Body coupled communication (BCC) is a hot topic in personal networking domain. Many works arepublished suggesting different architectures for BCC since its inception in 1995 by Zimmerman. The number ofelectronic gadgets used by a single person increases as time pass by. Its a tedious job to transfer data betweenthen from a user point of view. Many of these gadgets can share their resources and save power and money.The existing wired or wireless networks does not meet the requirements for this network like scalable data rate,security etc. So here comes the novel idea of using human body as communication medium. The aim of thisthesis is to realize a hardware for BCC based on wide band signaling as part of a big project.The human body consists of 70% of water. This property makes the human body a fairly good conductor.By exploiting this basic property makes the BCC possible. A capacitance is formed if we place a metal platenear to the human body with the skin as a dielectric. This capacitance forms the interface between the humanbody and the analog front-end of the BCC transceiver. Any other metal structures near to the human body canattenuate the signal.A first-order communication link is established in software by the human body model and the transceiver inthe loop along with noise and interference. This communication link is used to verify the human body modeland the base band model done as part of the same big project. Based on the results a hardware prototype isimplemented. Measurements are taken in different scenarios using the hardware setup. The trade-off betweendesign parameters are discussed based on the results. At the end, it suggests a road map to take the projectfurther.

The aim of this thesis work was to develop magnetoelectric (ME) composites consisting of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive components. The piezoelectric constituent was selected as a PZT ceramic modified by strontium, bismuth and manganese. The magnetostrictive phase was nickel ferrite (NF) ceramic doped by cobalt, copper and manganese. The properties of component phases were optimized in order to enhance the ME effect in the composite. In the first part of the thesis, effects of sintering temperature on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT and on the electrical and magnetic properties of NF ceramics were investigated in the temperature range covered from 1150 to 1250 &deg / C. The best piezoelectric properties in PZT were attained at 1250 &deg / C. At this sintering temperature, values of piezoelectric strain coefficient, dielectric constant, and electromechanical coupling coefficient were 434 pC/N, 1320 and 0.48, respectively. NF ceramics showed poor densification / 80 %TD was attained at 1250 &deg / C. In order to obtain higher densities in ferrites, Bi2O3 was used as a sintering aid. Addition of Bi2O3 enhanced densification up to 97 %TD, and improved electrical and magnetic properties of ferrites. Highest DC-resistivity of 1.15*10^8 ohm-cm and highest magnetostriction of ~26 ppm were attained in NF ceramics doped with 1 wt% Bi2O3. In the second part of the thesis, ME composites were manufactured either as bulk composites or as laminated composites. The efficiency of different composite types was evaluated in terms of voltage output in response to the applied magnetic field. Higher outputs were observed in laminated composites.

This qualitative study describes teens' perceptions about AD/HD and medications. Roy's Adaptation Model's four modes of adaptation were the framework for this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 high school teens aged 14-17 with parent reported AD/HD. Findings of inductive analysis for modes: Physiologic (Medication), Medications are a hassle but they work; Role function, I do better in school when I take the meds; Interdependence, With meds things are better with my family and friends don't know I am any different; and Self-concept/group identity, I'm just an everyday teenager, pretty much. The composite main theme was: Meds help me. School nurses can use this knowledge to guide interventions for families and teens with AD/HD, healthcare providers, school teachers and staff, and communities in a multidisciplinary effort toward an adaptive educational experience compatible for teens.

Les statistiques des fluctuations de courant dans un ??chantillon m??soscopique sous irradiation n'ont jamais ??t?? explor??es au-del?? de la variance et du troisi??me moment. Nous rapportons la premi??re mesure du quatri??me cumulant de bruit dans une jonction tunnel dans le r??gime classique (c'est-??-dire k [indice inf??rieur B]T >> h f) en pr??sence d'un courant continu et d'une excitation micro-onde en utilisant deux m??thodes. Tout d'abord, nous avons ??tudi?? la corr??lation entre les fluctuations de puissance ?? deux fr??quences, f [indice inf??rieur 1] = 4,5 GHz et f [indice inf??rieur 2] = 7,15 GHz. Cette corr??lation existe seulement pour certaines fr??quences d'excitation. Nous avons ??galement effectu?? une mesure directe des statistiques en num??risant le bruit ?? grande vitesse apr??s conversion vers les basses fr??quences. Les r??sultats obtenus ?? partir de ces exp??riences sont en tr??s bon accord avec les pr??dictions th??oriques de la dynamique de bruit. En terme de photons, le quatri??me cumulant correspond ?? une corr??lation entre les photons de diff??rentes fr??quences. -- The statistics of current fluctuations in a mesoscopic sample under irradiation has never been explored beyond the variance and third moment. We report the first measurement of the fourth cumulant of noise in a tunnel junction in the classical regime (i.e. k[subscript B] T >> hf) in the presence of a d.c and microwave excitation, using two methods. First, we have investigated the correlation between the power fluctuations at two frequencies, f[subscript 1] = 4.5 GHz and f[subscript 2] = 7.15 GHz. This correlation exists only for certain excitation frequencies. We have also performed a direct measurement of the statistics by digitizing the noise at high speed after down conversion. The results obtained from these experiments are in very good agreement with the theoretical predictions of noise dynamics. In terms of photons, the fourth cumulant corresponds to a correlation between photons of different frequencies.

Connected Me is a Human Body Communication (HBC) system, which is used fortransferring data through human body. The working principle is based on theorycalled Body Coupled Communication (BCC), which uses electrostatic couplingfor transferring data between device and human body. Capacitance between bodyand electrode acts as an electrical interface between devices. BCC has become aprominent research area in the field of Personal Area Network (PAN), introducedby Zimmerman in 1995. Until now there have been significant amount of paperspublished on human body models and Analog Front End (AFE), but only fewreports are available in digital baseband processing. The proposed Human Body Communication (HBC) system consists ofdigital baseband and AFE. Digital baseband is used for transferring data packets.AFE is designed for reconstructing signal shape after signal degradation causedby the human body. This thesis implements high speed serial digital communicationsystem for a human body channel. Available modulation schemes andcharacteristics of the Physical layer (PHY) with respect to human body channelare analyzed before implementing the system. The outcome of this thesis is aFPGA demonstrator that shows the possibility of communication through thehuman body. / Connected Me

No description available.

This is an attempt to analyze the epistolary style, a genre within a long and distinguished literary tradition, that is used as the principal narratological technique in the novel El amor que me juraste (1998) by the contemporary Mexican writer Silvia Molina. The object of this thesis is to discover how the author adapts the genre to make a certain socio-cultural contextualization that will be elaborated upon in the analysis here of the intimate discourse exchanged by the two protagonists of the novel. At all times the important role will be stressed of the "real" reader of this fictional amorous correspondence which gives every impression of authenticity. / The first chapter gives some historical background, highlighting the growing critical interest of contemporary authors in the epistolary genre. Also a bio-bibliography of Silvia Molina is given in order to emphasize the direction of her literary work as well as her professional development as a multifaceted author. / This is followed in the second chapter by an examination of epistolary writing as a specific narrative technique in El amor que me juraste in order to facilitate the refocusing, executed by the female protagonist, of how a woman might combat patriarchal ideology in contemporary Mexican society. / Finally, the third chapter centers upon the legal and conventional functioning of epistolary writing in the genre. Thereby the protagonist's search carried out here to find her cultural roots is shown to complement her elaboration of her personal identity as a modern woman in the recasting of masculine and feminine roles, and certain moral repercussions thereof, portrayed both in the text as in society. A full bibliography is also given.

Vi har valt att utifrån ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv studera problematiken inom tränarrollen i att balansera ett lags välmående samtidigt som man strävar efter att nå resultat. Syftet med vår studie är att få en ökad förståelse för vad som kan vara bra att tänka på som tränare för att i styrning kunna kombinera fokus på resultat och välbefinnande på ett optimalt sätt. Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ studie där vi har genomfört observationer och kvalitativa intervjuer för att samla in vårt material. Vi har arbetat induktivt utifrån vår empiri och har använt oss av teorier kring socialisationsprocesser, interaktionsritualer, intersubjektivitet och idrottens fenomenologiska struktur för att få en förståelse och skapa ett sammanhang för vår data. Vi har även använt oss av tidigare forskning kring idrottsledarens sociala roll, ledarskap & styrning och elitcoachers syn på sig själva för att få en ökad förståelse och för att läsarna ska få en bredare bild kring vår frågeställning. För att kunna nå och sträva efter resultat och samtidigt ha en grupp som mår bra krävs en tydlig kommunikation från ledare och organisation. För att balansera upp välmående och samtidigt sträva efter resultat krävs det en förståelse hos spelarna över de besluts som tas.

The Bay of Islands Ophiolitic Complex (BOIC) is one of most well preserved and well-exposed ophiolites in the world. The BOIC consist of four massifs; these are the Table Mountain (TBL), North Arm Mountain (NAM), Blow-Me-Down Mountain (BMD) and Lewis Hills massifs. Proposed geological environments of the BOIC in Newfoundland are diverse; ranging from oceanic spreading ridge to supra-subduction setting. The BOIC has a complete ophiolite sequence as defined at the Penrose Conference (Anonymous, 1972) including ultramafic mantle rocks, ultramafic to gabbroic cumulate rocks, sheeted dikes, pillowed basaltic rocks and capping sedimentary rocks in structurally ascending order. We studied harzburgite and overlying massive dunite in the BOIC. Harzburgite is generally medium-grained, and contains olivine, orthopyroxene, Cr-spinel, clinopyroxene and rare sulfide minerals. Harzburgite is massive to strongly deformed, with local development of mylonitic shear zones. A foliation and lineation are defined by elongated and fragmented grains of orthopyroxene and Cr-spinel. Dikes, sills, veins, and irregularly-shaped bodies of dunite and pyroxenite are present throughout the harzburgite unit. Dunite is the predominant lithology of the Blow-Me-Down Mountain. It is typically fine- to medium-grained, massive, and contains minor Cr-spinel and rare sulfide minerals. Dunite contains olivine, Cr-spinel and minor pyroxenes in some samples. Olivine crystals are commonly partly replaced by serpentine along fractures and in outer rims. Bulk rock and mineral composition data suggest that harzburgites are mild to highly refractory mantle residues after partial melting. In contrast all dunite samples show a cumulate geochemical signature from a mafic melt that originated from highly refractory mantle peridotites. Our study suggest that the harzburgite in the BOIC originally formed as oceanic lithosphere at a slow spreading ridge, possibly in the vicinity of active arc systems, whereas the parental melt for dunites formed in subduction setting. The second part of this study measured trace element compositions for olivine, Cr-spinel and bulk rock of dunite. The measured bulk rock compositions are compared to those of calculated based on mineral chemistry and their abundance. This comparison suggests that the trapped melt fraction was negligible during the crystallization of the dunites. The calculated melt compositions for the dunites confirm that the melt formed in subduction setting.

Thesis (Ph.D.) in History--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 250-263).