Background: Axis fractures are a common injury in the elderly population. Treatment is often complicated due to osteoporosis and patient comorbidity. Knowledge of the incidence of these fractures, as well as their treatment, outcome and mortality rate, will improve knowledge and decision-making processes for this fragile group of patients. Objectives: This thesis aims (1) to review the literature on the non-surgical and surgical treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population, (2) to provide an updated overview of axis fracture subtypes, their incidence and their treatment in a cohort in two university cities, (3) to map the incidence of fractures and the treatment of these patients in Sweden, (4) to investigate the effect on mortality of both the surgical and non-surgical treatment of axis fractures and (5) to present the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population. Methods: A systematic review was performed using the MeSH keywords “odontoid AND fracture AND elderly”. The data for the cohort study were extracted from the regional hospital information system. The radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. Data were extracted from the Swedish National Patient Registry (NPR) and the mortality registry for the national registry studies. Finally, the RCT protocol was carried out according to the SPIRIT and CONSORT statements for clinical trial reporting. Results and conclusions: So far, there has been a scarcity of existing evidence on treatment of odontoid fractures type 2 in the elderly population. In this thesis, we found in two university cities an increased incidence, and a trend towards more surgical treatment of type 2 and 3 odontoid fractures 2002-2014. Between 1997 and 2014 in Sweden, there was an increasing incidence of C2 fractures, but the treatment trend went towards more non-surgical treatment. Surgically treated patients had a greater survival rate than non-surgically treated patients. Among those over 88 years of age, surgical treatment lost its effect on survival. In the RCT we will study the function of patients with odontoid fractures type 2 and by comparing non-surgical treatment with posterior C1-C2 fusion, the cost-effectiveness of the treatment options.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity has been commonly observed among breast cancer patients and has been linked to adverse health consequences. However, whether these alterations persist long after the cancer diagnosis has not been well-documented. In the first study, the diurnal cortisol rhythms and the cortisol stress response of breast cancer survivors who had completed all local and/or systemic adjuvant therapy with the exception of hormonal therapy were compared to those of women without a history of cancer. The Trier Social Stress Test was used to elicit a moderate stress response and the subjective levels of stress of participants were recorded using visual analog scales. The results indicate similar diurnal patterns in both groups; however, significant differences in stress reactivity were noted, with breast cancer survivors displaying a relatively flat profile following the acute stress induction. Subjective levels of psychological stress were similar in both groups, indicating that the subjective appraisal did not account for the blunted cortisol stress response. In the second study, the impact of the stressful life events that happened during the previous year on the cortisol stress response was analyzed in the same groups of participants. The frequency of stressful life events as well as their subjective impact was documented using the Life Experience Survey. Results suggest no group differences between the total number of stressful life events and their perceived effect. However, the number of stressful life events and their perceived impact correlated negatively with the peak cortisol concentration in breast cancer survivors. The results suggest that the cumulative effect of stressful life events contribute significantly to the low levels of cortisol reported in breast cancer survivors following a stressful situation. Together, these studies emphasize that breast cancer survivors are at risk of presenting a subtle alteration of their HPA axis activity when their system is challenged and that an accumulation of stressors plays a role in this dysregulation. These results reinforce the need for interventions intended to reduce the levels of psychological stress experienced by breast cancer survivors.

Production of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol in response to a stressor is initiated by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis in fish. Serotonin (5-HT) and negative feedback regulate cortisol production at the whole-animal level; the objective of the present thesis was to investigate their roles in regulating cortisol production by interrenal cells of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for the 5-HT4 receptor was present in low abundance in interrenal cells. In addition, cortisol production was significantly increased for in vitro head kidney preparations incubated with 5-HT, and this elevated cortisol production was blocked by the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist 5-fluoro-2-methoxy-[1-[2-[(methylsulphonyl) amino] ethyl]-4-piperidinyl]-1h-indole-3-methylcarboxylate sulphamate (GR125487). Thus, 5-HT acts at the head kidney level to regulate cortisol production, probably via the 5-HT4 receptor. Chronic social stress did not appear to regulate the expression of key proteins involved in cortisol biosynthesis or corticosteroid receptors (CR). However, head kidney tissue incubated in vitro with cortisol for 2-8 h showed a reduction in adrenocorticotropic hormone-stimulated cortisol production compared to controls, suggesting the existence of an ultra-short-loop negative feedback mechanism. Thus, the high circulating levels of cortisol in trout experiencing chronic social stress may activate this ultra-short-loop negative feedback mechanism to suppress cortisol production at the head kidney level.

Le processus de réalisation des pièces de formes complexes par usinage est un processus essentiel dans les domaines de l'aéronautique, de l'automobile, des moules et des matrices. Alors que l'usinage 5 axes grande vitesse est maintenant répandu dans les grands groupes industriels, il reste plusieurs problématiques à traiter. L'évitement de collisions le long de la trajectoire outil programmée en alors traité, notamment au niveau des interférences globales représentant une collision entre l'outil et son environnement. Classiquement, l'évitement de collisions dans le domaine de l'usinage 5 axes grande vitesse peut être programmé à l'aide d'une analyse géométrique de la situation. Si une collision est détecté, alors une phase de correction et d'optimisation peuvent être utilisée afin d'obtenir une nouvelle trajectoire hors collision. Le but des travaux est alors d'utiliser une modélisation physique afin d'obtenir une trajectoire corrigée hors collision le plus lisse possible. Pour ce faire le mouvement de l'outil est alors étudié d'un point de vue dynamique afin d'éviter les réorientation brutal post correction. De plus, les éléments constituants les obstacles émettent une action répulsive à distance. Cela permet, au cours de la programmation, d'anticiper l'approche d'un obstacle et ainsi d'entamer les corrections d'orientation outil en prévision d'une possible collision. Cette démarche de modélisation du mouvement étudiée permet alors de réaliser des simulations sur des pièces classiquement usinées dans les domaines énoncés précédemment. Dans le but de généraliser la programmation réalisée, il est alors important de comprendre comment les éléments obstacles sont représentés ainsi que la modélisation retenu pour l'outil utilisé au cours de la simulation. Enfin, la résolution de la dernière problématique mise en avant au cours de cette thèse concerne les temps de calcul obtenus. Il a été montré, après de multiples simulations, que ces derniers peuvent exploser d'un point de vue combinatoire pour des utilisateurs exigeants (modélisation fine de l'outil et de l'environnement). Une méthode de pré calcul est alors présentée utilisant la voxelisation permettant de diminuer les temps de calcul de manière très importante sans pour autant perdre de manière importante sur la solution obtenue. Le dernier objectif présenté est de proposer une approximation permettant de diminuer nettement les temps de calcul tout en conservant une assurance de non-collision. Cette méthode notée voxelisation consiste en utilisant une interpolation à diminuer le temps de calcul. L’important est alors de comprendre quels inconvénients se rattachent à la voxelisation et à partir de quand cette dernière apporte un résultat acceptable / Although 5-axis free form surfaces machining is commonly proposed in CAD/CAM software, several issues still need to be addressed and especially collision avoidance between the tool and the part. Indeed, advanced user skills are often required to define smooth tool axis orientations along the tool path in high speed machining. In the literature, the problem of collision avoidance is mainly treated as an iterative process based on local and geometrical collision tests. In this paper, an innovative method based on potential fields is used to generate 5-axis collision-free smooth tool paths. In the proposed approach, The ball-end tool is considered as a rigid body moving in 3D space on which repulsive force, deriving from a scalar potential field attached to the check surfaces, and attractive forces are acting. The resolution of the differential equations of the tool motion ensure smooth variations of the tool axis orientation. The proposed algorithm is applied on open pocket parts such as an impeller and a pocket corner to emphasize the effectiveness of this method to avoid collision. After that, it is possible to see that de calculation time can be very importante for a delicate mesh. It is for that, a voxelisation method is developed to decrease these.

Les glucocorticoïdes sont des substances très utilisées en thérapeutique, mais parfois détournées de leur utilisation première par les sportifs. Si l’effet ergogénique d’une prise de courte durée de glucocorticoïdes chez l’homme a été démontré, les répercussions de cette prise chez la femme et les mécanismes impliqués restent mal connus. Dans une première étude, nous nous sommes intéressés aux effets d’une prise de courte durée de prednisone (50 mg/j/7j) lors de la réalisation d’un exercice submaximal jusqu’à épuisement chez des volontaires sains de sexe féminin pratiquant une activité physique régulière. Nous avons mis en évidence une performance significativement améliorée sous glucocorticoïdes, avec des altérations métaboliques et hormonales vs. placebo comparables à celles mises en évidence chez le sujet de sexe masculin. Il apparaît donc qu’il n’existe pas d’effet « genre », à l’exception toutefois d’une absence d’insulino-résistance sous corticoïdes chez la femme. Dans une deuxième étude effectuée lors d’un exercice de plus longue durée, la prise de prednisone vs. placebo induit en fin d’exercice une augmentation des concentrations d’acides aminés branchés et de la glycémie, pouvant être interprétée comme une augmentation de la néoglycogénèse. Dans une troisième étude, nous avons mis en évidence qu’un traitement d’une semaine de prednisone per os ne semblait altérer l’axe hypothalamo-hypophysosurrénalien que de manière très transitoire, avec un retour à des concentrations basales de cortisol et de DHEA seulement 3 jours après la fin du traitement. Enfin, dans une étude préliminaire effectuée sur modèle animal, grâce au concours du Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, la prednisone semble augmenter la sérotonine et son métabolite chez les souris sédentaires au repos. / Glucocorticoids are widely used as therapeutic substances, but sometimes diverted from their primary use by athletes. The ergogenic effect of short-term glucocorticoid administration was previously demonstrated in men subjects but its effect in women as well as the mechanisms involved remain unknown. In a first study, we investigated the effects of short-term prednisone intake (50 mg/j/7j) during a submaximal exercise until exhaustion in healthy recreationally-trained women. Under glucocorticoid, performance was significantly improved, with comparable hormonal and metabolic alterations vs placebo as in male subjects. It appears therefore that there is no "gender" effect, except an absence of glucocorticoid- induced insulin resistance in women. In a second study realized during a more prolonged exercise, prednisone intake induced vs. placebo, an increase in branched amino acids and in blood glucose concentrations at the end of exercise, which can be interpreted as an increase in gluconeogenesis. In a third study, we have highlighted that 1-week per os prednisone treatment only suppressed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in very transient manner, with a return of cortisol and DHEA concentrations to basal values 3 days after the end of treatment. Finally, in a preliminary study on animal model, thanks to the Neurobiology Laboratory, prednisone seemed to increase serotonin and its metabolite in resting sedentary mices.

In the present paper, an attempt is made to obtain the potential distribution in the case of two such charges, a source-sink combination, located on the axis of a bore hole drilled through an infinite, homogeneous medium.

This thesis investigates the load control of a marine current energy converter using a vertical axis turbine mounted on a permanent magnet synchronous generator. The purpose of this thesis is to show the work done in the so far relatively uncharted territory of control systems for hydro kinetic energy conversion. The work is in its early stage and is meant to serve as a guide forfuture development of the control system. An experimental power station has been deployed and the first results are presented. A comparison between three load control methods has been made; a fixedAC load, a fixed pulse width modulated DC load and a DC bus voltage control of a DC load. Experimental results show that the DC bus voltage control reduces the variation of rotational speed with a factor of 3.5. For all three cases, the tip speed ratio of the turbine can be kept close to the expected optimal tip speed ratio. However, for all three cases the average extracted power was significantly lower than the average power available in the turbine times the estimated maximum power coefficient. A maximum power point tracking system, with or without water velocity measurement, should increase the average extracted power. A simulation model has been validated using experimental data. The simulated system consists of the electrical system and a hydrodynamic vortex model for the turbine. Experiments of no load operation were conducted to calibrate the drag losses of the turbine. Simulations were able to predict the behaviour in a step response for a change in tip speed ratio when the turbine was operated close to optimal tip speed ratio. The start position of the turbine was varied in the simulation to view the influence on the step response from a changed turbine position relative to the direction of the water flow. / <p>Funders: J Gust Richert, Bixia Miljöfond</p>

Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and striatum. The loss of neurons in the cerebral cortex and the thalamus may affect the synaptic circuitry in the striatum as these regions send glutamatergic projections (corticospinal & thalamostriatal) to neurons in the striatum. Prior studies have suggested the detrimental impact that the mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT) may have on corticostriatal afferents, but less is known thalamic inputs to the dorsal striatum. In this study, we report a 50% reduction in thalamostriatal axospinous synapse density and significant reductions in dendritic spine volume at the ultrastructural level using electron microscopy. Additionally, dystrophic alterations to mitochondria size and morphology were also found. At the microcircuit level, we report a reduction in the spatial abundance of thalamostriatal axon terminals at the rostral, middle, and caudal levels of the dorsolateral striatum while an inverse distribution was observed for mHTT, suggesting a novel topographic distribution of thalamostriatal projections and mHTT along the rostral-caudal axis of the dorsolateral striatum. These findings are novel in the Q175 HD mouse model and supports the theory of an excitatory: inhibitory imbalance contributing to structural synaptic changes in the dorsal striatum. Further studies of the corticostriatal projections will determine the global extent of this imbalance.

The subject of this diploma thesis is design of motion axes of horizontal milling and boring machines. The first part contains literary research of linear systems of feeding and equipment. The second part contains calculations and the design of the motion machine axis. The 3D model of the motion axis designed in SolidWorks 2010 software and part of drawings are also included in this thesis.

Depression and anxiety disorders affect upwards of one in six individuals at some point in their life making them the most prevalent mental illnesses today. Recent evidence has suggested a possible correlation between the human gut microbiota and the development of depressive and anxiety-like symptoms through a signaling pathway termed the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In both animals and individuals suffering from depression and anxiety-like symptoms, alterations in their gut microbial composition seem to compromise the function of this pathway. In addition to this microbiota-gut-brain axis, other microbiota-derived molecules have been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety. Given this emerging role of the gut microbiome and gut–brain axis, it is crucial to understand the factors shaping our gut microbiome in order to determine potential therapeutic strategies to treat depression and anxiety. Following a concise review of the human microbiome, depression/anxiety, and the gut-brain axis, I will examine the gut microbiota role as a regulator of depression and anxiety. In addition, other biological markers associated with both the gut microbiome and these disorders will be reviewed. Lastly, I will evaluate the gut microbiome as a prospective therapeutic target for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.