<p>If a fault occurs in a technical system, for example in an airplane, it is important to beable to detect that there is a fault and to find what in the system that is faulty. Theprocedure of determining, given certain observations, if faults are present and if so thelocation of faults is called a diagnosis. For achieving diagnosis we can use computersoftware that takes observations of a system as input and that generates a diagnosis asoutput. This is called a diagnostic system. To build a diagnostic system we needanother piece of computer software which is called a diagnostic tool. This thesis willpresent a market survey for diagnostic tools as well as an analysis of three of the toolsfound in the survey. The analysis can be seen as constituted by two different aspects,one focusing on the diagnostic methods with which each tool creates diagnosticsystems, the other focusing on practical details that determine the usability of eachtool. The analysis found that the largest differences were between the methods used increating the diagnostic systems.</p>

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei cause the diseases melioidosis and glanders, respectively. These diseases are endemic mainly in southeastern Asia and northern Australia, but they also pose a bioterrorism threat in the developed world. These diseases have high mortality, partially due to the lack of vaccines and rapid, accurate diagnostic assays. The work discussed here represents a part of a larger project to develop a dependable diagnostic assay for use in both developing endemic areas and the developed world, as well as a subunit vaccine to protect against disease. In this study, several proteins from B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, and the closely related but less virulent B. thailandensis have been cloned, expressed and purified in order to develop highly sensitive and specific diagnostic reagents for the detection of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei in infected patient samples. Protein targets expressed in this study were also used in subunit vaccine development for melioidosis and glanders. / text

A sudden change in flow in a confined system results in the formation of a series of pressure pulses known as a water hammer. Pump shutdown at the conclusion of a hydraulic fracture treatment frequently generates a water hammer, which sends a pressure pulse down the wellbore that interacts with the created fracture before returning towards the surface. This study confirms that created hydraulic fractures alter the period, amplitude, and duration of the water hammer signal. Water hammer pressure signals were simulated with a previously presented numerical model that combined the continuity and momentum equations of the wellbore with a created hydraulic fracture represented by a RCI series circuit. Field data from several multi-stage stimulation treatments were history matched with the numerical model by iteratively altering R, C, and I until an appropriate match was obtained. Equivalent fracture dimensions were calculated from R, C, and I, and were in agreement with acquired micro-seismic SRV. Finally, the obtained R, C, and I values were compared to SRV and production log data. Capacitance was directly correlated with SRV, while resistance was inversely correlated with SRV, and no correlations with production data were observed. / text

A new diagnostic technique for studying the turbulent mixing characteristics of supersonic mixing flowfields is developed and implemented in two Mach 3 mixing flowfields. The diagnostic utilizes simultaneous particle image velocimetry and quantitative planar laser-induced fluorescence of krypton gas to study the interaction between turbulent scalar and velocity fields. The fluorescence properties of krypton gas are determined; measurements of the pressure and temperature dependence of the collisional quenching rates and cross-sections are made for various mixtures with krypton. The gases tested in this fashion include helium, nitrogen, air, oxygen, and ethylene. Additional measurements are performed to measure the relative two-photon absorption cross-section for krypton gas. The non-dimensional quenching rates are found to follow a power-law dependence for temperature, while the pressure dependence of the total quenching rate is found to be linear. Two injection flowfields are studied for their general topology and kinematic characteristcs. The first injector model is a basic injector meant to serve as a baseline case; there are no hypermixing elements present in this model. The second model is an asymmetric, unswept hypermixing injector featuring 15 degree expansive ramps flanking a central block. These studies utilize particle image velocimetry in planar and stereoscopic configurations in various planes. Results for the mean flowfield show distinct differences between the two flowfields; the planar injector flowfield is shown to be highly two-dimensional and exhibits minimal coherent unsteady behavior. The hypermixing injector flowfield exhibits a highly three-dimensional wake, with a pair of stream-wise vortices driving both mean deviations in the flowfield and considerable vortical coupling in the span-wise direction. Simultaneous krypton PLIF and PIV are employed in the two mixing flowfields. An assay of the dependence of the krypton mole fraction calculations on the fluorescence signal is performed. The overall sensitivity and the resulting dynamic range of the calibration is dictated largely by the reference mole fraction. Additionally, several different theoretical models of the temperature dependence of the fluorescence signal are studied to assess their validity and influence over the PLIF calibration procedure. Finally, the technique is employed in the two mixing flowfields, and a brief analysis of the mean and unsteady behavior of the two is conducted. / text

An important research area in medicine is molecular diagnostics of cancers and infectious diseases, which can be diagnosed, managed and treated more effectively with genetic information. We have developed an integrated sample to answer bacterial detection platform combining a simple, universal bacterial lysis approach and sensitive nanomaterial electrochemical biosensors. Lysis is rapid and effective at releasing intercellular nucleic acid targets. The platform was directly challenged with unpurified lysates and successful at determining the presence of clinically relevant concentrations within 30min from sample to answer. Another important aspect of biosensor development is the development of cheap and efficient methods for manufacturing nanostructured microelectrodes. Previously, we have used costly silicon wafers for fabrication. Here we explored alternate inexpensive materials for fabrication including printed circuit boards, plastics and glass. We show that plain borosilicate glass is effective for templated bottom-up fabrication, with comparable performance to expensive silicon based nanostructured microelectrodes. Current state-of-the-art readout of many biomarkers is hampered by serially addressing arrays of low cost biosensors, without the use of high cost active electronics. Here we have developed a new concept, solution-based electrochemical circuits, which makes highly multiplexed sensing feasible on the surface of low-cost, glass chips. This method utilizes the idea that physical separation of liquid on an insulator can result in electrochemical isolation. Using this we can reduce the number of outputs to 2&radic;n, where n would be the number of serially connected sensors. We use urinary tract infections as a model system and prove that we can accurately detect species and antimicrobial resistance in multiplexed formats at clinically relevant concentrations.

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The principal of works means and reception of the solution, used for the investigation of rails flaw do not change. Even the newest microprocessor systems of rails’ flaw detection which is found in the latest year uses the simplest criteria’s, that are the amplitude of the reflected ultrasound signal and delaying time. While computer and microprocessor technology improves, the means of numerical measurement and possibilities of processing data, that is signals capable to measure the large majority of the more difficult structure and the algorithm or functions, are found out. The widest classification of the objects is used for identifications’ solution based on separating random processes. The acoustic diagnostic of engines and mechanics, sound and ultrasound defectoscopy, and objects’ identification in accordance with spread signals’ of noise that are in the random background and etc. are named in all those areas where the method of random processes’ classification is suitable.

Pulmonary arterial thromboembolism (PATE) is the third most common acute cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke. Frequently individual symptoms are nonspecific making clinical diagnosis of acute PATE difficult. Computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography has become the first line examination performed in patients with suspected acute PATE. Severity of acute PATE directs treatment strategies and allows prognostication of outcomes. It is reported that patients with normal blood pressure and impaired RV function have a larger average PATE-related short-term mortality compared to patients with normal RV function. Cardiopulmonary CT with retrospective electrocardiographic synchronization allows simultaneous evaluation of pulmonary arterial bed, cardiac function, coronary arteries and thoracic aorta. We have used cardiopulmonary CT to detect right and left ventricular changes in the setting of acute PATE, to describe relationship between reduced right ventricular function and pulmonary arterial thromboembolic burden and to find best predictors of markedly reduced right ventricular ejection fraction. Reproducibility of right ventricular measurements in cardiopulmonary CT images and quality analysis of cardiopulmonary CT for evaluation of coronary arteries and thoracic aorta were done. Results of the study show that both the right and left ventricles develop detectable changes in acute PATE patients, the decrease of the right ventricular ejection fraction... [to full text] / Plaučių arterijos trombinė embolija (PATE) – sunki ūminė ir neretai atkrintanti širdies ir kraujagyslių liga. Tik miokardo infarktas ir galvos smegenų insultas yra dažnesni negu ūminė PATE. Ūminės PATE diagnostika nėra lengva. Klinikiniai simptomai dažnai esti neraiškūs ar nespecifiniai. Šiuolaikinėje klinikinėje praktikoje pirmo pasirinkimo tyrimas įtariant ūminę PATE yra plaučių arterijos kompiuterinės tomografijos (KT) angiografija. Sergančiųjų, kuriems dėl plaučių embolijos dar nėra išsivysčiusi sisteminė arterinė hipotenzija, mirštamumo rizika priklauso nuo embolijos apimties ir dešiniojo skilvelio būklės. Šie rodikliai rodo ligos sunkumą, kurį svarbu įvertinti parenkant ūminės PATE gydymą ir nusakant ligos prognozę. Taikydami sinchronizuotą su elektrokardiograma širdies ir plaučių KT norėjome aptikti dešiniojo ir kairiojo skilvelių būklės pokyčius sergantiesiems ūmine PATE, nustatyti sutrikusios dešiniojo skilvelio veiklos sąsajas su embolijos apimtimi bei aptikti rodiklius, tiksliausiai prognozuojančius ženklų dešiniojo skilvelio išstūmimo frakcijos sumažėjimą. Patikrinome, kaip tiksliai gali būti atkartojami dešiniojo skilvelio tūrio ir morfometrijos matavimai. Taip pat atlikome širdies ir plaučių KT vainikinių arterijų ir krūtininės aortos vaizdumo analizę. Nustatėme, kad įvykus ūminei PATE aptinkami ne tik dešiniojo bet ir kairiojo širdies skilvelio būklės pokyčiai, kad dešiniojo skilvelio išstūmimo frakcija mažėja proporcingai embolijos apimčiai, o dešiniojo ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Plaučių arterijos trombinė embolija (PATE) – sunki ūminė ir neretai atkrintanti širdies ir kraujagyslių liga. Tik miokardo infarktas ir galvos smegenų insultas yra dažnesni negu ūminė PATE. Ūminės PATE diagnostika nėra lengva. Klinikiniai simptomai dažnai esti neraiškūs ar nespecifiniai. Šiuolaikinėje klinikinėje praktikoje pirmo pasirinkimo tyrimas įtariant ūminę PATE yra plaučių arterijos kompiuterinės tomografijos (KT) angiografija. Sergančiųjų, kuriems dėl plaučių embolijos dar nėra išsivysčiusi sisteminė arterinė hipotenzija, mirštamumo rizika priklauso nuo embolijos apimties ir dešiniojo skilvelio būklės. Šie rodikliai rodo ligos sunkumą, kurį svarbu įvertinti parenkant ūminės PATE gydymą ir nusakant ligos prognozę. Taikydami sinchronizuotą su elektrokardiograma širdies ir plaučių KT norėjome aptikti dešiniojo ir kairiojo skilvelių būklės pokyčius sergantiesiems ūmine PATE, nustatyti sutrikusios dešiniojo skilvelio veiklos sąsajas su embolijos apimtimi bei aptikti rodiklius, tiksliausiai prognozuojančius ženklų dešiniojo skilvelio išstūmimo frakcijos sumažėjimą. Patikrinome, kaip tiksliai gali būti atkartojami dešiniojo skilvelio tūrio ir morfometrijos matavimai. Taip pat atlikome širdies ir plaučių KT vainikinių arterijų ir krūtininės aortos vaizdumo analizę. Nustatėme, kad įvykus ūminei PATE aptinkami ne tik dešiniojo bet ir kairiojo širdies skilvelio būklės pokyčiai, kad dešiniojo skilvelio išstūmimo frakcija mažėja proporcingai embolijos apimčiai, o dešiniojo ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Pulmonary arterial thromboembolism (PATE) is the third most common acute cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke. Frequently individual symptoms are nonspecific making clinical diagnosis of acute PATE difficult. Computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography has become the first line examination performed in patients with suspected acute PATE. Severity of acute PATE directs treatment strategies and allows prognostication of outcomes. It is reported that patients with normal blood pressure and impaired RV function have a larger average PATE-related short-term mortality compared to patients with normal RV function. Cardiopulmonary CT with retrospective electrocardiographic synchronization allows simultaneous evaluation of pulmonary arterial bed, cardiac function, coronary arteries and thoracic aorta. We have used cardiopulmonary CT to detect right and left ventricular changes in the setting of acute PATE, to describe relationship between reduced right ventricular function and pulmonary arterial thromboembolic burden and to find best predictors of markedly reduced right ventricular ejection fraction. Reproducibility of right ventricular measurements in cardiopulmonary CT images and quality analysis of cardiopulmonary CT for evaluation of coronary arteries and thoracic aorta were done. Results of the study show that both the right and left ventricles develop detectable changes in acute PATE patients, the decrease of the right ventricular ejection fraction... [to full text]