Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Recording device'

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24).
The purpose of this thesis is the design and manufacture of an electromagnetic recording and playback device. The device was designed to record information onto a steel wire which can replay the signal. The device is of simple mechanical design, resilient to impacts, minor compression, and operator error. The design has a minimal number of parts and requires limited maintenance or replacement of parts. The device is comprised of three systems: a magnetic head, transport system, and a support structure. Each of these systems is described and mechanical drawings for all parts are included.
by Dylan Chavez.
S.B.

A multi-channel wireless implantable neural recording (WINeR) system for electrophysiology and behavioral neuroscience research applications was proposed. The system is composed of two units: a system-on-a-chip (SoC) transmitter (Tx) unit and a receiver (Rx) unit. In the Tx unit, the outputs are combined with marker signals and modulated into pulse widths after the neural signals are amplified and filtered by an array of low-noise amplifiers (LNA). The next step involves time-division multiplexing (TDM) of pulse-width modulation (PWM) signals. The TDM-PWM signal drives RF transmitter block and is transmitted by an antenna. To satisfy the needs of neuroscientists during animal experiments, the proposed WINeR system provides long-term recording with inductive powering and stimulus-artifact rejection for closed-loop operations, which requires simultaneous stimulation and recording. The Rx is another critical unit for wireless-link communication. To increase the area of wireless coverage, multiple antennas are used for the Rx. In addition, the automatic frequency-tracking method is used to track free-running Tx frequencies, and a smart time-to-digital conversion method is used to reduce noise and interference. A high-throughput computer interface and software are also developed to continuously receive and store neural data. The WINeR system is a potential tool for neuroscientists due to several advantages, such as a reliable wireless link with large coverage and no blind spots, low power consumption, an unlimited power source, and a stimulation function.

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-113).
The purpose of this project is to create a device which can perform closed-loop brain recording and stimulation. Part of this is to create a device to amplify and digitize high frequency EEG signals up to 1 KHz. The other portion is to create a device to apply controlled and arbitrary current stimulation. This project has the potential to enhance human memory formation, an essential ability for people in everyday life. Along the way, I will create a device which has the potential to change how researchers record brain activity, enabling new insights into higher-frequency brain function and disorders.
by Byron B. Hsu.
M.Eng.

Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) is increasingly being pursued as a treatment option for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. When assessing its potential for the treatment of schizophrenia, related animal studies are often limited by the range of measurements that the equipment is capable of. In animals, the combination of DBS with various recording modalities such as local-field potential (LFP) recording has traditionally required complex and time-consuming laboratory setups. Furthermore, the elucidation of neural activity underpinning rodent behaviour has traditionally been hampered by the use of tethered systems and human involvement. Taken together, novel tools and techniques are required to drive forward DBS research in this area. In this study, two miniature wireless devices were developed for electrophysiological recording and stimulation in freely-moving rodents. The performance of one of these devices was verified in an open-field chamber, in which high-frequency (100Hz) st imulation was delivered bilaterally into the anterior thalamic nucleus at a range of current intensities (20(So(BA, 100(So(BA) and pulse-widths (25(So(Bs, 100(So(Bs, 200(So(Bs). LFP recordings were made bilaterally in the fronto-hippocampal brain regions. Not only was the recording/stimulation device able to successfully correlate electrophysiological recording and stimulation with animal behaviour (via video tracking), but a transient velocity increase of the animals was observed following stimulation at the higher current setting (100(So(BA). The effect of fimbria-fornix (FF) DBS (at 130Hz, 30(So(BA, 90(So(Bs) was then studied in a rodent disease model relevant to schizophrenia, using a spatial working memory paradigm inside a T-maze. Fronto-hippocampal LFP was recorded bilaterally, and was subsequently correlated to the rat's position using synchronised video-tracking. Notably, rat gamma-frequency LFP was found to be increased in all brain regions following an acute administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP; 3 mk.kg-p1s i.p.), which had persisted throughout the duration of the recording session. Furthermore, rat hippocampal theta-frequency activity was transiently elevated following a 30-second period of FF-DBS, which was carried out during the intra-trial delay period of the task. Finally, the use of FF-DBS throughout the task training sessions highlighted a (non-significant) tendency for rats to reach criterion performance faster than their sham-stimulated counterparts, highlighting the FF as a potential DBS target to consider with regards to disorders that affect learning and memory. The data presented in this study highlights a) the successful design and application of novel device technologies for enhancing the range of measurements in animal-related DBS studies, and b) the effects of FF-DBS in a rodent model relevant to schizophrenia, and its implications in the treatment of this disorder.

Homogeneous charge combustion in a four stroke cycle spark-ignition engine was studied using through-piston-photography with a gated-intensified CCD camera. Analysis of computer stored multiple exposed flame front images was carried out for various engine conditions, in conjunction with the test data and cylinder pressure signals. Representative turbulence scales were inferred from the flame propagation and cylinder pressure data. Fractal analysis of flame edge contours resulted in a fractal dimension D3 in the range 2.12 to 2.23 corroborating data presented elsewhere. A correlation is presented here between the standard deviation of peak cylinder pressure and the fractal dimension D3.

名古屋大学博士学位論文 学位の種類:博士（医療技術学）（課程） 学位授与年月日:平成19年3月23日
"Daytime polysomnography and portable recording device for diagnosis and CPAP therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome" Sleep and Breathing, v.11, n.2 (2007) pp.109-115 を、博士論文として提出したもの。

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 35).
This thesis paper documents the design process, decisions, and outcomes of the design of the physical form factor of PlayLamp, a device for video and audio recording the development of children at-risk of having developmental disorders in development at MIT's Media Lab Cognitive Machines Group. The physical form of PlayLamp is intended to be non-intrusive and have easy non-destructive installation while being aesthetically appealing and respectful of privacy. The end goal is to use the recorded information to develop computer models of behavioral patterns associated with these disorders.
by Stephen Andrew Steger.
S.B.

ITC/USA 2011 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Seventh Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2011 / Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Although the wireless data transmission technologies have evolved significantly, data recording devices are still being used because of the limitations of data rates and reliability issues over wireless environment in the avionics, military, space etc. Payload has limitation of weight. In addition, storage has limitation of capacity. So, we need to research about a data recording structure within a limited amount of memory. In this paper, we propose a new data recording structure through a condition necessary for efficient use of memory. The proposed structure has an equivalent function as other recording systems. But, it uses less memory than the other equivalent recording structures.

The aim of this work is to design an architecture of the embedded device that will be used for controlling DAW software in recording studio. First of all, attention is given to a brief summary of the necessary knowledge which is needed to design such kind of device. Af- ter that follows short survey of the existing solutions and description of protocols which can be used for communication with the recording software. Then, subsequent part of the thesis builds upon these foundations and further elaborates the device architecture by me- ans of decomposing it into several modules. In fact, two hardware modules are designed and manufactured, when each of them is conceived on a separate PCB with its own microcon- troller. Then the control firmware has been implemented for each of the modules. At the end of the work an aluminium enclosure, which holds both modules, is designed. The result of this work is a functional prototype of the assembled controller which can be used for the purpose of controlling DAW software.

L'effet de magnetoresistance dans les couches minces ferromagnetiques est applique a la realisation de capteurs de champs integres pour la lecture des milieux enregistres. On optimise la sensibilite et le comportement micromagnetique des capteurs, en mettant en evidence l'interet de l'utilisation de l'alliage nifeco. La realisation d'une tete magnetoresistive est appliquee a la lecture d'un enregistrement analogique

Teachers of foreign languages typically encourage their students to speak in the target language (TL) often, but due to various factors, this is not always achieved. Some reasons might include insufficient vocabulary, lack of topic knowledge, embarrassment, or simple unwillingness. Much of the existing research observes uses of the TL or native language (L1). The purpose of this study was to examine how often students use the TL in paired interactions and whether that amount has any relationship to the students' oral proficiency at the end of the course. In a SPAN 105 course at Brigham Young University, 27 students participated in this project by recording themselves during six in-class, paired interactions, after which they provided comments via questionnaires. This study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, with both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data revealed information about the time spent in the TL, as well as the time spent in the L1, and what relationship these variables had with listening comprehension and oral proficiency. The qualitative data exposed emergent findings related to TL/L1 use: helpful tools, effects of task type, pitfalls the students experienced, struggles and benefits of partnering, effects of recording, and student perceptions about the L1. The results of the study indicate a need for teacher strategies to encourage TL use in the classroom.

The purposes of the essay are to transcribe and analyze selected solos from the 1964 J. J. Johnson recording, Proof Positive as well as to increase the amount of analytical literature on J. J. Johnson presently obtainable for study by jazz trombonists. J. J. Johnson will further be affirmed as a jazz musician worthy of doctoral level study. Selected solos from the 1964 J. J. Johnson recording Proof Positive will be transcribed and analyzed in depth using a method of analysis incorporating improvisational devices identified by the author. A brief biography of J. J. Johnson is presented along with a review of jazz trombone history in order to provide perspective. A review of related literature will be provided as well. The study will be limited to those solos that meet a selection criterion. The specific solos that were selected met the standard of containing a substantial number of Johnson's characteristic improvisational devices. Melody, harmony, rhythm, and stylistic inflection within each solo are discussed in detail and musical examples from the improvisations are cited to provide emphasis. The 1964 J. J. Johnson recording, Proof Positive was chosen for transcription and analysis due to its historical significance as a seminal recording and for the fact that only "Stella by Starlight" has been published. The remaining trombone solos have not yet been readily made available for study.

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-92).
Accurate quantification of neurodegenerative disease progression and neurocognitive decline is an ongoing challenge that muddles efforts to understand and treat these conditions. The golden standard to track neurodegenerative disease progression is a neurocognitive assessment administered through a series of forms and questionnaires, both of which suffer from high retest variability. Thus, there is a need for a validated biomarker that can accurately track neurocognitive decline or disease progression unobtrusively. Clinical studies have shown that saccade latency - a measure of eye movement reaction time - can be significantly different between healthy subjects and neurodegenerative disease patients. Hence, we propose and test a system that enables measurement and tracking of saccade latency outside of the clinical environment, without relying on supplemental or special-purpose illumination. iTracker-face, a variant of a deep-learning approach that estimates gaze on mobile devices, was tailored to measure saccade latency on video sequences obtained with an iPhone 6. Additionally, our model-based approach for saccade latency estimation provides a means to automatically detect eye position traces that should not be included in further analysis (AUC = 0.92). We recorded over 20,000 saccade latencies in 30 healthy subjects and observed that there is a substantial amount of intra- and inter- subject variability in the mean saccade latency ([mu]) and associated standard deviation (sigma). Among the subjects with the most saccade latency measurements, [mu] ranged from 128 to 173 ms, while a varied from 24 to 53 ms. Our results suggest that accurate and robust saccade latency determination is feasible using consumer-grade cameras and might therefore enable unobtrusive tracking of neurodegenerative disease progression.
by Gladynel Saavedra-Peña.
S.M.

This work focuses on creating MEMS devices to mimic the function of patch pipettes. It is hypothesised that the closer the devices approximate the physical structure of patch pipettes, the more successful they will be in achieving seals and recording from cells. To test this hypothesis, devices were fabricated with a range of physical properties. The parameters varied were aperture diameter, aperture profile, aperture depth, surface roughness and surface chemistry. Devices with apertures of 1.5 µm and 2.5 µm were fabricated, with either a flat profile or a protruding nozzle. The surface material was thermal silicon dioxide, which was optionally doped with boron to change the surface chemistry. Devices were also manufactured with 2 µm diameters. These had a rougher, PECVD silicon dioxide surface, which produced a more rounded aperture profile. Using glass patch-pipettes as a control experiment, attempts were made to form seals using these devices and N2A cells. The results obtained showed that only surface roughness and aperture depth had a significant effect on seal formation. Although it was anticipated (on the basis of the control experiments) that aperture diameter would also play a role, this was not witnessed: attempts are made to explain this discrepancy. It is thus concluded that matching surface roughness and aperture depth to those of glass pipettes is of most importance in the manufacture of planar patch-clamp devices. Although surface chemistry and aperture profile apparently do not affect seal formation, further investigation would be required to determine this for certain.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008.
Committee Chair: Adibi, Ali; Committee Member: Altunbasak, Yucel; Committee Member: Callen Jr, William R; Committee Member: Gaylord, Thomas K; Committee Member: McLaughlin, Steven W; Committee Member: Trebino, Rick.

Relative motion between residual limb and prosthetic socket is an indication of poor fit. Both the fabrication and fitting processes are highly subjective and a favorable result depends upon the technician's expertise. Although numerous methods exist to measure the relative motion, all have limitations and are not well suited for clinical use. A measurement system using optical sensors has been proposed by students at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and evaluations of a functional model have yielded promising results. In this thesis, the existing functional model is improved and expanded to use an array of sensors. A new microcontroller is selected and incorporated into the system. The software and data communication are optimized for fast, reliable performance and the system is then evaluated on a test rig to determine favorable calibration settings and quantify performance. System frequencies up to 1299 Hz are achieved. It is found that the surface microstructure has a dominant effect over short measurement distances; calibrations performed over longer distances are to be preferred. For the chosen calibration factors, the greatest relative errors over a 40 mm distance are found to be 0.90% ± 0.51% in the X direction and -4.76% ± 1.61% in the Y-direction. A systematic drift is also identified. The final system accommodates up to eight sensors and is controlled from a feature-rich MATLAB GUI.
Master of Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 2008.
Includes abstract. Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Title from first page of PDF file (viewed March 10, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-135). Also issued in print.

Multi-track run-length-limited (d,k) modulation codes were recently introduced as a method to increase storage densities in magnetic and optical recording systems. These codes are a generalization of the usual run-length-limited (d,k) codes and provide for increased storage density by relaxing the k-constraint and encoding multiple tracks in parallel. This dissertation focuses on methods of constructing such codes. Two methods are presented. The first uses state-splitting to construct multi-track (d,k) trellis codes. An example is presented in which a (1,3) trellis code is constructed having a code rate of R = 2/3. The second method results in the construction of multi-track (d,k) block codes which are implemented via an enumeration scheme based on the trellis description of the (d,k) constraints. This implementation results in memory requirements which increase only linearly with block length as opposed to the exponential increases arising from look-up table implementations. Additionally, a new class of multi-track codes referred to as redundant multi-track (d,k) codes, is introduced. These redundant codes, unlike the original multi-track (d,k) codes which are completely intolerant of faulty tracks, allow for r faulty tracks while maintaining synchronization.

Design and operation of modular optical head for a magneto-optic test system are described. Alternate solutions to design problems are discussed. A 30mW semiconductor laser with an integrated 250MHz oscillator is selected. The oscillator is used to modulate laser read current for a reduction in laser feedback noise. A collimating lens with an appropriate focal length is chosen so the beam's truncation at the objective yields the maximum write power density. Astigmatism associated with the laser diode is reduced to 0.125 waves by defocusing the collimating lens and circularizing with an anamorphic prism pair. Head components are aligned within several minutes of arc by using alignment apertures and an autocollimator. Aberrations due to tilt between the disk and beam are examined and coma is found to be the major contributor.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 12, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

L’électrophysiologie est l’étude des signaux électriques et électrochimiques générés par certaines cellules spécifiques tout comme par des organes entiers. Elle donne aux médecins l’opportunité de suivre le fonctionnement d’un seul neurone mais aussi de l’intégralité du cerveau. L’enregistrement de ces activités est essentiel pour le diagnostic de pathologies aussi diverses que les arythmies cardiaques, l’épilepsie ou la dégénération musculaire. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions différents types d’électrodes cutanées à base de matériaux organiques, de leur conception à leur évaluation préclinique. Notre approche est basée sur l’utilisation du polymère conducteur PEDOT :PSS et de gels ioniques, qui réduisent l’impédance de l’interface électrode-peau. De plus, nos électrodes sont conçues avec différents substrats fins et souples, plastiques ou textiles. Ceci appelle de nouvelles techniques de fabrications adaptées à ces substrats et aux matériaux organiques. Les électrodes sont caractérisées puis testées sur des volontaires afin de démontrer leurs excellentes performances par rapport aux électrodes médicales usuelles. L’évaluation de leur capacité à réduire le bruit et de leur stabilité sur plusieurs jours est effectuée sur des signaux venant des activités musculaires, cardiaques et cérébrales. Nous présentons également une électrode microscopique dite « active », basée sur le transistor organique électrochimique. Celui-ci permet d’amplifier et de filtrer in situ le signal. Parce que nos électrodes organiques cutanées possèdent un important potentiel industriel et clinique, nous étudions maintenant leur intégration dans des dispositifs médicaux de pointe
Electrophysiology is the study of electrical and electrochemical signals generated by specific cells or whole organs. It gives doctors the opportunity to track the physiological behavior of a single neuron, as well as the integral brain. The recording of these activities is essential to diagnose and better understand diseases like cardiac arrhythmias, epilepsy, muscular degeneration and many more. In this thesis, we study different types of cutaneous electrodes based on organic materials, from conception to pre-clinical evaluation. Our approach is based on the usage of PEDOT:PSS conducting polymer and ionic gels in order to reduce impedance at the skin-electrode interface. Moreover, the substrate of our electrodes is made with different materials such as thin and conformable plastics and textiles. Our devices are then flexible, motion resistant and can be integrating into clothes. We developed new fabrication processes, considering the different substrates and organic materials specifics. The electrodes were characterized and then tested on human volunteers to show their excellent performance in comparison to standard medical electrodes. The evaluation of noise reduction capabilities and possibilities to perform long-term recordings were established on signals coming from muscles, heart and brain. Furthermore, we present a hundred micrometer-small “active” electrode, based on the organic electrochemical transistor. It enables in situ amplification and filtering of recorded signals. The wearable organic electrodes developed in this work are of great industrial and clinic interest. Future work will aim to integrate these technologies into state-of-the-art medical devices

Les prothèses neuronales implantables offrent de nos jours une réelle opportunité pour restaurer des fonctions perdues par des patients atteints de lésions cérébrales ou de la moelle épinière, en associant un canal non-musculaire au cerveau ce qui permet la connexion de machines au système nerveux. La fiabilité sur le long terme de ces dispositifs, se présentant sous la forme d'électrodes implantables, est un facteur crucial pour envisager des applications dans le domaine des interfaces cerveau-machine. Cependant, les électrodes actuelles pour l'enregistrement et la stimulation se détériorent en quelques mois voire quelques semaines. Ce défaut de fiabilité sur le long terme, principalement lié à une réaction chronique contre un corps étranger, est induit au départ par le traumatisme consécutif à l'insertion du dispositif et s'aggrave ensuite, durant les mouvements du cerveau, à cause des propriétés mécaniques inadaptées de l'électrode par rapport à celles du tissu. Au cours du temps, l'ensemble de ces facteurs inflammatoires conduit à l'encapsulation de l'électrode par une couche isolante de cellules réactives détériorant ainsi la qualité de l'interface entre le dispositif implanté et le tissu cérébral. Pour s'affranchir de ce phénomène, la biocompatibilité des matériaux et des procédés, ainsi que les propriétés mécaniques de l'électrode doivent être pris en considération. Durant cette thèse, nous avons abordé la question en développant un procédé de fabrication simple pour réaliser des dispositifs implantables souples en parylène. Les électrodes flexibles ainsi obtenues sont totalement biocompatibles et leur compliance est adaptée à celle du tissu cérébral ce qui limite fortement la réaction inflammatoire occasionnée par les mouvements du cerveau. Après avoir optimisé le procédé de fabrication, nous avons focalisé notre étude sur les performances du dispositif et sa stabilité. L'utilisation d'une grande densité d'électrodes micrométriques, avec un diamètre de 10 à 50 µm, permet de localiser les zones d'enregistrement en rendant possible, par exemple, la conversion d'un ensemble de signaux électrophysiologiques en une commande de mouvement. En contrepartie, la réduction de la taille des électrodes conduit à une augmentation de l'impédance ce qui dégrade la qualité d'enregistrement des signaux. Ici, un polymère conducteur organique, le poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, a été utilisé pour améliorer les caractéristiques électriques d'enregistrement d'électrodes de petites dimensions. Le PEDOT a été déposé sur la surface des électrodes par électrochimie avec une grande reproductibilité. Des dépôts homogènes avec des conductivités électriques très élevées ont été obtenus en utilisant différents procédés électrochimiques. Grâce à l'augmentation du rapport surface/volume induit par la présence de la couche de PEDOT, une diminution significative de l'impédance de l'électrode (jusqu'à 3 ordres de grandeur) a été obtenue sur une large plage de fréquences. De tests de vieillissement thermique accéléré ont également été effectués sans influence notable sur les propriétés électriques démontrant ainsi la stabilité de la couche de PEDOT durant plusieurs mois. Les dispositifs ainsi obtenus, fabriqués en parylène avec un dépôt de PEDOT sur la surface active des électrodes, ont été testés in vitro et in vivo sur des cerveaux de souris. Un meilleur rapport signal sur bruit a été mesuré durant des enregistrements neuronaux en comparaison avec des résultats obtenus avec des électrodes commerciales. En conclusion, la technologie décrite ici, associant stabilité sur le long terme et faible impédance, a permis d'obtenir des électrodes implantables parfaitement adaptées pour le développement d'interfaces neuronales chroniques
Implantable neural prosthetics devices offer, nowadays, a promising opportunity for the restoration of lost functions in patients affected by brain or spinal cord injury, by providing the brain with a non-muscular channel able to link machines to the nervous system. The long term reliability of these devices constituted by implantable electrodes has emerged as a crucial factor in view of the application in the "brain-machine interface" domain. However, current electrodes for recording or stimulation still fail within months or even weeks. This lack of long-term reliability, mainly related to the chronic foreign body reaction, is induced, at the beginning, by insertion trauma, and then exacerbated as a result of mechanical mismatch between the electrode and the tissue during brain motion. All these inflammatory factors lead, over the time, to the encapsulation of the electrode by an insulating layer of reactive cells thus impacting the quality of the interface between the implanted device and the brain tissue. To overcome this phenomenon, both the biocompatibility of materials and processes, and the mechanical properties of the electrodes have to be considered. During this PhD, we have addressed both issues by developing a simple process to fabricate soft implantable devices fully made of parylene. The resulting flexible electrodes are fully biocompatible and more compliant with the brain tissue thus limiting the inflammatory reaction during brain motions. Once the fabrication process has been completed, our study has been focused on the device performances and stability. The use of high density micrometer electrodes with a diameter ranging from 10 to 50 µm, on one hand, provides more localized recordings and allows converting a series of electrophysiological signals into, for instance, a movement command. On the other hand, as the electrode dimensions decrease, the impedance increases affecting the quality of signal recordings. Here, an organic conductive polymer, the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, has been used to improve the recording characteristics of small electrodes. PEDOT was deposited on electrode surfaces by electrochemical deposition with a high reproducibility. Homogeneous coatings with a high electrical conductivity were obtained using various electrochemical routes. Thanks to the increase of the surface to volume ratio provided by the PEDOT coating, a significant lowering of the electrode impedance (up to 3 orders of magnitude) has been obtained over a wide range of frequencies. Thermal accelerated ageing tests were also performed without any significant impact on the electrical properties demonstrating the stability of the PEDOT coatings over several months. The resulting devices, made of parylene with a PEDOT coating on the active surface of electrodes, have been tested in vitro and in vivo in mice brain. An improved signal to noise ratio during neural recording has been measured in comparison to results obtained with commercially available electrodes. In conclusion, the technology described here, combining long-term stability and low impedance, make these implantable electrodes suitable candidates for the development of chronic neural interfaces

A number of companies have developed a variety of network approaches to the transfer of audio and MIDI data. By doing this, they have addressed the configuration complications that were present when using direct patching for analogue audio, digital audio, word clock, and control connections. Along with their approaches, controlling software, usually running on a PC, is used to set up and manage audio routings from the outputs to the inputs of devices. However one of the advantages of direct patching is the conceptual simplicity it provides for a user in connecting plugs of devices, the ability to connect from the host plug of one device to the host plug of another. The connection management or routing applications of the current audio networks do not allow for such a capability, and instead employ what is referred to as a two-step approach to connection management. This two-step approach requires that devices be first configured at the transport layer of the network for input and output routings, after which the transmit and receive plugs of devices are manually configured to transmit or receive data. From a user’s point of view, it is desirable for the connection management or audio routing applications of the current audio networks to be able to establish routings directly between the host plugs of devices, and not the audio channels exposed by a network’s transport, as is currently the case. The main goal of this work has been to retain the conceptual simplicity of point-to-point connection management within digital audio networks, while gaining all the benefits that digital audio networking can offer.

L’enregistrement et la stimulation in vivo de l’activité neuronale peuvent aussi bien servir pour la recherche médicale que pour les interfaces cerveau-machine. Les dispositifs à base d’électronique organique sont de prometteurs candidats pour ce faire, grâce à leur flexibilité et leur biocompatibilité. Le contrôle local de l’activité neuronale est la clé de nombreuses stratégies thérapeutiques visant à traiter les troubles neurologiques. Une solution idéale serait donc de fabriquer un dispositif capable de détecter l’activité neuronale et, en réponse, d’injecter des molécules endogènes. L’un des objectifs de cette thèse est de s’attaquer à cette problématique à l’aide d’un dispositif permettant à la fois de stimuler les cellules, et de mesurer l’activité neuronale, au même endroit, à l’échelle cellulaire. Nous présentons un dispositif organique capable de délivrer précisément des neurotransmetteurs in vitro et in vivo. En convertissant un signal électrique en la délivrance de neurotransmetteurs, le dispositif mime le fonctionnement d’une synapse. Le neurotransmetteur inhibiteur, l’acide γ- aminobutyrique (GABA), est relargué au niveau des électrodes d’enregistrement par l’activation d’une pompe ionique électronique. L’injection du GABA engendre l’arrêt de l’activité épileptique qui a été enregistré au niveau des électrodes. Des dispositifs multifonctionnels ouvrent de nombreuses possibilités, incluant des dispositifs thérapeutiques avec des boucles de retour, avec lesquels l’enregistrement local de signaux régule la délivrance d’agents thérapeutiques. De plus, nous avons également réalisé pendant cette thèse l’intégration de transistors organiques sur un film organique ultra fin, pour mesurer les signaux électrophysiologiques in vivo à la surface d’un cerveau de rat. Le dispositif, implanté de façon épidurale, montre des résultats surpassant certains dispositifs subduraux de taille similaire, permettant ainsi une approche moins invasive et efficace pour mesurer l’activité neuronale
Recordings and stimulation of in vivo neural activity are necessary for diagnostic purposes and for brain-machine interfaces. Organic electronic devices constitute a promising candidate due to their mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility. Local control of neuronal activity is central to many therapeutic strategies aiming to treat neurological disorders. Arguably, the best solution would make use of endogenous highly localized and specialized regulatory mechanisms of neuronal activity, and an ideal therapeutic technology should sense activity and deliver endogenous molecules simultaneously to achieve the most efficient feedback regulation. Thus, there is a need for novel devices to specifically interface nerve cells. Here, we demonstrate an organic electronic device capable of precisely delivering neurotransmit- ters in vitro and in vivo. In converting electronic addressing into delivery of neurotransmit- ters, the device mimics the nerve synapse. The inhibitory neurotransmitter, -aminobutyric acid (GABA), was actively delivered and stopped epileptiform activity, recorded simultaneously and colocally. These multifunctional devices create a range of opportunities, including implantable therapeutic devices with automated feedback, where locally recorded signals regulate local release of specific therapeutic agents. In addition, we demonstrate the engineering of an organic electrochemical transistor embedded in an ultrathin organic film designed to record electrophysiological signals on the surface of the brain. The device was applied in vivo and epidurally implanted could reach capabilities beyond similar sized electrodes allowing minimally invasive monitoring of brain activity

Digital audio network technologies are becoming more prevalent in audio related environments. Yamaha Corporation has created a digital audio network solution, named mLAN (music Local Area Network), that uses IEEE 1394 as its underlying network technology. IEEE 1394 is a digital network technology that is specifically designed for real-time multimedia data transmission. The second generation of mLAN is based on the Plural Node Architecture, where the control of audio and MIDI routings between IEEE 1394 devices is split between two node types, namely an Enabler and a Transporter. The Transporter typically resides in an IEEE 1394 device and is solely responsible for transmission and reception of audio or MIDI data. The Enabler typically resides in a workstation and exposes an abstract representation of audio or MIDI plugs on each Transporter to routing control applications. The Enabler is responsible for configuring audio and MIDI routings between plugs on different Transporters. A Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) within the Enabler allows it to uniformly communicate with Transporters that are created by various vendors. A plug-in mechanism is used to provide this capability. When vendors create Transporters, they also create device-specific plug-ins for the Enabler. These plug-ins are created against a Transporter HAL Application Programming Interface (API) that defines methods to access the capabilities of Transporters. An Open Generic Transporter (OGT) guideline document which models all the capabilities of Transporters has been produced. These guidelines make it possible for manufacturers to create Transporters that make use of a common plug-in, although based on different hardware architectures. The introduction of the OGT concept has revealed additional Transporter capabilities that are not incorporated in the existing Transporter HAL API. This has led to the underutilisation of OGT capabilities. The main goals of this investigation have been to improve the Enabler’s plug-in mechanism, and to incorporate the additional capabilities that have been revealed by the OGT into the Transporter HAL API. We propose a new plug-in mechanism, and a new Transporter HAL API that fully utilises both the additional capabilities revealed by the OGT and the capabilities of existing Transporters.

The control of modern audio studios is complex. Audio mixing desks have grown to the point where they contain thousands of parameters. The control surfaces of these devices do not reflect the routing and signal processing capabilities that the devices are capable of. Software audio mixing desk editors have been developed that allow for the remote control of these devices, but their graphical user interfaces retain the complexities of the audio mixing desk that they represent. In this thesis, we propose a grid approach to audio mixing. The developed grid audio mixing desk editor represents an audio mixing desk as a series of graphical routing matrices. These routing matrices expose the various signal processing points and signal flows that exist within an audio mixing desk. The routing matrices allow for audio signals to be routed within the device, and allow for the device’s parameters to be adjusted by selecting the appropriate signal processing points. With the use of the programming interfaces that are defined as part of the Studio Connections – Total Recall SDK, the audio mixing desk editor was integrated with compatible DAW applications to provide persistence of audio mixing desk parameter states. Many audio studios currently use digital networks to connect audio devices together. Audio and control signals are patched between devices through the use of software patchbays that run on computers. We propose a double grid-based FireWire patchbay aimed to simplify the patching of signals between audio devices on a FireWire network. The FireWire patchbay was implemented in such a way such that it can host software device editors that are Studio Connections compatible. This has allowed software device editors to be associated with the devices that are represented on the FireWire patchbay, thus allowing for studio wide control from a single application. The double grid-based patchbay was implemented such that it can be hosted by compatible DAW applications. Through this, the double grid-based patchbay application is able to provide the DAW application with the state of the parameters of the devices in a studio, as well as the connections between them. The DAW application may save this state data to its native song files. This state data may be passed back to the double grid-based patchbay when the song file is reloaded at a later stage. This state data may then be used by the patchbay to restore the parameters of the patchbay and its device editors to a previous state. This restored state may then be transferred to the hardware devices being represented by the patchbay.

The hippocampal formation forms a circuit of cytoarchitectonically distinct subregions, and substantial evidence suggests each region makes unique computational contributions that support spatial and episodic memory. With aging, hippocampal subfields undergo unique neurobiological alterations, and primate in vivo work making use of both MR imaging and chronic neural recording devices has important links to changes seen in nonprimate animal models with aging (Thome et al., 2016; Yassa et al., 2011a; Yassa et al., 2010). While MRI offers a noninvasive way to study the hippocampal subfields, identifying hippocampal subregions without using post mortem histology is a challenge. When different research labs attempted to identify the hippocampal subregions using a single subject’s MRI, researchers showed significant disagreement in where to label different subregions (Yushkevich et al., 2015a). Alternatively, chronic neural recording devices offer an invasive solution to studying hippocampal subfields. However, it is currently not clear whether the mechanical trauma and foreign body response produced by neural recording devices disrupts neural circuits critical for behavior. Here, my colleagues and I address these issues with in vivo primate research. Chapter I provides a general introduction to the hippocampal circuits and changes observed in aging. Chapter II presents novel methods for construction of a histology-driven MRI atlas of nonhuman primate hippocampus that addresses accurate identification of hippocampal subfields in MR images. Chapter III presents empirical work that examines whether chronic neural recording devices targeted at the hippocampus affect recognition memory. Finally, Chapter IV provides a general discussion of both works in the context of the broader literature.

The Neolithic in the Near East was a crucial transitional period, evidencing the appearance of the world’s first permanent farming villages, alongside significant changes in social structure, subsistence and artistic expression. This thesis focuses on an enigmatic artefact type; small, geometric clay objects, or “tokens”. “Tokens” appear in the 10th millennium BC, and by the late Neolithic they are present in abundance at large numbers of sites across the region, yet absent at others. The timing of the appearance of “tokens” is significant; however, until recently, the potential importance of these objects was often unrecognised. Schmandt-Besserat’s research (1992a, 1992b, 1996) represents the only comprehensive study on the subject. She claims “tokens” are mnemonic recording devices, appearing to meet the administrative needs of the first sedentary farming communities, eventually developing into the world’s earliest known written script. Though her interpretation is widely accepted, her evidence hails entirely from sites distant in space and time from where these objects initially appeared, and there is no solid evidence supporting the notion that Neolithic “tokens” formed a unified agricultural administrative framework. This thesis considers the classification, form and function of “tokens”, as well as their temporal and spatial distribution across sites, their find contexts and the relationship between them, sealings and stamp seals. It re-evaluates the validity of Schmandt-Besserat’s theory alongside alternative interpretations, including children’s toys, gaming pieces, administrative counting aids, and more complex accounting tools. Almost 3,000 “tokens” from three well documented case-study sites (Boncuklu Höyük, Çatalhöyük, Tell Sabi Abyad) and twenty less complete assemblages were studied in detail, recording their shape, dimensions, manufacture, use-wear, the find contexts, associated objects and the characteristics of the sites where they are found. This was complimented by a broader level survey charting the presence, number or absence of “tokens” at fifty-six additional sites. This study has shown that there is no correlation between “token” distribution according to region, time period, site size, or on-site activities. The range of shapes, degree of standardization and assemblage composition varies greatly from site to site, with little regional, temporal or other correlation. Variability is also evidenced in the nature of sites yielding “tokens”, and the immediate contexts in which they are found (e.g. refuse contexts, domestic contexts, administrative contexts, possible ritual contexts). Their generally large numbers when present, variability of deposition, high proportion found in disposal contexts, their simple shape and often crude appearance proves “tokens” were quickly and easily made, and disposed of as readily. All evidence supports the interpretation of “tokens” as multi-functional artefacts, fulfilling a variety of uses within and across settlements. Though sometimes used in accounting, they were not created to administer agricultural produce and were not part of a unified symbolic system. As objects they operated with fluidity of function and interpretation, with imbued value and meaning.

U poslednjih nekoliko decenija, feroelektrici su prepoznati kao dobri kandidatiza širok spektar primene. Barijum titanat je jedan od najčešće istraživanihperovskitnih materijala usled tipičnog feroelektričnog ponašanja na sobnojtemperaturi, sa histerezisnom zavisnosti između polarizacije i električnog polja.Specifična svojstva BaTiO₃ čine ovaj materijal veoma korisnim u proizvodnjikondenzatora, memorija, senzora i dr. Pored toga, paraelektrična faza BaTiO₃ima primenu u proizvodnji mikrotalasnih tunabilnih uređaja. BaTiO₃ pokazujeparalaketrično ponašanje iznad Kirijeve temperature (120°C) i veliki je izazovmodifikovati materijal da bude paraelektričan na sobnoj temperaturi. Delimičnomsupstitucijom Ba²⁺ ili Ti⁴⁺ jona, jonima Sr²⁺ ili Zr⁴⁺, respektivno, snižavase Kirijeva temperatura i dolazi do pomeranja fazne transformacije feroelektrično/paraelektrično na niže temperature. Monolitna keramika na bazi baziBaTiO₃ je često istraživana kako bi se ispitale promene u strukturi i svojstvimauzrokovane dodatkom dopanata, međutim ne postoji praktična primena ovihmaterijala u mikrotalasnim tunabilnim tehnologijama. S druge strane, u trendusveopšte minijaturizacije elektronskih komponenti, tanki filmovi su prepoznatikao dobri kandidati za proizvodnju tunabilnih uređaja. Jedan od ciljeva ovogistraživanja bio je ispitivanje strukturnih i funkcinalnih svojstava tankih filmova nabazi barijum titanata, BaTiO₃, Ba_1-xSr_xTiO₃ (x=0,1, 0,2, 0,3 i 0,4) i BaTi_1-xZr_xO₃(x=0,1 i 0,2), pripremljenih hemijskom depozicijom iz tečne faze. Metalnesoli BaCO₃, C₄H₆O₄Sr i ZrOCl₂ H₂O i Ti(OCH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃)₄ rastvorene suodvojeno u kiseloj sredini i pomešane u transparentne solove. Inkdžet štampai spin tehnika koršćene su za depoziciju funkcionalnih filmova na bazi BaTiO₃.Nakon deponovanja, pripremljeni filmovi su termički tretirani na različitimtemperaturama do 1000°C. U zavisnosti od koncentracije pripremljeni su filmovidebljine od 100 do 700 nm,sa veličinom zrna od nekoliko desetina nanometara. Strukturna karakterizacija potvrdila je promene u strukturi BaTiO₃ tankih filmovasa dodatkom Sr²⁺ i Zr⁴⁺. Tetragonalna (feroelektrična) faza BaTiO₃ je potvrđenarentgenostrukturnom analizom i Ramanovom spektroskopijom. S druge strane,smanjenje tetragonalnosti je primećeno kod dopiranih uzoraka. Promene ufunkcionalnosti dopiranih BaTiO₃ filmova analizirane su na osnovu dielektričnihi feroelektričnih merenja. Izvršene analize su potvrdile feroelektrično ponašanjekod BaTiO₃, dok se feroelektrični odgovor u tankim filmovima smanjuje sadopiranjem. Priprema elektroda specifičnih geometrija pogodnih za tunabilnamerenja različitim tehnikama depozicije bio je drugi cilj istraživanja. Tehnika spaterovanja u kombinaciji sa laserskim uklanjanjem, inkdžet štampa i fotolitografijasu korišćene za pripremu kružnih i koplanarnih elektroda na površini barijumtitanatnih tankih filmova. Uticaj procesnih parametara svake od pomenutihmetoda na dimenzionalnu preciznost pripremljenih elektroda je bio predmet istraživanjau okviru teze. Odabrani laser se pokazao kao neprikladan za pripremuelektroda na pripremljenim barijum titanatnim tankim filmovima. Inkdžet štampase pokazala kao korisna u pripremi elektroda mikrometarskih fimenzija, dok je zapripremu sofisticiranijih geometrija fotolitografija pokazala najbolje performanse.
In past few decades, ferroelectrics are recognized as good candidates for widerange of applications. Barium titanate is one of the most investigated perovskitematerials due to typical ferroelectric behavior at room temperature, with hysteresisdependence of the polarization and electric field. Specified propertiesof BaTiO₃ make this material useful in production of capacitors, memories,sensors, etc. Nevertheless, paraelectric phase of BaTiO₃ may have applicationin production of microwave tunable devices. Barium titanate shows paraelectricbehavior at temperatures above the Currie temperature (120 °C) and it is greatchallenge to make material paraelectric at room temperature. Partial substitutionof Ba²⁺ or Ti⁴⁺ ions, by Sr²⁺ or Zr⁴⁺, respectively, decreases the Currie temperatureof barium titanate and moves phase transition ferroelectric/paraelectricto lower temperatures. Bulk BaTiO₃ was often investigated in order to improvestructure and functionality by addition of dopant, but do not have practicalapplication in microwave tunable technologies. On the other hand, with thetrend of overall miniaturization of electronic devices, thin films are recognizedas good candidates for production of tunable devices. One of the aims in thisresearch was investigation of structural and functional properties of bariumtitanate based thin films, BaTiO₃, Ba_1-xSrxTiO₃ (x=0,1, 0,2, 0,3 i 0,4) andBaTi_1-xZrxO₃ (x=0,1 i 0,2), prepared by chemical solution deposition. Metalsalts of BaCO₃, C₄H₆O₄Sr and ZrOCl₂ H₂O and Ti(OCH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃)₄ wereseparetly disolved in acetic environment and mixed in clear transparent sols.Inkjet printing and spin coating were used for deposition of functional BaTiO3based fims. After deposition prepared films were thermally treated at differenttemperatures up to 1000 °C. In dependence of sol concentration thickness ofobtained films is from 100 to 700 nm and grain size is few tens of nanometers. Structural characterization confirmed changes in structure of barium titanate thinfilms by addition of Sr^₂₊ i Zr⁴⁺. Tetragonal (ferroelectric) phase of BaTiO₃ isconfirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. On the other hand, decreasingof tetragonality was noticed in doped samples. Changes in functionalityof doped BaTiO₃ thin films were analyzed by dielectric and ferroelectric measurements.Performed analysis confirmed ferroelectric behavior of barium titanatethin films, and decrease in ferroelectric answer of doped films. Investigation ofpossibility of complex shaped electrodes preparation,suitable for tunability measurements, by different deposition techniques was the second goal of this research.Sputtering technique in combination with laser removal, inkjet printing and photolithography were used for preparation of complex circular and coplanar electrodeson the surface of barium titanate based thin films. Influence of processingparameters for the each of mentioned technique on dimensional precision of preparedelectrodes was investigated. Selected laser was not appropriate for productionof electrodes on prepared barium titanate based thin films. Inkjet printingwas useful for production of electrodes in micrometer range, but for more sophisticatedgeometries photolithography shows the best performance.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the efficiency interventions in traffic accidents of the integrated rescue system. The thesis contains the evaluation if changing the system can improve the effectiveness of operations leading to save lives, health, property and the environment or minimize adverse impacts which are caused by an accident. The evaluation of the capability of recording devices to clarify the causes of traffic accident and their applications in the forensic engineering are also described.

UVOD: Komplikacije terminalne bubrežne isuficijencije (TBI) kada se jačina glomerularne filtracije (JGF) smanji ispod 10 mL/min moguće je lečiti jedino hroničnom dijalizom ili transplantacijom bubrega tj. nadoknadom potpuno ili delimično izgubljene bubrežne funkcije. Uz blagovremenu edukaciju bolesnika o progresivnom toku hronične bubrežne bolesti, mogućnostima dijaliznog tretmana i transplantacije bubrega, treba na vreme obezbediti stalni funkcionalni vaskularni pristup za hemodijalizu (HD) hirurškom intervencijom kreiranja arteriovenske fistule (AVF), po mogućnosti najmanje 6 meseci pre anticipiranog započinjanja HD, jer je za njenu maturaciju potrebno 4 do 6 nedelja. Primarna AVF je opštepreporučeni najbolji stalni vaskularni pristup za bolesnike kod kojih se planira hemodijaliza. Najčešći razlog za disfunkciju vaskularnog pristupa za hemodijalizu su u 80% slučajeva trombozne komplikacije, koje se u 90% slučajeva javljaju na venskom segmentu AVF i posledica su progresivne venske neointimalne hiperplazije. Pored histoloških karakteristika zida venskog krvnog suda i hemodinamskih uslova, u etiopatogenezi ovog »adaptivnog odgovora« vrlo značajnu ulogu igraju endotel i ostale komponente hemostaznog sistema (trombocitna, koagulaciona i fibrinolizna), imunološki i citološki činioci i genetski faktori. Prevencija nastanka rane tromboze vaskularnog pristupa za hemodijalizu kod bolesnika sa TBI je moguća primenom antitromboznih lekova, tj. antitrombocitne ili antikoagulantne terapije. CILJ: Proceniti efikasnost primenjenih antitromboznih lekova (tiklopidina i nadroparin-kalcijuma) u prevenciji nastanka rane tromboze/afunkcionalnosti AVF za hemodijalizu za vreme njene maturacije unutar 6 nedelja od kreiranja u bolesnika sa TBI. Ispitati nivo biomarkera hemostaznog sistema i markere trombofilije u bolesnika sa TBI pre kreiranja AVF u cilju dopune uzroka nastanka rane tromboze/afunkcionalnosti arteriovenskih fistula za hemodijalizu. Ispitati učestalost trombofilije i njen uticaj na funkcionalnost AVF i uporediti efikasnost primenjenih preventivnih režima između bolesnika sa i bez trombofilije. MATERIJAL I METODE: U ispitivanje su uključene osobe oba pola sa prethodno postavljenom dijagnozom TBI kod kojih nisu postojale kontraindikacije za planirno hirurško kreiranje prvog stalnog vaskularnog pristupa za hemodijalizu u vidu autologne arteriovenske fistule (AAVF). Nakon hirurškog kreiranja radiocefalične arteriovenske fisule u distalnoj trećini podlaktice nedominantne ruke (89/121), intermedijalne (4/121) ili proksimalne (28/121) AAVF u studiju je uključen 121 ispitanik, koji su u cilju procene uticaja različitih antitromboznih lekova na sprečavanje nastanka rane tromboze fistula za hemodijalizu kod bolesnika sa TBI ispitanici su podeljeni u 3 grupe: Grupa I, kontrolna; 40 ispitanika koji nakon kreiranja AVF nisu dobijali antitromboznu terapiju, Grupa II; 42 ispitanika kod kojih je dan nakon kreiranja AVF započeta primena antitrombocitnog leka iz grupe tienopiridina, Ticlodix® (ticlopidin) tbl a 250 mg, 2 x ½ tbl dnevno tokom 6 nedelja i Grupa III; 39 ispitanika kod kojih je dan nakon kreiranja AVF započeta subkutana primena antikoagulantnog leka iz grupe niskomolekularnih heparina, Fraxiparine® (nadroparin-kalcijum) 2850 anti Xa i.j. (0.3 ml) dnevno tokom 6 nedelja. Jednokratno određivanje laboratorijskih parametara pokazatelja bubrežne funkcije, metabolizma glukoze i hroničnog zapaljenja, funkcionalnosti hemostaznog sistema, trombofilnih markera i genskog polimorfizma vršeno je unutar dve nedelje pre hirurškog kreiranja AAVF. Kriterijum za utvrđivanje ishoda uticaja antitrombozne terpije predstavlja maturacija AVF koja je definisana kao uspešna ako je započeto sprovođenje efikasne hemodijalize najranije 6 nedelja nakon njenog hirurškog kreiranja po proceni nadležnog nefrologa. Dijagnoza prisustva tromboze AVF postavljena je od strane nadležnog vaskularnog hirurga/nefrologa fizikalnim pregledom tokom njene maturacije, koji je podrazumevao inspekciju, palpatorno utvrđivanje odsustva karakterističnog trila i auskultatornih karakteristika protočnosti AVF ili ultarsonografskim pregledom od strane radiologa. REZULTATI: Između ispitivanih grupa u odnosu na broj tromboziranih/ afunkcionalnih AVF tokom njene maturacije (12/40 vs. 4/42 vs. 5/39; P=0.033), ustanovljena je značajna statistička razlika kao i poređenjem broja tromboziranih/afunkcionalnih AVF tokom sazrevanja u kontrolnoj grupi u odnosu na grupu ispitanika (objedinjene Grupe II i Grupa III) koja je primala antitromboznu profilaksu (12/40 vs. 9/81; P=0.009). Daljom analizom ispitivanih grupa, utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika u broju tromboziranih/afunkcionih AV fistula između kontrolne Grupe I i Grupe II (P=0.019). Testiranjem razlike u broju tromboziranih/ afunkcionalnih AVF između ispitanika kontrolne Grupe I i Grupe III nije dobijena statistički značajna razlika, kao ni između Grupe II i Grupe III. Zastupljenost broja tromboziranih/afunkcionalnih distalnih AVF za vreme njihove maturacije (12/33 vs 2/31 vs. 3/24; P=0.008) se između ispitivanih grupa značajno statistički razlikovala kao i zastupljenost tromboziranih/afunkcionalnih distalnih AVF tokom sazrevanja u kontrolnoj grupi u odnosu na grupu ispitanika koja je primala antitromboznu profilaksu (12/34 vs. 5/55; P=0.002). Testiranjem statističke razlike u broju tromboziranih/afunkcionalnih distalnih AVF između ispitanika kontrolne Grupe I i Grupe II utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika (P=0.005), dok između Grupe I i Grupe III (P=0.051), kao ni između Grupe II i Grupe III (P=0.439) nije dobijena statistički značajna razlika. Između podgrupa ispitanika kod kojih je došlo do tromboze/afunkcionalnosti AVF 21/121 (17.35%) i podgrupe ispitanika sa funkcionalno maturiranom AVF 90/121 (82.64%), značajna statistička razlika ispitanih hemostaznih parametara je bila prisutna u vrednostima agregabilnosti trombocita uz kolagen kao induktor (59.33±33.1 vs. 75.04±29.6; P=0.033). Značajna statistička razlika je zabeležena i u zastupljenosti sledećih trombofilnih markera: deficita PC (3/21 vs. 3/100; P=0.030), APC-R (4/21 vs. 5/100; P=0.026), prisustva antifosfolipidnih ACL IgM antitela (1/21 vs. 0/100; P=0.028), heterozigotnog polimorfizma FV G1691A (3/21 vs. 3/100; P=0.03) i homozigotne mutacije gena FII G20210A (1/21 vs. 0/100; P=0.028), između podgrupa bolesnika sa tromboziranom afunkcionalnom i funkcionalnom AVF. Takođe je značajna statistička razlika između podgrupa bolesnika kod kojih je došlo tromboze/afunkcionalnosti AVF i podgrupe ispitanika sa funkcionalno maturiranom AVF bila prisutna u odnosu na postojanje ranijih tromboza (23/21 vs 19/100; P=0.000) kao i zastupljenosti izolovanih venskih tromboza (9/21 vs. 2/100; P=0.000). Prediktivni potencijal pojedinačnih parametara za maturaciju AVF ispitan je univarijantnom logističkom regresionom analizom. Prilikom ispitivanja uticaja pojedinačnih parametara na maturaciju fistule, zapazili smo da su ispitanici koji su primali antitromboznu terapiju imali 3 puta veću šansu za funkcionalno maturiranu AVF [OR 3.45 (1.3-9.03)] u odnosu na bolesnike bez terapije. Ispitanici koji su imali prethodne tromboze su imali višestruko povišen rizik [OR 6.92 (2.51-19.06)] za nastanak tromboze/afunkcionalnost AVF tokom maturacije. Prilikom ispitivanja uticaja pojedinačnih parametara na rizik od pojave tromboze/afunkcionalnosti distalne AVF, zapažamo da primena antitrombozne terapije [OR 5.4 (CI 1.7 - 17.35)] petostruko snižava rizik za nastanak tromboze/ afunkcionalnosti distalne AVF, odnosno da primena antitrombozne terapije petostruko povećava šansu za adekvatnu maturaciju distalne AVF. Ispitanici koji su imali aterosklerotske KVB [OR 0.32 (0.1-0.98)] i ranije tromboze [OR 0.14 (0.04-0.44)] su imali za 68% i 86% manju verovatnoću za adekvatnu maturaciju distalne AVF (334). Trombofilija je bila prisutna u 59/121 (48.8%) ispitanika. U odnosu na markere aktivacije koagulacione komponente hemostaznog sistema i inflamatorne pokazatelje, između podgrupa ispitanika sa ili bez trombofilije statistički značajna razlika je bila prisutna u vrednostima koncentracije FVIII (170.35±103.97 vs. 235.26±124.80; P=0.02) i odnosa trombociti/limfociti (181±64.58 vs. 148.11±66.15; P=0.026). U odnosu na lokalizaciju AVF, u podgrupi ispitanika sa trombofilijom i tromboziranom/ afunkcionalnom AVF, njih 8/11 su pripadale distalnim AVF, 3/11 proksimalnim AVF, dok je u podgrupi ispitanika bez trombofilije i tromboziranom/afunkcionalnom AVF, njih 9/10 imalo distalnu, a 1/10 proksimalnu AVF. U grupi bolesnika sa trombofilijom nije zabeleženo prisustvo statistički značajne razlike u efikasnosti primenjenih antitromboznih režima merene učestalošću tromboza/afunkcionalnosti AVF u odnosu na bolesnike sa trombofilijom koji nisu primali antitromboznu terapiju (5/19 vs. 2/18 vs. 4/22; P=0.493). U grupi ispitanika bez trombofilije utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajne razlike u učestalosti tromboza/afunkcionalnosti AVF između grupe sa i bez primene antitromboznih lekova kako u ukupnom broju tromboziranih/afunkcionalnih AVF (7/21 vs. 2/24 vs. 1/17; P=0.030). Iako je zastupljenost tromboza/afunkcionalnosti AVF u bolesnika sa kombinovanom trombofilijom češća u odnosu na ispitanike koji su imali drugu vrstu ili uopšte nisu imali trombofiliju (6/18 vs. 15/103; P=0.052), ona nije dostigla statistički značajnu vrednost. ZAKLJUČAK: Profilaktička primena antitromboznih lekova (tiklopidina i nadroparin-kalcijuma) smanjuje učestalost pojave rane tromboze i pojavu primarne nefunkcionalnosti AVF za hemodijalizu tokom njene maturacije. Primena antitrombozne terapije petostruko snižava rizik za nastanak tromboze/ afunkcionalnosti distalne AVF tokom njene maturacije. Bolesnici koji su imali prethodne tromboze imaju višestruko povišen rizik za nastanak tromboze AVF tokom njene maturacije. Kod bolesnika koji su imali aterosklerotske KVB i ranije tromboze verovatnoća za adekvatnu maturaciju distalne AVF je niža za 68% , odnosno 86%. U našem istraživanju nije utvrđeno postojanje superiornosti antikoagulantne u odnosu na antitrombocitnu profilaksu tj. oba primenjena režima su bila podjednako efikasna. U terminalnoj bubrežnoj insuficijenciji prisutan je značajan poremećaj funkcionalnosti hemostaznog sistema koji se očituje u disfunkciji endotela i poremećenoj (sniženoj) funkcionalnosti trombocita, prisustvu prokoagulantnog stanja koje se manifestuje povišenom trombinskom aktivnošću, povišenom koncentracijom činilaca koagulacije i smanjenom fibrinoliznom aktivnošću. Češća zastupljenost ukupnih ranijih tromboza (arterijskih i venskih), češća zastupljenost izolovanih venskih tromboza i učestalije prisustvo trombofilije prezentovano deficitom PC, prisustvom rezistencije na APC, prisusustvom antifosfolipidnih antikardiolipinskih antitela IgM, heterozigotnog polimorfizma FV G1691A, homozigotne mutacije FII G201210A i niža vrednost agregabilnosti trombocita uz kolagen kao induktor su markeri koji su u našem ispitivanju signifikantno češće zastupljeni kod ispitanika sa trombozom/ afunkcijom AVF za hemodijalizu tokom njenog sazrevanja. Trombofilija je prisutna kod 48.8% bolesnika saTBI, ali našim ispitivanjem nije utvrđen njen uticaj na nastanak rane tromboze/afunkcionalnosti AVF izuzev u grupi bolesnika sa kombinovanom trombofilijom. Mali broj krvarećih komplikacija u našoj studiji ukazuje na bezbednost primenjenog preventivnog režima. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata može se preporučiti profilaktička primena tiklopidina ili nadroparin-kalcijuma u preventivnim dozama kod bolesnika sa TBI neposredno nakon kreiranja AVF. Primenu profilakse tromboznih komplikacija kod bolesnika sa novokreiranom AVF preporučujemo posebno kod bolesnika koji su imali prethodne tromboze i/ili kliničke manifestacije aterosklerotskih kardiovaskularnih bolesti.
INTRODUCTION: Complications in end stage renal disease (ESRD) when the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases below 10mL/min can only be treated by chronic dialysis or kidney transplant ie. total or partial renal replacement therapy. With prompt education of the patient regarding the progressive course of the chronic kidney disease, possibilities of dialysis treatment and kidney transplantation, the patient should timely be granted permanent functional vascular hemodialysis (HD) access through surgical intervention by creating arteriovenous fistula (AVF), preferably at least 6 months prior to the anticipated start of HD, as period for its maturation is between 4 and 6 weeks. Primary AVF is the generally best recommended permanent vascular access for patients planned for dialysis. The most common reason for dysfunction of the vascular access for hemodialysis are thrombotic complications in 80% of the cases, 90% of which appear in the venous segment of AVF as the consequence of progressive venous neointimal hyperplasia. Beside the histological characteristics of the venous blood vessel wall and hemodynamic conditions, in the etiopathogenesis of this “adaptive answer”, endothel and other components of the hemostatic system (platelet, coagulation and fibrinolysis), immunological and cytological components as well as genetic factors play a very important role. Prevention of occurrence of early thrombosis of vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with ESRD is possible by treatment with antithrombotic drugs, ie. antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. OBJECTIVE: Estimate the efficiency of applied antithrombotic drugs (ticlopidine and nadroparincalcium) in prevention of occurrence of early thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF for hemodialysis during its time of maturation within the 6 week period. Examine the level of biomarkers of the hemostatic system and thrombophilic markers in patients with ESRD before the creation of AVF with the goal of finding additional causes of occurrence of early thrombosis/dysfunction of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis. Determine the incidence of thrombophilia and its impact on the functionality of AVF and compare the efficiency of applied preventive regimen between patients with and without thrombophilia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included persons of both sexes with previously established diagnosis of ESRD in which there were no contraindications for the planned surgical creation of the first permanent vascular access for hemodialysis in the form of autologous arteriovenous fistula (AAVF). After the surgical creation of the radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula in the distal third of the forearm of the non-dominant hand (89/121), intermedial (4/121) or proximal (28/121) AAVF, the total number of 121 patients were included in the study and divided into three groups in order to estimate the influence of different antithrombotic drugs in prevention of early thrombosis for hemodialysis in patients with ESRD: Group I, control; 40 subjects which did not receive antithrombotic therapy after the creation of AVF, Group II; 42 subjects which started receiving an antithrombotic drug from the tienopiridine group, Ticlodix® (ticlopidine) 2 x ½ of 250mg tbl, daily, during the period of 6 weeks, after the creation of AVF, and Group III; 39 subjects which started subcutaneously receiving a drug from the low-molecular weight herapin group, Fraxiparine® (nadroparine-calcium) 2850 anti Xa i.j. (0.3 ml) daily, during the period of 6 weeks. One-time determination of laboratory parameters and renal function, glucose metabolism and chronic inflammation, hemostatic system functionality, thrombophilic markers and gene polymorphism was performed within two weeks prior to surgical creation of AAVF. The criteria for determining the outcome of the impact of antithrombotic therapy is the maturation of AVF, which is defined as successful if the implementation of effective hemodialysis started at least 6 weeks after its creation, where the effectiveness of hemodialysis is estimated by a competent nephrologist. The diagnosis of the presence of AVF thrombosis was set by a competent vascular surgeon/nephrologist through physical examination during its maturation, which included inspection, palpatory determination of absence of the characteristic thrill and auscultatory characteristics of the flow of AVF, or by ultrasonographic examination by the radiologist. RESULTS: Between the groups in terms of number of thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF during its maturation (12/40 vs. 4/42 vs. 5/39, P = 0.033), a significant statistical difference was established, as well as by comparing the number of thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF during maturation in the control group compared to the group of respondents (unified Group II and Group III) which received antithrombotic prophylaxis (12/40 vs. 9/81, P = 0.009). Through further analysis of the examined groups, a statistically significant difference was observed in the number of thrombosed/dysfunctional AV fistula between the control Group I and Group II (P = 0.019). There was no statistically significant difference noticed in the numbers of thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF between the subjects in the control Group I and Group III, as well as between Group II and Group III. Presence of the number of thrombosed/dysfunctional distal AVF during their maturation (12/33 vs 2/31 vs. 3/24, P = 0.008) between the groups statistically significantly varied, as well as the presence of the number of thrombosed/dysfunctional distal AVF during the maturation in the control group as compared to the group of subjects who received antithrombotic prophylaxis (12/34 vs. 5/55; P=0.002). By testing statistical differences in the number of thrombosed/dysfunctional distal AVF between the subjects in the control Group I and Group II a statistically significant difference (P = 0.005) was established, while there was no statistically significant difference between Group I and Group III (P = 0.051), nor between Group II and Group III (P = 0.439). Among the subgroup of patients with thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF 21/121 (17.35%) and the subgroup of subjects with functionally maturated AVF 90/121 (82.64%), a statistically significant difference of the examined hemostasis parameters was present in the values of platelet aggregation with collagen as the inducer (59.33 ± 75.04 vs. 33.1 ± 29.6; P = 0.033). A significant statistical difference was recorded in the presence of the following thrombophilic markers: deficit of PC (3/21 vs. 3/100; P = 0.030), APC-R (4/21 vs. 5/100; P = 0.026), the presence of antiphospholipid ACL IgM antibodies ( 1/21 vs. 0/100; P = 0.028), heterozygous FV G1691A polymorphism (3/21 vs. 3/100; P = 0.03) and homozygous gene mutation FII G20210A (1/21 vs. 0/100; P = 0.028), between the subgroups of patients with thrombosed/dysfunctional and functional AVF. There also was a significant statistical difference between the groups of patients which encountered thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF and subgroups of subjects with functional maturated AVF in relation to the existence of previous thrombosis (23/21 vs. 19/100; P = 0.000) and the presence of isolated venous thrombosis (9/21 vs. 2/100; P = 0.000). Predictive potential of individual parameters for AVF maturation was tested by univariate logistic regression analysis. During the examination of the influence of individual parameters on fistula maturation, we observed that subjects who received antithrombotic therapy were 3 times more likely to develop functionally maturated AVF [OR 3.45 (1.3-9.03)] as compared to subjects who did not receive any treatment. Subjects which previously had thrombosis had a multiple times increased risk [OR 6.92 (2:51 to 19:06)] of developing thrombosis/dysfunctional AVF during its maturation. When examining the influence of individual parameters on the risk of thrombosis/dysfunction of the distal AVF, we noted that the implementation of antithrombotic therapy [OR 5.4 (CI 1.7 - 17:35)] reduced risk of thrombosis/dysfunction of the distal AVF by five times, ie. that the implementation of antithrombotic therapy increases the chance for adequate distal AVF maturation by five times. The subjects that had atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) [OR 0.32 (0.1-0.98)] or previous thrombosis [OR 0.14 (0.04-00.44)] had a 68% or 86% less chance for adequate distal AVF maturation (334). Thrombophilia was present in 59/121 (48.8%) patients. In relation to the markers of activation of coagulation components of the hemostatic system and inflammatory markers, among subgroups of subjects with or without thrombophilia a statistically significant difference was present in the FVIII concentration (170.35 ± 103.97 vs. 235.26 ± 124.80; P = 0.02) and the platelets/lymphocytes ratio (181 ± 64.58 vs. 148.11 ± 66.15; P = 0.026). In relation to the localization of AVF, in the subgroup of subjects with thrombophilia and thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF, 8/11 of them belonged to distal AVF, 3/11 proximal AVF, while in the subgroup of subjects without thrombophilia and thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF, had 9/10 distal and 1/10 proximal AVF. In the group of subjects with thrombophilia there was no record of the presence of statistically significant differences in the efficiency of antithrombotic regimen which was measured by the frequency of thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF as compared to subjects with thrombophilia which did not receive antithrombotic therapy (5/19 vs. 2/18 vs. 4/22, P = 0.493). In the group of subjects without thrombophilia statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of thrombosis/dysfunctions of AVF among groups with and without the use of antithrombotic drugs in the total number of thrombosed/dysfunctional AVF (7/21 vs. 2/24 vs. 1/17, P = 0.030). Although the presence of thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF in patients with combined thrombophilia was more frequent compared to those who had other types of, or did not have thrombophilia (6/18 vs. 15/103; P = 0.052), it did not reach a statistically significant value. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic use of antithrombotic drugs (ticlopidine and nadroparin-calcium) reduces the incidence of early thrombosis and the occurrence of primary AVF dysfunction for hemodialysis during its maturation. Implementation of antithrombotic therapy reduced risk of thrombosis/ dysfunction of the distal AVF during its maturation by five times. Patients who have had previous thrombosis have multiple times greater risk of AVF thrombosis during its maturation. In patients who had atherosclerotic CVD or previous thrombosis, the probability for adequate maturation of distal AVF is lower by 68% or 86%. In our study there was no evidence of superiority of anticoagulant compared to antiplatelet prophylaxis ie. both regimens were equally effective. In ESRD there is significant disarrangement of hemostatic system functionality, which is reflected in endothelial dysfunction and disturbed (reduced) platelet functionality, the presence of procoagulant condition that is manifested by elevated thrombin activity, increased levels of clotting factors and reduced fibrinolytic activity. More frequent presence of total previous thrombosis (arterial and venous), higher frequency of isolated venous thrombosis and frequent presence of thrombophilia presented by the deficit of PC, the presence of resistance to APC, presence of anticardiolipin antiphospholipid antibodies IgM, heterozygous FV G1691A polymorphism, homozygous mutation FII G201210A and lower value of collagen induced platelet aggregation are the markers in our study which are significantly more frequent in patients with thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF for hemodialysis during its maturation. Thrombophilia is present in 48.8% of patients with ESRD, however our study does not determine its impact on early thrombosis/dysfunction of AVF except in the group of patients with combined thrombophilia. A small number of bleeding complications in our study points to the safety of the applied preventive regimen. Based on the obtained results, prophylactic use of ticlopidine or nadroparin-calcium in preventive doses can be recommended for patients with ESRD immediately after AVF creation. Prophylactic treatment of thrombotic complications in patients with newly created AVF is recommended especially in patients who have had previous thrombosis and/or clinical manifestations of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

У раду je обрађен проблем мерења високог напона и струје у несинусидалној високонапонској мрежи, стање технике, предлог решења које подразумева неконвенционални начин мерења ових величина, практично израђен прототип и извршена потребна мерења која су потврђена теоријски. Мерење напона у високонапонској мрежи се врши напонским мерним трансформатором без језгра и интегрисаним мерилом хармоника (IMH), а затим се стохастичком методом мере хармоници напона, смерови и протоци снаге, односно енергије. За мерења струје на високом напону предлаже се калем Роговског и стохастичка метода мерења. Стохастичка метода мерења је заснована на додавању дитерског случајног сигнала на мерени сигнал. Сметње и присуство виших хармоника у мрежном сигналу су, за ову методу, додатни дитерски сигнали који методи не смањују тачност мерења.
U radu je obrađen problem merenja visokog napona i struje u nesinusidalnoj visokonaponskoj mreži, stanje tehnike, predlog rešenja koje podrazumeva nekonvencionalni način merenja ovih veličina, praktično izrađen prototip i izvršena potrebna merenja koja su potvrđena teorijski. Merenje napona u visokonaponskoj mreži se vrši naponskim mernim transformatorom bez jezgra i integrisanim merilom harmonika (IMH), a zatim se stohastičkom metodom mere harmonici napona, smerovi i protoci snage, odnosno energije. Za merenja struje na visokom naponu predlaže se kalem Rogovskog i stohastička metoda merenja. Stohastička metoda merenja je zasnovana na dodavanju diterskog slučajnog signala na mereni signal. Smetnje i prisustvo viših harmonika u mrežnom signalu su, za ovu metodu, dodatni diterski signali koji metodi ne smanjuju tačnost merenja.
A problem of measurement of high voltage and current in non-sinusoidal grid is given in the thesis, along with the current state in the field, the proposed non-conventional measurement method for these values, the realized prototype and the necessary measurement results that are confirmed theoretically. Measurement of voltage in high-voltage grid is performed using the coreless high voltage transformer and the Integrated harmonic measurement device (IMH). The stochastic method is used to measure harmonics of voltage, direction and flow of power and energy. For current measurement at high voltage level a Rogowski coil along with the Stochastic measurement method is proposed. Stochastic measurement method is based on adding a arbitrary dither signal to the measured signal. Disturbances and pollution of the grid signal are, for this method, additional dither signals that do not lower the measurement accuracy.

La tesis se encarga de analizar, por un lado, la integración y el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías en la Administración de Justicia; y, por otro, los parámetros que constituyen la validez y eficacia del documento electrónico.
La primera cuestión se centra en la configuración de los Sistemas de Información de la Oficina Judicial y del Ministerio Fiscal, así como de la informatización de los Registros Civiles, donde el art. 230 LOPJ es la pieza clave. Se estudian sus programas, aplicaciones, la videoconferencia, los ficheros judiciales y las redes de telecomunicaciones que poseen la cobertura de la firma electrónica reconocida, donde cobran gran relevancia los convenios de colaboración tecnológica. La digitalización de las vistas quizá sea una de las cuestiones con más trascendencia, teniendo en cuenta que el juicio es el acto que culmina el proceso. Aunque no todos los proyectos adoptados en el ámbito de la e.justicia se han desarrollado de forma integral, ni han llegado a la totalidad de los órganos judiciales. El objetivo final es lograr una Justicia más ágil y de calidad, a lo cual aspira el Plan Estratégico de Modernización de la Justicia 2009-2012 aprobado recientemente.
En referencia a la segunda perspectiva, no cabe duda que el Ordenamiento jurídico y los tribunales, en el ámbito de la justicia material, otorgan plena validez y eficacia al documento electrónico. Nuestra línea de investigación se justifica porque cada vez son más los procesos que incorporan soportes electrónicos de todo tipo, ya sea al plantearse la acción o posteriormente como medio de prueba (art. 299.2 LEC). Entre otros temas examinamos el documento informático, la problemática que rodea al fax, los sistemas de videograbación y el contrato electrónico.
La tesi s'encarrega d'analitzar, per una part, la integració i el desenvolupament de les noves tecnologies dins l´Administració de Justícia; i, per l'altra, els paràmetres que constitueixen la validesa i l'eficàcia del document electrònic.
La primera qüestió es centra en la configuració dels Sistemes d´Informació de l´Oficina Judicial i del Ministeri Fiscal, així com de la informatització dels Registres Civils, on l'art. 230 LOPJ es la peça clau. S'estudien els seus programes, aplicacions, la videoconferència, el fitxers judicials i les xarxes de telecomunicacions que tenen la cobertura de la firma electrònica reconeguda, on cobren gran rellevància els convenis de col·laboració tecnològica. La digitalització de les vistes tal vegada sigui una de les qüestions amb més transcendència, tenint amb compte que el judici es l'acte que culmina el procés. Però no tots el projectes adoptats en l'àmbit de la e.justicia s'han desenvolupat d'una manera integral ni han arribat a la totalitat dels òrgans judicials. L'objectiu final es assolir una Justícia més àgil i de qualitat, al que aspira el Pla Estratègic de Modernització de la Justícia 2009-2012 aprovat recentment.
En referència a la segona perspectiva, no hi ha dubte que l´Ordenament jurídic i els tribunals, en l'àmbit de la justícia material, donen plena validesa i eficàcia al document electrònic. La nostra línia d'investigació es justifica perquè cada vegada son més el processos que incorporen suports electrònics de tot tipus, ja sigui quant es planteja l'acció o posteriorment como a medi de prova (art. 299.2 LEC). Entre altres temes examinem el document informàtic, la problemàtica que envolta al fax, els sistemes de videogravació i el contracte electrònic.
The thesis seeks to analyse, on the one hand, the integration and development of the new technologies in the Administration of Justice; and, on the other, the parameters which constitute the validity and efficiency of the electronic document.
The first question centres on the configuration of the Information Systems of the Judicial Office and the Public Prosecutor, as well as the computerisation of the Civil Registers, where the art. 230 LOPJ it's the part key. Their programmes, applications, the Video Conferencing, the judicial registers and the telecommunication networks which are covered by the recognised electronic signatures, are studied, where the agreements on technological collaboration gain great relevance. The digitalisation of evidence might perhaps be one of the questions with most consequence, bearing in mind that the judgment is the act by which the process is culminated. Although not all the projects adopted within the compass of e.justice have developed completely nor have reached all the judicial organs. The final objective is to achieve an agile, quality Justice, to which the recently approved Strategic Plan for the Modernisation of Justice aspires.
With reference to the second perspective, there is no doubt that the juridical Ordinance and the tribunals within the compass of material justice grant full validity and efficacy to the electronic document. Our line of investigation is justified because there are more and more processes which are sustained by electronic supports of all kinds, whether it be at the establishment of the action or later, as a proof of it (art. 299.2 LEC). Amongst other things, we examine the computerised document, the problems which surround the fax, the systems for video recording and the electronic contract.

The desire to enhance and make ourselves better is not a new one and it has continued to intrigue throughout the ages. Individuals have continued to seek ways to improve and enhance their well-being for example through nutrition, physical exercise, education and so on. Crucial to this improvement of their well-being is improving their ability to remember. Hence, people interested in improving their well-being, are often interested in memory as well. The rationale being that memory is crucial to our well-being. The desire to improve one’s memory then is almost certainly as old as the desire to improve one’s well-being. Traditionally, people have used different means in an attempt to enhance their memories: for example in learning through storytelling, studying, and apprenticeship. In remembering through practices like mnemonics, repetition, singing, and drumming. In retaining, storing and consolidating memories through nutrition and stimulants like coffee to help keep awake; and by external aids like notepads and computers. In forgetting through rituals and rites. Recent scientific advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and information technologies, present a wide variety of technologies to enhance many different aspects of human functioning. Thus, some commentators have identified human enhancement as central and one of the most fascinating subject in bioethics in the last two decades. Within, this period, most of the commentators have addressed the Ethical, Social, Legal and Policy (ESLP) issues in human enhancements as a whole as opposed to specific enhancements. However, this is problematic and recently various commentators have found this to be deficient and called for a contextualized case-by-case analysis to human enhancements for example genetic enhancement, moral enhancement, and in my case memory enhancement (ME). The rationale being that the reasons for accepting/rejecting a particular enhancement vary depending on the enhancement itself. Given this enormous variation, moral and legal generalizations about all enhancement processes and technologies are unwise and they should instead be evaluated individually. Taking this as a point of departure, this research will focus specifically on making a case for ME and in doing so assessing the ESLP implications arising from ME. My analysis will draw on the already existing literature for and against enhancement, especially in part two of this thesis; but it will be novel in providing a much more in-depth analysis of ME. From this perspective, I will contribute to the ME debate through two reviews that address the question how we enhance the memory, and through four original papers discussed in part three of this thesis, where I examine and evaluate critically specific ESLP issues that arise with the use of ME. In the conclusion, I will amalgamate all my contribution to the ME debate and suggest the future direction for the ME debate.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
電子工程系
99
Taiwan island is located on the junction of the Eurasian plate. There is high ratio of earthquakes occurring in the sea area around it. However, Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica points out that the earthquake observation points surrounding Taiwan sea area is only one-tenth of the land’s. It makes the earthquake monitoring data sparse. Therefore, in order to clearly grasp and measure undersea earthquake, domestic research team is positive to develop OBS (Ocean Bottom Seismometer). The OBS is a self contained data-acquisition system which free falls to the ocean floor and records seismic data generated by earthquakes. It can be retrieved from undersea after completing task and reused. The function is the same with the Seismometer on land. But, because the placement location is up to the depth of six to seven thousand meters of seabed, it must be protected by pressure shell. Moreover, the seabed is undulating so that OBS has to equip with balance ring to maintain the level. When it is located on the seabed, the system must sense the earthquake wave and record it. Each process has been performed automatically. When finishing the work, it floats from the seabed by itself and generated the signal to request to be retrieved. In order to implement it, a recording system board with low power microprocessor ARM7 core has been realized. Also, a SEASCAN TIMEBASE Module is integrated into the system to record the start time and end time. Finally we can store the data to SD CARD. The total power consumption is 2 Watt and the time shift is only 16ms in half year. With regard to the device retrieval, a PC board with 8 bit CPU AVR core is carried out to receive the recall signals, control the motor for freeing OBS and send GPS positioning information by radio. It makes OBS retrievable. The experiment result shows that the recording system can store data to SD CARD successfully. We successfully place five pieces of OBS around Green Island. The deepest depth is up to 3000 meters. After two and half month, the device retrieval system can receive signals to open motor and retrieve OBS successfully.

碩士
輔仁大學
電子工程學系
96
A video surveillance server monitors multiple cameras concurrently and provides recording function. Generally, it cannot record all the image frames of all cameras per second because of the processing speed and storage capacity. A user should set the requirement for each camera for normal cases and alarm-activated cases. The surveillance server then determines a schedule to record the image frames from different cameras. Besides of the number of recorded frames, a scheduling algorithm should make the recording time difference between any two successive frames from the same camera as equivalent as possible. In this paper, we will propose such a scheduling algorithm. A cost function will be defined to evaluate the schedule quality. Experimental result shows our algorithm can get better result than those by the EDF algorithm. Furthermore, we embedded the scheduling algorithm and associated control facilities into a device driver under Linux environment.

碩士
大同大學
工業設計學系(所)
99
Keep fit is not an easy exercise; however, if we have a self teaching record device to provide detailed guidance on physical training to the exerciser, we can introduce different ways of physical training according to the different parts of the human body, provide fitness programs to the beginner, record the change of BMI value and muscles, making the exerciser able to review on the physical training progress and keep trace on the self-exercising record. Recording the physical training process with words and data is as important as the doctor recording in medical records; hence it’s essential to establish personal physical training records. By recording the used equipments, exercise times, and group counts, the exerciser can record and trace personal exercise in the long term. This study will research on the problems and needs that fitness exerciser to fitness teaching through questionnaire survey. Most people agree that electrical fitness teaching is convenient and easy to carry, making the teaching more productive during the keep fit process. In the survey on [Body Shape Image], testee had the highest demand on touch control operation, and then screen size, product weight, and product size respectively; In the survey on functional demand in [Human Factors Engineering], equipment’s introduction was marked as the most important, and then wearing way, graphical user interface, picture zoom in and zoom out, and voice auxiliary operation respectively; In the survey on [Function Characteristic] demand, [Equipment’s use pattern] is the most important, secondary are search of body parts and exercise muscle group hints, then respectively are fitness teaching video, classification of user’s fitness degree, search of fitness equipment, advice on fitness lessons, fitness’ historical record and picture output to TV. Through the survey result above and by analyzing the existing exercise software interface, we will move on to list out the operation interface and personal keep fit self-teaching, and record the design direction of the products. The design outcome will come up through questionnaire survey and NASA-TLX scale analysis result. This interface will not cause any difficulty and burden in operation, most of its options have significant difference, and operation satisfaction degree received assessments above 4 points, therefore, the personal keep fit self-teaching and the record of operation interface can satisfy the demand of testees who are used to keep fit. Regarding the LEF assessment result of the 3 proposals about the product’s creative design idea, the third case got the highest score, and then the second case and the first case respectively. Based on the result, it’s easy to find out that the testees are generally satisfied with the interface design and the product creativity, and are more acceptable to the digital products. In the mean time, [Portability] received generally low scores in these 3 proposals, which indicates that exercisers in the gym care much about the portability, therefore, in these 3 design proposals, there are still plenty of room to improve the size and the portability. For example, to add more portable accessories like the exercise related products currently in the market and make it more convenient. Besides, external button’s location and identification also need to be improved. However, the screen size, simple shape, easy to clean, and touch control operation received very good assessments.