The present thesis proposes new methods for obtaining objective and accurate diagnoses in modern healthcare. Non-invasive techniques have been used to examine or diagnose three different medical conditions, namely neuropathy among diabetics, radiotherapy induced erythema (skin redness) among breast cancer patients and diagnoses of cutaneous malignant melanoma. The techniques used were Near-InfraRed spectroscopy (NIR), Multi Frequency Bio Impedance Analysis of whole body (MFBIA-body), Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI) and Digital Colour Photography (DCP). The neuropathy for diabetics was studied in papers I and II. The first study was performed on diabetics and control subjects of both genders. A separation was seen between males and females and therefore the data had to be divided in order to obtain good models. NIR spectroscopy was shown to be a viable technique for measuring neuropathy once the division according to gender was made. The second study on diabetics, where MFBIA-body was added to the analysis, was performed on males exclusively. Principal component analysis showed that healthy reference subjects tend to separate from diabetics. Also, diabetics with severe neuropathy separate from persons less affected. The preliminary study presented in paper III was performed on breast cancer patients in order to investigate if NIR, LDI and DCP were able to detect radiotherapy induced erythema. The promising results in the preliminary study motivated a new and larger study. This study, presented in papers IV and V, intended to investigate the measurement techniques further but also to examine the effect that two different skin lotions, Essex and Aloe vera have on the development of erythema. The Wilcoxon signed rank sum test showed that DCP and NIR could detect erythema, which is developed during one week of radiation treatment. LDI was able to detect erythema developed during two weeks of treatment. None of the techniques could detect any differences between the two lotions regarding the development of erythema. The use of NIR to diagnose cutaneous malignant melanoma is presented as unpublished results in this thesis. This study gave promising but inconclusive results. NIR could be of interest for future development of instrumentation for diagnosis of skin cancer.

Master thesis presents overview of existing types of check valves, their features, uses and issue called "cracking". Experimental part of this thesis focuses on the lift and swing check valves. Results of the measurement are evaluated from non-stationary flow point of view by developing and analyzing static and dynamic characteristics. This thesis takes into account losses and dynamic effects as main viewpoints. Two methods for measuring non-stationary velocities are used. Direct method called Gibson and indirect method laser doppler anemometry. Goal of the master thesis is to increase understanding of the check valves and their applicability.

This diploma thesis deals with the theoretical description of interference methods used to measure vibrations, examines main parasitic effects and analyses its contribution to achievable the resolution. In the practical part, it uses several measurements to verify the effects of the level of reflected beam, stand-off distance and speckle noise. It also proposes a practical experiment for measuring dynamic parameters and signal-noise ratio. Results show that, the noise is exponentially dependent on the level of the reflected beam. The visible maximum of the vibrometer proved to be critical in terms of time stability of the measured signal level in two of the three measurements. Results of the dynamic measurement show that, the measured deviations were not degraded or significantly disturbed by the noise signal. From the measurement of the speckle noise, it emerged that the lowest level of noise is achieved with smooth and highly reflective materials.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Strömungen räumlich begrenzter Strahlen untersucht. Zum einen wurde die Ausströmung eines runden Strahls in ein Rohr betrachtet, der sog. begrenzte Strahl. Zum anderen wurde die Ausströmung von 7 hexagonal angeordneten runden Strahlen in ein Rohr betrachtet, das sog. hexagonale Strahlbündel. Die Motivation zur vorliegenden Arbeit ergab sich aus der Entwicklung von Durchflussmessgeräten, die als Bypassapparaturen ausgeführt sind und stromabwärts des Staudruckkörpers ein Strömungsgebiet mit begrenzten Strahlen aufweisen. Dafür wurden mit Hilfe der Ähnlichkeitstheorie die zugrundeliegenden Kennzahlen bestimmt. Besonderes Augenmerk lag auf der Charakterisierung der instationären bzw. turbulenten Strömungseigenschaften für Reynolds-Zahlen zwischen 1.000 und 20.000. Es wurden die selbstähnlichen Eigenschaften der Strömungen untersucht, wobei sich insbesondere für den begrenzten Strahl wichtige Erkenntnisse ergaben. Für das hexagonale Strahlbündel wurden mit Hilfe der numerischen Strömungssimulation die grundlegenden Eigenschaften des Strömungsfeldes untersucht. Dabei weisen die Geometriekennzahlen einen dominierenden Einfluss auf. So konnten in Abhängigkeit zum Durchmesserverhältnis und Strahlabstand drei Strömungsformen identifiziert und experimentell mittels Laser-Doppler Anemometrie nachgewiesen werden. Eine wesentliche Fragestellung bestand in der Anwendung der numerischen Strömungssimulation, des RANS-Ansatzes und des SST-Turbulenzmodells. Dazu wurde die Anpassung der Modellkoeffizienten untersucht, wobei für den begrenzten Strahl ein allgemein gültiger Satz gefunden wurde. / In the present work flows of spatially limited radiation were investigated. On the one hand, the outflow of a round jet into a pipe was considered, the so-called confined jet. On the other hand, the outflow of 7 hexagonal arranged round jets into a pipe was con-sidered, the so-called hexagonal jet array. The motivation for the present work arose from the development of flowmeters which are designed as bypass apparatures that have a jet array flow downstream of the dynamic pressure body. For this purpose the underlying similarity parameters were determined. Special attention was paid to the cha-racterization of transient and turbulent flow properties for Reynolds numbers between 1,000 and 20,000. The self-similar properties of the flows were investigated with im-portant findings in particular for the confined jet. For the hexagonal jet array the basic properties of the flow field were investigated by using computational fluid dynamics. The geometric similarity parameters have a dominant influence. Thus, depending on the di-ameter ratio and jet distance ratio, three flow patterns could be identified and experimen-tally detected by the use of laser Doppler anemometry. An important question was the application of the computational fluid dynamic method, the RANS approach and the SST turbulence model. For this purpose a generally valid set of model coefficients was found for the confined jet flow.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, (IBD), are a group of chronic disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract, and include Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). The pathogenesis is not known, but involves at least in part a loss of tolerance towards the commensal colonic microbiota. In this thesis, we show in animal models of CD and UC that the colonic mucosal blood flow increased compared to healthy animals. This blood flow increase is due to an up regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Further, we show in the UC model that the thickness of the firmly adherent colonic mucus layer increased compared to healthy animals. This increase is due to an up regulation of inducible NOS in the epithelium. Both the blood flow and mucus thickness increase appear to be protective mechanisms.  We demonstrate that the firmly adherent colonic mucus layer acts as a partial barrier towards luminal bacteria. In the UC model, this barrier is destroyed, causing increased bacterial translocation. The adhesion molecule P-selectin was up regulated in the UC model, leading to increased interactions between leukocytes and the endothelium, but also increased interactions between platelets and the endothelium. This indicates that not only leukocytes, but also platelets are involved in colonic inflammation. The addition of the probiotic bacterial strain Lactobacillus reuteri prevented disease by normalizing P-selectin levels and endothelial interactions with leukocytes and platelets. Lactobacillus reuteri also decreased bacterial translocation over the epithelium. In summary, this thesis highlights the importance of colonic barrier functions, and investigates the role of the microbiota in experimental IBD.

Le réseau artériel du système cardiovasculaire (SCV) est composé de deux sous-systèmes, la macrocirculation (artères élastiques et musculaires) et la microcirculation (artérioles et capillaires), qui interagissent afin de permettre une adaptation optimale de l'organisme aux différentes perturbations rencontrées. Avec l'âge et/ou des facteurs de risque comme l'hypertension, des lésions apparaissent au niveau du réseau artériel et le couplage macrocirculation/microcirculation semble avoir un rôle important dans le développement des pathologies vasculaires. Une meilleure appréhension de ce couplage pourrait permettre de mieux comprendre les processus physiopathologiques de certaines maladies vasculaires. Nous avons ainsi étudié les interactions entre la macrocirculation et la microcirculation sanguines à l'aide de deux approches : (1) l'analyse et le traitement de signaux physiologiques, (2) la construction d'un modèle du SCV. Suite à l'acquisition simultanée de signaux issus du coeur, de la macrocirculation et de la microcirculation, chez des sujets sains, nous avons mis en oeuvre différents concepts de traitement du signal (analyse spectrale, analyse multifractale, entropie multi-échelle) qui nous ont permis de mettre en évidence de potentielles relations entre la macrocirculation et la microcirculation sanguines. Parallèlement, nous avons développé un modèle du SCV capable de prédire les courbes de pression et de débit dans les réseaux macrocirculatoire et microcirculatoire. Ce modèle permet, en outre, d'observer les interactions entre la macrocirculation et la microcirculation dans des conditions normales et pathologiques.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine Methode zur Charakterisierung von Mikrosystemen mit beweglichen Komponenten dargestellt. Sie erlaubt, funktionsrelevante Parameter und deren Schwankungen produktionsbegleitend auf Waferlevel zu ermitteln. Dabei wird vorausgesetzt, dass die Sollform der Struktur und die Abweichungsarten bekannt sind. Die Methode beruht auf dem Vergleich von numerisch berechneten mit experimentell ermittelten Eigenfrequenzen der untersuchten Mikrosysteme. Dazu wird die Abhängigkeit verschiedener Eigenfrequenzen von den gesuchten Parametern mittels einer Parametervariationsanalyse berechnet und durch eine geeignete Funktion angenähert. Die Messung der dynamischen Eigenschaften erfolgt mit Hilfe eines Bewegungsanalysators, der auf einem Laser-Doppler-Vibrometer basiert. Im letzen Schritt werden die gesuchten Parameter berechnet. Kernpunkt der entwickelten Methode sind Messungen auf der Basis von speziellen Teststrukturen, die im Waferlayout neben den eigentlichen Nutzstrukturen platziert sind und parallel mit den Nutzstrukturen prozessiert werden. Es werden Algorithmen zur Generierung des Designs der Teststrukturen und ihrer Platzierung im Waferlayout entwickelt. Dabei werden das Design der Nutzstruktur und deren funktionsrelevante Parameter, der technologische Ablauf und materialspezifische Kennwerte berücksichtigt. Im Ergebnis liegt eine Bibliothek von Standard-Teststrukturen vor, die für produktionsbegleitende Messungen sowie für die Übertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse geeignet sind. Außerdem werden allgemeingültige Richtlinien zur Durchführung der Messungen an den Standard-Teststrukturen abgeleitet. Das Messverfahren wurde an unterschiedlichen Mikrosystemen mit beweglichen Komponenten überprüft und zu einer allgemeinen Messmethode für diese Klasse von Mikrosystemen erweitert. / In this work a method for the characterization of microsystems with movable components is presented. The method allows to determine the relevant parameters and their variations on wafer level if the nominal shape of the structure and the type of deviations are known. The method is based on a comparison of the numerically calculated and experimentally measured Eigenfrequencies of the microsystems. For that purpose, the relationships between various Eigenfrequencies and the searched parameters are calculated by parameter variation analysis and the results of this analysis are approximated with appropriate functions. A Laser Doppler vibrometer based motion analyzer is used to determine the frequency response function of the micromechanical structure and extract Eigenfrequencies. The comparison of the measured and the calculated frequencies provides values for the searched parameters. The key element of the developed method is the measurement on special test structures that are placed in the wafer layout next to the actual microsystems and processed in the same technological process parallel to the actual microsystems. Algorithms for designing the test structures and their placement in the wafer layout are shown, taking into account the design of the actual microsystems and the function parameters of the technological process as well as material characteristics. As a result, a library of standard test structures for function relevant parameters is available. A general guideline for the measurement on the test structures is presented. The presented method is verified on various microsystems and extended to a whole class of microsystems with movable components.

This dissertation advances the Vibration-Based Sound Power (VBSP) method for measuring the sound power of vibrating structures, expanding its applicability to a wider range of geometries and acoustic environments. The research addresses limitations of traditional sound power measurement techniques by developing an alternative method that achieves near Precision (Grade 1) accuracy while maintaining feasibility for in situ testing under uncontrolled acoustic conditions. After reviewing the current VBSP method in Unit 1, Unit 2 introduces stitching techniques for Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (SLDV) measurements, enabling accurate 3D scans and extending the method to complex geometries. Experimental validation is provided for baffled simply curved plates and arbitrarily curved plates. The method also estimates sound power in uncontrolled acoustic environments, where traditional approaches are less effective. Initial work on thin unbaffled flat plates is presented, with a practical demonstration using pickleball paddles as a representative unbaffled configuration. Unit 3 addresses the computational demand of constructing radiation resistance (R) matrices, a key limitation of the VBSP method. Symmetry-based techniques leveraging acoustic reciprocity and geometric symmetries are applied to reduce computational demands by up to 75% for unbaffled structures. For baffled configurations, translational symmetry of acoustic reciprocity between elements results in the R matrix having Toeplitz symmetry, reducing the computational complexity from n^2 to n, where n is the number of mesh elements. Unit 4 introduces an indirect VBSP (I-VBSP) method to estimate sound power from encased sources, achieving near Precision (Grade 1) accuracy relative to the ISO 3741 standard using only a single surface scan. Validated on a Bluetooth speaker, this approach provides a simplified alternative to conventional methods, offering a practical solution for sound power measurement in structures with encased noise sources. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that the VBSP method serves as a viable alternative to conventional sound power techniques, effectively applied across various geometries and scenarios. While the current VBSP method does not accommodate structures with multiple vibrating surfaces in contact, the I-VBSP method can theoretically achieve this by enclosing a structure and scanning one vibrating side. This research lays the foundation for future studies through the development of a generalized R matrix and application of foundational symmetries, enhancing the understanding of acoustic radiation from vibrating structures. Ultimately, this work aims to reduce noise pollution in consumer products through improved acoustic design and measurement strategies.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Annually, 150 to 200/1,000,000 people become disabled as a result of brain trauma. Axonal degeneration is a critical, early event following TBI of all severities but whether axon degeneration is a driver of TBI remains unclear. Molecular pathways underlying the pathology of TBI have not been defined and there is no efficacious treatment for TBI. Despite this significant societal impact, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms that actively drive axon degeneration in any context and particularly following TBI. Although severe brain injury may cause immediate disruption of axons (primary axotomy), it is now recognized that the most frequent form of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is mediated by a cascade of events that ultimately result in secondary axonal disconnection (secondary axotomy) within hours to days. Proposed mechanisms include immediate post-traumatic cytoskeletal destabilization as a direct result of mechanical breakage of microtubules, as well as catastrophic local calcium dysregulation resulting in microtubule depolymerization, impaired axonal transport, unmitigated accumulation of cargoes, local axonal swelling, and finally disconnection. The portion of the axon that is distal to the axotomy site remains initially morphologically intact. However, it undergoes sudden rapid fragmentation along its full distal length ~72 h after the original axotomy, a process termed Wallerian degeneration. Remarkably, mice mutant for the Wallerian degeneration slow (Wlds) protein exhibit ~tenfold (for 2–3 weeks) suppressed Wallerian degeneration. Yet, pharmacological replication of the Wlds mechanism has proven difficult. Further, no one has studied whether Wlds protects from TAI. Lastly, owing to Wlds presumed gain-of-function and its absence in wild-type animals, direct evidence in support of a putative endogenous axon death signaling pathway is lacking, which is critical to identify original treatment targets and the development of viable therapeutic approaches. Novel insight into the pathophysiology of Wallerian degeneration was gained by the discovery that mutant Drosophila flies lacking dSarm (sterile a/Armadillo/Toll-Interleukin receptor homology domain protein) cell-autonomously recapitulated the Wlds phenotype. The pro-degenerative function of the dSarm gene (and its mouse homolog Sarm1) is widespread in mammals as shown by in vitro protection of superior cervical ganglion, dorsal root ganglion, and cortical neuron axons, as well as remarkable in-vivo long-term survival (>2 weeks) of transected sciatic mouse Sarm1 null axons. Although the molecular mechanism of function remains to be clarified, its discovery provides direct evidence that Sarm1 is the first endogenous gene required for Wallerian degeneration, driving a highly conserved genetic axon death program. The central goals of this thesis were to determine (1) whether post-traumatic axonal integrity is preserved in mice lacking Sarm1, and (2) whether loss of Sarm1 is associated with improved functional outcome after TBI. I show that mice lacking the mouse Toll receptor adaptor Sarm1 gene demonstrate multiple improved TBI-associated phenotypes after injury in a closed-head mild TBI model. Sarm1-/- mice developed fewer beta amyloid precursor protein (βAPP) aggregates in axons of the corpus callosum after TBI as compared to Sarm1+/+ mice. Furthermore, mice lacking Sarm1 had reduced plasma concentrations of the phosphorylated axonal neurofilament subunit H, indicating that axonal integrity is maintained after TBI. Strikingly, whereas wild type mice exhibited a number of behavioral deficits after TBI, I observed a strong, early preservation of neurological function in Sarm1-/- animals. Finally, using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, I found tissue signatures consistent with substantially preserved neuronal energy metabolism in Sarm1-/- mice compared to controls immediately following TBI. My results indicate that the Sarm1-mediated prodegenerative pathway promotes pathogenesis in TBI and suggest that anti-Sarm1 therapeutics are a viable approach for preserving neurological function after TBI.