The thesis deals with the design of a robotic workplace for the operation of injection moulding machines. It is concerned with the design of the workplace component deployment and the evaluation of the best variant using a multi-criteria assessment. In detail, attention is paid to the end effectors of industrial robots and the assembly workplace, where finishing operations take place. Finally, the risk analysis and technical and economic evaluation of the proposed workplace are carried out.

The diploma thesis dealswith a design of a robotic cell for depalletization and the establishment of a rail into a production station. Pieces are weighed into the depalletizing unit in a shape-adapted crates otherwise known as blisters. Each blister contains five to eight pieces(depending on the type of a rail) and anti-corrosion paper. After removing the paper and the piece from the blister, an identification code is stamped on the piece. Then the finished piece travels to the next station. The aim of this thesis is to design arobotic cell that can handle all operations in a given cycle time and to create a simulation model in Siemens Process Simulate program to verify the cell functionality.

The goal of this thesis was to design an end effector for a small robot for testing of devices with a touchscreen. The effector has to communicate with the robot via serial interface and provide feedback about used downforce. Another requirement was possibility of automatic tool change. Measuring of downforce, signal processing, and communication with robot ensures custom electronics based on STM32 microprocessor and piezoresistive sensor. The mechanism of tool change was inspired by the system used with industrial robots but customized for this application. The result of this thesis is a functional prototype of a stylus for devices with a touchscreen which provides feedback about the downforce on display and possibility of automatic tool change. The main benefit of this solution is the possibility of changing the tool for the one with one or more styluses for testing gesture-based interface what is indispensable in these days.

This diploma thesis deals with design of end effector for collaborative robot which manipulates with RFID labels. The first part of this thesis is theoretical and deals with collaborative robots and end effector for these collaborative robots. The second part of this thesis is practical and begins with selecting the suitable collaborative robot to tackle this issue and then there are presented several variants of end effectors where is again chosen the suitable one. In the next step there are made design calculations for the chosen variant followed by verifications consisted of practical tests of functionality and CFD simulation. According to made verifications is developed the final construction solution of the chosen end effector variant that includes a commentary about the construction documentation. The next step consists of making risk analysis used for reducing the risks leading to increase the workplace safety. In the last part is made an estimation of the cost of eventual production of one piece of the end effector protype.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to design manipulator for handling tools and tool heads between two tool’s magazines of the two vertical machining centers. One part of this thesis is a proposal of solutions, selection of the optimal choice, its construction and technical calculations of some construction nodes. Other parts of this thesis are technical drawings. The technical drawing of assembly, and two technical drawings of main components.

The diploma thesis deals with the structural design of the end effector for handling with the glass stopper of the hydrogen reactor of high temperature semiconductor diffusion furnace. The work includes the summary of information about semiconductor diffusion furnace, the choice of the appropriate industrial robot, the design of the end effector structural solution, the design of its supporting structure, the power and strength calculation, the design of the end effector control and economic evaluation of its production. The 3D model together with 2D production documentation which contains the assembly drawing of the individual parts of end effector was created on the basis of the end effector design.

No description available.

The contributions of peptide antigen affinity for TCR in driving T cell memory is unclear. Effector CD4 T cells must recognize cognate antigen again at an effector checkpoint, 5-8 days post-infection, to generate an optimal memory population. In this thesis, we examined whether peptide affinity for the TCR of effectors impacts the extent of memory and degree of protection against rechallenge. We used an influenza A virus (IAV) nucleoprotein (NP)-specific TCR transgenic strain, FluNP, and generated NP- peptide variants that bind FluNP TCR with a broad range of avidity. Varying peptide avidity in vivo at the effector checkpoint revealed that higher affinity interactions yielded greater numbers of FluNP memory cells in the spleen and most dramatically in the lung and dLN. The major impact of avidity was on memory cell number, not cytokine production, and was already apparent within several days of transfer. These memory cells demonstrated enhanced protection against lethal IAV infection with a robust early day 5 secondary effector response in the lung. We previously showed that autocrine IL-2 production during the effector checkpoint prevented default effector apoptosis and supported memory formation. Here, peptide avidity determined the level of IL-2 produced by effectors while IL-2R expression was unaffected. However, IL-2Ra expression by APC drove more memory cell formation, suggesting that transpresentation of IL-2 by APC at this checkpoint enhanced CD4 memory generation. Secondary memory generation was also avidity-dependent. We propose this pathway selects CD4 effectors of highest affinity to progress to memory and can instruct future vaccine design.

<p> The liver X receptors (LXRs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) superfamily of transcription factors and are activated by oxysterols. As such, LXRs act as "cholesterol sensors" and play an integral role in cholesterol homeostasis by modulating the expression of genes involved in lipid transport and metabolism as well as inflammation. </p> <p> This thesis begins by describing the modulation of LXR transactivation by PKC. Specifically, transactivation by LXRα is decreased upon activation of PKC signalling pathways as assessed by LXR reporter gene analysis and endogenous target gene expression. These findings reveal a mode of regulation of LXRα that may be relevant to disease conditions where aberrant PKC signalling is observed. </p> <p> The second and third part of the thesis turns the attention to the role of LXR in human airway smooth muscle (hASM), a crucial effector cell in asthma progression. For the first time, research described here indicates that primary human ASM cells express functional LXRs. Moreover, LXR target genes ABCA 1 and ABCG I were highly induced upon the addition of LXR agonists leading to enhanced cholesterol efflux to apoAI and HDL, a process dependant entirely on ABCA I. Furthermore, activation of LXR inhibited the expression of multiple cytokines in response to inflammatory mediators and inhibited the proliferation and migration of hASM cells, two important processes that contribute to the airway remodelling observed in the asthmatic lung. </p> <p> This body of work suggests that modulation of LXR offers prospects for new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of asthma. Furthermore, it establishes a critical role for ABCA 1 in lipid transport in ASM cells and suggests that dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis in these cells may be important. These findings have broad implications in the association of hypercholesterolemia and AHR and places LXR at the forefront of novel therapeutic avenues to treat inflammatory lung disease. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>Bacteria employ virulence mechanisms to promote fitness that are generally detrimental to a host organism. The Gram-negative pathogen <em>Salmonella enterica </em>utilizes type three secretion systems (T3SS) to inject proteins termed effectors into the host cell cytoplasm where normal cellular function is modified. The coordinated T3SS assembly, and delivery of effectors to the cytoplasmic face of the T3SS is aided by virulence chaperones. The interaction of effector-chaperone complex with the T3SS occurs via an ATPase protein, where the complex is dissociated and the effector is unfolded, presumably for passage through the T3SS. The virulence chaperone network associated with the <em>Salmonella </em>pathogenicity island two (SPI-2) encoded T3SS has not been fully characterized. Additionally, the T3SS ATPase protein encoded within SPI-2, SsaN, has yet to be examined for functional motifs or a precise role in effector secretion. The contents of this thesis describe the characterization of two novel virulence chaperones, SrcA and SscA, and the T3SS ATPase SsaN. SrcA is a virulence chaperone for the effector substrates SseL and PipB2, and adopts the characteristic horseshoe-like structure common amongst effector chaperones. SscA is a chaperone for the translocon component SseC of the T3SS structure, and both proteins impact the regulation of SPI-2 promoters. The structure of SsaN resembles other T3SS ATPases, although different conformations exist between the structures, potentially highlighting regions with T3SS function. Additionally, an N-terminal domain was found to be dispensable for membrane localization, and residues within the predicted hexamer model impact effector secretion. These results identify novel virulence chaperones essential for T3SS function, and characterize the T3SS ATPase protein encoded within SPI-2. These findings greatly expand our knowledge of the virulence mechanisms utilized by <em>S. enterica</em>.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)