An approach to computer-based knowledge representation for the business environment using empirical modelling

The motivation for the thesis arises from the difficulties experienced by business people who are non-programmers with the inflexibilities of conventional packages and tools for model-making. After a review of current business software an argument is made for the need for a new computing paradigm that would offer more support for the way that people actually experience their business activities. The Empirical Mod- elling (EM) approach is introduced as a broad theoretical and practical paradigm for computing that can be viewed as a far-reaching generali- sation of the spreadsheet concept. The concepts and principles of EM emphasise the experiential pro- cesses underlying familiar abstractions and by which we come to iden- tify reliable components in everyday life and, in particular, business activities. The emphasis on experience and on interaction leads to the new claim that EM environments offer a framework for combining propositional, experiential and tacit knowledge in a way that is more accessible and supportive of cognitive processes than conventional computer-based modelling. It is proposed that such environments offer an alternative kind of knowledge representation. Turning to the imple- mentation and development of systems, the difficulties inherent in con- ventional methods are discussed and then the practical aspects of EM, and its potential for system building, are outlined. Finally, a more detailed study is made of Decision Support Systems and the ways in which the EM focus on experience, and knowledge through interaction, can contribute to the representation of qualitative aspects of business activities and their use in a more human-centred, but computer-supported, process of decision making. Illustrations of the practical application of EM methods to the requirements of a deci- sion support environment are given by means of extracts from a num- ber of existing EM models

An In-Shoe Laser Doppler Sensor for Assessing Plantar Blood Flow in the Diabetic Foot

An in-shoe laser Doppler sensor for assessing plantar blood flow in the diabetic foot. Jonathan Edwin Cobb Plantar ulceration is a complication of the diabetic foot prevalent in adults with type 11 diabetes mellitus. Although neuropathy, microvascular disease and biornechanical factors are all implicated, the mechanism by which the tissue becomes pre-disposed to damage remains unclear. Recent theories suggest that the nutritional supply to the tissue is compromised, either by increased flow through the arteriovenous anastomoses ('capillary steal' theory) or through changes in the micro vascu I ature (haemodynamic hypothesis). Clinical data to support these ideas has been limited to assessment of the unclad foot under rest conditions. A limitation of previous studies has been the exclusion of static and dynamic tissue loading, despite extensive evidence that these biornechanical factors are essential in the development of plantar ulceration. The present study has overcome these problems by allowing assessment of plantar blood flow, in-shoe, during standing and walking. The system comprises a laser Doppler blood flux sensor operating at 780nm, load sensor, measurement shoe, instrumentation, and analysis software. In-vitro calibration was performed using standard techniques. An in-vivo study of a small group of diabetic subjects indicated differences in the blood flux response between diabetic neuropaths, diabetics with vascular complications and a control group. For example, following a loading period of 120s, relative increases in response from rest to peak were: Control (150% to 259%), Vascular (-70% to 242%), Neuropathic (109%-174%) and recovery times to 50% of the peak response were: Control (33s to 45s), Vascular (43s to >120s), Neuropathic (>120s). Dynamic re-perfusion rates (arbitrary units per millisecond) obtained for the swing phase of gait were: Control (6.1 a. u/ms to 7.9 a. u/ms), Vascular (4 a. u/ms to 6.2 a. u/ms), Neuropathic (2.3 a. u/ms to 4.5 a. u/ms)

Design as interactions of problem framing and problem solving: a formal and empirical basis for problem framing in design

In this thesis, I present, illustrate and empirically validate a novel approach to modelling and explaining design process. The main outcome of this work is the formal definition of the problem framing, and the formulation of a recursive model of framing in design. The model (code-named RFD), represents a formalisation of a grey area in the science of design, and sees the design process as a recursive interaction of problem framing and problem solving. The proposed approach is based upon a phenomenon introduced in cognitive science and known as (reflective) solution talkback. Previously, there were no formalisations of the knowledge interactions occurring within this complex reasoning operation. The recursive model is thus an attempt to express the existing knowledge in a formal and structured manner. In spite of rather abstract, knowledge level on which the model is defined, it is a firm step in the clarification of design process. The RFD model is applied to the knowledge-level description of the conducted experimental study that is annotated and analysed in the defined terminology. Eventually, several schemas implied by the model are identified, exemplified, and elaborated to reflect the empirical results. The model features the mutual interaction of predicates ‘specifies’ and ‘satisfies’. The first asserts that a certain set of explicit statements is sufficient for expressing relevant desired states the design is aiming to achieve. The validity of predicate ‘specifies’ might not be provable directly in any problem solving theory. A particular specification can be upheld or rejected only by drawing upon the validity of a complementary predicate ‘satisfies’ and the (un-)acceptability of the considered candidate solution (e.g. technological artefact, product). It is the role of the predicate ‘satisfies’ to find and derive such a candidate solution. The predicates ‘specifies’ and ‘satisfies’ are contextually bound and can be evaluated only within a particular conceptual frame. Thus, a solution to the design problem is sound and admissible with respect to an explicit commitment to a particular specification and design frame. The role of the predicate ‘acceptable’ is to compare the admissible solutions and frames against the ‘real’ design problem. As if it answered the question: “Is this solution really what I wanted/intended?” Furthermore, I propose a set of principled schemas on the conceptual (knowledge) level with an aim to make the interactive patterns of the design process explicit. These conceptual schemas are elicited from the rigorous experiments that utilised the structured and principled approach to recording the designer’s conceptual reasoning steps and decisions. They include the refinement of an explicit problem specification within a conceptual frame; the refinement of an explicit problem specification using a re-framed reference; and the conceptual re-framing (i.e. the identification and articulation of new conceptual terms) Since the conceptual schemas reflect the sequence of the ‘typical’ decisions the designer may make during the design process, there is no single, symbol-level method for the implementation of these conceptual patterns. Thus, when one decides to follow the abstract patterns and schemas, this abstract model alone can foster a principled design on the knowledge level. It must be acknowledged that for the purpose of computer-based support, these abstract schemas need to be turned into operational models and consequently suitable methods. However, such operational perspective was beyond the time and resource constraints placed on this research

Towards a machine enabled semantic framework for the distributed engineering design

The overall aim of this thesis is to identify and propose a suitable architectural framework for supporting cooperation processes and therefore enabling semantics within the distributed engineering design environment. The proposed architecture is intended to\ud characterize a software-based management of design related data, information and knowledge flows in the distributed engineering design organization. The aim is to provide a computational context for implementing ICT tools that would: (i) Minimise the effect of user and resource dispersion (particularly temporal and geographical dispersion), the misunderstandings that might be generated by the\ud (otherwise beneficial) functional and semantic distribution, the time spent for searching and retrieval of information, the effort of information translation between different tools and the administrational and organisational efforts not directly related to the design process (e.g. revision control) (ii) Maximise the quality of information (i.e. relevant information at relevant and appropriate times), knowledge sharing and reuse among distributed design\ud actors, the flexibility of the user interfaces and the designer’s time spent in the actual designing process.\ud In order to achieve the overall aim, the research work supporting this thesis was carried out along the following objectives:\ud 1. To investigate and characterize the engineering design process performed in a distributed environment and its problematic aspects;\ud 2. To research and study alternative theories for thinking and modelling the distributed engineering design process;\ud 3. To investigate current research in information and knowledge management for identifying supporting technologies for a possible solution to the identified\ud problematic aspects (from point 1);\ud 4. To analyze the requirement needs for a solution according to the findings from previous objectives, i.e. the driving problems (from point 1), the research and\ud therefore the thinking approach (from point 2), and available supporting technologies (from point 3);\ud 5. To synthesize the architectural framework along the identified supporting technologies (from point 3);\ud 6. To instantiate a software system along the underlying computational context as described by the architectural framework (from point 5)

Living ontologies: collaborative knowledge structuring on the Internet

This thesis discusses the issues involving the support of Living Ontologies: collaborating in the construction and maintenance of ontologies using the Internet. Ontologies define the concepts used in describing a domain: they are used by knowledge engineers as reusable components of knowledge-based systems. Knowledge engineers create ontologies by eliciting information from domain experts. However, experts often have different conceptualisations of a domain and knowledge engineers often have different ways of formalising their conceptualisations. Taking a constructivist perspective, constructing ontologies from multiple conflicting conceptualisations can be seen as a design activity, in which knowledge engineers make choices according to the context in which the representation will be used. Based on this theory, a methodology for collaboratively constructing ontologies might involve comparing differing conceptualisations and using these comparisons to initiate discussion, changes to the conceptualisations and the development of criteria against which they can be evaluated. APECKS (Adaptive Presentation Environment for Collaborative Knowledge Structuring) is designed to support this methodology. APECKS aims not only to support the collaborative construction of ontologies but also to use ontologies to present information to its users adaptively within a virtual environment. It demonstrates a number of innovations over conventional ontology servers, such as prompted knowledge elicitation from domain experts, automated comparisons between ontologies, the creation of design rationales and change tracking. A small evaluation of APECKS has shown that it is usable by domain experts and that automated comparisons between ontologies can be used to initiate alterations, investigations of others' conceptualisations and as a basis for discussion. Possible future development of APECKS includes tighter integration with a virtual environment and with other networked knowledge-based tools. Further research is also needed to develop the methodology on which APECKS is based, by investigating ways of comparing, combining and discussing ontologies

East Lancashire Research 2008

East Lancashire Research 200

Slit net dams in a small scale model: debris flow control with different basal openings

The aim of this work was to analyze the response of a new type of barrier, here defined as slit net dam, towards debris flow phenomena. Sixteen experiments were carried out in a small-scale model at the BOKU University of Vienna (Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering – IAN) testing different barrier configurations; in particular the research focused on the study of five different basal openings, i.e. the distance from the barrier bottom to the lowermost net elemen