Ce travail propose l’utilisation d’un nouveau matériau, appelé PMN-PT, qui continue aider la miniaturisation des systèmes complexes, utilisés dans des différentes technologies. Le travail est présenté dans le cadre de collaboration entre deux projets, MIOP et ADMAN. Les besoins tient compte que les actionneurs soient capables de délivrer de haute déplacement tout en conservant la simplicité et la fiabilité du système. L’accent est mis sur la polyvalence de ce matériau piézo-électrique, PMN-PT, en raison de ses propriétés électro-mécanique. Le travail comprend un aperçu sur quoi influence les propriétés électro-mécaniques du PMN-PT. L’accent est mis sur deux différentes, mais très puissants coupes: anisotrope [011] et longitudinale [001], choisi pour grand déplacement et haute dynamique avec un volume petit. Pour le PMN-PT[001], une structure de type poutre a été étudié, avec un modèle amélioré pour prendre en compte les spécificités de matériel. Les déplacements et forces ont été trouvés d’ être supérieur `a un actionneur en PZT, similairement dimensionnée, tandis que avoir des non-linéarités réduites. Ceci est illustré avec une micro pince avec 6DDL. L’étude de PMN-PT [001] coupé longitudinal suit. Cette étude a été fait en utilisant PMNPT comme un actionneur avec une structure simple, facile à intégrer. Les résultats démontrent les améliorations PMN-PT peut apporter à micro-spectrométrie et la correction d’image avec des micromiroirmobiles. Un micro actionneur PMN-PT a été intégré dans une structure compatible avec des MOEMS et présenté. / This work proposes the use of a novel material, called PMN-PT, that futher aids the miniaturizationof complex systems used in different technologies. The work is presented within the collaborativeframework of two projects, MIOP and ADMAN. The end-needs account for actuators capable ofdelivering high displacement, while maintaining system simplicity and reliability. The focus is onthe versatility of the PMN-PT piezoelectric material, due to its electro-mechanical properties. Thework includes an overview on what influences the electro-mechanical properties focusing on twodifferent, though very potent cuts: anisotropic [011] and longitudinal [001]. They were chosen forgenerating large displacement and high dynamics with small volume. For PMN-PT[001] a cantileverstructure was studied, for which the model was improved taking into account the material specificities.Displacements and forces were found to be superior to a similarly dimensioned PZT actuator, whilsthaving reduced non-linearities. This is exemplified with a 6 DoF capable microgripper. The PMNPT[001] longitudinal cut based actuator study follows. This is done by using PMN-PT as a simple,easy to integrate, bulk actuator. The findings demonstrate the improvements PMN-PT can bringto micro-spectrometry and image correction with micro-mirror displacement. A bulk PMN-PT microactuator was integrated into a MOEMS compatible structure and presented.

In recent years, automotive engineering becomes more challenging and complex than previous years because of the innovation that transformed the cars powertrain system. By the quick developing of the automotive systems and increasing the consumer demand for Hybrid Vehicles (HV), Electric Vehicles (EV) and Autonomous cars, authenticity and security of engine systems are an essential part. The Hybrid Electric Vehicle structure contained several system sections like Electric Motor, Inverter, DC-DC Converter, etc. For testing this device, OEM’s are providing a special automotive standard norm (these norms are individually defining by automotive companies as LV124/123/148) which used for simulates variety of the electrical disturbances and monitoring the system behavior. This standard profile applies, simulates and records by EM Autowave system. Electrical tests have been done for a long time manually. Manual testing takes a huge amount of time, money and human resources. Based on the facts, the thesis purpose is to provide the automated system test for supporting test case execution on the HEV test bench, and offline classification independent of the test bench. This scope of the project will be developed by adapting automation library which is going to equip new features for automation system tool. On the other hand, in order to conform the test simulator and their communication system, a device file is implemented for loading and testing the electrical profiles on the test bench system. In addition, automated classification and evaluation used Matlab functions and the test result will be provided as plots which makes differential discovering very easier.

Title: The force toning in women's softball Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate post-activation potentiation (PAP) following the muscle toning during the strenght training. The toning effect on upper limb explosive force was analyzed following application of two different degrees of resistence. Methods: In this study, we applied randomized selection for the subject to minimize the effect of possible ambiguities such as gender, training status, and player maturity. A homo- -geneous group of well-trained women with the most developed technical response was accepted. (Czech national team, Women's softball). We used the contrast method, where the data were analyzed to determine the effect of different resistance degrees and a fixed rest interval for the strength-dynamic exercise. It is a sticking out of medicine ball in sitting position, which was performed by women of the highest player level. The measurement was processed by using the direct method of dynamic efforts. We compared the explosive force with a medicine ball sticking forward in relation to the distance of the sticking medicine ball by the tested person. Results: The measurement has shown that the PAP generated by toning protocol has a sig- -nificant impact on enhancing the response in explosive drills. The exercise for...

Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur lärare i årskurs 3 ser på bänkboken och dentysta, fria läsningen i klassrummet. Även deras syn på elevers möjlighet till attfinna sin läslust och kunna utveckla sin läsning undersöks. Resultatet som presenteras i studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med 10 verksamma lärarefrån olika skolor. Undersökningen visar att elevers läslust kan väckas på olikasätt och att läsningen kan påverkas av olika faktorer. Genom att aktivt jobbamed elevers intressen, läsmiljöer i klassrummet och att anpassa läsningen tillelevers nivå, kan läsförmågan gynnas. Även läsande förebilder kan påverkaelevers läsintresse, både hemma och i skolan. Att som lärare vara läsande förebild betecknades som svårt, då tiden sällan finns för att läsa när eleverna läser.Lärarna lyfte även vikten av att behålla läsningen i klassrummet samtidigt somen önskan finns att fler elever läser i hemmet. Genom egen läsning hemma kanelevers avkodningsförmåga och läsflyt öka. Bänkboken är enligt lärarna gynnsam för elevernas läsning, då de får rutiner i klassrummet och möjlighet attfinna ett nytt intresse.

Le syndrome d’apnée obstructive du sommeil affecte 6% à 17% de la population adulte. Le traitement de référence est la ventilation nocturne par une pression positive continue (PPC) fixe ou autopilotée afin de maintenir les voies aériennes ouvertes. L’efficacité de traitement des PPC autopilotées dépend des algorithmes et technologies pour détecter et qualifier les événements respiratoiresDes bancs d’essai ont été créés pour évaluer les PPC autopilotées en conditions comparables, en simulant des scénarios respiratoires composés de chaînes répétitives d’événements respiratoires. Les profils respiratoires simulés par les bancs d’essai précédents sont standardisés et simplifiés par rapport au profil respiratoire du patient.Pour tendre vers des essais plus réalistes, un nouveau banc d’essai physiologique permettant de reproduire automatiquement les profiles respiratoires à partir des données polygraphiques a été créé pendant cette thèse. Il a été validé en évaluant la simulation de scénarios respiratoires de différents phénotypes issus de 12 patients.Via ce banc d’essai, la précision de l’index d’apnée-hypopnée (IAH) résiduel fourni par PPC a été évalué, en comparant les IAH déterminés par 4 dispositifs de PPC (AirSense 10, DreamStation Auto, S.Box et Prisma 20A) avec ceux de polygraphie. Les résultats ont permis de quantifier les différences d’IAH afin d’aider les médecin à en tenir compte. / Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome affects 6% to 17% of adult population. The reference treatment is nocturnal ventilation via an either fixed or auto-titrating positive airway pressure (APAP) to maintain upper airway (UA) open. Treatment efficiency of APAP depends greatly on algorithms and technologies used for detecting and characterizing disordered breathing events (linked to UA obstruction or central command).Bench tests have been developed to evaluate APAP devices under the same conditions, by simulating respiratory scenarios composed of a repetitive string of several disordered breathing events registered from apneic patients or artificially designed.Therefore, breathing profiles simulated on benches are standardized and simplified, in comparison with patients’. To improve this disadvantage, a new physiological bench, which enables reproducing automatically a specific patient breathing profile from its polygraph recordings, has been created. It has been validated by simulating various breathing profiles issuing from 12 patients of different pathological phenotypes.Through this new bench, the accuracy of residual apnea hypopnea indices (AHI) determined by 4 APAP devices (AirSense 10, DreamStation Auto, S.Box and Prisma 20A) has also been investigated in comparison with polygraph scorings. The results would help physicians in clinical practice thanks to the quantification of AHI discrepancies between manufacturers.

L’analyse de la durée de vie des joints brasés est un challenge pour les industries du spatiale, de l’aéronautique et de la défense qui ont besoin d’équipements très fiables pour des environnements sévères et de longues durées de vie. L’évolution des technologies de boitier électronique, principalement conduite par les marchés civils, introduit de nouvelles architectures et de nouveaux matériaux dont la fiabilité doit être étudiée pour les exigences de ces marchés critiques. Un des éléments critiques d’une carte électronique est l’interconnexion effectué par le joint brasé. Dans ce contexte, les connaissances des propriétés de fatigue des matériaux utilisés pour le joint brasé sont nécessaires pour développer des cartes électroniques, définir les essais accélérés de qualification ou pour réaliser des simulations de durée de vie.Les lois utilisées communément dans l’industrie sont généralement des critères simplifiés comme les lois de Coffin-Manson, basée sur la déformation inélastique, ou Morrow, basée sur l’énergie dissipée. Les déformations plastique et visqueuse sont dans ces lois indissociées et appelées déformation inélastique, supposant que les contributions au dommage des déformations plastique et visqueuse sont similaires. Cependant, la pertinence de ces lois dans le cas du matériau joint brasé et les profils de mission des marchés critiques doit être étudiée. En effet, le joint brasé possède une température de fusion faible qui entraine un comportement visqueux même à température ambiante. Celle-ci est nécessaire à l’étape d’assemblage des boitiers. Ainsi, d’importantes déformations visqueuses sont développées notamment pour les environnements sévères et les longues phases de maintien de ces marchés critiques. Dans ce contexte, il est important de prendre en compte l’interaction fatigue-fluage dans les matériaux joint brasé pour atteindre les exigences de ces applications.Les limitations de la littérature sont le manque de données expérimentales précises dissociant les déformations plastique et visqueuse en essai de fatigue. La représentativité des éprouvettes massiques par rapport à l’application finales est en effet discutable au vue de la microstructure très spécifique du joint brasé. De plus, il n’existe pas de consensus réel sur les modèles matériaux à utiliser. Dans ce contexte, un banc de mesure a été développé dans le but de réaliser des essais de fatigue en cisaillement sur des boitiers électroniques assemblés.Le temps de maintien, la température et la force appliquée ont un impact sur le nombre de cycles à défaillance. La combinaison d’une augmentation de la température avec l’ajout du temps de maintien réduit jusqu’à un facteur dix le nombre de cycles à rupture. Les courbes d’hystérésis du boitier ont été converties en contrainte et déformations plastique et visqueuse dans le joint brasé dans le but de calibrer un modèle matériau et une loi de fatigue. Les résultats montrent que l’intérêt des lois de fatigue utilisées communément est limité. Des résultats utilisant différents dispositifs expérimentaux de la littérature ont été ajoutés pour compléter ceux trouvés. Une loi de fatigue modifiée en fréquence a été testée et montre de meilleures prédictions dans le cas d’essais réalisés à différentes fréquences car elle permet de prendre des effets liés au temps comme la viscosité. Cependant, des limites avec cette loi ont été trouvées dans le cas de sollicitation avec temps de maintien. Une loi de fatigue prenant en compte l’interaction fatigue fluage a ensuite été proposée avec de bonnes prédictions notamment pour des températures plus élevées. L’évolution de la microstructure a montré que le dommage détruit la structure dendritique du joint et la remplace par des joints de tailles plus petites dans la zone proche de la fissure. La coalescence d’éléments a également été observée. Cependant, plus d’investigations sont nécessaires pour définir les marqueurs spécifiques des dommages plastique et visqueux. / Solder joints reliability analysis represents a challenge for the aerospace and defense industries, which are in need of trustworthy equipment with a long lifetime in harsh environments. The evolution of electronic packages, driven by consumer civil applications, introduces new architectures and materials for which reliability needs to be qualified for the constraints of the aerospace and defense applications. One of the most critical elements of an electronic assembly is the solder joint interconnection. In this context, the knowledge of fatigue properties of solder material is required to design the assemblies, to define accelerated tests or to perform lifetime simulations.Fatigue laws used commonly in the industry are generally simplified criteria such as Coffin-Manson relation, based on inelastic deformation, or Morrow relation, based on dissipated energy per cycle. Cyclic creep and plastic strains are mingled and formulated as a unique inelastic strain in these relationships. The underlying assumption is that damage contributions of creep and plasticity phenomena are equivalent. The relevance of these laws in the case of solder joint and the mission profiles of aerospace and defense industries can be discussed. In fact, solder joint materials have low melting temperatures which are required by the assembly manufacturing process, inducing viscous strains even at room temperature. In this context, important viscous strains are developed due to the harsh environment with high temperatures and the long maintain phases of space, defense and avionics industries. Creep-fatigue interaction must be taken into account for solder joint material in order to address these applications requirements.Limitations of the literature are the lack of clear experimental data separating plastic and creep strains during fatigue tests. Representativeness of experimental tests based on bulk samples can be discussed because of the complex microstructure of solder joints. No consensus exists on the mechanical model and the parameters. In this context, an innovative test bench has been developed to perform shear fatigue tests with assembled electronic packages in order to study creep-fatigue interaction in solder joints.Dwell time, temperature and force have an impact on the number of cycles to failure. Combined increase of temperature and dwell time reduces the number of cycles to failure until a factor of 10. The hysteresis response of the package is converted in stress and plastic and viscous strains in order to calibrate a viscoplastic model and a fatigue law. Results show limitations of classic Coffin-Manson fatigue law. Experimental results from the literature have been used to complete our test plan. A frequency modified fatigue model shows increased prediction accuracy for fatigue tests performed at different frequencies. In fact, time-dependent viscous damage is included in the law by the frequency factor. However, limitations of this law have been found in particular for long dwell time configuration. A creep-fatigue model is proposed to dissociate damages from plastic and viscous strains. This fatigue law increases prediction accuracy in the case of high temperature and long dwell time configuration. Microstructure evolutions indicate the destruction of the dendritic structure and replaced by small grains recrystallization in the area close to the fracture. Coalescence of different precipitates is also observed in the damaged area. More investigations on this topic are required in order to evaluate the specific markers of plastic and viscous damages.

This thesis aims to evaluate the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) based on a case organization; the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH-RC). The study is an exploratory investigation. Understanding BSC perspectives is important for academic comprehension and is crucial for successful implementation. BSC at KFSH-RC includes five main perspectives: Quality of Care; Medical Care; Employees; Financial; and Education and Research (learning and growth). The thesis tackles two main anecdotal, practice-based arguments: BSC helps achieve business strategy, and the implementation of BSC has often fallen short of the assertions made about its potential for impact. A case study with a triangulation approach is justified and pursued. This study contributes to the literature in different ways. The application of the BSC has received limited attention in healthcare organisations in general, and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in particular, and may be one of the first to explore such issues, across management and professional groups, to research BSC in the healthcare organisation in the KSA. It distinguishes between the understanding of financial and non-financial perspectives; and the researcher has developed a conceptual framework, which reflects the main elements of BSC implementation. Quantitative data analysis from the case study indicates that staff members at the KFSH possess only a shallow understanding of various BSC perspectives. The study revealed a consistent lack of understanding of BSC by the department employees, due to their lack of interest. The results show that performance measures following the implementation of BSC created no significant improvement. It also confirms that even some senior managers face difficulties understanding BSC perspectives. The qualitative-based findings indicate that the level of understanding of BSC for clinical services is not significantly different from that for non-clinical services; staff members of the KFSH resist the implementation of BSC in the early stages; and there is ¿autocratic¿ leadership style at the KFSH inhibited the flow of information. The power distance and autocratic leadership style, in combination with an inadequate launch of BSC, fail to follow the implementation steps recommended by both Kaplan and Norton (2001a) and Kotter (1996). These organisational dynamics, it will be argued, are understated in the original BSC methodology, a view consistent with the findings of Woodley (2006) and may be especially so in environments with strong professional norms such as hospitals. The implications for the study and practice of non-profit organisations wishing to adopt methodology developed initially in a commercial context, is considered. / Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Khalid Al-Angari (Saudi Arabia)

This paper examines two examples of testing activities of sub-components of a 300kN methalox first-stage rocket engine developed by Pangea Aerospace, namely, theinjectors and the cryogenic pumps. One of the difficulties of these test campaignsis to evaluate the performances of these sub-components without using cryogenicpropellants and in conditions differing from flight conditions.Two different methods were used to replace the cryogenic propellants at extreme pressures and temperatures: the pumps were tested using water to replace both propellants, and the injectors were tested using water and nitrogen to account for the different propellant phases. The correlation, similarity methods, and bench sizing were detailed for both test campaigns, but only the injector test campaign was completed and its results were analyzed.The method to emulate cryogenic fluid behavior in a pump leads to the use of a bench controlling not only pressure and mass flow but also temperature to account for the cavitation effects. Furthermore, the bench must have the capability to pressurize the water under atmospheric pressure, leading to the use of a vacuum pump. The injector test campaign produces results that closely align with theoretical predictions. This enables the selection of the optimal single-element injector design through a quantitative assessment of the discharge coefficient and a qualitative evaluation of the spray angle and atomization. Although these studies are based on strong models, they must be compared to hotfire data and later flight data to be assessed fully, all the more so that the pump test campaign was not performed. / I denna rapport behandlas två exempel på provningsaktiviteter för delkomponenter av en methalox-driven 300 kN-klass raketmotor, utvecklad av Pangea Aerospace för användning på förstasteg. Delkomponenterna består av injektorerna samt dekryogena pumparna. En av svårigheterna med provkampanjerna är att utvärdera prestandan hos dessa delkomponenter utan att använda kryogena drivmedel och underförhållanden som skiljer sig från flygförhållandena. Två olika metoder användes för att imitera de kryogena drivmedlen vid extrema tryck och temperaturer. Först testades pumparna med vatten som en ersättning för de båda drivmedlen, och sedan testades injektorerna med både vatten och kväve för att ta hänsyn till de olika aggregations tillstånden. Korrelationen, likhetsmetoderna, samt provbänkstorleken utredes i detalj för bägge testkampanjer, men endast injektortestkampanjen slutfördes och dess resultat analyserades. Metoden för att efterlikna kryogena vätskors beteende i en pump leder till användning av en provbänk som inte bara reglerar tryck och massflöde utan även temperatur för att ta hänsyn till kavitations effekterna. Dessutom måste bänken ha kapacitet att trycksätta vattnet under atmosfärstryck, vilket leder till användning av en vakuumpump. Injektortestkampanjen ger resultat som ligger nära de teoretiska förutsägelserna. Detta gör det möjligt att välja den optimala injektordesignen genom en kvantitativ bedömning av utloppskoefficienten och en kvalitativ bedömning av vinkeln och finfördelningen av injektorstrålen. Även om dessa studier baseras på starka modeller måste de jämföras med data från brännprover och senare flygdata för att kunna bedömas fullt ut, särskilt som pumptestkampanjen inte genomfördes.

The accurate and rapid detection of clinically relevant analytes at the point-of-care (POC) is a crucial element for the increase in our quality of life. There are multiple detection techniques for sensing a target analyte in biological samples. However, electrochemical sensors excel because of their versatility, accuracy and sensitivity. Among the many challenges in the fabrication of electrochemistry-based POC sensors, the miniaturization of the working electrodes is one of the most difficult to overcome. Decreasing the size of the sensors will result in less electroactive surface area (ESA) and, therefore, lower sensitivity. Thus, the design of miniaturized electrodes with high ESA is desired in this research field. The methodology developed in our laboratory to accomplish this goal is based on the fabrication of microstructured gold electrodes (MSEs) by depositing, via sputtering, a gold thin-film onto a pre-stressed polystyrene substrate masked with adhesive vinyl stencils and thermally shrinking the substrate at high temperatures (135-160 °C). In my thesis work, I developed cost-effective sensitive electrochemical platforms using only bench-top approaches. First, the ESA and, thus, the sensitivity of the MSEs were enhanced by using a simple and rapid nano-roughening approach. The ESA of MSEs was increased 4x by applying high voltage pulsing in sulfuric acid. The resulting electrodes possessed high anti-fouling capabilities and excellent response toward the enzyme-free detection of glucose with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.62 mM in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the fabrication cost of the MSEs electrodes was decreased by 5x by replacing the sputtering deposition step with a cost-effective solution-based electroless deposition technique. In this case, the PS substrates were coated with a polydopamine adhesion layer and noble metal films (copper, silver and gold) were subsequently plated. Not only the cost of the gold electrode was substantially reduced but, due to the intrinsic roughness of the surface, the MSEs electrodes obtained via electroless deposition showed a higher ESA than those made via sputtering. Furthermore, the developed electroless method was extended for the fabrication of paper-based sensing devices. The sensing versatility of these surfaces was demonstrated by electrochemically detecting mercury with a 0.27 ppb LOD and by sensing thiophenol via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The MSEs electrodes fabricated via electroless deposition were subjected to the nano-roughening technique to generate affordable and high ESA electrodes. These platforms were used to design enzyme-based biosensors to accurately detect glucose and urea in complex samples. Glucose was detected in four different types of wine, with matrix interference measured below 10%, and in human serum, with a measured concentration that was not statistically different from that obtained from commercially available biosensors. Urea was detected in human urine and plasma with matrix interferences measured to be below 8% in both cases. We envision that the fabrication techniques developed in this thesis will rapidly grow in the scientific community for the prompt and accurate design of POC electrochemical devices. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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