In this thesis, a comprehensive investigation of the state-of-the-art guidelines for the conducted schemes in the near vicinity of the human body has been provided. The primary objectives of this work have been mainly focused on the electromagnetic (EM) wave exposure at both the microwave and millimetre-wave (mm-wave) frequency bands, along with their thorough analyses for a number of wireless technologies, such as the smart meters (SMs) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas. This work has undertaken a detailed theoretical and numerical modelling, as well as experimental measurements to propose the frameworks for the exposure conditions regarding the advanced wireless systems and applications. The employed numerical methods have been validated using the finite integration technique (FIT)-based simulations. The specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions have been determined using the anatomically realistic human models at various frequency bands. In this regard, each human model is assigned with the age- and frequency-dependent (AFD) dielectric properties, based on the novel expressions. This has then resulted in the representation of dispersive and age-dependent dielectric properties, in order to potentially improve the accuracy of the current assessment methods. Moreover, a number of generalised exposure conditions involving the standing and sleeping postures have been assessed for the home area network operating at the microwave band. The obtained results on the study on the SMs have been partly used by the Public Health England to provide the practical guidelines for the improvement of the services provided for the public. Furthermore, an assessment of the MIMO mobile handset has been performed in two exposure conditions, involving calling and body worn postures. Some aspects of this MIMO study has shown higher absorption levels in comparison with the basic restriction limits. A new SAR estimation approach has also been adopted to address the compliance assessment issues at the mm-wave bands. Finally, this work has identified a number of key factors that cause the high absorption levels in the human body and has provided insight into the efficient techniques in order to reduce such effects.

This thesis is concerned with the study of biomedical scientific research work that is intensely distributed, i.e. socially distributed across multiple institutions, sites, and disciplines. Specifically, this PhD probes the ways in which scientists co-operating on multi-sited crossdisciplinary projects, design, use and maintain information-based resources to conduct and coordinate their experimental activities. The research focuses on the roles of information artefacts, i.e. the tools, media and devices used to store, track, display, and retrieve information in paper or electronic format, in helping the scientists integrate their activities to achieve concerted action. To examine how scientists in globally distributed settings organise and co-ordinate their scientific work using information artefacts, a multi-method multi-sited study informed by different ethnographic perspectives was conducted focused on a large European crossdisciplinary translational research project in nanodiagnostics. Situated interviews with project scientists, participant observations and participatory learning exercises were designed and deployed. From the data analysis, several abstractions were developed to represent how the joined utilisations of key information artefacts support the co-ordination of experimental activities. Subsequently, a framework was developed to highlight key interactional strategies that need to be managed by experimenters when using artefacts to organise their work cooperatively. This framework was then used as a guiding device to identify innovative ways to design future digital interactive systems to support the co-ordination of intensely distributed scientific work. From this study, several key findings came to light. We identify the role of the experimental protocol acts as a co-ordinative map that is co-designed dynamically to disseminate various instantiations of experimental executions across sites. We have also shed light on the ways the protocol, the lab book and the material log are used jointly to support the articulation of scientific work. The protocol and the lab book are used both locally and across co-operating sites to support four repeatability and reproducibility levels that are key to experimental validation. The use of the local protocol / lab book dyads at each site is further integrated with that of a centralised material log artefact to enable a system of exchange of scientific content (e.g. experimental processes, intermediate results and observations) and experimental materials (both physical materials and key information). We have found that this integration into a co-ordinative cluster supports awareness and the articulation of experimental activities both locally and across remote labs. From this understanding, we have derived several sensitising tensions to frame the strategies that scientific practitioners need to manage when designing their multi-sited experimental work and technologists should consider when designing systems to support them: (1) formalisation / flexibility; (2) articulability / local appropriateness; (3) scrutiny / tinkering; (4) accountability / applicability; (5) traceability / improvisation and (6) lastingness / immediacy. Lastly, based on these tensions, we have suggested a number of implications for the design of interactive information artefacts that can help manage both local and multi-sited co-ordination in intensely distributed scientific projects.

La recherche biomédicale est un domaine scientifique et technique moralement et éthiquement complexe, nécessitant notamment l’utilisation produits et éléments du corps humain pour la recherche mais également l’emploi de données personnelles. En plaçant l’humain au cœur de ses modalités et de ses finalités, la recherche biomédicale est un domaine mettant en jeu des intérêts différents (intérêts des malades, des chercheurs, des entreprises et des États). En France et au Royaume-Uni, l’encadrement de ce domaine fait appel à des sources du droit diversifiées et revêtues de formes de légitimité particulières et plurielles, reflétant à la fois les intérêts en jeu et l’évolution des modes d’action de l’État dans les domaines que sont la science et la médecine. La présente étude vise à exposer et éclairer ces formes de légitimité en proposant une double comparaison : celle des ordres juridiques et celle des sources. Menée sous le prisme du concept de légitimité, entendue comme la justification de l’autorité d’une règle en dehors de toutes notion de sanction, cette étude permet d’offrir une cartographie novatrice de la dynamique du droit dans le domaine. / Biomedical research is a morally and ethicaly controversial field of scientific research as it makes use of the human body but also of personnal data. Therefore, placing the Human at the heart of its methods and purposes, biomedical research brings conflicting interests together (patient’s rights, researcher’s one but also companies and States’ interests). In France and in the United Kingdom, the regulation of this field combines divers normative instruments all depending on specific and plural legitimacy claims. Those claims are matched to expectations with regard to the various interests at stake but also to the State’s nature and function. This study aims at exploring and shedhing light on the divers legitimacy claims by offering a double comparison : a comparison between legal orders and between law sources. Using the concept of legitimacy, understood as the justification of a norm’s authority without any reference to a sanction, this study presents a renewed cartography of law dynamics in the field of biomedical research.

The aim of this study is to examine the situation of converging technologies - nano technology, biotechnology, information technologies, and cognitive science - in Turkish foresight study and to analyze situation of Turkey. The research on convergence in Turkish foresight is carried out in the first foresight study of Turkey, Vision2023 consisting of Delphi Report, Panel Reports and Strategy Reports. All of these reports are investigated thoroughly to find out the statements about the converging technologies to have an insight what Turkey is planning to do in the following years. Additionally, to compare the perspective of Turkey in terms of converging technologies, the findings of this study are compared with the findings of the USA NBIC Report. Moreover, as a base of comparison of findings, the foresight study (ManVis Study) whose participants was 22 European countries one of which is Turkey about manufacture vision is taken into consideration. The findings of the study indicate that in different reports, there are some visions that are not mentioned in Vision2023 Study. A detailed investigation of these, shows that most of these visions are related to cognitive science. Only a few are nano technology oriented visions. However, according to the findings of the study, in biotechnology related statements, the position of Turkey and expertise of Turkish scientists are considered as &quot / very good&quot / by Turkish experts. As far as information technology in Turkey is considered, Turkey is in an average position among other countries according to the findings of the study.

Durant la dernière décennie, Les jeux massivement multijoueurs (MMOGs) sont devenus extrêmement populaires et comptent désormais plus de 20 millions d'utilisateurs actifs à travers le monde. Les MMOGs sont des systèmes distribués ayant des contraintes applicatives fortes en terme de cohérence de données, persistance, réactivité et passage à l'échelle. L'évolution des besoins applicatifs du MMOG au cours du temps est difficilement prévisible car dépendante du comportement des joueurs dans le monde virtuel. C'est pourquoi, malgré un important effort de recherche dans le domaine, aucune des architectures proposées ne satisfait pleinement toutes les contraintes requises. Cette thèse explore les capacités des architectures distribuées à s'adapter à la charge applicative grâce à une prise en compte du comportement des joueurs lors de l'exécution. Le système est alors capable de détecter des évolutions qui sont difficiles à prévoir à priori, et dynamiquement allouer les ressources nécessaires à l'application. Nous décrivons différentes techniques de surveillance des joueurs et proposons des moyens de prendre en compte ces informations au niveau de l'architecture. Nos expériences, effectuées dans des conditions réalistes, montrent que nos mécanismes ont un surcoût limité et permettent d'améliorer les performances globales du système.

Cette recherche porte sur la présence d'une fondation philanthropique dans l'émergence des nouvelles sciences et technologies dans un pays non hégémonique : le cas de la Fondation Mexique – Etats-Unis pour la Science (FUMEC) dans l'émergence des micro et nanotechnologies au Mexique. Ce travail de recherche part d'une série d'observations des dynamiques du développement de ces technologies émergentes dans ce pays. Lors de ces observations, il a été noté une forte présence de la FUMEC dans ces processus et ceci a attiré l'attention de cette recherche sur les fonctions accomplies par cette fondation. Cette thèse questionne la modélisation des relations des acteurs traditionnellement pris en compte dans les processus des changements technologiques (Etat, université et industrie), car les organismes philanthropiques ont été négligés dans les études sur les changements technologiques. Ce travail propose donc d'élargir l'éventail des acteurs à prendre en compte dans les modèles théoriques de ces études ; il s'agit de prendre en compte les organismes philanthropiques et non gouvernementaux comme des acteurs centraux. Tout au long de ce texte, la thèse montre l'importance de la place et de l'action de la FUMEC dans l'installation des infrastructures, la création de réseaux scientifiques, la formation des ressources humaines, le transfert des connaissances, la commercialisation et la dissémination de la technologie des micro-systèmes au Mexique. L'analyse des fonctions et des actions des organismes philanthropiques dans ces processus ne confirme pas seulement l'importance de tels organismes dans les changements technologiques, mais il signale également leur influence sur les politiques scientifique et technologique dans les pays non hégémoniques / This doctoral thesis deals with the presence of a philanthropic foundation in the emergence of new sciences and technologies in a non-hegemonic country. The case of the United States – Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC) in the emergence of micro and nanotechnology in Mexico. This research work, part of a series of observations on the development dynamics of these emerging technologies in this country. During these observations, it has been pointed out a strong presence of the FUMEC in this has attracted the attention of this research on the functions performed by the foundation in these processes. This doctoral thesis questions the modeling of relations actors, traditionally taken into account in the processes of technological change (State, University and Industry), as philanthropic organizations have not been considered in the studies of technological change. This research proposed to extend the range of actors to take into account in theoretical models in these studies. In other words, this thesis proposes to take into account the non-governmental and philanthropic organizations as central players in technological changes. Throughout the text, this work shows the importance of the position and action of the FUMEC in the installation of infrastructure, creation of scientific networks, human resources training, knowledge transfer, commercialization and dissemination of microsystems technology in Mexico. The analysis of the philanthropic organizations functions and actions in these processes not only confirms the importance of these organisms, but also highlights the influence of these organisms in scientific and technological policies in non-hegemonic countries / Esta investigación de la tesis de doctorado trata sobre la presencia de una fundación filantrópica en la emergencia de nuevas ciencias y tecnologías en un país no hegemónico: el caso de la Fundación México – Estados Unidos por la Ciencia(FUMEC) en la emergencia de las micro y Nanotecnologías en México. Este trabajo de investigación, parte de una serie de observaciones de las dinámicas del desarrollo de estas tecnologías emergentes en este país. Durante estasobservaciones, ha sido señalada una fuerte presencia de la FUMEC y esto ha llamado la atención de esta investigación sobre las funciones desempeñadas por esta fundación en estos procesos. Esta tesis doctoral cuestiona la modelización de las relaciones de los actores tradicionalmente tomados en cuenta en los procesos de cambios tecnológicos (Estado, Universidad e Industria), ya que los organismos filantrópicos no han sido considerados. Este trabajo de investigación propone entonces ampliar el abanico de actores a tomar en cuenta en los modelos teóricos en estos estudios. En otras palabras, propone tomar en cuenta los organismos filantrópicos y no gubernamentales como actores centrales en los cambios tecnológicos. A lo largo del texto, la tesis muestra la importancia de la posición y de la acción de la FUMEC en la instalación de infraestructuras, la creación de redes científicas, la formación de recursos humanos, la transferencia de conocimientos, la comercialización y la diseminación de la tecnología de los microsistemas en México. El análisis de las funciones y de las acciones de los organismos filantrópicos en estos procesos no confirma solamente la importancia de este tipo de organismos, sino que también resalta la influencia de estos organismos en las políticas científica y tecnológica en los países no hegemónicos