Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Functional Disability In Daily Activities Among Older Adults In Bisha, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Abdullah H. Alhalafi, Ibrahim A. Eljack, Shehab M. Almalki, Ahmed S. Doghish, Osama A. Mohammed, Abdullah F. Alhalafi, Saif M. Alqahtani, Hussain S. Alqahtani, Galaleldien M. Abdalla, Abubakar M. Jibo

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of functional disability among older people attending primary healthcare centers in Bisha, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design and gathered data from older adults (60 years and older) attending primary healthcare centers in Bisha. Data was collected using structured interviews based on the Katz Index of Independence in activities of daily living (ADL). Ordinal logistic regression models identified major ADL limiting variables. Results: A total number of 396 respondents, with 40.7% (n=161) females. The prevalence of functional disability using the Katz ADL Index scale was 54%. Nearly half (45.5%) of the respondents …

Effect Of Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Combined With Evidence-Based Physical Therapy For Adhesive Capsulitis Of The Shoulder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Turki M. Sharahili, Hosam A. Alzahrani

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (rESWT) combined with evidence-based physical therapy (EBPT) on adhesive capsulitis (AC). Methods: A total of 30 participants with AC were randomly assigned to receive either rESWT combined with EBPT (experimental group) or sham rESWT combined with EBPT (control group) over a 6-week intervention period. The primary outcomes included pain (assessed using the visual analogue scale) and disability (disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire). The secondary outcomes were shoulder range of motion (ROM), psychological distress (depression anxiety and stress scale-12), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL; short form-12). Assessments …

Impact Of Z-Spring Appliance And Clear Aligner Therapy On Oral Microorganisms In Children: A Clinical Trial, İrem Kapici, Özge Erken Güngör, Kubra Yildirim, Cemilenur Atas, Ahmet Yilmaz Coban

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of Z-spring appliance and clear aligners, used in anterior crossbite treatment, on dental plaque colonization in children. Methods: A 2-arm randomized controlled trial included 30 patients aged 7-12 years with anterior crossbite. Participants were divided into 2 groups: clear aligner (group A, n=15) and Z-spring appliance (group B, n=15). Dental plaque samples were collected at treatment initiation and completion, inoculated onto selective media, and analyzed for colony counts (cfu/ml) of Streptococcus mutans ( S. mutans ), Streptococcus mitis ( S. mitis ), Streptococcus salivarius ( S. salivarius ), and Candida albicans ( C. albicans ). …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceptions Of Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip Among Pregnant Women In Jordan

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the awareness of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) among pregnant women in Jordan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among pregnant females, aged 18 years and above, who had visited 3 hospitals in Jordan. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, and responses were recorded using a Google form by the researchers. Results: A total of 605 women completed the questionnaire. Most participants correctly reported DDH as the cause of ambulation problems (n=531, 87.6%), and approximately 60% reported it as painful. The majority agreed that DDH is diagnosed using x-ray imaging (80.5%), usually in the …

Study Reveals Processes Important For Skin Cancer Aggressiveness And Identifies Two Classes Of Drugs That May Block Them

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Bonehead Non-Proliferation Redux, David A. Koplow

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Since the publication of my 1993 Fletcher Forum article “Bonehead Non-Proliferation,” three vitally important international developments regarding nuclear weapons have materialized. First, the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an essential linchpin for global security, was extended by its parties in 1995 into a permanent agreement—a tremendous outcome that was not certain when my original article was published. Second, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, globally prohibiting all nuclear explosions, was concluded in 1996—my article focused on the imperative for crafting such an instrument. Third, a group of distinguished senior U.S. government security officials succeeded in reviving the concept of the complete abolition …

Characterization Of Lactobacilli-Containing Catheter Segments Developed By Using Selective Laser Sintered Mold., Caden Maners

Master of Engineering Theses

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are a major healthcare burden with current prevention strategies offering limited success. This study presents a novel, self-coating biomaterial approach using a silicone-based bioink embedded with thermally sensitive probiotic strains (L. crispatus, L. rhamnosus, and L. reuteri). Catheter segments were fabricated via bio-injection molding using 3D-printed CAD molds. These Lactobacilli, selected for their probiotic and antimicrobial potential, serve as a non- antibiotic strategy to reduce infection risk. These segments were evaluated for mechanical strength (Shore A hardness), thermal stability (TGA/DSC), porosity and bacterial presence (SEM), biofilm formation (crystal-violet assay), as well as mass retention in …

Operationalising The Social Licence To Operate Along The Belt And Road: The Case For A Mediation-Focused Approach, Mark Mclaughlin

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines the intricate dynamics of community representation and stakeholder influence in the realm of international investment law. More specifically, it considers the most effective method by which to operationalise the concept of the ‘social licence to operate’ when attempting to resolve investor-state disputes. By utilising disputes relating to China’s Belt and Road Initiative as a case study, it is shown that the social impact of foreign investment projects is often a catalyst for arbitration claims. Community interests are insufficiently represented at the stage of procurement or admission of investment, which has led to violent clashes between investors and …

Modeling Framework To Quantify And Gauge Project Cost Risks Due To Construction Material Price Volatilities Using Predictive Probabilistic Deep-Learning Algorithms And Stochastic Risk Modeling, Yasser Jezzini, Rayan H. Assaad, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Material price fluctuations pose significant challenges for executing construction projects and adhering to budgetary estimates. Existing research studies focused on forecasting construction material prices rather than quantifying and gauging overall project cost risks related to price volatilities, and they relied on traditional time-series forecasting methods that are incapable of offering full probabilistic distributions of price fluctuations and of providing a comprehensive assessment of risk uncertainties associated with material price fluctuations. This paper addresses these gaps by developing an integrated framework to quantify and gauge project risks due to construction material price volatilities. The framework's validity and practicality were demonstrated using …

Wild Hogs In The Water: Contested Infrastructural Ecologies Of Reservoir Storage In Texas, Sayd Randle

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Reservoirs are developed to store water in reserve for future use. But once built, reservoir sites inevitably hold more than just water, often serving as a key habitat for a range of species. This paper examines how one such animal has transformed water storage facilities and nearby landscapes into contested ground in urbanising areas of Texas, USA. Living around the reservoirs, feral hogs complicate the process of urbanisation by degrading the stockpiled water and infrastructure at the storage sites themselves and by damaging private property throughout the surrounding landscape. Tracking local efforts to manage the hogs, the case study illustrates …

Political Ecologies Of Storage For The 21st Century, Sayd Randle, Matthew Archer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

New resource storage arrangements are proliferating rapidly both in terms of physical infrastructures-for the storage of things like "clean" energy, nuclear waste, carbon dioxide, fresh water, and data-and as part of a set of discursive moves that reinforce a vision of a near future world in which problems of climate change mitigation and adaptation in particular (but also issues like energy security, water security, industry growth, etc.) are solved through eco-modernist techno-fixes. This Symposium sketches the contours of a framework we term political ecologies of storage. In doing so, we treat storage as both a potent imaginary and a concrete …

Sensor Lag Adjustments On A Mobile Meteorological Cart In Tropical Environments: A Case Study From An Urban Park In Singapore, Moshe Eliezer Mandelmilch, Sin Kang Yik, Beatrice H. Ho, Graces N. Y. Ching, Peter J. Crank, Winston T. L. Chow

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study adds to the growing literature on mobile platforms by examining the performance of the Singapore MaRTy (SMaRTy) in conducting mobile micrometeorological measurements along a designated route in an urban park in Singapore, reflecting a pedestrian walking experience. The main objective of the study was to calculate the sensor lag for the mobile climate measurements: Air Temperature (TA), and Relative Humidity (RH) of SMaRTy along a designated route in an urban park in Singapore based on data from fixed stations (HOBO sensors) in two significant synoptic meteorological periods during the Northeast and Southwest monsoons. Statistically significant regression models were …

The Miseducation Of Model Minorities: The Gospel Of ‘Schoolvation’ And The Myth Of The Schooled Society, Justin Kh Tse

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The ‘model minority’, the phenomenon of some ‘minority’ communities (or some members within them) achieving social and economic advancement despite encountering the difficulties of assimilating into a mainstream society, is often described as a myth, especially as one of the central problematics in Asian American studies. Usually, the modern use of the word myth is pejorative: the model minority in this sense refers to a false empirical description of some minorities and should be quantitatively disaggregated and qualitatively debunked. In this article, I want to explore the model minority as another kind of myth, in the classical sense of mythos, …

A New City For A New Era: Xiong'an As Showcase Of China's Evolving Urban Ideology, Andrew Stokols

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Cities have long been expressions of political ideology in China and elsewhere. During China’s rapid urbanization over the past few decades, “new areas” became popular strategies to promote urban growth, following the success of Shenzhen, widely regarded as China’s first special economic zone. Today under Xi, Xiong’an New Area has become the latest “new area of national significance.” But unlike previous new areas in China, Xiong’an has become wedded to a distinct vision of the urban in Xi Jinping’s China, one in which the excesses of reform-era urbanization are controlled through new forms of affordable housing and finance, new ecological …

Investigating The Thixotropy Of Fresh Struvite Cement-Based Composite: Insights On Mechanisms Of The Pastes’ Thixotropic Behavior, Ugochukwu Ewuzie, Abdulkareem O. Yusuf, Damilola Daramola, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Struvite (ST) recovered during wastewater treatment has been sparsely applied in cement-based composites. This study systematically evaluated the thixotropic behavior of cement-struvite (CST) pastes, a mix of 5–20 % ST by mass of cement, and proposed the interaction mechanisms leading to the pastes' thixotropy. The hysteresis loop area was used to establish the pastes' thixotropy and investigate its relationship with increased ST content, temperature, and yield stress. In the thixotropic behavior model used, the equilibrium shear stress was employed to examine the CST pastes' irreversible change; the characteristic time of deflocculation was used to study the flocs destruction process; and …

Gallium-Containing Bioactive Glasses: Their Influence On Ion Release And The Bioactivity Of Resulting Glass Polyalkenoate Cements, Lana Margaret Placek, Danielle Lee Perry, Mark Robert Towler, Anthony William Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A series of glasses (0.48SiO2 − [0.40-x]ZnO − 0.12CaO-xGa2O3, x = 0, 0.8, 0.16) was developed to formulate a series of Ga-containing glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs). The solubility of GPCs was tested using DI water, and it was found that the sample containing the highest mol% of Ga, LGa-2, had the most Ga ion release. The GPCs were incubated in SBF, and SEM/EDS analysis revealed that the at% of P increased, while the at% of Si decreased, highlighting the CaP precipitation on the GPC surface. The at% of Ga also decreased, reinforcing the Ga release from the GPC. Cellular testing …

The Diabetes Prevention Program And Its Outcomes Study: Niddk's Journey Into The Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes And Its Public Health Impact, Jill P Crandall, Dana Dabelea, William C Knowler, David M Nathan, Marinella Temprosa, Dpp Research Group

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The current-day epidemic of type 2 diabetes, largely driven by increased adiposity and reduced physical activity in the setting of genetic susceptibility, is a major public health challenge. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) presciently proposed the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a multicenter randomized clinical trial, designed by investigators in conjunction with NIDDK staff and initiated in 1996. The primary goal of DPP was to determine whether an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILS) or metformin in comparison with placebo would reduce the development of diabetes in a high-risk population with prediabetes. After mean 2.8 years, ILS …

Full-Stack Web Applications: Infrastructure, Development Pipelines & Devsecops, Yassine Chahid, Patrick Slattery

Publications and Research

This research explores emerging development methodologies and technologies which facilitate the deployment and maintenance of software applications. It evaluates architectural styles for the development of software such as monolithic (legacy) and microservice models, with a focus on their key differences such as scalability or project structure through to the development of an application. By examining methodologies such as Agile and continuous integration/continuous development pipelines along with the deployment tools Docker and Git for version/release control, the study analyzes how these innovations speed up development, improve existing practices, and serve as the foundation for development operations. Cloud solutions for tasks such …

Plato’S Moral Realism By Lloyd Gerson (Review), Brennan Mcdavid

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

A review of Plato’s Moral Realism by Lloyd Gerson.

Course Descriptions, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Afit Librarian Newsletter : Check It Out (Third Quarter 2025), D'Azzo Research Library, Air Force Institute Of Technology

AFIT Library Knowledge Base

In this issue:

• Interview with a Featured Library Advocate, Dr. Michael Miller, ENV.
• 25th Anniversary of the joint library operations with AFRL

Research On The Capacity Development Of National Science And Technology Intelligence System, Hui Li, Shu Chen, Xiao Tan

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] The unique form and systematic characteristics of great power competition, such as system-establishment and whole of society confrontation, multi-domain and multi-depth high-tech containment and counter-containment, and multi-means and multi-element mixed deterrence, determine that national scientific and technological intelligence must have considerable systemic capabilities to match and follow up.

[Method/process] This article focuses on scientific and technological intelligence institutions within the traditional system, defines the connotation of national scientific and technological intelligence system capabilities, constructs a six-dimensional capability cognition model of ""institutional improvement capability-system coordination capability-resource guarantee capability-technological innovation capability-intelligence shaping capability-safe operation capability"", and expounds its main contents.

[Result/conclusion] …

Research On The Evolutionary Game Of Users' Digital Reading Trace Sharing From Perspective Of Privacy Protection, Jing Liu, Jingyu Ji, Chengzhi Liu, Liyan Chang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] Under the perspective of privacy protection, exploring the sharing of users' digital reading traces is of great significance for creating a healthy and orderly digital reading environment and promoting the high-quality development of national reading.

[Method/process] A tripartite evolutionary game model of users, digital reading platforms and the government is constructed to reveal the dynamic evolution process and stable strategy of each subject's strategy selection through mathematical derivation, and numerical simulation is used to verify the accuracy of the model.

[Result/conclusion] The study shows that the strategy choices of users, digital reading platforms and the government are highly coupled, …

The Formation Mechanism Of Irrational Online Comments From The Perspective Of Dual Systems Theory, Xuefen Wang, Lei Guo, Liyan Chang, Zejiao Jiang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] To explore the internal formation mechanism of unplanned irrational online comments is of great significance to promote the governance of cyberspace and the control of user behavior.

[Method/process] Based on the dual-system theory, the study constructed a model for the formation mechanism of irrational online comments, and revealed how online disinhibition and the spiral of silence affect individual internal states to stimulate irrational comments through empirical analysis.

[Result/conclusion] Research reveals that: compared to mild irrational comments, aggressive irrational comments are more likely to be unplanned behaviors, the cognitive-emotional preoccupation with online comments is the main driving factor for irrational …

Research On Technology Opportunity Identification By Integrating Technology Attribute Analysis And Competitive Environment Scanning —— A Case Study Of Industrial Robots, Daobin Gao

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] Placing technology opportunity identification in the perspective of technology attribute analysis and competitive environment scanning provides intelligence support for enterprises to select technology opportunities and formulate technology competitive strategies in complex and changing market competition environments.

[Method/process] Using patents as the data source, first, the BERTopic model is used to explore potential technical topics, Secondly, starting from the technical attributes, and from both global and local perspectives, we propose indicators of technical importance and technical attention, and use their cross screening to select candidate sets of technical opportunities, Finally, a market competition intensity index that takes into account market …

Culture Bears The Way, While Technology Facilitates Action: Research Of The Adoption Willingness Of Aigc In Academic Writing Among Young Scholars, Jiangfeng Liu, Zihui Wang, Zhiwei Hu, Lei Pei

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] Clarifying the influencing factors of young scholars' willingness to use AIGC and its path of action,then making effective enhancement strategies,would help to further expand the application of AIGC in academic writing.

[Method/process] This paper combs through the studies on AIGC information behavior, and identifies TOE(Technology-Organization-Envifonment，TOE) theory and research life cycle theory as the base theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for procedural grounded theory coding. Then, a questionnaire survey and qualitative comparative analysis using fuzzy sets were conducted to obtain the influencing factors grouping path.

[Result/conclusion] Five factors, induding content quality, system quality, perceived risk, expectation confirmation, and group norms, …

Unm Pathology, Pathfinder Summer 2025, Unm Department Of Pathology

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence And Humanoid Robotics: Bioethical Implications Of Replacing Human Agency In Healthcare And Beyond, Sara Feizyab, Gabriele Bonetti, Maria Chiara Medori, Cecilia Micheletti, Immacolata De Luca, Kevin Donato, Jan Miertuš, Mehmet Sait Dundar, Miroslava Vráblová, Gary Henehan, Richard Brown, Robert Marks, Stanislav Miertus, Lorenzo Lorusso, Gianluca Martino Tartaglia, Munis Dundar, Sandro Michelini, Stephen Thaddeus Connelly, Ariola Bacu, Tommaso Beccari, Ornela Gordani, Xhilda Dhamo, Eglantina Kalluci, Dominika Vešelényiová, Iveta Dirgová Luptáková, Jiri Pospíchal, Matteo Bertelli

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robotics into healthcare represents a critical evolution in biotechnology with profound societal implications. This review explores the bioethical implications of these technologies, and their potential to displace human agency in life-critical decisions. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach encompassing ethics, law, and technology. The review examines how innovations in AI and robotics might shift autonomy from humans to machines, and addresses the accountability challenges inherent in such transitions. We synthesize discussions on the ethical management of AI and robotics, underscoring the importance of maintaining human oversight and integrating ethical standards in technology …

Araştırma Alanında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme: Avrupa Birliği Cinsiyet Eşitliği Stratejileri Ve Araştırma Çerçeve Programları, Guldan Kalem

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper addresses the issue of gender equality in science, research, and innovation in the context of the European Union's Equality Strategies and Research and Innovation Framework Programs. The study aims to provide predictions for the future in this area through the analysis of priorities and actions outlined in the European Union’s gender equality strategies and research and innovation framework programs to promote gender equality in the field of research. Document review and analysis methods were used as research methods. The analysis of the documents shows that the European Union priorities in the area of gender inequality in research are …

An Exponential Cone Integer Programming And Piece-Wise Linear Approximation Approach For 0-1 Fractional Programming, Hoang Giang Pham, Thuy Anh Ta, Tien Mai

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We study a class of binary fractional programs commonly encountered in important application domains such as assortment optimization and facility location. These problems are known to be NP-hard to approximate within any constant factor, and existing solution approaches typically rely on mixed-integer linear programming or second-order cone programming reformulations. These methods often utilize linearization techniques (e.g., big-M or McCormick inequalities), which can result in weak continuous relaxations. In this work, we propose a novel approach based on an exponential cone reformulation combined with piecewise linear approximation. This allows the problem to be solved efficiently using standard cutting-plane or branch-and-cut procedures. …