The methodologies utilised by pharmaceutical companies for the toxicity screening of developmental drugs are currently based on outdated two-dimensional (2D) plate-based assay systems. Although such methods provide high-throughput analysis, limitations surrounding the biomimicry of the culture environment reduces the accuracy of testing, making the process cost and time inefficient. To significantly enhance the current methods, a screening platform that is both flexible in its design and is amenable toward physiologically representative engineered tissue is required. Incorporating a flow environment within the system elicits a variety of advantages over standard static cultures, pertinently the ability to couple the flow path with automated analytical systems via the use of intuitive software. Musculoskeletal pathological conditions account for £4.76 billion of NHS spending as of 2011 (Department of Health), affecting one in four of the UK adult population. Skeletal muscle, a highly metabolic and regenerative tissue, is involved in a wide variety of functional, genetic, metabolic and degenerative pathological conditions such as muscular dystrophy, diabetes, osteoarthritis, motor neuron disease and pertinently muscular weakness associated with aging populations. Skeletal muscle tissue engineering is centred on the in vitro creation of in vivo-like tissue within laboratory environments and seeks to aid the development of future therapies, by reliably elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate such conditions. However, the translation of such models toward systems amenable to pharmaceutical companies has to date been limited. Microphysiological perfusion bioreactors for in vitro cell culture are a rapidly developing research niche, although state of the art systems are currently limited due to the biologically non-representative 2D culture environment, lack of adaptability toward different experimental requirements and confinement to offline analytical methods. Advancements in additive manufacture (AM), commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing has provided a method of production that enables researchers to hold complete design freedom and facilitate customisation of required parts. The low cost, rapid prototyping nature of AM further lends itself toward the development of such technology, with design iterations quickly and easily printed, tested and re-designed where appropriate. Issues do however, currently persist regarding the biological compatibility of printed polymers and functional material properties of parts created. As such, this thesis investigated the use of AM as a rapid and functional prototyping technique to design and develop microphysiological perfusion bioreactors. Here, biocompatibility of candidate polymers derived from commercially available 3D printing processes; fused deposition modelling (FDM), stereolithography (SL), selective laser sintering (LS) and PolyJet modelling (PJM) were elucidated. Following the biological evaluation of these polymers, their suitability, and the applicability of each process in function and manufacture of perfusion bioreactors were assessed alongside the research and development process of system designs. Specifically, attention was afforded to the homeostatic environment within bio-perfusion systems. Once finalised, the biological optimisation of designs; biocompatibility and rates of proliferation in response to the perfusion environment, was undertaken. Protocols were then established for the automated perfusion of skeletal muscle cells in both monolayer and tissue engineered 3D hydrogels. This research outlined significant contributions to the scientific literature in 3D printed polymer biocompatibility, in addition to creating bio-perfusion systems that are adaptable, analytical and facilitate the in situ phenotypic development of physiologically representative skeletal muscle tissue. Polymer biocompatibility elucidated in this work will help to facilitate the wide-ranging use of AM in biological settings. However, advancements in the chemical properties of liquid resins for advanced photo-curable processes remain necessitated for AM to be considered as a primary manufacturing technique in the biological sciences. Furthermore, although systems developed in this work have provided a base technology from which to develop and build upon, significant challenges remain in the integration of tissue engineered perfusion devices within pharmaceutical settings. Although it is plausible that the technology created in its current guise would facilitate the automated generation of skeletal muscle tissue, systems require further development to aid their usability and scale. Furthermore, work is also required to optimise the biological environment prior to mass manufacture. As such, to truly influence the pharmaceutical industry, which has invested so heavily in more traditional screening technology, a system that is all-encompassing in biology, technology and automated analytics is required.

In this thesis the critical parameters involved in the dislodgement and deformation of microbubbles in laminar channel flow, are determined and evaluated. Experimentally the effects of surface tension, viscosity, fluid flow rate, density, and bubble diameter on bubble dislodgement were evaluated. A theoretical scale analysis was performed which provided a general relationship between the parameters. Experimental results provided reasonable comparisons with values calculated from the scale analysis. Non-dimensional plots were generated of Weber number, at bubble dislodgement, versus Reynolds number and Weber number as a function of a non-dimensional bubble diameter. A calculated velocity detachment equation was also produced. This work is applicable to many areas of science and industry, particularly in the field of ink-jet printing. / Graduation date: 1992

In this paper, single mode buried optical waveguides based on hybrid sol-gel glasses and PECVD oxide were fabricated. Two different buried waveguide devices are investigated, and their optical characteristics are characterized. The first buried waveguide was obtained by etching a shallow trench on SiON layer. Then sol-gel material used as the guiding layer was deposited onto the layer and cured in proper conditions. Finally, the waveguides were completed by coating a sol-gel top cladding layer onto the guiding layer. The propagation loss of the waveguide is 0.59dB/cm at £f=1310nm. The second buried waveguide was fabricated by etching a trench of 5£gm on SiON layer and then burying sol-gel material into the trench.Proximity printing was used to define the waveguide core on sol-gel films.The waveguide was packaged for measurement after coating a UV glue on top of the core layer. The propagation losses of this waveguide device are 0.6dB/cm and 0.57dB/cm for TE and TM polarized lights. The coupling losses are 2.21dB and 2.41dB for TE and TM lights.

In the sixteenth century, because of the prosperous environment of commerce, the parpularity of printing was obvious. Moreover, the technique of the music printing was changed from multiple printing to one impression, and it made the music scores cheaper. The Italian madrigal of Florence and Rome were disseminated to Venice . A large number of madrigals printed in Venice. The main part of the thesis discuss the circumstances of publishing madrigal in Venice. The interaction among composer, assistance, patrons and the purchaser. The thesis consist of three main chapters, in addition to the introduction and conclusion. Chapter one exams the society and economic background, the music in relation to environment. The develop of printing industry and the transfermance of music printing technique in the sixteen century Venice will be explore as well. Chapter two focus on the process of madrigal expanded from Florence and Rome to Venice which is based on the informantion early madrigal manuscripts and a few printed score. Chapter three deal with the influences of the madrigal in the music publishing industry. The main contents focus on two music printing families who monopolized music publishing market in Venice, discussing the process of their madrigal score printing and locating the works. In addition the study will further discuss the business skill they used for selling madrigal, the customers who was willing to buy madrigal score and the route the printers selling the madrigal works, in order to demonstrate the importance of music printing to the prevalence of Italian madrigals.

The traditional film photography has been developing for 150 years. Before the digitized photography has been invented, the photos should be developed by the professional developing equipment of the photo studio. However, the trend of the digitized photography, which the photos are taken by the digital camera or camera phone are popular all over the world. The traditional film photographic developing and printing industry has to face the badly difficulty, when the digitization trend are like the flood to engulf the photography market. The purpose of the study is to understand the status quo and business management of the photographic processing and printing industry under the digitization trend. I apply the SWOT analysis and industry competitiveness analysis and conclude the competitive advantage, disadvantage and success factors of the photographic processing and printing industry. Hope the management strategy of the study can help the proprietor to run the business well. The purpose is as following: 1. To understand the status quo and management difficulty of the photographic processing and printing industry. 2. To explore the business model and strategy of the photographic processing and printing industry. 3. To provide the research results concluded by the study to the proprietor about the transformation strategy and help them on the business management. The study has concluded some suggestions for the photographic processing and printing industry as the following: 1. The proprietor should have the sense of crisis and instant problem solving ability. 2. The photographic processing and printing industry should organize a powerful team to lead themselves to create a new stage of development. 3. The proprietor of the photographic processing and printing industry should cooperate to plan the systematic developing strategy to promote the depression of the industry. 4. The proprietor of the photographic processing and printing industry should enhance the ability of marketing that can help them to know well about the marketing information.

Inaug.-diss.--Innsbruck. / Lebenslauf. "Literatur-verzeichnis": p. 53-54.

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2009. / Vita. Reproduction permission applies to print copy: Blanket permission granted per author to reproduce. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68).

Part of Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1931. / Lithographed. "Private edition, distributed by the University of Chicago libraries."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Northwestern University, 1923. / A study of 312 elementary school' readers published since 1860 for the purpose of determining what has been the trend of their typography. cf. p. 25. Bibliography: p. 62-63.

Thesis (M.S.) in Chemical Engineering--University of Maine, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-103).