College of Arts & Sciences

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    Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among Rheumatology Patients and Management Practices in the United Arab Emirates
    (2024-12-15) Abdelsalhen, Merna; Alfalasi, Maryam; AlKhyeli, Fatima; AlKindi, Fatima; Al Nokhatha, Shamma; Alsaber, Ahmad R
    Introduction Prior to immunosuppression, rheumatology patients are routinely screened for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs). Variability in the management of latent and indeterminate IGRA results across institutions limited long-term outcome data. A retrospective study was conducted at Tawam Hospital, United Arab Emirates, to investigate the incidence and management protocols associated with positive and indeterminate IGRA results, as well as TB infection, among patients with rheumatic conditions. Methods A single-center retrospective observational study was performed at Tawam Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Tawam Human Research Ethics Committee. Laboratory records and the hospital's electronic medical system were used to obtain information about IGRA results over a 12-year period (April 2010-April 2022). The hospital's electronic medical system was used to obtain patient information and subsequent management approaches of positive and indeterminate IGRAs. Moreover, long-term follow-up data were collected to determine the risk of TB reactivation in the cohort. Results We found a total of 1,012 positive and 223 indeterminate IGRA test results within the 12-year period. Within the rheumatology department, 123 positive and 39 indeterminate IGRA results were identified. In the indeterminate IGRA group, the majority were women (n = 24, 61.5%) and UAE nationals (n = 22, 56.4%), and their mean age was 38.6 years. Systemic lupus erythematosus was the most prevalent rheumatologic condition (n = 21, 53.8%). Thirteen (33.3%) were on disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and 26 (66.7%) were on corticosteroids during IGRA testing. A total of eight patients (20.5%) received anti-TB medications. In the positive IGRA group, the mean age was 55.7 years and the female-to-male ratio was 3:1. The most common rheumatologic condition was rheumatoid arthritis (n = 69, 56%). Sixty-five (52.8%) patients were on conventional DMARDs, 43 (34.9%) were on corticosteroids during IGRA testing, and 74 (60%) received anti-TB medications. Two cases (1.6%) of active TB infections were detected among patients with positive IGRA tests, both of whom were receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor treatment in combination with methotrexate. No cases of active TB infection were observed in the indeterminate IGRA group. Conclusion Long-term data on the risk of TB activation in positive and indeterminate IGRA results for rheumatological conditions are low. It is recommended to reassess the choice of using anti-TNF-?, with a positive IGRA result if no other feasible alternatives can be offered. Our findings stress the importance of age, underlying diseases, and immunosuppressive treatments in interpreting IGRA results and guiding patient management. A large multicenter study is needed to understand the differences and outcomes of such patients in TB endemic and nonendemic geographical areas.
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    Mobile Gaming EMG-Based Brain Computer Interface
    (2024-12-23) AlBayaa, Mohammad; Althekair, Abdulaziz; Doush, Iyad Abu; Odeh, Mohanned; Sharawi, Marwa
    Brain Computer Interface (BCI) has demonstrated significant effectiveness in optimizing the usability of mobile applications, particularly in the realm of mobile gaming. With the increasing popularity of video games, they offer an opportune platform for exploring novel control interfaces for mobile devices. This paper introduces the Mobile Gaming Electromyography (EMG)-Based Brain Computer Interface (MGaming EMG-BCI), which aims to enhance the user experience and address challenges related to input methods, gestures, accessibility, and inclusivity associated with conventional mobile device usage in mobile gaming. The system improves device usability by offering a new input method and gestures that players can utilize to interact with the game without the requirement of maintaining a fixed posture alleviating neck stiffness commonly associated with GUI-based mobile gaming. This expands the accessibility of games for different groups of players. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for game developers to innovate and explore new possibilities in game design. The proposed interface integrates a BCI system with a game using EMG signaling, enabling real-time communication between the BCI and the game through a database. This integration allows users to interact with the game in a hands-free manner, alleviating the need for physical touch input. The results of this study indicate that the proposed BCI Mobile Gaming Interface has the potential to serve as a universal control scheme that can be seamlessly applied to a diverse range of games.
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    Fragmenting the Fragmented News Media Landscape: a case study of the use of WhatsApp groups in news dissemination in Lebanon.
    (2024-10-28) Arabi, Afif
    The use of WhatsApp groups for news dissemination in Lebanon started shortly after the commencement of the social resistance to the corrupt Lebanese feudal regime in October 2019 and has become one of the most influential news media in the Lebanese media landscape. This paper traces the history of the usage of WhatsApp groups, the reasons that led to its rise as a news medium., and the developing practices used in its implementation. The paper also addresses the medium's journalistic deficiencies specific to the Lebanese case, such as, political party affiliation, anonymous authorship, disinformation, and the spread of rumors, and their consequences on critical political, social, and financial issues. The methodology used in this research relies on case study and mixed-methods approach that combines online data collection of usage statistics, message content across groups, and message frequency, with an in-depth analysis of the cases of major news message with political agenda. Since WhatsApp is a closed messenger with end-to-end encryption, data was taken from several news groups over a period of six months for the measurement of message frequency, message content political polarization, coverage focus, and triggering events that led to major social unrest.
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    Comparison between sponsored and non-sponsored regarding personal administrative factors for SMEs from Kuwait during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (Conscientia Beam, 2024-02-22) Alainati, Shaikhah; Al Kandari, Anwaar; Alkharafi, Naeimah; Alqatan, Ahmad; Alsaber, Ahmad; Nafea, Rania; Varghese, Sheena
    The purpose of this study is to examine the comparison between sponsored and non-sponsored personal administrative factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past decade, governments around the world have started to experiment with entrepreneurial ecosystems in an effort to drive enterprise development and innovation in their economies. However, there is no consensus for sustainable policy performance in ecosystem development. Drawing on literature from strategy, institutions, social behavior, and entrepreneurship, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of entrepreneurial personal skills, management business skills, and social sustainability in receiving government funding. Using a unique dataset of 948 entrepreneurs in Kuwait from 2020-2021, we analyze a sample of two groups: those who received funding and those who did not receive funding from the National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development. The finding implies that individuals who did not obtain funds have higher performance indices in management and entrepreneurial business abilities but lower social sustainability. Furthermore, business owners who did not obtain financing are less likely to have closure plans. This research has significant practical implications for the way the government distributes funds to entrepreneurs. It suggests that the financing criteria may need to be reassessed, taking into account not only managerial and entrepreneurial talents but also social sustainability factors. The results can assist policymakers in understanding how efficiently and effectively resources are allocated, particularly in the context of assisting small and medium-sized businesses.
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    Adapting global methodologies to digital inequalities research in a multicultural Arab environment
    (SAGE Publications Inc., 2024-06-01) Al-Sumait, Fahed; Helsper, Ellen J.; Rahali, Miriam
    As Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as the internet and mobile phones, facilitate the spread of knowledge and interactions across borders in previously unimagined ways, questions are being asked about whether the benefits of this digitization process are equally distributed between and within countries. Motivated by the way technology adoption and usage patterns may differ in the Arab Middle East, this paper examines how the Kuwaiti context shapes people's understanding of a survey instrument used for evaluating digital inequalities, as they relate to access, skills and engagement, and outcomes of ICT use. Specifically, it discusses the adaptation and validation of the survey measures of socio-digital inequalities through a process of cognitive interviewing and provides insight into the theoretical and empirical linkages between cultural conceptions of digital and traditional inequalities in ways that explore both their universal and contextual aspects, or denotative and connotative meanings. Evidence suggests that important cross-cultural complications relate to language issues, socio-economic conditions, citizenship, and differing perceptions of social desirability. These findings offer important considerations for improving the reliability and validity of future survey-scale adaptations in the broader MENA region, especially in countries containing significant multicultural populations. Simultaneously, they call into question the extent to which global conceptualizations of digital inequalities and their measures reflect complex local realities.