The scope of the presented master thesis was the experimental study of multi-filament yarns made of AR-glass and used for textile-reinforced concrete. The behavior under the tensile loading was investigated by laboratory tests. A high number of yarn specimens (over 300) of six different lengths (from 1 cm to 74 cm) was tested to obtain statistically significant data which were subsequently corrected and statistically processed. The numerical model of the multi-filament bundle was studied and applied for prediction of the yarn performance and for later results interpretation. The model of n parallel filaments describes the behavior of a bundle with varying parameters representing different sources of disorder of the response and provides the qualitative information about the influence of their randomization on the overall bundle response. The aim of the carried experiment was to validate the model presumptions and to identify the model parameters to fit the real load-displacement curves. Unfortunately, due to unsuccessful correction of measured displacements devalued by additional non-linear contribution of the unstiff experiment device the load-displacement diagrams were not applicable to model parameters identification. The statistical evaluation was carried only for the maximal load values and the effect of the specimen size (length) on its strength was demonstrated. The size effect curve did not exclude the existence of spatial correlation of material mechanical properties modifying the classical statistical Weibull theory.

The study deals with mechanical characteristic of heterogeneous weld joint. The low carbon steel 22K and austenitic steel have been used as a experimetnal materials. The low carbon steel has special properties in basic condition. The sample has been evaluated in basic condition and after annealation. There have been evaluated impact of annealation proces to structure and mechanical charakteristics in experimental part of study. The particularised analysis of microstructure has been done by pictorial analysis. Mechanical characteristics has been examinated in both conditions by 2 different methods – measurment of microhardness according to Vickers and test of fracture toughness on compact tension specimens.

The master thesis is focussed on evaluation of mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of basic materials and weld joints of a water turbine supply pipe. The results of tensile tests, fracture toughness tests, hardness and micro-hardness tests and further chemical and metallography analysis are used for operating degradation level evaluation of the construction material and also for a residual operating recognition of the second, identical specimen of supply pipe.

Diploma thesis deals with the influence of various dosing of Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) using modified bitumen on the properties of asphalt concrete (ACO 11+) of cemented by polymer modified bitumen, while a rejuvenating agents are added into asphalt mixtures. The theoretical part of the thesis summarizes the basic knowledge of pavement recycling, polymer modified bitumens and their reuse in asphalt mixtures. The practical part deals with laboratory tests of ACO 11+ mixtures with the RAP proportion of 0 % to 50 %. The asphalt mixtures compared are evaluated by means of the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) and Stiffness test. The results obtained within the diploma thesis can approximate the issue of recycling of asphalt mixtures with polymer modified bitumens.

We have compared two gastric string tests for obtaining gastric juice for culture of Helicobacter pylori and for nested-PCR detection and PCR-based combined single- and double-stranded conformational polymorphism (SDSCP) discrimination of infecting strains. String test specimens were obtained from one seropositive volunteer for 13 consecutive weeks. The distal 10 cm of each string was suspended in 1 ml saline and quantitatively cultured. An additional nine volunteers with histories of upper-gastrointestinal complaints were given a string test for culture and nested-PCR assay. H. pylori isolates and/or gastric juice from each volunteer were extracted for DNA and analyzed by PCR-based SDSCP. Quantitative culture showed that the Entero-test was four times as sensitive as the Gastro-test but was more prone to contamination by oral flora. However, the two string tests are equally sensitive by PCR assays. Thus, the Gastro-test is more suitable for culture detection of H. pylori, since it is less prone to oral contamination and its shorter length is better tolerated. SDSCP analysis of H. pylori DNA from four PCR-positive volunteers without requiring culture showed four distinct profiles, indicating different infecting strains. SDSCP analysis of strains isolated before and after treatment of one volunteer had the same SDSCP profile, suggesting endogenous reinfection by the same strain.

Finite element analyses are frequently used to model growing fatigue cracks and the associated plasticity-induced crack closure. Two-dimensional, elastic-perfectly plastic finite element analyses of middle-crack tension (M(T)), bend (SEB), and compact tension (C(T)) geometries were conducted to study fatigue crack closure and to calculate the crack opening values under plane-strain and plane-stress conditions. The loading was selected to give the same maximum stress intensity factor in both geometries, and thus similar initial forward plastic zone sizes. Mesh refinement studies were performed on all geometries with various element types. For the C(T) geometry, negligible crack opening loads under plane-strain conditions were observed. In contrast, for the M(T) specimen, the plane-strain crack opening stresses were found to be significantly larger. This difference was shown to be a consequence of in-plane constraint. Under plane-stress conditions, it was found that the in-plane constraint has negligible effect, such that the opening values are approximately the same for the C(T), SEB, and M(T) specimens. Next, the crack opening values of the C(T), SEB and M(T) specimens were compared under various stress levels and load ratios. The effect of a highly refined mesh on crack opening values was noted and significantly lower crack opening values than those reported in literature were found. A new methodology is presented to calculate crack opening values in planar geometries using the crack surface nodal force distribution under minimum loading as determined from finite element analyses. The calculated crack opening values are compared with values obtained using finite element analysis and more conventional crack opening assessment methodologies. It is shown that the new method is independent of loading increment, integration method (normal and reduced integration), and crack opening assessment location. The compared opening values were in good agreement with strip-yield models.

繼人體基因圖譜於2000年解碼後，基因解讀及研究初期均在競爭解讀基因序列(Gene sequences)，然而了解基因序列是一件事，如何從序列中來了解基因功能所賦予之生理生化意義，比如每段基因所產生之蛋白質產物、及蛋白質與細胞之間的相互關係等資訊，進而應用於藥物標的之尋找，才是未來生物醫學發展之主要方向。同理，藉由基因功能學(Functional Genomics)領域來研究新發現之基因的功能、基因表現、與蛋白質產物，進而辨識有用的藥物標的(Drug target)及尋找新的疾病治療方法，才是基因解讀後最主要之生技醫療市場。全球生物科技之應用中以醫療用的生技產品所帶來的產值最為可觀，佔總體生技產業約七成以上之產值，其中又以重組蛋白藥品、單株抗體、疫苗及檢驗試劑之研發為主要重心，其中行政院更在“加強生物技術產業推動方案”裡，特別將蛋白藥物、抗癌藥物開發及檢驗試劑等領域列為重點推動項目，國內外許多生物科技公司研發專長及主軸亦座落於全球最熱門的生技製藥發展脈絡上。目前由於許多癌症、代謝失常疾病、遺傳性疾病及自體免疫疾病等，臨床之治療藥物仍舊是付之闕如或是供不應求，其中特別是各種癌症以及自體免疫疾病，如類風濕性關節炎、多發性硬化症、牛皮癬及過敏等，都是生技醫藥開發非常重要之疾病研究領域。現今臨床上所常用的藥物，普遍有特異性不佳、副作用大的缺點，因此國內外許多生物科技公司正戮力於針對上述疾病類別找尋合適之生技藥物或是小分子藥物，已達到標的治療(Target therapy)為目的；然而在生技醫藥公司草創初期，大都以技術掛帥，且由於藥品開發時間冗長，因此鮮少有生技醫藥公司能於設立初期10年內有產品上市，因此導致初期營運風險居高不下，令投資者裹足不前，所以如何評估具有成長潛力之生技醫藥公司頗為困難，因此本論文擬從生技藥品著手，除了傳統從技術面、產品面、市場面、競爭者、人力資源、策略經營等構面著手分析成長中之生技醫藥公司外，由於生技醫藥產業之特殊屬性，所以更特別注重產業成長時針對生物倫理面的考量，以做為生技醫藥公司具成長潛力之指標之一。希望透過多元的評估分析，能夠歸納出生技醫藥公司的成功要素，並藉此分析能夠有系統的篩選出具成長性、具社會責任之生技醫藥公司，才能擘畫生技醫藥公司維持長期競爭力、獲得永續發展的遠景，並藉此做為投資者長期投資評估之參考依據。 / The completion of the human genome project is regarded as a turning point in biotechnology and medicine. This project is expected to produce sequence of DNA representing the functional blueprint and evolutionary history of the human species. As we entered the postgenomic era, what we faced is the explosion of new information, which is leading to dramatic changes in the way we are able to study and manipulation of life. At the first few years, many groups were competing in sequence decoding. However, the findings of the functions of genes and the interactions of different gene products are the main issues helping us exploit the new biotechnology markets. Through the research of functional genomics to explore the function, expression, and protein products of novel genes is helpful in identifying new drug targets and developing therapeutic strategies in treating various diseases. This is what we emphasized in biotech market after entering the postgenomic era. The most valuable branch of biotechnology industry is the medical products in global biotechnology market. The medical products take up to 70% of total sales in biotechnology markets. Among the medical biotechnology field, recombinant protein drugs, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and detection kits have been focused in pharmaceutical R&D investment. Executive yuan of the Republic of China decided to emphasized in protein drugs, anti-cancer drug development and detection kits in their “ The promotion plan of improving biotechnology industry”. Currently, the drugs against cancers, metabolic diseases, inherited diseases, and autoimmune diseases are still unavailable. Especially the drugs for various cancers, and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and allergy are under intensive investment in global biotechnology industry. This is because the drugs used today have the deficiencies including low specificity and adverse side effects. Thus, target therapy using monoclonal antibodies and small molecular drugs are the goals for worldwide biotech companies. However, the development in research has been considered as the most important thing in the starting stage of newly founded biotech companies and the long time needed for putting a new drug to market make very few biotech companies have salable products. Thus, the newly biotechnology company has been considered has high risk in the beginning stage. This makes investors to hesitate in putting their money in this field. To evaluate the potential of a new biotechnology companies is difficult since the complex of this industry. This study will try evaluating a newly founded biotechnology company not only through technology, product, market, competitors, human resources, strategies, but also from the consideration in bioethics. Hopefully, through the evaluation of multiple markers, we can conclude the essential factors for a successful company and screen out the company with high growing potential via this study. Finally, this study might serve as a reference for investors in evaluating a promising company for long-term investment.

Bernstein, in seiner natürlichen Form und auch kunstvoll bearbeitet, gehörte zu den raren und wundersamen Dingen, mit denen Naturgelehrte und Fürsten ihre Mineraliensammlungen, Raritäten-, Kunst- und Wunderkammern und Naturalienkabinetten gerne bestückten. Geschenke aus diesem seltenen Stein waren chwillkommen. Besonders geschätzt wurden Zufallsbilder und Bernsteine mit pflanzlichen und tierischen Einschlüssen (Bernsteininklusen). Einschlüsse von größeren Tieren, wie Fröschen, Eidechsen und Fischen, wurden künstlich hergestellt. Die Echtheit dieser Inklusen wurde zunächst jedoch nicht angezweifelt. Der Platz des Bernsteins in diesen frühen musealen Einrichtungen war, wie der jedes anderen Sammlungsgegenstandes, nicht fest und endgültig. Er war eng an die Entwicklung des Sammlerwesens geknüpft und abhängig vom Wissen ihrer Betreiber über das Universum im Allgemeinen und über den Bernstein im Besonderen. Wobei die persönliche Wertschätzung, die dem Bernstein entgegengebracht wurde, eine wichtige Rolle spielte. Die Sammlungen bildeten und bilden bis heute die Grundlage für die wissenschaftliche Erforschung des Bernsteins und darüber hinaus für die Erforschung der Erdgeschichte. / Carefully worked pieces of naturally occurring amber were seen as rare and wondrous objects by scientists and rulers who avidly collected them to add to their mineral or art collections or their curiosity and specimen cabinets. Gifts of this rare stone were very well received. Amber inclusions containing plants and animals were particularly sought after. Amber pieces containing larger creatures such as frogs, lizards and fish were produced artificially and their authenticity was not, at least initially, doubted. However the place of Amber in these early museum-like settings, was not, as was the case for all other objects in these collections, definitively guaranteed. Its position was closely linked to the development of collectors and dependent on its owner’s knowledge both more generally about the world and about amber in particular; the individual view that collectors took about the worth of amber therefore played an important role. These collections provided and still provide the basis for scholarly research of amber and beyond that of geology.

The Cone Calorimeter has been used widely for various purposes as a bench - scale apparatus. Originally the retainer frame (edge frame) was designed to reduce unrepresentative edge burning of specimens. In general, the frame has been used in most Cone tests without enough understanding of its effect. It is very important to have one - dimensional (1D) conditions in order to estimate thermal properties of materials. It has been implicitly assumed that the heat conduction in the Cone Calorimeter is 1D using the current specimen preparation. However, the assumption has not been corroborated explicitly to date. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the heat transfer behavior of a Cone specimen by examining its three - dimensional (3D) heat conduction. It is essential to understand the role of wall lining materials when they are exposed to a fire from an ignition source. Full - scale test methods permit an assessment of the performance of a wall lining material. Fire growth models have been developed due to the costly expense associated with full - scale testing. The models require heat flux maps from the ignition burner flame as input data. Work to date was impeded by a lack of detailed spatial characterization of the heat flux maps due to the use of limited instrumentation. To increase the power of fire modeling, accurate and detailed heat flux maps from the ignition burner are essential. High level spatial resolution for surface temperature can be provided from an infrared camera. The second objective of this study was to develop a heat flux mapping procedure for a room test burner flame to a wall configuration with surface temperature information taken from an infrared camera. A prototype experiment is performed using the ISO 9705 test burner to demonstrate the developed heat flux mapping procedure. The results of the experiment allow the heat flux and spatial resolutions of the method to be determined and compared to the methods currently available.

Les standards consacrés à la conception des oléoducs se concentrent principalement sur les chargements opérationnels, tels que les pressions internes et externes, et les procédures d'analyse de défauts actuelles n'exploitent pas les capacités d'écrouissage du matériau. Pourtant, dans des conditions extrêmes, les oléoducs peuvent être soumis à des contraintes au-delà de la limite d'élasticité jusqu'à atteindre 2.5% de déformations plastiques. Ici, les procédures proposées par ExxonMobil et PRCI basées sur des critères en déformation sont présentées, et l'utilisation de l'éprouvette SENT (Single Edge Notched Tension) pour caractériser la ténacité est étudiée, en comparant les différentes procédures d'essais recommandées. Puis, une importante campagne expérimentale a été réalisée pour caractériser deux aciers pour oléoducs à température ambiante et à basses températures. Les comportements mécaniques des matériaux de base et d'apport ont été identifiés grâce à l'utilisation de l'analyse inverse, et il est montré que le modèle d'endommagement GTN permet de modéliser finement les essais sur éprouvettes de laboratoire. Enfin, deux essais sur structures (pression et flexion, puis pression et traction) ont été réalisés de manière à comparer les approches globales et le modèle d'endommagement GTN. Ce dernier démontre une bonne transférabilité de l'éprouvette vers la structure. / Pipeline design codes and standards traditionally focus on the operational loadings such as internal and external pressures that are likely to exist over the entire lifetime of the pipeline. Existing Engineering Critical Assessments are mostly based on stress considerations, where the design margin is given as a percentage of the yield strength. In extrem environments, pipelines may experience stresses beyond the yield and plastic deformations up to 2.5 %. In such conditions, strain-based design procedures apply. In this work, a literature review of the existing strain based methods is proposed, including ExxonMobil and PRCI multi-tier approaches. The use of the Single Edge Notched Tension (SENT) specimen to measure the material toughness is then studied, benchmarking the recommended testing procedures from literature. A comprehensive experimental campaign was carried out to fully characterize two actual line pipes at room and low temperatures. The mechanical behavior of parent and weld materials are identified using an inverse analysis, and GTN damage model is shown to allow accurate modeling of the laboratory testings. Finally, two full scale tests (pressure + bending or pressure + tension) were carried out to benchmark the global approaches and GTN damage model. The latter showed a very good transferability from specimens to the structure.