This thesis is about fundamental interaction mechanisms of laser remote fusion cutting, RFC, which is based on the formation of a quasi-stationary laser-induced boiling front that causes drop ejection, preferably downwards. Laser cutting of metals, invented in 1967, has developed from a niche to a well established high quality cutting technique in the manufacturing industry. Usually a gas jet is employed concentric to the laser beam, to eject the molten metal. One technique option, interesting though hardly applied yet because of usually low quality and speed, is remote laser cutting. Two techniques are distinguished, remote ablation cutting, grooving down through a sheet, layer-by-layer, and the here addressed remote fusion cutting, by a single pass through the sheet. For the latter, the ablation pressure from laser-induced boiling at the cutting front continuously accelerates and ejects the melt downwards. Advantages of remote laser cutting, facilitated by high brilliance lasers during the last decade, are the possibility of a larger working distance along with the avoidance of cutting gas and of a gas jet nozzle.   The review paper of the thesis surveys different laser remote cutting techniques, including their modelling, as well as the transition to keyhole welding, owing to similarities particularly from the boiling front and from root spatter ejection. The six Papers I-VI that compose the thesis address fundamental mechanisms of laser remote fusion cutting, theoretically and experimentally. In Paper I a simplified mathematical model of the RFC cutting front enables to estimate the geometrical and energetic conditions of the process. By evidence and post-modelling from high speed imaging, HSI, the simplified smooth cutting front model is developed further to a wavy topology in Paper III, for more sophisticated absorption analysis. As a systematic support, Paper II categorizes and analyses for the first time the different wavy topologies observed at the front, from HSI. The melt dynamics induced by a pulsed laser beam was studied in Paper IV, again from HSI. Apart from other interesting transient melt phenomena it was demonstrated that the ablation pressure can push the melt to a certain pending position during the laser pulse while the melt retreats by surface tension during the pulse break. To engage remote fusion cutting with additive manufacturing, Paper V introduces a novel technique where the drops ejected from RFC are transferred to a substrate, about a centimetre underneath, on which a continuous track forms. This technique can even be applied as an efficient recycling approach. In Paper VI a variant of the technique is presented, to develop a boiling front along the edge of a metal sheet from which the drop transfer takes place, in a different manner. This enables to systematically machine-off the entire sheet, which can be converted to a new shape and product.   Summarizing, the thesis provides a variety of analysis of fundamental mechanisms of a laser-induced boiling front that bear a certain simplicity and in turn controllability, of interest for established as well as for new applications, in manufacturing and in other sectors, including remote fusion cutting.

Abstract Stem cell therapy has several mechanisms for repairing damaged myocardium and improving functional capacity of the left ventricle reduced by myocardial infarction. Despite the increase in scientific data, details of these mechanisms are still partly unexplained. The optimal number and type of stem cells as well as timing and route of transplantation are unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BM-MNCs) using experimental porcine acute myocardial infarction model. Myocardial infarction was caused by occluding the circumflex coronary artery for 90 minutes. Immediately after reperfusion BM-MNCs were injected directly into the damaged myocardium or by angioplastic catheter into the infarct-related coronary artery. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved 3 weeks after infarction in animals that received BM-MNCs intramyocardially whereas in animals that received intracoronary transplantation or saline LVEF failed to recover. Radionuclide imaging and histological analysis showed intramyocardially transplanted cells remaining in the infarcted myocardium, whereas after intracoronary transplantation a major fraction of cells flushed into the lungs. In histological analysis minor fraction of BM-MNCs showed differentiation towards myocyte form and proliferation. Significantly lower collagen density and higher levels of smooth muscle actin and skeletal muscle actin were detected in the infarcted myocardium after intramyocardial or intracoronary BM-MNC transplantation compared with animals that received saline. Proteomic screening indicated that mitochondrial energy metabolism recovered after BM-MNC transplantation. Additionally, two proteins showed elevated levels after BM-MNC transplantation, which indicates that they are actively involved in the pathological mechanisms. BM-MNCs appear to enhance recovery of the infarcted myocardium by restoring the reduced LVEF after infarction. Intramyocardial stem cell therapy showed best results in recovery. Stem cell therapy moulds the infarct scar by reducing collagen density and by increasing components typical for muscle cells. The effects of stem cell therapy are mainly paracrine. / Tiivistelmä Kantasoluterapian on havaittu korjaavan infarktissa vaurioitunutta sydänlihasta toimintakykyisemmäksi usealla mekanismilla sekä parantavan sydänlihaksen pumppaustoimintaa. Huolimatta lisääntyneestä tutkimustiedosta näiden monimutkaisten mekanismien yksityiskohdat ovat edelleen paljolti selvittämättä. Samoin käytettävien kantasolujen tyypin, määrän, siirtotekniikan ja siirron ajoituksen optimointi on vielä epäselvää. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää kokeellista sian infarktimallia käyttäen luuytimen kantasolujen kykyä tehostaa vaurioituneen sydänlihaksen toipumista akuutin infarktin jälkeen. Mallissa aiheutettiin sydäninfarkti sulkemalla vasemman sepelvaltimon kiertävähaara 90 minuutiksi. Välittömästi verenkierron uudelleen avaamisen jälkeen luuytimen soluja ruiskutettiin infarktialueelle joko suoraan sydänlihakseen tai sepelvaltimoon. Kolmen viikon kuluttua infarktista kantasoluja suoraan sydänlihakseen saaneiden eläinten vasemman kammion ejektiofraktio (LVEF) parani tilastollisesti merkitsevästi verrattuna kantasoluja sepelvaltimoon saaneisiin eläimiin ja keittosuolaa saaneisiin eläimiin, joiden LVEF pysyi infarktin jälkeisellä alentuneella tasolla. Isotooppitutkimus ja histologinen analyysi osoittivat, että suoraan sydänlihakseen ruiskutetuista kantasoluista valtaosa säilyy infarktialueella kun taas sepelvaltimoon siirretyt solut pääasiassa ajautuvat keuhkoihin. Histologisessa analyysissa sydänlihakseen ruiskutettujen solujen todettiin vähäisessä määrin erilaistuvan lihassolujen suuntaan ja jakautuvan. Kantasoluja saaneiden eläinten ryhmissä todettiin infarktialueella merkitsevästi alhaisempi kollageenipitoisuus sekä enemmän sileälihassolujen aktiinia ja poikkijuovaisten lihassolujen aktiinia kuin keittosuolaa saaneilla eläimillä. Proteomiikka-analyysin tulokset viittaavat kantasoluterapian saaneilla eläimillä mitokondrioiden energiatalouden tehostumiseen. Lisäksi esille tuli kaksi kantasoluterapian jälkeen aktiivista proteiinia, joilla todennäköisesti on keskeinen tehtävä infarktin patogeneesissä. Tutkimuksen perusteella luuytimen kantasolut tehostavat sydänlihaksen toipumista infarktista palauttamalla sydämen alentunutta pumppaustehoa. Suoraan sydänlihakseen annettu kantasoluterapia vaikuttaa tehokkaimmalta menetelmältä. Kantasoluterapia muovaa infarktiarpea vähentämällä kollageenin ja lisäämällä lihassoluille tyypillisten komponenttien määrää. Kantasoluterapian vaikutukset ovat pääasiassa parakriinisiä.

No description available.

In the normal operation of quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometers, the trapped ions are ejected symmetrically through both the upper (detector) and lower(source) endcap electrodes during mass selective boundary ejection experiment. This reduces the sensitivity of the instrument by almost 50%. In this preliminary study, we altered the geometry parameters of the quadrupole ion traps to introduce asymmetry. The asymmetry displaced the ion cloud towards the detector endcap which resulted in a preferential ejection through this endcap, thus imparting directionality to the ejected ions and hence to the sensitivity enhancement. Two symmetrical mass analyzers have been taken up for numerical study. They include the Paul trap(QIT) and the cylindricaliontrap(CIT). Asymmetry to these geometries is introduced in two ways, one by varying the upper endcap hole radius alone and in other by stretching the trap along the upper endcap only. The escape velocity plots and mass selective boundary ejection simulations are used to demonstrate the directionality of ion ejection for these geometries. The simulations revealed a significant increase in the number of ions getting ejected in the direction of asymmetry.

Smart phones today have become increasingly popular with the general public for its diverse abilities like navigation, social networking, and multimedia facilities to name a few. These phones are equipped with high end processors, high resolution cameras, built-in sensors like accelerometer, orientation-sensor, light-sensor, and much more. According to comScore survey, 25.3% of US adults use smart phones in their daily lives. Motivated by the capability of smart phones and their extensive usage, I focused on utilizing them for bio-medical applications. In this thesis, I present a new application for a smart phone to quantify the vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure with the help of its built-in sensors. Using the camera and a microphone, I have shown how the blood pressure and heart rate can be determined for a subject. People sometimes encounter minor situations like fainting or fatal accidents like car crash at unexpected times and places. It would be useful to have a device which can measure all vital signs in such an event. The second part of this thesis demonstrates a new mode of communication for next generation 9-1-1 calls. In this new architecture, the call-taker will be able to control the multimedia elements in the phone from a remote location. This would help the call-taker or first responder to have a better control over the situation. Transmission of the vital signs measured using the smart phone can be a life saver in critical situations. In today's voice oriented 9-1-1 calls, the dispatcher first collects critical information (e.g., location, call-back number) from caller, and assesses the situation. Meanwhile, the dispatchers constantly face a "60-second dilemma"; i.e., within 60 seconds, they need to make a complicated but important decision, whether to dispatch and, if so, what to dispatch. The dispatchers often feel that they lack sufficient information to make a confident dispatch decision. This remote-media-control described in this system will be able to facilitate information acquisition and decision-making in emergency situations within the 60-second response window in 9-1-1 calls using new multimedia technologies.

Durant les dernières décennies, l’évolution de la puissance de calcul a conduit au développement de codes de simulation en physique des réacteurs de plus en plus prédictifs pour la modélisation du comportement d’un réacteur nucléaire en situation de fonctionnement normal et accidentel. Un cadre d’analyse d’incertitudes cohérent avec l’utilisation de modélisations Best Estimate (BE) a été développé. On parle d’approche Best Estimate Plus Uncertain-ties (BEPU) et cette approche donne lieu `a de nombreux travaux de R&D à l’international en simulation numérique. Dans cette thèse, on étudie la quantification d’incertitudes multi-physiques dans le cas d’un transitoire d’ éjection de Grappe de contrôle (REA- Rod Ejection Accident) dans un Réacteur à Eau Pressurisée (REP). La modélisation BE actuellement disponible au CEA est réalisée en couplant les codes APOLLO3 R (netronique) et FLICA4 (thermohydraulique-thermique du combustible) dans l’environnement SALOME/CORPUS. Dans la première partie de la thèse, on examine différents outils statistiques disponibles dans la littérature scientifique dont la réduction de dimension, l’analyse de sensibilité globale, des modèles de substitution et la construction de plans d’expérience. On utilise ces outils pour développer une méthodologie de quantification d’incertitudes. Dans la deuxième partie de la thèse, on améliore la modélisation du comportement du combustible. Un couplage Best Effort pour la simulation d’un transitoire REA est disponible au CEA. Il comprend le code ALCYONE V1.4 qui permet une modélisation fine du comportement thermomécanique du combustible. Cependant, l’utilisation d’une telle modélisation conduit à une augmentation significative du temps de calcul ce qui rend actuellement difficile la réalisation d’une analyse d’incertitudes. Pour cela, une méthodologie de calibrage d’un modèle analytique simplifié pour le transfert de chaleur pastille-gaine basé sur des calculs ALCYONE V1.4 découplés a été développée. Le modèle calibré est finalement intégré dans la modélisation BE pour améliorer sa prédictivité. Ces deux méthodologies sont maquettées initialement sur un cœur de petite échelle représentatif d’un REP puis appliquées sur un cœur REP à l’échelle 1 dans le cadre d’une analyse multi-physique d’un transitoire REA. / The computational advancements of the last decades lead to the development of numerical codes for simulating the reactor physics with increa-sing predictivity allowing the modeling of the beha-vior of a nuclear reactor under both normal and acci-dental conditions. An uncertainty analysis framework consistent with Best Estimate (BE) codes was develo-ped in order to take into account the different sources of uncertainties. This framework is called Best Esti-mate Plus Uncertainties (BEPU) and is currently a field of increasing research internationally. In this the-sis we study the multi-physics uncertainty quantifi-cation for Rod Ejection Accident (REA) in Pressuri-zed Water Reactors (PWR). The BE modeling avai-lable in CEA is used with a coupling of APOLLO3 (neutronics) and FLICA4 (thermal-hydraulics and fuel-thermal) in the framework of SALOME/CORPUS tool. In the first part of the thesis, we explore different statistical tools available in the scientific literature including: dimension reduction, global sensitivity analy-sis, surrogate modeling and design of experiments. We then use them in order to develop an uncer-tainty quantification methodology. In the second part of the thesis, we improve the BE modeling in terms of its uncertainty representation. A Best Effort coupling scheme for REA analysis is available at CEA. This in-cludes ALCYONE V1.4 code for a detailed modeling of fuel-thermomechanics behavior. However, the use of such modeling increases significantly the compu-tational cost for a REA transient rendering the uncer-tainty analysis prohibited. To this purpose, we deve-lop a methodology for calibrating a simplified analytic gap heat transfer model using decoupled ALCYONE V1.4 REA calculations. The calibrated model is finally used to improve the previous BE modeling. Both de-veloped methodologies are tested initially on a small scale core representative of a PWR and then applied on a large scale PWR core.

Title: Evolution of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections Author: Andrii Lynnyk Department: Department of Surface and Plasma Science Supervisor: RNDr. Marek Vandas, DrSc. e-mail address: vandas@ig.cas.cz Abstract: This thesis deals with deformation of the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) and their sub-class Magnetic Clouds (MCs) during their propagation in the Solar Wind (SW). The statistical study of the expanded MCs has shown that expansion greatly affects the MC internal magnetic field. We had shown that this influence is more clear for the MCs observed close to their axes. The study of the stand-off shock distance in front of the supersonic ICME confirms a smooth deformation of the ICMEs along their path from the Sun into interplanetary space. We observed that this deformation is increasing with the velocity of the ICME. This study also confirmed the difference in sheaths that are created in front of expanding and non-expanding ICMEs. We found that velocity distribution inside the MC is not uniform and it has large fluctuations. We found that the MC cross-section is usually strongly deformed. Keywords: interplanetary coronal mass ejection, magnetic cloud, magnetosheath, flux rope, magnetic field, shock, fitting

No description available.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been the leading cause of death worldwide for many years, making it a devasting and increasing concern across the globe. The risk factors of CVD include postnatal factors and prenatal factors. For the prenatal CVD risk factors study, we focused on maternal hypothyroidism (MH), which is a common clinical condition. Studies have shown MH progeny have increased susceptibility to both acquired cardiovascular disease in adulthood and congenital heart disease, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The goal of the present experiments was to test the hypothesis that MH reduces early postnatal cardiac myocyte proliferation in the progeny so that their adult hearts have a smaller complement of cardiac myocytes, which leads to adverse cardiac disease responses. MH model was induced by thyroidectomy (TX) with total thyroxine (TT4) under 1ng/dl after surgery. The progeny from mice that underwent Sham or TX surgery was termed WT (wild type) or MH (maternal hypothyroidism) progeny, respectively. Hearts were collected from WT and MH progeny to determine heart weight (HW), CM size, CM proliferation, and cell culture. RNA-seq was performed on heart tissue at postnatal day 5 (P5) and P60. Transverse Aortic Constriction (TAC) was performed to cause pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and/or heart failure (HF) in adult WT and MH progeny. ECHO (in-vivo) and histological (ex-vivo) studies were performed at specific times after TAC. Thyroid hormone treatment (levothyroxine, T4) for MH mother was administered. The results showed that the Heart weight (HW) to body weight (BW) ratio at P60 was no difference between groups, but the MH progeny had a larger CM size, consistent with fewer CM numbers. MH progeny had lower EdU+, Ki67+, and PH3+ CMs, and fewer mononucleated CMs, which shows they had a decreased CM proliferation capacity. RNA-seq data showed that genes related to DNA replication were downregulated in P5 MH progeny, including Bmp10. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed Bmp10 treatment increased CM proliferation in the presence of thyroid hormone. In adult progeny, RNA-seq data showed that MH mice had genes upregulated in the inflammatory response before TAC surgery. Six weeks after TAC, the MH progeny had a greater HW/BW ratio, larger CM size, and more severe LV fibrosis consistent with more severe cardiac pathological remodeling compared with WT progeny. T4 supplemented treatment for MH mothers preserved progeny’s early postnatal CM proliferation capacity and the excessive pathological remodeling after TAC. Concluding, CM proliferation during the early postnatal development stage was significantly attenuated in MH progeny, which results in fewer CMs and CM hypertrophy in adult MH progeny. These changes are associated with worse cardiac disease responses under pressure overload in adult MH progeny. For the postnatal CVD risk factors study, we focused on calcium overload and metabolic disorder, which play a critical role in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFpEF is defined as HF with an EF ≥50% and elevated cardiac diastolic filling pressures. The underlying causes of HFpEF are multifactorial and not well-defined. A transgenic mouse with low levels of cardiomyocyte (CM)-specific inducible Cavβ2a expression (β2a-Tg mice) showed increased cytosolic CM Ca2+, and modest levels of CM hypertrophy and fibrosis. This study aimed to determine if β2a-Tg mice develop an HFpEF phenotype when challenged with two additional stressors, a high-fat diet (HFD) and L-NAME (LN). Four-month-old wild-type (WT) and β2a-Tg mice were given either normal chow (WT-N, β2a-N) or HFD and/or L-NAME (WT-HFD, WT-LN, WT-HFD-LN, β2a-HFD, β2a-LN, and β2a-HFD-LN). Some animals were treated with the HDAC (hypertrophy regulators) inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (β2a-HFD-LN-SAHA). Echocardiography was performed monthly. After four months of treatment, terminal studies were performed, including invasive hemodynamics and organ weight measurements. Cardiac tissue was collected. Our results showed that four months of HFD plus L-NAME treatment did not induce a profound HFpEF phenotype in FVB WT mice. β2a-HFD-LN (3-Hit) mice developed features of HFpEF, including increased natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels, preserved EF, diastolic dysfunction, robust CM hypertrophy, increased M2 macrophage population, and myocardial fibrosis. SAHA reduced the HFpEF phenotype in the 3-Hit mouse model by attenuating these effects. Concluding, the 3-Hit mouse model induced a reliable HFpEF phenotype with CM hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, and an increased M2 macrophage population. This model could be used for identifying and preclinical testing of novel therapeutic strategies. / Biomedical Sciences

Att få barn är en stor livsstilsförändring som kan komma med många utmaningar. Att amma sitt barn anses ofta som en självklarhet och det talas om amningens många fördelar. Däremot talas det sällan om svårigheter som kan uppkomma i samband med amning. Amningsångest och dysforisk mjölkutdrivningsreflex är ett relativt okänt tillstånd vilket kan leda till onödigt lidande för de ammande mödrarna. Syftet med studien var att beskriva mödrars upplevelser och erfarenheter av amningsångest och dysforisk mjölkutdrivningsreflex. Det är en kvalitativ studie med induktiv ansats. Data samlades in genom blogginlägg, kommentarer och publicerade intervjuer där mödrar beskrivit sina upplevelser. Insamlad data analyserades med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys som resulterade i två kategorier: Okunskap om amningssvårigheter hos ammande mödrar och Okunskap om amningssvårigheter hos vårdpersonal. Kategorierna bildade temat: Mödrars behov av förståelse, bekräftelse och hjälp i den postnatala vården. Utifrån denna studie kan vårdpersonal som möter ammande mödrar få förståelse för och kunskap om hur mödrar upplever sin amningsångest och dysforiska mjölkutdrivningsreflex, och även att mödrarna själva kan få kunskap om att det är ett tillstånd som existerar. Studien kan ligga till grund för kunskapsspridning om amningsångest och dysforisk mjölkutdrivningsreflex och resultera i att mödrar upplever mindre ensamhet och lidande. / Having a baby is a lifestyle change that can come with challenges. Breastfeeding is often taken for granted and the many benefits are often talked about. However, it rarely talks about difficulties that can arise. Breastfeeding anxiety and dysphoric milk ejection reflex is a relatively unknown condition which can lead to unnecessary suffering for breastfeeding mothers. The purpose of the study was to describe mothers' experiences of breastfeeding anxiety and dysphoric milk ejection reflex. It is a qualitative study with an inductive approach. Data was collected through blogposts, comments and published interviews where mothers described their experiences. Data were analyzed with a qualitative analysis that resulted in two categories: Ignorance of breastfeeding difficulties in nursing mothers and Ignorance of breastfeeding difficulties in healthcare personnel. The categories formed the theme: Mothers' need for understanding, confirmation and help in postnatal care. Based on this study, healthcare professionals can gain understanding and knowledge of how mothers experience their breastfeeding anxiety and dysphoric milk ejection reflex, but also the mothers themselves gain knowledge that it is a condition that exists. The study can spread knowledge about breastfeeding anxiety and dysphoric milk drive reflex, which can result in mothers experiencing less loneliness and suffering.