Characterisation of concentrating solar optics by Light Field Method

Abstract: This dissertation develops ideas and techniques for the measurement of the light field produced by the concentrating optics that are used in solar thermal power systems. The research focussed on developing a framework and the principles for the implementation of a scalable technology that is suitable, in principle, for cost effective industrial implementation in the field. Investigation from first principles and technological surveys resulted in formulation of a number of model techniques, from which one was developed. A key component of the proposed model was evaluated using a novel reformulation and application of electrical impedance tomography (EIT). This was to implement an information transform effecting a highly non-linear compressive sensing mechanism, offsetting manufacturing and material complexity in the measurement of high solar flux levels. The technique allows sensing of a wide range of phenomena over arbitrary manifolds in three-dimensional space by utilizing passive transducers. An inverse reconstruction method particular to the structure of the device was proposed, implemented, and tested in a full simulation of intended operation. The parameter space of internal configurations of the method were the subject of a uniform, statistical search, with results also indicating geometrical properties of the transform used. A variety of design guides were developed to better optimize the implementation of the techniques in a range of applications.M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering Science

Naiste seksuaaltervist ja reproduktiivseid valikuid mõjutavad tegurid Eestis

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Maailma Terviseorganisatsioon defineerib seksuaaltervist täieliku kehalise, emotsionaalse, vaimse ja sotsiaalse heaolu seisundina, mis on seotud seksuaalsusega. Seksuaaltervis on igale inimesele oluline läbi kogu tema elukaare, kuid mõjutab pikaajaliselt kogu ühiskonna sotsiaalmajanduslikku toimetulekut. Maailmas moodustavad seksuaaltervisega seotud probleemid kolmandiku viljakas eas naiste enneaegse haigestumuse ja suremuse põhjustest. Eestis, kus raseduse ja sünnitusega seotud madal haigestumus on maailma parimate riikide tasemel, rasestumisvastased meetodid, kooli seksuaalharidus ja seksuaaltervise teenused on hästi kättesaadavad, tulenevad naiste seksuaaltervisega seotud probleemid peamiselt sotsiaalsest ja soolisest ebavõrdsusest. Uurimistöö eesmärk oli saada lisatõendust Eesti naiste seksuaaltervist ja reproduktiivseid valikud mõjutavate tegurite kohta: analüüsida soovimatuid rasedusi ja neist hoidumist ning paarisuhtevägivalda. Uurimistöö põhineb Eesti Abordiregistri andmete analüüsil ja rahvastikupõhisel läbilõikelisel küsitlusuuringul. Viimasel kahel kümnendil on toimunud abortiivsuskordajate pidev langus, eriti märkimisväärne on see olnud nooremate naiste hulgas. Kordusabortide tase näitab langustrendi kõigis sotsiaalmajanduslikes rühmades, kuid jääb kõrgemaks mitte-Eesti emakeelega rahvastikus. Samas, silmapaistvalt suur osa naistest, kes ei soovi rasedust, kasutab selle vältimiseks ebatõhusaid rasestumisvastaseid meetodeid: Eesti emakeelega vastajatest ei kasutanud üldse või kasutas ebatõhusaid rasestumisvastaseid meetodeid 27,3% ja mitte-eesti emakeelega vastajatest 39,8%. Ebatõhusa kontratseptsiooni kasutamisega ning soovimatute raseduste riskiga on seotud paarisuhtevägivald. Selle levimus Eestis on väga kõrge – 18,4% naistest olid kogenud kehalist või seksuaalset paarisuhtevägivalda uuringule eelnenud aasta jooksul. Lähtudes uurimistöö andmetest tuleb positiivsete suundumuste jätkumiseks ja seksuaaltervise parandamiseks Eestis edendada nõustamist soovimatute raseduste vältimiseks, pöörata tähelepanu mitte-eesti emakeelega naiste vajadustele, töötada välja strateegia ja tegevusjuhendid paarisuhtevägivalla käsitlemiseks tervishoiusüsteemis.The World Health Organization defines sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. Sexual health is a core element of the health of individuals throughout the life course, but also has profound long-term consequences on the socioeconomic development of societies. For women of reproductive age, one third of the total global burden of premature death and disease is due to sexual ill health. In Estonia, where maternal morbidity rates are among the world's lowest, school sexuality education, sexual health services and contraception are easily accessible, the sexual ill-health burden is often related to social and gender-based inequality. The overall aim of this research was to provide evidence on factors influencing women's sexual health and reproductive choices in Estonia, analysing unintended pregnancies, contraception use, and intimate partner violence. The research was based on data from the Estonian Abortion Registry and a population-based cross-sectional survey. Estonia has experienced a remarkable decline in the number of induced abortions, mainly attributed by younger cohorts, during the last two decades. The high proportion of repeat abortion is showing a declining trend across all the sociodemographic groups, however, the proportion of unintended pregnancies ending in an abortion was higher among non-Estonians. The prevalence of use of unreliable contraception among women who do not want to get pregnant is high: among Estonians 27.3% and among non-Estonians 39.9% of these women did not use any, or used an unreliable contraceptive method. Intimate partner violence, associated with adverse sexual health outcomes, i.e. unintended pregnancies and unreliable contraceptive practices, is very common in Estonia – 18.4 % of women were exposed to physical or sexual violence during the year before the survey. According to our findings, in order to continue the positive trends and decrease the burden of sexual ill-health, there is a need to improve contraceptive counselling, especially addressing the needs of the Russian ethnic group to avoid unintended pregnancies and to develop and implement a strategy and guidelines for dealing with intimate partner violence in the health care system in Estonia

Photonic Technology for Precision Metrology

Photonics has had a decisive influence on recent scientific and technological achievements. It includes aspects of photon generation and photon–matter interaction. Although it finds many applications in the whole optical range of the wavelengths, most solutions operate in the visible and infrared range. Since the invention of the laser, a source of highly coherent optical radiation, optical measurements have become the perfect tool for highly precise and accurate measurements. Such measurements have the additional advantages of requiring no contact and a fast rate suitable for in-process metrology. However, their extreme precision is ultimately limited by, e.g., the noise of both lasers and photodetectors. The Special Issue of the Applied Science is devoted to the cutting-edge uses of optical sources, detectors, and optoelectronics systems in numerous fields of science and technology (e.g., industry, environment, healthcare, telecommunication, security, and space). The aim is to provide detail on state-of-the-art photonic technology for precision metrology and identify future developmental directions. This issue focuses on metrology principles and measurement instrumentation in optical technology to solve challenging engineering problems

Osteoartriidi patogenees: immunoloogiline kulg sünoviaalmembraan- sünoviaalvedelik teljel

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneOsteoartriit (OA) on kõige levinum liigesehaigus, millel ei ole tänaseni patogeneetilist ravi. Tõhusate ravimeetodite arendamise peamised väljakutsed on OA heterogeensus ja ebaselge patoloogia. OA-d, mida tavapäraselt tuntakse kui „vananemishaigust“, peetakse järjest enam krooniliseks põletikuliseks haiguseks. Käesoleva doktoritöö eesmärk oli hinnata sünoviaalvedelikuga seotud põletikulist mehhanismi, mis on OA patoloogias üks põhilisi põletikukohti. Seda silmas pidades piirdub sünoviaalvedeliku analüüs sageli tema molekulaarse koostise uurimisega, kuid funktsionaalse ulatuse hindamiseks on vaja laiemat tausta. Seetõttu püüti molekulaarse signaali dekodeerimisega uurida sünoviaalvedeliku laiemat kaasatust haiguse patogeneesis. Viidi läbi mitmetasandiline analüüs, kasutades OA-st mõjutatud sünoviaalmembraani ja osteofüütide biopsiaid ning sünoviaalvedeliku proove. Lisaks tehti rakupõhiseid analüüse, kasutades inimese monotsüütide rakuliine (THP1 ja U37) ning inimese vereloome tüvirakke. Bioloogiliste testide tulemuste toetamiseks viidi läbi proteoomi analüüs ja sünoviaalvedeliku immuno-fenotüüpimine. Sünoviaalmembraani rakkude geeniekspressiooni uuring näitas püsivat põletikku OA liigestes. Suurem põletik haiguse varases staadiumis annab vältimatu tõuke kõhrkoe kiiremaks lagunemiseks haiguse hilisemates staadiumites. Kõigi OA staadiumide sünoviaalvedeliku proovid, inkubeerides neid THP1 ja U937 rakkudega, suutsid rakkudes esile kutsuda põletikku. Samas katses näidati, et OA sünoviaalvedelik võib indutseerida immuunrakkude eristumist ja toimida nišina, pakkudes olulist mikrokeskkonda, mis toetab immuunrakkude funktsionaalset aktiivsust ning põhjustab põletiku süvenemist ja kestmist. Sünoviaalvedeliku proteoomianalüüs paljastas mitmeid suures koguses esinevaid valke, mis võivad, nagu täheldati, indutseerida immuunrakkude eristumist. Lõpuks viidi läbi osteofüütide RNA-seq analüüs, et uurida selles toimuvaid molekulaarseid ja rakulisi protsesse, eriti OA patoloogia kontekstis. Geeniekspressiooni mustri funktsionaalne analüüs näitas progresseeruvat aktiivset luu ümberkujunemist ja nuumrakkude tihedat seotust selles protsessis. See teadmine on OA patoloogias uus ja peaks olema arvesse võetud sobivate ravimeetodite kavandamisel.Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, which has no cure to date. The major challenges in developing effective therapies are, heterogenous nature and obscure pathology of OA. Conventionally known as ‘aging disease’, OA is increasingly accepted as a complex disease with an implication of chronic-low-grade inflammation. More illumination is needed on the involved inflammatory mechanism. The present thesis was aimed to evaluate inflammatory mechanism revolving around the synovium-synovial fluid (SF) axis, which are the main inflammation sites in OA pathology. In this regard, particularly SF analysis is limited to understand a molecular make-up of the fluid and there is a wider scope to assess its functional involvement. Therefore, the attempt was to investigate a ‘performance-based involvement’ of SF by decoding the molecular signalling. A multilevel analysis was done using OA affected synovium biopsies, SF and osteophyte samples. Also, cell-based assays were performed using human monocyte cell lines (THP1 and U937) and human hematopoietic stem cells. Proteome analysis and SF immunophenotyping was performed to support the outcomes from the biological assays. Synovium gene expression study showed a persistent nature of inflammation in OA joints. Higher inflammation in early stage provides a necessary impetus for accelerated cartilage-loss at later stages. SF samples of all OA stages, when incubated with THP1 and U937 cells, was able to induce inflammation in the cells. In the same experimental design, we showed that OA SF can induce immune cell differentiation and act as a niche by providing an essential microenvironment, which enable immune cells to be functionally active and for contributing to aggravate and maintain inflammation. Proteome analysis of SF revealed many proteins in abundance, which can induce immune cell differentiation as was observed. Finally, RNA-seq analysis of osteophytes was performed to investigate molecular and cellular events in it, especially in the context of OA pathology. Functional analysis of the gene expression patten, revealed an on-going active bone remodelling and close involvement of mast cells in the process, which is a new dimension of OA pathology and should prove worthy for taking into consideration for designing appropriate therapies.https://www.ester.ee/record=b551832

Applications and Experiences of Quality Control

The rich palette of topics set out in this book provides a sufficiently broad overview of the developments in the field of quality control. By providing detailed information on various aspects of quality control, this book can serve as a basis for starting interdisciplinary cooperation, which has increasingly become an integral part of scientific and applied research

Arterite jäikuse metaboloomiline profiil ja varajase neerukahjustuse biomarkerid ateroskleroosi korral

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Ateroskleroos on krooniline põletikuline haigus, mis põhjustab arterite ahenemist ja/või sulgumist ning sellest tingituna eluohtlikku organite verevarustuse puudulikkust (nt. infarkt, insult, gangreen). Ateroskleroosi täpsem varajaste riskitegurite ja patofüsioloogiliste tekkemehhanismide tuvastamine on kriitilise tähtsusega, sest arterikahjustustest tingitud südame- ja veresoonkonna haigused on paljudes riikides, sealhulgas Eestis, surmapõhjustena esikohal. Enamasti kaasub ateroskleroosiga ka arterite jäigenemine (s.o. arterite vähenenud võime laieneda vererõhu tõusu mõjul). Aordi suurenenud jäikus ennustab sõltumatult üld- ja kardiovaskulaarset suremust nii erinevates haigusgruppides kui ka üldrahvastikus. Kuna arterite jäigenemine ei ole isoleeritud patoloogiline protsess, vaid on seotud mitmete süsteemsete hemodünaamiliste ja biokeemiliste muutustega, võib just nende seoste detailsem tuvastamine ja analüüs viia sügavama arusaamani veresoonte funktsiooni languse põhjustest. Meie töö eesmärgiks oli tuvastada nii subkliinilise neerukahjustuse kui ka madalmolekulaarsete ühendite profiili (sh lipiidid, aminohapped, süsivesikud) potentsiaalsed seosed arterite jäikusega sümptomaatilise stabiilse südame isheemiatõve ja sümptomaatilise alajäsemete arterite ateroskleroosiga haigetel. Varasemalt on näidatud, et krooniline neerupuudulikkus on seotud arterite funktsiooni häirumisega. Antud töös leidsime, et suurenenud arterite jäikus on sõltumatult seotud uute varajase neerukahjustuse biomarkerite kõrgema tasemega ka nendel ateroskleroosiga haigetel, kellel kliiniliselt väljendunud neeruhaigus puudub. Seega võivad muutused arterite funktsioonis olla seotud neerukahjustusega juba enne kliiniliselt olulise neerufunktsiooni languse väljakujunemist. Samuti leidsime uudsed sõltumatud seosed lipiidide ainevahetuse ühendite (atsüülkarnitiinid, fosfatidüülkoliinid, lüsofosfatidüülkoliinid), aordi jäikuse, endoteeli düsfunktsiooni ning teatud hemodünaamiliste näitajate vahel. Tuvastatud arterite kahjustusega seotud madalmolekulaarsed ühendid võivad tulevikus klassikaliste lipiidide ainevahetuse markerite (üldkolesterool, kõrge ja madala tihedusega lipoproteiinid, triglütseriidid) kõrval rakendust leida uudsete südame- ja veresoonkonna haiguste indikaatoritena, riski täpsema hindamise vahenditena, aga miks mitte ka ravi sihtmärkidena.Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder where the arteries become narrowed and/or occluded and the blood supply to vital organs is restricted leading to potentially fatal complications (e.g. myocardial infarction, stroke, gangrene). A more precise determination of risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of atherosclerosis is of critical importance since cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death. Atherosclerosis is generally accompanied by increased arterial stiffness (defined as the reduced capability of arteries to expand in response to rising blood pressure). Increased aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in many different patient groups and in the general population. Since arterial stiffening is not an isolated pathological process, but is associated with systemic hemodynamic and biochemical alterations, a more detailed insight into these associations can lead to deeper understanding of the mechanisms contributing to vascular dysfunction. In our study, we aimed to determine whether sublinical renal damage and serum low molecular weight metabolites (e.g. lipids, amino acids, carbohydrates) associate with arterial stiffness, hemodynamical parameters and inflammation in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease and in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. Findings from previous studies indicate that chronic renal disease is associated with arterial dysfunction. We found independent relationships between novel early biomarkers of renal damage and aortic stiffness in atherosclerotic patients without clinically significant renal disease. Thus, our results suggest that arterial stiffness is an early contributor of renal damage. We also determined novel independent associations between intermediates of lipid metabolism (acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines), aortic stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and certain hemodynamic parameters. Apart from the classical lipid biomarkers (total cholesterol, low-density and high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides) that have long been used in everyday clinical practice, the arterial damage-related low molecular weight lipids identified in our study may prove to be useful in the early detection and risk stratification of cardiovascular disease in the future, possibly even becoming sufficient therapeutic targets

Abstracts on Radio Direction Finding (1899 - 1995)

The files on this record represent the various databases that originally composed the CD-ROM issue of "Abstracts on Radio Direction Finding" database, which is now part of the Dudley Knox Library's Abstracts and Selected Full Text Documents on Radio Direction Finding (1899 - 1995) Collection. (See Calhoun record https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/57364 for further information on this collection and the bibliography). Due to issues of technological obsolescence preventing current and future audiences from accessing the bibliography, DKL exported and converted into the three files on this record the various databases contained in the CD-ROM. The contents of these files are: 1) RDFA_CompleteBibliography_xls.zip [RDFA_CompleteBibliography.xls: Metadata for the complete bibliography, in Excel 97-2003 Workbook format; RDFA_Glossary.xls: Glossary of terms, in Excel 97-2003 Workbookformat; RDFA_Biographies.xls: Biographies of leading figures, in Excel 97-2003 Workbook format]; 2) RDFA_CompleteBibliography_csv.zip [RDFA_CompleteBibliography.TXT: Metadata for the complete bibliography, in CSV format; RDFA_Glossary.TXT: Glossary of terms, in CSV format; RDFA_Biographies.TXT: Biographies of leading figures, in CSV format]; 3) RDFA_CompleteBibliography.pdf: A human readable display of the bibliographic data, as a means of double-checking any possible deviations due to conversion