This thesis explores contrasting perspectives on what constitutes 'good governance' for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. It asks whether there are systematic differences between perspectives of UK and US policy actors and what kinds of patterns are discernible. Biomedical technologies like hESCs generate complex interactions between public values, institutional interests, societal expectations and technological uncertainties. These pose serious governance challenges. Under such conditions, diverse aspects and implications of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty come into focus. We need appraisal processes that address these issues by combining quantitative and qualitative dimensions to 'open up' divergent governance framings. The research framework employed here uses and further develops one such elicitation and analysis process called Multicriteria Mapping (MCM). MCM combines qualitative sensitivity with quantitative precision, while also aiding transparency and reflexivity in documenting and understanding diverse stakeholder perspectives. We therefore address 'good' governance both as an analytical subject and as a rationale for testing a novel form of appraisal. The analysis discerns systematic patterns in perspectives on good governance across national contexts and between stakeholders, identifying several points of convergence and divergence. We examine underlying rationales behind individual perspectives, obtaining empirical support for recent theoretical arguments concerning technology appraisal and democratic deliberation. We find national policy literatures make greater use of moral and ethical language to frame governance challenges, by comparison with stakeholders' emphasis on institutional and socio-political factors. This suggests a more critical and cautious stance is needed towards the legitimatory language of 'bioethics' in policy making. Finally, we explore some of the normative implications for governance of culturally sensitive and scientifically uncertain issues. By providing reflexive explanations of factors influencing perspectives of policy actors, this thesis makes a number of interlinked theoretical, methodological, empirical and normative contributions to understanding of how good governance of biomedical technologies is and should be conducted.

Health information technology (HIT) has been identified as the fundamental driver to streamline the healthcare delivery processes to improve care quality and reduce operational costs. Of the many facets of HIT is Clinical Decision Support (CDS) which provides the physician with patient-specific inferences, intelligently filtered and organized, at appropriate times. This research has been conducted to develop an agile solution to Clinical Decision Support at the point of care in a healthcare setting as a potential solution to the challenges of interoperability and the complexity of possible solutions. The capabilities of Business Process Management (BPM) and Workflow Management systems are leveraged to support a Service Oriented Architecture development approach for ensuring evidence based medical practice. The aim of this study is to present an architecture solution that is based on SOA principles and embeds clinical guidelines within a healthcare setting. Since the solution is designed to implement real life healthcare scenarios, it essentially supports evidence-based clinical guidelines that are liable to change over a period of time. The thesis is divided into four parts. The first part consists of an Introduction to the study and a background to existing approaches for development and integration of Clinical Decision Support Systems. The second part focuses on the development of a Clinical Decision Support Framework based on Service Oriented Architecture. The CDS Framework is composed of standards based open source technologies including JBoss SwitchYard (enterprise service bus), rule-based CDS enabled by JBoss Drools, process modelling using Business Process Modelling and Notation. To ensure interoperability among various components, healthcare standards by HL7 and OMG are implemented. The third part provides implementation of this CDS Framework in healthcare scenarios. Two scenarios are concerned with the medical practice for diagnosis and early intervention (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer), one case study for Genetic data enablement of CDS systems (New born screening for Cystic Fibrosis) and the last case study is about using BPM techniques for managing healthcare organizational perspectives including human interaction with automated clinical workflows. The last part concludes the research with contributions in design and architecture of CDS systems. This thesis has primarily adopted the Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems. Additionally, Business Process Management Life Cycle, Agile Business Rules Development methodology and Pattern-Based Cycle for E-Workflow Design for individual case studies are used. Using evidence-based clinical guidelines published by UK's National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, the integration of latest research in clinical practice has been employed in the automated workflows. The case studies implemented using the CDS Framework are evaluated against implementation requirements, conformance to SOA principles and response time using load testing strategy. For a healthcare organization to achieve its strategic goals in administrative and clinical practice, this research has provided a standards based integration solution in the field of clinical decision support. A SOA based CDS can serve as a potential solution to complexities in IT interventions as the core data and business logic functions are loosely coupled from the presentation. Additionally, the results of this this research can serve as an exemplar for other industrial domains requiring rapid response to evolving business processes.

Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um equipamento para testes eletrônicos, GSE (Ground Support Equipment), em nível de sistema e subsistema do imageador multiespectral (MUX) do satélite CBERS3&4, a primeira câmera espacial desenvolvida no país. O projeto foi realizado com base em um modelo de referência para o desenvolvimento de produtos mecatrônicos. O GSE utiliza instrumentação virtual, um banco óptico e outros equipamentos controlados por computador e integrados por uma eletrônica própria para testar todos os requisitos funcionais do subsistema. Além disso, é capaz de simular outros subsistemas do satélite que possuam interface com a câmera MUX, tais como o DDR (Digital Data Recorder), OBDH (On-Board Data Handler) e o EPSS (Eletrical Power Supply Subsystem). Como resultado, este trabalho apresenta os testes realizados pelo equipamento desenvolvido, ressaltando sua funcionalidade. / This work presents the development of an equipment for electronic tests, GSE (Ground Support Equipment), in system and subsytem levels of the multispectral imager from CBERS3&4 satellite, the first camera for space applications developed in the country. This project was developed using a reference model for mechatronic products development. GSE utilizes virtual instrumentation, an optical bench and other equipments controled by computer and integrated by its own electronics to test all subsystem functional requirements. Besides, GSE is capable to simulate all others satellite subsystems which share interfaces with MUX, such as DDR (Digital Data Recorder), OBDH (On-Board Data Handler) and EPSS (Eletrical Power Supply Subsystem). As a result, this work presents the tests accomplished by the developed equipment, emphasizing its functionality.

Estudos sobre a dinâmica da água no solo não-saturado passam pela medição, estimativa e/ou previsão do potencial matricial ou do teor de água. Diante disso, o objetivo da presente proposta foi realizar testes e avaliações de três instrumentos com características distintas, capazes de medir o potencial matricial da água no solo seco, sendo eles: um medidor baseado no ponto de orvalho (WP4), um instrumento baseado na pressão (tensiômetro de polímero-PoT) e um instrumento baseado na capacitância elétrica (FDR EC-5). A análise foi realizada em três partes: 1. Avaliação do WP4 com amostras com potencial equilibrado na câmara de Richards ou secas ao ar; 2. Avaliação dos PoT e 3. Experimento comparativo entre instrumentos em colunas de solo. Nesses experimentos foram utilizados materiais de solos com texturas diferentes (um de textura argilosa, um de textura média e um de textura arenosa). Os experimentos foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Física de Solo do CENA/USP em Piracicaba-SP. Os resultados mostram que o FDR EC-5 apresentou bons resultados em relação ao método que foi definido como padrão (método gravimétrico), por mais que possua erros associados à curva de retenção. O WP4, que possui uma ampla faixa de leitura de 0 a -30000 m, não se apresentou muito preciso para solos úmidos (h > -70 m) devido ao seu procedimento de leitura. Para solos muito secos, no entanto, ele se apresenta como uma boa opção. O tensiômetro de polímero mede a pressão diretamente na faixa entre 0 a -150 m. Esse instrumento requer cuidados com o coeficiente de calibração, a verificação do limite individual de funcionamento e o contato entre a cápsula porosa do tensiômetro e o solo / Studies about unsaturated soil water dynamics involve the measurement or prediction of matric potential and/or soil water content. In this study, the objective was to test and evaluate three measurement devices able to measure matric potential in dry soil: a dew point based instrument (WP4), a pressure based instrument (polymer tensiometer - PoT) and an electromagnetic capacitance based instrument (FDR EC-5). The analysis was performed in three steps: 1. Evaluation of WP4 using soil samples in equilibrium with a pressure chamber or with surrounding air; 2. Evaluation of PoT and 3. Experiments to compare devices in soil columns. In these experiments three soil textures were used (clay texture, silt texture and sand texture). The experiments were conducted in the soil physics lab at CENA/Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. Results show that the FDR EC-5 performed well when compared to the (standard) gravimetric method, even though it includes errors associated with the retention curve. The WP4 device has a wide reading range of 0 to -30000 m, but is not accurate for saturated or moist soils (h > -70 m) due to its working principle. For very dry soils, however, it is a good option. The polymer tensiometers measure pressure directly and perform in a range between 0 to -150 m. This equipment showed to require special care regarding its calibration coefficient, verification of individual reading limit and the porous cap-soil contact

Nanociência e nanotecnologia se tornaram palavras-chaves para o desenvolvimento científico da maioria das áreas de pesquisa, inclusive a de magnetismo. Por esta razão, há forte demanda por instrumentos capazes de caracterizar sistemas em escalas nanométricas. O Microscópio Ótico de Varredura em Campo Próximo no Modo Magnetoótico (SNOM-MO) se insere neste contexto por ser uma técnica de microscopia com boa resolução espacial e alta sensibilidade magnética, estimada em DM= 2 x 10-12 emu. Ao contrário da microscopia ótica tradicional, os SNOMs detetam a radiação eletromagnética evanescente e conseqüentemente, a resolução não é limitada pelo critério de Rayleigh. O SNOM-MO demonstrou ser uma poderosa ferramenta para obter informações magnéticas locais através de medidas de susceptibilidade diferencial e de ciclos de histerese locais. Utilizando essa segunda ferramenta, foi feito um mapeamento micromagnético experimental do vetor magnetização sobre um objeto quadrado de 2m de CoFeSiBNb amorfo. As medidas obtidas forneceram informações sobre as duas quiralidades existentes em uma estrutura de domínios magnéticos de fechamento, cujo comportamento é determinado pela anisotropia de forma. O estudo também evidenciou que pinnings gerados por defeitos na superfície do objeto exercem grande influência sobre a evolução dos vetores magnetização. Devido à grande quantidade de informações locais este estudo se torna uma potencial base de dados para o desenvolvimento de modelos teóricos mais precisos e completos. Os resultados experimentais obtidos apresentam resolução melhor que 125 nm. O mapeamento nos possibilitou acesso a comportamentos magnéticos intrinsecamente locais que motivaram uma interessante discussão sobre informações de pinnings magnéticos, rotações da magnetização, campos de reversão, processos de reversibilidade da magnetização e anisotropia local. Além disso, atenção especial foi dada para a otimização instrumental dessa técnica com o objetivo de tornar o SNOM-MO um instrumento de medida com resolução nanométrica. Entre esses esforços destacamos a produção de pontas pela técnica do FIB e a introdução de um novo sistema ótico que contribuiu de forma significativa para um melhor controle da polarização da luz. / Nanoscience and nanotechnology have become keywords for scientific development in most areas of research, including magnetism. For this reason, there is a strong demand for tools devoted to nano-scale characterization. The Magnetooptical Scanning Near Field Optical Microscope (SNOM-MO) falls in this context due to be a technique of microscopy with high spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity, estimated to be DM = 2 x 10-12 emu. In contrast to traditional optical microscopes, SNOM deals with evanescent electromagnetic radiation and, consequently, the resolution is no longer limited by the Rayleigh criterion. The SNOM-MO is a powerful tool to obtain local magnetic information through differential susceptibility and local hysteresis loops. Using this last technique, an experimental micromagnetic mapping was made for the magnetization vector on a square amorphous CoFeSiBNb object. The experimental results obtained provided information about the two chiralities existing in its closure magnetic domain structure, whose behavior is determined mainly by the shape anisotropy. The study also showed that pinnings generated by defects on surface´s object exerted great influence on the dynamic of the magnetization vectors. Due to the large amount of local magnetic information, this kind of study becomes a potential background for the development of more accurate and complete theoretical models. The experimental results demonstrate resolution better than 125 nm. This study has allowed us to access intrinsic magnetic behaviors that motivated an interesting discussion about magnetic pinnings, rotation of magnetization, reversal magnetic fields and local anisotropy. In addition, also special attention was given to the optimization of instrumental technique in order to make the SNOM-MO a measurement instrument with nanometer resolution. Among these efforts we emphasize the production of tips by FIB technique and the introduction of a new optical system which has significantly contributed to a better control of polarization of light.

Neste trabalho foi investigado através da Microscopia de Força Atômica (MFA) a topografia de tecidos oculares, dentre eles, cristalinos e córneas e doenças associadas. O principal objetivo foi o desenvolvimento de metodologia apropriada para a caracterização do cristalino para distintos estágios de maturação da catarata. A metodologia foi estendida para a avaliação do sequestro de córnea e foram obtidas imagens para grupos de tecidos sadios e com doença. Foi obtida uma comparação entre as imagens obtidas com MFA e análise histológica. Por fim, confirmou-se a aplicabilidade do MFA para caracterização estrutural de tecidos oculares mencionados. / In this work it was investigated through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) the topography of ocular tissues, crystalline lenses and corneal and associated pathologies. The main objective is the improvement of an appropriated methodology to crystalline lenses characterization and the distinct stages of cataract. The methodology was extended to corneal sequestrum assessments and it was obtained images to groups of healthy and diseased tissues. A comparison between the AFM and histological analysis was obtained. The AFM applicability was confirmed to structural characterization of ocular tissues.

Over the life of nuclear fuel, inhomogeneous structures develop, negatively impacting thermal properties. New fuels are under development, but require more accurate knowledge of how the properties change to model performance and determine safe operational conditions. Measurement systems capable of small–scale, pointwise thermal property measurements and low cost are necessary to measure these properties and integrate into hot cells where electronics are likely to fail during fuel investigation. This project develops a cheaper, smaller, and easily replaceable Fluorescent Scanning Thermal Microscope (FSTM) using the blue laser and focusing circuitry from an Xbox HD-DVD player. The FSTM also incorporates novel fluorescent thermometry methods to determine thermal diffusivity. The FSTM requires minimal sample preparation, does not require access to both sides of the sample, and components can be easily swapped out if damaged, as is likely in irradiated hot cells. Using the optical head from the Xbox for sensing temperature changes, an infrared laser diode provides periodic heating to the sample, and the blue laser induces fluorescence in Rhodamine B deposited on the sample's surface. Thermal properties are fit to modulated temperature models from the literature based on the phase delay response at different modulated heating frequencies. With the FSTM method, the thermal diffusivity of a 10 cent euro coin was found to be 21±5 mm2/s. This value is compared to Laser Flash Analysis and a Thermal Conductivity Microscope (which used thermoreflectance a method), which found the thermal diffusivity to be 30.4±0.1 mm2/s and 19±3 mm2/s, respectively. The hardware and instrumentation performed as expected, but the property measurements show that the device is not yet optimized to provide accurate measurements with current heat transfer models. Future work is discussed to investigate the accuracy and necessary modeling adjustments, as well as refinements to the instrumentation.

A microfluidic device was created for single-cell capture and analysis using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels and a glass substrate to develop a microfluidic single-cell impedance sensor for cell diagnostics. The device was fabricated using photolithography to create a master mold which in turn will use soft lithography to create the PDMS components for constant device production. The commercial software, COMSOLTM Multiphysics, was used to quantify the fluid dynamics in shallow micro-channels. The device will be able to capture a cell and sequester it long enough to enable measurement of the impedance spectra that can characterize cell. The proposed device will be designed to capture a single cell and permit back-flow to flush out excess cells in the chamber. The device will be designed to use syringe pumps and the syringe-controlled channel will also be used to capture and release the cell to ensure cell control and device reusability. We hypothesize that these characteristics along with other proposed design factors will result in a unique microfluidic cell-capture device that will enable single-cell impedance sensing and characterization.

Introduction: The aim of this in vitro study was two part. The first being to assess and compare the amount of dentin removed by an instrument with a taper of 0.04 versus an instrument with a taper of 0.06 using the Edge Evolve® file system at different increments within the canal system. Secondly, this study evaluated whether instrumentation with either taper resulted in a remaining dentin thickness (RDT) of less than 0.3mm. If this RDT was imposed upon, fracture resistance was compromised. Both pre and post instrumentation measurements were taken of samples instrumented with the 0.04 and 0.06 tapered files. Methods: Ten maxillary premolars exhibiting Weine class III canal systems and minimal to no root canal curvature were mounted in an acrylic resin filled K-cube. Each acrylic resin cube was sectioned horizontally at 3, 6, 9, and 12mm increments from the apex. The K-cube is a device which allows the investigator to disassemble and then reassemble root slices in their original orientation. Dentin thickness was measured at three positions on each canal using the Zeiss Discovery V20 stereomicroscope. The sections were then reassembled into the K-cube. The ten premolar roots were separated into two groups. In half of the teeth the buccal canals were instrumented with 0.04 tapered files and the lingual canals instrumented with 0.06 tapered files. In the other half of the teeth, instrumentation was reversed: the buccal canals were instrumented with 0.06 tapered files and the lingual canals were instrumented with 0.04 tapered files. Root sections were again separated, and the remaining dentin thickness was measured. A repeated-measures mixed-model ANCOVA was performed to analyze the effect of taper on RDT. Results: The amount of dentin removed was statistically different between the two tapers (P=0.02). Across all of the slices and positions, the 0.04 tapered instruments had an average pre-post difference of 0.1313mm. The 0.06 tapered instruments had an average pre-post difference of 0.1672mm. None of the instruments imposed upon the recommended 0.3mm RDT. Conclusion: The 0.04 tapered files instrument with greater conservancy than the 0.06 tapered files. The 0.06 tapered files had their greatest effect on the canal in the 9mm and 12mm sections. However, neither taper imposed upon the recommended RDT for optimal fracture resistance within the apical 12mm root portion observed in this study. Keywords: Instrumentation, Edge Evolve, Root canal preparation, Taper

One of the greatest challenges in achieving accurate positioning in head and neck radiotherapy is that the anatomy at and above the cervical spine does not act as a single, mechanically rigid body. Current immobilization techniques contain residual uncertainties that are especially present in the lower neck that cannot be reduced by setting up to any single landmark. The work presented describes the development of a radiotherapy friendly mostly-plastic 6D robotic platform for positioning independent landmarks, (i.e., allowing remote, independent positioning of the skull relative to landmarks in the thorax), including analysis of kinematics, stress, radiographic compatibility, trajectory planning, physical construction, and phantom measurements of correction accuracy. No major component of the system within the field of imaging or treatment had a measured attenuation value greater than 250 HU, showing compatibility with x-ray-based imaging techniques. Relative to arbitrary overall setup errors of the head (min = 1.1 mm, max = 5.2 mm vector error) the robotic platform corrected the position down to a residual overall error of 0.75 mm +/- 0.33 mm over 15 cases as measured with optical tracking. This device shows the potential for providing reductions to dose margins in head and neck therapy cases, while also reducing setup time and effort.