This thesis deals with a procedure for determining the complete processing of aerodynamic flow instabilities (rotating stall and surge) in a centrifugal compressor. At small flows the performance of a compressor system is limited by the surge line, which is caused by flow instabilities. Numerical solution is obtained using the method of transfer matrix. This system is simulated through several models with local resistances that represent the dissipation of pressure energy. Pulses are excitated in these models by the pressure jump placed before the centrifugal compressor. From the frequency-amplitude characteristics for the selected range of frequencies and flow the impedance characteristic of the compressor system is determined. We are looking for problematic frequencies in this characteristic that cause flow instabilities in the compressor system.

In contrast to the static snapshots provided by protein crystallography, G protein-coupled receptors constitute a group of proteins with highly dynamic properties, which are required in the receptors’ function as signaling molecule. Here, the human neuropeptide Y2 receptor was reconstituted into a model membrane composed of monounsaturated phospholipids and solid-state NMR was used to characterize its dynamics. Qualitative static 15N NMR spectra and quantitative determination of 1H-13C order parameters through measurement of the 1H-13C dipolar couplings of the CH, CH2 and CH3 groups revealed axially symmetric motions of the whole molecule in the membrane and molecular fluctuations of varying amplitude from all molecular segments. The molecular order parameters (Sbackbone = 0.59-0.67, SCH2 = 0.41-0.51 and SCH3 = 0.22) obtained in directly polarized 13C NMR experiments demonstrate that the Y2 receptor is highly mobile in the native-like membrane. Interestingly, according to these results the receptor was found to be slightly more rigid in the membranes formed by the monounsaturated phospholipids than by saturated phospholipids as investigated previously. This could be caused by an increased chain length of the monounsaturated lipids, which may result in a higher helical content of the receptor. Furthermore, the incorporation of cholesterol, phosphatidylethanolamine, or negatively charged phosphatidylserine into the membrane did not have a significant influence on the molecular mobility of the Y2 receptor.

Die wichtigste Baugruppe im Verfahrensablauf einer Lost-Foam-Gießanlage ist neben der Gießstation die Vibrationseinrichtung. Diese Einrichtung dient dem Befüllen eines Gießbehälters mit Gießmodell bei gleichzeitigem Verdichten des Formsandes. Es wurden vier Varianten einer dreidimensionalen Vibrationseinrichtung entworfen, teilweise konstruiert und in ihrer Machbarkeit verglichen. Modelliert und simuliert wurde das dynamische Bewegungsverhalten des servohydraulisch angetriebenen dreidimensionalen Vibrationstisches. Es zeigte sich die Eignung der konstruierten Vibrationseinrichtung, ebenfalls wiesen Spannungs- und Verformungsanalysen zur Optimierung eines neuen Gießbehälters seine geforderten Einsatzmöglichkeiten nach. Die Vorzugsvariante, ein dreidimensional servohydraulisch angetriebener Vibrationstisch ohne Klemmrahmen, konnte in eine neue Lost-Foam-Gießanlage projektiert werden.

Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit, insbesondere die Untersuchungen zur 3–D–Vibration belegen eindrucksvoll, dass die räumliche Herangehensweise an die Problematik der Befüllung von Modellhohlräumen und –hinterschneidungen sowie der Formsandverdichtung beim Lost–Foam–Prozess der richtige Lösungsansatz ist. D. h., um die Gesetzmäßigkeiten, Abhängigkeiten und gegenseitigen Beeinflussungen der Sandbewegungen in den drei Achsen des Raumes umfassend beurteilen zu können, ist es erforderlich, auch den Formstoffbehälter in diesen drei Achsrichtungen mit voneinander unabhängigen Frequenzen und Amplituden zu erregen. Durch die Kombination der drei Vibrationsrichtungen werden im Hohlraum Dichtewerte des Quarzsandes erreicht, die ihm eine hohe Stabilität und ausreichend Widerstand gegen das Penetrieren des flüssigen Metalls in die Sandschichten verleihen. Für die Erzielung eines optimalen Befüllungs- und Verdichtungsverhaltens werden also alle drei axialen Vibrationsrichtungen benötigt, eine optimale Vibrationsrichtung wurde nicht ermittelt.

<p>Stress relaxation in tin films can result in microstructural changes visible on the surface, referred to as “surface defects,” and can include whisker and hillock formation, cracking, nucleation of new grains, and grain growth. Sn whiskers are of particular concern for microelectronics reliability in which Sn whiskers growing from component surface and cause catastrophic short-circuiting. While prior research has identified the conditions and mechanisms for surface defect evolution during aging and thermal cycling, the response of tin films due to mechanical stress, especially high frequency vibration, is not fully understood. In practical terms, high frequency vibration is an important source of mechanical stress generation in microelectronics for automotive and aerospace applications. This research, based on high frequency vibration of cantilevers, adds to the existing mechanisms for stress relaxation process in metal thin films, not just for tin films, as well as proposed new mechanisms for such processes.</p> <p>In the first study, the piezoelectric drive of small atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers vibrated at resonance are used for high frequency cyclic bending experiments. Intermetallic (IMC) formation as well as initial film morphology and thickness (corresponding to surface grain size) all influence the response of tin films for cyclic bending. A laser doppler vibrometer (LDV) system was used to identify the real-time strain along the cantilever during cycling, suggesting that the small strains are responsible for the limited nucleation and growth for defects though the defect density increases with the number of cycles and strain distribution along the cantilever.</p> <p>In the second study, the effect of larger strains on defect evolution was determined using vibration of larger cantilevers at resonance as a function of number of cycles, frequency, temperature, and whether the vibration was continuous or interrupted for SEM characterization of defect type and density. In addition to typical micro-sized whiskers and hillocks, intragranular breakup (IGB) with intrusions and extrusions and nanowhiskers (NWs) with diameters < 1 𝜇m were observed. Both increasing number of cycles and strain amplitude/rate promote defect formation for a fixed frequency, with the defect density being strongly frequency dependent.Vibration at low temperature and interrupting measurements for SEM characterization affected the relative densities. The density of larger surface defects is strongly influenced by interruptions while NW density is almost unaffected. </p><p>Both low resonant frequency and low T (223 K) promote IGB formation during cyclic bending due to large maximum strain amplitude and slower diffusion/creep at low T, respectively. Though the overall defect density for low T is smaller than that at room temperature (RT), the response of films is similar to that at RT, indicating the same mechanisms. The defect density decrease at low T is mainly determined by NW formation, and there is a transition from micro-sized surface defects to IGBs for cyclic bending at low T.</p><p>This research demonstrated that cyclic bending of cantilevers can be used to quantify the stress relaxation of tin films in an important stress regime for microelectronics and to develop defect mitigation strategies to improve the reliability of interconnects in electronic applications.</p>

Bakgrund- Sensorisk evoked potentials (SEP) är en neurofysiologisk undersökningsmetod som används för att monitorera svarspotentialer från kroppens sensoriska nervsystem efter en sensorisk stimulering. Registreringen av sensorisk evoked potentials sker med små elektriska stimuleringar över en perifer sensorisk nerv och registreras från tre olika registreringskanaler som benämns N9 över plexus brachialis, N13 Erb’s punkt och N20 för det primär sensoriska cortexområdet. Metod- I denna studie bearbetas data från 20 registreringar för N20-kanalen. Med registreringen av den klinisk använda standardmontaget C3’-Fz som används vid Karolinska universitetssjukhuset, som jämförs mot nya registreringsmontagen C3’-CPz, CP3-Fz CP3-CPz. Stimulering skedde unilateralt över höger nervus medianus på handledsnivå. Syftet med studien var att ta reda på om det fanns någon statistisk signifikant skillnad mellan standardmontaget C3’-Fz mot de alternativa montagen med avseende på amplitud, duration och latenstid mellan två registreringsomgångar. Den statistiska analysen genomfördes med Wilcoxsons teckenranktest för differenserna av registreringsomgångarna i amplitud, duration och latenstid. Spearmans rangkorrelationstest användes för att visa sambandet mellan standardmontaget och de nya registreringsmontagen i amplitud. Resultat- Resultatet visade ingen statistisk signifikant skillnad mellan standardmontaget mot de alternativa montagen för differenserna av amplitud, duration och latenstid mellan de två registringsomgångarna. Korrelationen för amplituderna visade att montaget CP3-Fz hade en starkare grad av samband mot standardmontaget C3’-Fz jämfört med registreringsmontagen C3’-CPz och CP3-CPz. Slutsats- Slutsatsen av denna studie är att det inte fanns någon statistisk signifikant skillnad i differenserna för amplitud, duration och latenstiderna vid jämförelse av standardmontaget mot de nya alternativa montagen. Dock visade montage CP3-Fz på ett starkare samband mot den klinisk använda C3-Fz jämfört med resterande montage med avseende på amplituden. / Background-Sensory evoked potentials (SEP) are a neurophysiological examination method used to monitor electrical response potentials from the body’s sensory nervous system. The registration follows three recording channels throughout the sensory pathway as N9 over plexus brachialis, N13 over cervical vertebrae mentioned as Erb’ point and N20 represented for the primary somatosensory cortex area. Method- In this study data was collected from 20 registrations for N20 channel. Registration for this study measured the clinical used cortical registration montage at Karolinska university hospital C3’-Fz against new registration montages C3'-CPz, CP3-Fz and CP3-CPz, with stimulation on the right median nerve at wrist level unilateral. The purpose of the study was to see if there exists any significant difference between the standard montage C3’-Fz against the new alternative registration montages in regard to amplitude, duration and latency after two registration rounds. Wilcoxson’s singed rank test were used to compare the difference in amplitude, duration and latency between registration rounds. Spearman’s correlation test were used to show the correlation between the standard montage and the new registration montages in amplitude. Result-The result showed no statistical significant difference between the standard montage and the new alternative montages in amplitude, duration and latency for the two registration rounds. The correlation showed registration montage CP3-Fz with a greater correlation towards the standard montage C3’-Fz compared to registration montages C3’-CPz and CP3-CPz in amplitude. Conclusions- This study showed no significant difference in amplitude, duration and latency when it compared the standard montage C3’-Fz against the new alternative montages. The correlation in amplitude showed montage Cp3-Fz with a stronger correlation towards the clinical used registration montage compared to the other new alternative montages.

Bakgrund: Det perifera nervsystemets axon utgår från cellkroppar i ryggmärg eller hjärna och går ut till kroppens perifera delar. Det perifera nervsystemet undersöks med hjälp av elektroneurografi. Elektroneurografi kan utföras antingen antidromt, där mätningen sker i motsatt riktning till nervimpulsens naturliga, eller ortodromt, där nervimpulsmätningen sker i nervens naturliga riktning. Vid elektroneurografi används den nervledningshastighet, amplitud och kurvformation som undersökningen resulterar i för att sätta en diagnos. Studien syftade till att undersöka om det förelåg signifikant sensorisk amplitudskillnad beroende på om antidrom eller ortodrom elektroneurografi användes genom att undersöka nervus medianus och nervus ulnaris, detta för att bedöma om den metod som använts vid framtagandet av referensvärdena har betydelse.  Material &amp; Metod: 33 neurologiskt friska testindivider i åldrarna 18–80 år deltog i studien. Nerverna stimulerades i handledsnivå och registrering gjordes i fingrarna vid ortodrom elektroneurografi, det omvända gjordes vid antidrom elektroneurografi. Parat t- test användes. Signifikansnivån (α) sattes till 0,05 och normalfördelning ansågs föreligga då median och medelvärde hade en differens på ≤5. Resultat: Det fanns en signifikant amplitudskillnad mellan de båda metoderna vid samtliga mätningar.  Diskussion: Referensvärdena bör baseras på samma metod som kliniken använder för att undvika felaktiga positiva eller negativa diagnoser. / Background: The peripheral nervous system (PNS) goes from the soma in the spinal cord or brain out to the peripheral body parts. The PNS is studied using electroneurography. Electroneurography can be performed either by an antidrome method, which measures against the nerve impulses natural direction, or with an ortodromic method, in which the nerve impulses are measured in its natural direction. In electroneurography the nerve conduction velocity, amplitude and formation are used to make a diagnosis. The aim of the study was to examine if there was a significant difference in sensory amplitude when using an antidrome method compared to an ortodrome method by examining the median nerve and the ulnar nerve, this to be able to determine if the method used to achieve the reference values matters. Materials &amp; Method: 33 neurologically healthy test subjects in the ages 18–80 participated in the study. The nerves were stimulated at the wrist and the registrating electrode was positioned on the fingers by the orthodromic method and the other way around by the antidromic method. Paired t- test was used. The level of significance (α) was placed at 0,05. The data was considered to be normally distributed when the median and mean had a difference of ≤5. Results: There were a significant difference in amplitudes in all of the measurements.  Discussion: The reference values should be produced using the same method that is used in the clinic to avoid misdiagnosis.

Elektroneurografi är en grundläggande icke invasiv metod som används dagligen inom kliniska verksamheter för att diagnostisera olika perifera nervsjukdomar. Metoden speglar den funktionella statusen av de myeliniserade motoriska och sensoriska axonen. Vid sensorisk neurografi mäts sensory nerve actionpotential (SNAP) som är summan av alla aktionspotentialer som är genererade av enskilda myeliniserade axon. Vid undersökningen erhålls olika variabler som är viktiga för diagnostik såsom amplitud, duration, latenstid och ledningshastighet.   Syftet med studien var att undersöka om det finns skillnad i amplitud och duration på sensory nerve actionpotential vid antidrom sensorisk stimulering av nervus medianus vid två olika stimuleringspunkter.   Nervus medianus stimulerades elektriskt distalt och proximalt hos 18 friska testpersoner med en hudtemperatur på minst 32°C. Antidrom sensorisk stimulering av nervus medianus vid två olika stimuleringspunkter visade att det förelåg en signifikant skillnad i amplitud och duration mellan distal och proximal stimuleringspunkt. Reproducerbarheten för metoden visades vara hög. / Electroneurography is a basic non-invasive method that is used daily in clinical practice to diagnose various peripheral nerve diseases. The method reflects the functional status of the myelinated motor and sensory axons. In sensory neurography, sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) is measured, which is the sum of all action potentials generated by individual myelinated axons. During the examination, various variables are obtained that are important for diagnostics, such as amplitude, duration, latency time and conduction velocity.    The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in amplitude and duration of sensory nerve action potential in antidrome sensory stimulation of the median nerve at two different stimulation sites.   The median nerve was stimulated electrically distally and proximally in 18 healthy subjects with a skin temperature of at least 32 ° C. Antidrome sensory stimulation of the median nerve at two different stimulation sites showed that there was a significant difference in amplitude and duration between distal and proximal stimulation sites. The reproducibility of the method was shown to be high.

Introduktion: Elektroneurografi används för att bedöma nervfunktion och påvisa patologiska förändringar i det perifera nervsystemet. Det är en metod känslig för störningar och registreringarna kan påverkas av temperaturen i huden och underliggande vävnad, då värme ökar de perifera nervernas nervledningshastighet.   Fysisk aktivitet har bevisats ha positiva effekter på hälsan och involverar många av kroppens organsystem. En sådan effekt är en ökad metabolism i skelettmusklerna, vilket genererar värme.   Syfte och frågeställning: Syftet är att undersöka de perifera nerverna i en nedre extremitet hos en grupp neurologiskt friska individer utan diagnosticerad diabetes med elektroneurografi, för att se om fysisk aktivitet har någon effekt på den perifera nervfunktionen.   Metod och material: Tre perifera nerver i individernas (n=18) dominanta ben; nervus (n) suralis, n. peroneus och n. tibialis undersöktes med elektroneurografi före och efter måttlig fysisk aktivitet. N. suralis undersöktes sensoriskt och n. peroneus och n. tibialis undersöktes motoriskt och F-respons registrerades. Hudtemperatur och kroppstemperatur mättes inför samtliga registreringar och ansträngningsgrad vid den fysiska aktiviteten uppskattades.   Resultat: Signifikant skillnad mellan registreringarna från n. suralis kunde ses vad gäller latenstid och ledningshastighet, och den distala amplituden, proximala latenstiden samt ledningshastigheten för n. peroneus. Dessutom kunde signifikant skillnad ses i den proximala latenstiden för n. tibialis, och i F-M-latenstiden för n. peroneus och n. tibialis.   Slutsats: En positiv effekt kan ses i en del variabler, troligtvis beroende på temperaturskillnaderna mellan registreringarna. Dock skulle en större undersökningsgrupp potentiellt ge tydligare resultat. / Introduction: Electroneurography is used to assess nerve function and detect pathological changes in the peripheral nerve system. The method is sensitive to interference and measurements can be affected by temperature of the skin and underlying tissue, because heat increases nerve conduction velocity of the peripheral nerves.   It has been concluded that physical activity have a positive effect on health and involves many of the body´s organsystems. One of these effects is an increase in metabolism in skeletal muscles, which generates heat.   Purpose: The purpose is to examine the peripheral nerves in a lower extremity in a group of neurologically healthy individuals without diagnosed diabetes with electroneurography, to determine if physical activity has any effect on the peripheral nerve function.   Method and material: Three peripheral nerves in the individuals (n=18) dominant leg; nervus (n) suralis, n. peroneus and n. tibialis, were examined with electroneurography before and after moderate physical activity. N. suralis were examined for sensory function and n. peroneus and n. tibialis were examined for motor function and F-response. Skin temperature and body temperature were measured before every registration and the individuals assessed their degree of physical effort.   Results: Significant diffrence between the registrations could be seen in the latency and conduction velocity for n. suralis, in the distal amplitude, proximal latency and conduction velocity for n. peroneus, in the proximal latency for n. tibialis and the F-M-latency for n. peroneus and n. tibialis.   Conclusion: A positive effect can be seen on some variables, probably because of temperature diffrences between the registrations. However a larger test group could potentially yield more distinct results.

Factors that confer predisposition and vulnerability for alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders may be described usefully within the gene-environment interplay framework. Thus, it is postulated that heritability provides a major contribution not only to alcohol but also to other substances of abuse. Studies of evoked potential amplitude reduction have provided a highly suitable and testable method for the assessment of both environmentally-determined and heritable characteristics pertaining to substance use and dependence. The different personal attributes that may co-exist with parental influence or exist in a shared, monozygotic relationship contribute to the final expression of addiction. In this connection, it appears that personality disorders are highly prevalent co-morbid conditions among addicted individuals, and, this co-morbidity is likely to be accounted for by multiple complex eti-ological relationships, not least in adolescent individuals. Co-morbidity associated with deficient executive functioning may be observed too in alcohol-related aggressiveness and crimes of violence. The successful intervention into alcohol dependence and craving brought about by baclofen in both human and animal studies elucidates glutamatergic mechanisms in alcoholism whereas the role of the dopamine transporter, in conjunction with both the noradrenergic and serotonergic transporters, are implicated in cocaine dependence and craving. The role of the cannabinoids in ontogeny through an influence upon the expression of key genes for the development of neurotransmitter systems must be considered. Finally, the particular form of behaviour/ characteristic outcome due to childhood circumstance may lie with biological, gene-based determinants, for example individual characteristics of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity levels, thereby rendering simple predictive measures both redundant and misguiding.