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Mechanosensitive ion channels comprise a broad group of proteins that sense mechanical extracellular and intracellular changes, translating them into cation influx to adapt and respond to these physical cues. All cells in the organism are mechanosensitive, and these physical cues have proven to have an important role in regulating proliferation, cell fate and differentiation, migration and cellular stress, among other processes. Indeed, the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix in cancer change drastically due to high cell proliferation and modification of extracellular protein secretion, suggesting an important contribution to tumor cell regulation. In this review, we describe the physiological significance of mechanosensitive ion channels, emphasizing their role in cancer and immunity, and providing compelling proof of the importance of continuing to explore their potential as new therapeutic targets in cancer research., Depto. de Medicina, Fac. de Medicina, TRUE, pub, Descuento UCM

Members of the Piezo family of mechanically activated cation channels are involved in multiple physiological processes including vascular development, cell differentiation, touch perception, hearing and more. Mutations in these proteins are associated with a variety of human diseases, such as colorectal adenomatous polyposis, dehydrated hereditary stomacytosis, and hereditary xerocytosis. Available 3D structures for Piezo proteins show nine regions of four transmembrane segments each that have the same fold. Despite the remarkable similarity among the nine characteristic structural repeats in the family, no significant sequence similarity among them has been reported. Using a bioinformatics approach and the Transporter Classification Database (TCDB) as reference, we reliably identified sequence similarity among repeats based on four lines of evidence: (1) HMM-profile similarities across repeats at the family level, (2) pairwise sequence similarities between different repeats across Piezo homologs, (3) Piezo-specific conserved sequence signatures that consistently identify the same regions across repeats, and (4) conserved residues that maintain the same orientation and location in 3D space.

This project studies how tactile feedback can be implemented in existing CrossControl products,in this case the V1200-display computer. The main purpose of this function is to minimizedistraction for the user by implementing tactile feedback which creates the possibility for theuser to use the device without looking at the display. A key variable to achieve this function is tocreate a haptic button, by using a force detector where the vibration strength will be related tohow much force users have applied on the screen. This technology can be applied with a piezoelectric sensor and actuator which can be integratedinto the V1200-display device. When a user touches the screen, feedback will be initiated, andusers can feel the feedback in the form of vibration which will represent a button press. Threedifferent design ideas on how piezoelectric sensors will be implemented under the V1200device’s display has been studied to determine which is the most optimal design to create thebest vibration and consequently best feedback to the users. The final implementation of the new function does not have a force detection and has onlytactile feedback with a piezoelectric actuator which will receive a PWM signal from the V1200device touch display. The glass panel on the screen is not flexible because of its thickness,which will cause a non-readable display touch that is not reachable by the sensor. In conclusion, the demo product could be mounted with either two or three sensors, dependingon whether the economical- or the efficiency aspect is the target for the producer. Since bothaspects will still provide 2 g acceleration force in the z-axis along the screen resulting in asatisfactory feeling, Detta projekt studerar hur haptisk feedback kan implementeras i befintliga CrossControl produkter, mer specifikt för V1200-skärmdatorn. Denna nya funktionen har i huvudsyfte att minimera distraktioner för användaren genom implementering av haptisk återkoppling som ger föraren möjligheten att använda skärmenheten utan att titta på skärmen. En nyckel variabel för att åstadkomma denna funktion är att tillverka känsel övertygande knappar genom kraftigenkänning, där vibrationens styrka kommer att relatera till hur mycket kraft som användaren tillämpat. Denna teknik kan tillämpas med en piezoelektrisk sensor och aktuator som kan integreras under V1200-skärmenhet. När användaren klickar på skärmen ska en återkoppling sättas igång ,där användaren kan känna denna återkoppling i form av en vibration som representerar exempelvis en knapptryckning. Tre olika designidéer på hur piezoelektriska sensorerna skulle implementeras under V1200 enhetens skärm studerades för att sedan besluta om vilken som är den mest optimala designen som ger bäst vibration och därmed bäst återkoppling till användaren. Den slutgiltiga implementeringen resulterade i att den nya funktionen blir utan kraftigenkänning och enbart får haptisk återkoppling med piezoelektriska aktuatorer som får en PWM signal från V1200 enhetens touchdisplay. Orsaken till att funktionen ej har kraftigenkänning är på grund av att den tjocka glasskärmen inte är tillräckligt flexibel för att tryckningen på skärmen ska vara läsbar av sensorn. Avslutningsvis blev den färdigställda produkten med implementering av haptisk återkoppling med två stycken piezoelektriska aktuatorer inom den ekonomiska aspekten medan den mest effektiva återkopplingen blev med tre styckna sensorer. Båda dessa design gav en accelerationskraft på 2g i z-riktningen längs skärmen och gav ett tillfredsställande resultat.

This project studies how tactile feedback can be implemented in existing CrossControl products,in this case the V1200-display computer. The main purpose of this function is to minimizedistraction for the user by implementing tactile feedback which creates the possibility for theuser to use the device without looking at the display. A key variable to achieve this function is tocreate a haptic button, by using a force detector where the vibration strength will be related tohow much force users have applied on the screen. This technology can be applied with a piezoelectric sensor and actuator which can be integratedinto the V1200-display device. When a user touches the screen, feedback will be initiated, andusers can feel the feedback in the form of vibration which will represent a button press. Threedifferent design ideas on how piezoelectric sensors will be implemented under the V1200device’s display has been studied to determine which is the most optimal design to create thebest vibration and consequently best feedback to the users. The final implementation of the new function does not have a force detection and has onlytactile feedback with a piezoelectric actuator which will receive a PWM signal from the V1200device touch display. The glass panel on the screen is not flexible because of its thickness,which will cause a non-readable display touch that is not reachable by the sensor. In conclusion, the demo product could be mounted with either two or three sensors, dependingon whether the economical- or the efficiency aspect is the target for the producer. Since bothaspects will still provide 2 g acceleration force in the z-axis along the screen resulting in asatisfactory feeling, Detta projekt studerar hur haptisk feedback kan implementeras i befintliga CrossControl produkter, mer specifikt för V1200-skärmdatorn. Denna nya funktionen har i huvudsyfte att minimera distraktioner för användaren genom implementering av haptisk återkoppling som ger föraren möjligheten att använda skärmenheten utan att titta på skärmen. En nyckel variabel för att åstadkomma denna funktion är att tillverka känsel övertygande knappar genom kraftigenkänning, där vibrationens styrka kommer att relatera till hur mycket kraft som användaren tillämpat. Denna teknik kan tillämpas med en piezoelektrisk sensor och aktuator som kan integreras under V1200-skärmenhet. När användaren klickar på skärmen ska en återkoppling sättas igång ,där användaren kan känna denna återkoppling i form av en vibration som representerar exempelvis en knapptryckning. Tre olika designidéer på hur piezoelektriska sensorerna skulle implementeras under V1200 enhetens skärm studerades för att sedan besluta om vilken som är den mest optimala designen som ger bäst vibration och därmed bäst återkoppling till användaren. Den slutgiltiga implementeringen resulterade i att den nya funktionen blir utan kraftigenkänning och enbart får haptisk återkoppling med piezoelektriska aktuatorer som får en PWM signal från V1200 enhetens touchdisplay. Orsaken till att funktionen ej har kraftigenkänning är på grund av att den tjocka glasskärmen inte är tillräckligt flexibel för att tryckningen på skärmen ska vara läsbar av sensorn. Avslutningsvis blev den färdigställda produkten med implementering av haptisk återkoppling med två stycken piezoelektriska aktuatorer inom den ekonomiska aspekten medan den mest effektiva återkopplingen blev med tre styckna sensorer. Båda dessa design gav en accelerationskraft på 2g i z-riktningen längs skärmen och gav ett tillfredsställande resultat.

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors the discoveries of the temperature or mechanically activated channels, whose structural studies provided insights of channel gating at atomic level.

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors the discoveries of the temperature or mechanically activated channels, whose structural studies provided insights of channel gating at atomic level.

A device which is popularly used in the literature for generating standing ultrasonic waves to apply an acoustic force to µm-range particles was reproduced and used to develop the proof of concept for a novel cellular mechanophenotyping technique. The concept of this technique is to measure mechanical properties of cells at an unprecedented rate with low-cost technologies to characterise how cells’ deformations change under a varying acoustic force. Mechanophenotyping cells can allow them to be uniquely identified, meaning the technique could be employed in a cheap and accessible real-time test for cancer and other diseases in the blood. The device was used to achieve acoustic trapping of cornflour particles, living HeLa cells, polyacrylamide microbeads and giant unilamellar vesicles. Crucial factors for optimising the operation of the device were investigated throughout the project in order to maximise acoustic forces and improve their consistency, leading to deformation of a giant unilamellar vesicle by application of these acoustic forces to an aspect ratio of 1.30±0.05. As work was carried out to achieve this, the importance of the subtleties and complexities of the acoustic waves’ behaviour became increasingly apparent, revealing how acoustic force experiments are less easily reproducible than initially expected. In response to this, work was carried out to document experimentation with a range of variables which are known to affect the acoustic forces, and to contribute to knowledge of how to reproduce these devices to a sufficient standard to acoustically deform a sample.

Plant roots adapt to the mechanical constraints of the soil to grow and absorb water and nutrients. As in animal species, mechanosensitive ion channels in plants are proposed to transduce external mechanical forces into biological signals. However, the identity of these plant root ion channels remains unknown. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana PIEZO1 (PZO1) has preserved the function of its animal relatives and acts as an ion channel. We present evidence that plant PIEZO1 is expressed in the columella and lateral root cap cells of the root tip, which are known to experience robust mechanical strain during root growth. Deleting PZO1 from the whole plant significantly reduced the ability of its roots to penetrate denser barriers compared to wild-type plants. pzo1 mutant root tips exhibited diminished calcium transients in response to mechanical stimulation, supporting a role of PZO1 in root mechanotransduction. Finally, a chimeric PZO1 channel that includes the C-terminal half of PZO1 containing the putative pore region was functional and mechanosensitive when expressed in naive mammalian cells. Collectively, our data suggest that Arabidopsis PIEZO1 plays an important role in root mechanotransduction and establish PIEZOs as physiologically relevant mechanosensitive ion channels across animal and plant kingdoms.

A device which is popularly used in the literature for generating standing ultrasonic waves to apply an acoustic force to µm-range particles was reproduced and used to develop the proof of concept for a novel cellular mechanophenotyping technique. The concept of this technique is to measure mechanical properties of cells at an unprecedented rate with low-cost technologies to characterise how cells’ deformations change under a varying acoustic force. Mechanophenotyping cells can allow them to be uniquely identified, meaning the technique could be employed in a cheap and accessible real-time test for cancer and other diseases in the blood. The device was used to achieve acoustic trapping of cornflour particles, living HeLa cells, polyacrylamide microbeads and giant unilamellar vesicles. Crucial factors for optimising the operation of the device were investigated throughout the project in order to maximise acoustic forces and improve their consistency, leading to deformation of a giant unilamellar vesicle by application of these acoustic forces to an aspect ratio of 1.30±0.05. As work was carried out to achieve this, the importance of the subtleties and complexities of the acoustic waves’ behaviour became increasingly apparent, revealing how acoustic force experiments are less easily reproducible than initially expected. In response to this, work was carried out to document experimentation with a range of variables which are known to affect the acoustic forces, and to contribute to knowledge of how to reproduce these devices to a sufficient standard to acoustically deform a sample.

Combining crosslinking strategies with electrophysiology, biochemistry, and structural in silico analysis is a powerful tool to study transient movements of ion channels during gating. This chapter describes crosslinking in living cells using cysteine and photoactive unnatural amino acids (UAAs) that we have used on glutamate receptor ion channels. Here, we share the protocol for building a perfusion tool to enable rapid chemical modification of glutamate-gated AMPA receptors, optimized for their fast activation. This system can be used to perform state-dependent crosslinking in receptors modified by cysteines or UAA incorporation on the millisecond timescale. Introducing UAAs results in receptors with lower expression levels relative to the introduction of cysteine residues. Reduced expression is principally a challenge for biochemical studies, and we share here our approach to capture the light driven oligomerization of AMPA receptors containing UAA crosslinkers. Finally, we describe strategies for computational analysis to make sense of the crosslinking results in terms of structure and function.

Activation of mechanosensitive ion channels underlies a variety of fundamental physiological processes that require sensation of mechanical force. Different mechanosensitive channels adapt distinctive structures and mechanotransduction mechanisms to fit their biological roles. How mechanosensitive channels work, especially in animals, has been extensively studied in the past decade. Here we review key findings in the functional and structural characterizations of these channels and highlight the structural features relevant to the mechanotransduction mechanism of each specific channel.

Animal feeding is controlled by external sensory cues and internal metabolic states. Does it also depend on enteric neurons that sense mechanical cues to signal fullness of the digestive tract? Here, we identify a group of piezo-expressing neurons innervating the Drosophila crop (the fly equivalent of the stomach) that monitor crop volume to avoid food overconsumption. These neurons reside in the pars intercerebralis (PI), a neuro-secretory center in the brain involved in homeostatic control, and express insulin-like peptides with well-established roles in regulating food intake and metabolism. Piezo knockdown in these neurons of wild-type flies phenocopies the food overconsumption phenotype of piezo-null mutant flies. Conversely, expression of either fly Piezo or mammalian Piezo1 in these neurons of piezo-null mutants suppresses the overconsumption phenotype. Importantly, Piezo+ neurons at the PI are activated directly by crop distension, thus conveying a rapid satiety signal along the "brain-gut axis" to control feeding.

Activation of mechanosensitive ion channels underlies a variety of fundamental physiological processes that require sensation of mechanical force. Different mechanosensitive channels adapt distinctive structures and mechanotransduction mechanisms to fit their biological roles. How mechanosensitive channels work, especially in animals, has been extensively studied in the past decade. Here we review key findings in the functional and structural characterizations of these channels and highlight the structural features relevant to the mechanotransduction mechanism of each specific channel.

Animal feeding is controlled by external sensory cues and internal metabolic states. Does it also depend on enteric neurons that sense mechanical cues to signal fullness of the digestive tract? Here, we identify a group of piezo-expressing neurons innervating the Drosophila crop (the fly equivalent of the stomach) that monitor crop volume to avoid food overconsumption. These neurons reside in the pars intercerebralis (PI), a neuro-secretory center in the brain involved in homeostatic control, and express insulin-like peptides with well-established roles in regulating food intake and metabolism. Piezo knockdown in these neurons of wild-type flies phenocopies the food overconsumption phenotype of piezo-null mutant flies. Conversely, expression of either fly Piezo or mammalian Piezo1 in these neurons of piezo-null mutants suppresses the overconsumption phenotype. Importantly, Piezo+ neurons at the PI are activated directly by crop distension, thus conveying a rapid satiety signal along the "brain-gut axis" to control feeding.

Morphogenesis is a physical process that requires the generation of mechanical forces to achieve dynamic changes in cell position, tissue shape, and size as well as biochemical signals to coordinate these events. Mechanical forces are also used by the embryo to transmit detailed information across space and detected by target cells, leading to downstream changes in cellular properties and behaviors. Indeed, forces provide signaling information of complementary quality that can both synergize and diversify the functional outputs of biochemical signaling. Here, we discuss recent findings that reveal how mechanical signaling and biochemical signaling are integrated during morphogenesis and the possible context-specific advantages conferred by the interactions between these signaling mechanisms.

Neurons exhibit a limited ability of repair. Given that mechanical forces affect neuronal outgrowth, it is important to investigate whether mechanosensitive ion channels may regulate axon regeneration. Here, we show that DmPiezo, a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel, functions as an intrinsic inhibitor for axon regeneration in Drosophila. DmPiezo activation during axon regeneration induces local Ca2+ transients at the growth cone, leading to activation of nitric oxide synthase and the downstream cGMP kinase Foraging or PKG to restrict axon regrowth. Loss of DmPiezo enhances axon regeneration of sensory neurons in the peripheral and CNS. Conditional knockout of its mammalian homolog Piezo1 in vivo accelerates regeneration, while its pharmacological activation in vitro modestly reduces regeneration, suggesting the role of Piezo in inhibiting regeneration may be evolutionarily conserved. These findings provide a precedent for the involvement of mechanosensitive channels in axon regeneration and add a potential target for modulating nervous system repair.

På grund av det rådande miljöhotet så bör fokus för forskning och utveckling i ämnet riktas åt att utnyttja så många förnybara energikällor som möjligt, samt även optimera dessa för största möjliga energiupptagning. Vind, vatten och solljus är välkända och väl utformade källor för energi. Huruvida vatten i form av regn kan utnyttjas och dess potential kommer studeras i det här arbetet. Materialval och konstruktionslösningar står i centrum för arbetet. Vidare så studeras dess bakgrunder för utvinningsmetoderna och dess grundläggande principer tas upp för att skapa en bättre förståelse för möjligheterna att utnyttja tekniken. Fortsättningsvis så har rådande potentiella användningsområden och kommande utmaningar diskuterats utförligt., Because of the prevailing environmental threat, focus for research and development in the subject should aim towards taking advantage of as many renewable energy sources as possible aswell as optimizing them to convert as much energy as possible. All renewable energy must be utilized, but above all, also optimized. Wind, water and sunlight are well-known and well-designed sources of energy. Whether water in the form of rain can be utilized and its potential as a sustainable commercial method will be studied in this paper. Material selection and design solutions are at the heart of the work. Furthermore, its backgrounds for the extraction methods are studied and its basic principles are addressed to create a better understanding of the possibilities of utilizing the technology. Moreover, the current potential uses and future challenges have been discussed in detail.

Neurons exhibit a limited ability of repair. Given that mechanical forces affect neuronal outgrowth, it is important to investigate whether mechanosensitive ion channels may regulate axon regeneration. Here, we show that DmPiezo, a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel, functions as an intrinsic inhibitor for axon regeneration in Drosophila. DmPiezo activation during axon regeneration induces local Ca2+ transients at the growth cone, leading to activation of nitric oxide synthase and the downstream cGMP kinase Foraging or PKG to restrict axon regrowth. Loss of DmPiezo enhances axon regeneration of sensory neurons in the peripheral and CNS. Conditional knockout of its mammalian homolog Piezo1 in vivo accelerates regeneration, while its pharmacological activation in vitro modestly reduces regeneration, suggesting the role of Piezo in inhibiting regeneration may be evolutionarily conserved. These findings provide a precedent for the involvement of mechanosensitive channels in axon regeneration and add a potential target for modulating nervous system repair.

Neurons exhibit a limited ability of repair. Given that mechanical forces affect neuronal outgrowth, it is important to investigate whether mechanosensitive ion channels may regulate axon regeneration. Here, we show that DmPiezo, a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel, functions as an intrinsic inhibitor for axon regeneration in Drosophila. DmPiezo activation during axon regeneration induces local Ca2+ transients at the growth cone, leading to activation of nitric oxide synthase and the downstream cGMP kinase Foraging or PKG to restrict axon regrowth. Loss of DmPiezo enhances axon regeneration of sensory neurons in the peripheral and CNS. Conditional knockout of its mammalian homolog Piezo1 in vivo accelerates regeneration, while its pharmacological activation in vitro modestly reduces regeneration, suggesting the role of Piezo in inhibiting regeneration may be evolutionarily conserved. These findings provide a precedent for the involvement of mechanosensitive channels in axon regeneration and add a potential target for modulating nervous system repair.

På grund av det rådande miljöhotet så bör fokus för forskning och utveckling i ämnet riktas åt att utnyttja så många förnybara energikällor som möjligt, samt även optimera dessa för största möjliga energiupptagning. Vind, vatten och solljus är välkända och väl utformade källor för energi. Huruvida vatten i form av regn kan utnyttjas och dess potential kommer studeras i det här arbetet. Materialval och konstruktionslösningar står i centrum för arbetet. Vidare så studeras dess bakgrunder för utvinningsmetoderna och dess grundläggande principer tas upp för att skapa en bättre förståelse för möjligheterna att utnyttja tekniken. Fortsättningsvis så har rådande potentiella användningsområden och kommande utmaningar diskuterats utförligt., Because of the prevailing environmental threat, focus for research and development in the subject should aim towards taking advantage of as many renewable energy sources as possible aswell as optimizing them to convert as much energy as possible. All renewable energy must be utilized, but above all, also optimized. Wind, water and sunlight are well-known and well-designed sources of energy. Whether water in the form of rain can be utilized and its potential as a sustainable commercial method will be studied in this paper. Material selection and design solutions are at the heart of the work. Furthermore, its backgrounds for the extraction methods are studied and its basic principles are addressed to create a better understanding of the possibilities of utilizing the technology. Moreover, the current potential uses and future challenges have been discussed in detail.

Drahtlose Systeme, die weder kompatibel mit Produkten anderer Hersteller noch nach einem anerkannten Standard entwickelt sind, bezeichnet man als proprietär. Um spezifische Vorteile hervorzuheben, verändert man eine oder mehrere Schichten des Kommunikations-Stacks. Dieser Artikel beleuchtet die Vor- und Nachteile proprietärer Funksysteme und stellt eine Anwendung vor.

Corrosion in grounding electrodes is an emerging problem affecting electric power distribution systems worldwide. An effective means to detect acute corrosion within specific grounding rods remains elusive. However, a promising method for corrosion detection is being explored that is based on acoustic guided waves. An acoustic pulse is transmitted into a steel rod using a piezoelectric element. The transmitted wave echoes off of any defects which may be present, letting their size and location be made known. A transducer is developed that best transmits the longitudinal mode into the rod. A novel model of the pulse-echo system using PSpice is presented. The model is compared with lab experiments using frequency and time domain testing and show that our model is in close agreement with the lab measurements. A novel pulse-echo transceiver embedded system is developed and presented for use in field testing. Measurements obtained from the board are compared with bench-top equipment to verify accuracy and quality.

Drahtlose Systeme, die weder kompatibel mit Produkten anderer Hersteller noch nach einem anerkannten Standard entwickelt sind, bezeichnet man als proprietär. Um spezifische Vorteile hervorzuheben, verändert man eine oder mehrere Schichten des Kommunikations-Stacks. Dieser Artikel beleuchtet die Vor- und Nachteile proprietärer Funksysteme und stellt eine Anwendung vor.

Corrosion in grounding electrodes is an emerging problem affecting electric power distribution systems worldwide. An effective means to detect acute corrosion within specific grounding rods remains elusive. However, a promising method for corrosion detection is being explored that is based on acoustic guided waves. An acoustic pulse is transmitted into a steel rod using a piezoelectric element. The transmitted wave echoes off of any defects which may be present, letting their size and location be made known. A transducer is developed that best transmits the longitudinal mode into the rod. A novel model of the pulse-echo system using PSpice is presented. The model is compared with lab experiments using frequency and time domain testing and show that our model is in close agreement with the lab measurements. A novel pulse-echo transceiver embedded system is developed and presented for use in field testing. Measurements obtained from the board are compared with bench-top equipment to verify accuracy and quality.

Piezoelectric voltage transformers (PTs) can be used to transform an input voltage into a different, required output voltage needed in electronic and electro- mechanical systems, among other varied uses. On the macro scale, they have been commercialized in electronics powering consumer laptop liquid crystal displays, and compete with an older, more prevalent technology, inductive electromagnetic volt- age transformers (EMTs). The present work investigates PTs on smaller size scales that are currently in the academic research sphere, with an eye towards applications including micro-robotics and other small-scale electronic and electromechanical sys- tems. PTs and EMTs are compared on the basis of power and energy density, with PTs trending towards higher values of power and energy density, comparatively, indicating their suitability for small-scale systems. Among PT topologies, bulk disc-type PTs, operating in their fundamental radial extension mode, and free-free beam PTs, operating in their fundamental length extensional mode, are good can- didates for microfabrication and are considered here. Analytical modeling based on the Extended Hamilton Method is used to predict device performance and integrate mechanical tethering as a boundary condition. This model differs from previous PT models in that the electric enthalpy is used to derive constituent equations of motion with Hamilton’s Method, and therefore this approach is also more generally applica- ble to other piezoelectric systems outside of the present work. Prototype devices are microfabricated using a two mask process consisting of traditional photolithography combined with micropowder blasting, and are tested with various output electri- cal loads. 4mm diameter tethered disc PTs on the order of .002cm^3 , two orders smaller than the bulk PT literature, had the following performance: a prototype with electrode area ratio (input area / output area) = 1 had peak gain of 2.3 (± 0.1), efficiency of 33 (± 0.1)% an

Validerat; 20160901 (global_studentproject_submitter)

Silicon wafers are getting bigger and bigger in the production line, aiming for faster manufacturing, lower cost and higher yield. The handling/transportation technique is becoming more and more critical during the production. As the wafer is being handled with physical contact there is always risk of damage and contemination coming from the contact surface. Contactless wafer stage utilizes a thin film of pressurized air to support the wafer, provides wafer handling without physical contact, hence reducing the risk of damage and contamination. A special contactless 3DoF wafer stage called "the Flowerbed" is developed by H.P.Vuong during his PhD research. This flowerbed has a creative mechanical design to combine the wafer support and driving function, so that the wafer can be supported and driven by pressurized air with 3 degrees of freedom (x-y-theta). The goal of this MSc research is to design an actuation system for the Flowerbed, and design a special pneumatic actuator specific for this application. Two actuation configurations are discussed and the concept of 3-RPR parallel manipulator is chosen. Pneumatic actuator is chosen to be the type of actuator in this research. This pneumatic actuator has to be specially made, because the requirement of the actuators is, that it should have a stroke of 80 micro meters, with a maximum force of higher than 140N, and the required bandwidth is 150Hz. Such pneumatic actuator is rarely seen and is not available. A model is developed for this special pneumatic actuator, and is validated by test setups. Further development is made by a design with piezo buzzer. This piezo buzzer is implemented as a low cost valve with high performance, and the use of piezo buzzer makes it possible to integrate the valve into the actuator housing, hence further reduce the cost and improve the performance. A prototype is made to demonstrate the feasibility of such kind of pneumatic actuator. This prototype meets the requirement of the actuator an, Mechatronic System Design, Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Silicon wafers are getting bigger and bigger in the production line, aiming for faster manufacturing, lower cost and higher yield. The handling/transportation technique is becoming more and more critical during the production. As the wafer is being handled with physical contact there is always risk of damage and contemination coming from the contact surface. Contactless wafer stage utilizes a thin film of pressurized air to support the wafer, provides wafer handling without physical contact, hence reducing the risk of damage and contamination. A special contactless 3DoF wafer stage called "the Flowerbed" is developed by H.P.Vuong during his PhD research. This flowerbed has a creative mechanical design to combine the wafer support and driving function, so that the wafer can be supported and driven by pressurized air with 3 degrees of freedom (x-y-theta). The goal of this MSc research is to design an actuation system for the Flowerbed, and design a special pneumatic actuator specific for this application. Two actuation configurations are discussed and the concept of 3-RPR parallel manipulator is chosen. Pneumatic actuator is chosen to be the type of actuator in this research. This pneumatic actuator has to be specially made, because the requirement of the actuators is, that it should have a stroke of 80 micro meters, with a maximum force of higher than 140N, and the required bandwidth is 150Hz. Such pneumatic actuator is rarely seen and is not available. A model is developed for this special pneumatic actuator, and is validated by test setups. Further development is made by a design with piezo buzzer. This piezo buzzer is implemented as a low cost valve with high performance, and the use of piezo buzzer makes it possible to integrate the valve into the actuator housing, hence further reduce the cost and improve the performance. A prototype is made to demonstrate the feasibility of such kind of pneumatic actuator. This prototype meets the requirement of the actuator an, Mechatronic System Design, Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

During the last decade, ultrasonic manipulation has matured into an important tool with a wide range of applications, from fundamental cell biological research to clinical and industrial implementations. The contactless nature of ultrasound makes it possible to manipulate living cells in a gentle way, e.g., for positioning, sorting, and aggregation. However, when manipulating cells using ultrasound, especially using high acoustic amplitudes, a great deal of heat can be generated. This constitutes a challenge, since the viability of cells is dependent on a stable physiological temperature around 37°C. In this Thesis we present applications of ultrasonic manipulation of fluids, particles, and cells in temperature-controlled micrometer-sized devices fabricated using well established etching techniques, directly compatible with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we present ultrasonic manipulation in larger up to centimeter-sized devices optimized for fluid mixing and cell lysis. In the present work, two new ultrasonic manipulation platforms have been developed implementing temperature control. These platforms are much improved with increased performance and usability compared to previous platforms. Also, two new ultrasonic platforms utilizing low-frequency ultrasound for solubilization and cell lysis of microliter-volumed and milliliter-volumed samples have been designed and implemented. We have applied ultrasound to synchronize the interaction between large numbers of immune, natural killer cells, and cancer cells to study the cytotoxic response, on a single cell level. A heterogeneity was found among the natural killer cell population, i.e., some cells displayed high cytotoxic response while others were dormant. Furthermore, we have used temperature-controlled ultrasound to form up to 100, in parallel, solid cancer HepG2 tumors in a glass-silicon multi-well microplate. Next, we investigated the immune cells cytotoxic response against the s, Ultraljudsmanipulering har under de senaste tio åren mognat och utvecklats till ett verktyg med ett brett användningsområde. Idag kan man finna applikationer inom allt från cellbiologisk grundforskning till industri samt sjukvård. Ultraljudsmanipuleringens kontaktlösa natur gör det till en varsam metod för att manipulera celler, till exempel inom positionering, sortering och aggregering. När ultraljud med hög amplitud används kan värmeutvecklingen, som är oundviklig, bli ett problem. För att kunna säkerställa hög cellviabilitet krävs temperaturkontroll som kan hålla en fysiologisk, stabil temperatur på 37°C. I denna avhandling presenterar vi tillämpningar av temperaturkontrollerad ultraljudsmanipulering i mikrometerstora anordningar fabricerade med väletablerade etsningstekniker. Dessa anordningar är optimerade för att vara fullt kompatibla med högupplöst fluorescensmikroskopi. Vi demonstrerar även ultraljudsmanipulering i centimeterstora anordningar optimerade för omrörning och blandning av vätskor samt lysering av celler. Två nya plattformar för ultraljudsmanipulering med inbyggd temperaturkontroll har utvecklats. Dessa två plattformar erbjuder ökad prestanda, flexibilitet samt även användarvänlighet. Utöver dessa plattformar har ytterligare två anordningar för lågfrekvent ultraljudssolubilisering och cellysering av mikroliter- och milliliterstora prover konstruerats. I denna avhandling har vi tillämpat ultraljud för att synkronisera interaktionen mellan populationer utav immunceller (natural killer-celler) och cancerceller för att på cellnivå studera det cytotoxiska gensvaret. Vi fann en heterogenitet hos immuncellspopulationen. Det manifesterade sig i en fördelning av immuncellerna, från celler med stort cytotoxiskt gensvar till inaktiva immunceller. Vi har dessutom använt temperaturkontrollerad ultrasljudsmanipulering för att skapa solida cancertumörer utav HepG2-cancerceller, upp till 100 stycken parallellt, i en multihåls-mikrotiterplatta beståend, QC 20150522

During the last decade, ultrasonic manipulation has matured into an important tool with a wide range of applications, from fundamental cell biological research to clinical and industrial implementations. The contactless nature of ultrasound makes it possible to manipulate living cells in a gentle way, e.g., for positioning, sorting, and aggregation. However, when manipulating cells using ultrasound, especially using high acoustic amplitudes, a great deal of heat can be generated. This constitutes a challenge, since the viability of cells is dependent on a stable physiological temperature around 37°C. In this Thesis we present applications of ultrasonic manipulation of fluids, particles, and cells in temperature-controlled micrometer-sized devices fabricated using well established etching techniques, directly compatible with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we present ultrasonic manipulation in larger up to centimeter-sized devices optimized for fluid mixing and cell lysis. In the present work, two new ultrasonic manipulation platforms have been developed implementing temperature control. These platforms are much improved with increased performance and usability compared to previous platforms. Also, two new ultrasonic platforms utilizing low-frequency ultrasound for solubilization and cell lysis of microliter-volumed and milliliter-volumed samples have been designed and implemented. We have applied ultrasound to synchronize the interaction between large numbers of immune, natural killer cells, and cancer cells to study the cytotoxic response, on a single cell level. A heterogeneity was found among the natural killer cell population, i.e., some cells displayed high cytotoxic response while others were dormant. Furthermore, we have used temperature-controlled ultrasound to form up to 100, in parallel, solid cancer HepG2 tumors in a glass-silicon multi-well microplate. Next, we investigated the immune cells cytotoxic response against the s, Ultraljudsmanipulering har under de senaste tio åren mognat och utvecklats till ett verktyg med ett brett användningsområde. Idag kan man finna applikationer inom allt från cellbiologisk grundforskning till industri samt sjukvård. Ultraljudsmanipuleringens kontaktlösa natur gör det till en varsam metod för att manipulera celler, till exempel inom positionering, sortering och aggregering. När ultraljud med hög amplitud används kan värmeutvecklingen, som är oundviklig, bli ett problem. För att kunna säkerställa hög cellviabilitet krävs temperaturkontroll som kan hålla en fysiologisk, stabil temperatur på 37°C. I denna avhandling presenterar vi tillämpningar av temperaturkontrollerad ultraljudsmanipulering i mikrometerstora anordningar fabricerade med väletablerade etsningstekniker. Dessa anordningar är optimerade för att vara fullt kompatibla med högupplöst fluorescensmikroskopi. Vi demonstrerar även ultraljudsmanipulering i centimeterstora anordningar optimerade för omrörning och blandning av vätskor samt lysering av celler. Två nya plattformar för ultraljudsmanipulering med inbyggd temperaturkontroll har utvecklats. Dessa två plattformar erbjuder ökad prestanda, flexibilitet samt även användarvänlighet. Utöver dessa plattformar har ytterligare två anordningar för lågfrekvent ultraljudssolubilisering och cellysering av mikroliter- och milliliterstora prover konstruerats. I denna avhandling har vi tillämpat ultraljud för att synkronisera interaktionen mellan populationer utav immunceller (natural killer-celler) och cancerceller för att på cellnivå studera det cytotoxiska gensvaret. Vi fann en heterogenitet hos immuncellspopulationen. Det manifesterade sig i en fördelning av immuncellerna, från celler med stort cytotoxiskt gensvar till inaktiva immunceller. Vi har dessutom använt temperaturkontrollerad ultrasljudsmanipulering för att skapa solida cancertumörer utav HepG2-cancerceller, upp till 100 stycken parallellt, i en multihåls-mikrotiterplatta beståend, QC 20150522

During the last decade, ultrasonic manipulation has matured into an important tool with a wide range of applications, from fundamental cell biological research to clinical and industrial implementations. The contactless nature of ultrasound makes it possible to manipulate living cells in a gentle way, e.g., for positioning, sorting, and aggregation. However, when manipulating cells using ultrasound, especially using high acoustic amplitudes, a great deal of heat can be generated. This constitutes a challenge, since the viability of cells is dependent on a stable physiological temperature around 37°C. In this Thesis we present applications of ultrasonic manipulation of fluids, particles, and cells in temperature-controlled micrometer-sized devices fabricated using well established etching techniques, directly compatible with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we present ultrasonic manipulation in larger up to centimeter-sized devices optimized for fluid mixing and cell lysis. In the present work, two new ultrasonic manipulation platforms have been developed implementing temperature control. These platforms are much improved with increased performance and usability compared to previous platforms. Also, two new ultrasonic platforms utilizing low-frequency ultrasound for solubilization and cell lysis of microliter-volumed and milliliter-volumed samples have been designed and implemented. We have applied ultrasound to synchronize the interaction between large numbers of immune, natural killer cells, and cancer cells to study the cytotoxic response, on a single cell level. A heterogeneity was found among the natural killer cell population, i.e., some cells displayed high cytotoxic response while others were dormant. Furthermore, we have used temperature-controlled ultrasound to form up to 100, in parallel, solid cancer HepG2 tumors in a glass-silicon multi-well microplate. Next, we investigated the immune cells cytotoxic response against the s, Ultraljudsmanipulering har under de senaste tio åren mognat och utvecklats till ett verktyg med ett brett användningsområde. Idag kan man finna applikationer inom allt från cellbiologisk grundforskning till industri samt sjukvård. Ultraljudsmanipuleringens kontaktlösa natur gör det till en varsam metod för att manipulera celler, till exempel inom positionering, sortering och aggregering. När ultraljud med hög amplitud används kan värmeutvecklingen, som är oundviklig, bli ett problem. För att kunna säkerställa hög cellviabilitet krävs temperaturkontroll som kan hålla en fysiologisk, stabil temperatur på 37°C. I denna avhandling presenterar vi tillämpningar av temperaturkontrollerad ultraljudsmanipulering i mikrometerstora anordningar fabricerade med väletablerade etsningstekniker. Dessa anordningar är optimerade för att vara fullt kompatibla med högupplöst fluorescensmikroskopi. Vi demonstrerar även ultraljudsmanipulering i centimeterstora anordningar optimerade för omrörning och blandning av vätskor samt lysering av celler. Två nya plattformar för ultraljudsmanipulering med inbyggd temperaturkontroll har utvecklats. Dessa två plattformar erbjuder ökad prestanda, flexibilitet samt även användarvänlighet. Utöver dessa plattformar har ytterligare två anordningar för lågfrekvent ultraljudssolubilisering och cellysering av mikroliter- och milliliterstora prover konstruerats. I denna avhandling har vi tillämpat ultraljud för att synkronisera interaktionen mellan populationer utav immunceller (natural killer-celler) och cancerceller för att på cellnivå studera det cytotoxiska gensvaret. Vi fann en heterogenitet hos immuncellspopulationen. Det manifesterade sig i en fördelning av immuncellerna, från celler med stort cytotoxiskt gensvar till inaktiva immunceller. Vi har dessutom använt temperaturkontrollerad ultrasljudsmanipulering för att skapa solida cancertumörer utav HepG2-cancerceller, upp till 100 stycken parallellt, i en multihåls-mikrotiterplatta beståend, QC 20150522

During the last decade, ultrasonic manipulation has matured into an important tool with a wide range of applications, from fundamental cell biological research to clinical and industrial implementations. The contactless nature of ultrasound makes it possible to manipulate living cells in a gentle way, e.g., for positioning, sorting, and aggregation. However, when manipulating cells using ultrasound, especially using high acoustic amplitudes, a great deal of heat can be generated. This constitutes a challenge, since the viability of cells is dependent on a stable physiological temperature around 37°C. In this Thesis we present applications of ultrasonic manipulation of fluids, particles, and cells in temperature-controlled micrometer-sized devices fabricated using well established etching techniques, directly compatible with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we present ultrasonic manipulation in larger up to centimeter-sized devices optimized for fluid mixing and cell lysis. In the present work, two new ultrasonic manipulation platforms have been developed implementing temperature control. These platforms are much improved with increased performance and usability compared to previous platforms. Also, two new ultrasonic platforms utilizing low-frequency ultrasound for solubilization and cell lysis of microliter-volumed and milliliter-volumed samples have been designed and implemented. We have applied ultrasound to synchronize the interaction between large numbers of immune, natural killer cells, and cancer cells to study the cytotoxic response, on a single cell level. A heterogeneity was found among the natural killer cell population, i.e., some cells displayed high cytotoxic response while others were dormant. Furthermore, we have used temperature-controlled ultrasound to form up to 100, in parallel, solid cancer HepG2 tumors in a glass-silicon multi-well microplate. Next, we investigated the immune cells cytotoxic response against the s, Ultraljudsmanipulering har under de senaste tio åren mognat och utvecklats till ett verktyg med ett brett användningsområde. Idag kan man finna applikationer inom allt från cellbiologisk grundforskning till industri samt sjukvård. Ultraljudsmanipuleringens kontaktlösa natur gör det till en varsam metod för att manipulera celler, till exempel inom positionering, sortering och aggregering. När ultraljud med hög amplitud används kan värmeutvecklingen, som är oundviklig, bli ett problem. För att kunna säkerställa hög cellviabilitet krävs temperaturkontroll som kan hålla en fysiologisk, stabil temperatur på 37°C. I denna avhandling presenterar vi tillämpningar av temperaturkontrollerad ultraljudsmanipulering i mikrometerstora anordningar fabricerade med väletablerade etsningstekniker. Dessa anordningar är optimerade för att vara fullt kompatibla med högupplöst fluorescensmikroskopi. Vi demonstrerar även ultraljudsmanipulering i centimeterstora anordningar optimerade för omrörning och blandning av vätskor samt lysering av celler. Två nya plattformar för ultraljudsmanipulering med inbyggd temperaturkontroll har utvecklats. Dessa två plattformar erbjuder ökad prestanda, flexibilitet samt även användarvänlighet. Utöver dessa plattformar har ytterligare två anordningar för lågfrekvent ultraljudssolubilisering och cellysering av mikroliter- och milliliterstora prover konstruerats. I denna avhandling har vi tillämpat ultraljud för att synkronisera interaktionen mellan populationer utav immunceller (natural killer-celler) och cancerceller för att på cellnivå studera det cytotoxiska gensvaret. Vi fann en heterogenitet hos immuncellspopulationen. Det manifesterade sig i en fördelning av immuncellerna, från celler med stort cytotoxiskt gensvar till inaktiva immunceller. Vi har dessutom använt temperaturkontrollerad ultrasljudsmanipulering för att skapa solida cancertumörer utav HepG2-cancerceller, upp till 100 stycken parallellt, i en multihåls-mikrotiterplatta beståend, QC 20150522

During the last decade, ultrasonic manipulation has matured into an important tool with a wide range of applications, from fundamental cell biological research to clinical and industrial implementations. The contactless nature of ultrasound makes it possible to manipulate living cells in a gentle way, e.g., for positioning, sorting, and aggregation. However, when manipulating cells using ultrasound, especially using high acoustic amplitudes, a great deal of heat can be generated. This constitutes a challenge, since the viability of cells is dependent on a stable physiological temperature around 37°C. In this Thesis we present applications of ultrasonic manipulation of fluids, particles, and cells in temperature-controlled micrometer-sized devices fabricated using well established etching techniques, directly compatible with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we present ultrasonic manipulation in larger up to centimeter-sized devices optimized for fluid mixing and cell lysis. In the present work, two new ultrasonic manipulation platforms have been developed implementing temperature control. These platforms are much improved with increased performance and usability compared to previous platforms. Also, two new ultrasonic platforms utilizing low-frequency ultrasound for solubilization and cell lysis of microliter-volumed and milliliter-volumed samples have been designed and implemented. We have applied ultrasound to synchronize the interaction between large numbers of immune, natural killer cells, and cancer cells to study the cytotoxic response, on a single cell level. A heterogeneity was found among the natural killer cell population, i.e., some cells displayed high cytotoxic response while others were dormant. Furthermore, we have used temperature-controlled ultrasound to form up to 100, in parallel, solid cancer HepG2 tumors in a glass-silicon multi-well microplate. Next, we investigated the immune cells cytotoxic response against the s, Ultraljudsmanipulering har under de senaste tio åren mognat och utvecklats till ett verktyg med ett brett användningsområde. Idag kan man finna applikationer inom allt från cellbiologisk grundforskning till industri samt sjukvård. Ultraljudsmanipuleringens kontaktlösa natur gör det till en varsam metod för att manipulera celler, till exempel inom positionering, sortering och aggregering. När ultraljud med hög amplitud används kan värmeutvecklingen, som är oundviklig, bli ett problem. För att kunna säkerställa hög cellviabilitet krävs temperaturkontroll som kan hålla en fysiologisk, stabil temperatur på 37°C. I denna avhandling presenterar vi tillämpningar av temperaturkontrollerad ultraljudsmanipulering i mikrometerstora anordningar fabricerade med väletablerade etsningstekniker. Dessa anordningar är optimerade för att vara fullt kompatibla med högupplöst fluorescensmikroskopi. Vi demonstrerar även ultraljudsmanipulering i centimeterstora anordningar optimerade för omrörning och blandning av vätskor samt lysering av celler. Två nya plattformar för ultraljudsmanipulering med inbyggd temperaturkontroll har utvecklats. Dessa två plattformar erbjuder ökad prestanda, flexibilitet samt även användarvänlighet. Utöver dessa plattformar har ytterligare två anordningar för lågfrekvent ultraljudssolubilisering och cellysering av mikroliter- och milliliterstora prover konstruerats. I denna avhandling har vi tillämpat ultraljud för att synkronisera interaktionen mellan populationer utav immunceller (natural killer-celler) och cancerceller för att på cellnivå studera det cytotoxiska gensvaret. Vi fann en heterogenitet hos immuncellspopulationen. Det manifesterade sig i en fördelning av immuncellerna, från celler med stort cytotoxiskt gensvar till inaktiva immunceller. Vi har dessutom använt temperaturkontrollerad ultrasljudsmanipulering för att skapa solida cancertumörer utav HepG2-cancerceller, upp till 100 stycken parallellt, i en multihåls-mikrotiterplatta beståend, QC 20150522

In this paper, innovations in refrigeration compressors and their mechanisms which were conceptualised (and some of these were commercialised) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore over the past twenty years are discussed and presented. These innovations include piezo compressor [1-3], sliding cam compressor [4], rotaprocating compressor [5], revolving vane compressor and its variants [6-14], revolving vane expander [15] and cross-vane mechanism for expander-compressor unit [16]. The revolving vane compressor had won the World Best Technology Showcase, in Arlington, Texas, USA in 2009 and it has licensed to a Japanese compressor company for air-conditioning applications in automobile and private boats sectors, while the patent of the piezo compressor has sold to another Japanese compressor company. In this paper the working principles of each of these innovations, their uniqueness, advantages and challenges in applications will be shown, analysed and discussed. *References* 1. Ooi, K.T., Simulation of a piezo-compressor, Applied Thermal Engineering, v 24, n 4, p 549-62, March 2004. 2. Piezo electric compressor. WO 2004/022/973 A1. International Intellectual Properties organisation (WIPO), international application published under Patent Corporation Treaty (PCT). 3. Piezo electric compressor with displacement amplifier. US 2006/0051232 A1. United State patent application publication, March 9, 2006. 4. Ooi K.T. (2003). A study of a sliding cam compressor. International conference on compressors and their systems IMechE, U.K. 5. Ooi K.T., Wan Thiam Teik. (2000). A Rotaprocating compressor. International compressor Engineering Conference at Purdue (pp. 769-776). 6. Revolving vane compressor, WO2008/004983 A1, Patent Corporation treaty, 10 Jan 2008 7. Revolving vane compressor, US8206140 B2, awarded United State patent, 26 Jun 2012 8. Revolving vane compressor and its method of manufacture, WIPO, PCT, WO2011087457A1, 27 Aug 2009. 9. Revolving vane compressor a

An experimental and computational study of an increasingly used third-generation common-rail injection system with a piezo actuator has been carried out. A complete characterization of the different elements of the system, both geometrically and hydraulically, has been performed in order to describe its behaviour. The information obtained through the characterization has been used to create a one-dimensional model that has been implemented in the commercial software AMESim and extensively validated against experimental data. The results of the validation demonstrate the model ability to predict the injection rate of the injector with a high level of accuracy, therefore, constituting a powerful tool in order to carry out further studies of this type of injection system.

An experimental and computational study of an increasingly used third-generation common-rail injection system with a piezo actuator has been carried out. A complete characterization of the different elements of the system, both geometrically and hydraulically, has been performed in order to describe its behaviour. The information obtained through the characterization has been used to create a one-dimensional model that has been implemented in the commercial software AMESim and extensively validated against experimental data. The results of the validation demonstrate the model ability to predict the injection rate of the injector with a high level of accuracy, therefore, constituting a powerful tool in order to carry out further studies of this type of injection system.

The stadium, in its purest form, is a structure that holds tiered seating arrangements built for mass viewing of sports, competitions, and public events. However, over the years, it has become much more than that. The stadium provides the spiritual need of community, allowing individuals to connect to others by sharing common beliefs and goals. This allows the stadium to become a source of civic pride to the people it serves. This combination of purpose and pride makes the stadium one of the most important archetypes ever created. It is the physical representation of human connectivity, a city's symbolic soul; the modern day cathedral. A symbiotic relationship is formed between the stadium and the public. In the modern era, viewing live sports has become big business. Taking advantage of the situation, team owners have designed stadiums to capitalize financially as much as possible. These newly designed stadiums, along with the rise of the automobile, have been moved from downtown to the suburbs, providing owners more space for seats, larger parking lots, and ultimately more revenue. These larger, disconnected stadiums have led to waning attendance, heavy pollution, and an overall lack of use. The once spiritual experience of the arena has now been watered down as the stadium has become a detractor of public good. Sports leagues now run as unopposed monopolies, with each major league having approximately 30 teams. With supply low and demand high, private entities essentially blackmail the public into building and funding stadiums to attract highly coveted sports teams. Desperately desiring to call a team their own, the public agrees to the deal. The end result is that the public funds a major project that provides no socioeconomic benefit to anyone other than the teams owner. The once symbiotic relationship between the stadium and the city has become perverted. Although public subsidies are now frowned upon due to the growing awareness of the damage they cause citie

In this paper, innovations in refrigeration compressors and their mechanisms which were conceptualised (and some of these were commercialised) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore over the past twenty years are discussed and presented. These innovations include piezo compressor [1-3], sliding cam compressor [4], rotaprocating compressor [5], revolving vane compressor and its variants [6-14], revolving vane expander [15] and cross-vane mechanism for expander-compressor unit [16]. The revolving vane compressor had won the World Best Technology Showcase, in Arlington, Texas, USA in 2009 and it has licensed to a Japanese compressor company for air-conditioning applications in automobile and private boats sectors, while the patent of the piezo compressor has sold to another Japanese compressor company. In this paper the working principles of each of these innovations, their uniqueness, advantages and challenges in applications will be shown, analysed and discussed. *References* 1. Ooi, K.T., Simulation of a piezo-compressor, Applied Thermal Engineering, v 24, n 4, p 549-62, March 2004. 2. Piezo electric compressor. WO 2004/022/973 A1. International Intellectual Properties organisation (WIPO), international application published under Patent Corporation Treaty (PCT). 3. Piezo electric compressor with displacement amplifier. US 2006/0051232 A1. United State patent application publication, March 9, 2006. 4. Ooi K.T. (2003). A study of a sliding cam compressor. International conference on compressors and their systems IMechE, U.K. 5. Ooi K.T., Wan Thiam Teik. (2000). A Rotaprocating compressor. International compressor Engineering Conference at Purdue (pp. 769-776). 6. Revolving vane compressor, WO2008/004983 A1, Patent Corporation treaty, 10 Jan 2008 7. Revolving vane compressor, US8206140 B2, awarded United State patent, 26 Jun 2012 8. Revolving vane compressor and its method of manufacture, WIPO, PCT, WO2011087457A1, 27 Aug 2009. 9. Revolving vane compressor a

The Piezoelectric Actuator Drive (PAD) is an accurate, high-torque rotary piezoelectric motor that employs piezoelectric stack actuators and inverse hypocycloidal motion to generate rotation. Important factors that determine motor performance are the proper concentric alignment between the motor ring and shaft and the similarity of the stack actuators used. This paper investigates the electromechanical coupling of these factors into the motor current through experimental means

The Manduca Sexta species of moth serves as a source of biological inspiration for the future of micro air vehicle flapping flight. The ability of this species to hover in flapping flight has warranted investigation into the critical material, structural, and geometric properties of the forewing of this biological specimen. A rigorous morphological study of the Manduca Sexta forewing was conducted to characterize the physical and material properties of the biological forewing for the purpose of developing an advanced parametric three dimensional model finite element analysis (FEA) model. This FEA model was tuned to match the experimentally determined structural dynamics of the biological specimen and serves as the basis for an engineered wing design. Manufacturing methods are developed and implemented to fabricate the baseline engineered wing design. Biological wings and engineered wings are experimentally tested to determine the aerodynamic lift production of each of wings under the same boundary conditions. Through this research, a structural dynamics based engineering methodology has been used to design, develop, and identify biomimetic engineered wings that experimentally produce aerodynamic forces equivalent to their biological analog., The original document contains color images.

Energieeffizienz und Leistungsfähigkeit von fördertechnischen Anlagen sind in den vergangenen Jahren immer mehr in den Fokus der Betreiber und Hersteller gerückt. Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung am Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik IML wurden diese beiden Aspekte an magnetisch erregten und piezoerregten Schwingförderern untersucht. Ein Systemvergleich stellt dabei die wesentlichen Vor- und Nachteile der jeweiligen Antriebsart dar und unterstützt sowohl bei der Auswahl als auch bei der Optimierung von Transportsystemen im logistischen Umfeld., During the last years energy efficiency and effectiveness of conveying systems attract reasonable notice to producers and users. Within the scope of a system comparison between magnetically excited and energized piezo-vibrating conveyors these aspects were investi-gated at Fraunhofer Institute for Material flow and Logistics IML. Results are the main advantages and drawbacks of each type of drive. Concerning the system design and optimization these results assists to find a solution which meets the given requirements within a logistical field of application.

Energieeffizienz und Leistungsfähigkeit von fördertechnischen Anlagen sind in den vergangenen Jahren immer mehr in den Fokus der Betreiber und Hersteller gerückt. Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung am Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik IML wurden diese beiden Aspekte an magnetisch erregten und piezoerregten Schwingförderern untersucht. Ein Systemvergleich stellt dabei die wesentlichen Vor- und Nachteile der jeweiligen Antriebsart dar und unterstützt sowohl bei der Auswahl als auch bei der Optimierung von Transportsystemen im logistischen Umfeld., During the last years energy efficiency and effectiveness of conveying systems attract reasonable notice to producers and users. Within the scope of a system comparison between magnetically excited and energized piezo-vibrating conveyors these aspects were investi-gated at Fraunhofer Institute for Material flow and Logistics IML. Results are the main advantages and drawbacks of each type of drive. Concerning the system design and optimization these results assists to find a solution which meets the given requirements within a logistical field of application.

Ericsson har haft ett problem som påverkar deras mikrovågsradio. Detta problem handlar i grunden om mekaniska störningar som påverkar dataöverföringen mellan två radioenheter. Dessa störningar resulterar i bitfel på grund av olika orsaker. Dessa orsaker undersöks i projektet, för att i senare skede kunna förbättra precisionen av dataöverföringen. Genom att skicka signalerna med olika frekvenser på ett automatiserat och mer noggrant sätt, ökar möjligheten att testa radion i fler miljöer samtidigt möjligheten av att täcka ett så stort frekvensområde som möjligt ges. Arbetet är en blandning av elektronik, mekanik, akustik och programmering. Tanken är att den nya mätmetoden som presenteras skall vara automatisk och mjukvarustyrd. Även manuell styrning skall vara möjlig. Arbetet har bestått av forskning, marknadsskanning och kontakt med personer som är involverade inom området, detta för att hitta det bästa sättet att utveckla en ny felsökningsmetod.Med hjälp av olika testkörningar som studeras noggrant kommer förståelsen för ovan nämnda störningar att öka, vilket förhoppningsvis hjälper oss att hitta olika sätt att hantera dessa störningar i enskilda komponenter samt konstruktionen i sin helhet. Det finns flera förslag på alternativ, men genom ökad förståelse och kunskap inom området har det visat sig att det lämpligaste alternativet är att använda en shaker och en speaker som sändare och ett piezoelement som givare. Detta piezoelement tillsammans med en förstärkare mäter signalerna och övervakas med ett oscilloskop. Shakern och speakern drivs av en signalgenerator via en förstärkare. Alla dessa instrument styrs via ett styrprogram som är programmerad i LabVIEW. Styrprogrammets uppgift är att skanna över ett bestämt frekvensintervall med en konstant amplitud. Givaren mäter dessa signaler och sparar till en textfil. Denna information är viktig för att finna resonansfrekvenser och även övervaka den verkliga utsignalen som kommer fram till testobjektet.Detta arbete kommer, Program: Utvecklingsingenjör

Energieeffizienz und Leistungsfähigkeit von fördertechnischen Anlagen sind in den vergangenen Jahren immer mehr in den Fokus der Betreiber und Hersteller gerückt. Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung am Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik IML wurden diese beiden Aspekte an magnetisch erregten und piezoerregten Schwingförderern untersucht. Ein Systemvergleich stellt dabei die wesentlichen Vor- und Nachteile der jeweiligen Antriebsart dar und unterstützt sowohl bei der Auswahl als auch bei der Optimierung von Transportsystemen im logistischen Umfeld., During the last years energy efficiency and effectiveness of conveying systems attract reasonable notice to producers and users. Within the scope of a system comparison between magnetically excited and energized piezo-vibrating conveyors these aspects were investi-gated at Fraunhofer Institute for Material flow and Logistics IML. Results are the main advantages and drawbacks of each type of drive. Concerning the system design and optimization these results assists to find a solution which meets the given requirements within a logistical field of application.

Energieeffizienz und Leistungsfähigkeit von fördertechnischen Anlagen sind in den vergangenen Jahren immer mehr in den Fokus der Betreiber und Hersteller gerückt. Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung am Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik IML wurden diese beiden Aspekte an magnetisch erregten und piezoerregten Schwingförderern untersucht. Ein Systemvergleich stellt dabei die wesentlichen Vor- und Nachteile der jeweiligen Antriebsart dar und unterstützt sowohl bei der Auswahl als auch bei der Optimierung von Transportsystemen im logistischen Umfeld., During the last years energy efficiency and effectiveness of conveying systems attract reasonable notice to producers and users. Within the scope of a system comparison between magnetically excited and energized piezo-vibrating conveyors these aspects were investi-gated at Fraunhofer Institute for Material flow and Logistics IML. Results are the main advantages and drawbacks of each type of drive. Concerning the system design and optimization these results assists to find a solution which meets the given requirements within a logistical field of application.

Not available because of confidentiallity., Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Ericsson har haft ett problem som påverkar deras mikrovågsradio. Detta problem handlar i grunden om mekaniska störningar som påverkar dataöverföringen mellan två radioenheter. Dessa störningar resulterar i bitfel på grund av olika orsaker. Dessa orsaker undersöks i projektet, för att i senare skede kunna förbättra precisionen av dataöverföringen. Genom att skicka signalerna med olika frekvenser på ett automatiserat och mer noggrant sätt, ökar möjligheten att testa radion i fler miljöer samtidigt möjligheten av att täcka ett så stort frekvensområde som möjligt ges. Arbetet är en blandning av elektronik, mekanik, akustik och programmering. Tanken är att den nya mätmetoden som presenteras skall vara automatisk och mjukvarustyrd. Även manuell styrning skall vara möjlig. Arbetet har bestått av forskning, marknadsskanning och kontakt med personer som är involverade inom området, detta för att hitta det bästa sättet att utveckla en ny felsökningsmetod.Med hjälp av olika testkörningar som studeras noggrant kommer förståelsen för ovan nämnda störningar att öka, vilket förhoppningsvis hjälper oss att hitta olika sätt att hantera dessa störningar i enskilda komponenter samt konstruktionen i sin helhet. Det finns flera förslag på alternativ, men genom ökad förståelse och kunskap inom området har det visat sig att det lämpligaste alternativet är att använda en shaker och en speaker som sändare och ett piezoelement som givare. Detta piezoelement tillsammans med en förstärkare mäter signalerna och övervakas med ett oscilloskop. Shakern och speakern drivs av en signalgenerator via en förstärkare. Alla dessa instrument styrs via ett styrprogram som är programmerad i LabVIEW. Styrprogrammets uppgift är att skanna över ett bestämt frekvensintervall med en konstant amplitud. Givaren mäter dessa signaler och sparar till en textfil. Denna information är viktig för att finna resonansfrekvenser och även övervaka den verkliga utsignalen som kommer fram till testobjektet.Detta arbete kommer, Program: Utvecklingsingenjör

Not available because of confidentiallity., Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering