<p>U disertaciji su prikazani rezultati sopstvenog eksperimentalnog istraživanja na osnovu kojih je izvršena komparativna analiza uticaja različitih vrsta lakih agregata i vrste i količine cementa na osnovna fizičko-mehanička svojstva lakoagregatnih betona. Takođe, analizirana je i mogućnost zamene dela cementa mineralnim dodacima u cilju smanjenja negativnih uticaja proizvodnje betona na životnu sredinu. Rezultati su pokazali da je primenom svih analiziranih vrsta agregata moguće dobiti konstrukcijski lakoagregatni beton, čak i sa manjim količinama cementa, odnosno sa zamenom dela cementa mineralnim dodacima, kao i da je moguće uspostaviti pouzdane korelacione veze između pojedinih svojstava betona i primenjenih komponentnih materijala.</p> / <p>In dissertation are presented results of own experimental research of a<br />comparative analysis of the impact of different types of lightweight<br />aggregates and the type and quantity of cement on basic physical and<br />mechanical properties of structural lightweight concrete. Also, the possibility<br />of replacing part of cement with mineral admixtures is analyzed in order to<br />reduce the negative impact of concrete production on the environment. The<br />results showed that it is possible to obtain structural lightweight aggregate<br />concrete with all types of lightweight aggregates and even with lower<br />quantities of cement or with a replacement of part of a cement with mineral<br />admixtures. Also, it is possible to establish a reliable correlation between<br />certain properties of concrete and used component materials.</p>

Capillaries in tumours are often severely buckled (in a plane perpendicular to the axis) and / or chaotic in their direction. We develop a model of these phenomena using nonlinear solid mechanics. Our model focusses on the immediate surrounding of a capillary. The vessel and surrounding tissue are modelled as concentric annulii. The growth is dependent on the concentration of a nutrient (oxygen) diffusing from the vessel into the tumour interstitium. The stress is modelled using a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient F=F_e F_g. The stress is determined by substituting the elastic deformation gradient F_e (which gives the deformation gradient from the hypothetical configuration to the current configuration) into a hyperelastic constitutive model as per classical solid mechanics. We use a Blatz-Ko model, parameterised using uniaxial compression experiments. The entire system is in quasi-static equilibrium, with the divergence of the stress tensor equal to zero. We determine the onset of buckling using a linear stability analysis. We then investigate the postbuckling behaviour by introducing higher order perturbations in the deformation and growth before using the Fredholm Alternative to obtain the magnitude of the buckle. Our results demonstrate that the growth-induced stresses are sufficient for the capillary to buckle in the absence of external loading and / or constraints. Planar buckling usually occurs after 2-5 times the cellular proliferation timescale. Buckles with axial variation almost always go unstable after planar buckles. Buckles of fine wavelength are initially preferred by the system, but over time buckles of large wavelength become energetically more favourable. The tumoural hoop stress T_{ThetaTheta} is the most invariant (Eulerian) variable at the time of buckling: it is typically of the order of the tumoural Young's Modulus when this occurs.

Cette thèse rapporte l’étude des propriétés physicochimiques des nanoparticles polymériques et leur impact sur l’interaction avec les cellules vivantes. Nous nous sommes tout spécialement attachés à étudier l’effet des propriétés adhésives et mécaniques des nanoparticules sur leur capacité de pénétration de la membrane cellulaire. Pour ce faire, nous avons tout d’abord utilisé des nanoparticules d’acide polylactique (PLA) fonctionnalisées en surface avec un ligand des sélectines E et P. Le greffage du ligand sur la particule s’est fait par une nouvelle méthode expérimentale garantissant la présence du ligand à la surface de la particule durant toute sa durée de vie. Cette méthode consiste à mélanger un polymère fonctionnalisé avec le ligand avec un autre polymère non fonctionnalisé. La présence du ligand à la surface des nanoparticules formées à partir de ce mélange de polymères a été confirmée par analyse ToF SIMS. Nous avons pu prouver que les particules possédant le ligand greffé à leur surface démontraient une capacité adhésive supérieure à leurs homologues non fonctionnalisés sur des cellules endothéliales HUVEC activées par différentes drogues. De plus, le captage des particules par les cellules HUVEC est modulé par le niveau d’expression des récepteurs selectine E et P et aussi par la quantité de ligand libre. Ces résultats montrent clairement que le greffage du ligand confère aux particules des propriétés adhésives accrues et spécifiques ce qui permet leur usage postérieure comme vecteur pharmaceutique capable de cibler un récepteur particulier à la surface d’une cellule. Nous avons aussi démontré que l’interaction entre les nanoparticules et la membrane cellulaire peut aussi être contrôlée aussi bien par les propriétés mécaniques de la cellule que de la nanoparticule. Dans une première étape, nous avons mesuré à l’aide de l’appareil de forces de surface l’élasticité de cellules macrophagiques déposées sur différents substrats. En contrôlant l’interaction entre la cellule et le substrat sur lequel elle repose nous avons montré qu’il était possible de modifier à ii volonté les propriétés mécaniques cellulaire. Une augmentation de l’élasticité cellulaire s’accompagne d’une augmentation systématique de l’internalisation de nanoparticules de PLA non fonctionnalisées. Ceci suggère un rôle prépondérant des propriétés mécaniques du cortex cellulaire dans le captage des nanoparticules de PLA. Dans une seconde étape, nous avons étudié l’effet des propriétés mécaniques des nanoparticules sur leur capacité de pénétration cellulaire. Pour ce faire, nous avons synthétisé des particules d’hydrogel dont l’élasticité était contrôlée par le degré d’agent réticulant inclus dans leur formulation. Le contrôle des propriétés mécaniques des nanoparticules a été confirmé par la mesure du module de Young des particules par microscopie de force atomique. L’impact des propriétés mécaniques de ces particules sur leur capacité de pénétration dans les cellules vivantes a été étudié sur des cellules macrophagiques de souris. Les résultats ont montré que la cinétique d’internalisation, la quantité de particules internalisées et le mécanisme d’internalisation dépendent tous du module de Young des nanoparticules. Aucune différence dans le trajet intracellulaire des particules n’a pu être observée malgré le fait que différentes voies d’internalisation aient été observées. Ce dernier résultat peut s’expliquer par le fait que les nanoparticules sont internalisées par plusieurs voie simultanément ce qui facilite leur accumulation dans les organelles digestives intracellulaires. Un modèle simple permettant d’expliquer ces résultats a été proposé et discuté. / This thesis reports the study of physical chemical properties of polymeric nanoparticles and their impact on the interaction with living cells. In particular we endeavoured to study the effect of the adhesive and mechanical properties of the vector on its capacity of penetration of the cellular membrane. With this intention, we firstly used nanoparticules of polylactic acid (PLA) functionalized on their surfaces with a ligand of the selectines E and P receptor. The grafting of the ligand on the particle’s surface was carried out thanks to a new experimental method guaranteeing the presence of the active molecule on the surface of the particle during its whole life cycle. This method consists in mixing a polymer functionalized with the ligand with another polymer not functionalized. The presence of the ligand on the surface of the nanoparticules formed starting from this mixture of polymers was confirmed by ToF SIMS analysis. We could show that the particles having the ligand grafted on their surface exhibit a higher adhesive capacity than their non-functionalized counterpart on endothelial cells HUVEC activated by various drugs. Nanoparticles adhesion on cells membrane was modulated by the level of expression of the receptors selectine E and P and also by the quantity of free ligand. These results show clearly that the functionalized particles possess all the characteristics of a pharmaceutical vector capable of targeting a particular receptor on a cell surface. The interaction between nanoparticules and cellular membrane can also be controlled by the mechanical properties of the cell as well as of the nanoparticule. To demonstrate it we have measured the elasticity of macrophagic cells deposited on various substrates using the SFA. We have thus showed that it was possible to control the cell mechanical properties at will by controlling the interaction between the cell and the substrate on which it rests. An increase of the cell elasticity is accompanied by an increase of the internalization of non-functionalized PLA nanoparticules. This suggests a major role of cytocortical mechanical properties in the capture of hard PLA particles. iv Lastly, we studied the effect of the mechanical properties of the nanoparticules on their cellular penetration capacity. With this intention, we synthesized hydrogel particles whose elasticity was controlled by the degree of crosslinking agent included in their formulation. The control of the mechanical properties of the nanoparticules was confirmed by the measurement of the Young modulus of the particles by AFM. The interaction of these particles with macrophagess showed that the mechanical properties of the particles affect various aspects related to the internalization of the nanoparticles. The internalization kinetics, the quantity of internalized particles and the mechanism of internalization depend all on the Young modulus of the nanoparticules. No differences in the intracellular pathway could be observed in spite of the fact that various pathways of internalization were observed for these nanoparticules. This last result can be explained by the fact that the nanoparticules are internalized by several mechanisms of simultaneously which facilitates their accumulation in intracellular digestive organelles. A simple model explaining these results is proposed and discussed.

If policymakers address water scarcity with the demand-oriented approach, the income elasticity of water demand is of pivotal importance. Its estimates, however, differ considerably. We collect 307 estimates of the income elasticity of water demand reported in 62 studies, codify 31 variables describing the estimation design, and employ Bayesian model averaging to address model uncertainty inherent to any meta-analysis. The studies were published between 1972 and 2015, which means that this meta-analysis covers a longer period of time than two previous meta-analyses on this topic combined. Our results suggest that income elasticity estimates for developed countries do not significantly differ from income elasticity estimates for developing countries and that different estimation techniques do not systematically produce different values of the income elasticity of water demand. We find evidence of publication selection bias in the literature on the income elasticity of water demand with the use of both graphical and regression analysis. We correct the estimates for publication selection bias and estimate the true effect beyond bias, which reaches approximately 0.2. 1

Ce travail de doctorat porte sur l'utilisation des mathématiques analytiques dans le cadre de méthodes inverses appliquées à l'industrie. Ces travaux tiennent au développement de capteurs inverses en temps réel adaptés au laminage industriel. Le producteur d'acier ArcelorMittal dirige un projet européen, qui vise à montrer la faisabilité de capteurs mesurant les champs (température, contraintes) dans le contact entre le produit et l'outil sans altérer les conditions de ce contact. Les travaux de thèse présentés dans ce mémoire ont été réalisés au sein du laboratoire Navier et financé par l'école des Ponts ParisTech. Cependant un contrat sur trois ans signé avec ArcelorMittal a permis à l'auteur d'être partie prenante de ce projet européen, et ainsi de voir ses recherches concrétisées par une demande industrielle réelle. L'enjeu de cette thèse est double, académique et industriel. Académique en ce sens que les travaux cherchent à recenser et utiliser efficacement les méthodes de résolution analytiques existantes, pour des problèmes inverses en thermoélasticité, dans le cadre d'une métrologie en temps réel. En effet, les solutions analytiques sont souvent exploitées comme des cas purement théoriques, trouvant à bien des égards un certain succès dans la culture de l'ingénieur (comme c'est le cas par exemple du calcul en élasticité linéaire des facteurs d'intensité de contraintes), mais qui par bien des aspects sont reléguées à des cas d'écoles anciens servant au mieux à valider des codes de calculs numériques sur des exemples particulièrement simples. Ces solutions et méthodes de résolution analytiques ne font d'ailleurs guère plus l'objet de recherches en mathématiques pures. Cependant les problématiques propres, liées au caractère inverse des problèmes à traiter, pénalisent les méthodes de résolution numériques, en ce sens que les problèmes inverses sont mal posés, et qu'une stabilisation des algorithmes numériques est nécessaire mais souvent délicate si l'on considère les conditions extrêmes (champs très singuliers) appliquées aux outils industriels de laminage. Par ailleurs la métrologie en temps réel exclut l'utilisation de codes numériques trop coûteux en temps de calcul (méthodes itératives etc...). Ces deux aspects contribuent à renouveler assez largement l'intérêt pour les solutions analytiques. Il convient alors d'en regrouper (dans la mesure du possible) les méthodes les plus efficaces (en termes de précision et de temps de calcul notamment) et les plus adaptées pour la métrologie. Nous verrons notamment différents développements en séries élémentaires permettant non seulement de donner à une suite de points mesurés une forme analytique, mais également de simplifier les équations aux dérivées partielles à résoudre. D'autre part l'enjeu de cette thèse est également industriel, car ces travaux s'inscrivent dans une démarche de développement de capteurs adaptés à la mise en forme de l'acier par laminage. Ainsi l'étude de la robustesse au bruit de mesure, les contraintes technologiques liées à l'insertion des capteurs, les limitations en terme de fréquence d'acquisition et les problématiques de calibrage sont au coeur des développements. Ainsi, l'ensemble des travaux présentés, peut constituer une sorte de réhabilitation des méthodes analytiques, dont la supériorité sur les méthodes numériques (en termes de temps de calcul et parfois aussi de précision) est mise en lumière, dans le contexte précis de la métrologie en temps réel sur des géométries simples. Trois méthodes inverses en deux dimensions, adaptées au laminage industriel, ont été menées à bien (élastique isotherme, thermique et couplage thermoélastique), ainsi qu'une série d'applications expérimentales réalisées sur le laminoir de laboratoire d'ArcelorMittal. Par ailleurs, des extensions en trois dimensions des méthodes inverses élastiques et thermiques sont également détaillées / This thesis is about the use of analytical mathematics within the framework of inverse methods applied to industry. These works are devoted to the development of sensors using real-time inverse methods adapted for rolling process. Steel producer ArcelorMittal leads a European project that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of sensors measuring fields (temperature, stress) in the contact between the product and the tool without altering physical conditions of this contact. The thesis has been funded by l'école des Ponts ParisTech. However, a three-year contract signed with ArcelorMittal has enabled the author to be part of the European project, and thus his research has been motivated by a real industrial demand. The aim of this thesis is twofold, academic and industrial; academic in the sense that these works seek to identify and use efficiently existing analytical methods for inverse problems occurring in thermo-elasticity in the context of real-time metrology. Indeed, analytical solutions are often exploited as purely theoretical cases, finding in many ways some success in engineering (for example in linear elasticity with stress intensity factors), but are most of the time relegated to the validation of numerical codes under simple assumptions. As a matter of fact, there is no research any more in pure mathematics concerning these solutions and analytical methods. However, the specific complications related to the inverse nature of problems under consideration, penalize numerical algorithms because inverse problems are ill-posed and stabilization is needed. But it remains often difficult if we consider the extreme loads (very sharp gradients) applied to industrial tools during rolling. Moreover, the real-time metrology excludes the use of numerical codes too costly in terms of computation time (iterative methods etc...). Both aspects contribute to renew widely interest for analytical solutions. It is then necessary to collect most effective and efficient (in terms of computation time and precision) methods and emphasis the most suitable for metrology. We will see various series expansions, not only to give a sequence of measured points an analytical form, but also to simplify the partial differential equations to solve. On the other hand, the goal of this thesis is also industrial, as these works are part of a process of development of sensors adapted for steel rolling industry. Thus, the robustness to measurement noise, technological constraints related to the local measurement systems (such as limitations in terms of frequency of acquisition) and calibration issues are central in the developments. Thus, the whole work can be a kind of rehabilitation of analytical methods. Their superiority over numerical methods (in terms of computation time and sometime accuracy) is highlighted, in the specific context of metrology in real-time on simple geometries. Three inverse methods in two-dimensions suitable for rolling process were developed successfully (isothermal elastic, thermal and thermoelastic coupling) and a series of experimental tests were made on the laboratory mill of ArcelorMittal. In addition, three-dimensional extensions of elastic and thermal inverse methods are also detailed

Title: Viscousand elastic properties of soft tissue"in situ" Goals and methods: The aim of this thesis is to measure the viscoelastic properties of human soleus muscle and Achilles tendonin vivo and post mortem in situ. It is a pilot study that uses myotonometry as the method of measurement. Based on the response of connective tissues on deformation made by tip of myotonometer, resp. its viscoelastic properties, curves in graphsare created. Three main described parameters of thecurveare steepness, deflection and its surface area. Main goal of the experiment is to compare properties of different types of tissue and their potential differences while denervated or innervated. Results of this study may help with better understanding of the soft tissues behavior in response to manual therapeutic contact. The study also describes the differences between in vivo and post mortem tissue properties that may be help further studies which use post mortem tissues to predict in vivo behavior. Results: Soft tissues in vivo have higher viscosity. In comparison, post mortem tissues have significantly higher stiffness and energy dissipation than in vivo. Elasticproperties of denervated soft tissue manifest with approx. 7 secondsdelay. Viscoelastic properties of muscle tissueshow changes depending on deeper...

This study re-examines the relationship between competition and innovation in a detailed firm-level dataset of publicly traded US companies spanning from 1975 to 2013. Using R&D expenditures, patent counts and patent citations as the measures of innovation, and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Lerner Index, Profit Elasticity and Product Market Fluidity as the proxies for competition we document a robust positive association between the two variables, as well as strong evidence of the non-linear relationship known as "inverted-U shape", when controlling for size, distance to technological frontier, level of knowledge spillovers, technological opportunities and other firm- and industry-specific characteristics. We address overdispersion in the data by using negative binomial and zero-inflated negative binomial count data regressions, and the results are robust in these specifications. Additionally, in order to address potential endogeneity issues, we employ a set of instruments based on the import tariff rates and the level of Chinese import penetration, and find a weak evidence of positive relationship as well. Overall the results strongly support the prediction of agency models, "replacement effect" and "escape- competition effect" about the positive influence of competition on innovation. Powered by TCPDF...

The elasticity of factor substitution between capital and labor is a crucial parameter in many economic fields. However, despite extensive research, there is no agreement on its value. Utilizing 738 estimates from 41 studies published between 1961 and 2016, this paper provides the first meta-regression analysis of capital-labor substitution elasticities for the U.S. economy. We show that heterogeneity in reported estimates is driven by the choice of estimation equations, the modeling of technological dynamics, and data characteristics. Based on the underlying meta-regression sample and a "best practice" specification, we estimate a long-run elasticity in the range of 0.6 to 0.7. For all estimated elasticities the hypothesis of a Cobb-Douglas production function is rejected.

Bien qu’elles ne disposent pas de muscles, les plantes ont réussi à développer un nombre remarquable de mécanismes permettant de créer des mouvements rapides, du repliement rapide des feuilles de mimosa pudica à la dispersion de graines par explosion. Parmi ces exemples spectaculaires qui ont depuis longtemps fasciné les scientifiques, la plante carnivore dionée, dont les feuilles se referment en une fraction de secondes pour capturer des insectes, fait figure de paradigme. Récemment, nous avons montré que ce mouvement met en jeu une instabilité de flambage élastique, due à la forme de coque mince des feuilles du piège. Cependant, l’origine microscopique du mouvement qui permet à la plante de franchir le seuil d’instabilité et de changer activement sa courbure reste méconnue. Dans cette thèse nous étudions ce mouvement actif en utilisant un dispositif micro-fluidique, la sonde de pression, qui donne accès directement aux paramètres élastiques et hydrodynamiques à l’échelle de la cellule (pression osmotique, perméabilité cellulaire, élasticité de la paroi, ...). Nos résultats remettent en question le rôle des flux d’eau d’origine osmotique souvent mis en avant pour expliquer la fermeture active du piège de la dionée. De plus, nous développons un dispositif de micro indentation original utilisant un rhéomètre, pour mesurer la réponse locale des tissus et les propriétés mécaniques des épidermes interne et externe. Nous mesurons une signature claire du mouvement actif de la dionée, et fournissons ainsi de nouveaux arguments pour discuter le mécanisme de fermeture, et plus généralement les mouvements rapides dans les plantes. / Although they lack muscle, plants have evolved a remarkable range of mechanisms to create rapid motion, from the rapid folding of sensitive plants to seed dispersal. Of these spectacular examples that have long fascinated scientists, the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap, whose leaves snap together in a fraction of second to capture insects, has long been a paradigm for study. Recently, we have shown that this motion involves a snap-buckling instability due to the shell-like geometry of the leaves of the trap. However, the origin of the movement that allows the plant to cross the instability threshold and actively bend remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigate this active motion using a micro-fluidic pressure probe that gives direct hydraulic and mechanical measurements at the cellular level (osmotic pressure, cell membrane permeability, cell wall elasticity). Our results challenge the role of osmotically-driven water flows usually put forward to explain Venus flytrap’s active closure. Moreover, we developp a micro-indentation original setup using a rheometer, to measure the local tissue response and mechanical properties of the lower and upper epidermis. Then, we detect a clear signature of the active movement in the Venus Flytrap, and thus provide new arguments to discuss this mechanism, and more generally the movements in plants.

[pt] O estudo do comportamento de membranas quando expostas a pressões e tensões de diverssos tipos, assim como de suas propriedades mecânicas nos últimos anos vem recebendo uma notável atenção em razão da variada aplicabilidade das membranas nas mais diversas áreas da engenharia, incluindo atuadores, robótica, sensores, aeroespacial, bioengenharia e estruturas infláveis para engenharia civil. Neste trabalho será apresentado um estudo numérico e experimental de uma membrana sujeita a uma endentação e perfuração transversalmente ao seu plano indeformado, considerando-se a presença do atrito na interface membrana-endentor, fato que torna esse estudo pioneiro nesta análise. Os estudos numéricos foram feitos no software Abaqus CAE. Os ensaios experimentais têm por objetivo comprovar os resultados numéricos e assim validá-los. Foram desenvolvidos aparatos experimentais dedicados aos ensaios pretendidos devido à ausência de equipamentos no mercado que pudessem reproduzir tais ensaios. / [en] The study of membranes behavior when subjected to pressures and tensions from all kinds, as well as their mechanical properties, is receiving a noticeable attention over the last years due to various applications of membranes on various engineering fields, including, actuators, robotics, sensors, airspace, bioengineering and inflatable structures for civil engineering. On this job will be presented a numerical and experimental study of a membrane subjected to an endentation and penetration transversally to the membrane’s undeformed plane, considering friction on the interface of the membrane and endentor, which makes this study a pioneer on this kind of analysis. The numerical studies were performed on Abaqus CAE finite element software. The experimental tests are intended to validate the numerical results. Experimental apparatus were developed especially to perform the tests done in this job.