Digital Commons Network^™

Pediatric Morgagni Hernia: A 10 Year Single Center Experience, Yasser Alfraih, Mohammad Aldaffaa, Tariq Alsuhaibany, Abdullah Alshehri, Tariq Altokhais

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To present our institutional experience with pediatric morgagni hernia (MH) emphasizing the presentation, diagnostic workup, surgical techniques, and follow-up. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with MH who underwent surgical repair from May 2014 to May 2024. Data points collected included demographic, clinical, and follow up information. We analyzed the data using basic thematic analysis. For categorical variables, we employed counts and percentages. Statistical analysis performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Nine patients underwent MH repair. Respiratory symptoms were the most common, affecting 66% of patients. All patients received chest radiography, while 5 required computed …

Estimating Autism Prevalence Among Children In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Comprehensive Multisource Benchmarking Approach, Hadeel Khamees, Patrick Linnenbank, Ankita Gulati, Arindam Vatsa, Mohammed Aldosari, Ehsan Hoque

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To provide an accurate estimate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence among children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by benchmarking against international and regional data, addressing the limitations of the currently reported prevalence rate of 0.6%. Methods: We conducted a comparative benchmarking analysis using ASD prevalence data from countries with advanced monitoring systems (United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, South Korea, Italy, Singapore) and regional comparators (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan). We assessed differences in healthcare infrastructure, diagnostic frameworks, and screening intensity, and reviewed recent KSA-based studies. Methodological limitations such as underreporting, cultural stigma, and diagnostic inconsistencies …

Video Call Program For Intensive Care Patients And Their Families During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study, Haifa Alhumedi, Hasan M. Al-Dorzi, Abdulaziz Aldawood, Amal Almatroud, Mona Aldawsari, Haseena Banu Khan, Victoria Burrows, Samiyah Alrawy Alanazi, Brintha Naidv, Salha Al Zayer, Zandile Yeni, Saja Marhoun, Hoda Khoutani, Saeed Maghrabi, Sarah Alzighaibi, Fawaz Rabeeah, Sattam Alanazi, Huda Alghamdi, Abdul Aleem Atassi, Ali Alkathaami, Yaseen M. Arabi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To describe the utilization of the My Visit application for video calls between patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) and their families during the .COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to hospital visits. Methods: The My Visit (Zeyareti) application was launched in 2 National Guard Health Affairs hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and extended to all ICUs in August 2020. It allowed patients to communicate with their families using dedicated screens. This retrospective study was conducted using an automated satisfaction survey between September 2020 and September 2023. Results: Over 37 …

Can Inflammatory Indices Predict Myringosclerosis?, Neslihan Sari, Hasan Basri Savaş, Seda Uğraş, Cengiz Durucu

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To examine the relationships between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in myringosclerosis after ventilation tube insertion (VTI). Methods: We conducted this descriptive case-control study between March 2022 and September 2024. A total of 75 children aged 6 to 12 years with a history of VTI were enrolled. Myringosclerosis+ (n=43) included children with myringosclerosis, while Myringosclerosis- (n=32) included children without myringosclerosis. Preoperative values for NLR, PLR, and SII were collected by hematological testing and calculations. Demographic factors, prognostic risk factors and discrimination power of parameters were determined by statistical methods. Results: …

Comparative Analysis Of Autophagy And Apoptosis Pathways In Viral And Alcoholic Cirrhosis: An Immunohistochemical Study, Gunnur Demircan, Selimcan Berk, Doga Karayilan, Berkay T. Ozgur, Sema Ketenci, Ipek Elbegi, Vildan Karpuz, Melike Yavuz, Ahmet Midi, Demet Akin

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To study the different cellular death mechanisms between viral cirrhosis and alcoholic cirrhosis. The research investigated autophagy and apoptosis mechanisms in hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Methods: The research team analyzed biopsy samples from the liver which were obtained at Florence Nightingale Hospitals, Istanbul, Turkey. The experimental protocols were performed between February 2021 and February 2023. The study included 19 HBV, 15 HCV, 13 alcohol-related cirrhosis patients and 6 normal liver tissues. Beclin-1, Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and LC3 expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results: Staining intensity as well as extent underwent evaluation through H-score …

The Relationship Of St6gal1 With Clinicopathological And Prognostic Factors In Breast Carcinomas, Ethem Ömeroğlu, Abdülhalim Serden Ay, Tuğba Günler, İlknur Küçükosmanoğlu, Sümeyye Kozacıoğlu

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the association of β-galactoside α2-6 sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) expression with hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and other clinicopathological parameters, including histological grade, stage, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and survival in breast carcinomas (BCs). Methods: This study included 85 patients who had undergone surgery for breast cancer (BC). The associations of HR, HER2 status, and histopathologic tumor characteristics with immunohistochemical expression of ST6GAL1 were analyzed. Results: The majority (48 [56.5%]) of patients were in the T2 stage, and no association was seen between staging and ST6GAL1 ( p <0.05). Further, 44 (54.2%) patients were HR positive, and most of them exhibited high ST6GAL1 levels ( p =0.001), whereas 44 (51.8%) were HER2 negative, and most of them demonstrated low ST6GAL1 levels ( p =0.007). Ki-67 of ≥20% was observed in 55 (64.7%) and <20% in 30 (35.3%) patients. Most of those with high Ki-67 demonstrated low-grade STLGAL1 expression; however, no correlation was detected between the two values ( p =0.378). High and low ST6GAL1 expressions were observed in 39 (45.9%) and 46 (54.1%) cases, respectively. Conclusion: This research is one of the first studies to use ST6GAL1 in preoperative biopsies of patients not scheduled for neoadjuvant treatment. This study revealed highly significant associations of ST6GAL1 expression with HR, HER2, and molecular subtyping. Future studies are recommended to clarify the possible role of ST6GAL1 in resistance to HR and HER2-targeted and other chemotherapeutic agents in BCs.

Cytopathological Evaluation Of Serous Effusions Using The Isrsfc System: Risk Of Malignancy And Demographic Associations In A Saudi Cohort, Magdi M. Salih, Shatha Abdullah Alotaibi, Manal Ali Hassan, Khwaimsa Mohammad Bhaket, Nesreen Ahmad Bakhsh

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To classify serous effusions using the ISRSFC and assess malignancy risk across diagnostic categories, considering patient demographics and clinical features. Serous fluid cytopathology is a minimally invasive, cost-effective method for diagnosing benign and malignant conditions. The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (ISRSFC) standardizes reporting, yet data from Saudi Arabia are limited. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from October 2023 to June 2024. Serous fluid samples (peritoneal, pleural, pericardial) were stained with the Papanicolaou method and evaluated microscopically. Results: Among 153 effusions, peritoneal (60.7%) was most common. Patients aged 41–66 comprised the largest group (41.2%). …

Nociplastic, Neuropathic And Nociceptive Neck Pain Should Be Differentiated Based On Comprehensive Examinations Rather Than Pain Scales, Correspondence, Nociplastic

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Can Blood Analyses In Dogs Provide Insights Into Human Aging?

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Do Fitness Apps Do More Harm Than Good?

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

From Great “Liberator” To “Landlord Seeking Rent”: The Implications Of U.S. Reciprocal Tariffs Policy In Asia And Beyond, Henry S. Gao

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The post-war international economic order was, to a large extent, underwritten by U.S. leadership. Nowhere was this more visible than in Asia, where the United States not only financed post-colonial development but also provided open access to its huge market, laying the foundation for export-led growth across the region. It underpinned regional stability through a blend of military, diplomatic, and economic engagement, including costly interventions in the Korean and Vietnam wars. That legacy, however, was fundamentally disrupted on April 2, 2025, when the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs targeting key Asian economies. As Singapore’s defense minister wryly observed, the United …

A Comparison Of Comparisons: Evidence From An International Comparative Study Of 'Smart Cities', Kevin Ward, Teresa Abbruzzese, Tim Bunnell, Paolo Cardullo, I-Chun Catherine Chang, Byron Miller, Ramon Ribera-Fumaz, Haeran Shin, Zachary Spicer, Orlando Woods

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Every year the list lengthens of cities with some sort of ‘smart city’ public policy. In some, it emerges as the latest in a long line of urban digital and information communication policies. In others, the introduction of the notion of the ‘smart city’ marks a departure from past approaches to public policy. Additionally, the more studies emerge of actual smart city policies, then the less definitional agreement there seems to be. Nevertheless, that we have witnessed in the last two decades the ‘repeated instance’ of smart cities emerging in cities around the world seems incontrovertible. Like so much urban …

Remaking The Smart City Through The Covid-19 Pandemic: Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Orlando Woods, I-Chun Catherine Chang, Haeran Shin

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a catalysing force for urban innovation in general, and for smart city agendas specifically, throughout the world. From the development of contact tracing technologies and the enforcement of quarantine and safe distancing measures, to the dissemination of public health information and advancement of telehealth rollouts, the promises of “smart” technologies to reveal and govern patterns of socio-spatial contact and mobility can be found at the core of effective city management during the pandemic. Arguably nowhere is this truer than in the cities of Seoul, Singapore and Taipei, where the Asian developmental state was …

Nationalism And Anglo-American Neo-Colonialism In Southeast Asia, 1945-1965, Wen-Qing (Wei Wenqing) Ngoei

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

It is tempting to treat the United States’ ill-fated military intervention in Vietnam in the 1960s as the desperate final gasp of a moribund Western imperial system. Certainly, scholars have described Washington’s military debacle in Vietnam as the end of America’s “short-lived empire” in Southeast Asia, emblematic of the broader, decisive triumph of Southeast Asian nationalism over western colonialism. This reading of Southeast Asian countries attaining formal independence after 1945, with tacit assumptions that colonialism and nationalism exist in binary opposition, tends to ossify when the region’s history is viewed through the lens of U.S. defeat in Vietnam.

In contrast, …

Seeing Beyond The State: Private Sector-Led Smart City Governance In Bsd City, Indonesia, Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

In recent decades new cities have sprung up at a rapid pace, aided by private sector funding (Hogan et al., 2012). Within the realm of smart city development, private sector influence over urban governance has substantially increased, particularly through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). However, in Indonesia, there is an emerging trend of the private sector exerting significant control over ‘independent’ greenfield smart cities beyond state-led frameworks. This paper develops the idea of seeing beyond the state which involves looking past conventional state-centered approaches to urban governance. It considers instead how power and control are exercised outside or beyond the usual boundaries …

Home And Religion, Emma Alexandra Grimley, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This chapter explores how religious practices and identities intersect with the home as both a construct and physical locale and surveys the social science literature on religion in/and the home. We argue that the shifting space-times of religious practice reflect and influence the changeable and porous boundaries between public and private space, the home and beyond the home. This influence is shown by reference to three areas of focus: the home as a private space of and for religion; the use of religion to cross social and spatial boundaries of home; and the reconfiguration of the home in religious practice …

Scenarios For Csrd Scope Amendments - Advancing Reporting Scope While Reducing Further Burden, Andreas Rasche, Theodor Florian Cojoianu, Andreas G. F. Hoepner, Fabiola Schneider

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper presents calculations related to the CSRD scope criteria which are modified through the Omnibus I Simplification Package. We show how many companies would be in scope of CSRD when considering the criteria suggested by (a) the Commission’s Omnibus proposal, (b) the position adopted by the Council of the EU, and (c) the European Peoples Party (EPP) proposal in the European Parliament. For each of these three “cases” we show the impact of lowering or increasing the employee-related threshold. 1.    Our calculations demonstrate that the number of in-scope companies varies significantly when modifying the employee threshold. We conclude from …

Global Standards And Local Ambitions Across Green Taxonomies: Climate Change Mitigation From The European Union To South Africa, Theodor Florian Cojoianu, Andreas G. F. Hoepner, Ifigeneia Paliampelou, Anh Vu, Dariusz Wojcik

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Country-level green finance taxonomy standards have emerged to provide clarity on environmentally-sustainable economic activities to attract investment, protect financial services consumers, and counteract greenwashing. This paper adopts the Global Production and Financial Network (GPFN) approach and analyses factors affecting the climate change mitigation ambition level of the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (RSA GFT) in comparison with the EU taxonomy, which served as a model for South Africa's (RSA) regulators. It accounts for (i) the interplay between EU’s and RSA’s production and financial networks, and (ii) RSA’s willingness to attract European funding for sustainable development. We find that EU private …

Poster Abstract: Field Evaluation Of Body Thermoregulation-Based Dynamic Bedroom Air Temperature Control To Improve Sleep, Wenhao Zhang, Stefano Schiavon, Clayton Miller

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Sleep is essential for human health and well-being. Previous lab-based studies have shown that dynamically adjusting bedroom temperature according to body thermoregulation can improve sleep quality and thermal satisfaction. However, such strategies have not been tested in real-world settings, and there is a lack of practical solutions developed for residential buildings. In this work, we test a body thermoregulation-based dynamic air conditioning (AC) control strategy designed for typical Singapore homes and evaluated it in a pilot field deployment. The preliminary findings suggest that the proposed strategy can be successfully implemented in real bedroom settings and may improve sleep outcomes.

Enhancing Urban Energy Modeling: A Case Study Of Data Acquisition, Enrichment, And Evaluation In Berlin, Felix Rehmann, Martín Mosteiro-Romero, Clayton Miller, Rita Streblow

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) has become a critical tool for developing local heating and cooling plans, as required by the European Union. Despite growing interest, the reproducibility and reliability of UBEM studies remain limited due to data scarcity and workflow complexity. This paper presents a comprehensive framework to evaluate the data pipeline in UBEM, with a particular focus on data acquisition, enrichment, simulation, calibration, and information application. The approach applies three distinct UBEM workflows (CityEnergyAnalyst, DistrictGenerator, and SimStadt) to the Mierendorffinsel district in Berlin, Germany. We compare the based on quantitative performance metrics and qualitative framework criteria. The results …

A Dataset Exploring Urban Comfort Through Novel Wearables And Environmental Surveys, Patrick Chwalek, Sailin Zhong, Nathan Perry, Tianqi Liu, Clayton Miller, Seiied Hamed Alavi, Denis Lalanne, A. Joseph Paradiso

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study presents a comprehensive dataset capturing indoor environmental parameters, physiological responses, and subjective perceptions across three global cities. Utilizing wearable sensors, including smart eyeglasses, and a modified Cozie app, environmental and physiological data were collected, along with pre-screening, onboarding, and recurring surveys. Peripheral cues facilitated participant engagement with micro-EMA surveys, minimizing disruption over a 5-day collection period. The dataset offers insights into urban comfort dynamics, highlighting the interplay between environmental conditions, physiological responses, and subjective perceptions. Researchers can utilize this dataset to deepen their understanding of indoor environmental quality and inform the design of healthier built environments. Access to …

Sustainable Llm Inference For Edge Ai: Evaluating Quantized Llms For Energy Efficiency, Output Accuracy, And Inference Latency, Erik Johanne Husom, Arda Goknil, Merve Astekin, Lwin Khin Shar, Andre Kasen, Sagar Sen, Benedikt Andreas Mithassel, Ahmet Soylu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Deploying Large Language Models (LLMs) on edge devices presents significant challenges due to computational constraints, memory limitations, inference speed, and energy consumption. Model quantization has emerged as a key technique to enable efficient LLM inference by reducing model size and computational overhead. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of 28 quantized LLMs from the Ollama library, which applies by default Post-Training Quantization (PTQ) and weight-only quantization techniques, deployed on an edge device (Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM). We evaluate energy efficiency, inference performance, and output accuracy across multiple quantization levels and task types. Models are benchmarked on …

The 10-Year Status Of Pediatric Gastroenterologists' Perception Of Their Roles In The Management Of Childhood Obesity., Sara Karjoo, Senthilkumar Sankararaman, Fotini Tania Mitsinikos, Marwa Abu El Haija, Sheela Mahendra, Ayesha Baig, Ruba A. Abdelhadi, Ruben E. Quiros-Tejeira, Timothy Sentongo

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

In 2013, a survey of NASPGHAN members on their involvement in managing pediatric obesity revealed that most pediatric gastroenterologists viewed their roles as primarily supportive, focusing on the management of obesity-related gastrointestinal comorbidities. This 10-year follow-up survey, which targeted pediatric gastroenterology programs and practices, found similar perceptions, along with an increased interest in learning about obesity pharmacotherapy. Additionally, most programs and practices reported limited access to dedicated dietitians, a lack of funding, and a desire for greater institutional support for multidisciplinary programs addressing obesity. Notably, none of the funded programs cited philanthropy as a source of funding. These findings underscore …

Iron Supplementation Switches Mode Of Cell Death To Ferroptosis During Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury In Mice Rendering It Resistant To N-Acetylcysteine., Olamide B. Adelusi, Aparna Venkatraman, Jephte Y. Akakpo, Anup Ramachandran, Hartmut Jaeschke

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose can cause liver injury and is the leading cause of acute liver failure in Western countries. Hepatocellular necrosis induced by APAP involves the formation of a reactive metabolite, triggering mitochondrial oxidant stress and peroxynitrite formation. Iron-catalyzed protein nitration is critical for mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in the absence of lipid peroxidation (LPO). However, co-treatment of APAP and ferrous sulfate aggravated protein nitration and liver injury but also triggered extensive LPO (measured as malondialdehyde and hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) species). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the aggravated injury under these conditions is caused …

Use Of Osteopathic Manipulation Techniques For Management Of Acute Otitis Media In Pediatric Patients: A Scoping Review., Cory Hyun-Su Kim, Lauren R Mccray, Shaun A Nguyen, Carl Shermetaro, Wayne K Robbins

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

OBJECTIVE: To map and summarize the existing literature on the use of osteopathic manipulative techniques (OMT) in the management of acute otitis media (AOM) in pediatric patients, with an emphasis on reported outcomes and identifying gaps in the current evidence.

DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, PubMed, and SCOPUS.

REVIEW METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Studies were charted and summarized based on key characteristics, including study design, population, types of OMT applied, and reported outcomes on management of AOM and recurrent AOM …

Recommendations From Multi-Disciplinary Professionals For Survivor-Informed And Comprehensive Care For Human Trafficking Survivors, Christina Tsoi, Timothy B. Smith, Elizabeth Cutrer-Párraga, Devan Clayton, Joshua M. Marshall, Jamila Mastny

Faculty Publications

Background: Human trafficking affects millions of people worldwide with multiple adverse outcomes including psychopathology. Although research on human trafficking has become abundant in other academic disciplines (e.g., public health, criminology, social work), healthcare research specific to the mental health treatment of survivors remains limited. Objective: The purpose of this study was to gather recommendations from professionals about mental health treatment of trafficking survivors. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 multidisciplinary professionals working with trafficking survivors. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis methodology. Results: An overarching theme derived from the data concerned the recommendation to implement trafficking survivor-informed care, …

Exploring Nursing Students’ Experiences Of Factors Influencing Reflective Practice In Clinical Setting, Wafaa El Zaatari, Imad Maalouf

All Works

Purpose – Reflective practice is crucial in clinical nursing education at a nursing college in Al Ain. This study aims to explore nursing students’ perspectives on reflective practice in a clinical setting. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed an exploratory case study design, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from eight nursing students studying at a nursing college in the UAE. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and manually analysed using thematic analysis. Findings – Three main themes have been extracted, and these are the significance of reflection, facilitating factors and hindering factors. Four sub-themes emerged from the facilitating factors: moral …

Llms Are Bad Judges. So Use A Classifier Instead., Jack Kieffaber, Kimo Gandall, Steven Foster, Kenny Mclaren

SMU Law Review Forum

Large Language Models suffer from prompt variance—meaning they’ll give you totally different legal answers depending on how you phrase your question. Jonathan Choi demonstrated this recently when he asked ChatGPT five legal questions, each rephrased 2,000 times, and watched as the bot spat out different answers every time. When you tell somebody that AI is going to replace the judge, the lawyer, and the legal system in the next twenty years, Choi’s article has become the go-to rebuttal; it’s the crown jewel of the “AI bad” genre.

Choi’s absolutely right that LLM’s are bad judges. And, if every AI was …

Use Of Robotic And Laparoscopic Surgery For Right Colectomies In Rural Areas: Are The Advantages Over Open Surgery Comparable To Those Reported In Urban Centers? An Analysis Using The Healthcare Cost And Utilization Project (Hcup) Michigan Inpatient Sample, Ryan T. Davis, Ibrahim B. Baida, Jacob A. Applegarth, Nathan M. Novotny

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Surgical robotics have become more accessible in rural healthcare centers across Michigan, driving a growing demand for clinical outcomes data in these areas. National studies have shown that robotic colectomies reduce postoperative complications compared to open procedures, but data specific to rural settings remain limited. This study aims to compare postoperative complications following open, laparoscopic, and robotic right colectomies in rural Michigan.
Methods: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Michigan inpatient database (2016-2018) was used to analyze postoperative complications after right colectomies in urban and rural hospitals. Complications analyzed included: prolonged ileus, pneumonia, surgical site infection, septicemia, hemorrhage/hematoma, …

Final Draft Report - Mapping Pfas In Groundwater Of The West Plains, Spokane County, Washington, 2023-2025, Chad Pritchard

EWU PFAS Research Collection

Since 2017, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in West Plains groundwater. Sampling conducted by Fairchild Air Force Base (FAFB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have measured PFAS concentrations in private wells that exceed drinking water standards. Two known sources of PFAS have been identified on the West Plains: FAFB and Spokane International Airport (SIA). Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) awarded the City of Medical Lake an area-wide groundwater grant to develop a groundwater model of PFAS contamination in the West Plains, the grant was originally written by Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Spokane County Water Resources …