Digital Commons Network^™

Utilizing The Financial Calculator For Graduated Annuities: Compound Rate, Discount Rate, Present Value, And Future Value, Su-Jane Chen

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

This paper lays out a comprehensive, systemic, and conceptual framework for applying a financial calculator to handle graduated (growing) annuities, a practically important topic that has not received its due attention in finance textbooks. It introduces an alternative to the conventional approach in transforming the growth rate and the interest rate into a single rate as I in the calculator. It then shows that both approaches give the same answer and demonstrates how they can be used interchangeably with the illustration of several numerical examples. In short, this article provides a thorough rationale and gives a clear presentation for the …

Sustainable Cement-Blast Furnace Slag Mortar, Richa Jain, Harshit Jain, Ashish Nim

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

New building materials that required and produced less energy are need of today's infrastructure development. The ability of such building materials to promote sustainable development always puts its demand in active mode. With huge consumption of naturally occurring materials in building construction, the problem related to environment degradation is now common for world. Along with this, world is also facing the problem of reuse, recover and scientifically approved disposal of non-biodegradable wastes. Blast furnace slag (BFS) is one of those steel industry wastes that are abundantly available and their disposal arises as prime challenge for industries. This research work makes …

Deep Learning Based Routing And Clustering Approaches For Energy Optimization In 5g Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review, Ghufraan Ali Mohammad Jawad, Ahmed M. Al-Salih

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Next-generation Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), including 5G and Beyond-5G networks, have made significant progress. However, their development requires re-evaluating intelligent communication approaches to meet the growing demands for higher data transmission rates, more efficient spectral utilization, and reduced energy consumption. Scalability issues related to energy efficiency remain a critical concern for WSNs, which remain integral to the digital revolution. This paper investigates the role of Deep Learning (DL) methods in improving energy efficiency for routing and clustering in 5G WSNs. It is pertinent to note that Deep Q-Networks (DQNs) and their variants have significantly enhanced Cluster Heads (CHs) selection schemes …

Modeling And Optimization Of Ppsu/Cu-Bdc Mmms And Ppsu/Cooh-Mwcnt@Cu-Bdc Mmms For Enhanced Water Treatment Performance, Ghaidaa M. Jaid, Adnan A. Abdulrazak, Sunarti Abdul Rahman, Muayad Al-Shaeli, Vahid Vatanpour, Qusay F. Alsalhy

Engineering and Technology Journal

Water quality is increasingly of concern today due to industrial wastewater that contains heavy metals, particularly lead (Pb²⁺). What follows is a study aiming at adjusting operational variables affecting the performance of two types of mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) used for lead ion removal from simulated wastewater. The first employs polymer polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) by embedding copper-organic frameworks (Cu-BDC), and the second MMMs incorporate a novel COOH-MWCNT@Cu-BDC nanocomposite in the same polymer. MOF nanoparticles were added to the matrix to improve membrane performance, hydrophilicity, contact angle, porosity, and fouling resistance. Three operating parameters were modeled and optimized for their influence …

Automated Service Level Agreement Negotiation And Dynamic Adaptation For Multi-Tenant Submarine Optical Networks, Arvind Kumar, Swarup Kr Ghosh, Richard Moses S, Venkata Narasimhulu Bodagala

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein is an automated service level agreement (SLA) negotiation and dynamic adaptation system for multi-tenant optical networks that solves critical problems of service-impacting power fluctuations and operational ambiguity in optical networks. The system provides such features by integrating proactive "make-before-break" algorithms, granular sub-channel monitoring, and novel state management, creating a highly automated, stable, and easy-to-manage shared optical environment.

Bilateral Lower Palpebral Conjunctival Protrusion In A Patient With Traumatic Unilateral Carotid-Cavernous Fistula, Sharfuddin M. Chowdhury, Omar A. Ababtain

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Consensus Of The National Heart Center In Collaboration With The Saudi Cto Club Of The Saudi Arabian Cardiac Interventional Society, Waqar H. Ahmed, Khalid Aljohani, Sultan Alotaibi, Motasem Alyamani, Mohammed Almohammadi, Ahmed Alhamami, Hani Abdelhadi, Owayed Alshammeri, Abdullah Alsaiedi, Abdulrahman Almoghairi, Abdulrahman Qahtani, Saleh Khouj, Shatha Alalawi, Walid Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is one of the most complex and technically demanding percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Over the last two decades, technological and procedural advancements have significantly improved clinical outcomes. However, CTO-PCI practice and outcomes remain suboptimal with a lack of standardized approaches. Methods: The Saudi CTO Club has been actively working to enhance collaboration among CTO operators throughout the region. The National Heart Center (NHC), in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Cardiac Interventional Society (SACIS), convened national experts to develop a consensus document and workflow for integrating CTO-PCI into clinical practice in Saudi Arabia. This consensus document …

Epidemiological Mapping Of Drug-Susceptible And Resistant Tuberculosis In 30 Who High-Burden Countries: Three Decades Of Gbd 2023 Trends, Projections To 2043 And Concordance With Who Estimates, Azfar A. Ishaqui, Salman A. Ahmad, Shoaib Alam, Narendar Kumar, Javeria Farooq, Khalid Orayj, Rabbiya Ahmad, Mohammed Zawiah, Mustapha Mohammed, Muhammad Imran, Asaad A. Asaad Khalil, Mohammed A. Kaddoura, Sultan M. Alshahrani, Adnan Iqbal, Muhammad B. Maqsood

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to drive infectious mortality worldwide. The study characterized the evolution of drug-susceptible TB (DS-TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in 30 WHO high-burden countries, linking current patterns to long-term trends, age structure, and forward-looking scenarios to 2043. Methods: Using GBD 2023 estimates for 1990–2023, we extracted incidence, mortality, and DALYs as age-standardized rates (ASR) per 100,000 with 95% uncertainty intervals. Temporal dynamics were summarized with Estimated Annual Percent Change (EAPC) and extended linearly to 2043. GBD incidence and mortality were compared against WHO national TB series for 2010–2023. Results: Overall TB incidence ASR …

The Application Effect Of Modified Pressure-Reducing Fixation Protective Nasal Strip In The Nursing Care Of Patients Receiving High-Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy, Ying Zhou, Xuting He, Jianying Sang

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a modified pressure-reducing fixation protective nasal strip in preventing device-related pressure injuries and improving nursing outcomes in patients undergoing high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy. Methods: This study included 60 patients receiving HFNC therapy from January 2024 to September 2024. Participants were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 30), which used the modified decompression fixation protective nasal strip, and a control group (n = 30), which underwent standard care with hydrocolloid dressing protection. The study compared general demographic data, the interval between fixation strap changes, frequency of catheter position adjustments, skin management effectiveness …

Validity And Reliability Of The Arabic Voice Activity And Participation Profile (A-Vapp) Questionnaire, Nawaf S. Alqarni, Hamad F. Alrabiah, Nasser F. Alsunbul, Manal A. Bukhari, Mohamed Farahat, Mohammed Almohizea, Tamer A. Mesallam, Khalid H. Malki

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP), a comprehensive tool for assessing the impact of voice disorders on daily life activities and social participation, into Arabic and to test its reliability among voice disorders patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia \looseness-1 Methods: A descriptive, questionnaire-based validation study was conducted at two university hospitals from December 2023 to September 2024. The VAPP was translated using forward and backward translation methods from English into Arabic. The questionnaire's reliability and internal consistency were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability. To measure …

Stratifying Renal Risk In End-Stage Renal Disease: Evidence From A Population-Based Dialysis Registry In Northern Saudi Arabia, Reem Eltayeb, Naif K Binsaleh, Ghaida A Alsaif, Mona Hm Ahmed, Ahmed M Taha, Abdelhameed Abdelzaher, Zinab Alatawi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: We examined the relationship of age, gender, smoking, nationality, and place of residence with renal dysfunction severity in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of ESRD registry data collected from King Khalid Hospital in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Adults (≥ 15 years) treated from March 2023 - February 2024 were enrolled. Serum creatinine and urinary albumin concentrations were measured (based on primary [≥ 625 μmol/L and ≥ 18 mg/L, respectively] and sensitivity thresholds). Bivariate analyses, interaction testing, sensitivity models, and multivariable logistic regression were employed. Results: Of 212 patients (50.9% male), based on primary thresholds, …

Critically Ill Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department; Outcome Review In A Tertiary Care Center, Maan Jamjoom, Lina Sami Reda, Bsaim Abdulsalam Altirkistani, Samer Tariq Anwar Ahmed, Samer Ali Alasmari, Abdulrahman Adnan Almehmadi, Ahmad Loay Atiah, Faisal Abdulaziz Boker, Rand Ayman Maddah

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: Critically ill patients presenting to the emergency department require prompt recognition and prioritized care due to the severity of their conditions. Reviewing their clinical outcomes helps guide future planning and resource allocation. This study aims to highlight the outcomes of patients triaged as CTAS I and II in the emergency department of a tertiary care center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary healthcare center, National Guard Health Affairs, in Jeddah. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of factors (including length of stay) and outcomes for a …

Microbiological Profile And Antibiotic Resistance In Relation To Risk Of Recurrence And Fistula Following Perianal Abscess Drainage: A Retrospective Study, Saleh A. Busbait

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: The practice of obtaining routine intraoperative cultures and administering postoperative antibiotics for perianal abscess treatment continues to be debated, so far, there is no established evidence linking these practices to improved patient outcomes. This study investigated the microbial distribution together with antibiotic resistance and their relationship to abscess recurrence or fistula development. Methods: The study analyzed 242 patients who received their first perianal abscess treatment through incision and drainage procedures at a Saudi Arabian tertiary center from 2019 to 2023. Swab cultures were obtained intraoperatively. A descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and antibiotic resistance were analyzed. Results: The most frequently …

An Investigation Of The Correlation Between Total Intracranial Volume And Body Mass Index, Walaa M. Alsharif, Fahad H. Alhazmi, Ali D. Almutairi, Rahaf M. Alharbi, Lana M. Alsaedi, Razan A. Alharbi, Amirah F. Alsaedi, Abdulaziz A. Qurashi, Adnan A. Alahmadi, Khalid M. Alshamrani, Faisal A. Alrehily, Shrooq T. Aldahery, Osamah M. Abdulaal, Reem M. Elkady

Saudi Medical Journal

\looseness-1 Objective: Total intracranial volume (TICV) is an important covariate in brain volumetric analysis that can vary significantly between participants. This study aimed to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and TICV. Methods: 152 healthy volunteers were recruited. The BMI was calculated, and T1-weighted images were acquired to estimate brain volumetric values. The data were analyzed using volBrain software. Results: Male participants have significantly higher GM, WM, CSF, TICV, cerebellum GM, cortical GM, subcortical GM and cerebrum GM volumes compared to female. There were significant differences in GM, TICV, cerebellum GM, cortical GM, subcortical GM and cerebrum GM …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Overweight, Obesity, And Failure To Thrive In Pediatric Inpatients: Prevalence, Diagnostic Practices, And Management Approaches At A Tertiary Hospital In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim A Al Alwan, Elaf A Alshammari, Ahmed A Alabdulkarim, Abdulaziz A Ajeebi, Afnan A Alhazimi, Nawaf A Alhamied, Deema Y Alasmari

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, diagnostic accuracy, and inpatient management of pediatric weight abnormalities at a tertiary children's hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a retrospective cohort design. Methods: The study analyzed medical records of pediatric inpatients aged 2–14 years admitted to King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital (KASCH) in 2023. Data collected included anthropometrics, dietary history, physical activity, diagnostic workup, and treatment plans. Overweight and obesity were classified using BMI percentiles, while FTT was identified via weight-for-age and growth percentile criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze diagnostic accuracy and factors influencing missed diagnoses. Results: Of 7,771 …

Mapping Health Research Involving Human Subjects In Saudi Arabia: A Text Mining And Topic Modeling Analysis, Khalid A. Alhussain

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To identify dominant and underrepresented research topics and to classify published studies by design and data sources in health research involving human subjects from Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed PubMed-indexed health articles related to Saudi Arabia from 1959 to March 2025. Text mining was used to identify studies conducted in the country involving human subjects. Eligible articles were classified by study design and data sources. Topic modeling using non-negative matrix factorization was applied to identify topics based on the primary research focus. Results: A total of 36,452 records of studies conducted in Saudi Arabia were initially identified. …

Translational Barriers To Aav And Crispr Gene Therapy In Diabetes, Abdulrahman G. Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

Gene therapy targets diabetes pathophysiology rather than symptoms, yet clinical translation is slower than preclinical success. This review synthesizes 143 registered trials (ClinicalTrials.gov, 2010-2025) identifying systematic implementation barriers. Despite >15 years of development, 83% of trials remain in Phase I-II. Only zimislecel achieved Phase III outcomes (83% insulin independence at 12 months, n=12, requiring immunosuppression). VM202 for diabetic neuropathy failed Phase III despite positive extension results. Three systematic barriers emerged: (1) human transduction efficiency is 6-8.7-fold lower than preclinical models; (2) pre-existing immunity excludes 58-78% of candidates; (3) manufacturing capacity serves <2.5% of target population (40-400 years to treat at maximum capacity). These constraints explain why ex vivo cell therapies advanced to efficacy trials while in vivo gene delivery remains in Phase I despite longer development timelines. Research priorities should emphasize non-viral delivery systems offering scalable manufacturing and universal hypoimmune donor cells to address access barriers.

Semaglutide In Metabolic Medicine: A Review On Clinical Applications And Emerging Therapeutics, Abdulrahman A. Aljabri

Saudi Medical Journal

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus affect over 800 million and 537 million individuals worldwide. Semaglutide, a weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has advanced treatment of pathophysiological processes linked to metabolic dysregulation. This review consolidates evidence on its mechanisms of action, clinical effectiveness across established and emerging applications, safety, and prospects for personalized therapy. Clinical studies have shown that semaglutide sustains glycemic control, promotes substantial weight loss, and provides cardiovascular and renal protection. Recent FDA clearance marks the first therapeutic alternative for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis among the emerging applications. Pharmacogenomic insights facilitate personalized therapy; however, clinical applications remain in experimental …

Rehabilitation Outcomes Of Pediatric Burn Survivors In Saudi Arabia: A Thematic Narrative Review And Policy Implications, Abdulaziz Ghandurah, Mshari Alghadier

Saudi Medical Journal

Pediatric burns in Saudi Arabia are predominantly household scalds in young children, causing long-term disability from scarring, contractures, pain/itch, psychosocial distress, and disrupted schooling. This thematic narrative review (2010–2025) synthesizes global and regional evidence, appraises outcome measures with attention to Arabic availability, and translates findings into Vision 2030–aligned policy actions. Evidence supports early, multidisciplinary care anchored in standardized outcome tracking. Pressure-garment therapy remains inconclusive, whereas virtual reality reduces procedural pain and telerehabilitation serves families distant from tertiary centers. A minimum national outcome set is proposed spanning scar quality (VSS, POSAS), joint range of motion, age-appropriate pain and itch scales (FLACC/FPS-R/NRS), …

Understanding The Cost Consequences Of Pharmacist Roles In Managing Long-Term Illnesses: A Systematic Review, Muhammad Zahid Iqbal

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: This review looked at how different pharmacist-led services influence medication spending and other economic outcomes for people living with long-term illnesses. Methods: To gather the evidence, we followed the PRISMA 2020 approach and a comprehensive search was conducted using multiple sources, including Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, the Directory of Open Access Journals, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. We included studies that examined pharmacist involvement in medication management such as MTM, medication reconciliation, deprescribing efforts, or full medication reviews and that reported some form of cost or economic outcome in chronic disease care. We left out non-English work, conference …

Impact Of Clinical Pharmacist Educational Intervention On Lipid Profile And Its Clinical Outcomes, Saad Saeed Alqahtani

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To assess how clinical pharmacist-led educational interventions affect lipid profile parameters and related clinical outcomes in cardiovascular disease-risk individuals. Methods: This systematic review completed as according to PRISMA 2020 principles. Searches were done on PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Google Scholar, DOAJ, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies examining impact of the pharmacists' educational initiatives on lipid levels were included. However, case reports, conference proceedings, and studies in other languages not in English, and studies lacking full-text access were excluded from the review. Following screening and eligibility assessment, a total of 33 papers were included out of the 1731 records found. …

A Multi-Task Cnn-Lstm Model With Attention Mechanism For Climate Temperature Forecasting Over Iraq, Salim M. Mohammed, Omar M. Mustafa, Lailan M. Haji, Omar M. Ahmed

Al-Bahir

Accurate forecasting of climate temperature at the regional scale is crucial to agriculture planning, water resource management, and disaster preparedness. Still, due to the nonlinear and complicated temporal patterns in regions such as Iraq, conventional climate models fail to meet this imperative. This paper presents a novel deep learning model that not only predicts monthly average temperature values but also predicts the temperature trend, hence addressing the regional climate prediction problem holistically. The proposed model is designed as a multi-task deep learning framework integrating Convolutional Neural Networks, Long Short-Term Memory networks, and an attention mechanism to process historical monthly temperature …

Health Effects Of Cadmium And Manganese Exposure On Luteinizing Hormone Levels: A Pilot Study Of Female Infertility, Shatha F. Alhous, Anees A. Al-Hamzawi, Murtadha Sh. Aswood

Al-Bahir

Female infertility occurs for many reasons, some unknown. Exposure to heavy metals is a risk factor that negatively impacts on female reproductive system. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of cadmium Cd and manganese Mn on luteinizing hormone LH levels for females’ infertility. This study included a healthy group (n = 20), primary infertile females (n = 40), and secondary infertile females (n = 20) collected from Al-Zahraa hospital in Najaf center, Iraq. The Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to measure the cadmium and manganese concentrations and LH levels were measured by a Maglumi 800 from Snibe …

Enhanced Cuckoo Search-Based Optimization For Single Distributed Generation Placement And Sizing In Radial Distribution Systems, Samson Oladayo Ayanlade, Abdulrasaq Jimoh, Richard Oladayo Olarewaju, Ignatius Kema Okakwu, Israel O. Adejumobi, Joseph B. Samson, Oluwadare A. Adebisi, Oluwadare O. Akinrogunde

Al-Bahir

This paper presents an Enhanced Cuckoo Search Algorithm (ECSA) to optimally place and size Distributed Generation (DG) in radial distribution systems to minimize real power loss within operating constraints. The proposed ECSA has exponentially decaying adaptive Lévy flights, constraint-aware solution repair with dynamic penalty coefficients, and diversity-directed stochastic replacement to enhance search robustness and convergence speed. It was tested with 30 independent runs on the IEEE 33-bus, IEEE 69-bus, and a practical Nigerian 32-bus distribution network. The simulations show that the ECSA lowers the active power loss of the IEEE 33-bus system from 201.58 kW to 102.75 kW (49.03%), and …

Voltage-Mode Driver With Sar-Based Termination Calibration, Moustafa M. Elsayed, Abeer T. Khalil, Sameh A. Ibrahim, Mohy Eldin A. Abo-Elsoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper introduces a DAC-based four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) driver capable of operating at data rates up to 80 Gb/s in 65-nm CMOS technology. A replica-based termination calibration loop is proposed to preserve driver linearity across process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations. The proposed driver achieves a relative level mismatch (RLM) of 99.3%. In addition, the transmitter demonstrates a vertical eye opening of 134.8 mV and a horizontal eye opening of 0.44 UI under worst-case conditions.

From Flat To Form, Madeline N. Henderson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This dress design features a halter neckline with both side and neckline darts, creating a structured and well-fitted bodice. The pattern is developed using the Slashing technique, in which the waist dart of the basic bodice is transferred to the side and neckline by closing the original dart. The skirt is further enhanced with safety pins placed along the sides as a design embellishment. This combination of technical construction and bold detailing creates a cohesive garment that balances structure with an edgy aesthetic.

A Prosecutor’S Ethical Duty To Divert, Jordan Stevenson

Legal Writing Competition Winners

In an American courtroom, litigants are divided across an aisle, a gavel grants or divests rights, and a community takes sides. This creates a narrative of duality in the justice system, which many believe is vital to the adversarial legal system. A criminal trial is seen as perpetrator versus victim, but the legal posture is actually government versus individual. In fact, a prosecuting attorney has ethical obligations not just to victims, witnesses, and the broader community, but to defendants as well, in part due to their tremendous discretion to bring or dismiss criminal charges. A prosecutor’s power is far too …

Ethnic Studies March Newsletter, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Events, Student spotlight

Cardozo Law News Brief: March 20, 2026, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo Law News Briefs

Highlights from the March 20, 2026, Cardozo Law News Brief include:

• Professor Monroe Price, former dean of Cardozo Law and a distinguished scholar, passed away at age 87, remembered for his decades of leadership, mentorship, and contributions to the law school community.
• Professor Lindsay Nash spoke to the Houston Chronicle about local police coordinating with ICE, noting ongoing legal challenges surrounding immigration enforcement.
• Professor Wilfred Codrington III was quoted in Bloomberg Law on the selection of a new leader for the American Constitution Society.
• Professor Tyson-Lord Gray spoke to USA Today about SNAP policy, explaining longstanding federal limits on …

2026-03-20 Minutes & Appendices, Longwood University

Board of Visitors Meeting Minutes 1964-

No abstract provided.