7712 research outputs found
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Flooding the vote: Heterogeneous voting responses to a natural disaster in Germany
No full textWe present the first evidence of voter-level responses to a climatic disaster — the catastrophic German flooding of 2021, which serves as a natural experiment. Data on previous voting history reveals non-monotonic treatment effects: flood exposure increased the likelihood of voting for the Green Party by four to five percentage points among previous non-Green voters, but decreased future Green voting for previous Green voters. Tracking migration also reveals heterogeneity. Movers-out of flood zones responded more strongly; classifying them in the control group – as geographic panels do – attenuates the treatment effect. Both factors rationalize past findings of null or small effects, emphasizing the importance of microdata
Forensic Examination of iOS Platform Artifacts: A Comparative Multi-Tool Study Using Publicly Available Data
No full textThis paper presents a forensic analysis of iOS 17.3 on an iPhone contextualized within mobile and IoT forensics. We systematically evaluate the effectiveness of leading forensic tools—Cellebrite UFED, MOBILedit Forensic Express, FTK Imager, and DB Browser for SQLite—in extracting critical artifacts such as call logs, application usage, browser history, location data, and deleted content. Our methodology rigorously aligns with the NISTIR 7617 mobile device forensic acquisition framework and leverages a publicly available forensic image from DigitalCorpora.org. We address the forensic challenges introduced by advanced encryption, cloud-based storage, and iOS sandboxing, emphasizing the necessity of tool validation, cross-tool comparison, and reproducibility. Our findings demonstrate that a hybrid approach—combining automated extraction with manual database inspection—substantially enhances artifact recovery, particularly in privacy-focused and encrypted environments. This work provides a reproducible, standards-driven workflow and offers actionable insights for practitioners facing the evolving landscape of iOS and IoT forensics
Photojournalism in the Age of Deepfakes: The Role of Media Literacy and Ethical Standards in Restoring Trust in Visual Reporting
Full text linkThis article explores the impact of deepfake technology on photojournalism, highlighting its role in undermining trust in visual media. As deepfakes allow for the creation of highly realistic manipulated content, they pose significant challenges regarding the authenticity of journalistic imagery and erode the authority of visual truthfulness. The widespread use of deepfakes has led to a decline in public confidence in the credibility of news, raising concerns about the future of photojournalism in an era of digital deception. As a solution to regaining viewers’ trust, this article suggests a twofold approach: First, it emphasizes the importance of media literacy in combating disinformation, particularly for younger audiences, fostering critical thinking skills; and promoting media awareness. Educating an informed public, equipped with the tools to identify and question manipulated content, is essential for maintaining trust in media. Second, the article proposes the establishment of elaborate ethical zero-fake tolerance standards to be adopted by professionals in photojournalism so as to enhance resilience against deepfake-driven disinformation, thereby safeguarding the integrity of journalism in the age of artificial intelligence
Relationality and Learning: Insights from Undergraduate Student Research Assistant Experiences
No full textThis study examines the experiences of Emirati undergraduate research assistants in the United Arab Emirates through journal reflections to understand their motivations, challenges, and the role of mentorship in their growth. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we explain how mentorship, relationships, and team dynamics influence identity and confidence. Findings indicate the importance of culturally responsive mentorship, inclusive environments, and leadership opportunities in fostering resilience, critical thinking, and career readiness. By embedding research assistantships and culturally aligned mentorship into university programs, institutions can create supportive environments that empower students and enhance skills, inclusivity, and academic success
AI-based tutoring systems in education: A systematic literature review on personalized learning, intelligent agents, and learning analytics
No full textThis systematic literature review examines the current state of AI-based tutoring systems in education, focusing on their roles in personalized learning, intelligent agent integration, and learning analytics within classroom instruction. A thorough analysis of 30 relevant studies reveals that AI-based tutoring systems significantly enhance educational outcomes by adapting learning experiences to individual needs through tailored feedback and customized learning trajectories, leading to improved student engagement and performance. Intelligent agents are central to these systems, providing social-emotional support, interactive feedback, and fostering motivation and deeper understanding. Learning analytics further support educators by enabling real-time monitoring of student progress, facilitating data-driven instructional adjustments, and ensuring timely, personalized support. Despite the progress, the study identifies ongoing challenges, particularly concerning ethical data use, scalability, and the need for integrating socio-emotional learning components
Navigating law and policy in STM enterprises: Ethical governance, regulation, and innovation strategy
No full textTo understand the world of Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM) enterprises, it is essential to navigate the complex landscape of law and policy. STM sectors often outpace existing legal frameworks and policies raising unique challenges related to intellectual property, data privacy, and ethical considerations. As STM enterprises develop groundbreaking products and services, understanding and adapting to evolving legal and policy environments becomes essential for sustainable growth, risk management, and public trust. This intersection of law, policy, and technological advancement demands strategic foresight and informed decision-making to ensure responsible and lawful innovation. Navigating Law and Policy in STM Enterprises: Ethical Governance, Regulation, and Innovation Strategy explores the legal and policy landscape that surrounds STM firms and the legal challenges they face. It shows a strategic roadmap of reducing litigation risk while preserving competitive agility. Covering topics such as law, policies, and STM, this book is an excellent resource for STM executives, in-house counsel, compliance officers, policy analysts, researchers, academicians, and more
An asymmetrical pilot resilience model – fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis
Full text linkPilots\u27 mental wellbeing has implications for airline business. The study draws on appraisal theory to test asymmetrical relationships between pilots’ cognitive flexibility, coping, and stress management, using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Regression analysis was performed to provide comparison and insights into these relationships. The study was conducted with professional pilots who engaged in short, medium, and long-haul flights with commercial airlines. The results show that certain cognitive flexibility factors account for coping strategy options. Multiple configurations of pilot personal factors and coping strategies can also be used to address stress management in terms of magnitude and frequency. The findings generated from these methods present nuances and have implications for the relevant literature and aviation practitioners
First national study on genomic profiling of Escherichia coli in United Arab Emirates (UAE) aquatic environments shows diverse Quinolone and Cephalosporin resistance
Full text linkAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to human, animal and plant health, and over recent years the role of the aquatic environment as a hotspot and dissemination route for resistant bacteria has been increasingly recognised. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has identified AMR as a critical area of concern; however, limited studies have been conducted regarding the presence of AMR in aquatic environments in the region. This study addresses this gap by conducting a national surveillance to better understand the prevalence of aquatic AMR. We investigated the phenotypic and genotypic resistances in Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates (n= 256) from sewage impacted and unimpacted coastal waters and artificial lakes across the UAE. Multidrug resistance was observed in 34.2% of isolates, with 22.7% exhibiting resistance to 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, cefotaxime and ceftazidime, including 16.6% displaying an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype. Resistance to fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and carbapenems was also detected. Whole-genome sequencing (n=92) revealed a high prevalence of the fimH virulence gene, as well as conjugative plasmids (IncF, IncA/C and IncY) carrying resistance determinants. Notably, qnrS1 and blaCTX-M-15 resistance genes were identified in 39% of sequenced isolates, while the blaNDM-5 gene was detected for the first time in a single isolate. These findings underscore the need for harmonised AMR surveillance and a regional monitoring framework to assess the environmental dissemination of AMR bacteria in a One Health context
An Inclusive Learning Metaverse: a Virtual Reality Approach to Supporting Dyslexic Children
Full text linkDyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties worldwide, often requiring tailored interventions targeting phonological awareness, reading comprehension, and cognitive support. This study explores the design and evaluation of a metaverse-based virtual reality (VR) application to support dyslexic children in the UAE. Using a usercentered, explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, the research involved three phases: a stakeholder survey with therapists, educators, and parents (N = 151), development of a multi-featured VR prototype, and evaluation by six dyslexia experts. The survey identified key priorities such as progress tracking, adaptive learning, accessibility, working memory, and attention, along with concerns about VR unfamiliarity, equipment cost, and real-world skill transfer. These findings shaped the app’s design, which featured five interactive environments with bilingual content, gamified activities, and customizable tools. Expert evaluations confirmed the prototype’s educational value, usability, and cultural relevance, while suggesting improvements in onboarding, content diversity, and dyslexia-specific features. This study contributes to inclusive educational technology by showing how immersive, multisensory environments, guided by stakeholder input and frameworks like the Phonological Deficit Theory and Constructivist Learning Theory, can support neurodiverse learners. It addresses a key gap by presenting a culturally grounded, co-designed VR solution that actively involves therapists, educators, and parents in virtual learning, which is an element often overlooked, and by introducing a metaverse-based platform tailored to dyslexic learners in under-researched contexts like the UAE
Enhanced carbon dioxide mineralization of industrial alkaline wastes through date palm waste-derived activated biochar
No full textThis study presents a sustainable approach for synthesizing activated biochar (BC) from date palm waste and enhancing its carbon dioxide (CO2) capture capacity through integration with industrial alkaline waste, particularly ladle furnace slag (AW-LF). BC was produced via pyrolysis at 450 °C, 600 °C, and 750 °C and chemically activated using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The materials were tested under CO2 gas flow (10 % CO2, 0.6 L/min, 1–2 bar, 22–25 °C) using a fluidized bed reactor. The highest CO2 capture capacity reached 0.94 mmol/g with H2O2-modified BC at a 10 % BC-to-AW-LF ratio. The cumulative CO2 uptake reached a maximum of 13.4 mol/L with K2CO3-activated BC, demonstrating approximately a 380 % increase compared to the performance of unmodified AW-LF slag. Kinetic analysis confirmed the modified Avrami model as the best fit (R2 \u3e 0.99), with the highest rate constant (Kma = 0.0118) observed for H2O2-treated samples. The findings were validated through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), confirming stable CaCO3 formation and enhanced porosity. Preliminary TGA results suggest up to 8 % weight loss due to CO2 binding, confirming carbonation. The developed adsorbent is cost-effective, scalable, and derived from abundant agricultural and industrial wastes, supporting the circular economy and low-carbon technologies. A preliminary economic assessment estimated the cost of producing 100 g of hydrogen peroxide-modified BC at 6.6 AED (∼1.80 USD), highlighting its feasibility for large-scale applications