Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Burnout At University: Cross-Sectional Study Among Dental Students, Manal Elhijazi, Hajar Nafia, Ihsane Benyahya

Health Sciences

Context: The university constitutes a demanding and competitive learning environment which can impact the well-being of students. The objective of this survey is to assess the burnout of students at the faculty of dentistry.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via an anonymous questionnaire with 3 sections: socio-demographic data, lifestyle and habit, and burnout through the Maslach burnout inventory-student survey (MBI-SS) . Continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations,categorical variables as numbers and percentages. The variables were tested in univariate analysis to assess predictive factors related to burnout using the Khi-2 test. The significance level was …

Leveraging Deep Learning For The Automated Detection Of Hemophilic Arthropathy In Knee Radiographs, En-Wei Lin, Edzer Wu, Ming-Ching Shen, Shao-Li Han

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Background/Purpose:

Hemophilic arthropathy (HA) is a progressive joint disease caused by recurrent hemarthroses in patients with hemophilia. Early radiographic identification of HA is critical for timely intervention and long-term joint preservation. This study aimed to develop and evaluate deep learning models for automated detection of HA in knee radiographs.

Methods:

A retrospective dataset of 849 knee radiographs (AP and lateral views) was used to train three convolutional neural networks: ResNet-34, DenseNet-121, and EfficientNet-B0. Model performance was assessed using standard classification metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC. Interpretability was evaluated using Grad-CAM heatmaps.

Results:

DenseNet-121 achieved balanced performance on …

Investigating The Role Of Knee Damping In Reducing Joint Forces During Walking And Its Implications For Osteoarthritis Patients, Samantha Briggs

Wayne State University Theses

Arthritis is a leading cause of activity limitation and chronic pain worldwide. Particularly in cases of knee osteoarthritis, mobility impairments are largely due to pain at the arthritic joint. During normal gait, forces across the knee joint peak during the weight acceptance and early midstance phases. Hence, providing damping at the knee joint during this period of the gait cycle may be effective in decreasing the joint forces and pain experienced by osteoarthritis patients while walking. To examine the role of knee damping in reducing joint forces, an eddy current braking device was automated to provide targeted resistance at the …

The Design Of A Bioinspired Impact Mitigation System Towards The Prevention Of Brain Injuries, Bryce H. Reimer

Master’s Theses

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), remain a major concern across contact sports, military operations, and transportation. Despite advancements in protective equipment, current strategies often fall short in preventing the mechanical conditions that contribute to long-term neurological damage. This thesis presents the design and validation of a bioinspired impact mitigation system modeled after bighorn sheep horn structures, which have evolved to endure high-energy collisions without apparent brain injury.

Using biomimetic principles, the research integrates experimental and computational methods to evaluate how horn-like geometries reduce impact-induced accelerations. A custom drop tower was built to test dynamic …

Development And Clinical Validation Of The Sensor-E Exoskeleton For Objective Hand Function Assessment In Stroke Rehabilitation, Madison Bates

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Hand function is often impaired following neurological trauma or in conditions such as stroke, limiting independence and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Current clinical assessments rely heavily on subjective rating scales that lack the resolution to detect subtle changes in motor performance, which can limit access to rehabilitation. Recent advances in wearable technologies highlight the potential for hand-worn devices to provide objective, real-time measures of hand function. However, most systems focus solely on kinematics and rarely capture both movement and exerted force. Moreover, integration into rehabilitation frameworks and brain-computer interface (BCI) protocols remains limited. To address …

Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index: Regression Method Comparison And Its Association With Pulse Pressure And Circadian Patterns, José R. Ayala-Hernández, Cristina López-Sánchez, Orlando M. Ayala, Camilo E. Palencia-Tejedor

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The Arterial Stiffness Index (AASI) is a calculation obtained through Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM), and is an indirect measure of the elastic properties of the arterial wall; but there is heterogeneity in its scope as a predictor of vascular wall health. A comparison is made between linear regression and exponential regression of the AASI, as well as an analysis of variance, according to circadian patterns and pulse pressure (PP) values. This work is an analytical observational study in 106 individuals, most of them women (63%) with a mean age of 53 ± 17.32 years. The coefficient of determination (r2) …

Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring Using Ppg, Ai, And Iot-Driven Mobile Integration For Real-Time Diabetes Management, Mostafa Abdelaziz, Amr Refaie

Mechanical Engineering

Diabetes mellitus patients must regularly monitor their blood glucose levels to manage glycaemia, typically requiring capillary tests at least three times daily and laboratory tests one to two times per month. These conventional methods involve finger pricking, causing significant discomfort and stress. This study introduces an innovative non-invasive glucose monitoring approach by integrating photoplethysmography (PPG) technology with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, complemented by a mobile application using Flutter, IoT systems, and Firebase cloud for real-time data access. Among the AI models tested, polynomial regression demonstrated superior accuracy in glucose prediction, achieving a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 14.76 and …

Investigation Using Single Point Incremental Forming (Spif) To Fabricate Patient-Specific, Titanium Orbital Floor Implants, Elizabeth M. Mamros, Lauren E. Blaha Md, Christian A. Kauffman Md

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

The floor of the human orbit is composed of thin bone that is prone to traumatic fracture. This leads to a loss of support for the eye, which can cause vision changes. Therefore, fractures may need surgical reconstruction using a thin, sheet-like implant. Titanium implants are available off-the-shelf in standard sizes, but fitting to each patient’s unique anatomy requires surgeons to cut, file, and bend these plates. This can be time-consuming and imprecise. To both save time and ensure a perfect fit for the patient, a custom plate can be created prior to surgery. This investigation focuses on single-point incremental …

Characterization Of Cancer Cell Migration Through Brain Vascular Endothelium Model, Malak Taysser Al-Noubani

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

One of the hallmarks of cancer is increased vessel growth to feed the tumor’s rapid expansion. The newly formed blood vessels are immature and often leaky due to structural and functional abnormalities. This leads to ineffective anti-cancer drug delivery and provides tumor cells with additional opportunities to metastasize. We propose to develop an in vitro vascular endothelium model and introduce aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to mimic the tumor environment, utilizing a Transwell migration assay. The impact of TNBC cells on vessel permeability will be assessed by staining for tight junction proteins, and the migratory capabilities of TNBC cells …

Sustainable Enzymatic Extraction Of High-Purity Chitin From Button Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) Off-Production Waste: Influence Of Alkaline Pre-Treatment On Physicochemical Properties, Buliyaminu A. Alimi, Shivani Pathania, Jude Wilson, Brendan Duffy, Jesus Maria Frias

Articles

This study investigated chitin extraction from the stalks and atypical mushrooms, the often-produced waste in the mushroom production process, using a simultaneous application of protease and glucanase with or without an alkaline pretreatment stage. A commercial chitin, chemically extracted from A. bisporus was used as the control. The purity of extracted chitin (98.92–99.36 %) was slightly lower than commercial chitin (99.80 %), but with comparable physicochemical properties (p < 0.05). All enzymatically extracted chitin in this study exhibited an agglomerated, microfibrillar and irregular structure, while the control showed standalone granules with weathering and cracks on the surfaces. The XRD and FTIR spectra indicated that the extracted chitin and the control belong to the α-allotrope group. The degree of acetylation was higher in the extracted chitin (76.97–78.22 %) than in the control (75.05 %). The highest molecular weight obtained for the extracted chitin was 4.53 × 102 KDa (W0548). The study demonstrated the possibility of producing pure, high molecular weight chitin from the waste produced during the commercial production of button mushrooms, using a potentially more sustainable approach than the traditional one. This enzymatic approach reduces chemical waste, as shown by the excellent results obtained for samples without the pre-treatment stage, and improves environmental safety compared to traditional methods.

Development Of An Ecg-Based Deep Learning Model For Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease (Chd) Diagnosis, Annbar Mekouar

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Congenital heart disease (CHD) stands as the leading congenital anomaly which affects pediatric populations throughout the world. The effectiveness of treatment depends on both early diagnosis and accurate identification but echocardiography requires manual interpretation which proves time-consuming and inconsistent especially when examining pediatric patients with their distinct cardiac systems. The research aims to create a deep learning-based diagnostic framework which uses ECG data to identify coronary artery disease subtypes in pediatric patients. The model uses high-quality datasets from Dr. Ignacio Lugones to extract R-R intervals and QRS durations through convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The system addresses pediatric-specific challenges while enhancing …

A Pyrrole Modified 3,4-Propylenedioxythiophene Conjugated Polymer As Hole Transport Layer For Efficient And Stable Perovskite Solar Cells, Yuanhao Tang, Ke Ma, Wenhao Shao, Yoon Ho Lee, Ashkan Abtahi, Jiaonan Sun, Hanjun Yang, Aidan H. Coffey, Harindi R. Atapattu, Mustafa Ahmed, Qixuan Hu, Wenzhan Xu, Raunak Dani, Limei Wang, Chenhui Zhu, Kenneth R. Graham, Jianguo Mei, Letian Dou

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite the outstanding electric properties and cost-effectiveness of poly- (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and its derivatives, their performance as hole transport layer (HTL) materials in conventional perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has lagged behind that of widely used spirobifluorene-based molecules or poly(triaryl amine). This gap is mainly from their poor solubility and energy alignment mismatch. In this work, the design and synthesis of a pyrrole-modified HTL (PPr) based on 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) are presented for efficient and stable PSCs. As a result of the superior defects passivation ability, excellent contact with perovskite, enhanced hole extraction, and high hydrophobicity, the unencapsulated PPr-based PSCs showed the …

Advances In Magnetic Nanoparticles For Molecular Medicine, Xiaoyue Yang, Sarah E. Kubican, Zhongchao Yi, Sheng Tong

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are highly versatile nanomaterials in nanomedicine, owing to their diverse magnetic properties, which can be tailored through variations in size, shape, composition, and exposure to inductive magnetic fields. Over four decades of research have led to the clinical approval or ongoing trials of several MNP formulations, fueling continued innovation. Beyond traditional applications in drug delivery, imaging, and cancer hyperthermia, MNPs have increasingly advanced into molecular medicine. Under external magnetic fields, MNPs can generate mechano- or thermal stimuli to modulate individual molecules or cells deep within tissue, offering precise, remote control of biological processes at cellular and molecular …

Clinical Correlation Of Sars-Cov-2 Wastewater Passive Sampling In Long-Term Care Facilities And Wastewater Treatment Plants, William Strike, Alexus Lori Rockward, Blazan Mijatovic, Ann Noble, Cullen Olsson, Soroosh Torabi, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, Reuben Adatorwovor, James W. Keck, Scott M. Berry

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising tool for improving health outcomes through early detection and cost-effective pathogen surveillance. Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) serve and employ vulnerable populations that may particularly benefit from the use of WBE, but financial and technical costs associated with standard sampling methods limit the feasibility of WBE in the LTCF setting. In this work, we used passive sampling to simplify the wastewater analysis process and compared its performance to the standard composite sampling method. Moore swabs and automatic composite samplers were used concurrently to sample wastewater from two LTCFs, and samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 concentration. …

Affordable Miniaturized Speckle Contrast Diffuse Correlation Tomography Device For Depth-Sensitive Mapping Of Cerebral Blood Flow In Rodents, Fatemeh Hamedi, Faezeh Akbari, Mehrana Mohtasebi, Chong Huang, Li Chen, Lei Chen, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Significance: Continuous and longitudinal monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is critical for understanding brain pathophysiology and guiding interventions. Although rodents are the primary models in neuroscience, existing imaging modalities often fail to provide the optimal combination of low cost, high spatiotemporal resolution, wide head coverage, and sufficient penetration depth for small-animal brain imaging.

Aim: Leveraging a clinical speckle contrast diffuse correlation tomography (scDCT) system, we aimed to develop an affordable, user-friendly, fast, and miniaturized scDCT (mini-scDCT) device tailored for depth-sensitive CBF imaging in small rodents.

Approach: The mini-scDCT replaces bulky and costly optoelectronic components with compact, low-cost alternatives while …

Implementing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology For Long-Read Metagenomic Sequencing Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Kampala, Uganda, William Strike, Temitope O. C. Faleye, Brian Lubega, Alexus Lori Rockward, Soroosh Torabi

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global threat that is expanding in many areas of the world. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is uniquely suited for use in areas of the world where clinical surveillance is limited or logistically slow to identify emerging threats, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Wastewater was analyzed from three urban areas of Kampala, including a local HIV research clinic and two informal settlements. Wastewater extraction was performed using a low-cost, magnetic bead-based protocol that minimizes consumable plastic consumption followed by sequencing on the Oxford Nanopore Technology MinION platform. The majority of the analysis was performed using …

The Study Of Knee And Ankle Sagittal Plane Angles For On-Court Versus Off-Court Cutting, Alexi Rebecca Hempe

Dissertations and Theses

Lower extremity injuries are common among basketball athletes. Majority of these injuries are non-contact and therefore preventable. While previous research has explored high-risk movements associated with lower extremity injuries, limited research has explored the influence of settings for these movement patterns, particularly on a basketball court. This study aims to examine the knee and ankle joint angles in the sagittal plane of a 90-degree cut for on-court versus off court. Thirteen (13) subjects, four males (19.5 ± 1.0 years of age; 198.8 ± 4.8 cm of height; 198.8 ± 13.8 lbs. of weight) and nine females (19.8 ± 1.5 years …

Emerging Nanotechnology Approaches For Blood Disorders: A Comprehensive Review Of Nano-Hematinics And Plant-Based Nanomedicines, Hassan Abdulsalam Adewuyi, Khairat Shamsudeen, Fatima Mahmoud Muhammad, Adeola Kolawole Victor, Sakariyau Adio Waheed, Adepeju Matilda Adekoya, Kashim Ibrahim Muhammad, Blessing Temitayo Longe, Abdulgaffar Abdulquddus

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background: Disorders affecting blood components, such as anemia, coagulopathies, and hematologic malignancies, continue to pose significant global health burdens. Traditional therapies often fall short due to adverse effects, limited bioavailability, and insufficient targeting of disease sites.

Objective: This review synthesizes current advances in nano-hematinics and plant-based nanomedicines (phyto-nanomedicines) as innovative strategies for managing blood-related conditions. These nanoscale interventions are designed to enhance therapeutic precision, bioactivity, and safety.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using major scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Search terms were carefully selected to retrieve literature published between 2015 and 2024 that discussed …

Robust Quantification Of Cortical Hemodynamic Response To Tactile Stimulation: A Comprehensive Fnirs Methodology To Mitigate Physiological Confounds, Mohsen Hozan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation establishes a quantitative framework for studying somatosensory processing using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), with a focus on applications in neurorehabilitation. The central aim is to investigate how the brain's hemodynamic response is modulated by the velocity of patterned tactile stimulation. While fNIRS is a promising neuroimaging tool, its data quality is often compromised by physiological noise and motion artifacts, challenging the reliability of its findings and hindering the development of effective, quantifiable neurotherapeutics.

Two preliminary investigations informed the final experimental design. The first pilot study confirmed that pneumotactile stimulation of the hand, during both passive (somatosensory) and active …

Laser-Induced Graphene Sensor For The Electrochemical Detection Of Acetaminophen, Abdellatif Ait Lahcen, Mazhar Sher, Sikander Ameer, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Here we present a simple and efficient method for fabricating laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes for the electrochemical detection of acetaminophen (AAP), a crucial analgesic and antipyretic that can become toxic at elevated concentrations. Unlike conventional sensors that require intricate chemical modifications, the fabricated LIG-based sensor eliminates the need for functionalization, offering a streamlined sensing solution. The LIG electrodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the formation of a highly porous graphene network with excellent purity and conductivity. Cyclic voltammetry analysis with a ferricyanide redox probe revealed a large electroactive surface area of 1.21 …