Heriot-Watt University
ROS: The Research Output Service. Heriot-Watt University EdinburghNot a member yet
4689 research outputs found
Sort by
Et in Arcadia – mulier? Italienrepräsentationen deutschsprachiger Autorinnendes 18. bis 20. Jahrhunderts (textual representations of Italy by German-speaking women writers between the late 18th and 20th centuries)
Get PDFGermany and Italy are linked by a rich and complex matrix of political, religious,
commercial and artistic ties spanning millennia. These have resulted in innumerable
textual representations of Italy in the German-speaking realm. With his “Italienische
Reise” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) provided a new narrative framework
which was seen as the prevalent model of perceiving and writing about Italy for more
than 200 years. The intricate network of connections between the two countries, fiction alisations of the south and the intertextual relationship between these writings have long
been established as an important area of research.
This thesis aims to evaluate how German-speaking women participated in the construc tion of Italy by examining selected texts by women as diverse as Anna Amalia of
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1739–1807) and her lady-in-waiting Luise von Göchhausen
(1752–1807), Friederike Brun (1765–1835), Malwida von Meysenbug (1816–1903),
Auguste Supper (1867–1951), Louise Diel (1893–1967) and Ingeborg Bachmann (1926–
1973). Based on findings on the social, political, and individual circumstances in which
these female authors produced their works, the study scrutinizes to what extent and how
these women responded to the supposedly overwhelming presence of Goethe’s “Italian
experience”. It also aims to identify strategies in creating discursive representations of
the Mediterranean space between the late eighteenth and late twentieth century whilst
analysing individual and social functionalisation and exploring how notions of national,
cultural, and gender identity are negotiated in these texts
Open Innovation, Triple-Helix, Innovation Intermediaries and National Systems of Innovation : a comparative case study analysis of the Offshore Renewable Energy and High-Value Manufacturing CATAPULT centres
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study is to develop our understanding of Open Innovation, Innovation
Intermediaries, the Triple-Helix model, the National System of Innovation model, establishing a link
between the concepts within a new and emerging context.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopted a Critical Realism philosophy. Following a case
study methodology, this study analysed the High-Value Manufacturing CATAPULT and the Offshore
Renewable Energy CATAPULT as ‘observable events’. Data was collected using a qualitative approach,
in accordance with a concrete research design (Sayer, 1992), with data emerging from semi-structured
interviews and was supported by the analysis of documentation. Thematic techniques were employed in
the analysis of this data, following a retroductive strategy.
Findings: This study establishes a clear link between the concepts of Open Innovation, Innovation
Intermediaries, the Triple-Helix model, and the National System of Innovation model. In doing so, the
findings of this study broaden the conceptualisation of Open Innovation. Recognising a wider range of
resources that permeate organisational boundaries during this process and expanding beyond a
conceptualisation based on ‘knowledge’ exclusively. The case study organisations (High-Value
Manufacturing Catapult and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult) are then shown to operate within a
‘sectoral’ system of innovation, which in turn is part of a larger ‘national’ system of innovation. With
the primary ‘underlying mechanism’ of these ‘observable events’ being that of triple-helix interaction
(i.e., interaction between industry, academia, and government). This mode of interaction is shown to be
structured in a way which is consistent with the empirical model proposed by Nakwa and Zawdie (2012).
However, the roles that innovation intermediaries play in facilitating this interaction are shown to differ
from those originally proposed. Organisations from these spheres instead adopt revised roles in
comparison to the traditional roles associated with firms. Towards the end of the study, the findings
illustrate that there are several factors underlying the outcomes of the open innovation activity within
this system of interaction (e.g., underlying mechanisms of OI), and in doing so, positions Open
Innovation as an ‘underlying mechanism’ of triple-helix interaction. Finally, the study attempts to
synthesise all the observed ‘real’ events and the ‘underlying mechanisms’ discussed as part of this study,
presenting the findings in an empirical model which demonstrates the complex nature of interaction of
‘observable events’ and the ‘underlying mechanisms’ discussed.
Research Limitations: There were only a limited number of case studies that were worthy of
investigation. At the time of publication only 9 CATAPULT centres were in existence. This had a
notable impact on the study, primarily regarding the limited sample size of respondents that were at the
necessary managerial level to contribute to the outcomes of this study. Consequently, this study was
unable to substantiate previous research on all the outcome factors, during the empirical investigation.
There was also weakness in the research design, in terms of its longitudinal limitations.
Originality/Value: This research provides unique insights into our theoretical understanding of Open
Innovation, Intermediaries, the Triple-Helix model, and the National System of Innovation model. The
study develops an empirical model demonstrating how previously siloed concepts overlap, to form a
combined model and adopts a novel methodological approach (Critical Realism). The study also
increases understanding for/supports policymakers in the design of systems for supporting innovation
within the UK. Empowering managers within innovation intermediaries by highlighting several
organizational, network and individual level factors influencing the outcome of projects displaying
similar characteristics
The effect of indoor thermal and humidity condition on older occupants’ subjective comfort and skin condition in winter
Get PDFDry indoor air due to space heating has been identified to be one of the environmental
issues affecting the older occupants' thermal and humidity comfort as well as their skin
condition in winter. Yet conversely, studies on the effect of dry indoor air on older
occupants are few. Besides, the current thermal and humidity comfort zones provided by
the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and care home design standards
do not fit older occupants' needs in winter.
This research aims to understand the effect of indoor thermal and humidity conditions on
the older occupants' comfort and skin condition in winter. In this research, both physical
and subjective measurements were carried out in parallel in four fieldworks involving
eleven young and twenty-nine elderly participants living in their typical daily
environment. The physical measurements recorded the temperature and humidity of the
living environment and examined how the temperature and humidity affected two skin
condition variables, the Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and Stratum Corneum
Hydration (SCH), at different indoor temperature and humidity levels achieved by a
simple intervention which could humidify indoor humidity to 40%, 50% and 60% relative
humidity (RH), respectively. The subjective measurements used a questionnaire survey
to analyse the participants' subjective thermal and humidity comfort at different indoor
temperature and humidity levels. The questionnaire was modified from the traditional
thermal comfort questionnaire to allow both subjective thermal and humidity comfort to
be assessed simultaneously.
The results indicate that overheating and its resulting dry indoor air were common on
three out of four research sites. The mean indoor temperature was higher than the thermal
comfort zone, approximately more than 30% of the measured time, and the mean indoor
RH was lower than the acceptable humidity range, more than 93.2% of the measured time
on three of the research sites. By using a humidifier, dry indoor air was eased effectively
at a low energy cost. The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) method produced a neutral
temperature that was lower than that produced by the Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV)
method in the older (aged 60 and over) and oldest-old (aged 80 and over) group,
suggesting the PMV method could not accurately predict the thermal comfort on older
people. Besides, the participants in all age groups could sense the temperature changes
but not the humidity changes. TEWL appeared not applicable to reflect the effect of
indoor thermal and humidity conditions on the skin in a living environment, in which the
temperature and humidity variations are unlikely to make significant changes to the water
loss from the skin. SCH appears to be a good indicator to reflect the effect of indoor
humidity on the occupants' skin condition, with a significant correlation with the absolute
humidity (AH) in all measured age groups. Such a significant correlation established a
relationship between the indoor humidity and skin and made it possible to produce the
minimum humidity that can reduce the risk of suffering dry skin for the measured each
age group. Specifically, the minimum absolute humidity levels to reduce the risk of dry
skin are 7.952g/kg for the young group, 8.622g/kg for the older group, and 6.335g/kg for
the oldest-old group. The significant correlation between the AH and SCH also suggests
a feasible method to produce the minimum humidity level that can reduce the risk of
suffering dry skin in winter. This method is applicable to older people and all other age
groups, especially the vulnerable group who are not able to participate in climatic
chamber studies, to solve the dry skin issue in winter.
This study builds a relationship between the skin and its exposed environment and
suggests a skin condition variable to indicate the effect of indoor humidity on the
occupants' skin condition. The study is the first stage of collecting evidence-based data
that could develop an appropriate thermal and humidity range for older occupants'
comfort and skin health. Repeating the study with a large sample size would collect
sufficient evidence-based data that leads to the eventual development of a specific thermal
and humidity range for older occupants' comfort and skin health.Funded by the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and
Society at Heriot-Watt Universit
A study of angular momentum in novel optical systems and analogues
Get PDFThis thesis explores the dynamics of light’s angular momentum in several nonlinear
media, namely coupled ring arrays of optical fibres, nested fibre optic resonators and
photon fluid analogues for rotating scatterers. In the fibre systems considered, optical angular momentum takes a discrete form that is related to but distinct from the
more well-known orbital angular momentum. This discreteness, combined with angular coupling between adjacent fibres, results in nonlinear interactions that do not
occur in either uncoupled fibres or continuous media. These may drive instabilities
which break angular symmetry and allow different angular momenta to be generated. The precise nature of the angular momentum spectra and their dependence
on the fibre array’s structure is properties is examined. Similarly, amplification of
angular momentum signals reflecting from rotating photon fluids is elucidated via
a simple model analogous to Zel’dovich’s cylinder. Numerical tests with this model
clarify and demonstrate the amplification process and the conditions required to
support it. This yields insights into the more complex problem of realising an analogue for Penrose superradiance from an acoustic Kerr black hole within a photon
fluid
Reconfigurable quasi-optical beamformers for next-generation satellite applications : electromagnetic modeling and design
Get PDFEmerging satellite constellations at low- and medium earth orbits are expected
to revolutionize the expansion of broadband connectivity into rural areas. The
requirements of wide field of view and the availability of larger bandwidths in
the Ka-band have opened new challenges in antenna design. At the same time,
highly cost-effective solutions are needed. The main objective of this thesis is to
investigate and develop quasi-optical millimeter-wave antennas with enhanced
beam scanning and beam reconfiguration capabilities that answer these needs.
High-frequency models are developed for the analysis of different parallel-plate
beamformers in reception. It is shown that these models can be used efficiently
for the design of feed systems with stringent requirements on scanning range.
Two novel lens beamformers, operating in the uplink and downlink Ka-band,
respectively, are presented. The first is a shaped parallel-plate lens combined
with a mechanical scanning feed based on gap waveguide technology. Equivalent circuit models that aid in the design of the feed structure are addressed.
The resulting design and experimental results from an all-metal demonstrator
are presented. The second corresponds to a lens beamformer implemented in
multilayer PCB technology. The developed numerical procedure is applied to
the synthesis of overlapping feed clusters. Both designs represent significant
advances in terms of scanning performance and low-cost implementation
Mathematical models of infectious diseases in ungulate populations
Get PDFIn this thesis we develop a suite of mathematical models to understand the epidemiological dynamics of infectious diseases in ungulate hosts. Using ordinary differential
equation frameworks, we explored the key routes of transmission that promote the persistence of the highly virulent African swine fever (ASF) infection in wild boar and
tested control strategies that could limit ASF outbreaks and its persistence. These
modelling techniques were extended to investigate the impact of an ASF outbreak on
endemic tuberculosis in wild boar. The generality of the model framework meant the
results could add new perspective on the coexistence of multiple pathogens. Motivated
by the work on the persistence of ASF, we used a suite of stochastic continuous-time
Markov chain models to show that latent and chronic infection could have a significant
impact on the mean time to pathogen extinction. We also developed a model framework to assess how hosts, including ungulates, contribute to tick-borne infections. This
expands on previously studied models such that the regulation of tick density is dependent on the density of the specific hosts on which different tick stages feed. Our results
outlined the effect host density and composition could have on tick-borne prevalence
and incidence levels. The work in this thesis has highlighted how mathematical models are important tools for understanding epidemiological dynamics in wildlife systems
with our work having had an impact on the management of key, current, endemic and
emerging diseases in ungulates.The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant EP/L016508/01
Scalable computational methods for 3D reconstruction using single-photon Lidar : towards online approaches
Get PDFLidar systems allow the reconstruction of 3D scenes at high resolution. They have recently received
considerable interest across a wide domain of applications. The technology consists of illuminating
a target with laser pulses and measuring the time of arrival of the pulses that have been reflected on
it to estimate both its distance and reflectivity. However, the analysis of Lidar measurements can be
considerably challenged by additional detection events that arise from external light sources such as
ambient illumination. Algorithms have been developed to ensure efficient 3D reconstructions in the
presence of such spurious detection events. The growing development of technological applications
based on the Lidar technology requires efficient computational methods.
The goal of this thesis is to develop advanced algorithms for single-photon Lidar that can
address the problems mentioned above, namely how to ensure robustness and an appropriate
computational complexity for adaptive processing.
First, a link is established with sampling theory by highlighting that the reconstruction problem
can be viewed as restoring a signal having a finite rate of innovation. Since the presence of
spurious detection events in Lidar measurements complicates the approach, a denoising algorithm
is proposed to reduce the effect of external light sources before addressing reconstruction problems.
The 3D reconstruction problem is then addressed from a recent type of multispectral Lidar
where the photon returns associated with different wavelengths are concatenated into a single
histogram. The proposed Bayesian approaches differ from that considered with the sampling
method as they enable the estimation of background illumination levels as well as the modelling of
the observations with Poisson processes. Two methods are proposed to ensure satisfying estimation
performance in a considerably reduced computational time compared to state-of-the-art methods.
Finally, an online algorithm is proposed to address the reconstruction of a dynamic 3D scene.
A pseudo-Bayesian framework is adopted where the classical likelihood term is replaced by a
maximum divergence estimator. The proposed pseudo-Bayesian online algorithm enables close to
real-time estimation of the model parameters and performs efficient 3D video reconstruction.Heriot-Watt University James-Watt Scholarship fundin
Optimal scheduling of field activities using constraint satisfaction problem theory
Get PDFThe challenge of identifying problematic wells and planning their workover operations is
common in oil and gas fields. On top of this, the well intervention resources are seldom
easily accessible so it is crucial to target the right set of wells at the right time. Oil and
gas reservoirs are complex dynamic systems the production and injection patterns of
which can significantly affect the reservoir and well response. This represents a complex
mathematical optimisation problem where the overall life performance of the field
strongly depends on the workover planning decisions.
This work presents a reliable and effective tool that is able to screen and explore the large
search space of the potential work-overs that adds value to the reservoir management
process. The proposed solution considers the overall performance of the field throughout
a specified period while respecting all operational limitations as well as considering the
risks and costs of the interventions. The proposed workflow combines the commercial
optimiser techniques with constraint satisfaction problem optimiser to identify the
optimal workover scheduling. The schedule found is guaranteed to satisfy all predefined
field constraints. The presented results showed better performance achieved by the
proposed hybrid optimiser compared to classical gradient-free optimisation techniques
such as Genetic Algorithm in maximising the defined objective function. The suggested
workflow can greatly enhance the decisions related to field development and asset
management involved with large number of wells and with limited intervention resources
Characterisation and effectiveness evaluation of microbial biosurfactants for their use in oil spill response
Get PDFSurfactants are a group of amphiphilic chemical compounds (i.e. having both
hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains) that form an indispensable component in almost
every sector of modern industry. Their significance is evidenced from the enormous
diversity of applications they are used in, ranging from food and beverage, agriculture,
public health, healthcare/medicine, textiles, oil & gas, and bioremediation. This PhD
aimed to investigate two hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strains, Halomonas sp. stain
TGOS-10 and Pseudomonas sp. strain MCTG214(3b1), for their ability to produce
biosurfactants and their usefulness for oil spill response. For this, three strategies were
developed. First, the two strains were screened for production of surface-active
compounds using sustainable substrates such as glucose and sunflower oil. Surface-active
compounds were extracted, purified and their chemical structure was characterised with
carbohydrate and amino acid assays, and NMR. Results revealed that both stains
produced surface-active compound, TGOS-10 strain produced both an emulsifier and
surfactant when grown on different substrates, whereas MCTG214(3b1) strain produced
only surfactant. Second, the extracted and purified surfactants were tested for dispersion
effectiveness at different concentrations and three oil types by utilising a standard baffled
flask test. Both biosurfactants dispersed the crude oil at varying efficiencies depending
on concentration and oil type but generally TGOS-10 showed better dispersing results
than MCTG214(3b1). Lastly, in a case study from the northeast Atlantic, Illumina MiSeq
sequencing was used to determine the response of the natural microbial community when
exposed to either chemically-dispersed crude oil (commercial dispersant Finasol) or
biosurfactant-dispersed oil (rhamnolipid from P. aeruginosa). In addition, parallel
microcosms to determine hydrocarbon degradation were performed and analysed with
Gas-Chromatography coupled with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). During
incubation for 4 weeks in roller-bottle microcosms, members of psychrophilic oil-degrading Colwellia and Oleispira initially dominated the microbial community in both
the rhamnolipid and Finasol treatments. Thereafter, the community structure of these
treatments significantly delineated. The microbial diversity was significantly greater in
the treatment amended with rhamnolipid compared to that in the dispersant-amended
treatment. GC-FID/MS analysis revealed that oil biodegradation was markedly enhanced
in the Finasol-amended treatment. However, the “better-performing” qualities of the
chemical dispersant Finasol may be in part, at least, conferred by other components that
constituent its formulation, and biosurfactants, such as rhamnolipid, could potentially be
developed into dispersant formulations with much improved qualities. Ecological null
models were also used to better understand and quantify the relative importance of
ecological processes in the assembly of microbial communities
Algorithms for autonomous subsea pipeline tracking
Get PDFOne of the major benefactors of unmanned submersibles is Oil & Gas industry for
applications in inspection of subsea pipelines, where an Autonomous Underwater
Vehicle (AUV) is required to follow the target pipe over long ranges. This is an
expensive and time consuming process when done using combination of tethered
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), divers and surface vessels with large crew.
Even with some AUVs this can take considerable time. So current research aims at
lowering down the inspection costs by using new sensors and algorithms onboard
the AUV that can conduct high fidelity survey faster than current methods.
The aim of this project is to develop detection, tracking and sensor fusion algorithms for subsea pipeline tracking. The individual sensors proposed for tracking
complements each other well to solve both visual and buried pipeline tracking problem. For exposed pipeline tracking a combination of multibeam echosounder and
camera is proposed and for buried detection, a magnetometer is suggested. This
work puts focus on developing a sensor fusion methodology for tracking subsea
pipelines using 3-axis magnetometer, a multibeam echosounder and an optical camera. The proposed method has potential to track buried pipelines more efficiently
without losing track of target pipeline, thus it brings the overall cost down from
reduction in re-surfacing requirements for a GPS fix in case of loss of pipeline track.
When the pipeline is partially buried, a combination of multibeam echosounder
and camera-based segmentation works well as camera detections are better in such
a scenario. Tracking solely using a magnetometer is not feasible due to nature of
pipeline’s magnetism. Thus, it is used in conjunction with other two sensors to track
pipeline when it is buried for short distances to avoid losing track. Performance of
detection algorithm is tested experimentally for individual sensors and then fused
into a single Bayesian framework to produce a robust subsea pipeline tracker that
can be used by the vehicle controller for guidance along the pipeline
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage ROS: The Research Output Service. Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh ? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!