Digital Commons Network^™

The Effectiveness Of Online Platforms After The Pandemic: Will Face-To-Face Classes Affect Students’ Perception Of Their Behavioural Intention (Biu) To Use Online Platforms?, Rana Saeed Al-Maroof, Noha Alnazzawi, Iman A. Akour, Kevin Ayoubi, Khadija Alhumaid, Nafla Mahdi Alahbabi, Maryam Alnnaimi, Sarah Thabit, Raghad Alfaisal, Ahmad Aburayya, Said Salloum

All Works

The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ intention to continue using online learning platforms during face-to-face traditional classes in a way that is parallel to their usage during online virtual classes (during the pandemic). This investigation of students’ intention is based on a conceptual model that uses newly used external factors in addition to the technology acceptance model (TAM) contrasts; hence, it takes into consideration users’ satisfaction, the external factor of information richness (IR) and the quality of the educational system and information disseminated. The participants were 768 university students who have experienced the teaching environments of both …

Effect Of Ketogenic Diet On Quality Of Life In Adults With Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Myriam Abboud, Fatme Alanouti, Evridiki Georgaki, Dimitrios Papandreou

All Works

Background: Chronic diseases adversely affect quality of life (QOL). The ketogenic diet (KD) may improve the QOL. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the available evidence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to establish the effect of KD on the QOL in adults with chronic diseases. Methods: Reporting followed PRISMA guidelines. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted on adults with chronic disease including an intervention group that received KD and a control group, and where QOL was reported as outcome. We searched PubMed, APA PsycInfo, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), …

Utility And Professional Attitudes Toward Assistive Technology In Uae Special Needs Centers, Mohammad Fteiha, Deena Elsori, Ashraf Khalil, Ghanem Albustami

All Works

The attitude of teachers about the use of technology is critical. As a result, when teachers have a constructive outlook toward a new type of assistive technology, they are more likely to make meaningful efforts to successfully integrate it into the teaching-learning process. The way assistive technology is used in the teaching and learning environment is heavily influenced by a special education teacher's attitude. Therefore, the study explored the availability of assistive technology and explored the attitudes of professional of special education towards the use of assistive technologies in special needs centers of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Questionnaires were distributed …

Vitamin D Status And Blood Pressure In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review Of Observational Studies, Myriam Abboud, Fatme Al Anouti, Dimitrios Papandreou, Rana Rizk, Nadine Mahboub, Suzan Haidar

All Works

© 2021, The Author(s). Background: Childhood hypertension is a growing public health problem. Simultaneously, hypovitaminosis D is widespread in this population and could be associated with hypertension. This study systematically reviewed the literature on the relationship between vitamin D status and blood pressure (BP) in children and adolescents. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov and the gray literature without language or time restrictions were searched. We included observational studies, assessed their risk of bias, and extracted data on population characteristics, vitamin D status and BP measurements, and the association between the two variables. …

Application Of Response Surface Methodology On The Nanofluid Flow Over A Rotating Disk With Autocatalytic Chemical Reaction And Entropy Generation Optimization, Tahir Mehmood, Muhammad Ramzan, Fares Howari, Seifedine Kadry, Yu Ming Chu

All Works

© 2021, The Author(s). The role of nanofluids is of fundamental significance in the cooling process of small electronic devices including microchips and other associated gadgets in microfluidics. With such astounding applications of nanofluids in mind, it is intended to examine the flow of magnetohydrodynamic nanofluid comprising a novel combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and engine oil over a stretched rotating disk. The concentration equation is modified by considering the autocatalytic chemical reaction. The succor of the bvp4c numerical technique amalgamated with the response surface methodology is secured for the solution of a highly nonlinear system of equations. The sensitivity …

Characterizing Individuals Accessing Mental Health Services In The Uae: A Focus On Youth Living In Dubai, Mariapaola Barbato, Shaikha Al Hemeiri, Shorouk Nafie, Baraa A. Dhuhair, Nadia T. Dabbagh

All Works

Background: Most mental health issues develop during adolescence, therefore identifying youth mental health needs and pathways to care is critical to improve prevention. To date, studies have typically focused on Western samples, while the impact of cultural diversity on perception of health and illness, and pathways to care, remain poorly understood. To address the shortage of studies conducted in the Arab world, and particularly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the present investigation aims to identify the characteristics of youth accessing mental health services in Dubai. Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from patients’ records at Rashid Hospital Child Psychiatry Service. …

Die Finanzierung Der Nachhaltigkeitsziele: Welche Rolle Spielen Handels- Und Investitionsabkommen?, Stefanie Schacherer

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and sustainable development is controversial. Studies on the concrete benefits of FDI for sustainable development have not yielded clear results. Nevertheless, sustainable development is central to the ongoing reform process of international investment law. Ideally, international investment agreements (IIAs) should promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In any case, IIAs should not undermine national implementation of the SDGs. The following analysis and conceptualization of current developments and legal standards for international investment law will be presented.

Stamp Duty Traps To Watch Out For, Hern Kuan Liu, Vincent Ooi

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 15 December 2021, the Ministry of Finance introduced a new package of measures designed to cool the residential property market. The measures include increases in Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (“ABSD”), the tightening of the Total Debt Servicing Ratio, adjustments to the Loan to Valuation limit for loans from HDB and a planned increase of housing supply.Notably, there were significant increases in the ABSD rates applicable to almost all categories of buyers. The ABSD rates only remained unchanged for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents purchasing their first residential property (0% and 5% respectively). This article focuses on the implications of …

The Importance Of Ethics In The Practice Of Mediation, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

What is the predominant function of ethics for the mediation profession in Singapore? Do ethical principles assume greater significance in light of increasing institutionalisation of mediation programmes in Singapore? What can mediators, mediation advocates and mediation institutions do to ensure consistent adherence to ethical standards? These and other related issues were discussed in a webinar organised by the Singapore Academy of Law in May 2021 featuring Lim Tat, Chuan Wee Meng and this author as panellists, together with See Chern Yang as moderator. This article highlights the notable discussion points of the webinar, including the significance of mediation ethics, common …

The Singapore Green Plan 2030: Analysing Its Implications On Law And The Legal Industry In Singapore, Wei Yao, Kenny Chng, Ken Wei Ong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

While sustainability has always been an important policy imperative in Singapore, the advent of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 marks a significant development in this regard. Announced in February 2021, the Green Plan represents a concerted national-level strategic shift towards advancing the sustainability agenda in Singapore. With sustainable development now being a ‘major policy priority’, it is inevitable that the Green Plan will have important legal implications, each of which will be identified and analysed in this paper. More broadly, however, the paper also suggests that the Green Plan will open up valuable opportunities for environmental law to receive greater …

That’S Me In The Spotlight: Self-Relevance Modulates Attentional Breadth, M Golubickis, Cn Macrae

School of Psychology

A core prediction of models of social-cognitive functioning is that attention is preferentially tuned to self-relevant material. Surprisingly, however, evidence in support of this viewpoint is scant. Remedying this situation, here we demonstrated that self-relevance influences the distribution of attentional resources during decisional processing. In a flanker task (N = 60), participants reported if to-be-judged stimuli either denoted, or were owned by, the self or a friend. A consistent pattern of results emerged across both judgment tasks. Whereas the identification of friend-related targets was speeded when the items were flanked by compatible compared with incompatible flankers, responses to self-related targets …

Dysregulation Of Mir-21-Associated Mirna Regulatory Networks By Chronic Ethanol Consumption Impairs Liver Regeneration., Austin Parrish, Ankita Srivastava, Egle Juskeviciute, Jan B Hoek, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Impaired liver regeneration has been considered as a hallmark of progression of alcohol-associated liver disease. Our previous studies demonstrated that in vivo inhibition of the microRNA (miRNA) miR21 can restore regenerative capacity of the liver in chronic ethanol-fed animals. The present study focuses on the role of microRNA regulatory networks that are likely to mediate the miR-21 action. Rats were chronically fed an ethanol-enriched diet along with pair-fed control animals and treated with AM21 (anti-miR-21), a locked nucleic acid antisense to miR-21. Partial hepatectomy (PHx) was performed and miRNA expression profiling over the course of liver regeneration was assessed. Our …

Stem Signatures Associating Sox2 Antibody Helps To Define Diagnosis And Prognosis Prediction With Esophageal Cancer, Zi-Yang Peng, Qing-Shi Wang, Kai Li, Si-Si Chen, Xiang Li, Guo-Dong Xiao, Shou-Ching Tang, Hong Ren, Zhe Wang, Xin Sun

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background: esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Due to the ineffectual screening methods referring to early diagnosis, most people have lost their chance of radical resection when diagnosed with esophageal cancer. This aim of this study was designed to evaluate the latent values of the stem signatures-associated autoantibodies (AABS) in predicting the early diagnosis, and particularly seeking the precise predictive outcomes with sensitive SOX2. We also studied the potential immunotherapeutic targets and prospective long-term prognosis predicators of esophageal cancer.

Methods: The serum concentrations of selective antibodies were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a total of …

Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The shortcomings of current anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drugs has stimulated a search for anti-HCMV compounds with novel targets. We screened collections of bioactive compounds and identified a range of compounds with the potential to inhibit HCMV replication. Of these compounds, we selected bisbenzimide compound RO-90-7501 for further study. We generated analogues of RO-90-7501 and found that one compound, MRT00210423, had increased anti-HCMV activity compared to RO-90-7501. Using a combination of compound analogues, microscopy and biochemical assays we found RO-90-7501 and MRT00210423 interacted with DNA. In single molecule microscopy experiments we found RO-90-7501, but not MRT00210423, was able to compact DNA, …

Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The shortcomings of current anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drugs has stimulated a search for anti-HCMV compounds with novel targets. We screened collections of bioactive compounds and identified a range of compounds with the potential to inhibit HCMV replication. Of these compounds, we selected bisbenzimide compound RO-90-7501 for further study. We generated analogues of RO-90-7501 and found that one compound, MRT00210423, had increased anti-HCMV activity compared to RO-90-7501. Using a combination of compound analogues, microscopy and biochemical assays we found RO-90-7501 and MRT00210423 interacted with DNA. In single molecule microscopy experiments we found RO-90-7501, but not MRT00210423, was able to compact DNA, …

Automatic Camera Trap Classification Using Wildlife-Specific Deep Learning In Nilgai Management, Matthew Kutugata, Jeremy Baumgardt, John A. Goolsby, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Camera traps provide a low-cost approach to collect data and monitor wildlife across large scales but hand-labeling images at a rate that outpaces accumulation is difficult. Deep learning, a subdiscipline of machine learning and computer science, has been shown to address the issue of automatically classifying camera trap images with a high degree of accuracy. This technique, however, may be less accessible to ecologists, to small scale conservation projects, and has serious limitations. In this study, a simple deep learning model was trained using a dataset of 120,000 images to identify the presence of nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, a regionally specific …

Habitat Associations And Activity Patterns Of Herpetofauna In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska, With Notes On Morphometric Characteristics, Jenna M. Malzahn, Andrew J. Caven, Sean Warren, Bethany L. Ostrom, Dennis M. Ferraro

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) is a unique and biologically important ecoregion, and several studies have conducted localized herpetofauna species inventories. However, there has been significantly less effort to quantify the habitat associations or activity patterns of these species. Habitat associations and activity patterns vary regionally and provide important information for ecosystem management. We deployed a total of 38 traps of 5 different types (pitfall, funnel, hoop, box, and coverboard) across 11 sites (7 terrestrial, 4 aquatic) for an 8-week period in June and July 2019. Our exploratory analyses used generalized linear models with a quasibinomial distribution to examine …

Disparities In Delaware Caregiver Beliefs About The Covid-19 Vaccine For Their Children, Thao-Ly Phan, Paul T Enlow, Michael K. Wong, Amanda M. Lewis, Anne E Kazak, Jonathan M. Miller

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Objective: To describe sociodemographic disparities in caregiver beliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, linking caregiver-reported data to geocoded sociodemographic data from child EHRs. Caregivers of children receiving care in a Delaware pediatric healthcare system were invited to complete a survey about COVID-19 vaccine beliefs from March 19 to April 16, 2021. Results: 1499 caregivers participated (18% Black, 11% Hispanic, 32% public insurance, 12% rural). 54% of caregivers intended to vaccinate their children, while 34% were unsure and 12% would not. Caregivers of younger children (aOR 3.70, CI 2.36-5.79), Black children (aOR 2.11, …

Strategies Academic Libraries In Nigeria Can Adopt To Curb The Spread Of Covid-19 And Remain Relevant In Post Covid-19 Pandemic., Pauline Iroeze, Pauline Chinasa Iroeze Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

This paper focuses on the strategies the Academic libraries can employ to help curb the spread of covid-19 and remain relevant in post Covid-19 pandemic with specific focus on State libraries in South Eastern Nigeria. The study reviewed Strategies Academic Libraries in Nigeria can adopt to remain relevant in post Covid-19 pandemic. The study seeks to find out the strategies Academic libraries can adopt to help curb the spread of Covid-19 virus in order to remain relevant and also to identify the challenges that may affect the adoption of these strategies by academic libraries in South East. The population …

Access To E-Resources By Librarians In University Libraries In Niger Delta Region, Nigeria, Vincent Osamuyimen Ekhaguosa, Mary Irughe, Efosa Egharevba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated Access to Electronic Resources by Librarians in University Libraries in Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted for this study using 73 items self-structured questionnaire to collect data. In selecting the university libraries, the researcher applied the stratified random sampling technique to select the universities. One hundred and fifty (150) librarians were selected from three (3) centrally located states which include Delta, Bayelsa, and Edo from the nine (9) Niger Delta States from a target population of four hundred and thirty-two (432) librarians. seven research questions were formulated to guide the study. A reliability …

Supply Chain In Library: A Bibliometric Analysis, Ria Arifianti, Abdurrahman Rahim Thaha, Taharuddin Taharuddin

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The research objective of this paper is to identify and map supply chain research in a library. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Scopus electronic database. The article search is done by filtering search results in the system and manual exploration to get relevant articles. The collected articles are processed with the VOSviewer application to obtain research mapping results. A total of 81 articles were obtained from 1999 to 2021, with an increasing trend in the number of articles each year. The United States and China are the most productive countries in this field. Three cluster topics were …

The Role Of Chemokines In Vertebrate Physiology And Disease: A Concise Review, Hebatallah Mahgoub

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Chemokines are classified as proteins with chemoattractant activities that have multiple crucial roles in health and disease, where they participate in the processes of development, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis and tumor metastasis. Multiple cells are involved in the production of chemokines. However, the main cells involved in such role are blood monocytes, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, where they exert their role in the inflammatory reaction following antigen recognition by tissue phagocytes. Due to their important role in the establishment of successful immune response, several microbes are incriminated in the production of proteins that mimic chemokines. In addition, their receptors could be used …

The Influence Of Library Orientation On The Library Utilization Of Students At Central Luzon State University, Philippines, Camia Abergos Lasig

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study determines the influence of library orientation on Central Luzon State University students’ utilization of information resources in the university library. A descriptive research method was used in this study, using the survey questionnaire technique. A Slovin’s formula was used to select the number of respondents. A total of 177 respondents were identified in this study. Percentage, mean, Pearson r, and regression were used to analyze and interpret the data. Findings show that students are very aware of the majority of the print resources. However, students are moderately aware of the electronic resources. It also reveals a direct relationship …

Perspectives Of Knowledge Management Systems Implementation, De-Graft Johnson Dei

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The implementation of systems to manage the knowledge of organizations requires robust technical and non-technical support in other to be successful. Knowledge management systems integrate people, processes, and technology. These systems result in changes in the operations and processes in organizations. The study assessed knowledge management systems from the two main perspectives (technical and non-technical) by emphasizing the technologies that drive the creation, processing, sharing, and storage of knowledge. From the nontechnological perspective, the study focussed on the interaction of people, process and that promote KM. This paved the way for the discussion of the various perspectives or procedures for …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Institutional Financial Aid Programs And Four-Year Graduation Rates, Dawn Herrod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Institutions are increasingly searching for strategies for using institutional financial aid awards to improve graduation in four years. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between institutional award programs with graduation in four years. Furthermore, there was investigation into any interaction that existed between ethnicity, Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and the type of award on graduation in four years. Covariates were tested from a theoretical framework that included elements from sociological and economic theories, academic components, and the concept of liquidity constraints. Data was queried from the student information system at the selected site for students who …

Bringing Instagram Posts Into Being: A Study Of Fyc Students' Self-Sponsored Posting Practices And Transfer Opportunities, Jessica Kester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Social media platforms have offered students—and all of us—more opportunities for self-sponsored writing. In response to calls from researchers to explore students' 21st-century writing practices and their relevance to college writing instruction, this dissertation articulated and applied a feminist teacher research methodology and a mixed-methods research design to explore first-year composition (FYC) students' self-sponsored writing practices, attitudes, and transfer opportunities on a popular, albeit under-examined, social media application: Instagram. This study found that students have developed elaborate, rhetorical, multimodal composing processes that include planning, drafting, evaluating, selecting, and styling images as well as planning, drafting/revising, and styling captions. Additionally, though …

Design Of Miniaturized Antipodal Vivaldi Antennas And A Microwave Head Imaging System For The Detection Of Blood Clots In The Brain, Farhana Parveen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Traditional brain imaging modalities, for example, MRI, CT scan, X-ray, etc. can provide precise and high-resolution images of the brain for diagnosing lesions, tumors or clots inside the brain. However, these modalities require bulky and expensive test setups accessible only at specialized diagnostic centers, and hence may not be suitable or affordable to many patients. Furthermore, the inherent health risks limit the usability of these modalities for frequent monitoring. Microwave imaging is deemed a promising alternative due to its being cost-effective, portable, non-ionizing, non-intrusive. Therefore, this work aims to design an effective microwave head imaging system for the detection of …

Using Peptide Design To Engineer Polyelectrolyte Complex Biomaterials, Sara Tabandeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The self-assembly of oppositely charged polymers provides a versatile platform to design materials for diverse applications in biology and medicine. Electrostatically-driven phase separation of oppositely charged polymers in aqueous solution gives rise to the formation of a polymer-rich phase called a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC). PECs can be in the form of liquid droplets (complex coacervates) or amorphous solid precipitates. Unlike synthetic polymers, peptides are good candidates for developing tailor-made formulations and structure-property relationships due to their biocompatibility, precise control over sequences, and ability to program hydrogen bonding interactions. However, little is known about the effect of combining additional molecular interactions …

Lte-Advanced Optimum Relay Placement With Zero Link Overflow Using Ammcs., Ehab Abdelhay, Fayez Zaki, Sherif Kishk, Hossam El-Din Moustafa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Multi-hop Relay networks are proposed to fulfill the demanding coverage and capacity requirements for current applications in a cost efficient way. It can be used in IMT-Advanced technologies such as 3GPP LTE-Advanced. In this paper, Resource Blocks (RBs) proposed scheduling scheme is considered for zero multi-hop links overflow in Uplink LTE-Advanced. Then based on this scheduling scheme and other network assumptions the Optimum Relay Station (RS) placement in the cell was estimated using nonlinear optimization problem in order to improve LTE-A Uplink performance. The average throughput, Throughput gain, and Mean File Transfer Time (MFTT) are considered as performance measures. The …

Comparison Of Steganographic Techniques To Embed Data In Medical Images., Shaimaa Hussein, Hossam El-Din Moustafa, Ahmed Samra

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Steganography is the art and science of hiding secret information in a cover media in such a way that it is not detectable to anyone, except the intended recipient knows the existence of the data. Digital images are most commonly used coverage medium in steganography because of their easy availability and popularity on internet. This work provides a comparison review to the various steganography techniques. Steganography uses two kinds of domain for hiding the data: spatial domain (time domain) and transform domain (frequency domain).Some techniques from these two domains are discussed.The performance and comparison of these techniques is measured on …