During mechanical ventilation the diaphragm experiences an extreme case of muscleunloading. In many cases this results in respiratory muscle dysfunctions making it difficult towean the patient off the ventilator. One component in this dysfunction is the accumulation ofintramyocellular lipids (IMCL) in the diaphragm muscle fibres. Using Oil Red O stainingsand confocal microscopy on rat diaphragm sections we have quantified this process. Theresults show a sudden increase in IMCL contents between 18 and 24 hours. No significantdifference between fibre types could be seen.

The alm of the work was to evaluate the impact of facilitation of physiologic coordination of respiratory and postural functions of diaphragm by Vojta-therapy on gas exchange. This thesis summarizes available knowledge about anatomical background of diaphragm functions, together with other trunk muscles known as deep stabilizing system. Moreover, it describes coordination of breathing and postural functions. We tried to objectify impact of diaphragm activation on gas exchange in healthy adults. Two following spiroergometries were compared aťt:er Vojta-therapy stimulation and with placebo. We evaluated minute ventilation, breath frequency, tidal volume, oxygen consumption, rate oť elimination of carbon dioxide and respiratory quotient. There were no statistical differences between placebo and Vojta- therapy group at exercise intensity levels 1 W /kg, 2 W /kg and in maximal exercise. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Introduction: The aim of this thesis is to answer a question if it is possible to influence ventilation parameters with an application of Vojta's reflex locomotion, which is one of the neurophysiologic techniques. The thesis confronts actual knowledge and relation between respiratory and postural function of "respiratory" muscles and the diaphragm and possibility of its reflex affection. Methods: With a spirometry we assess the impact of short-time activation of Reflex locomotion on the lung functions in a group of 21 healthy subjects in age 18 - 33 years. The study evaluates the effect of activation in two situations. First, it is instantaneous effect of Vojta's method on lung function. Second situation is the assessment of the time duration of evoked effect of activation and make out, if the changes are seen also after 25 minutes over the end of Vojta's stimulation. Results: Based on the interpretation of the both monitored situations, we set up an observation that short time activation of Vojta's reflex therapy has an effect on respiratory mechanics and thus on the spirometric values. At the other side we realize that not all of the changes were significant and some of them were unadvisable. Moreover all of them had very short persistency, after 25 minute none of the observed changes of lung...

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Avaliou-se a atividade de Bothrops marajoensis (Bmj) e suas fraÃÃes no sistema cardiorrenal. A resposta pressora do veneno bruto demonstrou uma diminuiÃÃo da pressÃo arterial mÃdia e da freqÃÃncia cardÃaca, sem alteraÃÃes significativas na freqÃÃncia respiratÃria. Em ratos atropinizados demonstrou a permanÃncia dos efeitos. Na perfusÃo de coraÃÃo isolado de ratos observou-se uma diminuiÃÃo na forÃa de contraÃÃo miocÃrdica acompanhada de um aumento da pressÃo de perfusÃo, sem alteraÃÃes no fluxo coronariano. A anÃlise eletrocardiogrÃfica em ratos apÃs injeÃÃo de Bmj provocou um bloqueio Ãtrio ventricular gradual atà um bloqueio completo indicando arritmia e dificuldade de conduÃÃo atrial. Em leito vascular mesentÃrio prÃ-contraÃdo com fenilefrina nÃo houve alteraÃÃes significativas. No sistema de perfusÃo renal em ratos apresentou decrÃscimo significativo na pressÃo de perfusÃo, resistÃncia vascular, fluxo urinÃrio, ritmo de filtraÃÃo e transportes de sÃdio e de cloreto. Fosfolipase miotÃxica (tipo 1) demonstrou alteraÃÃes somente no transporte de Ãons. A atividade de Bmj em doses crescentes em nervo FrÃnico Diafragma de rato mostrou um bloqueio na forÃa de contraÃÃo dose dependente, com efeito significante nas maiores doses. Em canal deferente de camundongos induziu a uma inibiÃÃo dose dependente da contraÃÃo estimulada por campo elÃtrico. Este feito nÃo foi revertido pela Ioimbina nem por naloxone. Em outro estudo a adiÃÃo do veneno bruto de Bmj inibiu a contraÃÃo neurogÃnica,quando comparado com nenhuma queda significante pela contraÃÃo com Cch, NA ou ATP (em Krebs normal ou enriquecido com guanetidina e fentolamina. A ausÃncia de efeito do veneno bruto de Bothrops marajoensis sobre a contraÃÃo induzida pelos principais agonistas purinÃrgicos demonstra provÃvel atividade a nÃvel prÃ-sinÃptico. FraÃÃes de fosfolipases miotÃxicas (tipo 1 e tipo 2) demonstraram uma inibiÃÃo da contraÃÃo dose dependente. / In this article we evaluated the activity of Bothrops marajoensis (Bmj) and its fractions in the cardio-renal system. The results of the total venom in blood pressure experiments showed a decrease in the mean arterial pressure and heart rate without significant changes in respiratory rate. The same experiments performed in rats atropinized showed the permanence of falling blood pressure and heart rate. After administration of Bmj used in infusion of isolated rats heart of there was a decrease in myocardial force of contraction accompanied by an increase in perfusion pressure, without changes in coronary flow. The electrocardiographic analysis after injection of Bmj in rats causes a progressive atrioventricular block until a complete blockage and difficulty in atrial conduction. The assessment in the mesenteric vascular bed Bmj did not produce significant changes. The system renal perfusion in rats caused significant decrease in perfusion pressure, renal vascular resistance, urinary flow, filtration rate, transport of sodium and chloride. The phospholipase (PLA2) type 1 showed only an alteration in the transport of electrolytes. The Bmj fractions neurotoxicity in rat phrenic nerve diaphragm increasing showed a blockage dose-dependent in the strength of contraction. In mice vas deferens we observed an induced of a dose-dependent inhibition of contraction stimulated by electric field. This fact was not reversed by yohimbine or by naloxone. In another study the addition of the total venom of Bmj inhibited the neurogenic contraction, compared with no significant decrease in contraction by Cch, NA or ATP (in normal Krebs solution or with enriched with guanethidine and phentolamine). The fractions, PLA2 (type 1 and type 2) showed a dose-dependent inhibition of contraction.

Previous work done at Cal Poly has shown that thin-film nickel-titanium (NiTi) can be easily sputtered onto silicon wafers and annealed to create a crystallized shape memory alloy (SMA) film. Initial work on creating devices yielded cantilevers that were highly warped due to thin-film stress created during the sputtering process. The objective of this work was to create a thin-film NiTi SMA device that could be better characterized. A membrane was selected due to the simplicity of fabrication and testing which would also oppose the thin-film stress due to the increase in attachment points to the substrate. Silicon wafers were etched through the majority of the thickness (~75%) creating square etch pits of varying sizes varying from 1294 µm to 4394 µm. The wafers were then sputtered with an approximate NiTi film of 5 µm followed by a thin chromium film. The chromium film would act as a diffusion barrier and prevent oxygen from diffusing into the NiTi and reacting with the titanium and forming titanium dioxide. These wafers were then annealed in a custom built vacuum annealing chamber at 550 °C for 1 hour with a pressure around 77 kPa. The chromium was then etched away followed by the remaining silicon. This left a thin membrane of shape memory NiTi which was packaged in order for characterization. The devices were glued to an aluminum substrate using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and sealed with a small Tygon tube leading to the sealed chamber. This packaged device was then able to be pressurized using a nitrogen tank and the resulting NiTi membrane deflection was measured using a profilometer. Due to the differences in elastic moduli of the room temperature phase (martensite) and the high temperature phase (austenite) a difference of deflection was expected. The austenite finish (Af) temperature of bulk NiTi films was found to be around 60 °C so the devices were tested at both room temperature and at 60 °C. After testing seven separate devices of varying sizes, a regression model was used to analyze the final data. It was found that pressure, membrane size and theoretical versus actual deflection all affected the maximum deflection, but temperature did not. Higher pressures and larger membranes led to higher deflections as membrane deflection models from fundamental principles indicated. Some devices showed inferior performance when compared to the model due to incomplete silicon etching which caused lower deflection due to the much higher modulus of the remaining silicon. Thickness could also limit the amount of deflection measured with a thicker film leading to less deflection, but this is likely not the case due to the high uniformity of the sputtering system. Other devices showed superior performance over the model most likely due to either local delamination or lateral silicon etching. Both these would create a membrane that was larger than expected leading to a higher deflection. Unforutnaly, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed no shape memory behavior on a test wafer which was anneald at 550 ˚C for 1 hour. A design of experiments was conducted in order to find a heat treatment that would anneal the NiTi film and ensure that shape memory behavior could be obtained. An annealing at 650 °C for 1 hour showed a sharper and clearer Af phase transformation at around the target temperature of 60 °C. Annealing a full wafer at this temperature and time also showed that no delamination would occur which has also been linked to nonideal behavior of the NiTi membranes which has also been linked to meaningful behavior of the NiTi membranes.

This thesis addresses the organisation of drive to human upper airway and inspiratory pump muscles. The characterisation of single motor unit activity is important as the discharge frequency or timing of discharge of each motor unit directly reflects the output of single motoneurones. Thus, the firing properties of a population of motor units is indicative of the neural drive to the motoneurone pool. The experiments presented in Chapter 2 measured the recruitment time of five inspiratory pump muscles (diaphragm, scalene, second parasternal intercostal, and third and fifth dorsal external intercostal muscles) during normal quiet breathing and quantified the timing and magnitude of drive reaching each muscle. Chapter 3 examined the EMG activity of a major upper airway muscle (the genioglossus). The single motor units of the genioglossus display activity that can be grouped into six types based on its association or lack of association with respiration. The types of activity are termed: Inspiratory Phasic, Inspiratory Tonic, Expiratory Phasic, Expiratory Tonic, Tonic, and Tonic Other. A new method is presented in Chapter 4 to illustrate large amounts of data from single motor units recorded from respiratory muscles in a concise manner. This single figure displays for each motor unit, the recruitment time and firing frequency, the peak discharge frequency and its time, and the derecruitment time and its frequency. This method, termed the time-and-frequency plot, is used to demonstrate differences in behaviour between populations of diaphragm (Chapter 2) and genioglossus (Chapter 3) motoneurones. In Chapter 5, genioglossus activity during quiet breathing is compared between a group of patients with severe OSA and healthy control subjects. The distribution of central drive is identical between the OSA and control subjects with the same proportion of the six types of motor unit activity in both groups. However, there are alterations in the onset time of Inspiratory Phasic and Inspiratory Tonic motor units in OSA subjects and their peak discharge rates are also altered. Single motor unit action potentials in OSA subjects showed an increased area. This suggests the presence of neurogenic changes and may provide a pathophysiological explanation for the increased multiunit electromyographic activity reported in OSA subjects during wakefulness.

Deformation and fracture behaviour of the slender diaphragm with cross incisions is simulated by the developed finite element model. The influence of incisions geometry on the critical pressure of diaphragms was examined by applying deformation and fracture criteria. Original experiments of diaphragms with incisions were performed. / Išnagrinėjus ir palyginus įvairius skaičiuojamuosius baigtinių elementų modelius buvo ištirta ir nustatyta įpjovos geometrijos įtaka smūginio dujų vamzdžio liaunos diafragmos su kryžmine įpjova kritiniam slėgiui pagal ribinius deformavimo ir irimo kriterijus. Atlikti originalūs eksperimentiniai diafragmų deformavimo ir irimo tyrimai.

Išnagrinėjus ir palyginus įvairius skaičiuojamuosius baigtinių elementų modelius buvo ištirta ir nustatyta įpjovos geometrijos įtaka smūginio dujų vamzdžio liaunos diafragmos su kryžmine įpjova kritiniam slėgiui pagal ribinius deformavimo ir irimo kriterijus. Atlikti originalūs eksperimentiniai diafragmų deformavimo ir irimo tyrimai. / Deformation and fracture behaviour of the slender diaphragm with cross incisions is simulated by the developed finite element model. The influence of incisions geometry on the critical pressure of diaphragms was examined by applying deformation and fracture criteria. Original experiments of diaphragms with incisions were performed.

Modular construction is a relatively new technique where prefabricated units are assembled on-site to produce a complete building. Due to detailing requirements for the assembly of the modules, these systems are prone to undesirable failure mechanisms during large earthquakes. Specifically, for multi-story Modular Steel Buildings (MSBs), inelasticity concentration in vertical connections can be an area of concern. Diaphragm interaction, relative displacements between modules and the forces in the horizontal connections need to be investigated. In this study, two 4-story MSBs with two different structural configurations were chosen to be analyzed. In the first model which was introduced in a study by Annan et al. (2009 a), some of the unrealistic detailing assumptions were challenged. To have a more accurate assessment of the structural capacity, in the second model, a more realistic MSB model was proposed. Using OpenSees, Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDA) have been performed and conclusions were made.

Modular construction is a relatively new technique where prefabricated units are assembled on-site to produce a complete building. Due to detailing requirements for the assembly of the modules, these systems are prone to undesirable failure mechanisms during large earthquakes. Specifically, for multi-story Modular Steel Buildings (MSBs), inelasticity concentration in vertical connections can be an area of concern. Diaphragm interaction, relative displacements between modules and the forces in the horizontal connections need to be investigated. In this study, two 4-story MSBs with two different structural configurations were chosen to be analyzed. In the first model which was introduced in a study by Annan et al. (2009 a), some of the unrealistic detailing assumptions were challenged. To have a more accurate assessment of the structural capacity, in the second model, a more realistic MSB model was proposed. Using OpenSees, Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDA) have been performed and conclusions were made.