Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical imaging method that is used in the diagnosis of many common diseases. Compared to other medical imaging modalities, MRI has the ability to provide high-resolution 2D and 3D images in arbitrary orientations, without the use of potentially damaging ionizing radiation. Myocardial perfusion MRI is a promising non- invasive clinical way to detect cardiac disease. It can also provide quantitative analysis for blood flow within the heart. However, MRI requires longer scan times to acquire images at comparable resolutions to some other imaging modalities. Increasing image resolution, both spatially and temporally, is very important to myocardial perfusion MRI. The work presented in this dissertation focuses on the development of novel dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI that is able to achieve both high spatial and temporal resolutions, as well as suitable spatial coverage of the heart. Three novel acquisition and reconstruction frame- works are proposed and analyzed in this dissertation. The first framework we propose uses a highly undersampled 3D Cartesian acquisition and total variation (TV) constrained reconstruction to accelerate the acquisition of myocardial perfu- sion images. This technique increases temporal resolution for contrast tracking without sacrificing spatial resolution. An analysis of the effect of different k-space trajectories using this technique is performed. The purpose of the second framework is to simplify cardiac perfusion studies. An ECG- gated saturation recovery sequence is regularly used for cardiac perfusion imaging. However, using an ungated acquisition has the potential benefit of reducing the acquisition time by eliminating the need for the ECG trigger signal. We present a novel non-Cartesian 2D multi-slice ungated acquisition, and demonstrate that it is a promising alternative to ECG-gated cardiac perfusion studies. An optimization analysis of our ungated acquisition is also presented. The third method in this dissertation combines the 2D ungated acquisition with multi-band excitation, which enables the excitation of multiple slices simultaneously. This method is able to reduce scan time not only through the ungated acquisition, but also from obtaining multiple slices at once. This allows us to achieve whole heart coverage without sacrificing temporal resolution. The contributions presented in this dissertation demonstrate the basic feasibility of car- diac perfusion MRI achieving whole-heart coverage in a clinical setting by overcoming the major existing limitations: speed of acquisition and spatial coverage.

This diploma thesis was focused on studying the interaction of humic substances with ionic organic xenobiotics and its structural aspects. The method was chosen from my bachelor thesis, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, which is suitable for substances with weak fluorescence. The results showed that the interaction between humic acids and representatives of ionic organic xenobiotics (Septonex) was reflected in fluorescence quenching of humic acids and the shift of emission maximum to lower wavelength, hypsochromic (blue) shift. From the measurement results, we can assume that the interaction that is formed between the aromatic structures in humic acids and Septonex could be -cation interaction.

This diploma thesis deals with the determination of the Young’s modulus of coatings using the impulse excitation technique (IET). The theoretical part of the thesis describes Cold and Thermal Spray technology, theoretical foundations of the impulse excitation technique and models of composite materials. The experimental part of the thesis deals with the determination of the tensile modulus of copper coating created by Cold Spray technology. The impulse excitation technique has been used to measure fifteen samples with coating thickness ranging approximately from 0,4 to 2 mm. Results from this measurement were evaluated using five composite models to establish the Young’s modulus of the applied coating. The best results were achieved by using the composite model based on rule of mixtures (ROM).

This diploma thesis deals with the creation measuring instruments and program for controlling model hydropower plant intended for laboratory use. The first step is to improve the mechanical performance of the original model of hydroelectric power. The second step is to select a revive measuring instruments for electric values of the plant. The third step is to create a program for displaying electrical parameters and control the plant. The final step was re-measuring the operating characteristics of the generator model hydropower plant.

Harvesting only 4 % of light striking the Earth could possibly fulfill present energy demands of a mankind. Chlorosome of green sulfur bacteria is re- garded as suitable light-harvesting system for photosynthesis imitation. This work presents comparison of absorption and hole burning spectra of artificially prepared aggregates similar to chlorosomes with different compositions in order to verify the proposed role of quinones in excitation quenching and its redox de- pendence. Absorption spectra at room and helium temperature showed a resem- blance between artificial aggregates and chlorosomes. Hole burning experiments verified the role of quinones in excitation quenching under aerobic conditions. Even more pronounced excitation quenching was observed under anaerobic con- ditions. Significant improvements of the original experimental set-up provided better experimental data which raised many further question that are worth trying to answer in the future.

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The core used to build power inductors and transformers are soft magnetic materials. When there is alternating external field, the magnetic moments rotate and consume energy, which is the core loss. The core loss depends on the AC flux frequency, amplitude, waveform, DC bias and temperature. These dependences are nonlinear and difficult to predict. How to measure, model and analyze the core loss is a challenge for decades. In this dissertation, two new core loss measurement methods are introduced first. These two methods use the reactive cancellation concept to reduce the sensitivity to phase discrepancy, which will destroy the accuracy in classic two-winding method for high frequency high quality factor sample measurements. By using the new measurement techniques the accuracy can be improved by several orders. The first is for sinusoidal waveforms, and the second is for non-sinusoidal wave. The new methods enable high frequency core loss characterization capability, which will help scientists and engineers on material research and inductor/transformer design. Measurement examples, considerations and error analysis are demonstrated and discussed in detail. With the measurement techniques, the core loss under rectangular AC voltage and DC bias current are investigated. A new core loss model named rectangular extension Steinmetz equation (RESE) is proposed based on the measurement results. The new model is shown to be more accurate than the existing core loss models. Several commercially available MnZn ferrites are characterized and modeled. Other than conventional MnZn ferrite materials, three commercial LTCC ferrite materials are characterized for integrated power supply applications. Based on characterized properties of these LTCCs, a group of new LTCC ferrites are fabricated and tested. The new LTCC is fabricated by laminating commercial LTCC tapes and co-firing. The new LTCC is demonstrated to have over 50% more inductance over the commercial LTCC materials. This work indicates that the power electronics engineers should work with material engineers to get the optimum material for a given application. In the last part, the core loss of the partially saturated lateral flux planar inductor is analyzed. The challenge of the analysis is the complexity of the distribution of bias field and flux density in a highly biased planar inductor. Each point in the core is working at different excitation and bias condition, and the core loss density is very non-uniform. The proposed method combines the characterization tested in previous chapters and the commercial finite element tool. Experiments verified that the calculation errors are within about 10%. In conclusion, the research in this dissertation proposed a complete solution to measure, model and analyze the high frequency core loss. This solution will not only facilitate fundamental research on physics understanding and material innovation, but also development of power electronics and RF applications. / Ph. D.

New environmental regulations as well as the increasing industrial competitiveness have set new more demanding rules on the manufacturing industry. In order to abide by those rules not only from the legal point of view but also to be able survive, manufacturing has to be more sustainable from many aspects, especially the economical one. One way to achieve the previous target is an unfortunately often oversighted aspect of the industry sector, the maintenance strategy. Condition based maintenance, CBM, can be used successfully in the industry and accurate estimation of spindle life time can lead to large savings in downtime and cost. CBM requires accurate sensors and equipment in order to get the right indicators whether equipment performance is deteriorating or not. One performance factor when planning a machining process is chatter vibration and one way to avoid this deteriorating phenomenon is to choose cutting parameters that allow stable machining. Various types of sensors are available for vibration and other CBM related measurements. Depending on the situation, the most applicable sensor is selected. The core of this thesis is to investigate the usefulness of measurements with the contactless excitations and response unit in terms of condition based maintenance. In the first part of the thesis, some of the theoretical aspects of maintenance are extensively elaborated upon and later on, the experimental part is presented along with the results’ discussion. The hardware required by the experiments has been provided by KTH and the experiments took place in two of an automotive industry’s production sites. There have been two visits at site A and one at site B, apart from the initial meetings. The measurements have been analyzed with the use of MATLAB. / Nya miljöregler samt ökande industriell konkurrens har satt nya mer krävande regler för tillverkningsindustrin. För att följa dessa regler, inte bara ur rättslig synpunkt utan också för att kunna överleva, behöver tillverkningen ske mer hållbar ur många aspekter, särskilt den ekonomiska. Ett sätt att uppnå målen är via, en tyvärr ofta underskattad metod, underhållsstrategin. Tillståndsbaserat underhåll, CBM, kan användas med framgång inom branschen och korrekt uppskattning av spindellivstid kan leda till stora besparingar genom minskade driftstopp och kostnader. CBM kräver noggranna sensorer och utrustning för att få rätt indikatorer för att avgöra om utrustningens prestanda försämras eller ej. En prestationsavgörande faktor vid planering av bearbetningsprocesser är vibrationer. Ett sätt att undvika dessa försämrade fenomen är att välja skärparametrar som tillåter stabil bearbetning. Olika typer av sensorer finns tillgängliga för vibrations- och andra CBM-relaterade mätningar. Beroende på situation, väljs den mest lämpliga sensorn. Kärnan i denna rapport är att undersöka nyttan av mätningar med en beröringsfri excitations- och mätenhet för tillståndsbaserat underhåll. I de första avsnitten av rapporten redogörs några av de teoretiska aspekterna av underhåll och i de senare är den experimentella delen presenterad, tillsammans med diskussion kring resultat. Hårdvaran som krävs för experimenten har tillhandahållits av KTH och experimenten ägde rum på två produktionsanläggningar hos en fordonstillverkare. Det har varit två besök på plats A och ett besök på plats B, bortsett från inledande möten. Mätningarna har analyserats med hjälp av MATLAB.

In recent years more emphasis has been placed on in-situ condition based monitoring of engineering systems and structures. Aerospace components are manufactured from composite materials more often. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are required in the aerospace industry to monitor the safety and integrity of the structure and will ensure that composites reach its full potential within the industry. Damage detection techniques form an integral part of such SHM systems. With this work a damage detection technique is developed for intended eventual use on composite structures, but starting first on isotropic structures. The damage mechanism that is of interest is delamination damage in composites. A simple numerical equivalent is implemented here however. Two damage indicators, the strain cumulative damage factor (SCDF) and the strain-frequency damage level (SFDL) are introduced. The respective damage indicators are calculated from output-only strain and acceleration response data. The effectiveness of the system to detect damage in the structure is critically evaluated and compared to other damage detection techniques such as the natural frequency method. The sensitivity to damage and performance of both these indicators is examined numerically by evaluating two deterministic damage cases. The numerical study is enhanced through the use of an updated finite element model. The minimum number of sensors capable of detecting the presence and locate damage spatially is determined from numerical simulations. Monte Carlo type analysis is performed by letting the damaged area vary stochastically and calculating the respective damage indicators. The model updating procedure from measured mobility frequency response functions (FRFs) is described. The application of the technique to real structures is examined experimentally. Two test structures with two different damage scenarios are examined. The spatial location and presence of damage can be established from both the SCDF and SFDL values, respectively. The spatial location obtained from the SCDF values corresponded to the known damage location for both the numerical and experimental study. The SFDL proved to be more sensitive than the natural frequency method and could be used to calculate the level of damage within the structure. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Många spel idag innehåller adaptiv musik, alltså musik som anpassas utefter spelmotoriska variabler. En nackdel med mänskligt skapad adaptiv musik är att den i grunden baseras på linjärt musikaliskt material som sedan anpassas till ett ickelinjärt format. Med algoritmiskt genererad adaptiv musik kan nytt musikaliskt material genereras i realtid utefter algoritmiska parametrar och regelsystem, vars fortsatta spridning kan innebära både funktionella, estetiska och samhälleliga implikationer. Denna studie behandlar affektiva skillnader i mänskligt skapad- och algoritmiskt genererad adaptiv musik. En spelartefakt skapades i Unity och sammanslöts med adaptiva musiksystem genom FMOD, och genom Max via OSC-protokoll,varefter en studie baserad på blandad metod genomfördes där 8 deltagare fick spela igenom spelartefakten i vilken deras upplevda affekt av de ovanstående adaptiva musikformerna jämfördes. Resultaten indikerade en preferens för den mänskligt skapade adaptiva musiken.Framtida arbete bör fokusera på att utveckla den generativa musikens funktionalitet till förmån för områdets utveckling och utökade applikationsmöjligheter