and considerations of preschoolers with …

Understanding Factors Related To The Development Of Obesity Among Preschoolers And The Importance Of Promoting Physical Activity Early In Life, Cheryl Maykel, Jessica S. Reinhardt

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

It is known that most children do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity on a daily basis and that physical activity is inversely related to overweight status. Various physical and mental health concerns have been associated with overweight status. Conversely, various physical, mental, and cognitive health benefits have been associated with increased physical activity. While there is some evidence to suggest that the trend in overweight status may be leveling off, the rate of occurrence is still high (Hales et al., 2017). In addition, young children continue to fail to meet the recommendations for daily physical activity …