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This study, in the area of non-destructive testing and measuring technology, shows that it is possible toinspect and determine the mechanical properties and micro structure of a material using electro-magnetictechnique. The goal has been to on-line determine material properties like residual stress distributions,variations in tensile strength and fatigue strength in a material. In the project the latest in materials inspectionusing electro-magnetic methods combined with statistic modelling is used. The project has shown that thesenew methods can non-destructively determine the mechanical properties of a material or a machine detail. Itis believed that this measuring technique has a clear place in industry.

To study sulphur- and chlorine-free processes to produce pulps for triacetylation and preparation of films for LCD screen application was one of the aims in the EU project AFORE. It was shown possible to produce pulp suitable for triacetylation from Eucalyptus globulus chips with pre-hydrolysis soda cooking and a single oxygen delignification step. Pre-hydrolysis with water at elevated temperatures extracts wood components, mainly hemicelluloses and the wood matrix is opened to facilitate alkaline pulping. After a severe pre-hydrolysis extracting some 25% of the wood raw material, a subsequent soda cook reduces the lignin content to about 1%. The oxygen delignification step produces a pulp with low lignin content, kappa no 1.4, and low hemicelluloses content, < 2 wt% xylose. The resulting cellulose had high molar mass and produced highly transparent triacetate solutions. It was also possible to produce a transparent cellulose triacetate film by solution casting with good physical properties without using plasticizer. The process also results in a sulphur-free black-liquor suitable for lignin separation by the LignoBoost process. The resulting lignin is of high purity with low hemicelluloses content.

The aims were to document conscious reasons for anxiety about childbirth. Pregnant women (n = 100), consecutively referred from antenatal centers to a psychosomatic outpatient clinic because of extreme fear of childbirth, were interviewed. Three subgroups are described: primiparae (n = 36), women with a normal previous delivery (n = 18) and women with a previous complicated delivery (n = 46). Anxiety over the deliver was related to lack of trust in the obstetrical staff (73%), fear of own incompetence (65%), fear of death of mother, infant or both (55%), intolerable pain (44%) or loss of control (43%). In the description of the anxiety, more than one focus could be described. A previous complicated delivery predisposed for fear of death (p < 0.001). In other aspects, the subgroups were similar. Fear of death in a previous labor was associated with this fear regarding the impending delivery (100%, 21%, p < 0.001) and with fear of loss of control (61%, 18% p < 0.01). Many women (37%) had partners who admitted anxiety over the delivery. Anxiety over childbirth is related to fundamental human feelings: lack of trust, fear of female incompetence and fear of death. Fear of pain is important but not predominant. The results are discussed with regard to stress, theoretical and psychodynamic points of view.

Exposure to aluminium flake powder: Effects on the nervous system. A small group of aluminium flake powder producers was studied with psychological and neurophysiological tests and with symptom questionnaires. The flake powder producers were compared to groups with varying degrees of aluminium exposure, i.e. welders, potroom workers, and foundry workers. Comparisons were also made to a group of welders with no exposure to aluminium. The exposure was measured by blood and urine samples as well as questionnaires. The flake powder producers had considerably higher levels of aluminium in urine compared to the other groups, possibly indicating an increased body burden. In spite of this finding, no aluminium related effects on the CNS were observed in any of the tests or questionnaires. However, the high aluminium levels observed in urine indicate a possible risk for negative effects when exposure is prolonged. Therefore, the aluminium exposure should be reduced by improvements in the work environment. Undersökningen avsåg att med hjälp av psykologiska och neurofysiologiska test samt symptomformulär undersöka nervsystemets funktion hos personer med yrkesmässig exponering för flingformat aluminiumpulver. Exponeringen kartlades med mätningar av metallhalter i blod och urin, samt frågeformulär. Den pulverexponerade gruppen jämfördes med svetsare, gjutare och smältverksarbetare, vilka exponerats för aluminium i olika grad, samt med en kontrollgrupp bestående av svetsare utan exponering för aluminium. De pulverexponerade uppvisade högre halter av aluminium i urin än samtliga andra grupper. Trots dessa höga halter av aluminium kunde inga effekter av aluminium på nervsystemet påvisas. De höga halterna innebär att det inte kan uteslutas att en längre tids exponering skulle kunna påverka nervsystemets funktion även hos de pulverexponerade. Det är därför motiverat att se över arbetsmiljön, och att vidta arbetsmiljöförbättrande åtgärder för att sänka aluminiumexponeringen.

The purpose of this investigation was to study nervous system function in workers exposed to aluminium at a foundry and a primary smelter. The aim was to find a level of aluminium in urine and/or blood where no early signs of effects on the nervous system could be observed. A total of 119 men with a minimum of five years of occupational aluminium exposure were studied at two companies. Exposure to aluminium was determined using questionnaires as well as blood and urine samples. The functional status of the central nervous system was assessed using psychological performance tests, neurophysiological tests, and symptom questionnaires. Six performance tests from the SPES battery, measuring attention, motor functions, memory, and intellectual functions, were used. As a complement, three other tests of motor functions were included; a peg-board test, parts of the Luria-Nebraska Motor Scale, and a computerized test of handtremor. The neurophysiological tests were EEG, P300, diadochokinesometri. No effects from the aluminium exposure could be observed on any of the measures. The level of aluminium in blood and urine was, however, very low. Only 10 of the 119 workers had levels in urine exceeding 10 µg/l. Our findings are in accordance with those from previous studies on the neurotoxic effects from low level occupational exposure to aluminium. Syftet med undersökningen var att studera centrala nervsystemets funktion hos industriarbetare sysselsatta med framställning av och gjutning med aluminium. Målsättningen var att försöka finna en nivå avseende aluminiumhalt i blod och/eller i urin där inga tidiga tecken på negativ inverkan på nervsystemet kunde iakttas. Vid två företag undersöktes sammanlagt 119 män med minst fem års anställningstid. Exponering för aluminium kartlades dels via enkäter, dels via blod- och urinprov. Nervsystemets funktion studerades med hjälp av symptomformulär, psykologiska prestationstest och neurofysiologiska undersökningar. Sex olika prestationstest ur SPES-batteriet användes. Testen omfattar prov på uppmärksamhet, motoriska funktioner, minne och intellektuella funktioner. Ytterligare tre test vilka mäter motoriska funktioner användes; Cylinderbrädan, delar ur Luria-Nebraska Motor Scale samt Handtremor. De neurofysiologiska undersökningarna var EEG, P300 och diadokokinesometri. Ingen effekt av aluminium kunde iakttas vare sig på prestation, neurofysiologiska funktion eller rapporterade symptom. Halten av aluminium i blod och urin var emellertid låg. Endast för 10 arbetare låg halterna i urin över 10 µg/l. Resultaten överensstämmer med dem från tidigare studier av grupper med låg aluminiumexponering.