Liposomes are versatile biocompatible and biodegradable carriers for a variety of medical applications. As the first nanoparticles, they have been approved for pharmaceutical use so far, and many liposome-based preparations are in clinical trials. Classical methods of liposome preparation represent potential limitations in technology transfer from laboratory to industrial scale. New, microfluidic techniques overcome these limitations and offer new possibilities for controlled, continuous preparation of liposomal particles in a laboratory and industrial scale. An important element in the development of new nanoparticle systems is their complex characterization and purification. In addition to the established chromatographic techniques, the Field flow fractionation technique, in particular the Asymmetrical flow Field-flow fractionation, is described. This relatively new technique in conjunction with the MALS/DLS/DAD-UV/dRI online detectors enables the purification and characterization of complex samples. The main advantage of this technique lies in the possibility of separation under native conditions, which plays an important role in the separation of biopolymers in particular. Separation in the “empty” channel then eliminates sample degradation due to unwanted interactions at the stationary phase-sample interface. The theoretical part of this thesis describes the possibilities of preparation, modification, and characterization of liposomal nanoparticles. For this purpose, optical methods based on dynamic light scattering, multi-angle dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis techniques are described, as well as a non-optical method using "particle by the particle" analysis, tunable resistive pulse sensing method. A separate chapter of the theoretical part is dedicated to the technique Asymmetrical flow Field-flow fractionation in connection with the above-mentioned detectors. Important results associated with this work are summarized in the attached scientific paper, together with the result summaries and the author's contributions.

The study deals with Czech-German economic relations during 1991 - 2016, viewed from the perspective of the theory of asymmetrical dyads. The Czech-German relationship can be perceived as asymmetrical on the basis of inequality between the political-economic possibilities of Czech Republic (CR) - the weaker and Germany - the stronger. Despite this, there are many common aspects such as foreign policy orientation and the nature of the economy. CR and Germany are in many respects compatible with each other and economically complementary. They have similar culture, are geographically close and there are many transactions between them. At the same time, they are connected by a common past and by overcoming conflicts issues. Despite many qualities of Czech-German relationship, the Czech side has traditionally addressed securing its security, freedom and prosperity. After the fall of the "Iron Curtain", Germany engaged in the political-economic transformation of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic, which turned into a democratic system with market- oriented economy. The development of Czech-German economic relations for the CR meant chance for economic growth, access to technology and, within the framework of business cooperation, to global markets, in addition to the identical institutional context of NATO...

This master thesis presents a comparative analysis of the starting performance and losses at rated operation for a 15 kW, 4-pole industrial induction motor, mounted with standard skewed, unskewed and unskewed asymmetrical die-cast aluminium rotors through measurements and simulations. It is a well-known fact that rotor skewing suppresses the synchronous torques at low speeds and also reduces the audible noise of the machine. However, the casting process results in a low resistive path between the rotor bars and the iron laminations, for skewed rotors, this promotes the flow of inter-bar currents. These currents, flowing between the rotorbars, increase the harmonic torques during a start and create additional losses at rated operation. For standard unskewed rotors, these losses are ideally zero, but these rotors may produce high audible noise. Studies have shown that rotors with asymmetrical rotor slot pitch can reduce the audible noise level in unskewed machines. By removing the skew, the inter-bar current losses are suppressed to a negligible level; ultimately increased machine efficiency is obtained. In this work the electrical performance is verified through measurements on the built prototypes. Direct-on-line starts and rated performance for motors with different rotor slot arrangements is simulated using 2D FEM tool FCSmek. The three prototypes are tested in the laboratory according to IEC 60034-2-1 standard and the simulation results are in good agreement with the measured results. An additional test for the measurement of high frequency delta connected stator winding currents for each prototype machine is also performed, in order to study the losses induced in the stator winding. Results have shown that by introducing the proposed asymmetry in the rotor slots, the synchronous torques at low speeds are suppressed effectively, thus, improving the starting performance of the asymmetrical rotor compared to the standard unskewed rotor. Additionally, a higher pull-out torque is obtained for the unskewed rotor motor compared to the standard skewed rotor motor. However, the losses were more or less re-distributed in the unskewed rotor motor, resulting in similar efficiency as the standard skewed rotor motor. One important observation is that; to capture the inter-bar current losses which are estimated to be 5.5% of the total losses, requires more accurate methods of measurements than the existing. And sufficient repeatability must be achieved; alternatively one should rely on statistical data obtained from measurements on several number of motors.

In diesem Beitrag wird eine fertigungsoptimierte Methode der Nutrastmomentreduzierung durch Magnetverschiebung am Beispiel eines Synchrongenerators für Kleinwindenergieanlagen mit in die Läuferoberfläche eingelassenen Permanentmagneten vorgestellt. Auf Grundlage der Drehfeldtheorie wird ein analytisches Berechnungsmodell unter Einbezug der Magnetverschiebung zur Bestimmung des Nutrastmoments entwickelt und mit FEM-Simulationen verifiziert. Durch experimentelle Untersuchung eines gefertigten Prototyps wird der optimierende Effekt der Magnetverschiebung nachgewiesen und mit einem Referenzläufer mit ungeschrägt, symmetrisch verteilten Polen verglichen. Abschließend werden mögliche Ursachen für die verbleibenden Abweichungen identifiziert und Ansätze für die weiteren Betrachtungen abgeleitet. / A production-optimized method of reducing cogging torque by magnet shifting using the example of a synchronous generator for small wind turbines with a rotor with inset surface magnets is proposed in this paper. On the basis of rotating field theory an analytical calculation model is developed taking into account the magnet shifting for determination of cogging torque. The analytical results are verified with FEM simulations. By experimental investigation of a manufactured prototype, the optimizing effect of magnet shifting is verified and compared to a rotor with symmetrically distributed poles. Finally, possible reasons for remaining discrepancies are identified and approaches for further considerations are presented.

The main purpose of the present essay is, based on Emmanuel Levinas’s ethics of responsibility,to gain new knowledge about the teaching relationship and the relationship between the selfand the Other in that relation. The overarching question in this essay is what characterizes theteaching relationship in the Epistle to the Philemon from a Levinasian perspective. The purposeis also to develop theoretical tools and models from this perspective to interpret the teachingrelationship in the Epistle to the Philemon and which can also be applied to the teachingsituations in different churches. The questions to which I sought answers included: Whatconditions or prerequisites are present in the teaching relationship? What conditions createopportunities for the recipient to learn something from the Other? How does the ethicalrelationship in the language of the letter to Philemon manifest itself? What theoretical conceptsand models of practice can be developed from a Levinasian perspective for interpreting theteaching relationship that can be applied to teaching in a church context?According to Levinas, ethics is understood as a relation of the infinitive responsibility to theOther person. The underlying assumption in my thesis is that teaching is, above all else, anethical relationship. In this essay I have used a Levinasian approach about the Subject (or Ego)to come into being in its encounter with the other person. In other words, the relationship isfoundational to the existence of the Subject. The key concepts in this essay are intentionality,Saying (in relation to the Said), the Other, the Face, Levinas’s ethical subject, asymmetricalrelationship, and substitution. In their encounter with the data in the letters to Philemon, theconcepts have been freighted with educational significance.An important conclusion based on the material is that the didactic relationship is constituted asan asymmetrical relationship where the persons are related to each other in a double asymmetry.This two-way asymmetry requires a double trust in the didactic relationship, which isindispensable for all pedagogical practice, not least in church contexts. Throughout the study,a relational ethical perspective has been developed as an alternative interpretative tool foranalyzing and reflecting upon the didactic relationship.

The work deals with interethnic contexts in the traditional Bulgarian music, which in the past were often neglected or marginalized for various reasons. Convergent processes which take place as a result of cultural interaction between the Balkan ethnicities are assessed. A role of the long-term affiliation of the Balkan region with one state structure (the Ottoman Empire) is examined as one of the factors, which could significantly help mutual contacts between involved ethnicities. The author's starting points are based on the philological concept of the Balkan Linguistic Union, in which a set of phenomena and convergent tendencies in genetically unrelated languages of the Balkan area are researched. The author raises the question whether it is possible to formulate a similar thesis in the field of music and to define a notional Balkan Music Union based on the assessment of the main converging processes. For this purpose, two distinctive phenomena, which are both present in the Bulgarian folklore as well as, to certain extent, in a broader Balkan context, are selected. Musical and cultural interaction between two ethnic groups is examined at the ceremony of the Nestinarstvo/Anastenaria, folk mysteries which culminate with a dance on hot coals and is practised by small communities of Bulgarians and...

Despite that alliance formation commonly happen when states share mutual interests and like-mindedness, it is possible to find alliances, where the states promote radically different political, normative, and cultural characteristics. Such an alliance is observed in the case of Saudi Arabia and the United States, which subsequently have endured. The following research will thus elaborate on how the Saudi-American alliance have endured throughout, despite their radical differences. To examine the endurance of the Saudi-American alliance, this research has conducted a case study and used Walter Carlsnaes Foreign Policy model. The research has concludingly found that the alliance has endured due to a variety of factors such as economic trade, regional instability, and security, that consistently has persisted throughout. Despite the American role as a hegemon and the changing administrations throughout the endurance, it has been argued that the longevity of the relation has contributed to the consistency of the factors mentioned above. This is evident in the unpredictability in terms of the region, instability, and insecurity that opposes threats to the U.S., and economic trade relations which have discouraged the U.S. from leaving the alliance.

Virtual Reality (VR) is valuable for educational purposes, particularly procedural learning. However, single-user applications lack the benefits of teacher guidance. Symmetrical VR systems, where both teacher and student use VR, have limitations in supervision and accessing external materials. Asymmetrical systems can solve this problem by allowing the teacher to use a different device. To investigate the potential of an asymmetrical VR system and the impact of embodiment on the learning experience, an asymmetrical VR system was developed using a tablet. The system was tested using an assembly task to explore the impact of embodiment (no avatar, avatar without hands, avatar with hands) and the teacher’s device, VR Head-Mounted Display (HMD) or tablet, on task difficulty, performance, social presence, communication quality, and preference. Results indicated that an avatar with hands yielded the best outcomes, and communication was similar to face-to-face interaction. The experience of the asymmetrical system, in which only the student used a VR HMD, was perceived alike compared to a similar symmetrical system, in which both student and teacher used a VR HMD. Therefore, an asymmetrical VR system can be a feasible option for Collaborative Virtual Environments, offering cost-effectiveness and easier set-up while not isolating the teacher from the physical environment. / Virtual Reality (VR) är värdefullt för utbildningsändamål, särskilt inom procedurellt lärande. Applikationer för enskilda användare saknar dock fördelarna med lärarhandledning. Symmetriska VR-system, där både lärare och student använder VR, har begränsningar när det gäller bevakning och tillgång till externa material. Asymmetriska system kan lösa detta problem genom att låta läraren använda en annan enhet. För att undersöka potentialen hos ett asymmetriskt VR-system och förkroppsligandets inverkan på lärandeupplevelsen utvecklades ett asymmetriskt VR-system med hjälp av en surfplatta. Systemet testades med en montageuppgift för att utforska hur förkroppsligandet (ingen avatar, avatar utan händer, avatar med händer) och lärarens enhet, VR Head-Mounted Display (HMD) eller surfplatta, påverkar uppgiftens svårighetsgrad, prestation, social närvaro, kommunikationskvalitet och preferenser. Resultaten visade att en avatar med händer gav bäst resultat och att kommunikationen var liknande ansikte mot ansikte-interaktion. Upplevelsen av det asymmetriska systemet, där bara studenten använde en VR HMD, uppfattades snarlik ett liknande symmetriskt system, där både studenten och läraren använde en VR HMD. Därför kan ett asymmetriskt VR-system vara ett användbart alternativ för virtuella miljöer för samarbete, eftersom det är kostnadseffektivt och enklare att installera samtidigt som det inte isolerar läraren från den fysiska miljön.

The forefront of game playing Artificial Intelligence (AI) has for the better part of 21st century been using an algorithm called Alpha-Beta Pruning (Alpha-Beta). In 2017, DeepMind launched a new AI, based on the algorithm Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), which defeated the former Alpha-Beta based chess AI champion Stockfish. This accomplishment fueled up more excitement and interest for using MCTS to develop more complex and better performing game playing AI.This paper aims to compare the strengths of MCTS and Alpha-Beta by allowing them to play against each other in a classic game with no available robust AI - the Fox Game.The results showed an evident victory for the Alpha-Beta AI. Therefore, Alpha-Beta is the better suited algorithm for developing a simple AI for the Fox Game. Further optimizations would enhance the performance of both algorithms but it is unclear which of the algorithms would benefit from it the most. / Framkanten av Artificiell Intelligens (AI) som spelar spel har i större delen av 2000-talet använt sig av en algorithm vid namn Alpha-Beta-beskärning (Alpha-Beta). Denna bedrift höjde intresset för att använda MCTS i syfte att utveckla mer komplexa och bättre spelande AI.Denna rapport har som mål att jämföra styrkor hos MCTS och Alpha-Beta genom att låta dem spela mot varandra i ett klassiskt spel utan någon tillgänglig AI - Rävspelet. Resultaten visade på en klar seger för Alpha-Beta AI:n. Därför är Alpha-Beta den bättre lämpade algoritmen för att skapa en simpel AI. Fler optimiseringar hade förbättrat spelstyrkan hos bägge algoritmerna med det är oklart vilken av algoritmerna som hade gynnat mest utav det. / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2022, KTH, Stockholm

This study examines how Great Britain fared so well against the Fuerza Aérea Argentina during Operation Sutton of the Falklands war in 1982. This operation is problematic and interesting due to the fact that despite being severely outnumbered, the British managed very well and emerged victorious. The purpose of the operation was to land British materiel and personnel on the beach of San Carlos. Since the Argentines could only contest using its aerial forces, the battle was decided in the air. The study was conducted using the newly-released Underdog’s Model, a theory of asymmetric air power, as a theoretical lattice. The theory consists of six categories in which the underdog should seek to outperform its opponent in order to maximize its chances of winning. The purpose of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of how the British managed to win against a numerically superior opponent. There exists a research gap regarding the topic of the air war over the Falklands, and rarely has it been examined using a pair of theoretical spectacles. Therefore, this study would contribute to the current research field of military studies regarding asymmetric air power and the Falklands war. The general results of this study imply that the British managed to outperform the Argentines in basically all the categories. The category in which this was perhaps most evident was in “Engage vulnerable military targets”, while the one category where it was unclear was the one of “Creativity”.