A novel arc heat treatment technique was applied to design a uniquely graded super duplex stainless steel (SDSS), by subjecting a single sample to a steady state temperature gradient for 10 h. A new experimental approach was used to map precipitation in microstructure, covering aging temperatures of up to 1430 °C. The microstructure was characterized and functionality was evaluated via hardness mapping. Nitrogen depletion adjacent to the fusion boundary depressed the upper temperature limit for austenite formation and influenced the phase balance above 980 °C. Austenite/ferrite boundaries deviating from Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship (OR) were preferred locations for precipitation of σ at 630–1000 °C, χ at 560–1000 °C, Cr2N at 600–900 °C and R between 550 °C and 700 °C. Precipitate morphology changed with decreasing temperature; from blocky to coral-shaped for σ, from discrete blocky to elongated particles for χ, and from polygonal to disc-shaped for R. Thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria largely agreed with observations above 750 °C when considering nitrogen loss. Formation of intermetallic phases and 475 °C-embrittlement resulted in increased hardness. A schematic diagram, correlating information about phase contents, morphologies and hardness, as a function of exposure temperature, is introduced for evaluation of functionality of microstructures.

We introduce the synthesis and characterization of a novel purine derivative, 2-amino-6‑chloro-N,N-diphenyl-7H-purine-7-carboxamide. X-ray crystallography was utilized to elucidate its molecular and crystal structure. A comprehensive crystal packing analysis uncovered a network of diverse intermolecular interactions, including classical and unconventional hydrogen bonding. Remarkably, a unique halogen···π (C—Cl···π(ring)) interaction was identified and theoretically analyzed within a multi-approach quantum mechanics (QM) framework, revealing its lone-pair⋯π (n→π*) nature. Furthermore, insights into the electronic and chemical reactivity properties are provided by means of Conceptual Density Functional Theory (CDFT) at wB97X-D/aug-cc-pVTZ level. The compound's drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology profiles are assessed using ADMETlab 2.0. Finally, molecular docking simulations were conducted to evaluate its bioactivity as a potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor. This study significantly advances our understanding of purine structure and reactivity, offering valuable insights for the development of targeted purine-based COX-2 inhibitors and anticancer therapeutics.

Förbrukat kärnbränsle är mycket radioaktivt och behöver därför lagras i djupa geologiska förvar i tusentals år innan det säkert kan återföras till naturen. På grund av de långa lagringsperioderna görs säkerhetsanalyser av de djupa geologiska förvaren. Under säkerthetsanalyserna görs upplösningsexperiment på förbrukat kärnsbränsle för att utvärdera konsekvenserna av att grundvatten läcker in i bränslet vid barriärbrott. Dessa experiment är både dyra och tidskrävande, varför beräkningsmodeller som kan förutsäga förburkat kärnbränsles upplösningsbeteende är önskvärda.

Denna avhandling fokuserar på att samla in tillgängliga experimentella data från upplösningsexperiment för att uppdatera och utöka en databas. Med hjälp av databasen har upplösningsbeteendet för varje radionuklid utvärderats och jämförts med tidigare kunskap från befintlig litteratur. Även om det var svårt att vara avgörande om beteendet hos element där en begränsad mängd data fanns tillgänglig, motsvarar de upplösningsbeteenden som hittats för olika radionuklider i denna avhandling inte bara tidigare studier utan ger också ett verktyg för att hantera och jämföra förbrukat kärnbränsles upplösningsdata från olika utgångsmaterial, bestrålningshistorik och betingeleser under upplösning. Dessutom gjorde sammanställningen av en så stor mängd experimentella data det möjligt att förstå var framtida experimentella ansträngningar bör fokuseras, exempelvis finns det en brist på data under reducerande förhållanden.

Dessutom utvecklades och kördes maskininlärningsmodeller med hjälp av Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF) och XGBoost-algoritmer med hjälp av databasen, varefter prestandan utvärderades. Prestanda för varje algoritm jämfördes för att få en förståelse för vilken modell som presterade bäst, men också för att förstå om dessa typer av modeller är lämpliga verktyg för att förutspå förbrukat kärnbränsles upplösningsbeteende. Den bäst presterande modellen, med träning och test R2 resultat nära 1, var XGBoost-modellen. Även om XGBoost hade en hög prestanda, drogs slutsatsen att mer experimentell data behövs innan maskininlärningsmodeller kan användas i verkliga situationer.

The innovative technology behind production of strong biofilaments involves the process of spinning filaments from nanoparticles extracted from wood. These nanoparticles are called cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The spun filaments can have high mechanical properties, rivaling many other plant based materials, and could be an environmentally friendly replacement for many materials in the future such as fabrics and composites. Before mass production might be possible, the optimal dispersion properties must be determined for the intended use, with regard to concentration, method of oxidation (TEMPO-oxidation or carboxymethylation) and pretreatment through sonication and centrifugation.

In this bachelor’s thesis attributes of spun filaments were investigated in order to find a correlation between mechanical properties and the effects of concentration, method of oxidation as well as sonication and centrifugation of the dispersions. The mechanical properties were also compared to the fibrils’ ability to entangle and align during flow-focusing. A variety of analytical methods: flow-stop, tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) were implemented for the dispersions and filaments.

The results from this study show that flow-stop analysis could be used to determine which CNF dispersions are spinnable and which are non-spinnable, along with which spinnable dispersion would yield the strongest filament. It was also concluded that crystallinity of fibrils affects the mechanical properties of filaments and that TCNFs are generally more crystalline than CMCs. Pretreatment through sonication and centrifugation seems to have a negative impact on spinnability and sonication in combination with low concentration seems to lead to non-spinnable conditions. On the other hand, sonicated dispersions seem to yield a greater number of samples without aggregates than non-sonicated ones. Aggregates, however, seem to only affect ultimate stress out of the measured mechanical properties. Furthermore, concentration and viscosity affect spinnability and CMC dispersions seem to yield thicker filaments than TCNF dispersions. However, due to lack of statistically validated data any definitive conclusions could not be drawn.

Genombrottet inom mobiltekniken och utvecklingen av smarttelefoner med sensorer som t.ex. tröghetsmätningsenheter (IMU) har gjort det möjligt att få exakta och tillförlitliga uppgifter om vinkelhastigheten för olika objekt. De tillgängliga tekniska sensorerna för handledsrörelser, t.ex. elektrogoniometrar, är dyra, tidskrävande och de samplade signalerna kräver ett särskilt datorprogram för att analyseras. Det finns därför ett behov av att utveckla användarvänliga riskbedömningsmetoder för mätningar av handledens vinkelhastighet. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att validera noggrannheten hos en nyutvecklad iPhone-applikation (App), "ErgoHandMeter", för handledshastighet i verkliga arbetsuppgifter, genom att jämföra "ErgoHandMeter" med vanliga elektrogoniometrar. Projektstudien genomfördes med fyra deltagare, två kvinnor och två män, från tre yrken som utförde verkliga arbetsuppgifter. Den totala vinkelhastigheten som erhölls av mobilapplikationen jämfördes med vinkelhastighetsdata från standardelektrogoniometern. De totala vinkelhastigheterna som erhållits från smarttelefonen och goniometern beräknades vid den 10:e, 50:e och 90:e percentilen för de fyra försökspersonerna. Den 50:e percentilen för goniometer-flexionshastigheten (G-flex) var i genomsnitt 7,4°/s och för goniometertotalen (G-tot) 8,7°/s. Korrelationskoefficienten (r) för den 50:e percentilen för goniometer-flexionsparametern (G-flex) och smartphone-applikationen var 0,994. För goniometer-total (G-tot) och applikationen var r 0,993. I en Bland-Altman-plot var den genomsnittliga skillnaden mellan G-flex och appen för den 50:e percentilen -0,18°/s och för G-tot och appen -1,54°/s (App var lägre än Gon). Medelvärdet för differensen mellan G-Flex och App och G-tot och App ligger inom två standardavvikelser. För G-Flex och App (medelvärde+1,96SD) var 1,34 °/s, (medelvärde-1,96SD) var -1,71 °/s, medan för G-tot och App (medelvärde+1,96SD) var 1,89 °/s, (medelvärde-1,96SD) var -4,96 °/s. Vilket tyder på en tillräcklig överensstämmelse mellan de två metoderna. En begränsning var att de inkluderade yrkena alla hade relativt låg hastighet. Sammanfattningsvis visar dock resultaten att de två metoderna stämmer väl överens och kan användas på ett utbytbart sätt.

Packaging plays a critical role in ensuring food safety and shelf life by protecting against e.g., moisture, gases, and light. Polyethylene (PE) is widely used in food packaging, but it is mainly produced from non-renewable resources and it is an inefficient oxygen and light barrier. In this study, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of a sustainably produced lignin-based polymer (EH) with polyethylenimine (PEI) or chitosan (CH) was used to fabricate (partially or fully) bio-based coatings with the aim of improving barrier properties of PE films. The charge density of EH was calculated using a polyelectrolyte titration method and the hydrodynamic diameters of EH, PEI and CH were determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). LbL assembly was monitored in situ via Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) and Stagnation Point Adsorption Reflectometry (SPAR). PE films were coated with a variable number of PEI/EH or CH/EH bilayers (BL) using an immersive LbL assembly method. Coated films were studied in terms of light-blocking ability, wettability, thermal behaviour, surface structure, as well as oxygen and water vapor barrier properties. QCM-D and SPAR data showed a stepwise multilayer formation and strong interactions between the oppositely charged polymers, with PEI/EH coating having a greater amount of deposited polymer compared to CH/EH coating at the same number of BL. Overall, light barrier properties and wettability of the coated films increased with the number of deposited bilayers. Coated PE films maintained the overall thermal behaviour of PE. A number of BL of 20 was found to be the most promising based on the studied properties. Selected samples showed improved oxygen and water vapor barrier properties, with PEI/EH coating performing better than CH/EH coating. Taken altogether, we demonstrated that a novel and sustainable lignin-based polymer can be combined with PEI or CH to fabricate (partially or fully) bio-based coatings for food packaging.

The characteristics of two novel types of technical lignin, namely Ecohelix (EH) and CleanFlow black lignin (CFBL), isolated from two different pulping process side streams, were analyzed. EH and CFBL were analyzed in terms of general composition, chemical functionalities, molar mass distribution, and thermal stability. For comparison, two relevant types of commercially available lignosulfonate and kraft lignin were used. The results showed that EH contains a large amount of sulfonated lignin, together with carbohydrates and ash. As such, it can be considered a lignin-carbohydrate hybrid molecule. CFBL was found to contain 91.5% Klason lignin and the lowest amount of carbohydrates (0.3%). EH showed the highest content of aliphatic OH groups (5.44 mmol/g) and CFBL a high content of phenols (4.73 mmol/g). EH had a molecular weight of 31.4 kDa and a sufficient thermal stability. CFBL had the lowest molecular weight (M-w = 2.0 kDa) and thermal stability of all kraft lignins analyzed in this study. These properties highlighted that EH is a suitable building block for material development and that CFBL is a promising material for the production of biofuel and biochemicals.

Cancer utgör en betydande global utmaning inom folkhälsan och rankas som den nästvanligaste dödsorsaken i USA. Cancer börjar med en initial fas där celler förlorar sin polaritetoch lossnar från basalmembranet, vilket tillåter dem att bilda distinkta tredimensionella (3D)kluster som interagerar med intilliggande celler och den omgivande mikromiljön. Celler somodlas i 2D-monolager visar olika genuttryck och olika signalvägar jämfört med celler somodlas som mer naturlig 3D struktur likt tumörvävnad. Multicellulära tumörsfärer (MCTS) ärväl studerade som modell för organotypisk cancer, dessa sfärer bildas av tumörceller,antingen av samma typ eller i kombination med andra celltyper, och de kan skapas medeller utan användning av underliggande stödjande strukturer. MCTS betraktas även somlovande modell för preklinisk bedömning av cellernas kemokänslighet. Dock är skapandetav dessa tumörsfärer utmanande, eftersom alla tumörcellinjer inte verkar kunna bildaregelbundna sfärer.Cellulosananofibriller (CNF) är ett alternativ som hållbart och miljövänligt material. Sombland annat kan forma till tunna filmer, med inbyggda mekaniska egenskaper, flexibilitet ,erbjuder mångsidighet över olika tillämpningsområden, till följd av dess flexibilitet och dessinbyggda mekaniska egenskaper. Känd för sin biokompatibilitet och ofarliga natur fungerarCNF som ett bra alternativ för användning även inom biomedicinska tillämpningar. CNFstrukturen liknar kollagenmatrisen i mänsklig vävnad och visar potential som ett effektivtunderlag för 3D-cellodling. Inom detta område undersöktes en innovativ lager-på-lager (LbL)beläggningsmetod innehållande CNF och polyelektrolyt bilager för att skapa sfärer. Metodbygger bilager av CNF och polyelektrolyter som kan belägga ytor av olika material. Dennaavhandling fokuseradar först på att demonstrera sfärformationsförmågan vid användning avpolyelektrolyter med lågmolekylvikt i de tillverkade LbL-modifieringarna. Däreftergenomfördes en undersökning som innefattar inbäddning av sfärerna som bildades pådessa LbL-ytor i extracellulärmatris (ECM) dels i form av collagen samt decellulariseradextracellulärmatris. För att undersöka om ECMs mekaniska egenskaper kan påverkacancercellernas egenskaper i sfärerna samt om EMC med liknande mekaniska egenskaperlikt naturlig vävnad är lämplig. Därefter demonstrerar avhandlingen användningen av LbLför att fånga cirkulerande tumörceller som sedan kunde släppas i en liten volym. Till sistutforskades övergången från användning av polyelektrolyter med låg molekylvikt vid LbLuppbyggnadentill samma typ av polyelektrolyter men med högre molekylvikt, samtanalysera skillnaderna i möjligheten att bilda sfärer. Sammantaget har användningen avCNF-baserad LbL-ytbeläggningsstrategi som utforskats i avhandlingen visat sig varalovande för utvecklingen av multicellulära sfäroidmodeller och som kan ha en betydandepotential för tillämpningar inom läkemedelsutveckling.

Central nervous system (CNS) injuries such as stroke or trauma can lead to long-lasting disability, and there is no currently accepted treatment to regenerate functional CNS tissue after injury. Hydrogels can mimic the neural extracellular matrix by providing a suitable 3D structure and mechanical properties and have shown great promise in CNS tissue regeneration. Here we present successful synthesis of a thermosensitive hyaluronic acid-RADA 16 (Puramatrix (TM)) peptide interpenetrating network (IPN) that can be applied in situ by injection. Thermosensitive hyaluronic acid (HA) was first synthesized by combining HA with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). Then, the Puramatrix (TM) self-assembled peptide was combined with the thermosensitive HA to produce a series of injectable thermoresponsive IPNs. The HA-Puramatrix (TM) IPNs formed hydrogels successfully at physiological temperature. Characterization by SEM, rheological measurements, enzymatic degradation and swelling tests was performed to select the IPN optimized for neurologic use. SEM images of the optimized dry IPNs demonstrated an aligned porous structure, and the rheological measurements showed that the hydrogels were elastic, with an elastic modulus of approximately 500 Pa, similar to that of brain tissue. An evaluation of the cell-material interactions also showed that the IPN had biological characteristics required for tissue engineering, strongly suggesting that the IPN hydrogel possessed properties beneficial for regeneration of brain tissue.

Three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroids are regarded as promising models for utilization as preclinical assessments of chemo-sensitivity. However, the creation of these tumor spheroids presents challenges, given that not all tumor cell lines are able to form consistent and regular spheroids. In this context, we have developed a novel layer-by-layer coating of cellulose nanofibril–polyelectrolyte bilayers for the generation of spheroids. This technique builds bilayers of cellulose nanofibrils and polyelectrolytes and is used here to coat two distinct 96-well plate types: nontreated/non-sterilized and Nunclon Delta. In this work, we optimized the protocol aimed at generating and characterizing spheroids on difficult-to-grow pancreatic tumor cell lines. Here, diverse parameters were explored, encompassing the bilayer count (five and ten) and multiple cell-seeding concentrations (10, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 cells per well), using four pancreatic tumor cell lines—KPCT, PANC-1, MiaPaCa-2, and CFPAC-I. The evaluation includes the quantification (number of spheroids, size, and morphology) and proliferation of the produced spheroids, as well as an assessment of their viability. Notably, our findings reveal a significant influence from both the number of bilayers and the plate type used on the successful formation of spheroids. The novel and simple layer-by-layer-based coating method has the potential to offer the large-scale production of spheroids across a spectrum of tumor cell lines.

A novel three-layer anode having the composition Ti/TiHx/Ni-Sb-SnO2 (Ti/TiHx/NATO) was successfully prepared by a spin-coating and pyrolysis process aiming at a long service lifetime and good electrocatalytic properties for ozone formation. The TiHx as an interlayer was produced by electrochemical cathodic reduction of a coated layer of the TiOx on the titanium substrate. Spin coating and thermal decomposition were used to deposit the Sn-Sb-Ni precursor on the surface of the prepared Ti/TiHx electrode. Cyclic and linear scanning voltammetry, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to reveal the electrode performance and morphology. Results show that the onset potential for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of Ti/TiHx /NATO is higher than for Ti/NATO. They also indicate that the service lifetime of the Ti/TiHx/NATO is twice as long as the Ti/NATO at a current density of 50 mA.cm(-2) at room temperature. Electrochemical ozone generation and degradation of the methylene blue were investigated to confirm selectivity and activity of the electrodes. After 5 min electrolysis, a current efficiency for ozone generation of 56% was obtained the electrode with TiHx while 38% was obtained on Ti/NATO under same conditions. The results also confirm that the Ti/TiH x /NATO has a higher kinetic rate constant and decolorization efficiency for removal of the methylene blue compare to the Ti/NATO. The rate constant for the pseudo-first ordered reaction of methylene blue degradation showed high values of 350 x 10(-3) min(-1) for Ti/NATO and 440 x 10(-3) min(-1) for Ti/TiHx/NATO. 

In this study, cavitating flows inside a transparent cylindrical nozzle with an inner diameter of 0.9 mm were visualized, and the effect of cavitation on atomization characteristics of emerging sprays was investigated. Different patterns of cavitating flows inside the nozzle were visualized using a high-speed camera. In-house codes were developed to process the captured images to study the droplet size distribution and droplet velocity in different flow regimes. The results show that cavitating flows at the microscale have significant effects on atomization characteristics of the spray. Two working fluids, namely, water and poly(vinyl alcohol) microbubble (PVA MB) suspension, were employed. Accordingly, the injection pressures were detected as 690 kPa, 1035 kPa, and 1725 kPa for cavitation inception, supercavitation, and hydraulic flip flow regimes in the case of water, respectively. The corresponding pressures for the aforementioned patterns for PVA MB suspension were 590 kPa, 760 kPa, and 1070 kPa, respectively. At the microscale, as a result of a higher volume fraction of cavitation bubbles inside the nozzle, there is no large difference between the cavitation numbers corresponding to cavitating and hydraulic flip flows. Although the percentage of droplets with diameters smaller than 200 μm was roughly the same for both cases of water and PVA MB suspension, the Sauter mean diameter was considerably lower in the case of PVA MBs. Moreover, higher droplet velocities were achieved in the case of PVA MBs at lower injection pressures.

Objective: Hydrodynamic cavitation is characterized by the formation of bubbles inside a flow due to local reduction of pressure below the saturation vapor pressure. The resulting growth and violent collapse of bubbles lead to a huge amount of released energy. This energy can be implemented in different fields such as heat transfer enhancement, wastewater treatment and chemical reactions. In this study, a cystoscope based on small scale hydrodynamic cavitation was designed and fabricated to exploit the destructive energy of cavitation bubbles for treatment of tumor tissues. The developed device is equipped with a control system, which regulates the movement of the cystoscope in different directions. According to our experiments, the fabricated cystoscope was able to locate the target and expose cavitating flow to the target continuously and accurately. The designed cavitation probe embedded into the cystoscope caused a significant damage to prostate cancer and bladder cancer tissues within less than 15 minutes. The results of our experiments showed that the cavitation probe could be easily coupled with endoscopic devices because of its small diameter. We successfully integrated a biomedical camera, a suction tube, tendon cables, and the cavitation probe into a 6.7 mm diameter cystoscope, which could be controlled smoothly and accurately via a control system. The developed device is considered as a mechanical ablation therapy, can be a solid alternative for minimally invasive tissue ablation methods such as radiofrequency (RF) and laser ablation, and could have lower side effects compared to ultrasound therapy and cryoablation.

The lack of bioactivity in three-dimensional (3D)-printing of poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds limits cell-material interactions in bone tissue engineering. This constraint can be overcome by surface-functionalization using glycosaminoglycan-like anionic polysaccharides, e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a plant-based carboxymethylated, unsulfated polysaccharide, and kappa-carrageenan, a seaweed-derived sulfated, non-carboxymethylated polysaccharide. The sulfation of CMC and carboxymethylation of kappa-carrageenan critically improve their bioactivity. However, whether sulfated carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) and carboxymethyl kappa-carrageenan (CM-kappa-Car) affect the osteogenic differentiation potential of pre-osteoblasts on 3D-scaffolds is still unknown. Here, we aimed to assess the effects of surface-functionalization by SCMC or CM-kappa-Car on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of 3D-printed PCL scaffolds, as well as the osteogenic response of pre-osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were seeded on 3D-printed PCL scaffolds that were functionalized by CM-kappa-Car (PCL/CM-kappa-Car) or SCMC (PCL/SCMC), cultured up to 28 days. The scaffolds' physicochemical and mechanical properties and pre-osteoblast function were assessed experimentally and by finite element (FE) modeling. We found that the surface-functionalization by SCMC and CM-kappa-Car did not change the scaffold geometry and structure but decreased the elastic modulus. Furthermore, the scaffold surface roughness and hardness increased and the scaffold became more hydrophilic. The FE modeling results implied resilience up to 2% compression strain, which was below the yield stress for all scaffolds. Surface-functionalization by SCMC decreased Runx2 and Dmp1 expression, while surface-functionalization by CM-kappa-Car increased Cox2 expression at day 1. Surface-functionalization by SCMC most strongly enhanced pre-osteoblast proliferation and collagen production, while CM-kappa-Car most significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization after 28 days. In conclusion, surface-functionalization by SCMC or CM-kappa-Car of 3D-printed PCL-scaffolds enhanced pre-osteoblast proliferation and osteogenic activity, likely due to increased surface roughness and hydrophilicity. Surface-functionalization by SCMC most strongly enhanced cell proliferation, while CM-kappa-Car most significantly promoted osteogenic activity, suggesting that surface-functionalization by CM-kappa-Car may be more promising, especially in the short-term, for in vivo bone formation.

Inom hälso- och sjukvården är IT-säkerhet avgörande för att skydda både personlig information och patientsäkerheten. För närvarande genomförs implementering av säkerhetsåtgärder och tester efter mjukvaruutvecklingen, vilket kan minska effektiviteten och utgöra en potentiell risk för patienternas integritet. Detta arbete undersökte implementeringen av DevSecOps-metodiken inom hälso- och sjukvården med fokus på utvecklingsfasen. Genom att intervjua anställda och använda säkerhetsverktyg som SAST, kodgranskning, penetrationstestning och DAST identifierades fördelar och utmaningar. Utmaningarna inkluderade brist på säkerhetskunskap och svårighet att integrera verktyg kostnadsfritt. Trots detta visade resultatet på möjligheten att förbättra säkerheten, effektivisera arbetet och spara pengar genom att använda gratis verktyg och implementera säkerhet redan i utvecklingsfasen. Utbildning och anställning av säkerhetskompetent personal betonades också som viktigt för att upprätthålla höga säkerhetsstandarder

Biodiesel ses som ett av de främsta substituten för fossila bränslen, då den relativt enkelt kan appliceras i redan existerande dieselmotorer. Dagens produktion av biodiesel använder sig av homogena katalysatorer som inte återanvänds i processen, men för en mer cirkulär och i längden en billigare process ses heterogena katalysatorer som ett alternativ. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka litium dopad kalciumoxid katalytiska egenskaper, de optimala förhållandena för reaktionen och även kinetiken för reaktionen. Den valda katalysatorn syntetiserades med kalcinering och sedan testades den katalytiska förmågan i reaktionen vid olika reaktionsförhållanden, för att finna de optimala förhållandena. Även katalysatorns fysiska egenskaper analyserades och kinetiken för reaktionen. De optimala förhållanden för transesterifieringen bestämdes till 3 h, 1:6 olja- metanolförhållande, 60°C och 5 vikts% katalysator, där 96% utbyte av biodiesel uppnåddes. Övriga utbyten från de andra försöken var betydligt lägre, vilket kan bero på icke optimala förhållanden, men även relativ dålig katalytisk förmåga. Ytarea och porstorlek konstateras vara små, vilket påverkar den katalytiska förmågan negativt. Anledningen till katalysatorns egenskaper beror huvudsakligen på tillverkningsprocessen, men även mängden litium i dopningen. Kinetiken visar en oväntad reaktionsutveckling med initialt hög koncentration FAME (Fatty acid Methylester), vilket troligen beror på felkällor.

En 3D-bioprinter som använder ljusbaserad teknik har designats och konstruerats i ett EU-finansierat forskningsinitiativ som kallas BRIGHTER (Bioprinting by Light-Sheet Lithography). Detta initiativ är ett samarbete mellan institutioner och företag och syftar till att utveckla en teknik för effektiv och korrekt produktion av konstruerad vävnad. 

I dagsläget har bioprintern inte möjligheten för 3D-utskrift, utan är begränsad till 2D-utskrift.

Problemet som åtgärdas är integrationen av två separata elektroniska system inom bioprintern för att styra laserstrålens bana för 3D-utskrift. Målet med projektet är att skapa funktionell mjukvara och simuleringsverktyg för att styra hårdvarumodulerna på ett exakt och synkroniserat sätt och därigenom möjliggöra 3D-utskrift.

Resultatet av examensarbetet är en mjukvaruprototyp, som framgångsrikt möjliggör interkommunikation mellan de två elektroniska systemen inom bioprintern och därigenom öppnar möjligheten för vidare arbete med 3D-utskrift tillgängligt. Prototypen kräver dock noggranna tester för att fastställa dess optimala operativa effektivitet när det gäller koordinationen av hårdvarumodulernas rörelser.

AAs the mission to the decrease global warming and phase out highly polluting environmental practices globally, regulations including Euro 6 and policies generated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are pushing companies to be more innovative when it comes to their energy sources. These regulations involve many factors related to the cleanliness of the fuel and produced emissions, for example, properties of the fuels such as sulfur content, ash content, water content, and resulting emission values of Carbon dioxide (CO₂)and Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x). Furthermore, Sweden has set a challenging target of a fossil-fuel-independent vehicle fleet by 2030 and no net greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. One way to cut down on the polluting properties in the fuel, as well as weakening the dependence on fossil fuel based fuel includes utilizing higher blending ratios of biofuels in the transport sector. This transition to biofuels comes with many challenges to the transport industry due to higher concentrations of these new fuels leads to clogging of the filters in the engine, as well as, internal diesel injector deposits (IDIDs) that produce injector fouling. This clogging of the filters leads to lower performance by the engines which leads to higher repair times (uptime) and less time on the road to transport goods. The formation of these soft particles at the root of the clogging issue is a pivotal issue because the precise mechanisms behind their formation are highly unknown. Scania, a leader in the Swedish automotive industry, is very interested in figuring out what mechanisms are the most influential in the formation of these particles in the engine. Understanding the key mechanisms would allow Scania to make appropriate adjustments to the fuel or the engines to ensure more time on the road and less maintenance. There are many conditions known to be possible causes of the formation of soft particles in engines such as water content, ash content, and temperature. After generating soft particles using a modified accelerated method, particles were analyzed using infrared technology (RTX-FTIR) and a Scanning Electric Microscope (SEM-EDX). Many different experiments were performed to be able to make a conclusion as to which mechanisms were most influential including temperature, time, water, air, and oil. The combination of aging biofuels (B100, B10, HVO) with metals, and water produced the largest amount of particles followed by aging the biofuels with aged oil, metals, and water. Aging the fuels with aged oil increased particles, meanwhile the addition of water prevented particle production possibly due to additives. B100 produced the highest amount of particles when aged with Copper, B10 with Brass, and HVO with Iron.

Lignin is an abundant polyaromatic polymer with a wide range of potential future uses. However, the conversion of lignin into valuable products comes at a cost, and medium- to high-value applications are thus appropriate. Two examples of these are polymers (e.g., as fibers, plasticizers, or additives) and flow batteries (e.g., as redox species). Both of these areas would benefit from lignin-derived molecules with potentially low molecular weight and high (electro)chemical functionality. A promising route to obtain these molecules is oxidative lignin depolymerization, as it enables the formation of targeted compounds with multiple functionalities. An application with high potential in the production of plastics is the synthesis of new sustainable polymers. Employing organic molecules, such as quinones and heterocycles, would constitute an important step toward the sustainability of aqueous flow batteries, and lignin and its derivatives are emerging as redox species, mainly due to their low cost and renewability.

A one-pot method for encapsulation of dye, which can be applied for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and synthesis of hierarchical porous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8), is reported. The size of the encapsulated dye tunes the mesoporosity and surface area of ZIF-8. The mesopore size, Langmuir surface area and pore volume are 15 nm, 960-1500 m(2). g(-1) and 0.36-0.61 cm(3). g(-1), respectively. After encapsulation into ZIF-8, the dyes show longer emission lifetimes (greater than 4-8-fold) as compared to the corresponding non-encapsulated dyes, due to suppression of aggregation, and torsional motions.

The processing of hierarchical porous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) into a cellulose paper using sheet former Rapid-Kothen (R.K.) is reported. The procedure is a promising route to overcome a significant bottleneck towards applying metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in commercial products. ZIF-8 crystals were integrated into cellulose pulp (CP) or TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical)-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNF) following an in-situ or ex-situ process; the materials were denoted as CelloZIFPaper_In Situ and CelloZIFPaper_Ex Situ, respectively. The materials were applied as adsorbents to remove heavy metals from water, with adsorption capacities of 66.2-354.0 mg/g. CelloZIFPaper can also be used as a stand-alone working electrode for the selective sensing of toxic heavy metals, for instance, lead ions (Pb2+), using electrochemical-based methods with a limit of detection (LOD) of 8 mu M. The electrochemical measurements may advance 'Lab-onCelloZIFPaper' technologies for label-free detection of heavy metal ions.

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are common, generally benign tumors with complex clinical characteristics related to hormone hypersecretion and/or growing sellar tumor mass. PitNETs can be classified based on the expression pattern of anterior pituitary hormones and three main transcriptions factors (TF), SF1, PIT1 and TPIT that regulate differentiation of adenohypophysial cells. Here, we have extended this classification based on the global transcriptomics landscape using tumor tissue from a well-defined cohort comprising 51 PitNETs of different clinical and histological types. The molecular profiles were compared with current classification schemes based on immunohistochemistry. Our results identified three main clusters of PitNETs that were aligned with the main pituitary TFs expression patterns. Our analyses enabled further identification of specific genes and expression patterns, including both known and unknown genes, that could distinguish the three different classes of PitNETs. We conclude that the current classification of PitNETs based on the expression of SF1, PIT1 and TPIT reflects three distinct subtypes of PitNETs with different underlying biology and partly independent from the expression of corresponding hormones. The transcriptomic analysis reveals several potentially targetable tumor-driving genes with previously unknown role in pituitary tumorigenesis.

Efficient and convenient methods for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions especially Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions is of great importance due to their serious threat to public health and the ecological system. In this study, two magnetic metal-organic frameworks (namily: Fe3O4@ZIF-8, and Fe3O4@UiO-66–NH2) were synthesized, fully characterized, and applied for the adsorption of Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption efficiencies for the prepared nanocomposites are strongly dependent on the pH of the aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe3O4@UiO-66–NH2, and Fe3O4@ZIF-8 at pH 6.0 were calculated to be 714.3 mg·g 1, and 370 mg·g 1 for Cd(II), respectively, and 833.3 mg·g 1, and 666.7 mg·g 1 for Pb(II), respectively. The adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order model and fit the Langmuir isotherm model. Moreover, the thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is endothermic, and spontaneous in nature. A plausible adsorption mechanism was discussed in detail. The magnetic adsorbents: Fe3O4@ZIF-8, and Fe3O4@UiO-66–NH2 showed excellent reusability, maintaining the same efficiency for at least four consecutive cycles. These results reveal the potential use of magnetic Fe3O4@ZIF-8, and Fe3O4@UiO-66–NH2 as efficient adsorbents in removing Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions.

Hierarchical porous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks nanoparticles (ZIF-8 NPs) were synthesized at room temperature via a template-free approach under dynamic conditions (stirring) using water as a solvent. The ZIF-8 NPs were evaluated as adsorbents for rare earth elements (La3+, Sm3+ and Dy3+). Adsorption equilibrium was reached after 7h and high adsorption capacities were obtained for dysprosium and samarium (430.4 and 281.1 mg g(-1), respectively) and moderate adsorption capacity for lanthanum (28.8 mg g(-1)) at a pH of 7.0. The high adsorption capacitiese, as well as the high stability of ZIF-8 NPs, make the hierarchical ZIF-8 materials as an efficient adsorbent for the recovery of La3+, Sm3+ and Dy3+ from aqueous solution.

Hälso- och sjukvårdsbranschen har länge varit en sektor som hanterar stora mängder känsliga patientdata och personuppgifter. Integriteten och säkerheten hos patientdata har blivit allt viktigare som en följd av ökad datavolym och digitalisering. Detta examensarbete fokuserade på att utforma och implementera en säker datadelning infrastruktur för att skydda integritet och sekretess för patientdata. Syntetisk data användes för att möjliggöra tillgång för forskare och studenter i reglerade miljöer utan att riskera patienters privatliv. Projektet lyckades genom att utvärdera olika integritetsbevarande mekanismer och skapa en maskininlärningsbaserad applikation för att visa den säkra datadelningsinfrastrukturens funktionalitet. Trots vissa utmaningar visade de valda algoritmerna lovande resultat i fråga om integritetsbevarande och statistisk likhet. Slutligen kan användningen av syntetiska data främja rättvisa beslutsprocesser och bidra till säkra datadelningspraxis inom hälso- och sjukvårdsbranschen.

Oberoende på var än i världen man befinner sig, anses patientsäkerhet vara en av de viktigaste aspekterna i sjukvården. Å andra sidan, helt beroende på var man befinner sig kommer patientsäkerheten skilja sig och är därför lägesberoende. Patientsäkerheten i ett utvecklingsland kommer därför uppfattas på ett annat sätt i jämförelse med ett I-land. Denna studie syftar till att identifiera patientsäkerheten i Puntland, Somalia och med det dess vårdmiljö i sjukhusen. Målet var att identifiera huvudfaktorerna som påverkar patientsäkerheten.

För att undersöka detta utfördes en fältstudie i den valda regionen Puntland, därefter gjordes intervjuer med personal på plats i sjukhusen och dessutom utfördes observationer. De erhållna resultaten analyserades med hjälp av metoden “Qualitative Content Analysis”. Vid ett senare skede tematiseras resultaten till fyra kategorier; “​Behov​”, “​Apparat​”, “​Utbildning​” och “​Kunskap​”, vilka visade på de huvudsakliga problemen.

Studien visade slutligen på att det fanns ett gemensamt genomgående problem av brist på apparater, utbildning och kunskap, vilket i sin tur skulle kunna påverka patienter och deras säkerhet på sätt såsom feldiagnoser, försenad behandling och i värsta fall döden. Vidare fastställdes att snarare än bristen på apparater, var avsaknaden av kunskap mer påtaglig. 

I detta examensarbete har reologiska egenskaper av färg studerats varav viskoelasticitet, rinning och utflytning har varit av huvudsakligt intresse. I denna studie presenteras metoder som förutser hur färg rinner vid industriell applicering med hjälp av data från reologisk mätningsutrustning. Studiens övergripande syfte är att förstå hur vattenbaserad färg beter sig vid sprutning på vertikala ytor. Målet med studien har uppfyllts då det har kunnat visas att det går att förutse hur färg rinner med en påläggningsmängd på 300 μm i vått tillstånd.

Med hjälp av en reometer kunde mätdata insamlas för att bestämma ett värde på en graderad skala. Fördelen med att använda en graderad skala istället är att det då går att undvika en kostsam och tidskrävande fysisk applicering av färgerna. Ett så kallat ”Shear rate loop test” användes för detta ändamål med hjälp av en grafisk tolkning. Den utvecklade metoden gav information som söktes om färgen rann eller ej.

Varianter av oscillationstester som 3ITT, amplitudsvep och frekvenssvep används för att bestämma elastiska (G’) och viskösa (G’’) egenskaper, vilket kunde åskådliggöra vilket beteende som var dominerade hos färgerna. Studien har utgått från mätdata av 28 stycken olika färger. Studien har resulterat i två metoder som går att använda för att förutse rinning efter färgapplicering: Shear rate loop och 3ITT är metoderna.

Användandet av solceller ökar kontinuerligt i Sverige och effekten som genererasav solcellerna förvaras oftast i bly-syra batterier. Dessa batterier har en dåligpåverkan på miljön eftersom det krävs mycket energi och miljöfarliga material såsom bly och svavelsyra för att tillverka dessa batterier. Östersjökompaniet AB ochmånga av dess kunder inser vikten av ett hållbart tänkande och var intresseradeav att veta om det var möjligt att maximera livslängden av dessa batterier. Underarbetets gång analyserades olika metoder för upp- och urladdning av batterier somkan påverka ett batteris livslängd och hur man kan bära sig åt för att optimera det.En laddningskontroller användes för att optimera laddningen av batteriet. För attberäkna laddningsnivån i batteriet användes metoden ”Extended voltmeter”. Enprototyp som kunde ladda batterierna på ett optimalt sätt, varna då batterietsladdningsnivå blev för låg samt en användarvänlig applikation för övervakning avbatteriet konstruerades. Ett batteris beräknade livslängd är ingen exakt vetenskap.Enligt studier kan livslängden av ett batteri fördubblas om det laddas upp ochladdas ur på ett optimalt sätt i jämförelse med då det laddas ur helt.

The non-profit organization Project Vita has recently built a maternity clinic in Linga Linga, where the medical instruments to be sterilized are boiled in water for an hour. The fuel needed to boil the water is wood, which is a scarce resource. This is why, according to the healthcare worker that was interviewed in Mozambique, it is desirable to have an electric-powered solution to sterilise the medical instruments.

After research on the different sterilization techniques that exist, the conclusion was drawn that the safest way to sterilise is by the use of an autoclave. However, it would be difficult to implement and maintain an autoclave in Linga Linga. Therefore, it was proposed to build an autoclave using a pressure cooker. Through experimentation, different programs, times and pressures were tested to find out if a pressure cooker could sterilise a common object. It could be concluded that theoretically, it seems that the pressure cooker reached a temperature of over 121 degrees Celsius. However, the pressure could not be measured nor was a biological indicator, that could indicate if an autoclave or pressure cooker does sterile, used. 

This project was to be done in Mozambique, but because of COVID-19, a travel ban was set in motion and universities and laboratories had limited access, thus limiting the project. As a result, it is still unclear if a pressure cooker can be used to sterilize medical instruments.

Att erhålla data från olika sensorer som finns på olika mobila enheter kan vara användbart inom exempelvis sport och medicin. För att data från de olika sensorerna ska kunna kombineras för analys måste de mobila enheterna tidssynkroniseras först. Denna rapport presenterar en applikation som kan användas för att beräkna skillnaden mellan de interna klockorna på två Android enheter med en kombination av Cristian- och Marzullo -algoritmerna. Olika metoder för att ansluta enheterna via både Wi-Fi och internet testas för att bestämma den optimala metoden för tidssynkronisering. Rapporten validerar också synkroniseringen genom att testa olika sensorer på två identiska Android -smartphones. Resultaten visar att klocksynkronisering mellan två mobila enheter kan uppnås med en round-trip time på 2 millisekunder eller mindre med Wi-Fi Direct. Validering av synkroniseringen visar att en fördröjning på 7 millisekunder eller mindre kan uppnås mellan två sensorer av samma typ på två identiska Android -smartphones. Det visar också att den minst möjliga fördröjningen mellan sensorer av olika typer är 16 millisekunder. Slutsatsen är att när två Android smartphones är tidssynkroniserade kan endast data från sensorer av samma typ kombineras, med undantag för kamerasensorn. Ytterligare tester med mer robust utrustning behövs för att eliminera mänskliga fel vilket kan möjligen ge mer önskvärda resultat.

Health and fitness apps have become ubiquitous as smart devices become a major necessity in day-to-day life. However, an obvious issue with mobile health (mHealth) apps is that a substantial portion of them lack a scientific foundation and instead utilize  experiential  stratagems.  Hence,  the  acquired  data  becomes  unreliable.  In sports, where data collection is extensive, this becomes a vital factor for success due to  the  increasing  usage  of  mHealth.  Therefore,  the  Swedish  School  of  Sport  and Health Sciences has, in collaboration with other organizations, created the Perceived Load  and  Fitness  Scale  Questionnaire.  The  purpose  of  this  questionnaire  is  to function as a marker for overtraining, and thus injury prevention and intervention will become a simpler and more efficient task. A computer software was developed for the questionnaire; however, a mobile version was required, and thus requested. Consequently, the mHealth prototype app eValuate was developed. Research, in the form of literature studies, and dissection of other apps, for additional information, contributed  to  the  development  of  it.  The  prototype  was  developed  using  the programming language Java with Android Studio as the Integrated Development Environment  and  Cloud  Firebase  Firestore  as  a  database  solution.  The  finished prototype, eValuate, had to be trialled to ensure that it satisfies the criteria. Thus, the Mobile Application Rating Scale was employed as the most appropriate means of evaluation. A small-scale study was planned to trial the prototype by utilizing this scale.  However,  due  to  unforeseen  events,  only  four  respondents  could  provide feedback. The prototype performed admirably and scored 3.8 stars out of 5 stars. Nonetheless, the testing sample is too small to draw any real conclusions. 

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methodology has been adopted to unravel important factors contributing to the "cluster glycoside effect" observed in carbohydrate-lectin interactions. Well-defined, glycosylated nanostructures of precise sizes, geometries and functionalization patterns were designed and synthesized, and applied to analysis of the interaction kinetics and thermodynamics with immobilized lectins. The nanostructures were based on Borromean rings, dodecaamine cages, and fullerenes, each of which carrying a defined number of carbohydrate ligands at precise locations. The synthesis of the Borromeates and dodecaamine cages was easily adjustable due to the modular assembly of the structures, resulting in variations in presentation mode. The binding properties of the glycosylated nanoplatforms were evaluated using flow-through QCM technology, as well as hemagglutination inhibition assays, and compared with dodecaglycosylated fullerenes and a monovalent reference. With the QCM setup, the association and dissociation rate constants and the associated equilibrium constants of the interactions could be estimated, and the results used to delineate the multivalency effects of the lectin-nanostructure interactions.

Nanocellulose (NC)-based hybrid coatings and films containing CeO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to impart UV screening and hardness properties, respectively, were prepared by solvent casting. The NC film-forming component (75 wt % of the overall solids) was composed entirely of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) or of CNCs combined with cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). Zeta potential measurements indicated that the four NP types (CNC, CNF, CeO2, and SiO2) were stably dispersed in water and negatively charged at pH values between 6 and 9. The combination of NPs within this pH range ensured uniform formulations and homogeneous coatings and films, which blocked UV light, the extent of which depended on film thickness and CeO2 NP content, while maintaining good transparency in the visible spectrum (∼80%). The addition of a low amount of CNFs (1%) reduced the film hardness, but this effect was compensated by the addition of SiO2 NPs. Chiral nematic self-assembly was observed in the mixed NC film; however, this ordering was disrupted by the addition of the oxide NPs. The roughness of the hybrid coatings was reduced by the inclusion of oxide NPs into the NC matrix perhaps because the spherical oxide NPs were able to pack into the spaces between cellulose fibrils. We envision these hybrid coatings and films in barrier applications, photovoltaics, cosmetic formulations, such as sunscreens, and for the care and maintenance of wood and glass surfaces, or other surfaces that require a smooth, hard, and transparent finish and protection from UV damage.

From a circular economyperspective, one-pot strategies for theisolation of cellulose nanomaterials at a high yield and with multifunctionalproperties are attractive. Here, the effects of lignin content (bleachedvs unbleached softwood kraft pulp) and sulfuric acid concentrationon the properties of crystalline lignocellulose isolates and theirfilms are explored. Hydrolysis at 58 wt % sulfuric acid resulted inboth cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and microcrystalline celluloseat a relatively high yield (>55%), whereas hydrolysis at 64 wt% gaveCNCs at a lower yield (<20%). CNCs from 58 wt % hydrolysis weremore polydisperse and had a higher average aspect ratio (1.5-2x),a lower surface charge (2x), and a higher shear viscosity (100-1000x).Hydrolysis of unbleached pulp additionally yielded spherical nanoparticles(NPs) that were <50 nm in diameter and identified as lignin bynanoscale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and IR imaging.Chiral nematic self-organization was observed in films from CNCs isolatedat 64 wt % but not from the more heterogeneous CNC qualities producedat 58 wt %. All films degraded to some extent under simulated sunlighttrials, but these effects were less pronounced in lignin-NP-containingfilms, suggesting a protective feature, but the hemicellulose contentand CNC crystallinity may be implicated as well. Finally, heterogeneousCNC compositions obtained at a high yield and with improved resourceefficiency are suggested for specific nanocellulose uses, for instance,as thickeners or reinforcing fillers, representing a step toward thedevelopment of application-tailored CNC grades.

In this paper, the spotlight is directed towards studying the handling capacity of pure Ro-Ro terminals, especially the new terminal of Norvik port. To this end, a simulation model based on a distributed architecture is built to assess the handling capacity under different flow scenarios with a particular focus on the trailer flow and export-lorry flow the terminal can handle in terms of resource availability, trailer-dwell times and management rules. This helped to determine the number of resources required to evacuate smoothly the incoming flows and to identify where potential bottlenecks happen the most inside the terminal. The established model is verified then validated by experts to conduct properly the experiment study where the model is fed with empirical data provided by terminal authorities. This experiment showed that the terminal can handle flows of which trailers do not exceed 17% and the export fraction of lorries is at most 42%.

Container terminals are complex systems where containerized cargo undergoes a set of processing and handling operations to be delivered to their outgoing modes. A pool of decision support methods and simulation models has been developed to assist planners and managers in making decisions about daily operations. Nevertheless, most are designed for a particular terminal and not generic types. Indeed, a generic model serves as a conceptual factory to create specific models which greatly reduces the time and efforts of development; however, building such a model is no mean feat. To this aim, the paper on hand discusses the complexity of applying genericity, flexibility, and modularity in system modeling and proposes a generic architecture to build modular and flexible simulation models for container terminals. This architecture is split into a set of smaller, manageable, well-connected, and generic modules that facilitate the creation of highly parametrized specific models. An illustrative example of the architecture usage is presented in a case study, the new container terminal of Stockholm, and the resulting models were validated by subject matter experts. Finally, to prove its efficiency, a numerical study fed with real data is conducted to investigate the handling capacity of the studied system under different handling and flow scenarios. The obtained results show that the terminal handling capacity can be increased by around 50% if three to four more straddle carriers are added to the existing fleet.

Demands for health care are becoming overwhelming for healthcare systems around the world regarding theavailability of resources, particularly, in emergency departments (EDs) that are continuously open and mustserve immediately any patient who comes in. Efficient management of EDs and their resources is requiredmore than ever. This could be achieved either by optimizing resource utilization or by the improvement ofhospital layout. This paper investigates, through data-driven simulation alternative designs of workflowsand layouts to operate the ED of the Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. Results are analyzed tounderstand the requirements across the hospital for reduced waiting times in the ED. The main observationrevealed that introducing a new ward dedicated to patients having complex diagnoses with a capacity ofless than 20 beds leads to lower waiting times. Furthermore, the use of data-mining was of great help inreducing the efforts of building the simulation model.

Modeling, one of the main pillars of good scientific research, is a long-standing multidisciplinary activity to understand and analyze complex systems. In this paper, the focus is directed toward conceptual modeling of multi-terminal seaports specialized in handling and treatment of intermodal transport units (ITU). These systems are complex with highly dynamic and stochastic behaviors and actors, therefore, studying them as a coherent whole or just analyzing one part by taking into account the high degree of integration among the different aspects and actors linked by a flow of activities, information, and interactions is a bet lost in advance without a well-defined design process. Several design approaches and methodologies have been proposed over the years, but nonetheless, there is still no agreement on how to conduct modeling of complex systems because they are of different kinds. In this line, this paper proposes a top-down approach for container and Ro-Ro terminals largely inspired by the Unified Process Methodology and refined through several research projects that we have been involved in. It gives some recommendations and guidelines as well as a helpful way to successfully build modular and consistent simulation models. To prove its efficiency, it was applied to a case study and the resulting models were validated by the subject matter's experts.

As a type of intermodal terminal, pure Ro-Ro terminals are one of the most important logistic hubs in the supply chain for rolling freight stored in containerized and wheeled steel boxes. These large-scale systems are highly complex, with nonlinear and hard-to-predict behavior evolving in a stochastic environment. Consequently, making decisions about any problem thereof is no mean feat, particularly for terminal planners. To assist them in decision-making, a pool of relevant models and tools have been developed over the years in the literature. Nevertheless, models that are oriented toward specific objectives dominate, and generic ones are rare. This paper tries to fill this gap and proposes a generic framework to be used as a factory to create specific decision support models based on simulation for pure Ro-Ro terminals. This framework is formulated following two artifacts: (1) the known classification of key performance indicators combined with the typical functional and physical organization of pure Ro-Ro terminals; (2) the three main arteries of harbor systems, namely flows, decisions and operations. Then a scalable way of making decisions based on a flexible form of the cost function weighted according to a set of coefficients is integrated. These designed coefficients allow decision-makers a wide flexibly in choosing how the best solutions are determined. An application of this framework is illustrated through a real case study, where the weights are estimated using an expert-profiling based approach then pushed into the OptQuest optimizer to be calibrated before analyzing the results. These results are aggregated, then expressed as scores on a scale of 0 to 1. This is to help terminal planners to easily identify the worst and best planning scenarios as well as the relationships and compatibilities between the involved handling rules to suggest different alternatives for managing operations.

Gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPRs) are overexpressed in the majority of primary prostate tumors and in prostatic lymph node and bone metastases. Several GRPR antagonists were developed for SPECT and PET imaging of prostate cancer. We previously reported a preclinical evaluation of the GRPR antagonist [Tc-99m]Tc-maSSS-PEG2-RM26 (based on [D-Phe(6), Sta(13), Leu(14)-NH2]BBN(6-14)) which bound to GRPR with high affinity and had a favorable biodistribution profile in tumor-bearing animal models. In this study, we aimed to prepare and test kits for prospective use in an early-phase clinical study. The kits were prepared to allow for a one-pot single-step radiolabeling with technetium-99m pertechnetate. The kit vials were tested for sterility and labeling efficacy. The radiolabeled by using the kit GRPR antagonist was evaluated in vitro for binding specificity to GRPR on PC-3 cells (GRPR-positive). In vivo, the toxicity of the kit constituents was evaluated in rats. The labeling efficacy of the kits stored at 4 degrees C was monitored for 18 months. The biological properties of [Tc-99m]Tc-maSSS-PEG2-RM26, which were obtained after this period, were examined both in vitro and in vivo. The one-pot (gluconic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, stannous chloride, and maSSS-PEG(2)-RM26) single-step radiolabeling with technetium-99m was successful with high radiochemical yields (>97%) and high molar activities (16-24 MBq/nmol). The radiolabeled peptide maintained its binding properties to GRPR. The kit constituents were sterile and non-toxic when tested in living subjects. In conclusion, the prepared kit is considered safe in animal models and can be further evaluated for use in clinics.

The targeting of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPR) was recently proposed for targeted therapy, e.g., radiotherapy. Multiple and frequent injections of peptide-based therapeutic agents would be required due to rapid blood clearance. By conjugation of the GRPR antagonist RM26 (D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2) to an ABD (albumin-binding domain), we aimed to extend the blood circulation of peptides. The synthesized conjugate DOTA-ABD-RM26 was labelled with indium-111 and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The labelled conjugate was stable in PBS and retained specificity and its antagonistic function against GRPR. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of In-nat-DOTA-ABD-RM26 in the presence of human serum albumin was 49 +/- 5 nM. [In-111]In-DOTA-ABD-RM26 had a significantly longer residence time in blood and in tumors (without a significant decrease of up to 144 h pi) than the parental RM26 peptide. We conclude that the ABD-RM26 conjugate can be used for GRPR-targeted therapy and delivery of cytotoxic drugs. However, the undesirable elevated activity uptake in kidneys abolishes its use for radionuclide therapy. This proof-of-principle study justified further optimization of the molecular design of the ABD-RM26 conjugate.

Järnvägsbranschen står i dagsläget inför stora utmaningar med planerade infrastrukturprojekt och underhåll av befintlig järnväg. Med ökade förväntningar på  utbyggnaden av den framtida järnvägen, medför det en ökad risk för belastning på det nuvarande nätet. Baksidan av utbyggnaden kan bli fler inställda resor och  förseningar. Genom att dra nytta av tekniska innovationer såsom digitalisering och  automatisering kan det befintliga system och arbetsprocesser utvecklas för en  effektivare hantering.  Trafikverket ställer krav på Byggnadsinformationsmodeller (BIM) i upphandlingar. Projektering för signalanläggningar sker hos Sweco med CAD-programmet  Promis.e. Från programmet kan Baninformationslistor (BIS-listor) innehållande  information om objekts attribut hämtas. Trafikverket ställer krav på att attributen ska bestå av ett visst format eller ha specifika värden. I detta examensarbete  undersöks metoder för att automatisk verifiera ifall objekt har tillåtna värden från projekteringsverktyget samt implementering av en metod. Undersökta metoder  innefattar kalkyleringsprogrammet Excel, frågespråket Structured Query Language (SQL) och processen Extract, Transform and Load (ETL).  Efter analys av metoder valdes processen ETL. Resultatet blev att ett program  skapades för att automatiskt välja vilken typ av BIS-lista som skulle granskas och för att verifiera om attributen innehöll tillåtna värden. För att undersöka om kostnaden för programmen skulle gynna företaget utöver kvalitetssäkringen utfördes en  ekonomisk analys. Enligt beräkningarna kunde valet av att automatisera  granskningen även motiveras ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv.

Metallbaserade högentropioxider anses vara lämpliga för användning av elektrodmaterial för litium-jon batterier. I detta arbete syntetiserades den första högentropioxiden Mg0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Co0.2Zn0.2O (M-HEO) som har stensaltstruktur genom Modifierad Pechini- syntesmetod, karakteriserad av röntgendiffraktionsanalys och undersöktes som aktivt material i den negativa elektroden. M-HEO har konceptet av entropistabilisering av kristallstrukturen i oxidsystem som har det konfigurerade entropivärdet av 1,6R. Detta bekräftade att M-HEO klassificerades som högentropioxid. 

För att testa den elektrokemiska prestandan, användes fullceller bestående av M-HEO som anod, litiummanganoxid (LMO) som katod tillsammans med jonisk flytande elektrolyt. Detta gjordes för att undersöka M-HEO potentiella praktiska tillämpningar. Den elektrokemiska cyklingsprestandan studerades genom två elektrokemiska experiment, cyklisk voltammetri med tre-elektroder och galvanostatisk laddning/urladdning med knapp-celler. Den cykliska voltammetri mätningen användes för att bestämma vart i systemet sker redox reaktion för att sedan kunna identifiera på vilka potentialintervall samt skanningshastighet, medan galvanostatisk laddning/urladdning användes för att bestämma batteriets prestanda över tid genom att applicera konstant ström. Resultaten visar sig att hög entropi oxider har en stabil stensaltstruktur. Detta bidrar till att M-HEO som har en stabil struktur kan vara ett lämpligt anodmaterial i litium-jon batterier.