Search Results (116)
Low-Pressure Plasma Functionalisation of Fluoropolymers
In the present thesis, the problem of the functionalisation of fluoropolymers was addressed. As chemical methods for the functionalisation of fluoropolymers apply environmentally harmful chemicals, the research was directed to low-pressure non-equilibrium radiofrequency (RF) inductively coupled plasmas of environmentally friendly gasses. The research was focused on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the most …
Investigating the early molecular events following exposure of lung cells to nanoparticles using advanced optical microscopies
The potential toxicity of nanoparticles in our environment and consumer products is currently determined by costly and timely animal-based testing, which limits the rate of nanoparticle testing, causing a desperate need for alternative testing strategies. A promising alternative – mechanism-based prediction – employs a set of high-throughput cell-based tests that …
Quantitative imaging of cisplatin in tumour samples by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Medicine relies on imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance, computed tomography and histopathological image analysis because they provide valuable data needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is often used in research and for the advanced diagnosis and …
Protection of biomedical alloys by thin films of alumina and hafnia prepared by atomic layer deposition
One of the most commonly used metal materials for the manufacture of biomedical implants are stainless steel and titanium-based alloys. Due to the specific conditions and complex environment in the human body, different strategies have been employed to protect them and improve their functionality in vivo. In this thesis, a …
Synergistic action of organic inhibitors to mitigate corrosion of aluminium, copper and aluminium-copper alloy in chloride solution
The inhibitory action of organic compounds, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), octylphosphonic acid (OPA) and their binary combinations was studied on aluminium, copper and aluminium alloy (AA) 2024 in chloride environments by ex-situ conventional electrochemical methods and surface-analytical techniques. In addition, the influence of pre-treatment of the metal surface and the choice of …
Combining neural and symbolic representations in natural language processing
The thesis addresses a novel representation learning framework, combining neural and symbolic text representations, and demonstrates its utility for tackling diverse natural language processing problems. The proposed approach, avoiding the deficiencies of purely symbolic and purely neural methods, can be applied for the generation of efficient text representations. Its usefulness …
User experience evaluation of novel air quality sensing technologies for citizen engagement in environmental health studies
The use of low-cost sensing technologies increasingly used in participatory environmental health studies brings both opportunities and challenges. While previous research mostly focused on technical aspects, this thesis brings participants to the foreground and articulates their experiences. It aims to evaluate if low-cost sensing technologies are fitfor- purpose in environmental …
The use of high-throughput sequencing for detection of viral sequences in complex samples from environment and industry
Metagenomics based on high throughput sequencing (HTS) has opened a new era of discovery and genomic characterization of viruses associated with a given host or environment. The search for novel viral sequences provides an excellent opportunity to improve early detection of pathogens, and to predict viral hosts and environmental reservoirs …
Development and application of a non-targeted screening workflow for chemical exposure assessment in human biomonitoring and related studies
Human exposure to environmental stressors is widespread. Highly dynamic, these chemical, physical and social factors, collectively termed as the exposome, interact with internal factors such as genetics, sex, gut microbiome and general health status, and dictate susceptibility and risk for an onset of diseases. Human exposure to the chemicals is …
High-precision wide-bandwidth isolated current measurement in networked devices
With the increasing use of electricity powered devices and processes in our daily lives, the need for the precise measurement of electrical currents across more than 15 decades from below nA to tens or hundreds of kA has become inevitable both for billing and more optimal energy distribution purposes as …