Digital Commons Network^™

Compute Or Not To Compute?, Rowena Keaveny

Theses

The primary purpose of this enquiry is to explore the relevance of digital culture to contemporary art therapy practice in the digital age. The explosion of digital media into everyday life, as evidenced through it's impact on modes of communication and transformative societal behaviours has vastly altered how humans relate to each other and the world in which they can now live both physically and virtually in what has become known as the digital age. Silhouetted by it's emergent use within the therapeutic setting and informed by current literature, articles, research, questionnaires and interviews, this enquiry seeks to address the …

Investigation Of The Natural Bacteriocin Nisin And Bioengineered Nisin Derivatives For The Prevention And Control Fo Staphylococcus Biofilms On Medical Device Materials, Leanne Kearney

Theses

Antimicrobial resistance has evolved into being one the major threats facing clinical environments worldwide. It has led to the deerease in effective prevention and treatment of pathogenic bacteria. One such bacterium is Staphylococcus epidermidis. Once considered a relatively harmless and commensal baeterium, it has recently evolved into being one the leading eauses of nosocomial infections. S. epidermidis has proven hamiful due to its ability to fonn detrimental biofilms. Biofilms are structured eonsortia of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix that allows adherence to biotic or abiotic surfaces. These biofilms have played a leading role in healthcare-acquired infections with particular …

An Investigation Into Improving Men's Access To Health Services, Kieran Geary

Theses

This thesis sets out to examine the area of men’s health and to recommend strategies for mainstream health services to get more men interested in their health. In Ireland, men die, on average, approximately five years younger than women and have higher death rates than women for most of the leading causes of death (Richardson and Carroll, 2008). As Wilkins (2009) points out, identifying the problems with men’s health is not the ultimate challenge, nor is advocating for change at a political or policy level, rather it is identifying what works with men and translating that into workable strategies capable …

An Investigation Of The Use Of Natural Agents To Control Mycobacteria, Olga Lesniak

Theses

Economic losses that are caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) infections represent a major obstacle for farmers and also for the dairy industry. In order to control the population of MAP, alternative control agents must be investigated. One of the studies described in this thesis focused on using a bacteriophage therapy based approach to assess its efficacy on simulated industrial environments and food models. Another study described in this thesis investigated the antimicrobial effects of parsley and garlic on a range of mycobacteria species. Both studies used conventional microbiological methods such as plaque assays, AlamarBlue assay (MABA) and growth curves, …

Activating Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities In The Youth Sector, Oliver Fahey

Theses

This study is an action research that has been conducted with the collaboration of the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service. Its primary objective has been to examine the influencing elements that encourage or impede the activation of social entrepreneurship in the youth sector in Ireland. Also, how through participation in social entrepreneurship activity young people can be linked with further education, training or attachment to the labour market. Using a mixed method data gathering approach by means of a quantitative online national survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research has garnered an understanding of how practitioners and key stakeholders conceptualise the …

The Material Forms Of Memory: A Creative Arts Praxis Examining Family Archive Materiality And The Performance Of Memory Through Installation Art, Emily M. M. Hornum

Theses

This Master of Arts by Research investigates the role of new media in influencing familyarchive materiality and what effect this has on the performance of memory. The aim is to examine through creative arts praxis how installation art illuminates the participatory engagement of family archive materiality to mediate our mnemonic processes. The source materials for this project stem from my family archives dating from the early 1900s to 2013, and include photographs, 35mm slides, VHS tapes, audiotapes and personal items. The significance of this research lies in the creative outcomes that have occurred through the investigative and critical dialogues between …

The Effectiveness Of Different Silane Formulations To Functionalize Glass-Based Substrates, Aniket Maharanwar

Theses

The research in this report is being undertaken to compare the integrity of different methods to coat glass-based substrates with silanes. A typical borosilicate glass, APEXTM glass, was cleaned using a wet cleaning method and quartz substrates was cleaned using dry cleaning methods. The substrates were functionalized with a long-chain silane aminopropyltrimethoxysilane-(APTES), a short-chain chlorotrimethylsilane (Si (CH3)3 Cl) (CTMS), and commercial SigmacoteTM. The concentration of the silane in solution was varied at constant immersion times. The glass substrates functionalized with CTMS, Sigmacote and APTES were immersed in DI water to test their stability. The CTMS and Sigmacote produced water stable …

Ballymaloe Cookery School: A Study Of The Business And Its Local Impact, Keelin Tobin

Theses

The focus of this research is Ballymaloe Cookery School situated in East Cork, Ireland. This study seeks to understand the emergence of the cookery school, how this business has evolved over time and to investigate the impact it has had on the local area. Ballymaloe Cookery School was officially founded by brother and sister, Darina Allen (nee O’Connell) and Rory O’Connell in Shanagarry, Co. Cork in 1983. The findings examine the establishment of the cookery school as a family business and its attributes. Set amongst a rural landscape, close to the sea and surrounded by agricultural land, the school is …

High Borate Glasses For The Controlled Release Of Therapeutic Metal Ions, Kathleen O'Connell

Theses

Within the biomaterial community significant effort has been directed towards engineering materials that induce precise host responses, which are tailored to specific applications. However, this has also seen an increase in the complexity of some biomaterials, which is being increasingly criticised within the literature, as it is attributed to hindering their clinical utility. In this context the release of therapeutic metal ions from glass-based biomaterials have been shown to promote hard tissue repair and regeneration through angiogenesis and osteogenesis processes. Within this thesis project two separate quaternary high borate glass systems were prepared containing the therapeutic metal ions strontium and …

Low-Cost Fabrication Of Nanoelectrodes For Electrochemical Applications, Colm Barrett

Theses

Compared to traditional macroelectrodes, nanoscale electrodes have tremendous potential when employed in electrochemistry due to enhanced sensitivity arising from increased mass transport to the electrode and low background charging currents. Electrochemically- based diagnostic products such as sensors require sensing elements with greatly enhanced performance and nanoelectrodes offer a viable route to attaining this performance improvement.

Firstly, the fabrication of a polymer microneedle array-based sensor is described and employed to demonstrate a mediated approach for the detection of glucose in solution. This was to demonstrate the feasibility of the system for in-vivo sensing. Cyclic voltammetry was used to achieve detection of …

Ultra-Thin Film Near Perfect Light Absorbers And Transmission Filters In Visible And Ultraviolet Spectrum, Omar Alzain

Theses

Two layer structures have been investigated for absorbing light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range from 200 nm to 400 nm. A narrow-band near perfect light absorber is demonstrated which is composed of ultra-thin metal-dielectric-metal films. The absorber is designed and fabricated in the visible frequency region from 400 nm to 700 nm wavelength. By tuning the cavity layer thickness, spectral selective near perfect light absorption was achieved. In a additional narrow band transmission filter is designed and fabricated at the visible range using four-layer structures.

The Theory Of Planned Behavior As Applied To Helmet Use In Equestrians, Kelly L. Arnold

Theses

The theory of planned behavior is a model wherein beliefs give rise to intention which results in action. We tested it by separating equestrians into helmet users and non-users then presented framed health messages manipulated in a 2 (Helmet: Present, Absent) x 2 (Valence: Positive, Negative) x 2 (Icon: Circle, Rosette) between subjects design. We measured equestrians' intent to use a helmet after viewing a short horse-accident video and found that helmet non-users were most responsive to positively framed messages focusing on helmet use instead of non-use. Reasons for helmet non-use in equestrians as well as information on head injuries …

This Is Rocket City, U.S.A., Let Freedom Begin Here : A Museum Exhibit On The Civil Rights Movement In Huntsville, Alabama, Kelly Fisk Hamlin

Theses

Huntsville, Alabama saw dramatic changes throughout the 1950s and 1960s with the development of a federal military installation and NASA space center within its city limits, bringing millions of federal dollars and tens of thousands of highly educated residents to the northern Alabama city. This growth set the stage for a highly motivated group of grassroots civil rights organizers whose persistence would make Huntsville the first in the state of Alabama to integrate its public facilities, businesses, public schools, and universities. Despite the hardships inherent to civil rights activism in Governor George Wallace’s Alabama, the locally-organized Community Service Committee targeted …

Heat Deposition During Turbulence Distorted Laser Irradiation, William Vaden Dent Iii

Theses

Realistically modeled heat deposition by a laser source under a variety of turbulent conditions generated from the classic Kolmogorov model is presented. Predicted heat deposition data is created from solutions to the differential heat flow equation and for representative example turbulence distorted waveforms.

'Aiding Gli Ebrei' - Delasem Under Fascism, 1939 To 1945, Laura Bava

Theses

This study investigated how the organisation Delasem (‘Delegazione Assistenza Emigrati Ebrei’) operated unrestricted in their support of Jewish people under Mussolini’s Fascist regime between 1939 and 1943. It includes a brief historical background of Italy that focuses on the life of Jewish people since their first arrival in Italy about 2000 years ago. This historical section was presented so that the reader could understand Italian culture and its changing attitude to Italian and non-Italian Jewish people in Italy. This section outlined the circumstances of Italian Jews under Mussolini’s Fascist regime that resulted in Delasem’s formation and the flood of Jewish …

Towards The Identification Of Metabolite Markers Of Nipple Pain And Inflammation In Human Milk, Erin Fee

Theses

Background: Human milk is considered the best source of nutrition for all newborns as it contains important growth, developmental and immunological factors. The WHO (2003) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of age, with complementary breastfeeding up to two years and beyond. However, some women experience complications of the breast that lead to early cessation of breastfeeding, which can adversely affect the well being of the developing infant and her own health.

Nipple pain is the most commonly cited reason for weaning in the first week postpartum. Nipple pain is also linked to mastitis from milk stasis and …

"Not Marching Now In Fields Of Thrasymene": Producing Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus For The Modern Stage, Patrick C. Barton

Theses

This thesis offers theatre practitioners a method for approaching Christopher Marlowe’s performance texts. Doctor Faustus is offered as a case study. Within it I provide a brief account of Marlowe’s education, identifying the key influencing factors that led to his resultant compositions. A discussion of the variant texts of Doctor Faustus follows, which provides the reader with an understanding of the text and its context. Various approaches to the text are explored and reviewed in their degree of success. My purpose is to identify the most significant aspects of Marlowe’s text and to offer a method of approach to production …

Play - Lost In Transition? Teacher Beliefs About Pedagogic Continuity Across The Transition To Formal Schooling, Linda Bellen

Theses

In the current educational climate of teacher accountability, high-stakes assessment and outcomes-based learning, play as a valued pedagogy is being questioned more than ever. In Australia, the recent push-down effect of an academic curriculum has resulted in the ‘schoolification’ of prior-to-school settings, with less emphasis on play-based pedagogy. Traditionally, in early childhood education, the dominant pedagogy is play-based and is used to support and facilitate children’s learning, while in schools learning is more formalised, directed and structured with the presence of a mandated curriculum. This ideological divide in pedagogical approaches between the two contexts is first evident as children begin …

Understanding The Factors Affecting Engagement And Retention Of 20-30 Year Old Telephone Crisis Supporters At Lifeline In Sydney, Jennifer Walter

Theses

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” (Winston Churchill).

Every year, millions of people volunteer their time to help others in various ways. This study focuses on 20 to 30 year old telephone crisis supporters (TCS) at Lifeline in Sydney. This cohort represents a large proportion of Lifeline TCS trainees, but has also been shown to be the group least likely to commit to extended periods of volunteering. The aim of this study was to provide 20 to 30 year old TCS volunteers a voice within Lifeline to gain an …

The Case For Health Literacy Research In Qatar: Identifying Avenues For Progress, Yasar Alani

Theses

Abstract This thesis studies the attitudes of healthcare provider and consumer groups in Qatar towards health literacy via health promotion. Using Q methodology, data from healthcare providers and consumers was analysed to determine relative attitudes towards previous and future health campaign strategies in Qatar. Consumer data was also collected to determine attitudes towards current health promotion campaigns and the perceived effectiveness of campaigns in encouraging behaviour change. The research also investigates the obstacles that prevent healthcare consumers from adopting the healthier lifestyle choices advocated by some of these campaigns. Participants were residents of Qatar.

The concept of health literacy was …

Social Acceptance Of Renewable Energy : Exploring A Citizen Centric Paradigm, Paul O'Brien

Theses

The energy landscape in Ireland is being transformed. Energy policy is geared towards substantially decarbonising the electricity system by 2050. The implementation of large scale renewable energy generation remains a key policy objective. The scale of the transformation presents challenges in terms of policy and technology, as well as social acceptance.

This study was conducted to explore social acceptance of renewable energy within the context of a broader energy transition. A concurrent mixed method design integrates three distinct strands of primary research. A series of semi-structured interviews with multidisciplinary energy professionals explored contemporary social issues, from a developer, utility and …

Electric Vehicles In Ireland: The Past, The Present And The Future?, Emma Sadleir

Theses

This research is undertaken as part of the researcher’s efforts to achieve a Masters Degree in Business from Cork Institute of Technology. The research topic of Electric Vehicles in Ireland and the concentration on those vehicles exclusively or primarily powered by battery was prompted by interest and curiosity, but with a significant undertone of concern for the environment, all of which led to the research question: Electric Vehicles in Ireland: the past, the present, and the future?

It was not possible to start with a complete void and therefore initially assumptions were made, particularly that serious environmental damage arises from …

Identifying The Potential Environmental Impacts Of Engineered Nanomaterials, Therese Garvey

Theses

Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly manufactured and incorporated into a diverse array of consumer products and industrial uses. While ENMs are touted for their technological and efficiency benefits, the potential impacts of increasing emissions and exposures to ENMs are poorly understood. This dissertation takes a critical look at the current knowledge in impact assessment of nanomaterials. First, the current metrics for impact assessment of traditional methods are compared with the proposed set of metrics necessary for nanomaterial impact assessment. Next, in order to understand the potential environmental impacts in context, characterization factors for four case study nanomaterials are modeled using …

Forms And Relationships Inspired By The Natural World, George Dubinsky

Theses

My thesis body of work will investigate techniques and processes that can yield forms that are in harmony and sympathetic with forms and relationships found in nature. Using wood as my primary material, I will create a body of work that draws inspiration from trees, the way they grow, and the ways in which patterns can emerge from a tree when dissected in different ways. To achieve this I will explore techniques such as coopering in order to create shells that mimic the cambium layer of a tree or how a ripple in a surface makes visual reference to the …

Guidelines For The Presentation And Planning Of Cultural Heritage In The Municipal Development Plan Of Vushtrri (Mdpv), Arben Rrecaj

Theses

This capstone project addresses the lack of proper presentation of the current state of cultural heritage and the lack of proper planning of cultural heritage in the Municipal Development Plan of Vushtrri (MDPV).[1] The project involves a range of activities, such as meetings with the institution responsible for the design of MDPV and the company contracted to draw up the document, visits to cultural heritage sites, and Internet research. This project provides guidelines for amending parts of the MDPV that pertain to cultural heritage. This amendment consists of the comprehensive presentation and planning of the cultural heritage of the …

Read Receipts Feature In Mobile Platform: An Investigation Study Based On Social Tie Between The Sender And Receiver, Lujayn Alhddad

Theses

Read receipts is a built-in feature in all mobile instant messaging applications. The number of mobile instant messaging applications users is steadily increasing as a result of increasing the number of smartphone owners. This study investigated people's desire of using the read receipts based on the nature of the relationship between the sender and receiver. The research classifies relationships as strong and weak ties. An online survey was conducted, in which the majority of the participants were Middle Eastern. The survey investigated two factors that affect people's desire of using the read receipts feature, the social tie with the sender …

Chromatic Dispersion Compensation In Electrical Domain Via Signal Pre-Distortion Using A Dual-Drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator, Saivivek Bheemanathini

Theses

In recent years, evolution of technology has contributed a major role in the field of optical communication systems. There is an ever growing demand for transmitting signals at higher data rates and compensating the transmission impairments simultaneously. Speed of the signal transmission down the optical fiber is limited by transmission impairments that are characterized as linear or nonlinear losses. In my thesis, I lay a special emphasis on linear loss especially chromatic dispersion and it's effect on an optical signal down the fiber and study the compensation techniques in an electrical domain challenging the methods employed in an optical domain. …

Information Design For Medical Innovation: Raising Student Awareness Of Medical Design Potential, Brian W. Rosenberg

Theses

Medical design has the power to improve, prolong and save lives. Medical professionals and patients throughout the world face critical problems that can be addressed with design solutions developed in an academic setting. International collaboration fostered by universities can be a source of unique technology, cultural development and natural resources that can aid in the discovery and delivery of medical solutions. Projects developed through university based initiatives exemplify how effective information design benefits medical design applications.

MEDdesign is a program initiative of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Through this international program, design students …

Developing An Algal Biofilm Filtration System For The Remediation Of Nutrient Pollution In Freshwater Ponds, Danielle Delp

Theses

Anthropogenic nutrient pollution is one of the most serious threats facing aquatic systems in modern times. Pollution with compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorous encourages rapid development of autotrophic biomass, or blooms, that severely degrade the quality of an aquatic system both as a habitat for organisms and as a water resource for human use. In freshwater ponds, the widespread need for treatment of nutrient pollution and resulting blooms has resulted in the growth of a large industry dedicated to pond management and maintenance. These companies utilize a variety of chemical and non-chemical treatments to prevent the growth of blooms or …

Environmental And Density-Dependent Modulation Of Type Iii Secretion System Genes In Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Jennifer Louise Stauber

Theses

Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato strain DC3000 is a model bacterial plant-pathogen that utilizes a dedicated protein export apparatus, the type III secretion system (T3SS), to translocate virulence proteins called effectors directly into host cells. Because effectors suppress plant immune responses, activation of the T3SS is critical upon entry into the host. The P. syringae T3SS is controlled by the hrpRS-hrpL regulatory cascade, and is activated quickly by specific conditions. Different environmental stimuli have been reported to modulate T3SS gene expression in culture, however it is unclear how each signal affects hrpRS or hrpL. My objective was to identify how environmental …