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The scope of this bachelor’s thesis was to investigate the use of infrared light to track an object in an image. The goal of the report was to build a full-scale prototype of a camera mount to understand what type of setup is ideal for delivering good tracking performance with infrared (IR) light, an IR-camera and a reflector. The tracker used IR-lights that shines light on the reflector which makes it the brightest spot in the image. Visible light was removed with an analog filter in front of the camera. A microcomputer, in this case a Raspberry Pi 3B+ was used to process the image from the camera, find the brightest spot and then turn the camera with two servo-motors. This resulted in a twoaxis motion that made sure that the brightest spot always stays in the middle of the frame. The testing of the system was done in two steps. First of all, five different shapes of reflector was tested to establish which shape ensures the best tracking performance, in all lighting conditions. The results from the testing was then compared to other visionbased tracking methods covered in other bachelorss thesis’ at KTH. The results showed that IR-tracking perform well in conditions with low ambient light while other visionbased tracking methods, like color tracking works better in conditions with lots of light. / I den här rapporten undersöks användningen av infrarött ljus för att spåra ett objekt i en bild. Målet med rapporten var att bygga en fullskalig prototyp av ett kamerafäste för att undersöka vilken typ av uppsättning som kunde leverera god prestanda gällande bildspårning med hjälp av infrarött (IR) ljus, en IR-kamera och en reflex. För spårningen användes IR-lampor som lyste på reflexen i syfte att göra den till den ljusaste punkten i bilden. Synligt ljus filtrerades bort med ett analogt filter som sattes framför kameran. En mikrodator i form av en Raspberry Pi 3B+ användes för att behandla bilden från kameran, identifiera ljusaste punkten och sedan rotera kamerafästet med hjälp av två servomotorer. Rotationen skedde kring två axlar för att se till att reflexen alltid befann sig mitt i bild. Testningen av uppsättningen gjordes i två steg. Först analyserades fem olika former på reflexen för att undersöka vilken form som bäst försäkrade att reflexen alltid är ljusaste punkten i bilden, även vid olika ljusförhållanden. Testresultaten från det andra testet kunde sedan jämföras med tidigare kandidatuppsatser som skrivits vid KTH. Det konstaterades att IR-spårning ger bättre prestanda vid ljusförhållanden med svagt ljus, medan spårning med hjälp av färgigenkänning ger bättre prestanda vid förhållanden med mycket ljus.

Microalga-based technologies are introduced to provide a new generation of biofuels. The cultivation of microalgae in wastewater as the growth medium may offer the dual benefit of wastewater treatment and sustainable biofuel production. The potential of microalgal biomass to be converted into biodiesel depends on the accumulation of lipids, mainly triacylglycerols. However, the presence of toxic contaminants in municipal or industrial wastewater could negatively affect the biomass growth and modify the pattern of lipid accumulation in algae cells. This research aims to evaluate the potential of cultivating microalgae in wastewater for the removal of selected contaminants and the production of biodiesel. The hypothesis underlying this work was that growing microalgae in the presence of contaminants, typically found in wastewater, may induce a stress response that potentially increases the lipid productivity and enhances the biofuel yield. This research explored the potential of microalgae to be used for the removal of wastewater pollutants while accumulating high concentrations of neutral lipid that can be converted into biodiesel. Physiological and transcriptional responses of two genera of green algae were observed in the presence of stresses induced by toxic metals in raw hydraulic fracturing flowback water and pharmaceuticals found in municipal wastewater. Two green algae, Dunaliella salina and Chlorella vulgaris, were selected based on the availability of genetic information, current trends in the alga industry, and specific growth requirement in hypersaline flowback water and municipal wastewater. The first part of this research focuses on the possibility of using the salt-tolerant green microalga, D. salina, for the removal of toxic metals from hydraulic fracturing flowback water. In the second part of this research, the freshwater green microalga, C. vulgaris, was exposed to a suite of pharmaceuticals, commonly found in municipal wastewater, and the effects on the biomass growth and lipid accumulation were evaluated. In Chapter 3, aqueous geochemical characteristics of hydraulic fracturing flowback water were determined. Metagenomic analysis was also used to characterize the microbial community structure of the water samples. This technique included DNA extraction, PCR amplification of genes for 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA, and pyrosequencing. Although the two flowback water samples were shown to have water property measures in the range of reported values in literature, they were significantly different from each other regarding water properties such as total dissolved solids and total organic carbon. They also had distinct microbial community structures. It was shown the flowback water samples contained mainly halophilic, anaerobic, and thermophilic species with a pattern that was expected to be seen in natural gas shale reservoirs. Chapter 4 covers the characterization of the effects of contaminants (toxic metals) in hydraulic fracturing flowback water on the biomass growth and cellular lipid accumulation in Dunaliella salina. Metals were analyzed using ICP-MS. Biomass accumulation was determined by spectrophotometry and gravimetric methods. Lipid accumulation and composition were determined by GC-MS after conversion into fatty acid methyl esters. D. salina was successfully cultivated in saline hydraulic fracturing flowback water, and algal biomass growth was associated with a significant reduction of several toxic metals in the samples. D. salina, grown in flowback water, accumulated high levels of cellular lipids. Also, the estimated biodiesel properties were comparable with other algal biodiesel and complied with the US and EU biodiesel standards. The last chapter of part one presents the effects of a collection of metals commonly found in hydraulic fracturing flowback water and other industrial wastewaters on growth and lipid accumulation of D. salina. The impacts of the nitrogen concentration in the growth medium were also observed. The Nile red assay (fluorescence measurement after Nile red staining) was used to assess lipid accumulation. A range of toxic effects on the algal growth was observed. However, the effects were lower at higher nitrogen level that may indicate to an improved toxicity resistance when nutrient stress is minimal. Even with a high dose-dependent toxicity on growth, some toxic metals increased lipid accumulation. Chapter 6 describes the microplate-based toxicity test conducted to characterize the effect of a range of emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals) commonly found in municipal wastewater on the biomass growth and cellular lipid accumulation measured by Nile red staining assay. Similar to what was observed for metals in Chapter 5, some pharmaceuticals increased lipid accumulation, even with a high dose-dependent toxicity on algal growth. Most tested pharmaceuticals at municipal wastewater levels (low) did not have a significant effect on the algal growth and lipid accumulation. Toxicity data (EC50 of growth) were well in agreement with what was reported in literature and antibiotics were the most toxic compounds among the different pharmaceutical classes. Chapter 7 presents a further characterization of the effects of a few selected compound from the previous chapter. Changes in the algal lipid composition upon exposure to the selected compounds were determined by qualitative and quantitative analysis of the extracted lipids using GC-MS. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to detect changes in the cellular constituents. The transcriptional responses of the key genes involved in the lipid metabolism of C. vulgaris were also investigated upon exposure to tetracycline using reverse-transcription real-time PCR and the results were interpreted based on the measured levels of cellular lipids and other metabolites. Lipid accumulation was changed upon exposure of algae to pharmaceuticals; however, the FAMEs profile did not show a significant variation. FT-IR spectroscopy highlighted the subtle changes in the cellular basis, and FT-IR peak associated with lipids was strongly correlated with total FAMEs quantified by GC-MS (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.89). Gene expression analysis showed a general down-regulation of genes involved in the lipid biosynthesis. Results from this research are expecting to help develop and optimize innovative algal-based technologies combining the benefits of wastewater treatment, sustainable biofuel production, and mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. / Civil Engineering

Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios (K-AD; Figure 1) is a Late Bronze Age (LBA) settlement on Cyprus. It is notable for having among the earliest examples of urbanism and monumental architecture on the island along side the sites of, for example, Kition, Alassa, Enkomi, and Maroni (Philokyprou 2011; Fisher et al. in press). The LBA on Cyprus marked the beginning of urban society, economy and architecture in Cyprus (Fisher et al. in press). This study explores the social processes associated with the transition to urbanism represented by the entangled relationship between the architectural creation of social spaces and the use of these spaces as platforms for the creation and negotiation of power and influence (Fisher 2009a, 2009b; Fisher et al. in press). Specifically this study will concentrate on the construction of plaster surfaces, the immobile architecture of these social spaces, as indexes of the social development at K-AD during the LBA. Analysis of pyrogenic lime and gypsum plasters was carried out using high-resolution microscopic methods based on the integration of petrography and soil micromorphology. These techniques are employed to optically examine in-situ and oriented plaster samples in laboratory thin section. Laboratory Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis was applied to loose sediments to obtain spectroscopic data when necessary. Following the findings that lime plaster recipe variation is the result of human choice (Kingery et al. 1988; Love 2011, 2013a) the results of this analysis shows that the LBA architects at K-AD produced different recipes for different utilitarian uses and also that the construction of elite spaces demanded complex recipes that extend beyond utilitarian requirements, which can be classified as more “expensive,” resource-draining procedures (Kingery et al. 1988; Love 2011). Plaster is used at K-AD for both functional purposes and as an active component in societal creation and transformation. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / Craft specialization is a core feature of urban life but the process of specialization is not perfectly understood. This thesis seeks to explore the use of lime plaster for constructing surfaces at the Late Bronze Age (LBA) site of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios (K-AD) on the island of Cyprus. Previous research has revealed a central, monumental complex, among the first of its kind on the island, surrounded by an early city. How did the LBA people create their living environment in this new setting? This thesis has shown, through the analysis of lime plaster features, floors and walls that the LBA inhabitants of K-AD were able to create diverse, specialized surfaces with a specialized lime plaster tradition in a scale and complexity that went beyond structural requirements, suggesting these surfaces were constructed with the explicit intent for creating space imbued with social meaning.

Yes / Recently, the demand for border crossing has increased massively, with the aim to increase the processing and clearance speed at border crossing points (BCP). The attempt to improve travel convenience, Border Cross Point (BCP) output, and national security result in automated border control (ABC) with biometric technology having a major effect on the efficiency, and safety of the control processes. The border processing of BCP can be increased by automating biometric recognition and facilitated by clearance procedures. This paper discussed the two structures of an e-gate (ABC) and a prospective benefit of biometrics to the EU border in terms of accuracy, integrity, robustness, and efficiency. Challenges posed by biometrics in border control systems were identified and recommendations such as multimodal systems and smart systems with AI and machine learning were suggested to assist travelers to cross border points faster. / e European Union’s Horizon-MSCA-RISE-2019-2023, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Research, and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE), titled: Secure and Wireless Multimodal Biometric Scanning Device for Passenger Verification Targeting Land and Sea Border Control