Název práce Vliv vybraných uzlů na pevnost ploché šité smyčky při statickém zatížení. Cíle práce Cílem práce je posoudit pevnost plochých šitých smyček při statickém zatížení a vliv uzlů na snížení jejich pevnosti. Metody Zpracovávaná studie je designována jako dvoufaktorový experiment, při kterém zkoumáme vliv použitých uzlů na pokles nominální pevnosti u dvou typů smyček. Měření bylo prováděno na horizontálním trhacím stroji. Byly vybrány smyčky materiálu dyneema, polyamid a nejčastěji používané uzly (vůdcovský, osmičkový a devítkový). Výsledky Větší pevnosti dosáhly smyčky materiálu Polyamid 26,0 ± 1,1 kN a pevnosti v průřezu 1,3 kN na 1 mm2 . Smyčky materiálu dyneema dosáhli pevnosti 25,1 ± 0,9 kN a pevnosti v průřezu 1,3 kN na 1 mm2 . Na smyčce materiálu polyamid nejméně snižoval pevnost vůdcovský uzel. Smyčka praskla při tažné síle 17,4 ± 0,7 kN. U dyneemy to byl uzel osmičkový s hodnotami 12,2 ± 0,8 kN. Závěr Pro použití smyček v kombinaci s uzly bychom mohli doporučit materiál polyamid, kde uzel snižuje méně nominální pevnost než u dyneemy. Klíčová slova Horolezectví, sportovní lezení, dyneema, polyamid, trhová zkouška

L'ajout de charges (agrégat de taille submicronique) dans une matrice élastomère apporte des propriétés physiques qualitativement différentes de celles de la matrice pure : module complexe dépendant de la température, forts effets non linéaires, forte dissipation... Ces propriétés sont liées à la nature de la matrice et des charges, à leur fraction volumique, et enfin à la force des interactions charge / matrice. Nous présentons d'abord les différents systèmes et la caractérisation de leurs propriétés mécaniques, de façon à clarifier le rôle des différents paramètres.La cristallisation sous traction du caoutchouc naturel a un effet important sur ses propriétés mécaniques. Nous l'avons donc mesurée quantitativement dans chacune des formulations. Nous montrons que le taux de cristallisation à la rupture est toujours de l'ordre de 13%. La nature de l'interface silice / matrice a un effet sur les propriétés mécaniques mais pas sur la cristallisation. Nous avons ensuite étudié le comportement en traction simple d'échantillons pré-entaillés. Nous montrons que la plus grande résistance à la propagation d'entaille du caoutchouc naturel renforcé est corrélée à la présence d'instabilités de propagation (rotation d'entaille). Les mécanismes physiques à l'origine de la rotation d'entaille ne sont pas compris. Nous décrivons la dynamique de propagation des rotations à différentes échelles, et les caractéristiques des rotations.La combinaison de la cristallisation induite et de la présence des charges induit dans le matériau une très grande anisotropie qui pourrait être à l'origine des rotations. / The subject of this PhD thesis is the resistance to tear of reinforced elastomers. The general context of this work is related to the performances of reinforced elastomers, specifically silica reinforced natural rubber, as regards various usage properties : wear of tyre tread, fatigue and tear resistance of tyre flanks, etc. Wear and fatigue mechanisms are very complex. This PhD thesis is a first step towards understanding these mechanisms. We focussed on the parameters which control ultimate properties (resistance to failure, resistance to tear propagation) of uniaxially stretched samples. Reinforced elastomers are nanocomposite materials made of an elastomer matrix in which submicrometric filler particles or aggregates are dispersed. Adding fillers considerably enhances usage properties, specifically ultimate properties. Mechanical and physical properties qualitatively different from those of the pure elastomer matrix are induced: a strongly temperature dependent complex modulus, strong non linear effects (Payne effect), large dissipation, hysteresis, plasticity and long time recovery (Mullins effect). The material parameters which have an influence on the properties are: the nature of the elastomer matrix (natural or synthetic rubber) and of the reinforcing fillers (carbon black or silica), the volume fraction and dispersion state of the fillers, the nature and strength of interactions at filler-matrix interfaces.This work is an experimental study of the resistance to failure and to tearing of uniaxially stretched samples. The various systems which have been studied are presented first. Their mechanical properties have been characterized in the various regimes of strain amplitude. The various samples have been compared systematically in order to clarify the effect of the various material parameters.Natural rubber crystallizes under strain. This phenomenon is very sensitive to the formulation of the various materials and has a tremendous effect on mechanical and ultimate properties. Thus, we have measured quantitatively the amount of crystallinity induced as a function of the applied strain during elongation cycles and up to sample failure. The influence of the nature and volume fraction of the fillers and of the matrix-filler interfaces has been studied. The crystallinity is close to 13% in all studied materials. In samples filled with silica, the nature of the filler-matrix interactions (covalent coupling vs no coupling) has very little influence on crystallization, whereas it modifies strongly the mechanical properties.Then we have studied the resistance to failure of uniaxially stretched pre-notched test samples. Within a macroscopic approach, we have related the ultimate property (energy density at break) to the various tear propagation modes which are observed. We have studied the effect of temperature and drawing speed. It has been shown that the higher resistance to failure of reinforced natural rubber is related to the appearance of spectacular instabilities of the propagation direction (the so-called ‘tear rotation’). The appearance of tear rotation is specific to pre-notched reinforced natural rubber samples. The physical mechanisms responsible for tear rotation are not yet fully understood. The combination of reinforcement due to fillers and of strain-induced crystallization may lead to a strong anisotropy of the elastic material constant of the material in front of the tear tip, and this might be the driving force for tear rotation. The rotation length has been identified as an important parameter which correlates well to the ultimate properties. The tear propagation is described at various scales. The typical length scales associated to tear rotation which are observed have been related to the material properties.

A facoemulsificação é, atualmente, considerada a técnica de eleição no tratamento da catarata, uma das principais causas de perda de visão, em cães. O procedimento demanda a realização de incisões na córnea para acesso à câmara anterior. Tais incisões, a despeito da extensão reduzida, podem lesar a inervação da córnea, comprometendo sua sensibilidade e, consequentemente, influenciar a produção lacrimal. Objetivando-se avaliar tais intercorrências, concebeu-se aferir a sensibilidade corneana e a produção lacrimal aquosa em cães submetidos à facoemulsificação. Para tanto, tais parâmetros foram investigados em 20 cães com idade, sexo, raça e peso variáveis. Os procedimentos cirúrgicos foram realizados em um único olho (OT), sendo o olho não operado utilizado como controle (OC). A sensibilidade da córnea foi mensurada com o estesiômetro de Cochet-Bonnet® e a produção lacrimal pelos testes do fenol vermelho e de Schirmer, em ambos os olhos. Os parâmetros foram aferidos previamente ao procedimento cirúrgico (M0 - valores basais) e, posteriormente, após sete dias (M1), 15 dias (M2), 30 dias (M3), 90 dias (M4) e 180 dias (M5). Os valores da produção lacrimal aferida com o teste do fenol vermelho, em M1, não diferiram dos obtidos previamente à cirurgia (M0), nos OT e OC; diferenças significativas foram observadas de M2 a M5, com valores superiores aos basais (M0), em ambos os olhos. Os resultados da mensuração lacrimal com o teste de Schirmer e da sensibilidade corneana à estesiometria (em cm e mm/g2) não diferiram dos basais (M0) em quaisquer dos períodos de avaliação (M1 a M5), em ambos os olhos. Os resultados obtidos ao estudo permitiram verificar que a realização da cirurgia de catarata por facoemulsificação, como fora proposto, não resulta em diminuição da sensibilidade corneana e produção lacrimal aquosa. / Phacoemulsification is considered the technique of choice for surgical extraction of cataracts, which is a leading cause of blindness in dogs. The procedure requires corneal incisions to enter the anterior chamber. These incisions, despite their reduced extensions, may damage the corneal innervation, compromising its sensitivity and, also, the tear production. Aiming to evaluate these consequences, this study intended to measure the corneal sensitivity and aqueous tear production in dogs undergoing phacoemulsification. These parameters were evaluated in 20 dogs, with different ages, genders, breeds and weights. Surgical procedures were performed in one eye (OT), and the fellow eye was used as a control (OC). Corneal sensitivity was measured with the Cochet-Bonnet® aesthesiometer and tear production by the phenol thread red test and Schirmer tear test, in both eyes. The parameters were measured prior to the surgery (M0 - baseline values) and after seven days (M1), 15 days (M2), 30 days (M3), 90 days (M4) and 180 days (M5). Tear production values measured with the phenol red test, in M1, were not different from the values measured prior to the surgery (M0), in OT and OC; significant differences were noticed from M2 to M5, with higher values when compared to baseline values (M0), in both eyes. Schirmer tear test and corneal sensitivity (in cm and mm/g2) values were not different from basal values (M0) in any of the evaluation times (M1 to M5), in both eyes. Our study outcomes suggest that phacoemulsification, as proposed previously, does not decrease the corneal sensitivity and aqueous tear production.

OBJETIVO: Realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura existente, a fim de analisar os resultados após o reparo meniscal na população pediátrica. MÉTODOS: Uma revisão sistemática foi realizada de acordo com as diretrizes PRISMA usando os Bancos de Dados de Análise Sistemática Cochrane, Registro Central Cochrane de ensaios controlados, MEDLINE Ovid e MEDLINE PubMed. Os critérios de inclusão foram os seguintes: estudos que relatam os resultados do reparo meniscal em pacientes com 18 anos ou menos, com um seguimento médio mínimo de 12 meses, idiomas português, espanhol ou inglês e estudos humanos incluindo 10 ou mais pacientes. RESULTADOS: Nossa pesquisa identificou 2534 títulos individuais. Após a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, foram incluídos oito estudos, avaliando 287 pacientes com lesões meniscais reparadas. Sete estudos foram classificados como nível de evidência IV e um nível III. O escore médio MINORS foi de 8,6 ± 1,4. O reparo meniscal incluiu todas as zonas meniscais e padrões de lesões. A lesão do ligamento cruzado anterior foi a lesão associada mais comum. As técnicas “inside-out” e “all-inside” foram predominantemente relatadas. A maioria dos pacientes relatou resultados bons a excelentes e teve sinais clínicos de cicatrização meniscal; as meniscectomias após reparação meniscal foram realizadas em apenas 44 casos. CONCLUSÃO: Lesões meniscais em pediatria não são incomuns. O reparo desta lesão foi associado com resultados bons a excelentes na maioria dos pacientes, independentemente do padrão de lesão, zona ou técnica. As complicações relatadas foram mínimas, no entanto, são necessários estudos de maior qualidade para confirmar os achados desta revisão sistemática. NÍVEL DE EVIDÊNCIA: Nivel IV, revisão sistemática de estudos nível III e nível IV. / PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review of existing literature in order to analyze outcomes after meniscal repair in the pediatric population. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE Ovid, and MEDLINE PubMed databases. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies reporting the outcomes of meniscal repair in patients 18 years old or younger, with a minimum mean follow-up of 12 months, Portuguese, Spanish or English languages, and human studies including 10 or more patients. RESULTS: Our search identified 2534 individual titles. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 studies were included, evaluating 287 patients with repaired meniscal tears. Seven studies were classified as level of evidence IV and one level III. The mean MINORS score was 8.6 ± 1.4. Meniscal repair included all meniscal zones and tear patterns. Anterior cruciate ligament tear was the most common associated injury. The all-inside and inside-out techniques were predominantly reported. The majority of the patients reported good to excellent outcomes and had clinical signals of meniscal healing; meniscectomies following meniscal repair were performed in just 44 cases. CONCLUSION: Meniscal tears in pediatrics are not uncommon. Repairs of this injury were associated with good to excellent outcomes in most patients, regardless of the injury pattern, zone or technique. Reported complications were minimal, however, higher quality studies are needed to confirm the findings of this systematic review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level III and Level IV studies.

Le rôle des communautés de bactéries est essentiel dans les écosystèmes, mais aussi dans l’industrie, l’agriculture ou le secteur de la santé. La structure de ces communautés accroit leurs applications potentielles par rapport aux bactéries isolées. Si manipuler et faire évoluer une souche bactérienne est devenu courant, il n’existe pourtant pas de technologie permettant de cultiver, manipuler, sélectionner et en faire évoluer des communautés. Ce travail de thèse concerne la conception, le développement et la caractérisation d’un outil pouvant y aboutir en millifluidique digitale. Avec cet outil nous manipulons un millier de cultures de bactéries sous la forme de gouttes incubées et analysées en continu, et dont nous souhaiterions diriger l’évolution. La dérive génétique, les flux géniques, la diversification et la sélection sont les quatre agents de l’Évolution qui fixèrent les quatre axes de ce travail. La conservation des diversités spécifiques à une culture et entre elles conditionne la conception de notre outil. Son utilisation implique des échanges entre cultures que nous avons caractérisés. Nous avons créé un protocole permettant d’évaluer la diversité de ces cultures, et donc de les discriminer pour mieux les sélectionner. Nous avons finalement conçu un système permettant d’automatiser leur sélection artificielle : leur évolution dirigée est à portée de main. / The role of bacterial communities is essential in ecosystems, but also in the industry, agriculture and human health. Communities’ structure increases their potential applications unlike isolated bacteria. While the culture and engineering of a bacterial strain has become common, currently no technology exists to allow cultivation, handling, selection and evolution of bacterial communities. This work focuses on the design, development and characterization of a tool which can perform evolution of communities using digital millifluidics. With this tool, we handle one thousand cultures of bacteria in drops incubated and analyzed continuously, and the evolution of which we would like to manage. The genetic drift, the genic flows, the diversification and the selection are the four agents of the Evolution which fixes the four axes of this work. The preservation of the diversities, specific to a culture and between them, affect the design of our tool. Its use involves exchanges between cultures which we characterized. We created a protocol allowing to estimate the diversity of these cultures, and thus to discriminate them for robust selection. We finally conceived a system automating their artificial selection: their directed evolution is within easy reach.

The aim of this thesis was to study different aspects of the soft tissues of the shoulder joint. The variation in the quality of the tendons and ligaments can be explained by genetic factors. To test the hypothesis that collagen 1 α1 Sp1 polymorphism is related to the occurrence of cruciate ligament ruptures and shoulder dislocations, a total of 358 patients (233 patients with cruciate ligament ruptures and 126 with shoulder dislocations) were included in the study. We found a decreased risk of these injuries associated with collagen type 1 α1 Sp1 polymorphism. To study the mechanical properties of a better type of fixation of soft tissue to bone, 10 skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits were operated bilaterally on the knees. The medial collateral ligaments were fixed by two types of plates one with a flat undersurface and the other with a pegged undersurface. After 4 weeks the force at failure, stiffness and energy uptake was almost double in the knees operated with the pegged plates. The prevalence and dysfunction of rotator cuff tears was investigated in 106 subjects who had never sought for their shoulder complaints, using Constant score, ultrasound and plain x-ray. The prevalence of full-thickness cuff tears was 30% (21% of all shoulders). The Constant score was lower in subjects with full-thickness tears. Partial-thickness tears and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis had no impact on shoulder complaints or Constant score. The subacromial index was lower for shoulders with full-thickness tears. Forty-eight patients with median age 56 years underwent subacromial decompression with or without acromioclavicular joint resection, investigated with MRI pre- and 3 months postoperatively. The Constant score and subjective shoulder value were measured preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months after surgery and even 2 years for subjective shoulder value. Two raters investigated the MRI. The results showed poor inter-rater reliability for MRI. However, both Constant score and subjective shoulder value improved over time. MRI is not a reliable method to study the capsular reaction after subacromial decompression due to high subjectivity of the radiologists.

Syfte: Syftet med studien var att utvärdera om det fanns någon variation av tårfilmens osmolariet, morgon och kväll hos personer utan symptom av torra ögon. Metod: Tårfilmens osmolaritet mättes på totalt 30 patienter, två gånger på en dag; morgon och kväll. Mätningarna utfördes med TearLabTM osmolarity system. Både höger och vänster öga mättes på varje patient. Samtliga deltagande ombads fylla i en symptomenkät vid namn TERTC-DEQ. Endast personer utan symptom på torra ögon tilläts delta i studien. Alltså personer med totalt  17 poäng på TERTC-DEQ. Resultat: Ingen statistisk signifikant skillnad kunde iakttas hos personernas osmolaritet mellan morgon och kväll (P > 0.05). Slutsats: I studien kunde ingen skillnad på osmolaritet i tårfilmen iakttas mellan morgon och kväll hos personer utan symptom på torra ögon. Därmed tros tårfunktionen hos dessa personer fungera korrekt. Tårfilmens osmolaritet upprätthåller rätt balans och förändras därför inte från morgon till kväll. / Aim: The aim of this study was to determine if there is an diurnal variation in tear osmolarity among healty non dry-eye subjects. Method: The osmolarity of the tearfilm was measured in a total of 30 subjects twice a day; morning and evening, using the TearLabTM osmolarity system. Measurements were performed on both right and left eye in all the subjects. All subjects were asked to fill in a symptom questionnaire named TERTC-DEQ and only those with a total score of  17 points were allowed to participate in the study. Subjects below this score had therefore no symptoms of dry eye. Results: There was no statistical significant difference between the subjects tear osmolarity comparing the morning and evening values (P>0,05). Conclusion: This study did not show any difference in the subjects tear osmolarity, comparing morning and evening measurements. None of the individuals had any symptoms of dry eye. Therefore it is believed that in subjects with no symptoms of dry eye, the tear osmolarity remains stable between morning and evening.

<b>Purpose:</b> Assess the relationship between tear film drying and sensation between blinks. <b>Methods:</b> MATLAB sampled a slitlamp video camera, a potentiometer and a microphone while subjects kept one eye open for as long as possible. 23 subjects rated the intensity of the ocular sensation while video and voice data were collected simultaneously. The tear drying on the cornea was measured. <b>Results:</b> The sensation was triphasic. Two linear functions described the latter 2 parts of the data (r &#8805; 0. 95). The correlation between TBUT and the elbow in the time-discomfort function was 0. 72. Extent of tear film drying was linearly correlated to time (median correlation = 0. 88). The correlation between the discomfort elbow and image elbow was 0. 93 with single data pair for each subject. Analysis of sensation characteristics showed significant differences between itching and burning for both intensity and time (p = 0. 03 and p = 0. 02 respectively). <b>Conclusions:</b> Simultaneous recording of ocular surface appearance, discomfort intensity and attributes of sensation provide novel information about the development of discomfort during ocular surface drying. The rapid increase in discomfort proceeding blinking has been quantified and the relationship between the time course of drying and discomfort is elucidated.

Abstract It starts to use Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) in USA, but it is enhanced & glorified in Japan. It¡¦s obvious that VA/VE has contributed to adding profit for the past 50 years. Not only VA/VE, Industry Engineering (IE) and Quality Control (QC) are called as the three main management technologies of business, but also VA/VE is considered an efficient instrument of reducing cost. VA/VE is introduced to Mainland China later than Taiwan, but the achievements in Mainland China are more brilliant than Taiwan. It has introduced VA/VE to Taiwan for 30 years. It is popular to be utilized in Construction Industry and the Construction Engineering of Government, but most of small and middle size enterprises are not active in introducing VA/VE. It is to be regretted. It had found most of the issued cases for VA/VE are subjected to construction engineering. There are just few cases subjected in other industries. And the related papers focus on discussing the construction industry, it is hard to find discussing in other provinces especially in target costing, purchasing, service, business process and value chain. They just existed the theories, but lacked of real issuing from VA/VE. It found the theories just emphasize the individual flow. They didn't associate with the whole value chain and lack of combining with other reducing cost methods. They often fail in popularizing VA/VE, because they can't catch the key successful factors adequately. For the above reason, the study reviews the regarded papers, and regulates the references to find the comparison of carrying out situation in the world. Then it will direct to study the application and development of VA/VE in the Taiwan transportation industry. Firstly, it will examine the achievement of pushing VA/VE in the study case of individual company. Then, it will indicate the key successful factors and the future perspectives of VA/VE action from the experience. Finally, it will provide conclusion and suggestion in the end of this study. It will supply the company in every industry a whole and systematic basis of developing VA/VE no matter what new product developed in certain or full stages. This study will show the following results: 1. You can find the theory and method of using VA/VE in transportation industry from this study especially in target costing, customer satisfaction, service, business process reengineering and value chain. If you can use VA/VE well, you will promote the effect of cost reduction. You can find VA/VE has provided a popular measurement and method in this study and make the customer value connect to competitive strategy, product design, product manufacture and supplier procedure. You can combine VA/VE with other methods, for example target costing, tear down, business process reengineering etc, to make more value of customer and less cost of manufacture. 2. This study provides a whole real company case to show VA/VE effect. It can give the other companies for reference when they want to use VA/VE. It will reduce the groping time and error risk. 3. This study provides a VA/VE management structure and a management cycle in pushing VA/VE for the transportation vehicle industry, in order to ensure that every procedure can be carried out and obtain expected effect. 4. This study has summed up 10 key successful ways and future perspectives from the case study in pushing VA/VE. It will give the other companies for reference in promoting the VA/VE effect and opportunity of success. The main purpose is what we want to remind all the Taiwan industries to concern about "Value Management" that has been a new trend of the world.

The cornea is the anterior most surface of the eye and plays a critical role in vision. A thin fluid layer, the tear film, coats the outer surface of the cornea and serves to protect, nourish, and lubricate the cornea. At the same time, the tear film is responsible for creating a smooth continuous surface where the majority of refraction takes place in the eye. A significant component of vision quality is determined by the shape of the cornea and stability of the tear film. It is desirable to possess an instrument that can measure the corneal shape and tear film surface with the same accuracy and resolution that is currently performed on common optical elements. A dual interferometer system for measuring the dynamic corneal topography is designed, built, and verified. The completed system is validated by testing on human subjects. The system consists of two co-aligned polarization splitting Twyman-Green interferometers designed to measure phase instantaneously. The primary interferometer measures the surface of the tear film while the secondary interferometer simultaneously tracks the absolute position of the cornea. Eye motion, ocular variation, and a dynamic tear film surface will result in a non-null configuration of the surface with respect to the interferometer system. A non-null test results in significant interferometer induced errors that add to the measured phase. New algorithms are developed to recover the absolute surface topography of the tear film and corneal surface from the simultaneous interferometer measurements. The results are high-resolution and high-accuracy surface topography measurements of the in vivo cornea that are captured at standard camera frame rates. This dissertation will cover the development and construction of an interferometer system for measuring the dynamic corneal topography of the human eye. The discussion starts with the completion of an interferometer for measuring the tear film. The tear film interferometer is part of an ongoing research project that has spanned multiple dissertations. For this research, the instrument was tested on human subjects and resulted in refinements to the interferometer design. The final configuration of the tear film interferometer and results from human subjects testing are presented. Feedback from this instrument was used to support the development and construction of the interferometric corneal topographer system. A calibration is performed on the instrument, and then verified against simulated eye surfaces. Finally, the instrument is validated by testing on human subjects. The result is an interferometer system that can non-invasively measure the dynamic corneal topography with greater accuracy and resolution than existing technologies.