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Digital Twins of Biological Systems: A Narrative Review
No full textThe concept of Digital Twins (DTs), software models that mimic the behavior and interactions of physical or conceptual objects within their environments, has gained traction in recent years, particularly in medicine and healthcare research. DTs technology emerges as a pivotal tool in disease modeling, integrating diverse data sources to computationally model dynamic biological systems. This narrative review explores potential DT applications in medicine, from defining DTs and their history to constructing DTs, modeling biologically relevant systems, as well as discussing the benefits, risks, and challenges in their application. The influence of DTs extends beyond healthcare and can revolutionize healthcare management, drug development, clinical trials, and various biomedical research fields.American University of SharjahDana Gas Endowed Chair for Chemical EngineeringSheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical SciencesFriends of Cancer Patient
An Integrated Decision Support System for BIM-level 3Implementation
No full textA Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation in Engineering Systems Management by Lama S.M Abu-Moeilak entitled, “An Integrated Decision Support System for BIM-level 3Implementation”, submitted in April 2024. Dissertation advisor is Dr. Salwa Beheiry. Soft copy is available (Dissertation, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of EngineeringMultidisciplinary ProgramsPhD in Engineering - Engineering Systems Management (PhD-ESM
Performance of Sustainable PE-ECC and PVA-ECC Using Dune Sands and GGBS Under Elevated Temperatures
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Eyad Shahin entitled, “Performance of Sustainable PE-ECC and PVA-ECC Using Dune Sands and GGBS Under Elevated Temperatures”, submitted in August 2024. Thesis advisor is Dr. Jamal Abdalla and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Rami Haweeleh. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Periodic Cellular Cores with Tailored Architectures for Improved Mechanical Properties
No full textA Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation in Materials Science and Engineering by Omar Abdulhadi Al Osman entitled, “Periodic Cellular Cores with Tailored Architectures for Improved Mechanical Properties”, submitted in September 2024. Dissertation advisor is Dr. Maen Alkhader and dissertation co-advisor is Dr. Wael Abuzaid. Soft copy is available (Dissertation, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Cellular solids, which include foams and lattice structures, exhibit uniquely high specific structural and thermal properties due to their porous structures, as well as their topological and morphological features. These properties make them attractive for various weight-sensitive applications in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical fields. This work aims to accelerate the use of cellular solids in engineering applications by enhancing their properties through tailoring their topological and morphological features. Multiple approaches were used in this work to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of cellular solids. The first approach focused on coating metallic aluminum foams with copper to improve their properties. This research path employed both numerical and experimental techniques, including finite element analysis (FEA), electrodeposition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and uniaxial quasi-static compression. Results showed that coating aluminum foam with 4% relative density with copper significantly enhances its stiffness and thermal conductivity. Improvements reaching 138% and 196% in stiffness and thermal conductivity were realized, respectively. Analytical models predicting the macroscopic stiffness, yield, and thermal conductivity of coated metallic foams were derived. These models are applicable to material systems other than the copper and aluminum system investigated, generalizing this work to assist engineers in designing hybrid coated metallic foams from a wide range of constituents compatible with electrodeposition. The second approach involved enhancing the mechanical properties of lattice structures by modifying their topology with sinusoidal perturbations. Numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the effects of these perturbations on the modified honeycomb's response to out-of-plane, in-plane, transverse shear, flexural loadings, and low-velocity impacts. Results showed that the sinusoidal perturbations can shift the failure mode from elastic buckling to yielding, increasing the peak load capacity by up to 28.5% under concentrated out-of-plane loads.College of Arts and SciencesMultidisciplinary ProgramsPhD in Materials Science and Engineering (PhD-MSE
Intelligent Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree Star Algorithm
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mechatronics Engineering by Khidir Galal Eldin Khidir Ahmed entitled, “Intelligent Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree Star Algorithm”, submitted in May 2024. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mohammad Jaradat and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Lotfi Romdhane. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Autonomous robots have been increasingly employed to supplant human labor across diverse fields over recent decades, serving as a foundational element in numerous industries ranging from supply chains and assembly lines to transportation. In these sectors, rapid and efficient operation is indispensable. Therefore, the development of advanced path planning techniques implies pivotal importance to mitigate human dependency. Hence, in this work, we developed an improved path planning algorithm inspired by the directional implementation in Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree Star Normal (RRT*N) and its variants, which is used to address the lack of environment adaptability and the improvement of path quality and inadequate long processing times. This new method is called Neural Adaptive Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree Star Normal (NA-RRT*N). The advanced presented method can deal with path planning problems in 2D and 3D environments. This novel method uses a Gaussian probability distribution with variable standard deviation to generate new nodes, which is controlled via Artificial Neural Network based on the environmental feedback. This feature results in a varied tree concentration in the direction of the target. It is shown that this method can be more than 68% faster in finding the initial path to the target and produces at least 5% shorter path in worst case scenario compared to three states of the art versions of RRT method. Furthermore, NA-RRT*N stood out with a perfect 100% success rate in all seven 2D scenarios tests while continually improving path smoothness. For instance, in 100 trials of the presented static scenarios, NA-RRT*N exhibited the shortest average processing time and path length across seven varied complexity maps.College of EngineeringMultidisciplinary ProgramsMaster of Science in Mechatronics Engineering (MSMTR
Understanding the Hydrodynamics of Umm Al Quwain Lagoons through Numerical Modelling
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Engy Nagy Emile Mikhail entitled, “Understanding the Hydrodynamics of Umm Al Quwain Lagoons through Numerical Modelling”, submitted in June 2024. Thesis advisor is Dr. Serter Atabay and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Georgenes H. Cavalcante. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Harnessing piperine for enhanced antimicrobial activity of carbon dot‑modified cellulose fibers
No full textMicrobial infections are a global health challenge often treated with antibiotics, but their overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance. To address this, there is a need for more efficient personal protective equipment (PPE) with novel antimicrobial techniques. One such technique involves using carbon dots (CDs) to create self-disinfecting fabrics. This study focused on synthesizing phenylboronic-acid-functionalized piperine-based carbon dots (PBA-PPCDs) and boronic acid carbon dots (BACDs) as potential antimicrobial agents. The materials were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method and characterized using various techniques to confirm the size, charge, fluorescence properties, and inner morphology of the CDs. The CDs showed bactericidal activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with potent inhibition in growth especially in the presence of simulated sunlight. The antibacterial properties of the CDs were tested on cellulose discs, demonstrating strong adherence and significant inhibition of bacterial cells. The cytotoxicity studies showed that these CDs, at concentrations up to 0.1 mg/mL, and the CD-modified fibers are benign to mammalian cells, emphasizing their safety for human use. Overall, the study concluded that PBA-PPCDs and BACDs are promising candidates for modifying fibers and inducing antimicrobial activity in fabrics made of cellulose fibers.American University of SharjahAbu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)Emirates NBDSharjah Electricity Water & Gas Authority (SEWA)Technology Innovation Institute (TII)GS
Sustainability Assessment Indicators in Higher Education: Stakeholders' Perception and Challenges
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Engineering Systems Management by Najihath Basheer entitled, “Sustainability Assessment Indicators in Higher Education: Stakeholders' Perception and Challenges”, submitted in August 2024. Thesis advisor is Dr. Vian Ahmed. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The drastically increasing significance of sustainability development has urged higher education institutions (HEIs) to make efforts to achieve sustainability development goals (SDGs). For instance, United Nations reported that, by 2024, 75% of the countries worldwide would incorporate SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) into their national education policies. In addition, according to Smithonian Science education center, there is a 30% increase in the number of HEIs that participates in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which reflects the institutions' success in delivering on the UN's SDGs. This has led to the inevitable need to track and assess these efforts, emphasizing the critical need for HEIs to integrate SDGs across all strata of an institution. However, stakeholders are looking for a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators that is currently spread over various existing tools and frameworks. In addition, HEIs are still struggling to integrate sustainability efficiently. Despite the urgency of the issue, few studies have addressed the root problems that leave policymakers grappling with these challenges. To address this gap, a systematic literature review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) technology is conducted to present a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators (SI) for sustainability assessment in HEIs. Moreover, the study intends to identify the challenges faced by policymakers in the process and analyse the disparity in understanding among the students, educators and Administration, governance and operation (AGO) staff regarding the concept of sustainability assessment and indicators using semi structure interviews and Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis by choosing American University of Sharjah as the case study. The results revealed the lack of knowledge among the stakeholders regarding SIs and the existence of sustainability ranking systems. In addition, various challenges associated with the sustainability implementation process were identified among which the cost-sustainability was the major threat. Finally, considerable disparity in the understanding of the SIs among different categories of stakeholders was revealed. Accordingly, various recommendations like awareness programs and better transparency in communication were proposed.College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial EngineeringMaster of Science in Engineering Systems Management (MSESM
Development of MOF-Coated Electrostatic Mems Resonators for Gas and Chemical Sensing Applications
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mechatronics Engineering by Mohamed Mahmoud Hemid entitled, “Development of MOF-Coated Electrostatic Mems Resonators for Gas and Chemical Sensing Applications”, submitted in April 2024. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mehdi Ghommem and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Rana Sabouni. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).In this work, we investigate the potential use of electrostatic MEMS resonators for gas and chemical sensing. We study the characterization of two different MEMS devices for CO₂ detection and characterization of aqueous media. The CO₂ MEMS sensor, which will be referred to as the gas sensor, is coated with a metal organic framework (MOF), namely ZIF-8, which demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity to CO₂ gas. Both resonant MEMS devices are electrically actuated via a fixed electrode while investigating their dynamic response near resonance. In the case of the gas sensor, the exposure to CO₂ result in an added mass to the vibrating microstructure due to the adsorption of CO₂ via the active layer of MOF. This results in changes in its motion characteristics which are exploited to detect the presence of CO₂ and evaluate its concentration. The MEMS chemical sensor is tested in different aqueous environments. The detection mechanism is based on the electrical resonance of the MEMS device. Still, the electrical resonance is influenced by the mechanical motion of the sensor and varies based on the liquid properties. Finite element models for the MEMS sensors were developed and verified against experimental data. These models were used to identify the mode shapes, their associated natural frequencies, and the pull-in voltage. We use the motion-induced current method to analyse the response of the MEMS sensors. This method relies on a transduction mechanism that converts the motion of the resonator to a current signal. The third harmonic of the current is directly related to the motion of the resonator. The experimental results demonstrated the capability of the proposed gas sensor to detect CO₂. Indeed, the electrical measurements captured the nonlinear features associated with the motions of the gas sensor when subjected to CO₂ with varying concentrations. We showed effective deployment of frequency and amplitude changes in peak output current as detectors for the presence of CO₂ and quantifiers of its concentration. Moreover, we showed evidence of the potential of the motion-induced current method to characterise different liquids by tracking the electrical resonance.College of EngineeringMultidisciplinary ProgramsMaster of Science in Mechatronics Engineering (MSMTR