Damascus University

Valorization of cotton waste into cellulose nanocrystals and their incorporation into electrospun poly (vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous membranes with enhanced thermal and structural properties

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were extracted from cotton waste using alkaline treatment, bleaching, and sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Increasing the sulfuric acid concentration from 40% to 62% was associated with an increase in CNC yield from approximately 19.20 ± 3.9% to 41.30 ± 3.1...

An efficient micropropagation protocol for Syrian sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) from the Qalamoun region

Sumac ( Rhus coriaria L.) is a valuable medicinal shrub native to the Mediterranean, but its populations in Syria have sharply declined due to overexploitation and poor natural propagation. This study aimed to develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for Syrian sumac from t...

Awareness of cervical cancer, human papillomavirus vaccination, and cervical cancer screening among syrian women: a cross-sectional study

Cervical cancer, despite being highly preventable, remains a major public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings such as Syria. Due to limited national data, we aimed to evaluate the awareness of Syrian women regarding cervical cancer and its prevention strategies,...

Fixed point theory for variational inequalities with fractional functional constraints: A resolvent-regularized approach

Classical variational inequality theory does not directly accommodate feasible sets defined by fractional (Caputo) functional constraints, since the associated projection operators lose the geometric structure available in the integer-order case. We introduce the fractional resol...

Green-synthesized gold nanoparticles from Omani pomegranate peel: Phytochemical characterization and antileishmanial activity

Omani pomegranate peel is a rich source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making it a promising source of antiparasitic bioactive compounds. This study compared air-dried (PPE1) and oven-dried (PPE2) Omani pomegranate peel extracts, chemically s...

Cecal duplication cyst in an older child: a case report

Cecal duplication cysts are rare congenital gastrointestinal anomalies that are most commonly diagnosed in infancy. Presentation beyond early childhood is unusual and may lead to misdiagnosis because symptoms often mimic common pediatric gastrointestinal conditions. Reporting suc...

Preliminary Clinical Case Series for Evaluation of a Novel Bi-Dimensional Archwire During Miniscrew-Supported En-Masse Retraction of the Maxillary Anterior Teeth

Background/Objectives: Efficient en-masse retraction of the maxillary anterior teeth requires adequate anchorage control while maintaining acceptable incisor torque. This prospective clinical case series aimed to provide an initial clinical evaluation of a novel laser-welded bi-d...

Severe ulcerative colitis flare precipitating Guillain–Barré syndrome: a case report and literature review

Abstract Introduction Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can occasionally be accompanied by extraintestinal manifestations, though neurological involvement is very rare. Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS), an acute immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropat...

GreenWaveTransformer: A Lightweight Forecast-Driven Control Framework Toward Sustainable Data Center Management

Cloud computing continues to consume increasing amounts of energy, adding to operating costs and making sustainability and service reliability harder to maintain. Resource management, however, is still largely reactive in many systems: decisions are made after workload or renewab...

Severe, delayed-onset thrombocytopenia after prolonged chlorothiazide use in a former preterm infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a case report

Abstract Introduction Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) is a rare, antibody-mediated adverse effect that typically occurs within days to weeks of drug exposure and is rarely reported in infants receiving prolonged diuretic therapy. Case presentation We report a former 2...

Adaptive low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for accelerated fracture healing and chronic tendinopathic disorders: design and controlled clinical evaluation of a portable low-cost system

Although low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been widely investigated as a non-invasive regenerative therapy, optimization of stimulation parameters for different tissue conditions and fracture severities remains an active area of research. This study presents the design...

Leakage-aware hybrid tabular deep learning with target-provenance auditing for calorie-expenditure prediction and constrained exercise food recommendation

Abstract Personalised exercise planning depends on calorie expenditure estimates derived from valid predictors. Published tabular recommenders rarely scrutinise the provenance of their outcome variable. We propose a leakage-aware, audit-first framework that combines hybrid tabula...

Guided Plantar Footprint Assessment and Parametric Orthotic Insole Specification: Software Description and Computational Verification

Amidst the evolution of digital tools in the fields of rehabilitation medicine and orthopedics, the "Console App: Guided Plantar Footprint Assessment & Parametric Orthotic Insole Specification" emerges as a specialized technical aid. It is designed to support professionals in ass...

Guided Plantar Footprint Assessment and Parametric Orthotic Insole Specification: Software Description and Computational Verification

Amidst the evolution of digital tools in the fields of rehabilitation medicine and orthopedics, the "Console App: Guided Plantar Footprint Assessment & Parametric Orthotic Insole Specification" emerges as a specialized technical aid. It is designed to support professionals in ass...

Neutropenic Diet Versus Liberalized Diet in Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose Neutropenic diet (ND) has historically been recommended to reduce infectious complications in patients with cancer. Although its use has declined over the past decade, recent studies, particularly in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), have...

Critical evaluation of AI-assisted HPLC method development: a case study of ranolazine analysis with systematic assessment of prediction accuracy and human optimization requirements

This study introduces a parameter-level quantitative framework for the systematic evaluation of AI prediction accuracy in RP-HPLC method development ; a methodological contribution not previously established in the literature using ranolazine as a model analyte. Four AI platforms...

Nocturnal Surface Urban Heat Island Dynamics in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean City: Evidence from Damascus

Although nocturnal surface urban heat islands, which impede physiological recovery during rest, have been characterized in many cities worldwide, Syria’s capital, Damascus, situated in the Eastern Mediterranean region, remains without a quantitative, multi-time assessment of its...

Dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonists in metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects approximately one-third of the global population. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dual glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucagon receptor agonists (GLP-1/Gcg RAs) in patients with MASLD. PubMed, W...

Medication access barriers and perceived health consequences in post-war Syria: a cross-sectional study in Homs

BACKGROUND: Armed conflict can disrupt medication access through damaged infrastructure, supply shortages, service disruption, transport barriers, and financial hardship. Community-level evidence remains limited in post-war Syria. OBJECTIVE: To assess medication accessibility, pe...

When the Site Speaks: An Experiential Learning Model for Architecture and Urban Design

Abstract This study presents a new model developed for site analysis in architectural and urban design education based on experiential learning theory. Building on previous studies, this study examines how experience-based knowledge in conducting site analysis impacts the design...