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Transfusion medicine is dependent upon the ability to hypothermically preserve red blood cell (RBC) function ex vivo. Recent evidence suggests that the deformability of hypothermically stored RBCs may be compromised, potentially leading to microvasculature occlusion and tissue hypoxia in transfused patients. The main objectives of this thesis were to develop an ektacytometric technique suitable for detecting RBC deformability changes, establish whether deficits in RBC deformability due to hypothermic storage are occurring, and investigate liposomes as a biopreservation tool to modify the function of RBC membranes. This thesis demonstrates that hypothermic storage leads to RBC deformability impairments which can be detected by ektacytometry. In addition, this thesis has shown that the membrane characteristics and deformability of hypothermically stored RBCs can be differentially modified by treatment with liposomes of varying chemical composition. Through these investigations, this thesis has contributed to the advancement of the fields of transfusion medicine and biopreservation science.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1994. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1994. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

The issue of the thesis fall under the department of non destructive testing of wood. The thesis description is an experiment, which includes the measurement by application of a new semi destructive device on wooden beams commonly used in historical constructions in the Czech Republic. This measurement was monitored by DIC technology at the same time. The part of the results of work is also the treatise about the influence of different factors like the wood density, moisture content and others. This final thesis also discusses about the accuracy and appropriateness the measurement by a new diagnostic device for in-situ determination of strength and modulus of deformability in compression of wood parallel to fibers.

Aaueous polymer two phase systems containing dextran T500, PEG 8000, and buffer are widely used to separate and analyse cells and other biological material based on the way they partition between the two phases and their interface. The behaviour of human erythrocytes in such two phase systems was studied in order to characterize some of the physico-chemical interactions important in determining cell partition. Two aspects were studied: the role of electrostatic and affinity ligand effects in determining the relative affinity of the cell for the two phases, and the relationship of this relative affinity to the cell partition. The potential difference produced by the unequal affinity of the buffer cations and anions for each phase was related to the salt partition by a thermodynamic model, which agreed with experimental results obtained in single and mixed salt systems. A thermodynamic theory for the effects of an affinity ligand on the cell surface free energy difference between the phases was derived, and found to agree quantitatively with experimental results using the affinity ligand PEG-palmitate. The change in cell surface free energy difference as a function of potential and ligand concentration was determined by contact angle measurements. This change was very small, based either on previous estimates of the surface charge density, or on the amount of PEG-palmitate bound to the cell surface as determined by adsorption experiments. This was attributed to partial exclusion of the phases from the cell glycocalyx. Cell partition into the upper PEG rich phase increased as this phase was made more positive with respect to the lower phase, or as the amount of an affinity ligand, PEG-palmitate, in the system was increased. Contact angle measurements were used to determine the energy of erythrocyte attachment to the interface between the two phases. The dependence of the cell partition on this parameter showed that thermal energies are far too small to partition cells in these systems. The cell partition was unaffected by the density difference between the phases. This and other results led to the hypothesis that droplet coalescence is the primary process by which large particles (>1 µm dia.) such as cells are distributed between the interface and one of the phases. / Science, Faculty of / Chemistry, Department of / Graduate

An all-electrical system is developed to actuate and detect single biological cells in a microfluidic channel for diagnostic applications. Interdigitated electrodes fabricated on the channel floor transfer a high frequency signal for capacitance detection and a low frequency signal for dielectrophoretic actuation. In the fluid-filled channel, a pressure-driven flow propels single biological cells, which induce time-dependent capacitance signatures as they pass over the electrodes. With a sub-attofarad (~0.15 aF RMS, 53 Hz bandwidth) capacitance resolution, this system detects biological cells (e.g., 1 yeast cell ~ 50 aF) and their deflections (1 micrometer ~ 5 aF) from exerted dielectrophoretic forces (> 5 pN). Electrical detection of cell actuation by strong DEP forces provides an avenue for both inducing and monitoring the deformation of viscoelastic cells. A strong and repulsive dielectrophoretic force can be used to press a biological cell into a channel wall. When this occurs, the mechanical properties of the cell can be investigated by capacitively monitoring the cell-to-wall interaction. The nature of the resulting interaction is shown to depend on the mechanical properties of the cell (surface morphology and viscoelastic properties). Various mammalian cell types such as Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, mouse fibroblasts, human blood cells, human breast cells and their tumorogenic phenotypes are investigated using this system. Between these populations, the effective Young's modulus varies widely from 20 Pa (neutrophils) to 1-2 GPa (polystyrene microspheres). The viability and phenotype of a biological cell are known to reflect its mechanical and electrical properties. Consequently, this work investigates whether dielectrophoretically induced cell deformations are correlated with corresponding variations in capacitance, which could be used for discriminating cell phenotypes in the future.

An all-electrical system is developed to actuate and detect single biological cells in a microfluidic channel for diagnostic applications. Interdigitated electrodes fabricated on the channel floor transfer a high frequency signal for capacitance detection and a low frequency signal for dielectrophoretic actuation. In the fluid-filled channel, a pressure-driven flow propels single biological cells, which induce time-dependent capacitance signatures as they pass over the electrodes. With a sub-attofarad (~0.15 aF RMS, 53 Hz bandwidth) capacitance resolution, this system detects biological cells (e.g., 1 yeast cell ~ 50 aF) and their deflections (1 micrometer ~ 5 aF) from exerted dielectrophoretic forces (> 5 pN). Electrical detection of cell actuation by strong DEP forces provides an avenue for both inducing and monitoring the deformation of viscoelastic cells. A strong and repulsive dielectrophoretic force can be used to press a biological cell into a channel wall. When this occurs, the mechanical properties of the cell can be investigated by capacitively monitoring the cell-to-wall interaction. The nature of the resulting interaction is shown to depend on the mechanical properties of the cell (surface morphology and viscoelastic properties). Various mammalian cell types such as Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, mouse fibroblasts, human blood cells, human breast cells and their tumorogenic phenotypes are investigated using this system. Between these populations, the effective Young's modulus varies widely from 20 Pa (neutrophils) to 1-2 GPa (polystyrene microspheres). The viability and phenotype of a biological cell are known to reflect its mechanical and electrical properties. Consequently, this work investigates whether dielectrophoretically induced cell deformations are correlated with corresponding variations in capacitance, which could be used for discriminating cell phenotypes in the future.

<p> To reduce cost of structural composites the development of more efficient manufacturing methods is of great interest. Sheet forming of thermoset prepreg, also known as hot drape forming, has been a promising manufacturing method for decades. An automatic tape layer (ATL) can be used to perform the lay-up in an efficient way. The flatly stacked unidirectional prepreg forms a sheet to be formed over a given mould. Knowledge about the materials forming behaviour is important to reach the required shape without flaws, such as wrinkles.</p><p>An experimental approach is developed to investigate the intra- (within the layer) and interply deformation. The intraply deformation properties are registered by the use of a bias-extension test and a digital image correlation (DIC) equipment. To measure the interlaminar (between the layers) friction in the prepreg/prepreg interface a specialized rig is designed and built.</p><p>The two tested materials are Cycom^® HTA/977-2 from Cytec and HexPly® T700/M21 from Hexel, which are examples of the second and third generation of carbon fibre/epoxy prepreg. Where M21 includes craze stoppers in form of thermoplastic particles, the 977-2 has the same function but in melted stage. These particles seem to influence both the intraply deformation modes and increase the level of friction between layers.</p><p>The results from the bias-extension test was compared with the theory of pin-jointed net (PJN) and it was found that M21 behaves accordingly. The measured rotation for 977-2 is less than the theoretical, this due to slippage. The rate of deformation seems to have an influence not only on the load level, but also in the mode of deformation. Both for the interlaminar and intraply deformation the resistance to motion were much larger for M21 than 977-2.</p> / KEKS (kostnadseffektiva kompositer)

The aim of this dissertation is to develop theoretical models for the motion of rigid and flexible particles through very tight spaces. The geometries of conduits which will be investigated are cylindrical tubes, parallel plane walls and rectangular channels. This work is motivated by an interest in the flow and deformation of single red blood cells in very narrow capillaries, in spleen and in bone marrow. Mammalian red cells are highly flexible, but their deformations satisfy two significant constraints. They must deform at constant volume, because the contents of the cell are incompressible, and also at nearly constant surface area, because the red cell membrane strongly resists dilation. Consequently, there exists a minimal tube diameter below which passage of intact cells is not possible. A cell in a tube with this diameter has its critical shape: a cylinder with hemispherical ends. The motion of red cells is analysed using lubrication theory. When the tube diameter is slightly larger than the minimal value, the cell shape is close to its shape in the critical case. However, the rear end of the cell becomes flattened and then concave with a relatively small further increase in the diameter. The changes in cell shape and the resulting rheological parameters are analysed using matched asymptotic expansions for the high-velocity limit and using numerical solutions. A rapid decrease in the apparent viscosity of red cell suspensions with increasing tube diameter is predicted over the range of diameters considered. The red cell velocity is found to exceed the mean bulk velocity by an amount which increases with increasing tube diameter. The same type of analysis is applied to the flow and deformation of red blood cells between two parallel plates with near-minimal spacings. First, the critical shape of the particle and the minimum gap width are determined using calculus of variations. In this case, it is a disk with a rounded edge. The flow in the plasma layers between the cell and the plates is described using lubrication theory. Approximate solutions can be obtained using a locally two-dimensional analysis at each point of the rim of the cell. Cell shapes, pressure distributions, membrane stresses and particle velocities are deduced as functions of geometrical parameters. One significant finding is that the gap width between the cell and the wall decreases with distance from the axis of symmetry parallel to the flow direction. The red cell velocity may be smaller or larger than the mean fluid velocity far from the cell, depending on the spacing of the plates, with equality when the width of the red cell is about ninety percent of the spacing between plates. The same procedure is also applied to rectangular channels.