Regulating intimate relationships in the European polity: same-sex unions and policy convergence

Since 1989, twenty-three European countries have implemented same-sex union (SSU) laws. We argue that the political processes leading to the adoption of these policies have been shaped by international influences such as policy harmonization, elite lesson-drawing and most importantly by social learning fostered within transnational networks. We examine SSU policies in four West European countries—Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Spain—to illustrate how these international influences and transnational networks have shaped SSU policy outcomes, and argue that the workings of these networks resemble those of the “velvet triangle” policy communities identified by gender scholars

Statistical aspects of carbon fiber risk assessment modeling

The probabilistic and statistical aspects of the carbon fiber risk assessment modeling of fire accidents involving commercial aircraft are examined. Three major sources of uncertainty in the modeling effort are identified. These are: (1) imprecise knowledge in establishing the model; (2) parameter estimation; and (3)Monte Carlo sampling error. All three sources of uncertainty are treated and statistical procedures are utilized and/or developed to control them wherever possible

Gene flow in admixed populations and implications for the conservation of the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera

Anthropogenic activity, especially modern apiculture, has considerable impact on the natural distribution of the Western honeybee, Apismellifera, leading to the spread, replacement and fragmentation of many subspecies. This creates demand for the conservation of some subspecies, in particular, Apismelliferamellifera, which once was widely distributed in Western Europe and nowadays is endangered through habitat loss and fragmentation. Moreover, A.m.mellifera may be further endangered by hybridisation in populations that now occur in artificial sympatry with other subspecies. Here, we quantify and compare individual hybridisation between sympatric and allopatric honeybee populations of A.m.mellifera and A.m.carnica using microsatellite markers and a Bayesian model-based approach. We had a special focus on pure breeding populations, which are a major tool in honeybee conservation. Our results demonstrate that subspecies are still highly differentiated, but gene flow is not prevented by the current management strategies, creating urgent demand for an improved conservation management of A.m.mellifera. However, the occurrence of a high number of pure individuals might suggest that some sort of hybrid barrier acts against the complete admixture of the two subspecie

Genetic integrity of the Dark European honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) from protected populations: a genome-wide assessment using SNPs and mtDNA sequence data

The recognition that the Dark European honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera, is increasingly threatened in its native range has led to the establishment of conservation programmes and protected areas throughout western Europe. Previous molecular surveys showed that, despite management strategies to preserve the genetic integrity of A. m. mellifera, protected populations had a measurable component of their gene pool derived from commercial C-lineage honey bees. Here we used both sequence data from the tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic mtDNA region and a genome-wide scan, with over 1183 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to assess genetic diversity and introgression levels in several protected populations of A. m. mellifera, which were then compared with samples collected from unprotected populations. MtDNA analysis of the protected populations revealed a single colony bearing a foreign haplotype, whereas SNPs showed varying levels of introgression ranging from virtually zero in Norway to about 14% in Denmark. Introgression overall was higher in unprotected (30%) than in protected populations (8%), and is reflected in larger SNP diversity levels of the former, although opposite diversity levels were observed for mtDNA. These results suggest that, despite controlled breeding, some protected populations still require adjustments to the management strategies to further purge foreign alleles, which can be identified by SNPs.Pint

Sea ice conditions in relation to offshore wind development in the Southern Baltic Sea

Dette arbeidet presenterer en analyse av isforholdene i Østersjøen. Den viktigste parameteren for å beskrive de lokale isforholdene er flatistykkelsen. Fra denne størrelsen kan andre isparamtre estimeres. Havisens termiske vekst estimeres gjennom Freezing Degree Day modeller med og uten termisk isollasjon fra snøfall. Starten på frysesesongen bestemmes av den lokale lufttemperaturen, og slutten av frysesesongen bestemmes av iskonsentrasjon fra fjernmålinger med satellitt. Havisens styrkekoeffisient estimeres basert på iskonsentrasjon og isdrift. Denne metoden er videre anvendt i forskjellige basseng i Østersjøen. Estimert havisstyke er noe høyere enn referanseverdien gitt av den internasjonale standarden ISO19006:2019 for Norströmsgrund fyr i den nordlige Østersjøen. Resultatene for mildere strøk i den sørlige Østersjøen gir iseksponering som er flere størrelses-ordner lavere enn i den nordlige Østersjøen og dermed også vesentlig lavere havisstyrke enn i nord. Det er store variasjoner i havisforhold innad i Østersjøen i tid og i rom. Statistiske forhold etablert for skrugardtykkelse og frekvens basert på flatisens kjøldybde i Beauforthavet er brukt for å estimere skrugardenes tykkelse og frekvens i Østersjøen. Forholdene i Østersjøen er mildere og tilgangen på presise data for havistykkelse er dårligere sammenlignet med forholdene i Beauforthavet. Til tross for ulike forhold i de to bassengene og mangel på høyoppløste tidsserier for istykkelse i Østersjøen samsvarer estimert skrugard tykkelse med publikasjoner som beskriver skrugardtykkelse i den nordlige Østersjøen. Imidleritid er den estimerte skrugardfrekvensen vesentlig lavere enn publiserte observasjoner i den nordlige Østersjøen. Denne forskningen analyserer isforhold i Østersjøen basert på et bredt utvalg av datakilder. Hovedkildene er ERA5 reanalyse for atmosfæriske data, og iskonsentrasjon basert på fjernmålinger med passive mikrobølger fra NSIDC og BASIS iskartarkiv for informasjon om sjøisutrbredelse. Disse resultatene blir sammenlignet med andre kilder som iskart fra det det svenske meteorologiske og hydrologiske instituttet (SMHI) og finske meteorologiske instituttet (FMI), og andre modeller som Copernicus Marine Service (CMS) globale og lokale produkter for isforhold. I tillegg nevnes andre publikasjoner som har forsøkt å analysere isforholdene via data fra CryoSat-2. Freezing Degree Day modellene gir tidsserier for havistykkelse som brukes til å definere fordelinger for havistykkelse gjennom frysesesongene. Basert på disse fordelingene simuleres 100 000 frysesesonger for å beskrive ekstremhendelser. Denne tilnærmingen kartlegger ulike metoder og datakilder og har implikasjoner for utviklingen av havvindinfrastruktur, og informerer bedre design og planlegging av dette. Avhandlingen skisserer også potensielle veier for videre forskning, og argumenterer for mer detaljerte, stedsbestemte analyser for å bedre ta hensyn til de lokale forholdene.The European Commission projects up to 450 GW of installed offshore wind capacity in the European Union with a potential 85 GW in the Baltic Sea. The construction and maintenance of marine structures in sub-arctic climates where sea ice may occur require a detailed understanding of the local sea ice conditions. The extra cost of sea ice mitigation measures against severe ice loads (e.g. ice breaking cones in the waterline, jacket vs. monopile foundation design) can make or break the business case for projects. This study aims to implement common methods used for understanding the local sea ice conditions and compare the results with benchmarks and local observations. This study evaluates the use of Freezing Degree Day models to estimate level ice thickness development. A statistical relation between sea ice exposure and sea ice strength coefficients is evaluated against well observed conditions at Norströmsgrund Lighthouse. Furthermore a statistical relation between the level ice and sea ice ridge thickness and frequency is evaluated. A comparison is made between various data sources of sea ice parameters and models of these parameters. The sea ice conditions at the Baltyk I, II and III licences are described and compared to conditions elsewhere in the Baltic Sea. Based on the local sea ice conditions, level ice draft distributions throughout the freezing season is determined. 100 000 freezing seasons are simulated based on level ice distributions. From these simulations and the probability of sea ice presence the extreme values for level ice thickness, and sea ice ridge thickness and frequency is calculated. Freezing Degree Day models are solutions to Stefan's law relating the energy balance between heat loss and ice growth. Various models and assumptions are compared with observations. The validity of the statistical relations between sea ice parameters is questioned. Climate data from various sources is analysed and compared to model estimates. Methodology to evaluate sea ice conditions is reviewed and results are analysed. The sea ice conditions in the Baltic Sea is examined to more accurately inform sea ice mitigation designs to the local conditions. The study describes the local sea ice distribution for the various basins in the Baltic Sea, infers sea ice strength and sea ice ridge statistics. The sea ice conditions in the southern Baltic Sea is significantly less severe than in the northern Baltic Sea. The ice strength coefficient at 50 years return period at Norströmsgrund lighthouse is found to be 1.8 MPa in accordance with detailed observations. The sea ice exposure is 2 orders of magnitude lower at the Baltyk I, II and III licences resulting in significantly lower sea ice strength coefficients. The level ice thickness at 50 years return period is estimated to be 106 cm at the highest in the northern Baltic Sea, and typically less than 40 cm in the southern Baltic Sea. The statistical and empirical relations between level ice and sea ice ridge statistics are examined as well as the relations between sea ice exposure and the sea ice strength coefficient. Furthermore, these should be adjusted to the location specific conditions that vary between basins in the Baltic Sea

Efficacy of forest restoration treatments across a 40-year chronosequence at Redwood National Park

Following 20th century logging, much of the natural coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) range consists of dense second-growth stands with slow tree growth and low biodiversity. There is a landscape-scale effort in much of coastal northern California to increase tree growth rates and ecosystem biodiversity via thinning treatments, thereby hopefully accelerating the development of old-growth forest characteristics. Redwood National Park (RNP) has been experimenting with thinning in these forest types since the 1970s. Given the interesting history of logging and restoration in RNP and the future plans for widespread thinning in this region, my thesis examined the effects of land management on forest productivity, biodiversity, and ecocultural resources. The first chapter provides a basic history of land management within the North Coast region. The second chapter investigates how redwood physiology, redwood growth, and forest biodiversity respond to restoration treatments. My Chapter 2 investigations found that thinning second-growth redwood forests 1) does not meaningfully influence tree water status, 2) increases tree gas exchange in the short-term, 3) increases tree growth in the long-term, 4) increases understory plant diversity, and 5) does not affect bird or mammal diversity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that thinning second-growth redwood forests has the potential to accelerate the development of old-growth characteristics. This verification of the efficacy of restoration treatments is important information for land managers, as plans are currently underway to apply these treatments at the landscape-scale. Ideally, this thesis can provide useful baseline data to aid future assessments of long-term forest responses to contemporary restoration efforts

Micro-Firm Internationalisation: A Case Study of Three Norwegian Fashion Brands

I løpet av de siste 30-40 årene har verden blitt stadig mer globalisert, og store multinasjonale selskaper har en sentral rolle i vår hverdag. I begynnelsen av globaliseringen ble små bedrifter antatt å være for små og ha for få ressurser til å entre utenlandske markeder. Fra introduksjonen av internasjonalt entreprenørskap som forskningsfelt på 1980- og 1990-tallet, har graden av globalisering imidlertid økt ytterligere, og flere og flere bedrifter, uavhengig av størrelse, er aktive på den internasjonale arenaen. Den raske utviklingen av internett, sosiale medier og netthandel har både gjort det enklere for selskaper å eksportere og for kunder å finne leverandører, både i det lokale markedet og i utlandet. Endringer i leverandør- og forhandlerleddet har gjort seg særlig gjeldende i klesindustrien hvor en rekke nye "direkte til kunde"-aktører har dukket opp. I dette markedet, hvor oppstartskostnadene normalt er svært lave, men konkurransen beinhard, hva er det som motiverer bedrifter til å satse internasjonalt? Og når de først har tatt den beslutningen, hvordan sikrer de at det blir en suksess? Det er disse spørsmålene denne oppgaven tar opp; hvorfor selskaper internasjonaliserer, og hvordan de gjør det. Vi bruker moteindustrien og mikrofirmaet som kontekst for å utforske hvilke motiver og hindringer denne type selskaper opplever i internasjonaliseringsprosessen, hvilke inngangsmetoder de bruker, markedene de går inn i og hvor tidlig, og raskt, de ekspanderer. Dette er en mixed method-studie som kombinerer en bransjespørreundersøkelse med tre case studier basert på intervjuer med gründerne av tre norske klesmerker. Vi ser at mikrobedrifter i moteindustrien er sterkt motivert av gründerens ambisjoner om internasjonal annerkjennelse samt ønsket og behovet for å selge mer og bygge merkevarebevissthet. Mangel på sistnevnte kan på den annen side oppleves som en barriere til internasjonal vekst, spesielt da det å finne de riktige partnerne å jobbe med, det være seg butikker eller agenter, kan være svært vanskelig. I tillegg nevnes begrensede økonomiske ressurser og en oppfatning om at selskapet er for lite som potensielle barrierer. Når slike selskaper går inn i utenlandske markeder, har de en av tre tilnærminger. Selskaper som har en lavere risikovillighet ser ut til å begrense sin ekspansjon til markeder med lav geografisk og kulturell avstand til hjemmemarkedet, mens selskaper hvis gründere har en mer proaktiv tilnærming til og sterkere ambisjon om internasjonal vekst søker seg ut mindre undermarkeder i et bredere spekter av land og er mindre opptatt av kulturell eller geografisk nærhet. Den tredje ble også funnet blant selskaper med internasjonale ambisjoner, men som har en mindre strukturert tilnærming til internasjonalisering. Disse belager seg i større grad på uoppfordrede henvendelser og følger etter kundene - hvor enn de måtte befinne seg. Når det gjelder spørsmålet om hvor tidlig disse selskapene starter internasjonaliseringsprosessen, ser vi at flesteparten av de eksporterende mikrobedriftene ble funnet til å initiere dette tidlig i selskapsutviklingen, innen 5 år fra etablering. I tillegg finner vi at de foretrekker å selge til lokale forhandlere eksportmarkedene i stedet for å opprette egne butikker, og de gjør dette enten direkte ved å personlig kontakte forhandlerne eller indirekte ved å bruke mellommenn som agenter, distributører eller salgsrepresentanter. Forskningsspørsmålene i denne oppgaven er sentrale i internasjonaliseringsteori og har blitt nøye studert for store multinasjonale selskaper, raskt internasjonaliserende høyteknologiselskaper, og til en viss grad for varehandel, deriblant for store dagligvarehus, luksusbutikker og mindre detaljister. Dog, de minste firmaene har ofte blitt ekskludert med den argumentasjon at de mangler ressurser. Vi mener likevel at oppgaven har verdi gitt utbredelsen av små bedrifter i sektoren og endringene vi har sett i forretningsmodeller de siste årene. I tillegg til å vise at mikrobedrifter er i stand til å internasjonalisere og dermed verdt å studere, er viktigheten av kontekst en sentral implikasjon for videre forskning. Gjennom studien har vi sett at motesektoren egner seg særs godt til tidlig internasjonalisering og dermed ikke er direkte sammenlignbar med sektorer med høyere inngangsbarrierer samtidig som merkevarebygging er en nøkkelaktivitet for disse selskapene, noe sjeldent fokusert på i studier av høyteknologiske Born Globals eller internasjonale industriselskaper. Dette har implikasjoner for både teori og praksis, da det kan påvirke hvilke markeder man går inn i eller hvilke butikker man selger til. Avslutningsvis kan det sies at for mikroselskaper i motesektoren er merkevaren selve nøkkelen til å på den ene siden muliggjøre internasjonalisering, men også for å sikre en vellykket ekspansjonsprosess.Over the last 30-40 years, the world has become increasingly globalised, and large multinationals are ever-present in our daily lives. Initially in the globalisation journey, small firms were thought to be too small and have too few resources to make the move into foreign markets. However, since the advent of the International Entrepreneurship field in the 1980s and 1990s, the degree of globalisation has increased further and more and more businesses, regardless of size, are making forays into international marketplaces. The rapid development of the internet, social media, and online shopping have both reduced the barriers to engaging in exports and increase the ease to which customers are able to seek out a wider selection of suppliers, including foreign ones. This change in the supplier and retailer space has been particularly felt in the area of fashion and accessories, where a plethora of new “direct-to-customers” entrants have cropped up. In such an environment, where new brands can be launched on a shoestring, but competition is fierce and global, what drives companies to internationalise? And when these firms make the decision to internationalise, how do they ensure success? These are the key questions this thesis seeks to address; why companies internationalise, and how they do it. Specifically, we are using the context of the fashion industry and the micro-firm to explore the motives and barriers to internationalisation experienced by such firms, the entry modes they chose to use, which market they enter and how fast they move. We deploy a mixed method approach, combining an industry survey with a multiple-case study involving interviews with the founders of three Norwegian up-and-coming fashion brands. We find that micro-firms in the fashion industry tend to internationalise to increase sales and build brand awareness. They are often driven by the ambition of the founder-manager. On the other hand, a lack of brand awareness can also be a barrier to internationalisation. Difficulty finding the right shops or agents to work with, limited financial resources and a perception the company is too small were also found to be potential barriers. When these firms go into foreign markets, those more risk averse and reluctant tend to limit their expansion to culturally familiar and geographically close markets. Those managers with a more proactive approach and higher degree of personal ambition chose to target sub-markets in a wider array of countries and are less concerned about cultural or geographical proximity. A third approach was also seen, with companies that have international ambition but went about it in a less structured way. These firms rely to a larger extent on unsolicited orders and follow demand wherever it takes them - at times at their peril. Most of the exporting micro-firms were found to start doing so early in their development, within 5 years of being established. They preferred to sell to local stockists in the target markets rather than setting up own shops. When doing so, they either sold directly by personally contacting the stockists or indirectly by using intermediaries like agents, distributors, or sales representatives. The above questions are fundamental to internationalisation research and have been studied at length for large manufacturing multinationals, rapidly internationalising high-tech companies, and to some extent for retailers, both large general merchandisers, luxury brands, and smaller specialist retailers. However, the smallest firms have usually been excluded from studies due to their relative lack of resources and immaturity. Still, we find value in the results from our research given the prevalence of small businesses and the recent changes in the retailer landscape of the fashion sector. In addition to showing that micro-firms are indeed capable of internationalisation and worthy of study, a key implication for theory of the thesis is the importance of context as we have seen through the study that the fashion sector lends itself particularly well to early internationalisation and is not directly comparable to sectors with higher barriers to entry. Furthermore, the context of being fashion brands place a high degree of importance on the brand image – something not typically emphasised in studies of high-tech Born Globals or international manufacturers. This has implications for both theory and practice, as the idea of staying true to brand seems to be central in both selecting markets to enter and partners or shops to work with. In conclusion, for fashion micro-firms, it seems the brand is important both in enabling internationalisation as well as ensuring a successful expansion process

Condition monitoring system for all-electric subsea systems

I dag er de fleste subsea systemene utviklet med elektro- hydrauliske kontrollsystemer. Dette systemet har i mange tiår blitt utviklet til det velfungerende og pålitelige systemet det er i dag. I disse systemene kommuniserer Topside med strøm, signaler og hydraulikk gjennom umbilicals. En av de mange viktige oppgavene til kontrollsystemet er å gi operatøren kontroll over ventiltreet, samt å ha et velfungerende system for situasjoner hvor kommunikasjon blir kuttet av i en nødsituasjon. Derfor er det viktig å gjennomføre regelmessige tester for å verifisere at alt fungerer som det skal, spesielt de komponentene som skal ivareta sikkerheten under en nødsituasjon. Et eksempel på slike tester er lekasjetesting av portventiler i ventiltreet. Det neste steget for bransjen er å utvikle helelektriske undervannssystemer. Ved å bytte ut hydrauliske aktivatorer med elektriske, vil mengden data tilgjengelig for analyse øke drastisk. For hydrauliske ventiler monitoreres posisjonen basert på hydraulikk brukt og trykkmålinger. Dette er hovedsakling for å bekrefte åpen eller lukket posisjon. Helelektriske systemer introduserer en elektrisk motor i aktivatoren. Ved bruk av en elektrisk motor vil en hel rekke ny data bli tilgjengelig. Lineær posisjon fra antall omdreininger, umiddelbart strømforbruk og omdreiningshastighet er ny data som blir tilgjengelig kun fra motoren. I tillegg gjør nøyaktig posisjonsmanipulering at det åpnes mulighet for partial stroke test. Ved en slik test kan funksjonaliteten av ventilen testes uten stopp i produksjonen. En av de viktigste utfordringene for videreutvikling er å sette opp systemer som benytter disse dataene på en fornuftig måte. Et eksempel på et slikt system har blitt undersøkt og definert ved to Python-program. Det er blitt konstruert to program for en gate-ventil: et for å simulere data (da dette manglet), og et for en digital tvilling. Hensikten med programmene er å demonstrere eksempler på hvordan ny data, sammen med tradisjonell teori kan benyttes for å tilstandsmonitorere ventilen. Simuleringsprogrammet produserer data for kraftmålinger gjort på en foreslått lastcelle på ventilstammen, samt elektrisk effekt brukt av motoren. Annen informasjon som tid, posisjon, trykk og rpm blir også generert. Dataen blir eksportert til Excel som tidsserier og representerer informasjonen som blir hentet inn fra systemet. Feil over tid i form av synkende effektivitet på ledeskrue, økende flow behaviour index for smørevæske i aktivatoren, synkende friksjon på pakning til ventilstammen og lekkasje over ventilen er inkludert. Det er også gjort antakelser om sammenheng mellom feil: sjanse og størrelse for endring i lekkasje og friksjon på pakning øker for høyere differensialt trykk over ventilen ved åpning etter lekkasjetest. Den digitale tvillingen tar inn tidsseriene og kalkulerer forventet lineær kraft på ventilstammen i to omganger. Én ved å bruke data for RPM og elektrisk effekt brukt av motoren, og én ved å bruke ventilposisjon og trykkdata fra brønnen. Ideen var å anta et feilfritt system over tid, og deretter sammenligne estimerte tidsserier med de målte. Resultatene fra undersøkelsen viser at det enkelt går an å vise endring i feil over tid for et slikt system. Ved å sammenligne endring i elektrisk effekt med avvik i motor- og ventil ytelse kan en se grunnen til unormal endring i effekt. Endringen av effektiviteten til aktivatoren ble fremstilt for to ulike rpm over antall sykluser. Det kan da sees at det etter hvert er en liten økning i flow behaviour index, da det er lavere effektivitet for høy rpm. Avvik i nødvending ventilkraft synker med tid, da friksjonen på pakningen til ventilstammen synker. En klar korrelasjon mellom avvik for behov for kraft til ventilen og differensialtrykk ved åpning kan sees. Dette da pakningen antas å slites mer for høyere differensialtrykk.Today, most subsea systems are developed with electro-hydraulic control systems. This system has been developed over many decades into the well-functioning and reliable system it is today. In these systems, the Topside communicates with power, signals, and hydraulics through umbilicals. One of the many important tasks of the control system is to give the operator control over the tree valve, as well as to have a functioning system for situations where communication is cut off in an emergency. Therefore, it is important to conduct regular tests to verify that everything works as it should, especially those components that are to ensure safety in an emergency. An example of such tests is leak testing of gate valves in the X-mas tree. The next step for the industry is to develop fully electric subsea systems. By replacing hydraulic actuators with electrical ones, the amount of data available for analysis will drastically increase. For hydraulic valves, the position is monitored based on the hydraulic fluid used and pressure measurements. This is mainly to confirm either fully- open or closed position. All- electric systems introduce an electric motor in the actuator. The use of an electric motor will make a whole range of new data available. Linear position from the number of revolutions, immediate power consumption, and rotation speed are new data that will be available only from the motor. In addition, precise position manipulation opens the possibility for partial stroke testing. In such a test, the functionality of the valve can be tested without stop in production. One of the main challenges for further development is to set up systems that use this data in a sensible way. An example of such a system has been examined and defined by two Python programs. Two programs have been constructed for a gate valve: one to simulate data (as this was missing), and one for a digital twin. The purpose of the programs is to demonstrate examples of how new data, in combination with traditional theory, can be used to condition monitor the valve. The Simulator generates data for force measurements made on a proposed load cell on the valve stem, as well as the electric power used by the motor. Other information such as time, position, pressure, and rpm is also generated. The data is exported to Excel as time series and represents the information being collected from the various sensors. Faults over time in the form of decreasing efficiency on the lead screw, increasing flow behavior index for the lubricant in the actuator, decreasing friction on the valve stem seal, and leakage over the valve are included. Assumptions have also been made concerning the correlation between faults: the chance and magnitude of change in leakage and friction on the stem seal increase for higher differential pressure over the valve when opening after leak testing. The Digital Twin collects the time series and calculates the expected linear force on the valve stem in two stages. One by using data for RPM and electric power used by the motor, and one by using valve position and pressure data from the well. The idea was to assume a faultless system over time, and then compare the estimated time series with the measured ones. The results from the analysis show that it is easy to show a change in faults over time for such a system. By comparing the change in electric power with deviations in motor and valve performance, one can see the reason for the abnormal change in power consumption. The change in efficiency of the actuator was presented for two different rpms over the number of cycles. It can then be seen that there is gradually a small increase in the flow behavior index, as there is a deviation in efficiency for high and low rpm. The deviation in necessary valve linear force decreases with time, as the friction on the valve stem seal decreases. A clear correlation between deviation in required force on the valve, and differential pressure when opening the valve can be seen. This is because the packing is assumed to wear out quicker for higher differential pressures

Towards automating avalanche forecasts: A kriging model to interpolate modelled snow instability in the Swiss Alps

The Alps make up more than half of Switzerland’s area. Covered in snow, this mountainous terrain is prone to avalanches, endangering people and infrastructure. However, forecasting avalanche danger in Switzerland remains a complex and time-consuming task that is heavily dependent on expert knowledge. To overcome this challenge, new modelling suites have been developed in operational avalanche forecasting in recent years. However, snowpack instability has been neither interpolated nor tested on a larger than regional scale so far. This two-fold research gap is addressed as follows: The interpolation model developed in this thesis extends the existing modelling suite consisting of SNOWPACK, a physical model which simulates the snowpack at the location of an automated weather station (AWS), and an instability model. Based on a random forest classification, the latter predicts the maximum instability probability (between 0, stable, and 1, unstable) of the snowpack at the location of an AWS. The new interpolation model takes this modelled instability as input to predict the instability probability across a 1 km x 1 km grid covering the Swiss Alps, focusing on human-triggered dry-snow avalanches. The interpolation technique is based on kriging with external drift, incorporating elevation as a secondary variable. The model was cross-validated and tested with external data. Predictions at the locations of avalanches were used to test high instability probabilities. In contrast, predictions at GPS points from backcountry activities served to test low instability probabilities. Results indicated that the interpolation model effectively captured major snowfall events and varying stabilisation rates according to aspect. It generally predicted high instabilities for avalanches and low instabilities for GPS points. By enhancing the spatial resolution of instability, this work contributes to automating the forecast process. However, some limitations were identified: The model requires sufficient input of automated weather stations (AWSs) for accurate predictions. Additionally, it performs optimally within the elevation range covered by the AWSs. Beyond this range, the model tends to overestimate the instability

Framework for Auto-Generating Agents that Fight in a Semi-Coherent Way

This project aimed to explore the potential of computer and video games by pursuing a depth in gaming that is uncommon or non-existent in current games. That pursuit consisted of creating a coding framework that can automatically generate many more components of the fighting logic than are normally used in current games. This framework is extendable, which allowed this project to scale to the time available. The other main part of this framework is the interface control document which describes how to use it. The end point of this project is a functional framework with a decent interface document so another developer could pick up this project and incorporate it in their game