Engineering Commons^™

Hitl Ai For Digital Transformation In Healthcare, Ntando S. Sibanda, Petronella Muziti, Priscilla Mataure

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Limited labor capacity, disjointed information flows and delays in clinical decision-making are among the ongoing issues that primary health care (PHC) systems in resource-constrained settings must deal with. These issues limit service delivery and impede efforts to undergo digital transformation. This study investigates how improved decision support at the primary care level can facilitate incremental digital transformation through human-in-the-loop (HITL) artificial intelligence (AI). In order to identify system gaps, design a context-sensitive HITL AI prototype and assess its viability, usability and integration within standard PHC workflows, the study employs a design-based implementation research approach that incorporates qualitative interviews, workflow observations …

Ubuntu Signs: A Tool For Real-Time Translation Of South African Sign Language, Simone Beets, Hasita Rama

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals often face communication challenges with people who do not understand sign language. Existing systems lack support for South African Sign Language (SASL) and are limited in accessibility, efficiency and accuracy. This paper introduces Ubuntu Signs, a mobile prototype tool for real-time SASL translation using a camera-based interface and machine learning. The tool uses two models to recognize gestures: a static model for alphabetical and numerical gestures and a dynamic model for continuous gestures representing words and phrases. A preliminary user study evaluated the effectiveness, efficiency, accuracy and satisfaction of Ubuntu Signs. Results indicated high usability …

Robbed With Permission: Toward A Receiver-Consent Architecture For Trust-Preserving Mobile Money Transactions In Africa, Raphael Amponsah

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Mobile money transacted more than USD 2 trillion globally in 2025 across 2.3 billion registered accounts, with Sub-Saharan Africa holding over half of all accounts and two-thirds of transaction value. Between 58 and 72 percent of mobile money fraud on the continent exploits trust rather than technology, yet current security architecture authenticates the sender and merely notifies the receiver, leaving the transaction execution moment structurally unguarded. This paper introduces the Receiver-Consent Transaction Protocol (RCTP), a USSD-native protocol requiring the receiver's active PIN consent on their physical SIM before any credit completes, grounded in Design Science Research with Routine Activity Theory …

Genai Goes To Campus: A Narrative Literature Review Of Benefits, Challenges And Policies, Jayson Warren Peters, Mmasechaba J. Seopa, Justin T. Maistry, Tebogo J. Matome, Christen Du Toit, Maureen C. Tanner

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This study examines the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the learning and administrative experiences of students and educators in higher education, through a narrative literature review of thirty-one articles. The literature was thematically reviewed and coded to identify themes and factors contributing to challenges, benefits, and policies and guidelines. These themes were explored in depth with their relation to GenAI for learning outcomes, the role of GenAI in student’s learning experiences and the effectiveness of using GenAI tools to support educators’ administrative processes. In light of the challenges and deterrents identified (e.g. implementation - maintenance, privacy and security, …

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

Measurement Of Pollution Emissions From Natural Gas Stoves: Preparation For An Induction Cooktop Intervention Study, Jessica Zanella Lorensi

Dissertations and Theses

Humans spend ∼90% of their time enclosed in buildings. Indoors environments can be a source of pollutant which can affect health and productivity. Appliances that combust fossil fuels indoors, like stoves, are a critical source of a range of pollutants, like carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). In the US, the usual cooking fuel is natural gas (NG), presented in more than 30% of households in the country. Some studies in the literature linked cooking pollutants, including those specific to gas combustion, to various health conditions, including heart and respiratory diseases. Nitrogen dioxide, for example, can be …

A Surface-Bound Detection Architecture For Label-Free Evanescent-Wave Sensing Of Cobalt In Complex Fluids, Jeremiah W. Carpenter

All Dissertations

Cobalt exposure is a clinical concern in orthopedic implant surveillance, where cobalt-chromium wear debris can release ions detectable in blood and urine, and an environmental concern in mining-affected and industrial water systems. Reference laboratory methods, including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, provide sensitive quantification but require centralized instrumentation, trained personnel, and controlled sample handling, which limits their availability for routine screening in decentralized clinical and environmental contexts. This dissertation develops a surface-bound detection architecture for label-free evanescent-wave sensing of cobalt in complex fluids. The architecture rests on a physical necessity argument grounded in interfacial optics: at physiologically and environmentally relevant …

From Screening To Risk: Assessment Of Potentially Toxic Elements In Children's Toys Along The El Paso, Tx, U.S.A.-Ciudad Juarez, Chih, Mex Border Region, Jesus Rodriguez-Loya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Children are uniquely vulnerable to potentially toxic elements (PTEs), absorbing them more readily than adults and encountering them through the hand-to-mouth behaviors of early childhood. Exposure carries element-specific consequences: lead (Pb) impairs cognitive development with no established safe threshold; cadmium (Cd) damages the kidneys and reduces bone mineralization; arsenic (As) is a recognized carcinogen and developmental neurotoxicant; hexavalent chromium (Cr) is carcinogenic and induces allergic dermatitis; nickel (Ni) is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis in children; and excess zinc (Zn) disrupts copper absorption and causes gastrointestinal distress. Toys are a distinctive source of such exposure, yet none had …

Helicopter Pilots’ Safety Behaviors: Identifying Factors That Affect Risk Perception Among Helicopter Pilots, Khaled J. Alzaabi

Theses and Dissertations

Helicopter operations frequently take place in complex, high-risk environments, where pilots continuously assess hazards and make critical decisions under pressure. Despite standardized procedures, regulations, and training designed to enhance safe operations, helicopter pilots may perceive risk differently when encountering similar flight situations. Understanding the factors that influence helicopter pilots’ perception of risk is essential for improving helicopter operation safety.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various factors on risk perception among helicopter pilots. Using an explanatory correlational design, the study assessed whether helicopter pilots’ demographics, flight experience, and affective domain factors explain differences in their …

Electricity Generation From Hydro, Wind, Solar And The Environment, Olumide Towoju, Oluwatoyin Oladele

Engineering and Technology Journal

Human actions such as electricity generation are contributory causes of climate change. In a quest to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation from fossil fuels, the world is turning to renewables. Renewable sources, however, also do have an impact on the environment. Likewise, renewable electricity generation is also dependent on the climate. Hydro, Wind, and Solar are the popular renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. This work reviews the impact of these renewables in electricity generation on the environment. It also considers the effect of climate change on its use. The construction of renewable …

Interpretable Ai-Enabled Decision Support For Drinking-Straw Substitution Using Per-Use Greenhouse-Gas Indicators And User-Review Evidence, Ahmed Barakat Hosseny, Marwa Said Hassan, Shymaa Khamis, Randa Osman, Gassan Hodaifae, Jie Tang, Shaoshan Liu

Basic Science Engineering

Plastic drinking straws are a visible single-use plastic product, yet selecting suitable substitutes remains challenging because literature-derived climate evidence and reported user experience are rarely evaluated together. This study develops and demonstrates an interpretable AI-enabled decision-support workflow that integrates literature-derived per-use greenhouse gas (GHG) indicators with review-derived user evidence extracted from online customer reviews using natural language processing (NLP). Drinking-straw alternatives were used as an information-rich case study. The integrated assessment combined a GHG-derived score, a user-experience feature score, and rating-based consumer approval within a transparent multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) under four predefined decision-priority scenarios. Among the five shortlisted materials …

Load Balancing Algorithms For Cloud Computing Systems, Mark Rakesh Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Cloud computing depends on load balancing to allocate user requests among virtual machines (VMs), affecting response time, utilization, and scalability. Round Robin, Equally Spread Current Execution, and standard Throttled scheduling are widely used; however, standard Throttled selects among eligible VMs using an implementation-dependent order with no explicit preference. This thesis proposes the Weighted Throttled Load Balancing (WTLB) algorithm, which introduces an explicit, deterministic selection priority among eligible VMs, implemented by modifying the Throttled scheduler within CloudAnalyst.

Evaluated under an identical six-region, multi-data-center configuration against Round Robin, ESCE, and standard Throttled, WTLB preserves the aggregate response-time, processing-time, and cost profile of …

Modeling For You: A Personalized Approach To Residential Energy Simulation And Distributional Reinforcement Learning, Nestor Gabriel Pereira

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The growing complexity and uncertainty of residential energy use, driven by electric

vehicles and renewable technologies, demand more intelligent and robust

management systems. Traditional methods often fail when faced with unpredictable

electricity prices and user behavior. This dissertation addresses this gap by presenting

a novel personalized framework combining detailed household energy modeling with

a risk-aware reinforcement learning agent for appliance scheduling.

The first contribution is a probabilistic, bottom-up simulation model that captures

the interdependent behaviors of occupants, appliances, and electric vehicles to

generate realistic, high-fidelity load profiles. The second contribution is a lightweight,

tabular Distributional Q-Learning (D-QL) algorithm that schedules …

A Multidimensional Conceptual Framework For Supportive Outdoor Environments In Healthcare Settings, Mona Ali, Dalia A. Beheiry, Rowaida Kamel, Hammam Serageldin

HBRC Journal

The integration of supportive outdoor environments (SOEs) in healthcare settings has gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance patient recovery, support staff well-being, and contribute to holistic therapeutic outcomes. This scoping review examines design recommendations for inclusive outdoor environments in healthcare settings that impact user health and experience. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Sage), yielding 697 records. Following screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 articles were selected for analysis. This scoping review identified consistent evidence linking outdoor …

Effect Of Solid Particle Size And Density On Incipient Motion In A Turbulent Boundary Layer, Robert Bryan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Wind-blown sand and other instances of solid particles mobilized and suspended in gaseous turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) are seen in a wide variety of engineering contexts. An experimental framework was developed to study the incipient particle motion driven by external forcing within a turbulent boundary layer, which is provided by an airfoil section oscillating in the free-steam flow, resulting in a periodic disturbance in the near-wall region through production of synthetic large-scale structures at a fixed frequency. The incoming unsteady carrier-phase eddies were measured with a hot-film sensor upstream of a particle bed, and the particle motion was captured by …

Case Study: Feasibility Of Creating A Simulated Mobile Data Center For Cross-Disciplinary Academic Programs, Stanley Mierzwa, Christoper J. Schultz, Iassen Christov, Michael Fagioli, Thomas Ikeda, Reinaldo Jaramillo, Giolian Sanagustin

Center for Cybersecurity

This case study examines the potential to envision, create, and deploy a simulated mobile micro data center solution that can be easily replicated and transported between locations and educational settings. The coined term for this solution is the Mobile AI-Centered Data Center (Mobile ACDC), which provides students with a platform to construct, in a hands-on fashion, such a solution and navigate the product to gain greater competencies and understanding of the components found in a data center. Instructor and student feedback assessments from the pilot classroom modules and laboratory experiential learning activities indicate that such a solution helps to improve …

Critical Assessment On Challenges And Advances In Coal Pillar Strength Estimation Techniques: A Focus On Geological Discontinuities, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Sahendra Ram

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Accurate estimation of coal pillar strength is essential for ensuring safety and operational efficiency in underground mining. Current assessment methods often face limitations in addressing time-dependent failure mechanisms, geological discontinuities, and dynamic loading conditions. This paper identifies future research directions aimed at enhancing the reliability of pillar strength evaluations. One important focus is the development of advanced numerical models that account for time-dependent behaviours such as creep and fatigue. Incorporating multi-scale modelling techniques, which connect micro-scale material responses to macro-scale structural performance, may lead to more precise predictions. The integration of real-time monitoring systems measuring stress, deformation, and environmental factors …

Mitigating The Effects Of Poor Power Quality Conditions Using Adaptive Model Predictive Current Control, B. O. Akinloye, B. G. Ologunwa, A. A. Okubanjo

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Sustainability in Engineering Sciences

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) are susceptible to performance degradation in applications with poor power quality, such as those found in regions with unstable electrical grids. Conventional control strategies often fail to maintain stability and efficiency under simultaneous voltage sags and harmonic distortions. This paper presents an adaptive Model Predictive Current Control (MPCC) framework designed to enhance the resilience of PMSM drives under such composite disturbances. The proposed strategy integrates three key mechanisms: a real-time voltage sag compensation module that adjusts current references and employs flux-weakening, a multivector-based harmonic mitigation technique embedded within the predictive cost function, and a thermal …

Contemporary Cybersecurity Challenges In Emerging Technologies: A Systematic Literature Analysis, Faztudo Languisse Prof

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The accelerating convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, blockchain, and quantum computing has fundamentally transformed the global threat landscape, introducing cybersecurity challenges of unprecedented complexity and scale. This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed publications, institutional reports, and regulatory documents published primarily between 2020 and 2025 to provide an integrated analysis of contemporary cybersecurity challenges across five key emerging technology domains. The review identifies critical vulnerabilities inherent to each domain, documents the evolution of threat actors and attack methodologies — including AI-powered ransomware, adversarial machine learning, and harvest-now-decrypt-later quantum attacks — and evaluates …

Cybersecurity Governance Of Industrial Iot In Sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Gaps, Threat Landscape, And Lessons From Comparative African Contexts, Faztudo Languisse Eng.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The rapid deployment of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems across Sub-Saharan Africa's extractive, energy, logistics, and agro-industrial sectors has introduced a cybersecurity challenge of growing urgency: industrial networks that were designed for operational efficiency are increasingly exposed to cyber threats for which neither the organizations nor the regulatory frameworks are adequately prepared. This article examines the cybersecurity governance of IIoT systems in a developing African economy, using Mozambique as a primary case study and drawing comparative lessons from South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya. Through an integrative literature review and documentary analysis of national digital, cybersecurity, and industrial policies, the …

Feasibility Of Using Untreated And Treated Rice Straw Fibers As A Modifier For Hot Mix Asphalt, Aditya Chowdhury

Civil Engineering Theses

Flexible pavements are subject to progressive deterioration driven by repeated traffic loading, environmental exposure, and material degradation, which causes distress. This study presents an integrated research framework that combines laboratory performance evaluation of rice straw fiber (RSF)-modified hot mix asphalt with machine learning-based pavement distress prediction to advance sustainable pavements. Three plant-produced HMA mixtures were modified with untreated and alkali-treated RSF at dosage levels of 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% by total mixture weight. FTIR spectroscopic analysis confirmed that alkali treatment induced significant chemical modifications to the fiber surface, increasing hydroxyl group availability and enhancing fiber–binder adhesion. Alkali-treated RSF consistently outperformed …

Latent Space Exploration Of Stylegan2-Ada For Fashion Image Synthesis: A Practical Implementation Guide For Moderate-Sized Datasets, Ali H. Shareef, Hajer Ghodhbani, Tarek M. Hamdani, Habib Chabchoub, Adel M. Alimi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

\hlThis paper presents the use of StyleGAN2-ADA for fashion image synthesis and editing. We demonstrate that generative adversarial networks (GANs) can generate realistic and diverse fashion images even under moderate data constraints. The model trained on a dataset of 9,000 fashion images achieved a Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) of 10.8, a Garment Structure Accuracy (GSA) of 0.85, a Pattern Continuity Score (PCS) of 0.78, and an Attribute Transfer Accuracy (ATA) averaging 75% across key attributes. These quantitative results confirm the model’s ability to produce high-quality, structurally consistent, and semantically coherent fashion images. Unlike previous studies focusing on …

Resolution Of Expression Of Concern: Ontology Features-Based Arabic Text Augmentation Using Word2vec, Enas Tariq Khudair, Onsa Lazzez, Mourad Zaied, Tarek M. Hamdani, Ahmed T. Sadiq, Habib Chabchoub, Adel M. Alimi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

Editor's Note: This Resolution notice concludes the investigation initiated by the Expression of Concern (DOI: https://doi.org/10.52866/2788-7421.1386) regarding the Original Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.52866/2788-7421.1302). The publication timeline is as follows: Original Article → Expression of Concern → Resolution.

Resolution of Expression of Concern:

The editorial team of the Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics has completed a thorough post-publication review of the above-mentioned article, the supporting data, and the authors’ responses to the queries raised. Upon careful assessment, we have determined that the concerns have been addressed and clarified to the satisfaction of the editors.

We have found …

Divergent Risk Prioritization And Safety Governance In Metro Construction Projects: Evidence From Cairo Metro Line 3, Shrouk M. El Gebaly, Khaled M. Dewidar, Taher M. Elsamni

HBRC Journal

Safety risk management remains a critical challenge in large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in complex urban metro systems where multiple stakeholders operate under different organizational mandates. While previous research has examined construction safety risks, limited studies have explored how project stakeholders prioritize these risks within the same project environment and how such differences influence safety governance. This study investigates stakeholder risk prioritization in metro construction through a qualitative case study of Cairo Metro Line 3 in Egypt. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives from three key stakeholder groups: the client organization, consulting engineers, and construction contractors. The data were …

Vibro-Seismic Approach For Remediation Of Near-Wellbore Damage, Mounira Ahmed Abdallah

Theses and Dissertations

The research highlights the importance of vibro-seismic technology in the oil and gas industry. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how the vibro-seismic method enhances formation properties which are porosity, and permeability. Ultimately, this will lead to improved productivity and its application to remove the wellbore damage.

The research discusses whether or not the formation properties will be enhanced by the optimized acoustic vibration formation parameters. The thesis details laboratory experiments on core plugs, and four key findings are presented. The experimental work first showed that the use of the proper and optimum parameters enhanced the porosity …

Energy Efficiency Limits And Future Electricity Demand Of Computing Devices, Ricardo Pinto, Tiago Domingos, Paul E. Brockway, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Tânia Sousa

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

• ICT (information and communication technologies) represented 4% of the world electricity consumption in 2020; 
• Computing devices represented 2% of the world electricity consumption in 2020; 
• In recent scenarios datacentre electricity demand reaches 3% of world electricity in 2030, and more than 4% in 2035

Experimental Studies Of Compressive Strength Of Sustainable Concrete With Partial Cement Substitution Using Palm Oil Boiler Ash, Daral Suraedi, Jessica Sjah, Nuraziz Handika, Saffanah Fasya Aulia, Karmenita Olivia Edwardo

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

This study investigates the mechanical performance of sustainable concrete incorporating Palm Oil Boiler Ash (POBA) as a partial cement replacement. As the construction sector seeks to reduce CO₂ emissions and manage agro-industrial waste, POBA emerges as a promising supplementary cementitious material due to its pozzolanic potential and abundance in palm oil–producing regions such as Indonesia.Concrete specimens were prepared with POBA substitution levels ranging from approximately 10% to 30% by weight of cement, in combination with nanosilica and a polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticizer to enhance performance. The mix design was developed in accordance with ACI 211 guidelines to maintain comparable workability …

Summer Proceedings 2026, Computational Modeling Serving Portland, The Altreu Program, Portland State University, Teuscher Lab, Portland State University

altREU Projects

The 2026 Summer Proceedings bring together research conducted by undergraduate students participating in three complementary programs at Portland State University: the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) site, Computational Modeling Serving Portland; the alternative Research Experiences for Undergraduates (altREU) program, Designing, Programming, and Using Computers to Benefit Society; and the Teuscher Lab internship program.

The NSF REU is a fully virtual, 10-week program centered on computational modeling that serves Portland and the greater region. Students begin with two weeks of intensive training in computational modeling, followed by eightweeks of mentored research with faculty, research collaborators, and community …

Leveraging Data Science And Analytics For Next-Generation Transportation And Logistics: Literature Review And Regional Analysis, Kazi Humayra Shams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing integration of data science and analytics into next-generation transportation and logistics planning and operations offers improved system performance but requires managing and interpreting vast and complex datasets. The Arkansas Smart Transportation Research, Infrastructure and Data-Driven Engineering Systems (AR-STRIDES) program (NSF Award No. 2445877) is working to develop data science solutions and data-driven supply chain technologies for next-generation transportation and logistics systems. This thesis supports AR-STRIDES by providing a comprehensive literature review of recent literature studying data science and analytics in transportation and logistics systems and conducting a regional analysis of Arkansas to create a database of companies, higher …

Harnessing Tio2-Based Nanofilaments: A Pathway To Enhanced Optoelectronic Performance In Dye-Sensitized And Perovskite Light Harvesters, Zahraa Ismail, Tarek A. Elmelegy, Hassan Nageh, Sameh Abdellatif

Mechanical Engineering

This study explores the integration of TiO2-based nanofilaments into dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to enhance their optoelectronic performance. Despite the advancements in one-dimensional lepidocrocite TiO2 nanofilaments, there remains a significant gap in understanding their optical scattering mechanisms and dual applicability in both types of solar cells. We synthesized TiO2 nanofilaments and compared their performance to conventional P25 TiO2 in terms of morphology, electrical, and optical properties. The results indicate that the DSSC utilizing nanofilaments achieved a short-circuit current density of 8.2 mA/cm² and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.9%, compared to 7.1 mA/cm² and …