Biological research and Clinical Diagnostics heavily rely on Optical Microscopy for analyzing properties of cells. The experimental protocol for con-ducting a microscopy based diagnostic test consists of several manual steps, like sample extraction, slide preparation and inspection. Recent advances in optical microscopy have predominantly focused on resolution enhancement. Whereas, the aspect of automating the manual steps and enhancing imaging throughput were relatively less explored. Cost-e ective automation of clinical microscopy would potentially enable the creation of diagnostic devices with a wide range of medical and biological applications. Further, automation plays an important role in enabling diagnostic testing in resource-limited settings. This thesis presents a novel optofluidics based approach for automation of clinical diagnostic microscopy. A system-level integrated optofluidic architecture, which enables the automation of overall diagnostic work- ow has been proposed. Based on the proposed architecture, three different prototypes, which can enable point-of-care (POC) imaging cytometry have been developed. The characterization of these prototypes has been performed. Following which, the applicability of the platform for usage in diagnostic testing has been validated. The prototypes were used to demonstrate applications like Cell Viability Assay, Red Blood Cell Counting, Diagnosis of Malaria and Spherocytosis. An important performance metric of the device is the throughput (number of cells imaged per second). A novel microfluidic channel design, capable of enabling imaging throughputs of about 2000 cells per second has been incorporated into the instrument. Further, material properties of the sample handling component (microfluidic device) determine several functional aspects of the instrument. Ultrafast-laser inscription (ULI) based glass microfluidic devices have been identi ed and tested as viable alternatives to Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic chips. Cellular imaging with POC platforms has thus far been limited to acquisition of 2D morphology. To potentially enable 3D cellular imaging with POC platforms, a novel slanted channel microfluidic chip design has been proposed. The proposed design has been experimentally validated by performing 3D imaging of fluorescent microspheres and cells. It is envisaged that the proposed innovation would aid to the current e orts towards implementing good quality health-care in rural scenarios. The thesis is organized in the following manner : The overall thesis can be divided into two parts. The first part (chapters 2, 3) of the thesis deals with the optical aspects of the proposed Optofluidic instrument (development, characterization and validations demonstrating its use in poc diagnostic applications). The second part (chapters 4,5,6) of the thesis details the microfluidic sample handling aspects implemented with the help of custom fabricated microfludic devices, the integration of the prototype, func-tional framework of the device. Chapter 2 introduces the proposed optofluidic architecture for implementing the POC tool. Further, it details the first implementation of the proposed platform, based on the philosophy of adapting ubiquitously available electronic imaging devices to perform cellular diagnostic testing. The characterization of the developed prototypes is also detailed. Chapter 3 details the development of a stand-alone prototype based on the proposed architecture using inexpensive o -the-shelf, low frame-rate image sensors. The characterization of the developed prototype and its performance evaluation for application in malaria diagnostic testing are also presented. The chapter concludes with a comparative evaluation of the developed prototypes, so far. Chapter 4 presents a novel microfludic channel design, which enables the enhancement of imaging throughput, even while employing an inexpensive low frame-rate imaging modules. The design takes advantage of radial arrangement of microfludic channels for enhancing the achievable imaging throughput. The fabrication of the device and characterization of achievable throughputs is presented. The stand-alone optofluidic imaging system was then integrated into a single functional unit, with the proposed microfluidic channel design, a viscoelastic effect based micro uidic mixer and a suction-based microfluidic pumping mechanism. Chapter 5 brings into picture the aspect of the material used to fabricate the sample handling unit, the robustness of which determines certain functional aspects of the device. An investigative study on the applicability of glass microfluidic devices, fabricated using ultra-fast laser inscription in the context of the microfluidics based imaging flow cytometry is presented. As detailed in the introduction, imaging in poc platforms, has thus far been limited to acquisition of 2D images. The design and implementation of a novel slanted channel microfluidic chip, which can potentially enable 3D imaging with simplistic optical imaging systems (such as the one reported in the earlier chapters of this thesis) is detailed. A example application of the proposed microfludic chip architecture for imaging 3D fluorescence imaging of cells in flow is presented. Chapter 6 introduces a diagnostic assessment framework for the use of the developed of m in an actual clinical diagnostic scenario. The chapter presents the use of computational signatures (extracted from cell images) to be employed for cell recognition, as part of the proposed framework. The experimental results obtained while employing the framework to identify cells from three different leukemia cell lines have been presented in this chapter. Chapter 7 summarizes the contributions reported in this thesis. Potential future scope of the work is also detailed.

Il est fréquent d’affirmer qu’un titre représenterait un bien : une lettre de change représenterait une créance de somme d’argent, un connaissement représenterait une marchandise, une inscription en compte représenterait une valeur mobilière, un « depositary receipt» représenterait une action étrangère … Il s’agirait donc de « titres représentatifs ». Mais que recouvre cette formule ? Traduit-elle l’existence d’un véritable mécanisme de représentation des biens par des titres en droit privé ou s’agit-il d’un abus de langage ? Dans un premier temps, l’étude des titres représentatifs permet d’établir l’existence de la représentation juridique des biens par des titres en droit privé, qui constitue alors le pendant de la représentation des personnes. Il apparaît toutefois que ce mécanisme n’est pas unitaire et c’est pourquoi il convient de distinguer deux techniques de représentation juridique des biens par des titres : la représentation parfaite d’un bien par un titre et la représentation imparfaite d’un ensemble de biens réunis au sein d’un patrimoine d’affectation par des titres. Dans un second temps, l’analyse de la mise en oeuvre de la représentation juridique des biens par des titres en droit privé, réalisée en vue d’éprouver la pertinence de la théorie dégagée, montre qu’il n’est pas toujours possible de créer librement tout type de titres représentatifs concernant des biens de toute nature. La liberté ne joue que pour les titres représentatifs parfaits de certains biens. L’étude de la mise en oeuvre de ce mécanisme souligne par ailleurs que la création d’un titre représentatif induit des difficultés auxquelles il convient de pallier en édictant un certain nombre de règles. / It is common to assert that a document represents property: a bill of exchange is said to represent a receivable, a bill of lading to represent goods, a book-entry account to represent a security or a depositary receipt to represent shares, etc. These are therefore “documents of title”. However, what does this mean? Is it a genuine mechanism to represent property by documents in private law or is it a misnomer? First, a study of such documents will establish the existence of legal representation of property by certificates in private law, equivalent to the representation of persons. However, it would seem not to bea unitary mechanism and a distinction must therefore be made between two techniques of legal representation of property by documents: the direct representation of property by a document and the indirect representation of a set of properties assembled in a fiduciary trust by certificates. Next, an analysis of implementation of the legal representation of property by certificates in private law, conducted to test the relevance of the theory, shows that it is not always possible to create any type of such documents freely for any kind of property. Such freedom applies only to documents that are directly representative of certain property. A study of the implementation of this mechanism also emphasizes that the creation of a document of title leads to difficulties that may be overcome by enacting some rules.

Angesichts der steigenden Anzahl von Funktionen in Fahrzeugen, insbesondere im Pkw, sind neue Bedien- und Anzeigesysteme notwendig, die eine optimale Bedienbarkeit der Funktionen sicherstellen und die Ablenkung des Fahrers von der Fahraufgabe minimieren. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird dazu der Einsatz variabler Bedienelemente verfolgt, die sich der aktuellen Bedienaufgabe optimal anpassen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es insbesondere, Vorgehensweisen und Gestaltungsempfehlungen für variable Beschriftung von Tasten und zentrale Bedienelemente mit variabler Formcodierung für abgesetzte Bedien- und Anzeigesysteme zu erarbeiten. Unter Zuhilfenahme arbeitswissenschaftlicher Methoden wird dafür zunächst die Gestaltung variabler Beschriftung von Tasten untersucht und Empfehlungen für deren Gestaltung abgeleitet. Des Weiteren wird die Entwicklung eines zentralen Bedienelements mit variabler Formcodierung beschrieben. Dazu wird, aufbauend auf bekannten Entwicklungs- und Auswahlverfahren für Bedienelemente, eine Vorgehensweise zur Entwicklung variabler Bedienelemente vorgeschlagen. Das entwickelte variable zentrale Bedienelement wird darüber hinaus hinsichtlich seiner Bedienbarkeit und Ablenkungswirkung bewertet. Aus den Versuchsergebnissen konnten Gestaltungsempfehlungen abgeleitet werden, wie durch ein variables zentrales Bedienelement die Bedienbarkeit von abgesetzten Bedien- und Anzeigesystemen verbessert und die Ablenkungswirkung reduziert werden kann. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit leisten einen Beitrag zur Entwicklung zukünftiger abgesetzter Bedien- und Anzeigesysteme und geben insbesondere Entwicklern und Gestaltern eine Hilfestellung beim Einsatz variabler Bedienelemente.

Lasers find a wide range of applications in many areas including photo-biology, photo-chemistry, materials processing, imaging and telecommunications. However, the practical use of such sources is often limited by the bulky nature of existing systems. By fabricating channel waveguides in solid-state laser-gain materials more compact laser systems can be designed and fabricated, providing user-friendly sources. Other advantages inherent in the use of waveguide gain media include the maintenance of high intensities over extended interaction lengths, reducing laser thresholds. This thesis presents the development of Yb:tungstate lasers operating around 1μm in waveguide geometries. An Yb:KY(WO₄)₂ planar waveguide laser grown by liquid phase epitaxy is demonstrated with output powers up to 190 mW and 76 % slope efficiency. This is similar to the performance from bulk lasers but in a very compact design. Excellent thresholds of only 40 mW absorbed pump power are realised. The propagation loss is found to be less than 0.1 dBcm⁻¹ and Q-switched operation is also demonstrated. Channel waveguides are fabricated in Yb:KGd(WO₄)₂ and Yb:KY(WO₄)₂ using ultrafast laser inscription. Several of these waveguides lase in compact monolithic cavities. A maximum output power of 18.6 mW is observed, with a propagation loss of ~2 dBcm⁻¹. By using a variety of writing conditions the optimum writing pulse energy is identified. Micro-spectroscopy experiments are performed to enable a fuller understanding of the induced crystal modification. Observations include frequency shifts of Raman lines which are attributed to densification of WO₂W bonds in the crystal. Yb:tungstate lasers can generate ultrashort pulses and some preliminary work is done to investigate the use of quantum dot devices as saturable absorbers. These are shown to have reduced saturation fluence compared to quantum well devices, making them particularly suitable for future integration with Yb:tungstate waveguides for the creation of ultrafast, compact and high repetition rate lasers.

La Liste du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO exerce une forte attraction à l’échelle internationale. Cette recherche aborde des démarches accomplies par l’État du Nicaragua en vue de l’inscription de la Cathédrale de León, et tente de déterminer le potentiel de réussite de cette candidature. En premier lieu, nous faisons une réflexion sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial, en regard de la Convention du patrimoine mondial et des États parties. En deuxième lieu, à partir de la décision du Comité concernant le projet du Nicaragua, nous mettons en lumière le manque de coordination entre les parties prenantes, soit entre les instances nationales, locales et diocésaines. Les données récoltées à León nous permettent d’observer que la coordination entre les parties prenantes est essentielle à la réalisation du projet d’inscription, tant pour la consolidation du dossier que pour la protection du bien. Nous soulevons ensuite les enjeux et les solutions envisageables. Afin de favoriser la participation de toutes les parties prenantes au projet, nous appliquons l’approche du « développement de consensus ». Les résultats de l’analyse révèlent néanmoins que la présence de conflits de valeurs empêche la création d’accords. Conséquemment, nous considérons que l’inscription de la Cathédrale de León est peu probable. Le processus d’inscription est une tâche ambitieuse, d’autant plus qu’il fait appel à la contribution d’une propriété privée sous l'égide d’une institution: l’Église Catholique. L’aboutissement du projet est confronté inévitablement à des enjeux de pouvoir, présents en toile de fond. / UNESCO’s World Heritage List is widely recognized and of great importance internationally. This research outlines the steps undertaken by the State of Nicaragua to register the Cathedral of León on the List and attempts to determine the chances of success of its nomination. Firstly, we study the World Heritage List, in regards to the World Heritage Convention and the States Parties. Second, looking at the Committee’s decision concerning the Nicaragua project, we highlight the lack of coordination between the principal stakeholders, namely the national, local and diocesan levels. Data collected in León allow us to observe that coordination between the stakeholders is essential for the registration project, affecting the consolidation of the dossier as well as the protection of property. We then analyze the issues and the possible solutions. To promote the participation of all stakeholders, we apply the approach of "consensus building". However, the results of the analysis show that ”conflicts in values” prevent the creation of agreements. We therefore conclude that the Cathedral of León has a low chance of being registered on the World Heritage List. The registration process is an ambitious task, all the more as the project requires the implication of a private property under the aegis of an institution: the Catholic Church. Its fulfillment is inevitably impacted by issues of power underlying the nomination project.

Esta pesquisa discute como as tecnologias contábeis contribuem para construir decisões coletivas para gerenciamento de risco operacional ao longo das relações de suprimento. A construção das decisões é vista como um processo, e o coletivo formado por humanos e não-humanos. As tecnologias contábeis são abordadas como inscrições e objetos delimitantes. As inscrições mediam as ações à distância e simplificam objetos complexos tornando-os entidades separadas que atuam como objetos delimitantes (LATOUR, 1987; LAW, 1986; STAR; GRIESEMER, 1989). O conceito de risco na literatura apresenta ambiguidades. A forma de gerenciá-lo é problematizada na literatura contábil em relações inter-organizacionais. O estudo de campo foi conduzido nas relações de suprimento de gás liquefeito de petróleo que incluem a companhia petrolífera, os fornecedores de transporte e a companhia distribuidora. As informações foram obtidas sob a perspectiva deste último, por meio de etnografia que incluiu entrevistas, observações e shadowing de objetos e pessoas, e submetidos à análise narrativa permeada pela análise desconstrutiva. Inicialmente foram identificadas as ameaças que podem ocasionar falta de produto em unidades de produção da distribuidora. Nem todas as ameaças observadas são passíveis de se tornar objeto de gerenciamento de risco. Para isso, elas precisam estar inscritas e acumuladas na área responsável pelo suprimento que atua como um centro de cálculo. Porém, muitas estão interligadas com outros fatores e apresentam efeitos inesperados nas dimensões de espaço e tempo. As tecnologias de contabilidade padronizadas, tais como, planejamentos de longo prazo e orçamentos, quando usadas isoladamente não tem força suficiente para mobilizar ações que levem à redução do risco. Por outro lado, os conflitos gerados quando ambas são combinadas impelem para a busca de outras informações que resultem em um número mais preciso. Nas relações estudadas, os riscos acentuam-se no curto prazo em contraste com o longo prazo conforme preconizado pela literatura. As tecnologias construídas na prática exercem força para mobilizar decisões imediatas. Apesar de, contratualmente, a parceria para o fornecimento de gás ser firmada por duas companhias, em que de um lado está o fornecedor e do outro a distribuidora, o que se tem no dia-a-dia são múltiplas relações construídas entre as unidades de produção, refinarias e a área de suprimentos. Desta forma, inscrições, como a ordem de compra, são capazes de redefinir as fronteiras. Transladam para agir como instrumentos de gerenciamento de risco operacional. A confiança manifesta-se como um quase-objeto (MOURITSEN; THRANE, 2006) que ganha existência na circulação de informações entre as partes. Com isso, o risco de falta de produto se apresenta como um ,,fantasma\" que poderá ser materializado dependendo do fluxo de informações. Este estudo contribui empiricamente por mostrar os riscos envolvidos nas relações de suprimento de gás liquefeito de petróleo ao longo do território brasileiro, e como a contabilidade contribui para gerenciá-los. Além disso, estende o conhecimento relativo à forma como ocorre o fluxo de informações no cenário inter-organizacional, bem como a adoção de práticas híbridas para o alcance de ações coletivas que gerenciam os riscos de suprimentos e constroem relações. Teoricamente, o estudo contribui na discussão de conceito de risco e como a contabilidade está associada com este conceito. / This research discusses how accounting technologies contribute to construct collective decisions for operational risk management across the supply relationships. Decision construction is seen as a process and the collective is formed by humans and nonhumans. The accounting technologies are approached as inscriptions and boundary objects. The inscriptions mediate the action at a distance and simplify complex objects making them separate entities that act as boundary objects (LATOUR, 1987; LAW, 1986; STAR; GRIESEMER, 1989). The concept of risk in the literature presents ambiguities. The way to manage it is problematized in the accounting literature on inter-organizational relationships. The field study was conducted in liquefied petroleum gas supply relations which involve the oil company, the transport suppliers and the distribution company. The information was obtained from the perspective of the latter, through ethnography which included interviews, observations and shadowing of objects and people, and narrative analysis permeated by deconstructive analysis was employed. Initially we identified the threats that can cause shortage of the product in production unit in the distribution company. Not all threats found are possible to transform into an object to risk management. To do this they must be inscribed and accumulated in the management of suppliers that acts as a center of calculation. However, many are intertwined with other factors and have unexpected effects on the dimensions of space and time. The accounting standard technologies, such as long-term planning and budgeting, when used alone they do not have enough force to mobilize interventions to reduce risk. On the other hand, the conflicts generated when both are combined to propel the search for other information that results in a more precise figure. In the relations studied, the risks increase in short term in contrast to long term as seen in the literature. Thus, the technologies built in practice, exert force to mobilize immediate decisions. Although contractually the partnership for gas supply to be signed by two companies, which on one side is the supplier and the distributor on the other, in day-to-day activities multiple relations are built among production units, refineries and supply area. In this way, inscriptions such as purchase orders are able to redefine the boundaries. They translate to act as instruments of operational risk management. Trust manifests itself as a quasi-object (MOURITSEN; THRANE, 2006) which comes into existence when information is circulating between the parties. Thus, the risk of shortage of the product presents itself as a ,,ghost\" that can be materialized depending on information flows. This study contributes empirically by showing the risks involved in the supply relations of petroleum liquefied gas throughout the Brazilian territory, and how accounting helps to manage them. Furthermore, it extends the knowledge on how the information flows occur in an inter-organizational setting, as well as the adoption of hybrid practices to achieve collective actions to manage supply risks and build relations. Theoretically, the study contributes to the discussion of the risk concept and how the accounting is associated with this concept.

Ancient Maya inscription carvers at the city of Palenque in what is now Chiapas, Mexico worked in teams to complete large and complex stone tablets. Like artists everywhere, they each had developed idiosyncratic habits which the modern connoisseur can learn to discern, in order to identify which parts of a particular monument were sculpted by one or another artist. The author scrutinized several eighth-century CE inscriptions, panels in stucco and limestone, analyzing how many artists worked on each, to wit: the Temple XVIII Stuccos, the Temple XIX Platform, the Temple XIX Stuccos, the Temple XIX Panel, the Panel of the 96 Glyphs, the Lápida de la Creación and associated fragments, the Palace Tablet and its associated fragmentary panels, and the Tablet of the Slaves. The ensemble whose main components are the Panel of the 96 Glyphs and the Lápida de la Creación are all by one hand, and the Tablet of the Slaves was the work of four carvers, but the Temple XIX Platform surprisingly employed fourteen carvers, and the Palace Tablet over a score. Their territories were not divided textually, and display idiosyncratic spellings of glyph compounds as well as carving habits. The conclusion discusses possible reasons for these findings, relating them to the unusual Maya practice of never correcting mistakes in monumental inscriptions. A likely reason seems to be that the ancient Maya considered these texts not merely as a permanent record, but as ongoing, living repetitions of the ritual in question, and had to be completed in a very short time. / text

Esta pesquisa discute como as tecnologias contábeis contribuem para construir decisões coletivas para gerenciamento de risco operacional ao longo das relações de suprimento. A construção das decisões é vista como um processo, e o coletivo formado por humanos e não-humanos. As tecnologias contábeis são abordadas como inscrições e objetos delimitantes. As inscrições mediam as ações à distância e simplificam objetos complexos tornando-os entidades separadas que atuam como objetos delimitantes (LATOUR, 1987; LAW, 1986; STAR; GRIESEMER, 1989). O conceito de risco na literatura apresenta ambiguidades. A forma de gerenciá-lo é problematizada na literatura contábil em relações inter-organizacionais. O estudo de campo foi conduzido nas relações de suprimento de gás liquefeito de petróleo que incluem a companhia petrolífera, os fornecedores de transporte e a companhia distribuidora. As informações foram obtidas sob a perspectiva deste último, por meio de etnografia que incluiu entrevistas, observações e shadowing de objetos e pessoas, e submetidos à análise narrativa permeada pela análise desconstrutiva. Inicialmente foram identificadas as ameaças que podem ocasionar falta de produto em unidades de produção da distribuidora. Nem todas as ameaças observadas são passíveis de se tornar objeto de gerenciamento de risco. Para isso, elas precisam estar inscritas e acumuladas na área responsável pelo suprimento que atua como um centro de cálculo. Porém, muitas estão interligadas com outros fatores e apresentam efeitos inesperados nas dimensões de espaço e tempo. As tecnologias de contabilidade padronizadas, tais como, planejamentos de longo prazo e orçamentos, quando usadas isoladamente não tem força suficiente para mobilizar ações que levem à redução do risco. Por outro lado, os conflitos gerados quando ambas são combinadas impelem para a busca de outras informações que resultem em um número mais preciso. Nas relações estudadas, os riscos acentuam-se no curto prazo em contraste com o longo prazo conforme preconizado pela literatura. As tecnologias construídas na prática exercem força para mobilizar decisões imediatas. Apesar de, contratualmente, a parceria para o fornecimento de gás ser firmada por duas companhias, em que de um lado está o fornecedor e do outro a distribuidora, o que se tem no dia-a-dia são múltiplas relações construídas entre as unidades de produção, refinarias e a área de suprimentos. Desta forma, inscrições, como a ordem de compra, são capazes de redefinir as fronteiras. Transladam para agir como instrumentos de gerenciamento de risco operacional. A confiança manifesta-se como um quase-objeto (MOURITSEN; THRANE, 2006) que ganha existência na circulação de informações entre as partes. Com isso, o risco de falta de produto se apresenta como um ,,fantasma\" que poderá ser materializado dependendo do fluxo de informações. Este estudo contribui empiricamente por mostrar os riscos envolvidos nas relações de suprimento de gás liquefeito de petróleo ao longo do território brasileiro, e como a contabilidade contribui para gerenciá-los. Além disso, estende o conhecimento relativo à forma como ocorre o fluxo de informações no cenário inter-organizacional, bem como a adoção de práticas híbridas para o alcance de ações coletivas que gerenciam os riscos de suprimentos e constroem relações. Teoricamente, o estudo contribui na discussão de conceito de risco e como a contabilidade está associada com este conceito. / This research discusses how accounting technologies contribute to construct collective decisions for operational risk management across the supply relationships. Decision construction is seen as a process and the collective is formed by humans and nonhumans. The accounting technologies are approached as inscriptions and boundary objects. The inscriptions mediate the action at a distance and simplify complex objects making them separate entities that act as boundary objects (LATOUR, 1987; LAW, 1986; STAR; GRIESEMER, 1989). The concept of risk in the literature presents ambiguities. The way to manage it is problematized in the accounting literature on inter-organizational relationships. The field study was conducted in liquefied petroleum gas supply relations which involve the oil company, the transport suppliers and the distribution company. The information was obtained from the perspective of the latter, through ethnography which included interviews, observations and shadowing of objects and people, and narrative analysis permeated by deconstructive analysis was employed. Initially we identified the threats that can cause shortage of the product in production unit in the distribution company. Not all threats found are possible to transform into an object to risk management. To do this they must be inscribed and accumulated in the management of suppliers that acts as a center of calculation. However, many are intertwined with other factors and have unexpected effects on the dimensions of space and time. The accounting standard technologies, such as long-term planning and budgeting, when used alone they do not have enough force to mobilize interventions to reduce risk. On the other hand, the conflicts generated when both are combined to propel the search for other information that results in a more precise figure. In the relations studied, the risks increase in short term in contrast to long term as seen in the literature. Thus, the technologies built in practice, exert force to mobilize immediate decisions. Although contractually the partnership for gas supply to be signed by two companies, which on one side is the supplier and the distributor on the other, in day-to-day activities multiple relations are built among production units, refineries and supply area. In this way, inscriptions such as purchase orders are able to redefine the boundaries. They translate to act as instruments of operational risk management. Trust manifests itself as a quasi-object (MOURITSEN; THRANE, 2006) which comes into existence when information is circulating between the parties. Thus, the risk of shortage of the product presents itself as a ,,ghost\" that can be materialized depending on information flows. This study contributes empirically by showing the risks involved in the supply relations of petroleum liquefied gas throughout the Brazilian territory, and how accounting helps to manage them. Furthermore, it extends the knowledge on how the information flows occur in an inter-organizational setting, as well as the adoption of hybrid practices to achieve collective actions to manage supply risks and build relations. Theoretically, the study contributes to the discussion of the risk concept and how the accounting is associated with this concept.

Beaucoup d'efforts dans le domaine des matériaux polymères sont déployés pour développer de nouveaux matériaux fonctionnels pour des applications spécifiques, souvent très sophistiquées, en employant des méthodes simplifiées de synthèse et de préparation. Cette thèse porte sur les polymères photosensibles – i.e. des matériaux fonctionnels qui répondent de diverses manières à la lumière – qui sont préparés à l'aide de la chimie supramoléculaire – i.e. une méthode de préparation qui repose sur l'auto-assemblage spontané de motifs moléculaires plus simples via des interactions non covalentes pour former le matériau final désiré. Deux types de matériaux photosensibles ont été ciblés, à savoir les élastomères thermoplastiques à base de copolymères à blocs (TPE) et les complexes d'homopolymères photosensibles. Les TPEs sont des matériaux bien connus, et même commercialisés, qui sont généralement composés d’un copolymère tribloc, avec un bloc central très flexible et des blocs terminaux rigides qui présentent une séparation de phase menant à des domaines durs isolés, composés des blocs terminaux rigides, dans une matrice molle formée du bloc central flexible, et ils ont l'avantage d'être recyclable. Pour la première fois, au meilleur de notre connaissance, nous avons préparé ces matériaux avec des propriétés photosensibles, basé sur la complexation supramoléculaire entre un copolymère tribloc simple parent et une petite molécule possédant une fonctionnalité photosensible via un groupe azobenzène. Plus précisément, il s’agit de la complexation ionique entre la forme quaternisée d'un copolymère à blocs, le poly(méthacrylate de diméthylaminoéthyle)-poly(acrylate de n-butyle)-poly(méthacrylate de diméthylaminoéthyle) (PDM-PnBA-PDM), synthétisé par polymérisation radicalaire par transfert d’atomes (ATRP), et l'orange de méthyle (MO), un composé azo disponible commercialement comportant un groupement SO3 -. Le PnBA possède une température de transition vitreuse en dessous de la température ambiante (-46 °C) et les blocs terminaux de PDM complexés avec le MO ont une température de transition vitreuse élevée (140-180 °C, en fonction de la masse molaire). Des tests simples d'élasticité montrent que les copolymères à blocs complexés avec des fractions massiques allant de 20 à 30% présentent un caractère élastomère. Des mesures d’AFM et de TEM (microscopie à force atomique et électronique à ii transmission) de films préparés à l’aide de la méthode de la tournette, montrent une corrélation entre le caractère élastomère et les morphologies où les blocs rigides forment une phase minoritaire dispersée (domaines sphériques ou cylindriques courts). Une phase dure continue (morphologie inversée) est observée pour une fraction massique en blocs rigides d'environ 37%, ce qui est beaucoup plus faible que celle observée pour les copolymères à blocs neutres, dû aux interactions ioniques. La réversibilité de la photoisomérisation a été démontrée pour ces matériaux, à la fois en solution et sous forme de film. La synthèse du copolymère à blocs PDM-PnBA-PDM a ensuite été optimisée en utilisant la technique d'échange d'halogène en ATRP, ainsi qu’en apportant d'autres modifications à la recette de polymérisation. Des produits monodisperses ont été obtenus à la fois pour la macroamorceur et le copolymère à blocs. À partir d'un seul copolymère à blocs parent, une série de copolymères à blocs partiellement/complètement quaternisés et complexés ont été préparés. Des tests préliminaires de traction sur les copolymères à blocs complexés avec le MO ont montré que leur élasticité est corrélée avec la fraction massique du bloc dur, qui peut être ajustée par le degré de quaternisation et de complexation. Finalement, une série de complexes d'homopolymères auto-assemblés à partir du PDM et de trois dérivés azobenzènes portant des groupes (OH, COOH et SO3) capables d'interactions directionnelles avec le groupement amino du PDM ont été préparés, où les dérivés azo sont associés avec le PDM, respectivement, via des interactions hydrogène, des liaisons ioniques combinées à une liaison hydrogène à travers un transfert de proton (acidebase), et des interactions purement ioniques. L'influence de la teneur en azo et du type de liaison sur la facilité d’inscription des réseaux de diffraction (SRG) a été étudiée. L’efficacité de diffraction des SRGs et la profondeur des réseaux inscrits à partir de films préparés à la méthode de la tournette montrent que la liaison ionique et une teneur élevée en azo conduit à une formation plus efficace des SRGs. / Much effort in the area of polymer materials involves the development of new functional materials for specific, often highly sophisticated, applications using simplified methods of synthesis and preparation. This thesis focuses on photo-responsive polymers – i.e. functional materials that respond in various ways to light – that are prepared with the aid of supramolecular chemistry – i.e. a preparation method that relies on the spontaneous selfassembly of simpler molecular building blocks via noncovalent interactions to form the final targeted material. Two types of photo-responsive materials were targeted, namely block copolymer thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and photo-responsive homopolymer complexes. TPEs are well-known, even commercial, materials that are typically based on triblock copolymers with a highly flexible middle block and rigid outer blocks that phase separate into isolated domains of the hard, outer block phase within a matrix of the soft block phase, and they have the advantage of being recyclable. For the first time, to our knowledge, we have prepared such materials with photo-responsive properties based on supramolecular complexation between a simpler parent triblock copolymer and a small molecule possessing the photo-responsive functionality via an azobenzene group. Specifically, this involved the ionic complexation of the quaternized form of a block copolymer, poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-poly(n-butyl acrylate)-poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDM-PnBAPDM), synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), with methyl orange (MO), a commercially available SO3 --functionalized azo-containing compound. PnBA has a subambient glass transition (-46 °C) and the MO-complexed PDM outer blocks have a high glass transition (140-180 °C, depending on the molecular weight). Simple elasticity tests show that the complexed block copolymers with hard block weight fractions between about 20 and 30% have elastomeric character. AFM and TEM (atomic force and transmission electron microscopies) of spin-coated films show a correlation between the elastomeric character and morphologies where the hard block forms a dispersed minority phase (spherical and/or short cylindrical domains). A continuous hard phase (inverted morphology) is observed for a hard block content of around 37 wt %, which is much lower than found for neutral block iv copolymers due to ionic interactions. Reversible photoisomerization was demonstrated for these materials in both solution and in film form. The synthesis of the PDM-PnBA-PDM block copolymer was then optimized by using the halogen exchange technique in ATRP, along with other modifications to the polymerization recipe. Monodisperse products were obtained for both the macroiniaitor and the block copolymer. Based on a single parent block copolymer, a series of partially/fully quaternized and complexed block copolymers were prepared. Preliminary stretching tests on the MO-complexed block copolymers showed that their elasticity is correlated with the hard block content, which can be tuned by the degree of quaternization and complexation. Finally, a series of homopolymer complexes self-assembled from PDM and azobenzene derivatives bearing three different groups capable of directed interactions with the amino moiety of PDM (OH, COOH and SO3 -) were prepared, where the azo derivative associates with PDM via hydrogen-bonding interactions, by ionic bonding mixed with hydrogen bonding through proton-transfer (acid-base) interactions, and by purely ionic interactions via ion exchange procedures, respectively. The influence of the azo content and bonding type on surface relief grating (SRG) inscription was investigated. The SRG diffraction efficiencies and grating depths in spin-coated films show that ionic bonding and high azo content leads to more efficient SRG formation.

L’augmentation de la fréquence hebdomadaire des séances d’Hémodialyse (HD) serait la technique qui se rapprocherait le plus du rôle physiologique des reins. L’Hémodialyse quotidienne (HDQ) a été développée afin d’améliorer la qualité de vie des patients ainsi que l’épuration sanguine. Néanmoins, son association avec la survie reste controversée et son lien avec l’accès à la greffe rénale n’avait jusqu’alors jamais été étudié. Par ailleurs, les connaissances en termes de pratiques en France étaient jusqu’à aujourd’hui très faibles. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse vise à caractériser les patients français en HDQ et leurs trajectoires en plus d’analyser l’association entre l’HDQ et la transplantation rénale et la survie des patients. Une étude épidémiologique a été menée à partir du Réseau en Epidémiologie et Information en Néphrologie (REIN) où ont été inclus tous les patients âgés ≥18 ans et qui ont démarré une séance d’HDQ entre 2003 et 2012 en France. L’extraction d’un certain nombre de données biocliniques de REIN a permis de montrer que les patients français en HDQ étaient caractérisés pour présenter des profils très hétérogènes. En effet, en fonction de l’âge médian (64 ans) deux sous-groupes de patients ont pu être comparés : les âgés (moyenne d’âge : 76,6 ± 6,9 ans) en mauvaises conditions médicales et qui décédaient rapidement ; les jeunes (moyenne d’âge : 47,2 ± 12 ans) qui étaient en HDQ avant d’accéder à la greffe. Par ailleurs, en fonction des trajectoires initiales, deux sous-groupes ont également pu être comparés : patients démarrant directement par HDQ (dHDQ, n=257) ; patients démarrant par un autre traitement (cHDQ, n=496). Ensuite, cette thèse a permis de montrer qu’en France, après l’inscription sur la liste, les patients en HDQ avaient une moindre probabilité d’accéder à la greffe que les patients en HD 3x/semaine (SHR=0,74 ; IC 95%: 0,58-0,95). Par ailleurs, après ajustement sur l’âge, le sexe et les comorbidités, l’HDQ était associée avec un sur-risque de décès (HR=1,58 ; IC 95%: 1,4-1,8) en comparaison avec l’HD 3x/semaine. Ce travail de thèse a permis d’élucider nos connaissances en termes de pratiques associées avec l’HDQ bien que les raisons pour lesquelles les patients démarrent une HDQ ne sont pas connues. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que les indications pour l’HDQ en France sont probablement différentes de celles appliquées dans d’autres pays, ceci pourrait expliquer nos résultats en termes de mortalité. / An increase frequency of weekly sessions of Hemodialysis (HD) should be more physiological than a conventional HD 3x/week. Daily Hemodialysis (DHD) was developed in order to enhance patients’ quality of life in addition to blood purification. Nevertheless, its effect on survival remains controversial and the association between DHD and the access to renal transplantation has never been evaluated. Moreover, knowledges about DHD practices in France were until today very poor. In this context, the aims of this thesis was firstly, to describe profiles of French patients on DHD and their initial trajectories; secondly to analyze the association between DHD and renal transplantation, then survival in comparison with conventional HD 3x/week. An epidemiologic study has been conducted based on Renal Epidemiology and Information in Nephrology (REIN) registry. Were included all patients aged ≥18 years who initiated a DHD between 2003 and 2012 in France. Bio-clinical data analyses showed that French patients were characterized to present various profiles. Indeed, according to the median age (64 years), two sub-groups were distinguished and compared: old (mean age: 76.6 ± 6.9 years) in bad medical conditions who died rapidly; young (mean age: 47.2 ± 12 years) waiting for renal transplantation. Moreover, according to the initial trajectories, two sub-groups were also constructed: patients starting directly with DHD (dDHD, n=257); patients starting with another dialysis before switching for DHD (cDHD, n=496). Then, this thesis allowed showing that in France and after being waitlisting, patients on DHD had lower probability of being renal transplanted (SHR=0.74; 95%CI: 0.58-0.95). Then, after the adjustment on sex, age and comorbidities, DHD was associated with a higher risk of death compared to conventional HD 3sessions/week. Reasons why a patient started a DHD are unknown, but this work allows us to enhance our knowledges in terms of medical practices associated with DHD. We hypothesized that DHD indications in France might be different from other countries which could explain our results in terms of mortality.