Antibodies and antibody fragments are the largest class of biotherapeutics in development with many products already available in the clinic. Antibodies are promising due to their naturally high affinity and specificity for biological targets. A key stumbling block to biopharmaceutical development compared to small molecule drugs is the general requirement for a stable liquid formulation, which is often difficult to obtain due to issues with aggregation, phase separation, particle formation, and chemical instabilities. Aberrant solution behaviour limits the production, storage and delivery of the monoclonal antibody. Biopharmaceutical solution behaviour is determined by weak, transient protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions. An attractive interaction potential between proteins in solution can lead to association. Irreversible association occurs when proteins undergo large scale structural changes and aggregate. Reversible association is less severe, but can lead to undesirable solution properties such as high viscosity, phase separation and opalescence, which can lead to difficulties throughout the downstream processing and formulation steps. These problems can become exacerbated during formulation of antibodies when trying to achieve high protein concentrations often required for effective antibody dosage. Firstly, we studied the domains of the Fab fragment using statistical models and continuum electrostatic calculations and found that the CH1 domain is more soluble than the other domains and has properties of intrinsically disordered like proteins which is supported by observations in the literature. We then investigated the immunoglobulin superfamily and found 11 proteins which may have a similarly disordered nature. We present a new web server for predicting protein solubility from primary sequence using an in-house algorithm that weighs the contribution of various sequence properties for predicting solubility. Lastly, we conducted physical characterisation of an antibody and human serum albumin in pharmaceutically relevant buffers and found that the interaction potential can be modelled using spherical models from low to high protein concentration. We hope that the work outlined in this thesis will contribute to the theoretical understanding and modelling of protein solution behaviour.

Over the past decade, the United Kingdom has witnessed a proliferation of civil-military initiatives that have engendered overt and celebratory displays of support for the British Armed Forces. This thesis interrogates two of these initiatives: the annual public relations event Armed Forces Day and the military charity Help for Heroes. Significantly, these initiatives have emerged against a backdrop of morally and politically contentious military violence, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hence, these initiatives raise important questions about the type of politics which underwrite them. In this thesis, I address these questions by critically engaging with a figure who occupies a key position within this UK civil-military landscape: the professional soldier. Adopting a Foucauldian approach, I place this figure within a broader political, social and historical context and show how, since the end of the Second World War, the professional soldier has continually remerged to rewrite the conditions of possibility for liberal war-fighting. Drawing on this insight, I identify a professional soldier, I label the biopolitical military professional, who greatly informs the contours of this contemporary UK civil-military landscape. The biopolitical military professional is an important figure because they are able to co-opt "civilian" political subjects into the service of liberal-warfighting despite a conflict's political context. This is made possible because the biopolitical military professional is a figure who incorporates their military expertise and professional concerns within a wider set of life-administering knowledges concerned with the health and well-being of the population. Crucially, the most overt expressions of biopolitical military professionalism are produced through these UK civil-military initiatives. I demonstrate this by showing how these initiatives mobilise a whole host of "civilian" proto-professional subjects into the active service of liberal war-fighting through an appeal to both their military "obligations" and their fitness and wellbeing. An effect of this is that participating in one of these initiatives becomes more than an act of military support it also becomes a way of partaking in a healthy and life-enriching activity. For example, a day out at Armed Forces Day is a way to get children to take part in active play and educational activities. Supporting the armed forces through Help for Heroes may involve running a marathon or taking part in a long-distance cycle ride. Consequently, via the presence of the biopolitical military professional these initiatives achieve a certain resonance with a civilian population disinterested in the politics of war but increasingly concerned with their health and wellbeing.

Este trabalho apresenta a proposta de topologia para um atuador planar sem núcleo ferromagnético na armadura, sua análise teórica em termos de forças de tração que nele atuam, seu desenvolvimento e resultados teóricos e experimentais obtidos como base em um protótipo construído. O atuador planar tem características inovadoras: uma armadura estacionária sem ferro com enrolamentos ortogonais e dois carros acoplados magneticamente um ao outro com quatro ímãs permanentes de NdFeB de alto produto energético. A armadura desse estator é composta por enrolamentos planares multifases colocados de tal maneira que dois enrolamentos ortogonais independentes são produzidos e assim definem duas forças de propulsão ortogonais. Cada carro possui uma culatra de aço que suporta os ímãs permanentes e que está ligada a uma estrutura de suspensão mecânica para permitir o movimento bidirecional sobre a área definida pela armadura. Esse tipo de atuador pode ser usado em aplicações que requerem o movimento em qualquer direção ao longo de um plano. O protótipo desenvolvido neste trabalho foi testado com a finalidade de validar suas características estáticas de operação com relação à análise numérica e o modelo analítico. Os valores de densidade de fluxo magnético no entreferro e de força planar de propulsão, obtidos através de ensaios, apresentaram uma boa aproximação em relação aos valores obtidos através da simulação numérica e do modelo analítico. Para os ensaios de força normal este trabalho preocupou-se em analisar numérica e experimentalmente os resultados, que também apresentaram valores convergentes e satisfatórios para os itens propostos. Para os ensaios do atuador planar com regulagem de entreferro de 12 mm e 24 mm foram encontradas sensibilidades médias da força planar de propulsão de 7,19 N/A e 4,13 N/A respectivamente. / This work presents a proposal of topology of a planar actuator with an ironless armature core, its theoretical analysis in terms of the driving forces that acting on the actuator, its development, the theoretical and experimental results obtained for an implemented prototype. Such planar actuator has innovative features: a stationary and ironless armature core with orthogonal planar windings and two cars magnetically coupled to each other by means of four high energy-product NdFeB permanent magnets. The stator of the actuator comprehends an ironless core with two sets of multiphase windings placed in such a way that two independent orthogonal windings form the armature in a way that allows the yielding of two orthogonal propulsion forces. Each car has a back iron which supports two permanent magnets and is supported by a suspension structure to allow bidirectional movement of the coupled cars. This type of actuator can be used in applications that require the movement in any direction over a plane. The prototype of this study was tested in order to validate their static characteristics of operation with respect to the numerical analysis and the analytical model. The values of magnetic flux density in the air gap and the planar propulsion force obtained through testing, showed a good agreement with the values obtained by numerical simulation and analytical model. The normal force tests showed good agreement with the results of the numerical analysis. The tests of planar actuator with air gaps of 12 mm and 24 mm were found to produce an average sensitivity of the planar propulsion force of 7.19 N/A and 4.13 N/A respectively.

O estudo trata da medição da força de usinagem a verde de corpos de provas cerâmicos e sua correlação com as propriedades mecânicas após a sinterização. A usinagem a verde é empregada em compactos brutos para conferir formatos sem extremo compromisso com precisão dimensional ou para obter uma pré-forma antes da usinagem de acabamento após sinterização; é extensivamente empregada na usinagem de cerâmicas avançadas. Durante o processo de usinagem a verde os esforços de corte determinam a introdução de defeitos críticos na superfície e são geralmente estes defeitos que governam as propriedades mecânicas das cerâmicas após a sinterização. O trabalho objetiva a elaboração e montagem de um sistema de aquisição de dados das forças de usinagem, e procura identificar o limite de agressividade de corte na manutenção da integridade do corpo de prova com produção econômica. As medidas de torque de usinagem e velocidade periférica do rebolo podem representar um modelo para predizer a associação das forças de usinagem. Corpos de prova cilíndricos foram conformados a 100 e 200 MPa, tratados termicamente após a prensagem e usinados com diferentes parâmetros de corte, sinterizados e ensaiados quanto à resistência mecânica através de compressão e flexão a quatro pontos. Os resultados mostraram a importância do tratamento térmico antes da usinagem acima da temperatura de transição vítrea do ligante para peças prensadas a 100 e 200 MPa. Peças prensadas a 200 MPa e tratadas termicamente foram usinadas sem danos a taxas de remoção de 10.000 \'MM POT.3\'/min com potencia consumida de 1700 W. Com o emprego de um cabeçote com mancais aerostáticos de alta potência e baixo ruído não se detectou a introdução progressiva de defeitos críticos na superfície devido à ação do rebolo, porém se identificou um limite de velocidade de 400 mm/min em função da profundidade de corte que excedeu a resistência mecânica dos corpos de prova comprimidos a 100 MPa, levando a ruptura. A correlação entre potência consumida e taxa de remoção, forneceu informações muito importantes para o projeto de uma máquina de usinagem á verde de produtos cerâmicos em alumina. / The present study deals with the measurement forces of green machining ceramics and their correlation with the mechanical properties after sintering. The green machining is employed in crude compacts either to check raw formats without compromising the extreme dimensional accuracy or to obtain a preform prior to finish machining after sintering, extensively used in the machining of advanced ceramics. During the process of the green machining, cutting forces determine the introduction of the critical defects in the surface, which generally govern the mechanical properties after the sintering of ceramics. The study aims at the development and installation of a system of machining forces data acquisition and also the identification of the limit of cutting aggression to maintain the integrity of the ceramics with economic production. The torque measurements of machining and grinding wheel peripheral speed can represent a model to predict the association of the machining forces. Cylindrical bodies were conformed at 100 and 200 MPa, heat-treated after pressing and machined with different cutting parameters, sintered and tested concerning strength by compression and bending at four points. The results showed the importance of the heat treatment before machining above the glass transition temperature of the binder for the parts pressed at 100 and 200 MPa. Parts pressed at 200 MPa and heat-treated were machined without damage at 10.000 \'MM POT.3\'/min removal rates with power consumption of 1700 W. With the use of a spindle with aerostatic bearings for high power and low noise the gradual introduction of critical defects into the surface was not detected due to the action of the wheel. However a speed limit was identified in function of the depth of the cut, which exceeded the strength of the ceramics compressed at 100 MPa, leading to rupture. The correlation between power consumption and rate of removal provided very important information for the design of a green machining of ceramic products in alumina.

Esta dissertação estuda a otimização da capacidade de interação de manipuladores robôs com o meio externo através do controle das forças e torques envolvidas no contato. Os modelos adotados para as análises levam em consideração a interação entre a extremidade do manipulador e uma superfície. Neste trabalho, são investigadas diferentes metodologias para controle de forças, assim como as vantagens e desvantagens de cada método estudado para comparar e desenvolver um controle adequado das forças de contato. Devido às divergências encontradas na literatura, foram implementadas experimentalmente duas abordagens distintas conhecidas por controle cinestático e controle híbrido. Também, como parte do ambiente experimental, foi desenvolvido um protótipo de um micro manipulador com um grau de liberdade instalado na extremidade do robô. O micro manipulador simplifica a implementação de controle de força ativo, pois trabalha de forma independente do acionamento \"fechado\" dos robôs industriais abordados no trabalho. Assim é possível manter uma força arbitraria desejada no contato com a superfície. O controlador de força se sobrepõe ao controlador de posições convencional do manipulador para produzir o comportamento desejado na interação com o meio externo. / The optimization of a conventional industrial robot manipulator capacity to interact with the surrounding environment is analyzed in this work. The models adopted for the analysis take into account the contact between the robot and an external surface. Different force control approaches are analyzed regarding their implementation advantages and disadvantages. Due to the well known contradictions in the literature experiments were carried out using the kinestatic control and the hybrid control. A micro manipulator with one degree of freedom was developed and installed at the end effector in association with the tool tester. With this system it is possible change the contact force on the surface. The simultaneous coordinate work of the robot position control and the micro manipulator system force control are use to produce a desired behavior in the interaction with the external surface.

In 2018, the compulsory military service will be reinstated in Sweden and will, for the first time, be comprised of both men and women. The Swedish Armed Forces are looking to raise their diversity and wants to reflect the population of the Swedish society and are therefore working actively with their marketing to reach groups that have previously been excluded. The purpose of this thesis is to examine what type of image of Sweden the Swedish Armed Forces are (re)producing through their marketing and how it is used to try and interpellate new, poten-tial recruits. This will be done by examining four advertisement campaigns as well as comments retrieved from the Swedish Armed Forces social media accounts. The analysis will be conducted through a semiotic image analysis and a discourse analysis inspired by Laclau and Mouffe. The essay takes its theoretic starting point in a feminist critique against militarism and highlights the issues of using women and/or LGBTQ-people in the armed forces as symbolic figures of modernity and democracy. The study’s result shows that inclusion becomes a way for the armed forces to improve their own image and elude scrutiny regarding their own problematic structures by positioning themselves as an agency of good. This means that, by the inclusion of marginalized groups, there is as risk of legitimizing the Swedish Armed Forces existence, while still maintaining the problems that these groups are subjected to.

Literature Review: The current review presents a recent review of the effectiveness of psychological therapies to treat sleep difficulties (such as insomnia and nightmares) in sufferers of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The review also aimed to investigate whether there are differences in the effectiveness of specific psychological therapies to treat sleep disturbances in PTSD, such as between the different types of psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT). Eleven studies were included in the review that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results are presented in tables and a descriptive account is included. The review demonstrates that psychological therapies are effective for the treatment of insomnia and other sleep difficulties such as nightmares. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn about the effectiveness of different types of psychological therapies as studies predominantly used CBT and only one non-CBT study was included in the review. Comparisons between the effectiveness of different CBT approaches is also not possible as there was a large range of diversity in the study characteristics and also there were only a small number of studies for each intervention, which therefore limits the generalisability of results in the current review. It may be that different CBT interventions such as CBT-I or EERT and IRT may be better suited to treat insomnia and nightmares respectively, but further research needs to be conducted into which of these approaches are beneficial for different PTSD specific sleep difficulties. Empirical Paper: Initial studies demonstrate that self-compassion reduces symptoms of PTSD in Armed Forces Veterans (AFV), however the use of self-compassion approaches in AFV is under-researched. The current study utilised self-report and psychophysiological measures to investigate whether a single self-compassion experimental induction reduced hyperarousal symptoms (PTSD Cluster E symptoms) and increased feelings of social connectedness in AFV. The study hypothesised that there would be a decrease in hyperarousal symptoms and an increase in social connectedness, which would be associated with PTSD severity. Fifty-three AFV who had been deployed to a combat zone took part in the study, of which n = 15 (28.3%) currently met criteria for PTSD and n = 4 (7.5%) met criteria for Subsyndromal PTSD on the PCL-5. Participants listened to a recording of a Loving Kindness Meditation for self-compassion (LKM-S) and psychophysiological recordings were taken throughout. Participants completed state measures of hyperarousal and social connectedness before and after the LKM-S. Findings partially demonstrated that self-compassion can be elicited in an AFV population. However, changes on the self-report measures were largely not supported by psychophysiological measures, apart from skin conductance levels (SCL). The longevity of the effects observed in the study were not measured and should be investigated in future studies. Although this study has demonstrated that self-compassion can be elicited within the AFV population, further research is needed including to test a longer self-compassion intervention.

A job is not only an economic factor for the individual; the work also has a great impact on the individual's well-being. It is therefore a prerequisite for employees to be happy at work, which places demands on the workplace. The purpose of the study is to investigate what soldiers and officers have for experiences of job satisfaction. This is answered by studying a specific company on an aircraft fleet within the Swedish Armed Forces based on these research questions: How do the informants experience their work situation at the company? What difficulties and opportunities can be identified based on the informants' work situation and how can these be understood? The thesis is based on a qualitative method and the empirical data has been collected through interviews with four officers and four soldiers. The theoretical framework is based on previous research on employees and job satisfaction, Herzberg's two-stage model and Karasek and Theorell's demand- control-support model. The results of the study show that both the soldiers and the officers feel that the high workload of the company causes the work situation to be perceived as worse. The informants also feel that they do not get paid for the work they do, that the workload prevents them from developing, that everyone does not get feedback in the way they had wanted and that the goals and requirements that are set for the function sometimes are too unclear. Furthermore, the results show that the officers and soldiers generally agree on how well-being is generally experienced at the company. The main difference between the soldiers and the officers is that the soldiers feel that their work situation is affected for the worse because they do not have the same powers to make decisions within the organization. What the informants especially feel is contributing to a more pleasant work situation is the good cohesion between the employees. The informants feel that their work situation is affected to a lesser extent by a number of aspects, but nevertheless the majority of the informants want to continue working at the company.

Cette thèse porte sur la question de la sémantique causative. Elle propose une typologie sémantique pour les verbes causatifs analytiques CAUSE, MAKE, HAVE, GET et LET, fondée sur le modèle de la dynamique des forces. Le premier chapitre est une étude épistémologique de l’essence de la notion de causation et de son expression linguistique en anglais. Le second chapitre situe le cadre théorique de notre analyse, à savoir la sémantique cognitive. Le troisième chapitre est un tour d’horizon des idées les plus récurrentes dans la littérature au sujet de la sémantique des verbes causatifs analytiques. Dans le quatrième chapitre, nous proposons une étude de corpus portant sur les propriétés lexico-sémantiques des verbes CAUSE, MAKE, HAVE, GET et LET. Sur la base des donnés empiriques de notre étude de corpus, nous présentons, dans le dernier chapitre, une nouvelle typologie sémantique pour les verbes causatifs analytiques anglais / This thesis deals with the semantics of causative constructions. It develops a semantic typology for English periphrastic causative verbs CAUSE, MAKE, HAVE, GET, and LET, based on the force-dynamics model. The first chapter aims to capture the essence of the notion of causation from an epistemic as well as a linguistic viewpoints. The second chapter sets the theoretical framework, which is cognitive semantics. The third chapter offers a discussion of some of the most commonly shared hypotheses about the semantics of English periphrastic causative verbs in literature. In the fourth chapter, we propose a corpus study of the lexico-semantic features of the verbs CAUSE, MAKE, HAVE, GET and LET. The last chapter presents a newly semantic typology for English periphrastic causative verbs, drawn upon the data we collected from our corpus study.

Tumbling take-offs on floor exercise apparatuses of varying stiffness properties may contribute to apparatus behaviors that lead to increased injury exposure. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the kinematics, kinetics, and timing performance characteristics of a springfloor and a spring-floor with an added Air FloorTM. Five male international gymnasts performed a forward handspring to forward somersault and a round off, flic flac, backward somersault on a standard spring-floor and a spring-floor with an Air FloorTM. Performances were measured via high-speed video kinematics (lower extremity joint angles and positions), electromyography of eight lower extremity muscles, mean peak forces on the feet, and timing. Comparisons of spring-floor types, lower extremity joint angles, lower extremity muscle activations, foot forces, and selected durations were determined. The spring floor with Air FloorTM resulted in longer take-off contact durations than spring-floor alone. Dynamic knee angles may indicate an unexpected and potentially injurious motion of the triceps surae musculotendinous structures. This pilot and hypothesis generating study has suggested future research examining dynamic knee position and angle changes, the role of spring-floor vibration and stiffness in take-offs, and take-off muscle activation alignment with the stiffness of the spring-floor. Pragmatically, there appears to be a convergence of evidence indicating that a slower frequency response of the spring floor may assist tumbling performance and reduce stress and strain in the lower extremity.