Arab American University

In this work, amorphous germanium thin films were coated with yttrium (Y), ytterbium (Yb), and lead (Pb) nanosheets to function as optical layers suitable for visible and ultraviolet (UV) optical communications. It was observed that Y and Pb coatings reduced the average surface roughness by 8.5% and 22.6%, respectively. In addition to enabling tailoring of optical transmittance and reflectance, Pb-, Yb-, and Y-nanosheet coatings increased the optical band gap of Ge films from 0.89 eV to 0.93 eV, 1.03 eV, and 1.10 eV, respectively. As an optical layer, Y increased the real part of the dielectric constant and decreased the optical conductivity, terahertz cutoff frequency, free-electron density, and plasmon frequency. In contrast, Yb and Pb increased these parameters substantially. Drude–Lorentz modeling of the imaginary part of the dielectric-function spectra indicates that Ge, which is an effective optical layer, can be rendered more suitable for visible and UV optical communication by nanosheet coating, as evidenced by the enhanced terahertz cutoff frequency of 174/140 THz and 89/78 THz and plasmon frequencies of 7.15/15.54 GHz and 7.15/16.69 GHz for green (2.70 eV) and UV (3.60 eV) active oscillators when Ge was coated with Yb and Pb, respectively. Owing to the improved optical conductivity, increased terahertz cutoff frequency, and enhanced electron drift mobility induced by metal-nanosheet coating, these Ge-based optical layers are promising candidates for wireless visible- and UV-band optical communication technologies.

Life satisfaction is widely used as a social indicator to direct governmental interventions that target individuals’ quality of life. Issues of dimensionality and equivalent functioning of common measures such as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) may negatively implicate inferences and decisions derived from those measures. Using a cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of 255 Polish managers (mean age = 48.9 ± 8.2 years, 22.6

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed melanoma treatment, yet comparative real-world data characterizing ICI-associated neurologic adverse events against the well-established neurotoxicity profile of conventional chemotherapy remain limited. We sought to contextualize the neurologic risk landscape of ICIs relative to chemotherapy as a historical comparator, to inform treatment-specific supportive care and surveillance strategies. We performed a propensity score–matched analysis using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network, encompassing 162 healthcare organizations. Adult patients with melanoma receiving chemotherapy (dacarbazine, paclitaxel, carboplatin, or temozolomide; n = 9787) or ICI therapy (pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or ipilimumab; n = 14,627) from January 2014 through November 2025 were identified. After 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching on 52 baseline covariates, 6887 pairs were analyzed over 1–1095 days post-index therapy. Primary outcomes were peripheral neuropathy, encephalopathy, and laboratory-anchored myositis (ICD-10 myositis codes with creatine kinase ≥ 500 U/L). Fractures served as a negative control. A pre-specified conservative sensitivity analysis excluded bidirectional treatment switching, restricted the ICI cohort to anti-PD-1 predominant exposure, tightened outcome definitions, and extended follow-up to 5 years. Among 13,774 matched patients (mean age 67.1 years; 48.5

In many countries including Palestine, the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is determined by an exhausted and time-consuming process that involves thorough visual inspections and are costly to obtain. This paper develops and evaluates the effectiveness of predicting the PCI by proposing a machine learning framework that predicts PCI classes rather than scores by systematically excluding distresses as inputs, offering a more efficient and practical approach to PCI prediction. A Machine Leaning approach is proposed to model the complex relationship between the PCI and other measured variables including age (year), pavement layer thickness (m), ROW (m), ADT (veh/day), heavy duty percentage (

Professionalism and ethical reasoning are core competencies in medical education, yet evidence from Palestine is limited. This cross-sectional study surveyed 441 medical students from five accredited universities (≥ 4th year, hospital-based training) using a structured questionnaire that included demographics, professionalism items, and 12 case-based scenarios adapted from clinical practice and professional guidelines. An Ethical Reasoning Score (ERS; range 0–12) was derived from correct responses. Descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression analyses were applied. Students performed well in basic scenarios but showed weaker reasoning in domains such as digital professionalism and interpersonal etiquette. Higher ERS was significantly associated with prior ethics training (p = 0.001), female gender, and inter-university variation. Findings indicate uneven ethical competence among Palestinian medical students, underscoring the need for scenario-based teaching, targeted curricular reform, and inter-university collaboration to strengthen professionalism and ethical reasoning.