AUB ScholarWorks (American Univ. of Beirut)
Not a member yet
33634 research outputs found
Sort by
Association Between Household Food Security, Dietary Diversity, Feeding Practices, and Malnutrition Among Under Five Children in Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study
No full textBackground and Objectives: Food security and malnutrition are major public health concerns in Lebanon, exacerbated by economic crises and political instability. Young children are amongst the most vulnerable to food insecurity and its nutritional impact given the high rate of growth and development that occurs in early childhood. This study aims to assess the association between household food security, dietary diversity, feeding practices, and malnutrition among under-five children in four Lebanese governorates.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 176 mothers and their under-five children in North Lebanon, Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel, and South Lebanon during the year 2023. Household food security was assessed using the Arab Family Food Security Scale (AFFSS), and dietary diversity and feeding practices were evaluated through validated questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements, including weight and height, were taken to assess the nutritional status of children. Data analysis was performed to examine the relationships between food security, feeding practices, and malnutrition indicators such as stunting, wasting, and underweight.
Results: The study found that 64.2% of households were food insecure, with significant associations observed between food security status and various sociodemographic factors, including child age, residency governorate, total number of children in the household, maternal and paternal education level, maternal employment, crowding index, and maternal illness. Food-insecure households had lower food consumption score and lower maternal and child dietary diversity scores. In the study sample, 9.1% of the children were stunted, 4.5% were wasted, 2.3% were underweight, 7.4% were overweight, and 4% were obese with food-insecure households having a significantly higher prevalence of child overweight. The assessment of feeding practices showed that 86.9% of the participating children were ever breastfed, 22.6% were exclusively breastfed, 27.7% were breastfed until the age of 2 years, and 65.9% received appropriate complementary feeding. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that food security status was significantly associated with maternal dietary diversity, child dietary diversity, continued breastfeeding, and BMI for age status. More specifically, food insecurity was associated with lower odds of having an acceptable maternal dietary diversity (OR= 0.13; 95%CI 0.04-0.38) and an acceptable child dietary diversity (OR= 0.008; 95%CI 0-0.24). In contrast, food insecure households had higher odds of adhering to continued breastfeeding guidelines compared to food secure households (OR 4.74; 95%CI 1.52-14.75), and higher odds of having an overweight child compared to food secure households (OR 1.02; 95%CI 0.01-0.78)
Conclusion: The findings highlight the substantial burden of food insecurity among Lebanese households and its detrimental impact on dietary diversity and nutritional status amongst young children. Addressing food security challenges through targeted interventions and policy initiatives is crucial to improving dietary diversity and reducing malnutrition rates among vulnerable populations
A Minimally-Invasive Method for the Induction of Permanent Myocardial Infarction in Mice: A Novel Approach
No full textApproximately 25% of patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction (MI) develop heart failure, with a survival rate of only 50% beyond five years, primarily due to adverse remodeling of the left ventricle. The mechanisms driving the progression to heart failure
remain poorly understood. To address this, preclinical models of MI have been developed globally to better comprehend the disease’s prognosis and to explore potential therapeutic interventions. However, these models rely on the open-chest thoracotomy technique, which exposes the heart for 25 to 30 minutes, increasing the risks of bleeding, infection, larger wound size, pericardial rupture, and aggressive ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery using a 7-0 curved needle, damaging surrounding tissues. Despite various strategies to minimize thoracotomy size, reduce bleeding, and improve outcomes, variability across animal models remains significant. Advances in biomedical technology, enable the induction of MI in a more minimally invasive manner. The aim of this study is to establish a minimally-invasive technique able to induce MI, to validate its efficacy by conducting a comparative analysis against the standard invasive
MI model, and to demonstrate that the minimally-invasive technique is able to induce MI with varying sizes. Our study used echocardiography and Doppler imaging, capable of visualizing and precisely locking onto the LAD artery at more than 250 frames per second (fps) for real-time observation in a stable position coupled to an electrocauterization
needle that is able to occlude the LAD in seconds (in plane needle guidance to the LAD). Cardiac parameter analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in Ejection Fraction (EF), and echocardiographic assessment of the left ventricle (LV) revealed akinesia of the anterior wall, confirming successful occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Additionally, hemodynamic parameters, including left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), exhibited marked increase following MI. These findings were consistent with some of results observed in the invasive MI model. Histological analysis further indicated an increase in infarct size and collagen deposition in both the novel and invasive MI models. Notably, the pericardium remained intact in the minimally-invasive technique, whereas it was disrupted in the invasive model. The minimally-invasive model demonstrated its capability to induce varying MI sizes by using pulse wave (PW) Doppler velocity to LAD artery occlusion. Our findings indicate that occlusion of the LAD at regions with higher blood flow results in larger MI, as evidenced by a significant reduction EF, with similar correlations observed for other MI sizes. In conclusion, our minimally-invasive myocardial infarction model offers a superior alternative to the invasive MI model for adoption in research laboratories globally. This approach provides higher translational relevance to clinical settings, demonstrating improved efficiency, reproducibility, and the ability to induce well-controlled MI sizes. Adopting this novel minimally invasive model may therefore enhance the accuracy and applicability of preclinical research, bridging the
gap between experimental outcomes and clinical translation
Reframing Composition Discourse in the Age of Completion-Based Policy Reform
No full textWriting Program Administration, vol. 48, no. 2, 2025, pp. 80–99.Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-98)Appendix: pages 98-99.In conducting an institutional ethnography of Complete College Ohio (CCO), this study examines the discourse of completion education recommendations and writing administrators to understand how writing programs can amplify writing studies. In the State of Ohio, dual enrollment (DE) has allowed pre-college students to gain college credit for general education courses, particularly the composition series, in grades 7-12, without leaving their middle or high school settings, allowing students to bypass writing courses at the university completely. Examining the language of two data sets, CCO’s recommended reforms for DE and university administrators’ language on composition in the university, analysis concludes a managerial class has been implemented to surveil students and faculty to ensure degree efficiency while writing administrators omit complex talking points the higher order composing work of transfer, genre, and linguistic justice for lower-level acquisition of skills and transfer
The Role of Maternal Religiosity and Family Functioning as A Mediating Variable in the Psychological Well-Being of Elementary Students in Beirut
No full textThis study examines the relationship between maternal religiosity and elementary
students' psychological well-being in Beirut, Lebanon, with family functioning as a
mediating variable. Despite extensive research on parental religiosity's impact on
adolescent outcomes, limited attention has been paid to its influence on younger
children, particularly in non-Western contexts with religious diversity. Using
Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and Family Systems Theory with
Baumrind’s parenting styles as theoretical frameworks, this quantitative correlational
study investigates how mothers' religious beliefs and practices influence family
dynamics and children's developmental outcomes in the Lebanese context.
Using a cross-sectional design and through multistage stratified cluster sampling, data
were collected from 101 mother-child dyads across four private schools. Maternal
religiosity was assessed using Khamis’s (2012) scale, family functioning was measured
with the General Functioning Scale (Epstein et al., 1983), and child well-being was
evaluated using Khamis’s (2001) well-being scale.
Results indicated significant positive correlations between maternal religiosity and both
family functioning (r = –0.17, p = 0.049) and child well-being (r = 0.27, p = 0.003).
Family functioning was also positively associated with child well-being (r = –0.22, p =
0.013). However, mediation analysis revealed that family functioning did not mediate
the religiosity-well-being relationship. Socioeconomic status (SES) moderated this
relationship, with religiosity having a stronger positive effect on well-being in lower
SES families.
The findings highlight the importance of culturally sensitive mental health practices that
consider religiosity as a potential resource, particularly for disadvantaged families.
Future research should employ mixed-methods approaches to explore how religiosity
influences parenting and identify specific pathways linking maternal religiosity to child
well-being. Limitations include a small sample size, reliance on self-reports, and the
exclusion of public schools, which may affect generalizability
Erasure at Sea: The Rhosus Ship and Violence in Lebanon
No full textThis thesis interweaves analytical elements from the disciplines of international affairs, law, and relations, as well as political anthropology and public policy to understand the case of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. The case is not limited to the day of the blast, the 4th of August. It spans from the sailing of The Rhosus ship which brought the explosive ammonium nitrate to Lebanon in 2013 to the aftermath management of the blast up until today. Furthermore, I argue that the eruption of post-explosion violent clashes can be rooted in the untreated civil war legacy.
While the general discussion focuses on amnesia, my conviction is rather that the forgetfulness is intentional, not to say orchestrated. For instance, the Rhosus’ chronicles are erased first and foremost by its flag of convenience, which opens the way to contradicting supposed scenarios. This multiplicity leads to another layer of erasure, that of crime evidence, victims, and justice.
This layered erasure becomes the essential political issue to unpack and resolve. How Hizballah, a major constituent and political party of the Lebanese society, has been accused of destroying the capital on the basis of circumstantial analysis of accumulating tension remains an ingenious act of political discourse shaping. Therefore, this thesis is particularly interested in (re)constructing the elements of this narrative, not for the sake of pointing fingers, but to elucidate how we understand our Lebanese violence through the lens of what has been erased.
With my engaging and sometimes lyrical style, I aim for this thesis to become the cornerstone of a series of recollection of Lebanese chronicles from the perspective of what trends are brought by the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, I propose new trails of research, with the ultimate objective of broader mobilization for accountability
Heavy-Tailed K-Means, Linear Regression and PCA
No full textTraditional machine learning algorithms are formulated with the implicit assumption that the empirical data is ``well-behaved". However, this assumption fails when dealing with heavy-tailed data, where the underlying distribution may lack finite moments. Such heavy-tailed datasets are prevalent in fields like finance, telecommunications, and geophysics, where rare but impactful events dominate statistical behavior. In these contexts, classical methods such as linear regression, standard K-means clustering, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) fail. To address this limitation, we introduce and validate heavy-tailed versions of these algorithms designed specifically for such type of data in both scalar and multidimensional settings. Our proposed approaches rely on recently introduced robust measures of location and power tailored to heavy-tailed characteristics. Furthermore, we demonstrate through extensive evaluations that these novel algorithms outperform existing specialized techniques found in current literature
The Effect of Grains Orientation, Moisture, and Temperature on the Propagation of Guided Waves in Timber Structures towards Integrity Assessment
No full textTimber is a natural material widely used in various engineering applications, such as in
construction and infrastructure due to its availability in nature, durability, integration into
the environment, being renewable, and favorable mechanical properties. A very common
application is in timber utility poles. Timber poles are prone to several types of defects
such as fungus within the embedded part where moisture is high, and that leads to
complete material degradation of the heartwood region (heart rot). Any detrimental
change in the material properties firmly affects its performance and might yield structural
failure. Therefore, it is essential to assess the effect of temperature and moisture on the
timber material characteristics, in turn, assess its structural integrity. The application of
ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) proven to be a promising technique in structural
assessment due to their ability to propagate in complex structures and over long distances.
The propagation characteristics of UGWs are highly impacted by the mechanical
properties of the medium they are propagating in, especially when used for applications
such as timber utility poles. The scope of this work first focuses on understanding the
effect of moisture content (MC), temperature, and grain orientation on timber’s
viscoelastic properties. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is employed to measure the
viscoelastic properties (storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss factor) of timbers with
0% MC to above the fiber saturation point (FSP) over -20ºC to 100ºC for longitudinal,
tangential, and radial specimens. Also, timbers with elevated MCs are considered, having
>100% MC and are studied over +20ºC to 100ºC. Following this, the effect of the
viscoelastic properties under critical moisture and temperature conditions on the UGWs
propagation were scrutinized. This work concentrates on dominant UGWs that are
effective and sensitive in structural health monitoring (SHM) of timbers using contact
and non-contact techniques. Numerical methods were used to explore a wide range of
MCs and temperature on the UGW (longitudinal and circumferential) propagation in
timber utility pole over a range of frequencies and are validated experimentally. The
numerical analysis is carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics, and Macro Fiber
2
Composites (MFCs) are used to excite and sense the GWs. Furthermore, the effect of
heart rot on the propagation characteristics of UGWs is investigated, with the aim of
identifying and localizing internal damage of varying sizes. In this experiment, various
actuation configurations are explored, including single actuation, 4-ring actuation, and an
8-ring actuation, since the MFC ring can tune and improve the propagating wave modes
in particular longitudinal modes and cancel the flexural modes.
The DMA results show that the storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan δ decrease with
increasing temperature and MC, and the reduction is larger transversely than
longitudinally due to the effect of grain orientation. The effect of MC is more pronounced
on the viscoelastic properties than temperature. Studying the effect of MC on GWs shows
that as timber’s MC increases, the propagating GWs arrive in longer times and reduced
velocities as a result of timber’s lower storage modulus. The A0 mode proved to be the
dominant GW. The prevailing effect of MC is also observed in numerical results, in
influencing both the propagation of GWs and the material properties of timber. Whereas
the temperature shows significance influence when timber’s MC increases above the FSP
due to high stiffness variations. This is seen as the group velocities of the longitudinal
and flexural waves (as well as the bulk wave (BW)) shifted more at MCs above FSP than
below FSP. Lastly, varying sizes of internal damage are identified and localized
experimentally using the reflection of L(0,1) mode actuated using 4-ring and 8-ring. The
MFC ring actuation is able to tune the propagating signal, and the L(0,1) mode converged
and arrived in a more stable and analyzable signal.
Based on the above results, the environmental conditions can highly impact the GWs
characteristics in timber structures, hence this should be carefully considered in the
application phase. From the results, the UGW shows high promise in terms of
characterizing viscoelastic behavior, with high sensitivity along various grain orientation.
Also, UGWs have a high potential for investigating and localizing internal damages in
timber utility poles
Exploring and Conceptualizing Brownout among Nurses: A Sequential Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory and Cognitive Interviewing
No full textIn recent years, a less-known form of work-related stress has been recognized by career coaches and organizational psychologists alike: “brownout.” The phenomenon is assumed to pose a significant threat to nurses, as it leads to predictable consequences such as fatigue and burnout. Despite its critical impact, the concept of brownout remains undefined in existing literature, highlighting the need for a clear theory. Lebanon, ranked among the lowest country in nursing density in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, faces numerous challenges, including excessive nurse migration, low job satisfaction, poor retention, and high turnover rates. While studies in Lebanon and globally have primarily focused on burnout among nurses, there is a clear gap in exploring brownout. This study addresses this gap by investigating, conceptualizing, and characterizing brownout among nurses, offering a distinction between brownout and burnout.
Using a sequential qualitative design, this study began with developing a grounded theory, guided by Charmaz’s framework, to explore nurses’ experiences, perceptions, and the meaning of the brownout phenomenon. Findings identified core domains of brownout—job distancing, exertion, psychosomatic indicators, and lifestyle and social disturbances—alongside its antecedents, barriers, and consequences. A substantive theory of brownout emerged, highlighting its attributes and dimensions, supported by participant excerpts. Building upon this theory, the study employed the DeVellis guidelines to develop an instrument measuring brownout, followed by cognitive interviewing to validate its content and structure. Feedback from cognitive interviews led to refinement, enhancing the instrument’s clarity, relevance, and applicability. The final instrument consists of 32 items targeting brownout and 16 demographic questions.
This study contributes a robust theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding brownout, distinguishing it from burnout, and developing an operational definition for its measurement. It lays the groundwork for future research to test the instrument's psychometric properties, explore predictors and outcomes of brownout, and design interventions aimed at mitigating its impact. The findings hold significant implications for addressing nurse retention, fostering a healthier healthcare workforce, and ensuring sustainable community care, particularly in Lebanon’s challenging healthcare environment
The Socio-Economic Dynamics of Syrian Refugees' Employment in Lebanon: Impact of Legal Residency and Documentation
No full textThis thesis investigates how legal residency and identity documentation affect the labor‐
market integration of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Drawing on the 2021 Vulnerability
Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) survey and employing logistic and OLS
regression models, it examines the probability of employment, wage levels, and
household income as functions of legal status, document portfolios, and demographic
characteristics. Results demonstrate that holding a valid residency permit raises
employment odds by over 20 percent and that refugees with multiple forms of
documentation, including national IDs and passports, enjoy significantly higher wages
and household incomes. However, benefits are unevenly distributed, with male and
urban refugees capturing greater gains than female and rural populations, underscoring
the need for gender-responsive and spatially differentiated policies. These findings
inform four policy recommendations: sector-tied residency frameworks; mobile legal
aid and registration units; urban-rural employment diversification; and a skills-matching
platform that balances the economic advantages of formalizing low-skilled refugee
labor with safeguards for Lebanese workers. By illuminating the pivotal role of legal
and administrative barriers, this work offers empirically grounded guidance to develop
more organized and beneficial refugee integration strategies
لغة القلوب
No full textA children’s bookلغة القلوب قصّة ندى، فتاة صمّاء، تنتقل إلى مدرسة جديدة، حيث تتعرّف على صديق مميّز وداعم. هيّا بنا نشاركهما في المغامرات