This thesis deals with the sludge management in wastewater treatment plants. It provides a basic overview of methods for modifying risk material in sludge ending. The main goal of this work is to create a fault trees based on faults which occurred in the sludge management facilities. Furthermore, it was created frequency of failures assessment of the objects on wastewater treatment plant in Hodonín. Provided information were obtained during excursions of WWTP Hodonín and Zbýšov.

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Zielstellung: Gegenwärtig wird nach Ruptur des vorderen Kreuzbandes (VKB) beim Hund häufig eine laterale Fadenzügelungen (LFZ) vorgenommen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden folgende Ziele verfolgt: (1) Bestimmung der kranio-kaudalen Kniegelenkstabilität nach LFZ und passiver Kniegelenksbewegung. (2) Bestimmung der Schlaufenspannung nach Knotung mit der Hand. (3) Einfluss von vier häufig verwendeten Verankerungsformen auf die LFZ und von drei Kniegelenkwinkeln zum Zeitpunkt der Knotung des Fadenzügels auf den Spannungsverlauf innerhalb des Fadens. Material und Methode: Die kranio-kaudale Kniegelenkstabilität (KKStab) wurde anhand von latero-medialen Röntgenaufnahmen an 10 rechten Kniegelenken orthopädisch gesunder Hunde (>20 kg KM) ex-vivo bestimmt. Die Messung der KKStab erfolgte am intakten Gelenk, nach Durchtrennung des VKB und nach lateraler Ethibondfadenzügelung. Anschließend wurden die Gelenke 350 mal passiv gebeugt und gestreckt und die KKStab nach 50, 100, 250 und 350 Bewegungszyklen erneut bestimmt. Des Weiteren wurde die Spannung in 7 Ethibondfadenschlaufen an einer Materialprüfmaschine bestimmt. Die Spannung in der Schlaufe wurde nach dem ersten (FMax) und nach dem letzten Knoten (FEnd) gemessen. Mit Hilfe eines speziell konstruierten Kraftaufnehmers wurde die Spannung in der lateralen Fadenzügelung über den passiven Bewegungsradius des Kniegelenks in weiteren 9 Kniegelenken in-vitro gemessen. Dabei wurde nach Durchtrennung des VKB jedes Kniegelenk mit 4 Formen der LFZ bei 3 unterschiedlichen Kniegelenkswinkeln zur Zeit der Fixierung der Fadenschlaufe stabilisiert. Ergebnisse: KKStab nach Stabilisierung des Gelenkes betrug im Mittel 3,7 mm und war im Mittel um 2,7 mm größer als bei intaktem Kreuzband. Bereits 250 passive Bewegungszyklen bewirkten eine signifikante Destabilisierung um weitere 1,5 mm. FMax beim Knüpfen von sieben Fadenschlaufen betrug im Mittel 133 N und fiel auf 6 N (FEnd) im Mittel nach dem fünften Knoten ab. Alle 4 untersuchten LFZ-Formen zeigten eine Zunahme der Fadenspannung bei Beugung des Kniegelenkes. Die LFZ, bei der die Zügelung um die laterale Fabella geführt und in 2 parallelen Bohrungen in der proximalen Tibia fixiert wurde, zeigte die geringsten Spannungsänderungen über einen kompletten Bewegungsradius des Kniegelenks. Die Fixation der LFZ in einen Gelenkwinkel von 70° ergab einen signifikanten Abfall der Fadenspannung in Extension des Gelenkes. Schlussfolgerungen: Eine LFZ aus Ethibondfäden mit fünffacher Knotung erlaubt es nicht, die physiologische Gelenkstabilität nach Durchtrennung des VKB herzustellen. Bereits wenige passive Bewegungszyklen bewirken eine signifikante weitere Destabilisierung. Die in diesem Teil der Studie angewendete Knotentechnik erlaubte es nicht, die manuell in der Fadenzügelung aufgebaute Spannung dauerhaft zu konservieren und sollte deshalb keine Klinische Verwendung haben. Keine der getesteten LFZ-Formen zeigte einen gleichmäßigen Spannungsverlauf bei Bewegung des Kniegelenks. Aus diesem Grund sollten die aktuellen Empfehlungen hinsichtlich „isometrischer“ Verankerungspunkte kritisch betrachtet werden. Die Fixierung der LFZ bei gebeugtem Kniegelenk ist nicht zu empfehlen, da es in Extension zur Destabilisierung kommt.

Ideally, every person in the world should have access to a safe and clean water supply; if not all sources of water are clean and safe, at the very least, an effective method to detect water contamination should be readily available. An effective detection method should not only be sensitive, rapid, robust, and affordable, but, ideally, it should also be equipment-free and easy to transport and deliver to the end-users. The main goal of this project is to develop a variety of bits and pieces of bioassay systems, with a particular focus on paper-based bioactive devices in order to provide portable and ready-to-use biosensors which can be useable by anyone anywhere around the world without requiring formal training. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 76,000 people each year die in India alone because of pesticide poisoning. Long term exposure to organophosphate pesticides is known to have adverse effects on neurological function and can lead to Alzheimer's Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and reduced Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The likelihood of long term exposure to pesticides is heightened in developing countries, so a reliable and inexpensive pesticide sensor is a much-needed device in the developing world. To address this need, this project reports on the development of a fully-automated bioactive paper-based sensor for the detection of organophosphate pesticides. In the proposed biosensor, two innovations were implemented to achieve a full-automated format for the pesticide sensor: (I) First is a PUMP ON A PAPER (Jahanshahi-Anbuhi et al., LOC, 2012) that increases the flow rate of fluids within paper-based microfluidic analytical devices and sequentially brings two separate liquid streams to the enzyme test zone on the paper sensor, and (II) the second innovation is a PIPETTE ON A PAPER (Jahanshahi-Anbuhi et al., LOC, 2014) that involved the creation of a pullulan (a natural non-ionic polysaccharide) temporary bridge-system to transfer a known amount of solution to the sensing zone that, gives the enzyme zone a chance to dry and accept the substrate solution from the slow channel after a fixed period of time. This proposed format results in a simplified assay that detects the presence of pesticides automatically without any further manipulation from the user. However, the shelf life of this assay kit is challenging due to instability of both enzyme (AChE) and substrate (IDA) at room temperature. AChE loses its enzymatic activity when stored at room temperature and IDA becomes oxidized quickly. This problem is not unique to these two bio reagents, however; almost all bioassays which use bio-reagents (such as enzymes and small-molecular substrates) are unstable to varying degrees and require special shipping and storage. The instability of these molecules can arise from either thermal denaturation or chemical modification, such as oxidation or hydrolysis. Because of these issues, they often have to be shipped on dry ice with special packaging, which is costly. The cost of maintaining a cold chain for distributing bio-reagents accounts for up to 80% of the cost. Aside from the cost, these reagents also have to be stored in bulk in refrigerators or freezers to minimize the loss of activity, but they must be thawed and aliquoted for their intended tests. Repeated freezing and thawing can result in a significant loss of activity, which often leads to less reliable test results. These issues make running such assays in resource-limited settings a significant challenge. There is, therefore, an urgent need for an assay system with stable reagents that is easy to use, simple to read, inexpensive, and that includes a method for the long-term stabilization of enzymes and other unstable reagents in pre-measured quantities. To overcome to all these issues, pullulan is utilized for the development of pill-based-biosensors. Pullulan dissolves quickly in aqueous solutions and shows very high oxygen barrier properties in its film form. Considering the unique properties of pullulan, it is hypothesized that pullulan may be suitable for producing assay pills with encapsulated enzymes or other unstable molecules and may provide a simplified platform for carrying out bioassays in resource-limited settings. The application of these pill-based-biosensors is shown via the entrapment of AChE and IDA for the creation of an assay kit that can detect organophosphate pesticides (Jahanshahi-Anbuhi et al., Angew. Chem., 2014). Moreover, this thesis reports on the stabilization of highly unstable firefly luciferase for the detection of microorganisms and, more particularly, ATP. Through the use of pullulan, this thesis demonstrates that both the enzyme and the substrate can be protected, immobilized, and stabilized at room temperature, instead of the existing storage methods, which require temperatures <-20˚C. This innovation allows for a more convenient method of shipping the bioassay kits around the world without any extra care. Furthermore, pullulan-based films are utilized for the development of a method for controlled multidirectional flow within paper-based biosensors. This method provides the possibility of trapping labile and volatile reagents and stabilizing them by forming thin films with pullulan. The trapped reagents within pullulan films can be strategically stacked and assembled on a paper strip in different directions. Furthermore, should the need arise, these reagents can be released and delivered sequentially or simultaneously in both vertical and lateral directions through the paper. The application of this method is shown for: (I) creation of "ready-to-use" assay kit for the detection of Escherichia coli (E. Coli). This assay kit has the step of cell lysing and proceeds automatically to the step in which enzymes react. The second application (II) shows the trapping of Simon’s reagents, which is widely used for methamphetamine detection. Overall, these unique fabrication techniques can be widely used for the preparation of highly stable, ready-to-use, and user-friendly biosensors. We are currently working on the detection of other contaminants such as heavy metals, and we are starting on vaccine stabilization and delivery, which would have a tremendous impact for society. / Dissertation / Doctor of Engineering (DEng)

This bachelor thesis is about the design and construction of a self-stabilizing platform. The purpose of this system is to balance objects placed upon the platform by keeping the platform level regardless of how the mechanism itself is rotated. Its uses include stabilization of sensors, cameras and vehicle cockpits. The prototype was constructed using 3D printing and basic machining. It uses two DC motors, an inertial measurement unit, an Arduino Uno microcontroller and a motor driver. The inertial measurement unit acts as an accelerometer and gyroscope, it measures the change in position and angle relative to its starting position. The controller algorithm processes the sensor signal and calculates an appropriate output signal. This output signal regulates the two DC motors in such a way that compensates for any angle changes in the platform. This project is based on, and is the continuation of the work by J. Larsson, titled ”Gimbal stabilizer for cockpit bases of terrain vehicle or combat boat: A proof of concept”. The task is to develop it to a functioning physical prototype and implement a control system which is fast, responsive and precise. The controller tuning process involved a trial and error approach, using binary search between parameters that give a performance that is too slow and a performance that is too fast and unstable. A satisfactory performance was achieved and the platform could effectively stabilize objects that weigh 400 grams at its center, 200 grams at its edges and 100 grams at its corners. This takes 100 milliseconds on average. Besides bearing loads, the platform could also compensate for sudden forced angle changes and any tilting of the mechanism the platform is attached to. / Det här kandidatexamensarbetet handlar om konstruktionen och framtagningen av en prototyp för en självstabiliserande plattform med ändamålet att hålla ett objekt horisontellt stabil. Det innebär att oberoende av hur mekanismen vrids eller rör sig kommer plattformen alltid vara parallell med marken. Appliceringsområden för plattformen kan vara att stabilisera kameror och sensorer, samt att hålla förarkabinen i en båt horisontellt stabil oavsett hur vattnet runtomkring rör sig. Prototypen består av en 3D-printad mekanism med två likströmsmotorer, en tröghetssensor, Arduino och motordrivare. Tröghetssensorn fungerar som en accelerometer och gyroskop - den avläser hur mycket plattformen ändrar sitt läge och vinkel relativt de ursprungliga. Data från tröghetssensorn bearbetas i en Arduino Uno-mikrokontroller med hjälp av reglerteknik, där en så kallad PID-regulator beräknar utsignal beroende på insignal. Arduinon skickar sedan utsignalen till motordrivaren som reglerar likströmsmotorerna för att kompensera för eventuella vinkeländringar. Detta projekt ¨ar ett utvecklingsarbete av ett tidigare masterexamensarbete av J. Larsson, med titeln ’ ’Gimbal stabilizer for cockpit bases of terrain vehicle or combat boat: A proof of concept”. Målet är att gå från ett koncept till en praktisk och verklighetsbaserad prototyp, samt att designa en regulator med god precision, stabilitet och responstid. För att bestämma hur regulatoralgoritmen ska fungera användes binärsökning för att hitta vilka P, I och D-värden PID-regulatorn ska ha. Det innebär att man ständigt tar ett medelvärde av en för långsam regulator och en som är för snabb och aggressiv tills önskad prestanda uppnås. Den slutgiltiga prestandan ansågs vara tillräcklig och plattformen kunde effektivt stabilisera 400 gram i mitten på den, 200 gram på dess sidor och 100 gram på dess hörn på ungefär 100 millisekunder. Vidare kunde den kompensera för plötsliga påtvingade vinkeländringar och för lutning hos mekanismen som den sitter fast i.

Automatic video quality assessment has many potential use cases in today’s video-filledsociety, for example, when trying to find highlights in a video. This thesis studies the possibilityof extracting the best segments from a video automatically based on five selected metrics:sharpness, colorfulness, contrast, stability, and aesthetics. Multiple different methods from eachmetric category were compared against each other using datasets with subjective ratings ofimages from KADID-10k and videos from LIVE-Qualcomm. The best method from eachcategory was combined into a single video quality score. The combination was done through aweighted sum, obtained from a least-square fit on the subjective scores of a training dataset(KonViD-1k). The segment of a video with the highest average quality score was chosen as thehighlight. The video quality score achieved Spearman correlations of 0.67 and 0.7 whenevaluated on two validation datasets (KonViD-150k-B and LIVE-VQC). In conclusion, themetrics work well, but are currently too slow for the intended target platform (mobile devices)and thus future work should focus on improving their performance.

Title: Effect comparison of educational-movement therapy "stabilization function"of a trunk and traditional rehabilitation therapeutic approach for patients with nonspecific low back pain. Nonspecific low back pain is a main cause of disability and the principal cause for injury-related lost work-days. The various therapies for nonspecific low back pain have been elaborated in many studies. The recommended therapeutic guideline for primary care of patients with nonspecific low back pain is early mobilization combined with a specific rehabilitation therapeutic approach. One such specific rehabilitation therapeutic approach is "trunk stabilization" therapy. The objective of this dissertation is to compare a therapeutic approach involving "stabilization exercises" with the traditional clinical approach that has been clinically proven to be most efficacious for patients with acute nonspecific low back pain. This study compares the effects of the prescribed therapies on 24 patients with non- specific acute low back pain. The test subjects (men and women with an average age 41.2 years) were allocated into two simple randomized subgroups. The test subjects received 2 outpatient therapy sessions per week for 4 weeks. Pre-test and post-test spine shape and range of motion examination were determined using...

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Many defects in physiological processes are due to free radical damage: reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and hydroxyl radicals have been implicated in the parthenogenesis of cancer, diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis. We herein characterize the phenyl-N-ter-butyl nitrone (PBN) type spin traps in conjunction with the most studied dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) type spin traps using the hydroxyl radical. In this study, theoretical calculations are carried out on the two main types of spin traps (DMPO and PBN) at the density functional theory level (DFT). The energies of the optimized structures, hyperfine calculations in gaseous and aqueous phases of the spin traps and the hydroxyl radical adduct are calculated at the B3LYP correlation and at the 6-31G (d) and 6-311G (2df, p) basis sets respectively. The dielectric effect on the performance of the spin trap is determined using the polarized continuum model. Calculations show a localization of spin densities in both cases. However, DMPO spin traps are shown to be more stable and more interactive in aqueous environment.

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