Ubiquitous Integration and Temporal Synchronisation (UbilTS) framework : a solution for building complex multimodal data capture and interactive systems

Contemporary Data Capture and Interactive Systems (DCIS) systems are tied in with various technical complexities such as multimodal data types, diverse hardware and software components, time synchronisation issues and distributed deployment configurations. Building these systems is inherently difficult and requires addressing of these complexities before the intended and purposeful functionalities can be attained. The technical issues are often common and similar among diverse applications. This thesis presents the Ubiquitous Integration and Temporal Synchronisation (UbiITS) framework, a generic solution to address the technical complexities in building DCISs. The proposed solution is an abstract software framework that can be extended and customised to any application requirements. UbiITS includes all fundamental software components, techniques, system level layer abstractions and reference architecture as a collection to enable the systematic construction of complex DCISs. This work details four case studies to showcase the versatility and extensibility of UbiITS framework’s functionalities and demonstrate how it was employed to successfully solve a range of technical requirements. In each case UbiITS operated as the core element of each application. Additionally, these case studies are novel systems by themselves in each of their domains. Longstanding technical issues such as flexibly integrating and interoperating multimodal tools, precise time synchronisation, etc., were resolved in each application by employing UbiITS. The framework enabled establishing a functional system infrastructure in these cases, essentially opening up new lines of research in each discipline where these research approaches would not have been possible without the infrastructure provided by the framework. The thesis further presents a sample implementation of the framework on a device firmware exhibiting its capability to be directly implemented on a hardware platform. Summary metrics are also produced to establish the complexity, reusability, extendibility, implementation and maintainability characteristics of the framework.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grants - EP/F02553X/1, 114433 and 11394

Shape stabilisation of cellulose-poly(ethylene glycol) phase change composites for building construction

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn this thesis a series of unique formulations were developed and investigated for the stabilisation of PEG using cellulose fibre (CF) as the supporting material by implementing the highly feasible tricarboxylic acid (TCA) crosslinking reaction using deionised water as solvent. This resulted in producing a series of shape stabilised TCA crosslinked composite PCMs of different chemical compositions. The TCA crosslinked composite PCMs were characterised by FTIR, XRD, SEM, DSC, TGA and POM analysis. FTIR results confirmed the formation of a crosslinked structure, and the presence of weak intermolecular forces of attraction between the unreacted PEG particles and CF. Hence, leakage problem of solid-liquid PEG PCM was successfully overcome in the current study; and therefore, PEG was able to retain its original solid state during the phase transition process. Microwave (MW) irradiation had no major effects on the final structure of TCA composite PCM, but it appeared to have reduced the moisture content significantly since the intensity of peak appearing at 3450 cm-1 corresponding to the presence of OH groups had reduced significantly which may indicate moisture loss or changes in the polarity strength of the O-H group. XRD results indicated that the crystallinity of pristine PEG had changed drastically after TCA crosslinking reaction. The major two crystalline peaks appearing at 2θ = 19.10 and 23.23° disappeared after chemical crosslinking reaction; thus, broad humps existed in the composite PCMs indicating the presence of amorphous structures which was attributed to the incorporation of amorphous polymer (e.g., CF). The crystallinity index (CI) value of PEG8000 was 52.94% while TCA composite PCMs had CI value in the range 8.92 to 45.3%. The crystallinity of the resulting composite PCMs were dictated by the PEG content, PEG/CF ratio and PEG/CA ratio. Ten minutes MW radiation exposure was observed to enhance the crystallinity of TCA composite PCM with blend ratio of 4.0:1:7.5 from 35.65 to 47.96% (e.g., 34.53% increase) but twenty minutes MW radiation exposure reduced it from 35.65 to 32.32% (e.g., 9.34% decrease) which was attributed to destruction of PEG crystal lattice structure by the thermal effect of MW radiation. DSC results showed that pristine PEG8000 had a very high latent heat capacity of 181.5 J/g which was attributed to the fact that PEG was comprised of simple linear polymer chains. This indicated that pristine PEG8000 are susceptible to crystallisation; thus, could easily form crystals. After TCA crosslinking reaction the latent heat capacity of PEG had reduced significantly. Thus, TCA crosslinked composite PCMs had latent heat capacity in the range 18.19 to 58.08 J/g which was attributed to the reduced flexibility of the PEG chain during the crystallisation process. The phase transition temperature of PEG changed after TCA crosslinking reaction which was due to the changes in the thickness of the crystal lamellae. TGA results showed that the thermal stability of PEG had increased after TCA crosslinking reaction attributed to the formation of the crosslinked structure. POM images indicated major changes in the spherulitic crystal structure of PEG after chemical crosslinking reaction due to the formation of the TCA crosslinked structure. Hence, the crystal structure became less prominent, and its size was observed to have reduced significantly attributed to the formation of crystal defects during chemical crosslinking reaction. SEM images indicated the possibility of enhancing the structural integrity; thus, the homogeneity of the resulting composite PCMs using MW radiation exposure for ten minutes MW radiation exposure was observed to produce composite PCMs with compact structure and even topography; however, results suggested that twenty minutes MW radiation exposure was undesirable since cracks were observed to have formed due to severe moisture loss by the thermal effect of MW radiation

The Ecology And Biology Of Aedes Aegypti (L.) And Aedes Albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) And The Resistance Status Of Aedes Albopictus (Field Strain) Against Organophosphates In Penang, Malaysia

Penyampelan populasi telur (luar kediaman) dijalankan di dua lokasi pinggir kota di Pulau Pinang iaitu di Paya Terubong Outdoor Ovitrap surveys were carried out in two suburban locations in Penang; Paya Terubong (Air Itam) and Bagan Dalam (Butterworth)

When the appeal of a dominant leader is greater than a prestige leader

Across the globe we witness the rise of populist authoritarian leaders who are overbearing in their narrative, aggressive in behavior, and often exhibit questionable moral character. Drawing on evolutionary theory of leadership emergence, in which dominance and prestige are seen as dual routes to leadership, we provide a situational and psychological account for when and why dominant leaders are preferred over other respected and admired candidates. We test our hypothesis using three studies, encompassing more than 140,000 participants, across 69 countries and spanning the past two decades. We find robust support for our hypothesis that under a situational threat of economic uncertainty (as exemplified by the poverty rate, the housing vacancy rate, and the unemployment rate) people escalate their support for dominant leaders. Further, we find that this phenomenon is mediated by participants’ psychological sense of a lack of personal control. Together, these results provide large-scale, globally representative evidence for the structural and psychological antecedents that increase the preference for dominant leaders over their prestigious counterparts

The Ecology And Biology Of Aedes Aegypti (L.) And Aedes Albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) And The Resistance Status Of Aedes Albopictus (Field Strain) Against Organophosphates In Penang, Malaysia [QL536. M266 2006 f rb].

Penyampelan populasi telur (luar kediaman) dijalankan di dua lokasi pinggir kota di Pulau Pinang iaitu di Paya Terubong (Air Itam) dan Bagan Dalam (Butterworth). Outdoor Ovitrap surveys were carried out in two suburban locations in Penang; Paya Terubong (Air Itam) and Bagan Dalam (Butterworth)

Building a Digital Platform Ecosystem for Elderly Care: Core vs. Portfolio

Does strategy matter for early-stage health start-ups seeking to build platform ecosystems? Drawing on a multi-year ethnographic study of two early-stage platform start-ups, we analyze their strategic decision-making process as they decide between refining their core service or attracting complementary services. Fundamentally, we seek to understand to which degree startup teams formulate such strategies, stick to them, or adapt to a changing opportunity landscape in such a highly regulated environment. Our work sheds light on the relevance of strategic intent, opportunistic behavior, and simple luck in the build-up of nascent digital health platform ecosystems. Preliminary results reveal that start-ups frequently adapt their strategy to the environmental dynamics, and not every start-up can capitalize on opportunities presented by easing regulations or use them strategically. Our work provides practical implications for policymakers aiming to foster opportunities for healthcare start-ups and for early-stage start-ups seeking to navigate the complex healthcare environment