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Yes / The hydrophobicity of a drug can be a major challenge in its development and prevents the clinical translation of highly potent anti-cancer agents. We have used a lipid-based nanoemulsion termed Lipid-Oil-Nanodroplets (LONDs) for the encapsulation and in vivo delivery of the poorly bioavailable Combretastatin A4 (CA4). Drug delivery with CA4 LONDs was assessed in a xenograft model of colorectal cancer. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that CA4 LONDs, administered at a drug dose four times lower than drug control, achieved equivalent concentrations of CA4 intratumorally. We then attached CA4 LONDs to microbubbles (MBs) and targeted this construct to VEGFR2. A reduction in tumor perfusion was observed in CA4 LONDs-MBs treated tumors. A combination study with irinotecan demonstrated a greater reduction in tumor growth and perfusion (P = 0.01) compared to irinotecan alone. This study suggests that LONDs, either alone or attached to targeted MBs, have the potential to significantly enhance tumor-specific hydrophobic drug delivery. / The work was funded by the Medical Research Council (grant number: MR/L01629X MRC Medical Bioinformatics Centre) and the EPSRC (grant number EP/P023266/1 Health Impact Partnership). EPSRC (EP/I000623/1, EP/K023845/1). Laura E. McVeigh was funded by an EPSRC PhD Studentship (EP/L504993/1).

In dimensional metrology, contact and non-contact measurement methods each have their own respective strengths and weaknesses. Touch-trigger probes have low uncertainty, and perform well inside deep holes, but have a relatively slow data acquisition speed. By contrast, non-contact digitizers collect high density surface point clouds in seconds, and are much less likely to suffer from sensor collision with the part, but have a higher uncertainty than touch probes. In sheet metal forming, iterative design of the stamping die is needed due to the springback of the sheet metal part. Holes or other features of first article parts may be significantly out of tolerance, so the tactile measurement path created from the Computer Aided Design (CAD) nominal has to be adjusted to avoid cosine error. In more serious cases, probe collisions or missed touches may occur. When measuring holes in thin sheet metal, determination of the touch probe path height is also a challenge if the actual surface location differs from the nominal. To solve this problem and seize the complimentary advantages of contact and non-contact measurement methods, a multi-sensor blue Light Emitting Diode (LED) snapshot sensor and touch-trigger probe inspection system was developed, and affixed to a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). The tactile measurement path was adjusted according to the approximate positions and sizes of the features obtained from the scanner data. The system includes an in-house designed calibration target for scanner calibration and a lightweight 2-axis rotary table for multiple-orientation scanning as well. Software in programming language C for interacting with the scanner and the CMM was developed. A sample stamped sheet metal automobile part was experimentally measured. This system is currently applied to an orthogonal CMM. Suggested future works include implementation on non-Cartesian CMMs, such as articulated arm CMMs, or Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

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Yes / With a long history and strong culinary heritage, time-honored restaurants are often associated with the phenomenon of nostalgia. However, research on nostalgia and nostalgic experiences in time-honored restaurants is largely absent. This study built a framework for nostalgic experiences to understand nostalgia triggers as antecedents and consumers’ revisit intention as the outcome. A survey of 366 residents in Beijing and Shanghai, China, revealed that nostalgia triggered by food and service staff significantly evoked consumers’ memories, and the food and restaurant environment stimulated the communitas component of nostalgic experiences. Memory had a positive effect on both communitas and positive emotions, while communitas had a positive effect on positive emotions. Finally, positive emotions resulted in significantly increased revisit intention.

The main purpose of this thesis, called The local changes in discriminatory sensation above a myofascial Trigger Point, was to assess the relationship of a local nociception in the form of the myofascial Trigger Point to the local discriminatory sensation. Based on the theoretical information, hypothesis concerning the relationship of MTrP and two point discrimination were experimentally checked. The subject of the research was the trigger point trapezius pars ascendens. Localized MTrP was clinically evaluated in terms of both static and dynamic factors. Using a palpometer, its sensitivity by level of pressure generated pain (pressure generated pain threshold) was rated. The quality of two-point discrimination was rated as well. Furthermore it was also rated how a made isometric relaxation changed the sensitivity as nociceptive so discriminatory. Discriminatory sensation (attention threshold (AT-TPD), stable threshold (SSV-TPD)) in the region above the trigger point was measured by a mechanical caliper with modified tips radius of 1mm. Generally 23 probands were examined, 11 of them had simultaneously diagnosed a presence of the constitutional hypermobility. The results of the work confirmed that the made isometric relaxation had a significant influence on the change of thresholds discrimination of two...

Kommt es zu einer akuten respiratorischen Insuffizienz, stellt die Beatmung einen wichtigen Eckpfeiler der Therapie dar. Da eine invasive Beatmung über einen endotrachealen Tubus mit Risiken verbunden ist, sollte wann immer möglich, eine nicht-invasive Beatmung eingesetzt werden. Neben den absoluten Kontraindikationen limitieren Undichtigkeit, Ulzerationen im Gesichtsbereich und ein schlechter Tragekomfort die Praktikabilität der Gesichtsmasken. Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Evaluation eines neuartigen Beatmungshelms in einem Lungenmodell und einer Probandenstudie im Hinblick auf Beatmungsparameter (Beatmungsdruck, AZV, AMV, PEEP) Resistance, Compliance, Delay-Zeiten, CO2, SpO2, Triggerzeit und Komfort. Es zeigte sich, dass eine Steigerung des PEEP auf 8 mbar zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der DelayTrigger und DelayPeep-Zeiten führte. Höhere PEEP-Werte gingen hingegen mit einer zunehmenden Leckage und Gefahr einer Desynchronität zwischen Proband und Ventilator einher. Eine zusätzliche Druckunterstützung konnte das AMVLunge signifikant steigern, was zu einem Abfall der CO2-Konzentration sowohl in der transkutanen Messung als auch im Helm führte. Problematisch zeigte sich aufgrund der Compliance des Helms, dass ein hoher Anteil des AMV zum Druckaufbau im Helm verloren geht. Dieser Effekt war abhängig von PEEP, ASB sowie Compliance und Resistance der Lunge. Der Beatmungshelm ist als eine gute Alternative zu betrachten, wenn eine Aufrecherhaltung eines PEEPs im Vordergrund steht, wie etwa bei einer Oxygenierungstörung bei Parenchymversagen.

La physique nucléaire de haute énergie a pour objet l'étude des propriétés du Plasma de Quarks et de Gluons (PQG), un nouvel état de la matière composée de quarks et de gluons asymptotiquement libres. Selon les calculs de la ChromoDynamique Quantique (CDQ) sur réseau, une transition de la matière nucléaire vers un PQG doit se produire pour des densités d'énergie au-delà de ~ 1 GeV/fm3 (correspondant à une température ~ 150 - 200 MeV). De telles conditions extrêmes de température et de densité d'énergie sont réalisées en laboratoire en utilisant des collisions ions lourds aux énergies ultra-relativistes. Le PQG ainsi créé est cependant si fugace qu'il ne peut être étudié que par des sondes internes produites au sein même de la collision mais à des échelles de temps bien inférieures à celle du PQG. Ces sondes dites dures vont alors être modifiée suite à leur interaction avec le PQG, de cette modification s'ensuit l'inférence des propriétés de transport du PQG.Cette thèse porte sur la mesure des jets comme sondes dures du PQG, elle s'articule selon deux axes complémentaires : le développement d'un nouvel algorithme de déclenchement calorimétrique de l'expérience ALICE pour le Run 2 du LHC afin d'efficacement sélectionner les événements contenant une gerbe électromagnétique, ainsi que la mesure de la production inclusive de jets chargés dans les collisions Pb-Pb à l'énergie la plus élevée à ce jour de 5.02 TeV auprès du LHC. Un des défis majeurs de la mesure des jets dans les collisions d'ions lourds consiste à séparer les jets de l'événement sous-jacent. L'approche retenue dans ce travail repose sur une évaluation événement par événement de l'amplitude de cet événement sous-jacent qui est alors soustraite des jets reconstruits. Les fluctuations résiduelles de ce bruit de fond sont par la suite corrigées par une méthode de déconvolution adaptée. Enfin, afin de réduire au maximum la contamination du bruit de fond combinatoire, une coupure de 5 GeV/c sur l'impulsion transverse du constituant prééminent est appliquée.La mesure des facteurs de modification nucléaire des jets montrent une très forte suppression que l'on attribue à la perte d'énergie des partons dans le PQG. Dans ce travail de thèse, une étude phénoménologique de cette manifestation qualifiée "d'étouffement des jets" à partir d'une observable originale, est présentée. Cette étude met en évidence plusieurs résultats fondamentaux : une perte d'énergie constante dans le domaine d'impulsion transverse de jet mesuré (jusqu'à 100 GeV/c), plus prononcée qu'à plus basse énergie et montrant une dépendance quadratique avec la longueur de parcours dans le milieu suggérant la prépondérance d'une perte d'énergie des partons par radiation de gluons. / High-energy nuclear physics aims at revealing the properties of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP),a new state of matter consisting of asymptotically free strong-interacting quarks and gluons. According to lattice QCD calculation, a transition from normal nuclear matter to a QGP is expected for energy densities exceeding the critical threshold of Ec ~ 1 GeV/fm3 (Tc ~ 150 - 200 MeV). Such extreme conditions of temperature and energy density are met in laboratory by smashing heavy nuclei at ultrarelativistic energies. The QGP thus created is however so short lived that it can only be resolved by self-generated hard probes, namely produced together with the medium but on a much shorter time scale. By subsequently interacting with the expanding QGP, these well calibrated probes carry valuable information about its transport properties.The purpose of this thesis is the measurement of jets as hard probes of the QGP along two complementary directions: by developping a new ALICE jet calorimeter trigger algorithm for LHC Run 2 to efficiently select events containing high energy electromagnetic showers and measuring charged jet production cross sections in Pb-Pb collisions at highest-ever centre of mass energy of 5.02TeV provided by the LHC. One of the basic challenges facing jet measurement in heavy-ion collisions consists in separating jets from the soft underlying event. The magnitude of the underlying event is quantified on an event-by-event basis and subtracted from the reconstructed jets. The remaining background fluctuations and detector effects are corrected at the event-ensemble level by an unfolding method. Furthermore, in order to minimise the fake jet contamination, a leading track jet transverse momentum cut-off of 5 GeV/c is applied.A strong suppression of jet production in the most central heavy-ion collisions is observed and quantified by the measurement of the nuclear modification factor, RAA. Such a suppression is interpreted as the result of parton energy loss in the QGP, the so-called jet quenching phenomenon. In this thesis, a phenomenological study with an original experimental observable of jet quenching (the energy shift) is presented. The key findings from this study are that the energy loss is constant in the measured jet transverse momentum range (up to ~ 100 GeV/c), of larger amplitude than at lower collision energy, and with a quadradic path-length dependence supporting the assumption that gluon radiation is the dominant mechanism at work.

Biometriska lösningar för åtkomstkontroll är ett blomstrande koncept. Precise Biometrics är ett företag som fokuserar på just biometriska lösningar relaterade till åtkomstkontroll. YOUNiQ är en produkt som fokuserar på ansiktsigenkänning. Denna produkt använder ansiktsigenkännig för att ge åtkomst till registrerade användare i systemet. Ett problem som uppstår vid att använda ansiktsigenkänning är att alla som befinner sig tillräckligt nära kameran blir skannade, även de som inte är registrerade. Denna avhandlingen har som mål att implementera ett avsiktsmedvetet system som använder en utlösare för att starta ett system. Istället för att använda ansiktsigenkänning på alla individer använder systemet gester som en utlösare för att starta systemet. Denna avhandlingen fokuserar inte på ansiktsigenkännning utan istället på utlösaren för att starta en process. Utvecklingsfasen sker i form utav en iterativ process för att skapa en prototyp. För att utvärdera systemet utfördes testfall för varje gest som är inkluderat i systemet. Efter testfallen var färdigställda sattes dem i ett verkligt scenario för att simulera en komplett interaktion med systemet. Utvärderingen användes sedan för att bestämma och vägleda för implementationen av ett avsiktsmedvetet system. Denna implementation kan ses som en signal till underliggande funktioner för att extrahera biometrisk data för till exempel ansiktsigenkänning. / Biometric solutions for access control is a thriving concept, Precise Biometrics is a company that focuses on just that. YOUNiQ is a product that focuses on facial identification for access control, with it comes an issue in where every person's face is being identified. This means identifying people that do not want to use the facial identification module. This thesis focuses on implementing an intent-aware system, a system which uses a trigger to begin a process. This thesis was done in collaboration with engineers at Precise Biometrics. Instead of identifying faces without permission the intent-aware system uses a trigger based on different hand gestures to begin the process. This thesis does not focus on face identification but instead the trigger before a specific process begins. The development phase consisted of an iterative process in creating the prototype system. In order to evaluate the system, test cases were done to verify accuracy of each hand gesture. Thereafter, a scenario was created to simulate an activation of the prototype system. The evaluation was used to determine the convenience and guidance when implementing intent-aware systems. Furthermore, the system can be seen as a form of trigger to allow for extracting biometric data in for example face identification.