Digital Commons Network^™

Teleworking: An Examination Of The Irish Dichotomy, Deirdre Donovan

Theses

Changing demographics and labour market structures are placing increased pressure on identifying work/life balance solutions, while global competition is forcing companies to look beyond traditional solutions to search for competitive advantage. Recent rapid technology developments facilitate a strategic application of teleworking, which, in suitable organisations, would appear to alleviate both of these issues. Despite this, the limited evidence that exists in the telework literature indicates a dearth of telework in Irish companies, and recent research on the reasons for this, form a gap in the literature.

This study, therefore, empirically examines the key factors that influence the extent of telework …

Affordances, Adaptive Tool Use And Grounded Cognition., A Pellicano, S Thill, T Ziemke, F Binkofski

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Development Of Goal-Specificity In Mirror Neurons, S Thill, H Svensson, T Ziemke

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Neurophysiological studies have shown that parietal mirror neurons encode not only actions but also the goal of these actions. Although some mirror neurons will fire whenever a certain action is perceived (goal-independently), most will only fire if the motion is perceived as part of an action with a specific goal. This result is important for the action-understanding hypothesis as it provides a potential neurological basis for such a cognitive ability. It is also relevant for the design of artificial cognitive systems, in particular robotic systems that rely on computational models of the mirror system in their interaction with other agents. …

Management Of Patient Adherence To Medications: Protocol For An Online Survey Of Doctors, Pharmacists And Nurses In Europe, W Clyne, C Mshelia, S Hall, S Mclachlan, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction It is widely recognised that many patients do not take prescribed medicines as advised. Research in this field has commonly focused on the role of the patient in non-adherence; however, healthcare professionals can also have a major influence on patient behaviour in taking medicines. This study examines the perceptions, beliefs and behaviours of healthcare professionals—doctors, pharmacists and nurses—about patient medication adherence. Methods and analysis This paper describes the study protocol and online questionnaire used in a cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals in Europe. The participating countries include Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy …

The Mechanics Of Embodiment: A Dialogue On Embodiment And Computational Modeling, G Pezzulo, Lw Barsalou, A Cangelosi, Et Al

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Embodied theories are increasingly challenging traditional views of cognition by arguing that conceptual representations that constitute our knowledge are grounded in sensory and motor experiences, and processed at this sensorimotor level, rather than being represented and processed abstractly in an amodal conceptual system. Given the established empirical foundation, and the relatively underspecified theories to date, many researchers are extremely interested in embodied cognition but are clamouring for more mechanistic implementations. What is needed at this stage is a push toward explicit computational models that implement sensory-motor grounding as intrinsic to cognitive processes. In this article, six authors from varying backgrounds …

The Impact Of Assessment On Repeat Deliberate Self-Harm, Kellie Jones

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Deliberate self-harm is a pervasive issue that is the topic of worldwide clinical and research focus. Among the extensive research findings two salient issues emerge that provide the foundation for this study. The first is that a deliberate self-harm attempt is a significant risk factor for future attempts. The second is that a comprehensive assessment of a person presenting with an incident of deliberate self-harm can reduce further deliberate self-harming behaviour. A limitation of existing research is that no study has clearly identified the nature of assessments that impact on the likelihood of future self-harm attempts. The initial aim of …

Scald Burn Admissions To Princess Margaret Hospital In 1998 And 2008: A Comparative Analysis, Lisa Martin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Scald is the most common form of burn in young children, accounting for over 50% of all paediatric burn admissions in Western Australia (WA). Interventions implemented over the past few years focussed on prevention, first aid, and improved services postinjury (Department of Health Western Australia, 2009). The population of children in WA is rising and an epidemiological study was undertaken to assess changes in the profile of scald injury among WA children and to assess priorities for future action. Data were collected from all acute inpatient admissions presenting with scald injury for 1998 and 2008. These data were compared with …

Speaking In Thai, Dreaming In Isan: Popular Thai Television And Emerging Identities Of Lao Isan Youth Living In Northeast Thailand, Catherine Hesse-Swain

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is an ethnographic study of how Lao Isan youth living in the northeastern provincial capital Khon Kaen and nearby town Mahasarakham experience Thainess or khwampenthai in its most popular form – television. People who inhabit the northeast of Thailand interchangeably label themselves and are labelled by others as Isan, Thai Isan, Lao Isan, Thai or Lao, depending on the ethnic, political, social or familial nuances of any given situation. I use the term Lao Isan to refer specifically to Isan people of Lao origin or ethnicity. Lao Isan are subject to complex and often competing notions of Isanness, Laoness …

You Don't Know What You Don't Know: Investigating The Information Needs Of Clients Of Web Based Public Sector Information Services, Julie Ann Johnson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research grew from two frustrations. The first was the personal frustration experienced when attempting to find information on websites; especially government websites. Often the sites were loaded down with all sorts of information such as corporate organisation charts and press releases but lacked the information which would allow clients to interact effectively with the agency or meet their information needs and move on. The second frustration was that of Edith Cowan University students who battled with a diverse, overlapping and incomplete set of both online and paper based resources as they sought to make decisions about their selections of …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Positive Psychological Functioning And Depression, John Forbes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With unipolar depression one of the most disabling illnesses in the world, it is important to appropriately conceptualise this disorder in order to inform research, diagnosis, and treatment. While many psychological theories of depression include constructs of polarity, most research and diagnostic criteria have focused on a single dimension that concentrates on the presence of negative symptomatology. This is reflective of an illness model of mental health that predominantly considers the presence of negative symptoms in terms of mood, cognitions, behaviours, and overall functioning. Nevertheless, there is strong research evidence indicating that positive and negative aspects of psychological functioning are …

Longitudinal Evaluation Of The Impact Of Placement Development Teams On Student Support In Clinical Practice., Graham R. Williamson, Lynne Callaghan, Emma Whittlesea, Lauren Mutton, Val Heath

School of Nursing and Midwifery

AIMS: To investigate the impact of a new structure for supporting healthcare students and mentors in practice placements (Placement Development Teams). INTRODUCTION: The English Model National Partnership Agreement for healthcare education required Strategic Health Authorities, Higher Education Institutions and National Health Service Trusts to redesign strategies for student support. Placement Development Teams are one English University's response to this. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: This study was phase 2 of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation of Placement Development Teams. Data were collected after establishment of Placement Development Teams, and compared and contrasted with those collected prior to their implementation. Telephone interviews were conducted …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Experiences Of Parents Of Children Admitted To Seven Dutch Pediatric Intensive Care Units, Jos M. Latour, Goudoever Jb Van, Beatrix Elink Schuurman, Marcel J.I.J. Albers, Dam Nam Van, Eugenie Dullaart, Heerde M Van, Carin W.M. Verlaat, Vught Em Van, Jan A. Hazelzet

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Construction And Psychometric Testing Of The Empathic Questionnaire Measuring Parent Satisfaction In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Jos M. Latour, Goudoever Jb Van, Hugo J. Duivenvoorden, Marcel J.I.J. Albers, Dam Nam Van, Eugenie Dullaart, Heerde M Van, Neef M De, Carin W.M. Verlaat, Vught Em Van, Jan A. Hazelzet

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

You Can't Go Home Again: The Place Of Tradition In "Firefly's" Dystopian-Utopia And Utopian-Distopia, R Brown

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Science fiction has long been a site in which utopian-dystopian visions have been articulated. This paper uses one exemplar of this genre as a springboard into a discussion of the desire for a return to origin and of flawed attempts to impose an image of that origin, with discursions into illustrations drawn from contemporary conditions. In opposition to the hegemonic and reductive tendencies inherent in such attempts, this paper proposes an alternative which engages with the everyday reality of life. Intrinsic to this proposition is that our traditions and utopias must be founded upon a continual (re)making in the everyday.

Third Way Architecture: Between Cybernetics And Phenomenology, S Murrani

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This article in its essence aims to challenge and unfold, each at a time, two different fields of methodology – cybernetics and phenomenology – that have direct effects on the product of being and the process of becoming in architectural discourse. Furthermore, this article suggests a third way philosophy for architecture that relates notions of post-phenomenology and technoscience, and considers both to be equally vital to development and speculation within current architectural discourse. First, the history of each of the two fields – cybernetics and phenomenology – will be unveiled with a focus on exploring their impact upon architecture in …

The Impacts Of Culture On Cross-Border Mergers And Acquisitions Post-Financial Performance In The Banking Industry Using Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling, Tarek Kandil

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis is concerned with the impacts of national culture on the cross-border-mergers and acquisitions performance in the banking industry across Egypt and UK through studying the role of the human side as a mediator variable. The main conceptual framework has been developed based on the GLOBE cultural project. It perceives the national culture as a multi-dimensional construct that interacts between levels. The thesis consists of a mixed methods approach which investigated international mergers and acquisitions by banks in Egypt and the UK from 2004 to 2007. The data collection process was carried out between June 2008 and November 2009 …

The Mythos Of Sin: C. S. Lewis, The Genesis Fall, And The Modern Mood, Jeremy G. Grinnell

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation wrestles with the question how to profitably and theologically handle the Fall narrative of Genesis 3 once it has been classified as “myth,” as was the conclusion of the Formgeschichte school. The dissertation begins by establishing the theological conversation of the mid-twentieth century, which marks a zenith in the discussion. Beginning with a survey of the traditional interpretation of the narrative as historical account, which dominated pre-Enlightenment churchly thought, the survey then summarizes the change of tenor that Enlightenment and higher critical voices brought to the question. The survey concludes with consideration of Reinhold Niebuhr, Karl Barth, and …

The Problem With Health Measurement., Stefan J. Cano, Jeremy C. Hobart

Peninsula Medical School

In this review we discuss health measurement with a focus on psychometric methods and methodology. In particular, we examine some of the key issues currently facing the use of clinician and patient rating scales to measure the health outcomes of disease and treatment. We present three key facts and flag one crucial problem. First, the numbers generated by scales are increasingly used as the measurements of the central dependent variables upon which clinical decisions are frequently made. The rising profile of rating scales has significant implications for scale construction, evaluation, and selection, as well as for interpreting studies. Second, rating …

Ceo Demographics And Accounting Fraud: Who Is More Likely To Rationalize Illegal Acts?, Carmelita J. Troy, Ken G. Smith, Madeline A. Domino

Faculty Publications

This article proposes that key CEO demographic factors reflect alternative modes of rationalizing the choice to engage in and/or facilitate accounting fraud. Specifically the authors theorize that younger, less functionally experienced CEOs and CEOs without business degrees will be more likely to rationalize accounting fraud as an acceptable decision. Based on a sample of 312 fraud-committing and control firms, the study finds support for the authors’ predictions. It also finds that CEO stock options (a form of executive equity incentive) also predict fraud, and that this relationship is not moderated by CEO demographics. The study thus extends upper echelon theory …

The Black Poor, Black Elites, And America's Prisons, James Forman Jr.

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Understanding Discrimination In A "Post-Racial" World, Michael Selmi

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Judicial Activism And The Interpretation Of The Voting Rights Act, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Four Pillars Of Constitutional Doctrine, Suzanna Sherry

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Forks Taken And Roads Not Taken: Standing To Challenge Faith-Based Spending, Mark C. Rahdert

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Philosophy For Teenagers: Finding New Relevence In Old Concepts, Andrea Monteath

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 2008, the Curriculum Council of Western Australia launched a formal curriculum of philosophy and ethics education for upper secondary students. This thesis is a writing project that provides a new teaching text in support of this course. The thesis is composed of two components, a creative project and an essay. The creative project is a work of non-fiction entitled, Philosophy for Teenagers: Finding New Relevance in Old Concepts, and has been researched and designed employing the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Philosophy and Ethics course model. Philosophy for Teenagers aims to provide an innovative introduction to concepts such …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Media On Regional Festivals In Ireland: A Public Relations Perspective, Niamh Mccarthy

Theses

This study looks into the area of social media use in Irish festivals from a public relations perspective. The aim of the study is to provide an understanding of the effect social media is having on the regional festival industry in Ireland.

The study also accesses how social media has affected the public relations industry and reveals the predicted future of social media in Ireland. I’he study used a qualitative method of research through use of semi-structured interviews. Interviews were carried out face-to-face, online and on the telephone. All interviewees in the study had relevant experience in the social media …

Participant Characteristics And Child Welfare Outcomes: Factors Of Influence For Success In The Vip-Ri Program, Alisha Kutzler

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with success, defined by a closed case with Child Welfare Services and reunification with biological child, in the Vulnerable Infants Program of Rhode Island (VIP-RI). Data utilized for this study came from participants from the first four years of the VIP-RI program including 206 mothers involved in the Rhode Island Family Treatment Drug Court. These mothers met criteria for this program if they used drugs during pregnancy and voluntarily opted to be part of the VIP-RI program. Demographic, service history and psycho-behavioral variables were examined and, of the hypothesized variables …

Weighing Status: Obesity, Class, And Health Reform, Janet L. Dolgin, Katherine R. Dieterich

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

The article explores the intersection between the nation’s presumptive “epidemic” of obesity and efforts to reform the health care system. It notes parallels between attitudes toward obesity and attitudes toward poverty and suggests that a set of social and legal responses about those deemed overweight or obese echoes a wider set of beliefs and values that lies beneath the national debate about health care reform. It suggests that these beliefs and values limited the reach of health reform in 2010 and continue to do so.

More specifically, the article examines America’s recent public focus on what has been labeled an …

Redistricting Effect In A Non-Partisan World: Toward A Theory Of Reapportionment At The County Board Level Of Government, Amy Uden

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Electoral redistricting shapes political scientists' perceptions of partisan polarization and incumbency. This paper examines the redistricting process at the county level of government, using the cases of McLean and Champaign Counties, Illinois. This research analyzes the McLean County board's voting cleavages in order to highlight considerations of nonpartisan electoral bodies. With Champaign County as a comparison, it also uses a series of linear regression models to analyze redistricting's effects on county incumbency and board composition. Redistricting impact proved insignificant, but the study demonstrates correlations between county electoral composition and state-level electoral trends, and also confirms the important influence of partisanship …

European Integration: A Plan To Make The Grade, Megan Weinstein

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since World War II, millions of immigrants have settled into European societies. While many of these ethnic minorities are entering their second and third generation within their host countries there is still a deep sense of disunity and alienation. Some researchers suggest that the best way to acculturate these migrants into society is through structural integration where migrants are exposed to and involved in institutions such as the educational system. To examine the importance of education's impact on socio-cultural integration, this article examines the effect of educational structures on the socio-cultural integration of Europe's ethnic minority populations, including foreign-born migrants. …