Digital Commons Network^™

The Napoleonic Egyptian Scientific Expdition And The Ninetenth-Century Survey Museum, Erin A. Peters

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Unearthing Of The Body In Adrienne Rich's Poetics, Michael J. Collins

Theses

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Evolution At The Department Of Baking Technology (National Bakery School), Dit, Kevin Street 1998-2008: What Factors Have Brought About A Change In The Curriculum, Mary Kavanagh

Theses

This thesis research set out to examine the factors which have contributed to curriculum evolution at the National Bakery School, Technologicl University Dublin (DIT) from 1998 to 2008. It focused on a number of dimensions which have contributed to a radical shift in curriculum. Those dimensions include biographical, cultural, micro-political, structural, socio-historical, technological and scientific. The research design was essentially a hermeneutical, interpretative case study using qualitative data gathering techniques. The primary research methods employed were interviews conducted with lecturing staff, and a survey conducted with students travelling to Germany for continuing professional development. An extensive literature review was conducted …

A New Covert Channel Over Rtp, Christopher Forbes

Theses

In this thesis, we designed and implemented a new covert channel over the RTP protocol. The covert channel modifies the timestamp value in the RTP header to send its secret messages. The high frequency of RTP packets allows for a high bitrate covert channel, theoretically up to 350 bps. The broad use of RTP for multimedia applications, including VoIP, provides plentiful opportunities to use this channel. By using the RTP header, many of the challenges present for covert channels using the RTP payload are avoided. Using the reference implementation of this covert channel, bitrates of up to 325 bps were …

Determining The Effect Of Printing Ink Sequence For Process Colors On Color Gamut And Print Quality In Flexography, Shachi Patel

Theses

The effect of printing ink sequence for process colors on color gamut and image quality was studied, to determine if there was an optimum printing ink sequence for flexographic printing. The results of using four process color inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) in various sequences in flexography were analyzed in this research. White oriented polypropylene (OPP) film was printed with UV inks on a Mark Andy LP3000 flexo press. The sequences were analyzed based on differences in the color gamut, their volume, ability of the sequence to reproduce better-looking images, and rendering of maximum ink coverage. The results suggest …

Heart Frontal Section And Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Robin Kang

Theses

The heart is one of the most vital and complex organs in the body. However, most of the existing heart animations focus on showing the outer surface of a beating heart, and attempt to simulate its function with its outer views. This thesis model, however, focuses on the inner structure of the heart in order to provide detailed visualizations of different parts of the heart, their functions and the related disease. This thesis model has been created by using a real human heart provided by the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as published material about the inside structure of …

The Molecular Identification Of Non Tuberculosis Mycobacteria (Ntm) From Clinical And Water Samples., Anne Curtin

Theses

Nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM) are now considered a major source of opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Reliable and rapid identification of NTM species is of the upmost importance for patient treatment regimes. Firstly, this study looked at the epidemiological trends of a small number of NTM isolates (n=50) from a large teaching hospital in Southern Ireland Cork University Hospital (C.U.H.). We found that 85% of clinical isolates were sampled from the respiratory tract, which is not unusual as the majority of samples analysed in the hospital lab originated from sputum samples. Also, the majority of patients were 59 years of age …

Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics Of An Inas/Gaas Semiconductor Quantum Dot Absorber, Gillian Emma Madden

Theses

High-speed semiconductor quantum dot saturable absorbers have dramatically improved lasers to generate ultrafast optical pulses with a diverse range of applications. The carrier escape and relaxation dynamics of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot absorber waveguide were investigated using a heterodyne pump-probe spectroscopy technique. The measurements of the absorption recovery of the quantum dot waveguide were performed under applied reverse bias utilising both single-colour and two-colour pump probe spectroscopy. The study revealed differences in the intradot relaxation dynamics related to the initial population of the ground state or the excited state of the quantum dots. It was concluded that phonon mediated recovery …

The Development Of A Prototype Robotic Platform On Which Awareness Strategies Can Be Implemented, Sean Kinsella

Theses

This thesis describes the design and development of the hardware and software for a prototype robotic platform on which awareness strategies can be developed. The mobile prototype platform designed over the course of work is capable of operating as a distributed or centralised system.

There is no singular definition of awareness for a robotic system and the development of awareness strategies is complex and requires expertise in many scientific disciplines. This paper describes the different types of awareness associated with robotic systems and the technology required to implement this awareness. A review of sensors critical to the development of awareness …

Application Of Multiple Mass Spectrometric Techniques In The Isolation, Determination And Characterisation Of The Marine Toxins; Azaspiracid, Keith O'Callaghan

Theses

The Azaspiracids are a class of polyether marine biotoxins that present a significant health risk to consumers of shellfish. Since their discovery in the late 1990s several human intoxications have been reported, and traced to Irish shellfish farms resulting in closures or harvest rejections. As such incidents involving azaspiracid shellfish poisoning have a major socio-economic impact on communities that rely on shellfish farming revenues.

Recent evidence suggests that azaspiracid poisoning events may become more commonplace. With this increased risk the understanding of azaspiracids mode of action and biological targets becomes crucial. To support these endeavours effective analytical methods need to …

Manipulation Tools For Laser-Cooled Rubidium Atoms : Ultrathin Optical Fibres And Magnetic Diffraction Gratings / Michael J. Morrissey., Michael J. Morrissey

Theses

This thesis describes the construction and characterisation of a standard six-beam configuration magneto-optical trap (MOT) used to cool and trap neutral ⁸⁵Rb atoms. This system is capable of producing a cloud of ~10⁸ atoms whose average temperature is in the sub-Doppler range. The fabrication process for the production of subwavelength tapered optical nanofibres (TONFs) is also described, as well as their guiding properties. These have many proposed applications in the field of cold atoms. However, significant technical progress must be made before many of these applications can be realised. The objective of the research work was to combine …

Automated Network Planning For Industrial Ethernet Networks, Holger Machens

Theses

Engineers usually use computer aided methods to ease the increasingly complex planning task of automation plants. One such computer aided method for automated planning of Industrial Ethernet networks under given network QoS requirements is presented in this thesis. The method is based on partitioning the given set of network nodes according to specified communication relationships between the nodes, thereby creating subsets of nodes which are joined using given networking algorithms. Several networking algorithms may be applicable for each subset of nodes and any complete solution is a combination of several partial solutions, one for each subset of nodes. Enumeration through …

Optimisation Of Heat Sink Design, Kevin Moore

Theses

In the field of electronics cooling and more specifically processor cooling, the ability to cool a micro-chip is becoming a major issue. Power dissipation in home and office computers has risen from 30W to over 120W in the past 10 years, forcing heat sink designers to search for new ideas in the design of their heat spreaders.

This thesis studies in detail the fundamental technical designs used for modern day processor cooling. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), various different pin/fin shapes were analysed to determine which yielded maximum heat transfer and contact area with forced air flow. Elliptical and teardrop …

Characterisation Of Immunosensor Surfaces Using Scanning Force Microscopy, Eva Maria Gil Romero

Theses

The overall aim of this thesis was twofold. Firstly, to evaluate how scanning force microscopy (SFM) could be used to characterise the surfaces of immunosensors. Four aspects of immunosensor characteristics where SFM has particular application potential have been identified: (a) immobilisation chemistry and (b) the surface density, (c) orientation and (d) specificity of the immobilised antibodies. Secondly, to examine experimentally how the Explorer SFM instrument could be used for such characterisation.

The Explorer SFM instrument is of an open-loop actuator design that is exposed to the intrinsic inadequacies of piezoelectric actuators. In this regard, careful calibration has shown that achieving …

Investigation Into The Glazing Sector Of The Construction Industry In The Cork Region: To Identify The Main Criteria Used In The Window And Glazing Selection Process, Michael A. Mc Avoy

Theses

The selection of glazing and windows is an important element in the architecture of a building in terms of both aesthetics and practicality. Other related issues include sustainability, and the potential effects of glazing selection on the environment. It is essential that glazing experts contribute to the design process at an early stage in order to maximise the efficiency of the windows while still allowing architects to create their visions and unique buildings. This study focuses on the current systems used in the window selection process for the Cork region, and will propose changes based on the findings of the …

Smart Heating Systems For Green Homes, Cheryl Carmody

Theses

The focus of this research is to design an improved heating control system for a class of older energy inefficient dwelling to produce an improved living environment. Prerequisites for such control are sensors and models. Commercial sensor nodes enabled a multi-zone heating system to be considered. While the accompanying sensor node software was functional, it was not suitable for real-time control and was modified to achieve same. Once a prototype was developed and tested in the laboratory, it was deployed to a two-story residential dwelling in Cork city.

The requisite mathematical models describe the heat transfer characteristics for a particular …

Design Of A System For Intact Recovery Of Ballistic Projectiles At Hypervelocities, Brian W. Akins

Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Gaseous Oxygen And Methane Injectors Under High Pressure Combustion, Ryan Saffell

Theses

A program to examine and characterize two types of coaxial injectors and two types of screw swirl injectors in a small-scale rocket engine using gaseous oxygen and gaseous methane as main propellants has been developed. The mixing efficiency of this gas-gas scheme was evaluated by measuring the combustion efficiency at various characteristic chamber lengths, which allowed assessment of combustion stability of the system, and by changing parameters such as chamber pressure, mixture ratio, and injector post recess. Combustion efficiency for the shear coaxial element increased about 5% with chamber pressure and oxygen post recess. The shear coaxial injector combustion efficiency …

Mode Assessment Of A Single-Element Shear Coaxial Injector, Huy Huu Huynh

Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Spring Forces On The Separation Of Rocket Motor And Payload, John Colbaugh

Theses

No abstract provided.

"Welcoming The Stranger": A Dialogue Between Scriptural Understandings Of And Catholic Church Policies Towards Migrants And Refugees And Pastoral Praxis In The Migrant And Refugee Pastoral Care Bodies Within The Archdiocese Of Perth, Judith M. Woodward

Theses

Growth in human movement around the world has been one of the phenomenal aspects of globalization since the Second World War. Among these ‘people on the move’ those whom the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees has described as ‘persons of concern’ – refugees, displaced persons etc. – have increased at an alarming rate. They are now well in excess of the global population growth rate over the same period Many of these have moved into adjacent poorer developing countries but increasingly many are seeking asylum, either through official United Nations’ channels or through on-shore arrivals, in developing nations. This …

Presenting Budgeting And Financial Management Skills In The Community, Beverly Murrell-Frasier

Theses

This Capstone Project addresses the financial hardships faced by low income and underprivileged members of the Rochester-area and surrounding community, which is partially an end-result of inadequate budgeting and financial management skills. The project also provides an analysis of the impact of the C.A.S.H. Coach Program (Funded by United Way and Collaborating Partners) on the finances of individuals who participated in the nine-month program. I participated in the nine-month C.A.S.H. Coach Program as a coach, and also worked with the Assistant Director of C.A.S.H. to perform a detailed analysis in order to determine whether or not the provision of community-based …

The Relationship Between Hotel Managers’ Communication Styles And Subordinate Employee Attitudes And Personal Relationships, Tess Kittelberger

Theses

Assertiveness and responsiveness are two qualities managers must possess to maintain an organizational work environment with employees. Using McCroskey and Richmond’s Assertiveness-Responsiveness test, subordinate employees’ perceptions of their managers’ communication styles were assessed to determine if there was any relationship with employee perceptions and personal relationships with managers. Subordinate employees at the Holiday Inn Rochester Airport and the RIT Inn and Conference Center served as a convenience sample. The results show that overall, employees like more responsive managers. Although statistically nonsignificant, assertiveness was positively related to having a good relationship. The results, overall, indicate that the assertiveness and responsiveness relate …

Computational Analysis Of Ultraviolet Reactors, Xiang Li

Theses

Disinfection of water treatment using ultraviolet (UV) light has received wide recognition as an important contribution to the protection of public health. To ensure a UV disinfection system that can deliver the required UV dose, analytical and numerical methods have been used to evaluate the flow field of the UV reactor. A Multiple Point Source Summation (MPSS) method was used to estimate the radiation intensity field, with the utilization of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique. To couple the analytical model with numerical simulations, a user friendly interface software was developed to calculate the UV dosage distribution. In addition a UV …

Modeling Problems In Mucus Viscoelasticity And Mucociliary Clearance, Michael M. Norton

Theses

From the common cold and allergies to severe chronic and acute respiratory impairments, the function of the body's mucociliary clearance mechanism plays a primary defense role. Mucus demonstrates numerous non-Newtonian behaviors which set it apart from viscous fluids. Among them: Bingham plastic behavior, shear-thinning, and elasticity on short time scales due to relaxation time. Experimental evidence suggests that certain rheologies promote effective transport. In an effort to reveal the mechanisms controlling transport, models are developed. Firstly, a steady state model which idealizes the mucus as a rigid body is created in order to bring together disparate bodies of experimental work …

Algorithms For Testing Equivalence Of Finite Automata, With A Grading Tool For Jflap, Daphne Norton

Theses

A wide variety of algorithms can be used to determine the equivalence of two Deterministic Finite Automata (DFAs) and/or Nondeterministic Finite Automata (NFAs). This project focuses on three key areas: 1. A detailed discussion of several algorithms that can be used to prove the equivalence of two DFAs (and/or NFAs, since every NFA has an equivalent DFA), with an analysis of the time complexity involved in each case. 2. Modifications to a few of these algorithms to produce a 'witness' string if the two automata are not equivalent. This string is accepted by one of the automata, but not by …

A Parametric Study Of Gas Sensing Response Of Zno Nanostructures And Carbon Nanotubes, Amandeep S. Saluja

Theses

Solid state chemical sensors are gaining popularity and finding extensive use in process control, environmental monitoring and residential safety. ZnO, a semiconducting metal oxide, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great interest over the years for their sensitivity to a variety of gases. Nanostructured sensing materials, such as nanowires, nanotubes and quantum dots offer an inherently high surface area, thus reducing operating temperatures and increasing sensitivity to low concentrations of analytes. In this work, ZnO nano-structures and CNTs have been tested as chemical sensors and a detailed study on the effect of different process parameters such as temperature, carrier gas …

Assessing Instructional Strategies At Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute In A Dynamic Global Environment, Juiann Young-Lovell

Theses

Today, there are educational institutions whose offerings highlight the value of a blended learning experience. Such organizations design their curricula to enhance students' knowledge, skills and attitudes. These institutions integrate several elements into the learning experience. The subject mater is taught, provision is made for students to practice and this all takes place in the traditional or virtual classroom or in a real world setting. Instructional practice is the bridge between the student and the teacher. At the Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute (BCCHI), there is no evidence that the faculty has conducted formal assessment of the organisation's instructional practices …

Ireland: A Branding Phenomenon? An Examination Of "Ireland The Brand"., Sarah O'Mahony

Theses

This study is an examination and assessment of the branding phenomenon, ‘Ireland the Brand’. An investigation into the current image of ‘Ireland the Brand’, was conducted as part of this research study, focusing particularly on the aspects of the brand relating to the foreign direct investment sector (Ireland Inc.), and the Irish tourism industry brand (Tourism Brand Ireland). Many events and aspects of Irish history contributed to the subsequent awareness of the values of ‘Ireland the Brand’. It included the Great Famine, which led to mass emigration, marking the beginning of a substantial Irish community abroad, the Irish diaspora. Also, …

Viral Marketing In Tertiary Level Educational Establishments, Vicky O'Sullivan

Theses

Technological evolutions, principally developments in electronic and digital social media, have introduced new marketing paradigms, such as viral marketing. Viral marketing is a relatively new phenomenon which offers marketing practitioners significant opportunities to reach target audiences in a credible and attention grabbing way.

Students have rapidly adopted new social technologies, and they use these media to enrich existing offline personal relationships that they have with friends within their tertiary level environment. Students have a predilection to forward messages to friends, and value messages they receive from friends. This is because students trust friends, and also believe that friends will know …