Tesi sul tema "Portable tools"
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1
Sheen, Timothy M. "Tools for portable parallel image processing". Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1999. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU112832.
Abstract (sommario):
The computational demands of real-time image processing often dictate the use of techniques such as parallel processing to meet required performance. This thesis considers a range of technology which may be used to accelerate image processing operations. An occam compiler is ported to a PowerPC based parallel computer. A multiprocessor configuration tool and Run Time System is developed, allowing occam programs to be distributed over an arbitrary sized network of PowerPC microprocessors. Code optimization techniques for image processing operations are investigated, with the development of a post-compilation code optimizer. The optimizer provides performance increases between 37% and 450% for a variety of image processing algorithms. The applicability of these tools is demonstrated with two image processing applications, micro-biological rapid imaging and sediment texture analysis. Edge detection, region merging and shape analysis algorithms are discussed in the context of the applications. The image processing algorithms are implemented in occam and performance is compared on serial and parallel platforms. The algorithms are then ported to a hardware implementation in a custom computing device, based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA), using the Handel hardware compilation system. The issues involved with this porting are discussed, including the compromises which must be considered when designing for a size constrained hardware platform. Amongst the issues considered are restricted precision data, low level parallelism and algorithmic simplifications. To provide performance equivalent to the hardware, between 5 and 10 processors would be required on the parallel machine, with considerably greater cost, size and power consumption.
2
Tordsson, Johan. "Portable Tools for Interoperable Grids : Modular Architectures and Software for Job and Workflow Management". Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för datavetenskap, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-19630.
Abstract (sommario):
The emergence of Grid computing infrastructures enables researchers to shareresources and collaborate in more efficient ways than before, despite belongingto different organizations and being geographically distributed. While the Gridcomputing paradigm offers new opportunities, it also gives rise to newdifficulties. This thesis investigates methods, architectures, and algorithmsfor a range of topics in the area of Grid resource management. One studiedtopic is how to automate and improve resource selection, despite heterogeneityin Grid hardware, software, availability, ownership, and usage policies.Algorithmical difficulties for this are, e.g., characterization of jobs andresources, prediction of resource performance, and data placementconsiderations. Investigated Quality of Service aspects of resource selectioninclude how to guarantee job start and/or completion times as well as how tosynchronize multiple resources for coordinated use through coallocation.Another explored research topic is architectural considerations for frameworksthat simplify and automate submission, monitoring, and fault handling for largeamounts of jobs. This thesis also investigates suitable Grid interactionpatterns for scientific workflows, studies programming models that enable dataparallelism for such workflows, as well as analyzes how workflow compositiontools should be designed to increase flexibility and expressiveness. We today have the somewhat paradoxical situation where Grids, originally aimed tofederate resources and overcome interoperability problems between differentcomputing platforms, themselves struggle with interoperability problems causedby the wide range of interfaces, protocols, and data formats that are used indifferent environments. This thesis demonstrates how proof-of-concept softwaretools for Grid resource management can, by using (proposed) standard formatsand protocols as well as leveraging state-of-the-art principles fromservice-oriented architectures, be made independent of current Gridinfrastructures. Further interoperability contributions include an in-depthstudy that surveys issues related to the use of Grid resources in scientificworkflows. This study improves our understanding of interoperability amongscientific workflow systems by viewing this topic from three differentperspectives: model of computation, workflow language, and executionenvironment. A final contribution in this thesis is the investigation of how the design ofGrid middleware tools can adopt principles and concepts from softwareengineering in order to improve, e.g., adaptability and interoperability.
3
Blake, Elizabeth Catherine. "Stone 'tools' as portable sound-producing objects in Upper Palaeolithic contexts : the application of an experimental study". Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609715.
4
Kim, Yonghwi. "Near real-time reconciliation of geochemical data acquired with handheld spectroscopic devices : Application to volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit from the Iberian Pyrite Belt". Electronic Thesis or Diss., Université de Lorraine, 2022. http://www.theses.fr/2022LORR0027.
Abstract (sommario):
L'exploration minière axée sur des cibles cachées en profondeur nécessite (i) des techniques efficaces qui sont applicables sur le terrain pour identifier les systèmes de formation de minerai à grande échelle et (ii) des éclaireurs pour pouvoir localiser le minerai à plus petite échelle. Avec le développement rapide des équipements portables ces dernières années, l'importance de l'analyse en temps quasi réel sur le terrain a augmenté en aidant à la prise de décision rapide avant les demandes de laboratoire. Des équipements individuels ont été largement utilisés dans l'exploration des ressources minérales pour réaliser des analyses spectroscopiques. Cependant, les données obtenues par plusieurs techniques sont rarement appliquées pour caractériser les "vecteurs" qui peuvent fournir des informations intéressantes sur les variations dans la lithologie, la géochimie, la minéralogie et la chimie des minéraux. La combinaison des données spectrales obtenues à partir de divers instruments portables est encore plus rare. L’objectif principal de ce travail de thèse est de concilier les données géochimiques acquises à partir de différents appareils spectroscopiques portables afin de déterminer la meilleure information géochimique de chaque technique appliquée en combinant les informations minéralogiques et élémentaires. Dans cette étude, les données élémentaires et minéralogiques sont fournies par six techniques portables: (i) des analyses élémentaires telles que XRF et LIBS pour les éléments majeurs, les traces et les éléments légers, et (ii) des analyses minéralogiques telles que Raman, VNIR-SWIR, MIR et XRD pour contraindre les minéraux de formation de roche, de minerai et d'altération. L'objectif final de cette étude est d'identifier les vecteurs vers le minerai en appliquant les données multispectrales réconciliées, ceux qui sont obtenues à partir de l'échantillon "réel" dans le gisement de sulfure massif volcanogène (SMV) d'Elvira. Pour cela, des procédures étape par étape ont été réalisées : (i) comprendre la méthodologie de chaque technique, (ii) établir une base de données spectrales composée de minéraux naturellement monominéraux, (iii) concevoir d'un arbre de décision pour classer par minéral ou classes de minéraux en fonction des bandes diagnostiques, et identifier et quantifier des minéraux (iv) carbonate et (v) phyllosilicate (i.e., chlorites trioctaédriques et micas dioctaédriques), qui sont des indicateurs du gisement cible. Plusieurs limites de la spectroscopie portable ont été confirmées en fonction de l'appareil lui-même et de l'environnement géologique du gisement d'Elvira. Néanmoins, la spectroscopie portable est efficace pour identifier la présence et les changements de composition de divers minéraux dans des échantillons de roches hétérogènes. Par conséquent, l'analyse spectroscopique sur place peut être l'un des outils de vectorisation pour déterminer l'implication de la minéralisation dans les explorations de minerais cachésMineral exploration focused on deeply concealed targets at depth requires effective techniques applicable in the field in order to identify ore-forming systems on a large scale and pathfinders to locate ore on a smaller scale. According to the rapid development of portable equipment in recent years, the importance of near real-time analysis in the field has been increasing by helping fast decision-making support before laboratory requests.Spectroscopic analysis using individual equipment has been widely used in the exploration of mineral resources, but it is rare to apply integrated data from several techniques to characterize “vectors”, which provide variations in lithology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry. In addition, it is even rarer if the combination of spectral data is obtained from various portable instruments. Therefore, this study aims at reconciling geochemical data acquired from portable spectroscopic devices in order to determine the best geochemical information from each technique applied by combining the mineralogical and elemental information. Elemental and mineralogical data are provided in this study by six portable techniques: (i) elemental analyses such as XRF and LIBS for major, trace, and light elements, and (ii) mineralogical analyses such as Raman, VNIR-SWIR, MIR, and XRD to constrain rock-forming, ore, and alteration minerals.The final objective of this study is to identify vectors to the ore by applying the reconciled multi-spectral data obtained from the “real” sample in the Elvira volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit. To achieve this, step-by-step procedures were carried out: (i) methodological understanding of each technique, (ii) establishment of a spectral database consisting of naturally monomineralic minerals, (iii) design of a decision tree to classify by mineral or mineral classes based on diagnostic bands, and mineral identification and quantification of (iv) carbonate and (v) phyllosilicate minerals (i.e., trioctahedral chlorites and dioctahedral micas), which are indicators of the target deposit.Several limitations of portable spectroscopy were confirmed based on the device itself and the geological environment in the Elvira deposit. Nevertheless, portable spectroscopy is effective in identifying the presence and compositional changes of various minerals from heterogeneous rock samples. Therefore, spectroscopic analysis on-site can be one of the vectoring tools to determine the implication for ore mineralization in hidden ore explorations
5
Persson, Kalle. "Is portable justice a universally available tool? : a comparative study". Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Juridiska institutionen, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-120978.
6
Wasilewski, Dominik. "Modeling of Enterprise Portals with Domain-Specific Language". Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sektionen för datavetenskap och kommunikation, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-2343.
Abstract (sommario):
Enterprise portals are comprehensive solutions that enable centralized access to information and employees. They also support the business processes taking place in companies. The diversity of functionality offered by enterprise portals is the source of the complexity of the manufacturing process of such applications. Domain-Specific Languages (DSL) are a novel approach to solving problems associated with the software development. By limiting the possibilities of expression to the concepts related to a specific area Domain-Specific Languages are more focused on solving specific problems. The subject of this thesis is DSL SharePoint – Domain-Specific Language which supports the production of enterprise portals on Microsoft SharePoint platform. Language was developed with respect to the newest achievements in area of building DSLs. By applying the language in the industry, it was possible to verify the hypothesis that its usage positively affects the quality of software products. To this end, the quality model was built, and products made with the support of language have been compared to those developed in the traditional manner.
7
Wang, Hui 1964. "Development of a portal imager and of tools for radiation treatment verification". Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40463.
Abstract (sommario):
A prototype electrostatic imager has been developed for megavoltage portal imaging in radiation therapy. The imager utilizes amorphous selenium (a-Se) with a front metal plate as the imager receptor and a high resolution voltmeter probe for image readout. Imaging characteristics of a-Se have been investigated theoretically through Monte Carlo simulations, and experimentally by measuring radiation discharging curves and phantom tests. The results of this study have shown that the prototype imager has high sensitivity, good spatial resolution and low noise level. Our study also reveals the potential of electrostatic imaging with metal/a-Se in megavoltage imaging.Two computer algorithms have also been developed for automatic segmentation and contrast-enhancement of digital portal images, and for radiation field shape verification. Based on a priori knowledge of the properties of portal images, the segmentation and contrast-enhancement algorithm employs multiple criteria and dynamic reasoning to achieve optimal segmentations of individual images, and has been proved to be accurate, robust and fast. The algorithm for radiation field shape verification is an adaptation of the chamfer matching technique to a specific application: matching closed contours. By incorporating geometric features of the radiation field and using a simple minimization method which is more specific to this task, the algorithm appears to be able to improve the matching results of the standard method.
8
Evans, J. A. "A study of portable computers and interactive multimedia as a new tool for interpreting museum collections". Thesis, University of Salford, 1999. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/14787/.
Abstract (sommario):
Over the last two decades the introduction of interactive multimedia applications complimenting existing interpretative techniques in museum displays has become a widely accepted practice. Indeed fixed interactive multimedia applications can communicate large amounts of often complex information in a user friendly and accessible way. A drawback is their fixed position. This research project identified the potential of using a portable computer with an interactive multimedia application manipulated through a touch screen interface. This thesis describe& the results of a series of empirical studies to design and test the effectiveness of a portable computer as a new tool for interpretation in a museum gallery. The central aim of the research, funded by the GEMISIS 2000 initiative, was to examine potential innovative applications of new interactive technologies for heritage attractions and museums. Exploratory research progressed from discovery and gaining insights into the diversity of interactive multimedia applications in heritage attractions to the dynamics of interactive multimedia as a powerful communication medium. The main study fell into three distinct yet complimentary research pathways namely 1) to design an interactive multimedia application for a portable computer, 2) to examine the use and effectiveness of the portable computer with museum visitors, 3) to assess the application as a new tool for interpretation in a museum setting. The conclusions of this research project are based upon the results of a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation study, which combined a questionnaire survey, structured unobtrusive observation and interaction logging. As the research project was initiated there were few other projects in this field of study, and no formal evaluation had been published. At the completion, four research projects were identified and are detailed in the conclusion. The results of this research project have confirmed the hypothesis that a portable computer with an interactive multimedia application has the potential to enhance interpretation and to become a new tool for interpreting museum collections. As the number of homes with multimedia capable computers equipped with CD-ROM drives and connected to the Internet grows and exposure to computers at work and at school increases, visitors are well prepared to handle the new technology. The projects results show ease of use and an increased recall of exhibits by visitors. Visitors experienced discovery based learning at their own pace facilitated by a portable touch screen computer. Limitations of the project are discussed and future research topics identified. These included expanding the interactive multimedia application to cover the whole gallery, exploring alternative interaction models, evaluating the impact of age and gender, evaluating the portable computer within other categories of museums, to evaluating location aware positioning systems and to investigating Personal Digital Assistants as a potential hardware platform.
9
Lopez, Gabriella Elizabeth. "A Description of the Use of Portable Ultrasound as a Nutritional Assessment Tool in Kidney Transplant Candidates". The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555518158174315.
10
Carlsen, Martin. "Appropriating mathematical tools through problem solving in collaborative small-group settings /". Kristiansand : University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science, 2008. http://www.uia.no/no/portaler/aktuelt/nyhetsarkivet/disputas_elevsamarbeid_gir_matematikklaering.
11
Marques, Bernardo José Santos. "Veracity: low cost physiology assessment tool using virtual reality". Master's thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/22731.
Abstract (sommario):
Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaAnxiety disorders affect many individuals, conditioning their daily life routines. Specific phobia is one example of an anxiety disorder, which is an irrational fear towards an object, or situation. Phobics felt a distorted reality, and usually try to avoid the phobic element, which will only intensify the problem. The evolution of technology and the miniaturization brought to the foreground not only allow the development of portable solutions for the assessment of psychological and behavior but also new possibility to mimic the real world likes Virtual Reality (VR) outside of the laboratory setting. Recent studies, describe Virtual Reality exposure as effective, when compared to in vivo exposure, with the benefit of being less aggressive to the phobic individual. In this dissertation, we propose Veracity, an affordable and portable system, which relies on VR to present more ecological and virtual stimuli to phobic individuals while monitoring their physiological and behaviour response. We used spider phobias as the main case study of our system. While presenting the VR stimuli, using a game divided in a set of increasing difficulty levels, Veracity allows the interaction with the virtual environment through hand gesture. Simultaneously the individual’s reaction is acquired (ECG, HR, RR, VIDEO, Screenshots, 3D objects tracking, etc.) using external resources and two smartphone applications. Veracity also supports data management for post processing integrated with the cloud. The gamification approach and its ability to customize the virtual stimuli provides enough versatility to foster its usefulness in clinical practice as a solution to monitor and elicit natural reactions from individuals with specific phobias.
Distúrbios de ansiedade afetam muitos indivíduos, condicionando as suas rotinas. Um exemplo é o caso da fobia específica, um medo irracional em relação a um objeto ou situação. Indivíduos fóbicos sentem uma realidade distorcida, e geralmente, tentam evitar o elemento fóbico, o que intensifica o problema. A evolução da tecnologia não só permite o desenvolvimento de soluções portáteis para a avaliação fisiológica e comportamental, criando novas possibilidades para imitar o mundo real utilizando Realidade Virtual (VR) fora do ambiente controlado de laboratório. Estudos recentes, descrevem a exposição a VR como sendo eficaz quando comparada com a exposição in vivo, sendo menos agressiva para o individuo. Nesta dissertação, propomos o Veracity, um sistema portátil e economicamente acessível, para apresentação de estímulos virtuais a indivíduos fóbicos e interação com esse ambiente através do reconhecimento da mão e gestos enquanto a sua resposta fisiológica e comportamental é monitorizada. O principal caso de estudo do nosso sistema é a fobia de aranhas. O sistema é rápido de configurar, permite a recolha de dados fora do ambiente de laboratório e a exposição a estímulos, que permitem reações mais naturais. Simultaneamente, a reação do indivíduo é adquirida (ECG, HR, RR, VIDEO, Imagens, 3D tracking, etc.), utilizando recursos externos e duas aplicações para dispositivos móveis. Veracity suporta ainda a gestão dos dados recolhidos, para pósprocessamento integrado com a cloud. A sua aproximação baseada em jogos e a sua capacidade de personalizar os estímulos virtuais, proporciona um nível de versatilidadeque, que promove a sua utilidade na prática clínica como uma solução para provocar reações naturais e monitorizarem individuos com fobias específicas.
12
Bolger, Triona. "Craniofacial development : chemical tools and molecular biology". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2012. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/craniofacial-development(6d589552-920a-418f-81f0-a5941a922735).html.
Abstract (sommario):
In this project I have used Xenopus laevis to address the spatial and temporal requirements for various signaling pathways in organogenesis, specifically craniofacial development. Craniofacial structures of Xenopus, such as the cartilages, are analogous to those in other vertebrates. A significant portion of the vertebrate head is derived from the neural crest. Thus, this is also a study of neural crest development. The vertebrate head can be defined by the presence of a number of specialised features including a segmented brain, complex sensory organs and others such as skull bones, teeth and facial muscles. This developmental biology project strives to understand how various signaling pathways regulate the development of this complex, multicellular, three-dimensional region. Moreover, I am interested in how the neural crest can contribute to these wide-ranging structures. The unique features of the head help set vertebrates apart from cephalochordates, their closest non-vertebrate relatives (Stone and Hall, 2004) (Wada, 2001). One such close relative is Amphioxus, which has a notochord and a neural tube, but does not possess a complex brain or any complex facial structures. Crucially, it lacks the neural crest cells that comprise the head structures of vertebrates. In cephalochordate and urochordate embryos the cells in the border between the neural plate and the epidermis express several key genes required for vertebrate crest development (Snail, Msx, Bmp2, Pax3) (Meulemans and Bronner-Fraser, 2007; Yu et al., 2008). Unlike vertebrate crest, these cells are not migratory and do not have the same pluripotency of vertebrate neural crest cells (Holland and Holland, 2001). As such, the innovation of migratory neural crest cells is integral to the development of the head.
13
Dawes, Joseph. "Developing tools for simulating biological flows". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/developing-tools-for-simulatingbiological-flows(6292f4cb-10bd-4ac3-a7ac-b8d231f0d3c4).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The long term aim of this work is to investigate and develop efficient methods to analyse systems involving biological flows with fluid structure interaction, particularly cerebral aneurysms. Cerebral aneurysms are extremely complex biological structures and this work develops some of the groundwork required to eventually build the capability to efficiently simulate them computationally. This will enable the prediction of a patient specific risk model to aid in surgical decisions on a day to day basis or in large scale studies. Fibrous immersed dynamic structures of cerebral aneurysms seem suited to immersed boundary method simulations. Because of this numerous Immersed Boundary methods are investigated to determine if they present a viable approach, and which of these is best suited. A number of different computational tools have been built and investigated using FFTW, Eigen, OpenMP, and GNU OCTAVE to meet the requirements to allow numerous implicit and explicit approaches to be investigated. These tools are validated and tested for a number of cases. Preliminary work is also presented aimed at generating physically representative numerical models from MRI scans.
14
Power, Jane Elizabeth. "New NMR tools for impurity analysis". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/new-nmr-tools-for-impurity-analysis(f6814907-cb3b-4c67-9702-dda58fbc726c).html.
Abstract (sommario):
New NMR Tools for Impurity Analysis was written by Jane Power and submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Manchester, on 31st March 2016.NMR spectroscopy is rich in structural information and is a widely used technique for structure elucidation and characterization of organic molecules; however, for impurity analysis it is not generally the tool of choice. While 1H NMR is quite sensitive, due to its narrow chemical shift range (0 - 10 ppm) and the high abundance of hydrogen atoms in most drugs, its resolution is often poor, with much signal overlap. Therefore, impurity signals, especially for chemically cognate species, are frequently obscured. 19F NMR on the other hand offers extremely high resolution for pharmaceutical applications. It exhibits far wider chemical shift ranges (± 300 ppm) than 1H NMR, and typical fluorinated drugs, of which there are many on the market, have only one or two fluorine atoms. In view of this, 19F NMR is being considered as an alternative for low-level impurity analysis and quantification, using a chosen example drug, rosuvastatin. Before 19F NMR can be effectively used for such analysis, the significant technical problem of pulse imperfections, such as sensitivity to B1 inhomogeneity and resonance-offset effects, has to be overcome. At present, due to the limited power of the radiofrequency amplifiers, only a fraction of the very wide frequency ranges encountered with nuclei such as fluorine can be excited uniformly at any one time. In this thesis, some of the limitations imposed by pulse imperfections are addressed and overcome. Two new pulse sequences are developed and presented, CHORUS and CHORUS Oneshot, which use tailored, ultra-broadband swept-frequency chirp pulses to achieve uniform constant amplitude and constant phase excitation and refocusing over very wide bandwidths (approximately 250 kHz), with no undue B1 sensitivity and no significant loss in sensitivity. CHORUS, for use in quantitative NMR, is demonstrated to give accuracies better than 0.1%. CHORUS Oneshot, a diffusion-ordered spectroscopic technique, exploits the exquisite sensitivity of the 19F chemical shift to its local environment, giving excellent resolution, which allows for accurate discrimination between diffusion coefficients with high dynamic range and over very wide bandwidths. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is investigated and shown to be a suitable reference material for use in 19F NMR. The bandshape of the fluorine signal and its satellites is simple, without complex splitting patterns, and therefore good for reference deconvolution; in addition, it is sufficiently soluble in the solvent of choice, DMSO-d6.To demonstrate the functionality of the CHORUS sequences for low-level impurity analysis, 470 MHz 1H decoupled 19F spectra were acquired on a 500 MHz Bruker system, using a degraded sample of rosuvastatin, to reveal two low-level impurities. Using a standard Varian probe with a single high frequency channel, simultaneous 1H irradiation and 19F acquisition was made possible by time-sharing. Simultaneous 19F{1H} and 19F{13C} double decoupling was then performed using degraded and fresh samples of rosuvastatin, to reveal three low-level impurities (in the degraded sample) and low-level 1H and 13C modulation artefacts.
15
Namet, Olivier. "Strategic modelling with graph rewriting tools". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2012. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/strategic-modelling-with-graph-rewriting-tools(1f93398a-eebc-4654-a362-491f27e7d23b).html.
Abstract (sommario):
To model complex systems, graphical formalisms have clear advantages: they are more intuitive and make it easier to visualise a system and convey intuitions or ideas about it. Graph rewriting rules can be used to model their dynamic evolution and from a practical point of view, graph transformations have many applications in specification, programming, and simulation tools. Strategic rewriting has been studied for term rewriting systems, and there are languages that allow the user to specify a strategy controlling the use of rewrite rules and to apply it. For graph rewriting, some graph-transformation languages and tools allow the users to specify the way rules are applied. However, there is no general language that uses positions explicitly to apply rules. The work presented in this thesis describes a new notion of located graphs and a strategy language containing focusing constructs. In a graph, there is no notion of a root so standard term rewriting strategies based on top-down or bottom-up traversals do not make sense in this setting. We solve the problem by introducing the notion of position and banning in our located graphs and strategy language to allow for graph traversals and selective rule application based on location within a graph. Two tools graphPaper and PORGY are also described, which allow users to create graph rewrit¬ing systems and to apply strategies on them to create trace trees forming result sets. Specifically, the full implementation of graphPaper, a tool to create and edit graph rewriting systems, is de¬scribed as well as the implementation of the strategy language into the PORGY system to allow users to view a dynamic trace of the computation of a strategic graph system.
16
Jimenez, Rosales Angelica. "Methyltransferases as bioorthogonal labelling tools for proteins". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/methyltransferases-as-bioorthogonal-labelling-tools-for-proteins(27231f93-7cdd-4c2d-9f31-0adc3f38b147).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Development of enzymatic labelling methods has been driven by the importance of studying molecular structures and interactions to comprehend cellular processes. Methyltransferases (MTases), which regulate genetic expression by transferring a methyl group from the cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to DNA, histones and various proteins, have been shown to accept SAM analogues with an alternative alkyl group on the sulfonium centre. These alkyl groups can be transferred to the substrate, and with a further reaction can be selectively functionalized. Thus, MTases together with SAM analogues have emerged as novel labelling tools. The project aims to use MTases to obtain an orthogonal system that can selectively use a SAM cofactor analogue to transfer functional chains to proteins with a specific motif. To achieve selectivity of the system, the SAM analogue cofactor was modified on the ribose ring; to obtain a new transferase activity of the system, the transferable methyl on the sulfonium centre was changed to a different substituent. SAM analogues were produced enzymatically with hMAT2A by using 3'-deoxy-ATP and methionine or ethionine. Mutants of SET8 and novel substrates were designed to have modifications at residues in the active site, within the vicinity of the ribose ring of SAM, and were assessed for selective activity with the new analogue cofactor. The results showed that the new cofactor 3'-deoxy-S-adenosyl-L-methionine (3'dSAM) was efficient in the mono-methylation of the substrate peptide RFRKVL, and that the mutant SET8 C270V exhibited over 13 fold MTase activity in presence of 3'dSAM and the RFRKVL substrate, in comparison with the activity with the WT sequence RHRKVL and the SAM cofactor. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) was used as a model protein to express the motif RFRKVL, to transform it into a potential substrate for SET8. Assessment of the MTase activity of SET8, 3'dSAM and the novel GST substrate indicated mono-methylation of the substrate. Moreover, the motif showed no interference with GST native activity. Based on the observations, a new enzymatic system shows higher selectivity with a new analogue cofactor over SAM to effectively methylate proteins expressing the consensus RFRKVL. Work on substrates, enzymes and cofactors should continue to obtain a functional-chain transferase activity of the enzymatic system.
17
Valencia, Suarez Julio Enrique. "Development of tools for biotechnology of microalgae". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-tools-for-biotechnology-of-microalgae(b94627d0-c6c0-4055-bbaf-06e9cb9c565e).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Green microalgae are an important source of natural products such as β-carotene, and have recently become objects of intense study for producing biodiesel and valuable recombinant proteins. Application of chloroplast engineering in microalgae is limited by the availability of tools for genetically engineering the chloroplast of commercially important species. The phytoene desaturase gene of a previously isolated norflurazon tolerant mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was isolated and sequenced. A thymine to guanine transversion in exon 2 changes codon 131 resulting in a F131V mutation that is located in the NADP binding site domain on the primary structure. This mutation clusters with three conserved amino acids, whose substitution confers norflurazon tolerance in other species, in a pocket on a 3-D structure of the protein. The pocket identifies the target site of norflurazon. The side pocket is at the opening of a tunnel leading to the enzyme's NADP binding site. The mutant gene was cloned and used as marker for glass-bead mediated nuclear transformation of C. reinhardtii using direct selection with 5 μM norflurazon. Integration was by illegitimate recombination and transformants were able to grow in media containing 150 μM norflurazon. Transformants exhibited cross tolerance to fluridone, flurtamone, and diflufenican but were more sensitive to beflubutamid than wildtype. This allows mutant pds gene to act as a dual negative/positive selectable marker that is conditional on the herbicide used. The F131V mutation was introduced into a synthetic gene encoding a Dunaliella salina phytoene desaturase that contained codons used frequently in C. reinhardtii chloroplast genes. The 1.8 kbp CpPDS1 gene was assembled from 74 oligonucleotides by overlap PCR. The coding sequence was inserted into a Dunaliella tertiolecta chloroplast targeting vector that integrated the CpPDS1 sequence into the ycf3-trnL-rbcL region of the plastome. The resulting vector was transformed into D. salina and D. tertiolecta chloroplasts using particle bombardment with plasmid coated gold microprojectiles. Norflurazon tolerant colonies were isolated and the D. salina and D. tertiolecta clones were shown to contain a pds gene integrated in the plastome using PCR analyses. Transformation of the CpPDS1 gene into C. reinhardtii chloroplasts by rescue of an atpB mutation only gave rise to herbicide tolerant colonies if the presequence was removed. Industrial production of algae in large volumes is limited by the availability of light to drive algal growth. This problem was addressed by expressing fluorescent protein Katushka in the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii which converts yellow light to red light. The Katushka gene was transformed into chloroplasts using vector pB10, which was constructed to rescue a deletion in the chloroplast atpB gene in the mutant CC373 strain. The Katushka coding sequence was codon-optimised for expression in chloroplasts and expressed from three different promoter and 5' UTRs (atpA, atpB and psbD). C. reinhardtii wild type cells were able to grow under either blue or red LED lights but grew best when both were present. Wild type cell grew poorly in yellow LED lighting. Cells expressing Katushka in the chloroplast exhibited enhanced autotrophic growth in yellow light and under conditions where yellow light was present and red light was limiting. The improvement in growth was related to the levels of Katushka fluorescence detected in chloroplast transformants, which was highest for the atpA promoter and UTR.
18
Alharthy, Basma Tarek. "Using biological tools to assess methadone treatment". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2015. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/using-biological-tools-to-assess-methadone-treatment(d56826f4-bcaa-40e1-875e-c53151a65a41).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Methadone is acknowledged as an effective pharmacological substitution treatment for heroin dependence. However, patients presenting to addiction treatment services usually have multiple substance use, mental and physical health and social problems. Excessive alcohol use in individuals receiving methadone substitute maintenance treatment is a well-established clinical problem, which creates a treatment challenge. The research addressing the management of this group of patients is limited. There were three key studies in this thesis. The first study investigated the measurement of methadone and EDDP in the urine samples of 60 patients, calculated the EDDP:methadone ratio, and explored whether it could be used effectively as an index of methadone metabolism among clients receiving methadone substitution treatment. The results indicated a correlation between methadone and EDDP concentrations and methadone dose; however, EDDP:methadone ratio exhibited a high inter- and intra-individual variability, which hindered the possibility of using it as a sensitive objective biomarker for monitoring compliance among patients receiving methadone. Part of the study examines whether this ratio is altered by the consumption of alcohol in a problematic manner by this group of patients. A small study also examined three patients during methadone induction, and examined EDDP and methadone ratio. A further study explored the effectiveness of using the alcohol biomarkers ethyl glucoronide (EtG) and ethyl sulphate (EtS) to screen for recent alcohol consumption in 60 patients (138 urine samples) collecting their daily methadone dose. The results indicated that the EtG and EtS were sensitive biomarkers to detect alcohol use in the past 24 hours or more and therefore it would be a useful tool to incorporate during methadone treatment especially coupled with knowledge of patients’ co-dependence. The final study investigated the use of the breathalyser test in 23 patients who were screened for alcohol use before the prescription of methadone. Results found that breathalysers were successful in detecting alcohol use but for a much shorter timeframe than new recent alcohol biomarkers, which could offer a more specific and sensitive alternative.
19
Whittemore, Jean Becky. "A Newborn Screening Disorders Online Portal for Primary Care Providers and Parents". Diss., NSUWorks, 2019. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/1088.
Abstract (sommario):
Parents do not always receive accurate, timely and comprehensive information regarding a positive newborn screening from their infants’ primary care providers. The dissertation outlines the investigation of this problem. The methodology of the study is discussed including the survey of parents and primary care providers using the past system, the development of a web portal with a focus on plain language and action focused handouts. Without a simple to understand parent handout the newborn screening process is more stressful to families. Review of the literature is detailed including newborn screening, patient education, health literacy, Internet usage, online health education, design of patient education websites and the evaluative process of learning tools.
Surveys informed the content of the web-based patient portal for both parents and PCP. Abbreviated parental stress scores did not identify elevated stress in parents during the initial PCP visit when the NBS results and plan of care were discussed. Evaluation of the planned web portal was permanently delayed related to change in statewide policies; thus, a standalone website was developed using Agency for Health Care Research and Quality’s patient education material tool for understandability and actionability of both patient handouts and web portals. Physician actionable NBS handouts were also developed. Formative evaluation using experts’ input, one-to-one trials and small group trials of the handouts for the site were completed with minor revisions made to the portal.
The formative evaluation using the simple survey tool would have provided any additional portal changes required. Strengths of the study to include survey response rates, rigor of the comments by both parents and PCPs as well as constructive feedback from NBS experts are highlighted. The weakness is the lack of having a final participant group identified or available related to local NBS policies. Recommendations for future research are highlighted as well as discussion of changes in federal policy that will now allow further NBS research without the limitations once imposed.
20
Kalargaris, Charalampos. "Design methodologies and tools for vertically integrated circuits". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/design-methodologies-and-tools-for-vertically-integrated-circuits(63c9c674-566a-44e5-b6b6-8a277b1adf08).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Vertical integration technologies, such as three-dimensional integration and interposers, are technologies that support high integration densities while offering shorter interconnect lengths as compared to planar integration and other packaging technologies. To exploit these advantages, however, several challenges lay across the designing, manufacturing and testing stages of integrated systems. Considering the high complexity of modern microelectronic devices and the diverse features of vertical integration technologies, this thesis sheds light on the circuit design process. New methodologies and tools are offered in order to assess and improve traditional objectives in circuit design, such as performance, power, and area for vertically integrated circuits. Interconnects on different interposer materials are investigated, demonstrating the several trade-offs between power, performance, area, and crosstalk. A backend design flow is proposed to capture the performance and power gains from the introduction of the third dimension. Emphasis is also placed on the power consumption of modern circuits due to the immense growth of battery-operated devices in the last fifteen years. Therefore, the effect of scaling the operating voltage in three-dimensional circuits is investigated as it is one of the most efficient techniques for reducing power while considering the performance of the circuit. Furthermore, a solution to eliminate timing penalties from the usage of voltage scaling technique at finer circuits granularities is also presented in this thesis.
21
Macasek, Michael A. "Towards teachers quickly creating tutoring systems". Link to electronic thesis, 2005. http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/ETD/Available/etd-122005-162550/.
Abstract (sommario):
Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute.Keywords: collaboration; Intelligent Tutoring System; portal; teacher tools; Assistment; Assistment Project Includes bibliographical references. (p.37-38)
22
Jiang, Jingqian. "Development of uncharged galactosyltransferase inhibitors : chemical tools for applications in cells". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2017. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-uncharged-galactosyltransferase-inhibitors(f0f8fadc-7b4d-417c-8ce7-995d5c157e6d).html.
Abstract (sommario):
β-1,4-Galactosyltransferases (β-1,4-GalTs) catalyse the transfer of D-galactose from a uridine diphosphate galactose (UDP-Gal) donor to an N-acetylglucosamine (N-GlcNAc) or glucose (Glc) acceptor, forming a β-1,4-glycosidic linkage. β-1,4-GalTs are required for the formation of important glycan epitopes, such as terminal tetrasaccharide Sialyl Lewis X (sLex), which is present in P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) and other cell adhesion molecules. Therefore, small molecular β-1,4-GalT inhibitors are of great interest as chemical tool compounds to study sLex- and PSGL-1-dependent processes. A UDP-Gal derivative, 5-(5-formylthien-2-yl) UDP-galactose (5-FT UDP-Gal), has previously been described as a potent, broad-spectrum GalT inhibitor; however, the application of 5-FT UDP-Gal in cell assays is compromised by its limited stability and membrane permeability, due to the presence of pyrophosphate and sugar moieties. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to develop uncharged β-1,4-GalT inhibitors based on 5-FT UDP-Gal, but with more suitable properties for cellular applications. Several approaches were explored to achieve this goal. In chapter 2, attempts to apply the pro-drug concept using phosphate esters of 5-FT UDP-Gal are described. A series of 5-substituted nucleoside derivatives derived from 5-FT UDP-Gal was also prepared. The inhibitory activities of these derivatives against β-1,4-GalT were assessed in biochemical assays. Direct comparison with the corresponding complete UDP-sugar derivatives allowed the identification of structural factors that determine activity. The effects of the most active nucleoside derivative and its ester prodrug were also investigated in a PSGL-1 expression assay. Attempts to overcome the relative loss of activity from the absence of pyrophosphate and sugar moieties in nucleoside inhibitors using dynamic combinatorial chemistry are described in Chapter 3. A hydrazone dynamic combinatorial library (DCL) was generated from the most potent nucleoside fragment and a series of hydrazides to identify mimics of pyrophosphate and sugar moieties to develop potent inhibitors. A suitable hydrazide was identified from the library and the corresponding nucleoside derivatives were generated and evaluated in the biochemical assay as well as the PSGL-1 expression assay. A known, substrate-based -1,4-GalT inhibitor was prepared as a positive control in the DCL experiments. However, this N-GlcNAc derivative unexpectedly behaved as an acceptor substrate rather than an inhibitor in our phosphatase-coupled assay. These unexpected finding, including attempts to rationalise the discrepancy between these results and reported in previous literature describing this compound as a β-1,4-GalT inhibitor, are described in Chapter 4.
23
Wilmot, Wessley. "Process and machine improvements and process condition monitoring for a deep-hole internal milling machine". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/process-and-machine-improvements-and-process-condition-monitoring-for-a-deephole-internal-milling-machine(2bb87f60-aa39-4fff-a82a-9360ce36b74c).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Milling is a widely used cutting process, most commonly applied to machining external surfaces of workpieces. When machining operations are required within hard to reach areas of components, or deep within the bore of components, alternative methods of metal removal are generally employed. Typically when milling at extended reaches, difficulties may increase exponentially when trying to achieve distances several meters into a component. Essentially every topic of the milling process becomes difficult and more convoluted. Firstly to generate a stable cutting condition, and ultimately for an operator to be able to understand the cutting conditions, when all normal senses to interpret the machining stability are removed. The aim for the research is, to enable the operation of high slenderness ratio internal milling operations to become a viable technology, by detailing the measures required, to obtain a stable cutting condition. The process needs to be monitored for degradation of the tooling due to wear, and to prevent catastrophic machine damage from tool breakage or machine component failure. This research addresses the lack of knowledge available for milling with extended reaches, and the knowledge gained to overcome the real difficulties that exist for this process. Initial experiments are conducted on a prototype machine to gain experience of the internal machining operation and the many issues that it faced. Establishing requirements of the process via investigation of the tooling and necessary auxiliary equipment, it becomes possible to consider countermeasures to address the errors generated by torsional twisting of the milling arm. A system for applying a counter torque to reduce torsional deflection errors has been employed to successfully reduce the unavoidable issue over such long distances. For the process to become manageable for an industrial operator without a high level of specialist knowledge, the application of tool condition monitoring (TCM) and process condition monitoring (PCM) had to be applied. This addresses a void in available literature and research with respect to internal machining, and enables the process to become practical for an industrial environment. For this reason the research project will concentrate on the application of TCM and PCM onto the machining system. The completion of the research resulted in the process becoming satisfyingly stable, and with a resulting accuracy that satisfies the requirements of the component. Performance of the final system rivalled or achieved better results than had been experienced by the project sponsor.
24
Gravell, Anthony. "Better 'tools' for investigative monitoring under the Water Framework Directive". Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2017. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/better-tools-for-investigative-monitoring-under-the-water-framework-directive(5968aa69-f7d2-4c93-85b5-9b6859d5bdd5).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Current approaches to sampling and analysis are thought to be unsuitable for investigative monitoring under the auspices of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive. During this study, new sampling and analytical techniques were developed and tested that provide a ‘toolkit’ that can be utilised by most laboratories engaged in regulatory analysis of water samples. The techniques developed include; i) Targeted screening methodology based on passive sampling in-conjunction with comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography mass spectrometry was developed and successfully applied to the broad-scope detection and determination of non-polar emerging pollutants and related contaminants in environmental waters. This method was found to be superior to existing approaches based on spot sampling and one dimensional gas chromatography. ii) Modifications to the Chemcatcher® passive sampler to allow for the sampling of polar pollutants present in the water environment. Statistical analysis of the data obtained demonstrated that sampler performance was equivalent to that of the established POCIS passive sampler but with greater physical robustness together with simplified preparation and extraction procedures. iii) Targeted screening methodology based on modifications to the existing Chemcatcher® passive sampler in-conjunction with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry techniques for the identification of polar pharmaceutical residues present in the effluents of waste water treatment plants located in south west Wales. Identification of analytes was strengthened through the development, validation and application of a novel accurate mass data-independent acquisition method and the high degree of analyte identification assurance obtained confirmed it to be analogous to traditional collision-induced dissociation transitions. iv) The targeted application was supplemented through the development and application of a novel in silico methodology for retention time prediction which was successfully used to identify additional compounds in an extract obtained from a Chemcatcher passive sampler, and, thus, the preliminary identification of potential emerging contaminants. Overall, this work has furthered the knowledge and capability of the sampling and analysis of existing and newly emerging contaminants in environmental waters.
25
Martinez, Hernandez Elias. "Process integration, economic and environmental analysis tools for biorefinery design". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/process-integration-economic-and-environmental-analysis-tools-for-biorefinery-design(11e7433a-f8cb-4b1b-a91b-49a43c6a2dae).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Renewability and the carbonaceous basis of biomass provide potential for both energy and chemical production in biorefineries in a fashion similar to crude oil refineries. Biorefineries are envisaged as having a key role in the transition to a more sustainable industry, especially as a means to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A biorefinery is a concept for the flexible, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable conversion of biomass through a combination of process technologies into multiple products. This implies that biorefineries must be integrated through designs that exploit the interactions between material and energy streams. The wide range of possibilities for biomass feedstock, processes and products poses a challenge to biorefinery design. Integrating biorefineries within evolving economic and environmental policy contexts requires careful analysis of the configurations to be deployed from early in the design stage. This research therefore focuses on the application and development of methodologies for biorefinery design encompassing process integration tools, economic and environmental sustainability analyses together. The research is presented in the form of papers published or submitted to relevant peer-reviewed journals, with a preamble for each paper and a final synthesis of the work as a whole. In a first stage, mass pinch analysis was adapted into a method for integration ofbiorefineries producing bioethanol as a final product and also utilising bioethanol asa working fluid within the biorefinery. The tool allows targeting minimum bioethanol utilisation and assessing network modifications to diminish revenue losses. This new application could stimulate the emergence of similar approaches for the design of integrated biorefineries. The thesis then moves to combine feedstock production models, process simulations in Aspen Plus® and process integration with LCA, to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions of biorefineries. This work, presented via two publications covering wheat to bioethanol and Jatropha to biodiesel or green diesel, provided evidence of the benefits of biorefinery integrationfor energy saving and climate change adaptation. The multilevel modelling approach is then further integrated into a methodologydeveloped for the combined evaluation of the economic potential and GHG emissions saving of a biorefinery from the marginal performances of biorefineryproducts. The tool allows assessing process integration pathways and targeting forpolicy compliance. The tool is presented via two further publications, the first drawing analogies between value analysis and environmental impact analysis inorder to create the combined Economic Value and Environmental Impact (EVEI)analysis methodology, the second extending this to demonstrate how the tool canguide judicious movement of environmental burdens to meet policy targets. The research embodied in this thesis forms a systematic basis for the analysis andgeneration of biorefinery process designs for enhanced sustainability. The toolspresented will facilitate both the implementation of integrated biorefinery designsand the cultivation of a community of biorefinery engineers for whom suchintegrated thinking is their distinctive and defining attribute.
26
Ma, Jieyan. "Development of numerical tools for hemodynamics and fluid structure interactions". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-numerical-tools-for-hemodynamics-and-fluid-structure-interactions(f7e72de2-c1f8-4d7a-aa2c-f2a4d239187f).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The aim of this study is to create CFD tools and models capable of simulating pulsatile blood flow in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and stent graft. It helps to increase the current physiological understanding of rupture risk of AAA and stent graft fixation or migration. Firstly, in order to build a general solver for the AAA modeling with reasonable accuracy, a third/fourth order modified OCI scheme is originally developed for general numerical simulation. The modified OCI scheme has a wider cell Reynolds number limitation. This high order scheme performs well with general rectangular mesh for incompressible fluid. Second, a velocity based finite volume method is originally developed to calculate the stress field for solid in order to capture the transient changes of the blood vessel since the artery is a rubber like material. All one, two and three dimensional classical cases for solid are tested and good results are obtained. The velocity based finite volume method show good potential to calculate the stress field for solid and easy to blend with the finite volume fluid solver. It has been recognized that fluid structure interaction (FSI) is very crucial in biomechanics. In this regard, the velocity based finite volume method is then further developed for FSI application. A well known one dimensional piston problem is studied to understand the feasibility of the fluid structure coupling. The numerical prediction matches the analytical solution very well. The velocity based method introduces less numerical damping compared with a stagger method and a monolithic method. Finally, the work focuses on practical pulsatile boundary conditions, non-Newtonian blood viscous properties and bifurcating geometry, and provides an overview of the hemodynamic within the AAA model. A modified Womersley inlet and imbalance pressure outlet boundary conditions are originally used in this study. The Womersley inlet boundary represents better approximation for pulsatile flow compared with the parabolic inlet condition. Numerical results are presented providing comparison between different boundary conditions using different viscous models in both 2D and 3D aneurysms. Good agreement between the numerical predictions and the experimental data is achieved for 2D case. 3D stent models with different bifurcation angles are also tested. The Womersley inlet boundary condition improves the existing inlet conditions significantly and it can reduce the Aneurysm neck computation domain. The influence of the non-Newtonian model to the wall shear stress (WSS) and strain-rate is also studied. The non-Newtonian model tends to produce higher WSS at both proximal and distal end of the aneurysm as compared with the Newtonian model (both 2D and 3D cases). The computed strain-rate distribution at the centre of the aneurysm is different between these two models. The influence of imbalance outlet pressure at the iliac arteries to the blood flow is originally investigated. The imbalance outlet pressure boundary conditions affect the computed wall shear stress significantly near the bifurcation point. All the pulsatile Womersley inlet, non-Newtonian viscosity properties and the imbalance pressure outlet need to be considered in blood flow simulation of AAA.
27
Tsabzeu, Mingkeuya Jeremie. "Studio e sviluppo di tool di ausilio al collaudo automatico di quadri elettrici". Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2017.
Abstract (sommario):
Questa tesi propone una possibile soluzione per generare in automatica la configurazione hardware di un quadro elettrico nell'obiettivo di automatizzare il processo di collaudo. Questa soluzione riguarda solo l'ambiente Studio 5000 della Rockwell.il tool è stato implementato in java, è stato anche utilizzato il file di comando, con righe di comando LogixDesignerCommandLineInterface per l'importazione del file e il Download sul PLC.
28
Fahad, Muhammad. "A heat partition investigation of multilayer coated carbide tools for high speed machining through experimental studies and finite element modelling". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2012. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/a-heat-partition-investigation-of-multilayer-coated-carbide-tools-for-high-speed-machining-through-experimental-studies-and-finite-element-modelling(dfa40f00-df30-403f-80ae-7533b41bedbd).html.
Abstract (sommario):
High Speed Machining (HSM) is associated with higher cutting velocities and table feedrates and higher material removal rate, lower cutting forces in contrast to conventional machining. HSM can be undertaken dry or near dry and hence it is considered as environmentally friendly machining in relation to the use of cutting fluids. A key challenge in HSM is that, the thermal loads generated during the cutting process can be a major driver of thermally activated wear mechanism and hence affect machining performance. The ability of cutting tools to act as thermal barrier can be a highly desirable property for dry and HSM. Recently, research work has been conducted on laboratory based coated cutting tools to model and understand the fraction of heat that enters the cutting tool. These studies have shown the potential for TiN and TiAlN coated tools in reducing heat partition to the cutting tool when compared to uncoated tools. This PhD extended this work to modelling and characterising the heat partition for new generation commercial coated cutting tools considering tools from major insert manufactures. For this study commercial coated carbide tools were classified into two groups. In one group were coatings uniformly applied on both rake and flank faces of the insert (SERIES). The second group were tools that had different top coats for the rake and flank faces (Functionally Graded). This concept of functional grading is used to tailor the coating selection to the conditions that exist on a tool face. Moreover, the issue of restricted chip contact was modelled and clarified in terms of its impact on heat partition. This chip breaker design is of particular importance to inserts used for machining ductile materials. Thus the PhD has applied research methods to industrial cutting tools and helped elucidate the important aspects relating to the design, layout and selection of multilayer coatings. The heat partition was quantified by using a combined Finite Element (FE) and experimental approach. This methodology was applied by taking into consideration the appropriate friction phenomena during HSM i.e. sticking and sliding. A restricted contact length with groove profile geometry was considered for the application of heat load in the FE model. Orthogonal and external turning of AISI/SAE 4140 medium carbon alloy steel was conducted over a wide range of cutting speeds. An infrared thermal imaging camera was used to measure cutting temperatures. The results show that the layout of the coating can significantly affect the heat distribution into the cutting tool, specifically; the top coat can alter the friction conditions between the tool-chip contact. The distribution of heat (heat partition) into the cutting tool insert with the thickest layer of Al2O3 as a top coating is the lowest in the entire range of cutting speeds tested i.e. 10.5% at lower cutting speed and reduced to 3.4% at highest cutting speed. Investigations were also conducted to quantify the contribution of heat from the primary and secondary deformation zones using a combination of finite element modelling, analytical modelling and experimental data. The results deduced that the primary deformation zone heat source contributes 9.1% (on average) to the heat partition into the cutting tool. The contribution of the Thesis should be of interest to those who design, manufacture and coat cutting tools. It defines heat partition values for commercial coated carbide tools, assesses the requirements for multilayer design of thermally insulating cutting tools, the selection of coating top layer coats and the role of contact phenomenon on heat partition in dry and HSM of steels.
29
Muhamad, Ali Howbeer. "Metabolomics investigation of microbial cell factories". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2015. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/metabolomics-investigation-of-microbial-cell-factories(2e2f5f58-d38a-4c77-966b-56ce92aec619).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The stream of new technological advancements and their integration into the field of microbiology have contributed significantly towards our understanding of life in the micro-scale world, making the fields of microbiology and biotechnology shine like never before. Since 1980, the recombinant protein-based therapeutics industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the biopharmaceutical market. Nearly 30% of commercially available recombinant proteins are produced in Escherichia coli, making this species one of the most commonly used bacterial expression systems for the production of recombinant biotherapeutics. However, when it comes to the production of enzymes and bioactive secondary metabolites (antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral and immunosuppressant), Streptomyces species remain the major producer within this sector. Meeting the high demand for such products requires a clear and in-depth understanding of the bioprocesses involved to achieve high yield and quality products, whilst keeping the process industrially attractive. It is generally accepted that the metabolome, as a down-stream process to the genome and proteome, may provide a clearer picture of a biological system. Thus, in this thesis a series of metabolomics approaches were adopted to obtain a deeper insight into the metabolic effects of recombinant protein production in E. coli and Streptomyces lividans. Furthermore, a Geobacter-based biomagnetite nanoparticle production system which displayed a prolonged lag phase upon scale-up was investigated by employing metabolic profiling and fingerprinting approaches combined with multivariate analysis strategies, to identify growth-limiting metabolites. The results of this analysis identified nicotinamide as the growth limiting metabolite. Nicotinamide-feeding experiments confirmed the above findings, leading to improved biomass yield whilst restoring the lag phase to bench-scale level. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies combined with stable isotopic probing strategies were also employed to demonstrate the application of metabolic fingerprinting in providing detailed biochemical information for quantitative characterisation and differentiation of E. coli cells at community and single-cell levels. The single-cell approach proved promising, offering detailed biochemical information and perhaps accompanying other cultivation-free approaches such as metagenomics for further future investigations. It is hoped that the advances made in these studies have proved the potential applications of metabolomics strategies to aid the optimisation of microbially-driven bioprocesses.
30
Zhuang, Ling. "The development of optogenetic tools for investigations into mammalian circadian organisation". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-development-of-optogenetic-tools-for-investigations-into-mammalian-circadian-organisation(45a14d55-2890-465e-b3b4-1d4e424aee45).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Many biological oscillators are perpetuated by an autonomous molecular clockwork that generates rhythmic expression of clock genes. Whilst the periods of these endogenous rhythms deviate from 24h, daily cues in the natural environment synchronise all internal rhythms precisely to 24h. Molecular signals, such as the principle intracellular messenger cAMP, are amplified by the Gαs signalling pathway upon activation of GPCRs and regulate a diverse array of physiological processes, one of which is entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock. cAMP conveys environmental cues to the molecular oscillatory network by interacting with the autonomous feedback loop of genes and proteins, thereby resetting their rhythmic expression. Many pharmacological studies have shown that the cAMP signalling cascade is relevant to the entrainment of the mammalian clock. However, due to inherent complications arising from lack of target and subtype specificity, pharmacological agents are known to elicit confounding side-effects in in vivo models. Indeed, there is still ambiguity about the relevance of physiological cAMP signalling in regulating circadian dynamics. Opsin photopigments offer a powerful and drug free platform to initiate signalling cascades under temporally controlled parameters. The Gαs-coupled Carybdea rostonii opsin (JellyOp) robustly activates cAMP signalling in functional studies, and is thus suitable for addressing the contributions of cAMP to circadian regulation. Furthermore a Gαs-decoupled opsin variant (F139A JellyOp) was engineered which, despite being deficient in Gαs interactions, retained the ability to modulate the MAPK pathway in fibroblasts, comparably to JellyOp. Both the wildtype and F139A JellyOp photopigments were therefore employed for investigating contributions of GPCR triggered cAMP dependent pathways to regulating the mammalian circadian clock over background signals. Upon stimulating wildtype or F139A JellyOp photopigments with equivalent irradiances and durations of ultraviolet and infra-red filtered light, both Gαs dependent and independent signalling impacted on the phasing of the fibroblast clock respectively. However, the two JellyOp signalling profiles produced divergent phase response curves in the fibroblast clock, which reflected inherent differences in the phase-responsiveness of the clock to cAMP dependent and independent cascades. A strong relationship was reported between the magnitude of a JellyOp triggered circadian response and the duration of photostimulation, a correlation that was been previously described though in vivo studies of photo-entrainment. These studies have confirmed that mammalian circadian dynamics are responsive to temporally controlled cAMP signalling in a phase and duration dependent manner. Thus, JellyOp and F139A JellyOp are suitable opsin photopigments for investigating the influences of Gαs dependent and independent mechanisms on mammalian clock dynamics.
31
Reyes, Villegas Ernesto. "New on-line mass spectrometric tools for studying urban organic aerosol sources". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2018. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/new-online-mass-spectrometric-tools-for-studying-urban-organic-aerosol-sources(afe1d185-5db9-4aae-a60c-761293c6b30d).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Atmospheric aerosols have been shown to have a significant impact on air quality and health in urban environments. Organic aerosols (OA) are one of the main constituents of submicron particulate matter. They are composed of thousands of different chemical species, which makes it challenging to identify and quantify their sources. OA sources have been previously studied; however quantitative knowledge of aerosol composition and their processes in urban environments is still limited. The results presented here investigate OA, their chemical composition and sources as well as their interaction with gases. On-line measurements of species in the particle and the gas phase were performed both from field-based and laboratory studies. Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (AMS) were used together with the Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometer (CIMS) and the Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO). Two ambient datasets were analysed to develop methods for source apportionment, using the Multilinear Engine (ME-2), in order to gain new insights into aerosol sources in Manchester and London. Long-term measurements in London allowed the opportunity to perform seasonal analysis of OA sources and look into the relationship of hydrogen-like OA (HOA) and heavy- and light-duty diesel emissions. The seasonal analysis provided information about OA sources that was not possible to observe on the long-term analysis. During Bonfire Night in Manchester, with high aerosol concentrations, particularly biomass burning OA (BBOA), it was possible to identify particulate organic oxides of nitrogen (PON), with further identification of primary and secondary PON and their light absorbing properties. Through laboratory work, new insights into cooking organic aerosols (COA) were gained, a higher relative ion efficiency (RIEOA) value of around 3.3 for OA-AMS compared with the typical RIEOA of 1.4 was determined, which implies COA concentrations are overestimated when using the RIEOA value of 1.4. Dilution showed to have a significant effect on food cooking experiments, increasing both the gas/particle ratios and the O:C ratios. The data generated in this work, OA-AMS mass spectra and markers from both gas and particle phase identified with FIGAERO-CIMS, provide significant information that will contribute to the improvement of source apportionment in future studies. This work investigates OA, with a focus on primary organic aerosols originated from anthropogenic activities. These scientific findings increase our understanding of OA sources and can help to improve inventories and models as well as to develop plans and policies to mitigate the air pollution in urban environments.
32
Takahashi, Chie. "Visual-haptic integration during tool use". Thesis, Bangor University, 2012. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/visualhaptic-integration-during-tool-use(e7a24e83-1a54-47b7-893e-6a946ba64d2e).html.
Abstract (sommario):
To integrate visual and haptic information effectively, the brain should only combine information that refers to the same object. Thus, it must solve a 'correspondence problem', to determine if signals relate to the same object or not. This could be achieved by considering the similarity of the two sensory signals in time and space. For example, if two size estimates are spatially separated or conflicting, it is unlikely that they originate from the same object; so sensory integration should not occur. Humans are adept at using tools such as pliers, however, which can systematically change the spatial relationships between (visual) object size and the opening of the hand. Here we investigate whether and how the brain solves this visual-haptic correspondence problem during tool use. In a series of psychophysical experiments we measured object-size discrimination performance, and compared this to statistically optimal predictions, derived from a computational model of sensory integration. We manipulated the spatial offset between seen and felt object positions, and also the relative gain between object size and hand opening. When using a tool, we changed these spatial properties by manipulating tool length and the pivot position (for a pliers-like tool). We found that the brain integrates visual and haptic information near-optimally when using tools (independent of spatial offset and size- conflict between raw sensory signals), but only when the hand opening was appropriately remapped onto the object coordinates by the tool geometry. This suggests that visual-haptic integration is not based on the similarity between raw sensory signals, but instead on the similarity between the distal causes of the visual and haptic estimates. We also showed that perceived size from haptics and the haptic reliability were changed with tool gain. Moreover, cue weights of the same object size were altered by the tool geometry, suggesting that the brain does dynamically take spatial changes into account when using a tool. These findings can be explained within a Bayesian framework of multisensory integration. We conclude that the brain takes into account the dynamics and geometry of tools allowing the visual-haptic correspondence problem to be solved correctly under a range of circumstances. We explore the theoretical implications of this for understanding sensory integration, as well as practical implications for the design of visual-haptic interfaces.
33
Andersson, Egerlid Axel, e Fredrik Westin. "Design of filter cloth analyser : Development of a portable filter cloth selection tool for filters used to regenerate the acid used in the pickling process during the production of stainless steel". Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik och samhälle, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-71474.
Abstract (sommario):
The stainless steel industry is an industry which manufactures one of the most used ma-terials in the world. Even though the vast size of the industry many might not reflect werethe steel comes from when buying their IKEAcutlery etc. But in fact this industry is moreintricate and complex than one might think.During the manufacturing process, the steelgoes through several processes. One of thoseprocesses is done by treating the steel withstrong acid. This chemical process is calledpickling. The pickling process is what createsthe characteristic smooth and shiny surface ofa product made in stainless steel.This thesis is about the development of a testunit that is able to effectively test the ASRA(Acid Sludge Removal Apparatus) filter cloths.The ASRA is a filtration system developed by Scanacon in Stockholm that filtrates and puri-fies acid that is used during the pickling pro-cess of a steel manufacture process. Today, it is complicated, time consuming and dangerous totest and evaluate different filter cloths in orderto find the cloth that provides the best result,since the tests has to be conducted on the realsystems. The aim of this thesis was therefore tosolve these problems. Scanacon wanted to findan alternative solution, that would not includeinteraction with the real filtration system. Theyalso wanted a portable and safe solution. To solve the problem a iterative design pro-cess called RDCD which stands for research, design, create & delivery was developed. Theprocesses was heavily influenced by the CDIO process (Conceive, Design, Implement & Ope-rate). After the research phase was conducted it was decided that a small filter analysis productwould be the best way to solve the problem. The product was then developed one com-ponent at a time. During the project several prototypes and test was created and conductedin order to validate the design.The result is a small filtration unit speciallydesigned to simulate the ASRA system. Theproduct is able to rapidly test various filtercloths in an easy way, without putting the user in harm’s way. After the tests has been perfor-med can the user can identify which cloth that worked the best. The product is small enoughto be possible to be carried in a hard case bag,which in turn affords portability.Stålindustrin är en industri som tillverkar ettav de mest använda materialen i världen. Trotsindustrins enorma storlek är det kanske intemånga som reflekterar varifrån stålet kommerifrån när man köper exempelvis IKEA bestick.Men faktum är att den här industrin är mycketmer invecklad och komplex än vad man kan tro. Under tillverkningsprocessen går stålet ige-nom flera processer. En av de här processerna genomförs genom att behandla stålet med starksyra. Den kemiska processen kallas för betningoch är det som ger en produkt tillverkad i stålden karaktäristiska lena och glänsande ytan. Den här examensrapporten handlar om ut-vecklandet av en test enhet som effektivt kan testa filter dukarna till ASRA (Acid SludgeRemoval Apparatus) systemet. ASRA systemetär ett filtreringssystem utvecklat av Scanaconi Stockholm som filtrerar och renar syran som används under betningsprocessen vid stål-tillverkning. Idag är det komplicerat, tidskrä-vande och farligt att testa och utvärdera olika filterdukar för att ta reda på vilken duk somger bäst resultat, eftersom att testerna måstegenomföras på de riktiga systemen. Målet fördet här examensarbetet var därför att lösa dehär problemen. Scanacon ville ha en alternativlösning som inte kräver interaktion med deriktiga systemen. De ville också ha en portabeloch säker lösning. För att lösa problemet utvecklades en itera-tiv designprocess kallad RDCD som står för research, design, create & delivery. Processen var tungt influerat av CDIO (Conceive, De-sign, Implement & Operate) processen. Efter att researchfasen var genomförd bestämdesdet att en liten filteranalysatorprodukt var detbästa sättet att lösa problemet på. Produktenutvecklades sedan en komponent i taget. Underprojektets gång har flera prototyper byggts och flera tester genomförts för att validera designen. Resultatet är en liten filtreringsenhet som är specialdesignad för att simulera ASRA syste-met. Produkten kan snabbt testa oliak filterdu-kar på ett enkelt sätt, utan utsätta användaren för fara. Efter att testerna genomförts kananvändaren identifiera vilken duk som funkatbäst. Produkten är tillräckligt liten för att fåplats i en hårdplast väska, vilket ger produktenden efterfrågade portabiliteten.
34
Lee, Dave. "Informatics tools for the analysis and assignment of phosphorylation status in proteomics". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2015. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/informatics-tools-for-the-analysis-and-assignment-of-phosphorylation-status-in-proteomics(48d2cc82-5bb2-4f07-9cdd-670467db4378).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Presently, progress in the field of phosphoproteomics has been accelerated by mass spectrometry. This is not a surprise owing to not only the accuracy, precision and high-throughput capabilities of MS but also due to the support it receives from informaticians whom allow the automated analysis; making the task of going from a complex sample to a statistically satisfactory set of phosphopeptides and corresponding site positions with relative ease. However, the process of identifying and subsequently pinpointing the phosphorylation moiety is not straightforward and remains a challenging task. Furthermore, it has been suggested that not all phosphorylation sites are of equal functional importance, to the extent that some may even lack function altogether. Clearly, such sites will confound the efforts towards functional characterisation. The work in this thesis is aimed at these two issues; accurate site localisation and functional annotation. To address the first issue, I adopt a multi-tool approach for identification and site localisation; utilising the different underlying algorithms of each tool and thereby allowing an orthogonal perspective on the same tandem mass spectra. Doing so enhanced accuracy over any single tool by itself. The power of this multi-tool approach stemmed from its ability to not predict more true positives but rather by removal of false positives. For the second issue, I first investigated the hypothesis that those of functional consequence exhibit stronger phosphorylation-characteristic features such as the degree of conservation and disorder. Indeed, it was found that some features were enriched for the functional group. More surprisingly, there were also some that were enriched for the less-functional; suggesting their incorporation into a prediction algorithm would hinder functional prediction. With this in mind, I train and optimise several machine-learning algorithms, using different combinations of features in an attempt to (separately) improve general phosphorylation and functional prediction.
35
Dickson, Ruth. "The kinematics of human tool use". Thesis, Bangor University, 2018. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-kinematics-of-human-tool-use(ae098f00-5385-4e16-9d01-60c0d173452c).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The aim of this thesis was to use kinematic analysis to further our understanding of tool Use. We wanted to investigate whether there were similarities in how people picked up objects with their hand and with a tool, and whether these remained when we manipulated the ratio and motor equivalence of the tool. This allowed us to investigate the concepts of end-effector control and internal tool models. Participants compensated for the ratio of the red 1.4:1 tool to the same extent when only cued with tool colour as when having all of the information. This shows that information about the tool must have been stored in memory, supporting the idea of internal tool models. Participants produced qualitatively similar movements with our tools and the hand, showing no difference in the peak velocity and altering peak end-effector aperture based on tool ratio. Further to this, participants displayed similar adaptive mechanisms in response to visual uncertainty with the hand, the blue 1:1 tool and the red tool, but not with the yellow 0.7:1 tool however. Throughout the thesis participants also compensated less for the ratio of this tool than the red one. Whilst attempting to investigate the imperfect compensation seen with both tools we understood this issue more. Participants overestimated object size with the yellow tool and performed more poorly at a size discrimination task as well. This pointed towards a biased internal tool model, tending towards the aperture of the hand. This accounted for the asymmetric compensation seen between the red and yellow tools. We concluded that the imperfect compensation for tool ratio was caused by noise in the internal tool models and that the yellow tool model was then biased as well, further reducing compensation. Our findings support the idea that the precision with which we can use a tool could be modulated by prior experience with that transformation. We also believe that the degree of motor equivalence of the tool contributes to precision of use, with tools that are not directly equivalent taking longer to develop a robust internal model for. However, even tools without direct motor equivalence display some of the hallmarks of reaching and grasping with the hand, suggesting that grasping movements could be encoded in end-effector units.
36
Jaroenjittichai, Phrudth. "Pulsar polarisation as a diagnostic tool". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/pulsar-polarisation-as-a-diagnostic-tool(cbbef2d8-5779-4f5b-a48d-09eec413f247).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The geometry of pulsar beams is one of the intrinsic properties of neutron stars, governing the pulse-profile phenomenon and other aspects of pulsar astron- omy. With a number of pulsars in our dataset, their beam geometry is derived from the polarisation position angle (PPA) using the simple polar cap emission and dipole field model. This includes the rotating vector model (RVM), for which the solutions can hardly be constrained or fail to be consistent because of the lim- itations of the model itself. The inconsistencies in the results suggest that the initial PPAs can be strongly perturbed by additional parameters above the emis- sion altitude, such as the plasma medium or rotational aberration effects, after which their characteristic shape is no longer related to the geometry via the RVM. We investigate further into the effects of wave propagation in the pulsar magne- tosphere, and find an indication that, in most cases, the RVM-calculated PPAs are likely to be altered by plasma effects.In recent years, there have been an increasing number of intermittent and mode-switching pulsars observed to have their radio pulse profiles correlated with the change in pulsar spin frequency (ν ̇) (e.g. Lorimer et al. 2012, Lyne et al. 2010). These two phenomena are understood to be related via the states of plasma in the magnetosphere. As one such pulsar, and also one with known geometry and other astonishing behaviour, PSR B1822–09 is studied in terms of the mode- switching properties, the hollow-cone model and the wave propagation in the magnetosphere. We also study the model for explaining the intermittent pulsars PSRs B1931+24, J1841+0500 and J1832+0029, and find it can be consistently applied for PSRs B1822–09 and B0943+10, and other profile-switching pulsars. However, aspects of the conclusions are limited because of the lack of understand- ing of the connection between the radio flux and the states of plasma. We are also able to use the difference in the PPAs between two states of PSR B0943+10 to predict the change in plasma states and ν ̇, which cannot be measured directly from timing analysis as its switching timescale is too short.
37
Bidmead, Christine. "The development and validation of tools to measure the parent/health visitor relationship". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2013. http://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-development-and-validation-of-tools-to-measure-the-parenthealth-visitor-relationship(852a8602-f5bd-483f-b07b-9aae104c2f51).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Research Question: Is it possible to measure the parent/health visitor relationship? Aim: To develop and validate tools to measure the parent/health visitor relationship. Background: The helping relationship has been the subject of intense scrutiny in other helping professions, particularly psychotherapy where research has shown that it is crucial to positive outcomes for the client. Although health visitors assert that their relationships with parents are also of paramount importance to outcomes, no tools to measure these relationships exist. Methods: An extensive literature review of measures used in other helping relationships across a number of helping professions was carried out to identify their suitability for use in the parent/health visitor relationship. No appropriate measures were found. Stimulated recall interviews were carried out with six parents and health visitor dyads. These were analysed thematically in order to identify indicators of good working relationships. Once identified, TELER dichotomous questionnaires were developed and piloted in the community with 11 health visitors and 36 parents across three Primary Care Trusts and adjusted according to their comments. The newly devised TELER tools were then used with 15 health visitors and 53 parents. The data were analysed using the TELER method and a statistical interpretation made. Results: The outcomes of the study were that indicators of the parent/HV relationship were shown to be measureable together with five major contributions to health visitor knowledge and theory development: 1. Identification of the HV micro-skills and qualities involved in forming working relationships with parents. 2. Identification of the parental contribution to the HV working relationship in terms of their qualities and skills. 3. Identification of the health visiting process. 4. The creation of valid instruments to measure these relationships.5. The creation of a valid instrument to measure the impact of organisations on HV and parent working relationships.
38
Bin, Salom Abdullah. "Development of bioanalytical approaches as model tools for the rapid detection of pesticides". Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2018. https://pure.qub.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-bioanalytical-approaches-as-model-tools-for-the-rapid-detection-of-pesticides(f2d51f86-5c71-4217-a5d6-d058dc6cedca).html.
39
Enea, Cornelia Florentina. "Rutile : a new petrogenetic tool to investigate old subduction zones". Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2012. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/rutile(a2054ec4-89ca-42a7-ae9e-dcabac80e73c).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The timing of onset of modern plate tectonics is currently in conflict. Some believe that it began in the Archaean whereas others prefer a Neoproterozoic onset. At issue is the lack of reliable recorders of changing styles of subduction. Whilst high-pressure rocks (eclogite and high-P granulites) are present in the rock record from Archaean times, low-temperature, high-pressure and ultrahigh- pressure rocks only appear in the Neoproterozoic. This latter association is the hallmark of steep subduction of cold oceanic crust and is central to the argument. Their disappearance from the rock record older than c.600 Ma may be real or it may be a matter of preservation potential. The scope of this project is to investigate this question by the novel use of detrital rutile, which shows great potential as a provenance indicator for high-pressure metamorphism and tectonic settings. The best recorders of subduction are blueschists, which are present in the rock record only to ca. 600 Ma ago. Rutiles in blueschist-facies mafic rocks from Syros and pelitic samples from the Sesia Lanzo Zone have been investigated and results show that the Nb vs. Cr diagram is a reliable tool for high-pressure/low temperature conditions, regardless of the lithology of the source rock. Further, rutiles in ultrahigh-pressure/high temperature rocks from the Dora Maira Massif and the Western Gneiss Complex have been analysed. Grains from the first location plot on the correct area of the chart, but do not correlate with the detrital record, whereas grains from the second location show a mixed Nb/Cr signatures, with eclogites plotting along the metamafic – metapelitic borderline, or even on the pelitic region. This indicates that the discrimination diagram requires special care when using it on high grade rutiles. Provenance studies on Syros and the Sesia Lanzo showed a good host rock – detrital record correlation. Moreover, in the Western Alps, Po River contains a higher percentage of low-temperature rutiles (97%) compared to high temperature grains (3%), that might suggest that the rivers could control this concentration or most likely that the source rocks supply more rutile thus biasing the final population. These results further demonstrate the capability of detrital rutile to provenance highpressure/ low-temperature source rocks, mafic or pelitic, in large riverine systems. The Zr-in-rutile thermometer gives values consistent with previous estimations for both Syros and the Sesia Lanzo samples, using the calibration with a silica activity of 1. The pressure-dependant calibration has a too big correction for lower pressure and temperature conditions. Moreover, quartz-bearing rocks give almost identical temperatures with quartz-free rocks, suggesting that the silica activity does not have a major effect on the thermometer. This latter thermometer has been used for ultrahigh-pressure/high temperature rutiles from Dora Maira and the Western Gneiss Complex, giving slightly lower results for the first location and considerable higher values for most of the samples from the second location. In the first case, a partial re-setting of the zirconium concentration could be the explanation, whereas in the second case, the study concludes that the Zr-in-rutile thermometer gives more consistent results than any exchange geothermometers. Therefore, this thermometer can be safely applied to rocks from blueschist- to granulite-facies rocks, giving good estimations where diffusion did not took place.
40
Papapavlou, Konstantinos. "Petrochronology and mineral chemistry of mid-crustal shear zones : new tools for tectonics and mineral exploration". Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2017. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/petrochronology-and-mineral-chemistry-of-midcrustal-shear-zones(e59893a5-5079-43b8-8dfd-b83e207b5097).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Dating ductile shear zones is daunting because we have to demonstrate either that the chronometer of choice grew during shear zone operation or that crystal-plastic deformation induced age resetting. By adopting a petrochronological approach in this project combining petrographic, geochemical, U-Pb isotopic, and quantitative microstructural data U-Pb isotopic dates are linked with certain shear zone processes. The study area is the South Range of the world-class Sudbury Impact Structure. Specifically, mylonitic shear zones at the Creighton Mine (South Range, Sudbury) operated during three distinct tectonothermal events at ca. 1.75 Ga, 1.65 Ga, and 1.45 Ga. The age dating of texturally and geochemically characterised titanite grains from a shear zone exposed at the 5400 level of the Creighton Mine, indicates operation of the shear during the Mazatzalian – Labradorian orogeny (1.7 – 1.6 Ga). Meso-scale sulphide structures of mechanical remobilization, within the main body of the examined shear zone, show that this event facilitated the local-scale transfer of sulphides to satellite positions. Three age populations of ca. 1.75 Ga, 1.65 Ga, and 1.45 Ga are also prevalent in shear zones from deeper levels of the Creighton Mine. These age populations yield new insights into the orogenic history of the South Range and the Southern Province, and provide further constraints on the comparison of accretionary provinces of the North American Mid-continent and the Southwest United States. Taking into consideration the fluid-mediated and crystal-plasticity textural features in the examined titanite populations it is suggested that these dates record events of syndeformational fluid percolation. Within the 1.75 Ga textural population of titanite grains survived inclusions of inherited titanite grains with shock-metamorphic features. Microstructural and micro to nano-scale crosscutting relationships suggest that the shock wave during the 1.85 Ga impact event induced in these grains the growth of 75°/<010> and 108°/<010> shock microtwins. The nucleation of twins induced a work hardening effect that allowed their survival during the later polyorogenic reworking of the basin (1.75 to 1.45 Ga). U-Pb age dating of these grains yield accurately the age of impact (i.e. 1851 ± 12 Ma). In comparison, titanite grains located within Archaean target rocks ofthe Vredefort structure show identical crystallographic features and partial age resetting. The differential response is attributed to the different distance of the samples from the base of the impact melt sheet that was the dominant heat source. The ore-controlling character of the examined shear zones in the Sudbury mining camp can provide critical information about the exploration potential of these structures in metallogenetic settings. Preliminary mineral-chemical analysis, from major to trace element level, of fabric-forming silicates show distinct trends in the abundance of pathfinder elements (e.g. transition metals). Further, work that will collate the different datasets using multivariable statistical methods will be pursued in order to untangle the vectoring potential of different elements.
41
Abel, Olubunmi. "Development of tools for automated collection, integration and analysis of genetic data in ALS". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2014. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-tools-for-automated-collection-integration-and-analysis-of-genetic-data-in-als(d7183af6-8965-41db-b1b6-8c07a7a304b6).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, typically leads to death within 3-5 years of symptom onset. Understanding what causes ALS has been a challenge, but more research in this area, enhanced by advanced technology like high-throughput next generation sequencing, is paving the way for better information and direction. The volume of data generated by genetics researchers has dramatically increased, largely because of increased opportunities for collaboration. ALSoD, a widely used online genetics database for collating, analysing and integrating ALS data, has been updated with analytics tools and is able to portray the data graphically to users. Mutations and other gene variants have been mapped to genomic coordinates, and the inclusion of dbSNP ids has been implemented to facilitate the integration of data from numerous public sources. To increase the usability and functionality of ALSoD, population frequency of each variant found in the 1000 Genome Project and Exome Variation Server (EVS) databases is displayed. To contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of ALS, links to information on animal models are also available. Furthermore, ALSoD can now be viewed on mobile devices and for Android platforms a mobile app is also available.
42
Saxena, Rohit. "An assessment of two novel tools for advanced haemodynamic monitoring in critically ill children". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2016. http://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/an-assessment-of-two-novel-tools-for-advanced-haemodynamic-monitoring-in-critically-ill-children(f246dfbb-72ed-4b2e-a394-b9d28444ccec).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Background: Critically ill children require accurate haemodynamic assessment to evaluate the severity of illness or response to therapy. Clinical estimation of cardiac output is inaccurate. Hence, advanced haemodynamic monitoring devices may help guide physicians towards the most appropriate treatment strategy. However, none of the currently available monitors for children fulfil all the criteria of an ideal device. Methods: We evaluated two novel minimally invasive haemodynamic monitoring devices in 100 critically ill children. The transpulmonary ultrasound dilution (TPUD) method is a validated indicator dilution based technique for measuring cardiac output in children. Pressure recording analytical method (PRAM) is an arterial pulse contour based method and is not yet validated in children. We compared PRAM with TPUD both in terms of agreement with absolute values of CO and also quantified the ability of PRAM to track changes in CO in response to therapy. We also evaluated the ability of TPUD to identify, and quantify, small anatomic shunts. Finally, a range of variables measured by TPUD and PRAM were assessed for their ability to predict response to fluid bolus administration. The contribution of baseline myocardial contractility towards that response was also evaluated. Results: PRAM showed unacceptable level of error for estimation of absolute values of CO and was unable to accurately track changes in CO. TPUD could identify small anatomic shunts. All of the volumetric variables were unable to predict accurately for fluid responsiveness. Myocardial contractility was found to be an important determinant of the response of stroke volume to fluid bolus administration. Conclusion: A revision of the current algorithm of PRAM is recommended for measurement of CO in children. The predictive ability of the studied variables was poor to moderate for determining response of stroke volume to fluid bolus administration.
43
Peppin, Lindsay. "Development and application of molecular tools for the analysis of animal parts and derivatives". Thesis, Bangor University, 2009. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-and-application-of-molecular-tools-for-the-analysis-of-animal-parts-and-derivatives(e18b3970-dac0-440b-a87a-d6885e75f121).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Illegal wildlife trade presents a serious threat to the long-term survival of certain species, which can have serious ecological and socio-economic consequences. Officials attempting to enforce wildlife trade legislation are often hampered by difficulties associated with the accurate identification of such items. In response, this thesis describes the development and application of molecular tools for the analysis of animal parts and derivatives, with reference to two main contemporary issues; namely, the illegal trade in bear (Ursid) parts and derivatives, and the illegal trade in rhinoceros parts and derivatives. A qualitative lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) dipstick was developed for bear serum albumin detection. The visual detection limit was 10 ppm of bear serum with a reaction time of 5 min. The LFIA was validated on serum, blood, skin and liquid bile, and was able to detect bear albumin in all these sample types. Items confiscated during enforcement activities were also tested and the results confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. PCR primers were designed such that DNA from ursine species could be amplified from samples containing mixed-species DNA. The VIA accurately identified genuine bear bile crystals and bear bile capsules, although it was unable to consistently identify bear bone and some of the more complex traditional Asian medicines (TAM). The test can be performed by persons with little or no scientific training and may provide a novel method for customs and law enforcement officials to screen purported bear bile samples and gallbladders in the field. The feasibility of using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for individual identification in the white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, was assessed. A molecular method for sexing rhinoceros samples was developed and incorporated into a short tandem repeat (STR) profiling assay. which was then partially-validated for forensic use and used to screen various rhinoceros sample types (horn, blood, tissue) from wild and captive white rhinoceros. The recovery of nuclear DNA (microsatellites) from rhinoceros horn is demonstrated, opening up the possibility of being able to match confiscated horn samples to a particular rhino carcass. A preliminary assessment of the authenticity of exotic meat products sold in the UK was performed. and 40% of items were found to be fraudulent. The implications of this finding are discussed, and the study highlights some of the difficulties associated with mitochondrial DNA-based species identification.
44
Edem, Isuamfon. "Energy modelling for machine tool axis and toolpaths". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/energy-modelling-for-machine-tool-axis-and-toolpaths(2ab542b7-5e6e-4385-9acf-1b7a8e14be2b).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The manufacturing sector is one of the significant consumers of electricity, with about 42.3% (8249 TWh) of the global electricity consumption attributable to this sector. This electricity is generated from fossil fuels at the power stations, resulting in increased CO2 emission and subsequently global warming. Thus, energy efficiency could play a vital role in reducing electrical energy demand and environmental impacts in the manufacturing sector. Mechanical machining is one of the widely used techniques in manufacturing. Machine tools consist of auxiliary units, spindle, feed axes including the x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, and the tool change system which are the main electrical energy consumers. The feed axes control the relative motion between the workpiece and cutter, and also determine the workpiece geometry. In literature, a number of studies focused on the machining process as a whole, while the energy demand for axis and toolpaths was relatively unexplored. This PhD research was aimed at assessing the electrical energy demand in mechanical machining, focusing on feed motions and toolpaths in order to identify energy saving strategies of the machine tool. To achieve this, a current measurement device was used to acquire the current and voltage, from which the power and electrical energy requirements were evaluated. This study included (i) energy consumption analyses of the machine tool in different feed axes directions, (ii) cutting of components in different axes orientations (iii) and electrical energy demand studies of different toolpath strategies. From the study, a new method and model for predicting the electrical energy demand of feed axes was developed. This model encompasses the weights of feed axes, machine tool vice, and workpiece placed on the machine table. Moreover, the newly developed feed axes energy demand model was integrated into other energy consumption models to predict the energy demand for toolpaths. CNC toolpaths are generated manually or by computer aided manufacturing (CAM). Enabling an energy rating of CNC toolpaths is vital to be able to quantify energy demand, compare toolpaths, and develop energy demand reduction strategies. The results show that machining along the x-axis which carries minimal weights significantly reduced the energy demand of the feed drive, which in turn reduces the non-cutting energy demand of the machine tool. Thus, this Thesis contributes to the improvement of energy efficiency in machining through the development of a new and novel model and method for predicting the feed axes energy demand; determining the most efficient axes and component orientation; as well as the most efficient toolpath strategy for minimal energy demand in machining. This PhD Thesis has laid the foundation model and information source for a post processor to estimate energy demand from CNC toolpaths. Such a capability was not available in CAM software or on CNC machines.
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Jones, Debbie. "Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy as tools for monitoring redox transformations of uranium in biological systems". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/fluorescence-spectroscopy-and-microscopy-as-tools-for-monitoring-redox-transformations-of-uranium-in-biological-systems(e5420e94-b96e-4ee1-be63-1a3363672014).html.
Abstract (sommario):
The immobilisation of uranium is an important issue within the nuclear industry due to contaminated land from accidental spillage, weapons testing or mining activities. Within the environment uranium is most commonly found in the +VI oxidation state as the mobile uranyl cation [UO2]2+. Alternatively, the +IV oxidation state can also be found in the environment, forming either an insoluble crystalline uraninite phase, or a more soluble molecular uranium(IV) species. Many endogenous subsurface bacteria can bind and accumulate actinide ions through biosorption and can reduce mobile uranyl(VI) species down to immobile uranium(IV) compounds and mineral phases. This work presents an investigation into the bioreduction process by two anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Geobacter sulfurreducens and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Luminescence spectroscopy is used to monitor the intensity of uranyl(VI) emission in situ over the course of a 24 hour bioreduction experiment with uranyl(VI) acetate as the electron acceptor and either acetate or lactate as the electron donor. An increase in intensity of the emission around hour three or four during the reduction, followed by an overall decrease, is attributed as the disproportionation of an unstable uranyl(V) intermediate. The role of inner and outer membrane c-typecytochromes as well as flavin secretion is also investigated using three deletion mutants of the S. oneidensis bacteria, which shows that in their absence, the reduction of uranyl(VI) does not occur over the course of 24 hours. The emission of uranium(IV) is also investigated during bioreduction in phosphate media and results show that emission can be observed in aqueous solutions at pH 7 pointing to the presence of a molecular product. One photon confocal and two photon fluorescence microscopy has been utilised for the very first time to directly optically image the bioreduction of uranyl(VI) in combination with luminescence lifetime mapping. The sorption of uranyl(VI) onto the surface of the bacteria with differing lifetimes indicates a direct interaction between uranyl(VI) and surface bound c-type cytochromes, since this variation was not observed in mutant S. oneidensis strains where the cytochromes were not present. Combined, these results have established the applicability of optical spectroscopy and microscopyin tracking the bioreduction of uranium in situ.
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Kohlbach, James M. "Tube-based field-portable X-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) as a qualitative screening tool for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals in children's products and comparison to total metals analyses to predict hazardous waste metals toxicity characteristic /". Online version of thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/10925.
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Khalind, Omed Saleem. "New methods to improve the pixel domain steganography, steganalysis, and simplify the assessment of steganalysis tools". Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2015. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/new-methods-to-improve-the-pixel-domain-steganography-steganalysis-and-simplify-the-assessment-of-steganalysis-tools(6431f03a-c2a1-477e-bbd4-e1db7c2ed6df).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Unlike other security methods, steganography hides the very existence of secret messages rather than their content only. Both steganography and steganalysis are strongly related to each other, the new steganographic methods should be evaluated with current steganalysis methods and vice-versa. Since steganography is considered broken when the stego object is recognised, undetectability would be the most important property of any steganographic system. Digital image files are excellent media for steganography, as they have redundancy in their representation. Also, the most widely used method of image steganography is the least significant bit (LSB) embedding. This thesis investigates the latest methods of pixel domain steganography and provides new efficient approaches to improve them in three perspectives: embedding, detection, and the digital forensics investigation process. Firstly, the probability of detection is considered for non-adaptive LSB and 2LSB image steganography even for the embedding rate of 1. The proposed method noticeably reduced the probability of detection for different detection methods via improving the embedding efficiency of both LSB and 2LSB methods, which is not restricted to a specific steganalysis attack. The extensions to LSB steganography methods have received great attention from steganographers, especially 2LSB, because it is easy to implement, has a higher capacity, is visually imperceptible, brings complex changes to the image pixel values and is harder to detect. The proposed method improves the detection accuracy of the current state of the art targeted 2LSB steganalysis methods via a novel approach pixel value grouping and statistical analysis of the image pixel values histogram. Moreover, a discrete classifier version of the proposed method is developed which gives a label (‘Stego’ or ‘Clean’) to the analysed image and avoids the overhead of setting a right threshold value. The last perspective of this research considers the evaluation process of the steganalysis tools and simplifying the digital forensics investigation process. Hence, a novel statistical method is proposed to effectively simplify the investigation process by showing the area of differences between the testing image set and the random set of images that is used as a baseline. It also indicates whether the difference is significant or not. All the above mentioned novel approaches included in this thesis are proven, in both theoretical and practical perspectives, to be better than the current state-of-the-art methods and add some value to the knowledge in the field of steganography, steganalysis and its applications.
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Lombard, Grégori Muriel. "Contribution au génie productique : prototypage d'une architecture d'ingénierie concourante des systèmes intégrés de fabrication manufacturière". Nancy 1, 1994. http://www.theses.fr/1994NAN10054.
Abstract (sommario):
L'évolution issue du C. I. M. (computer integrated manufacturing) visant à considérer l'intégration de toutes les fonctions de l'entreprise opère une mutation qui l'a fait passer du traitement des données à la gestion des informations computer information management, puis de la communication syntaxique en termes de données à une communication des connaissances et propose ainsi la signification nouvelle de corporate information management pour l'acronyme C. I. M. Par rapport, à ce constat, nous proposons, autour du concept d'ingénierie concourante, la définition d'un référentiel commun pour les différents métiers concernés par un système de production, en réduisant ce domaine aux fonctions de gestion technique, de conception et d'exploitation pour les métiers de la mécanique et de l'automatique. L'architecture D. M. M. S. (design management and manufacturing system) ainsi définie permet à chaque pole de disposer de son propre référentiel métier en relation avec les autres via le poste de gestion technique. La modélisation de cette architecture nécessite la mise en œuvre d'environnements intégrés de production. Dans cette optique, nous présentons l'expérimentation de P. C. T. E. (portable commun tool environment), comme plate-forme d'intégration pour le génie productique. Cette modélisation doit tenir compte de la complexité des systèmes de production due principalement à la distribution de la connaissance tout au long du cycle de vie du produit. Pour ce faire, nous proposons, à l'aide d'un modèle de référence d'un système productique qui s'appuie sur le génie systématique, une méthodologie systémique permettant d'appréhender la complexité et la concourance des systèmes considérés
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Siddiqi, Raheel. "Improving learning and teaching through automated short-answer marking". Thesis, University of Manchester, 2010. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/improving-learning-and-teaching-through-automated-shortanswer-marking(b3042248-401a-4187-9a92-b88ec0fad7b6).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Automated short-answer marking cannot 'guarantee' 100% agreement between the marks generated by a software system and the marks produced separately by a human. This problem has prevented automated marking systems from being used in high-stake short-answer marking. Given this limitation, can an automated short-answer marking system have any practical application? This thesis describes how an automated short-answer marking system, called IndusMarker, can be effectively used to improve learning and teaching.The design and evaluation of IndusMarker are also presented in the thesis. IndusMarker is designed for factual answers where there is a clear criterion for answers being right or wrong. The system is based on structure matching, i.e. matching a pre-specified structure, developed via a purpose-built structure editor, with the content of the student's answer text. An examiner specifies the required structure of an answer in a simple purpose-designed language called Question Answer Markup Language (QAML). The structure editor ensures that users construct correct required structures (with respect to QAML's syntax and informal semantics) in a form that is suitable for accurate automated marking.
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Alrawiai, Sumaiah Essa H. "Development of a patient-centred care self-reflection tool for dentists". Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2018. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/development-of-a-patientcentred-care-selfreflection-tool-for-dentists(9178e4d3-75e6-45e2-b1ed-a3abcc000b6c).html.
Abstract (sommario):
Background: Patient-centred care (PCC) has been linked to many positive outcomes in medicine. Dentists currently have no available tool for practicing this approach as part of a daily routine in a dental setting. The latest UK General Dental Council (GDC) standards for dental teams has amplified the need for such a tool (GDC, 2013). Aim: The overall aim of this thesis is to develop and validate a tool for dentists in order to encourage them to practice PCC in dental settings. Methods: This research employs a mixed method research design. This thesis is divided into three studies. Study 1 includes semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 20 practicing dentists who had clinical teaching responsibilities at King’s College London. These interviews explored their views and opinions on PCC in general as well as on a published model of PCC and how applicable this model would be in a dental setting. Study 2 builds on study 1 findings by examining the ability of dental students to assess the communication skills of another dentist. This cross-sectional survey exposed students to a stage consultation via a YouTube video clip and then asked them to use the tool to evaluate the performance of the dentist in the clip. Study 3 entails validation of the newly developed PCC self-reflection tool by assessing its face, content, and criterion validity and test-retest reliability. To determine content validity, experienced dentists who were involved in education and practice evaluated the items based on relevance, clarity and representativeness of the construct as well as the ease of response. The criterion validity was determined in parallel with study 2 using a survey. For the test-retest reliability part, the modified tool was assessed twice within a 10-day period to rate a dental consultation clip by dental students (N=25). Results: The interview analysis highlighted five themes: understanding PCC, the role and influence of patients on the delivery of PCC, the role and influence of dentists on the delivery of PCC, the importance of context and dentists’ views on a hierarchy of PCC. Each of these themes included a number of sub-themes that covered the different issues identified via interview transcript analysis. The themes showed that dentists have a basic and simplistic understanding of the concept of PCC. Dentists identified a number of patient, dentist and contextrelated barriers that could hinder the adoption of PCC. Interviewees thought the hierarchy of PCC they discussed would be useful to aid understanding of PCC but more so for less experienced dentists and dental students. The analysis of the cross-sectional survey study revealed a broad understanding of the basic functions of the communication process, although students’ judgments of the quality of such communication was exaggerated. The development and validation of the tool, led to a final version of the tool containing six items. The tool showed good validity and reliability. Conclusion: A new, practical, PCC self-reflection tool was developed for dentists based on a review of the literature and interviews with dentists. The tool exhibits good content and criterion validity as well as acceptable test-retest reliability. Dentists may use this tool in dental settings to become more aware of PCC as a concept by focusing on two specific aspects: information provision and choice giving.