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Comparing the performance of enterprise applications on limited operating systems
Get PDFThese days a Smartphone is just as important as a computer. It is essential that\ud
users select a device that has the best performance possible. This thesis used simulation\ud
to compare the performance of an application on two of the most popular\ud
mobile operating systems, Android and Windows Phone 7. An application was developed\ud
using the Android SDK/Java and Silverlight’s C#/XAML respectively. This\ud
application tested the performance of threads, file I/O, database loads, buffering, and\ud
caching on both operating systems. Both simulation devices were set up with the exact\ud
same specifications. The performance was measured using response times, CPU, and\ud
memory usage. This work shows that there were major differences in the performance\ud
results. With the response times Windows Phone 7 out performed Android in every\ud
scenario except buffering. Windows Phone 7 also used the least memory in every situation\ud
except loading when a web page without caching. However when it came to\ud
CPU usage Android used half of what Windows Phone 7 did
Is corporation tax the most significant determinant for foreign direct investment in Ireland by ICT companies from the United States of America?
Get PDFManufacturing planning and control (MPC) systems, among a number of sub-systems \ud
in an organisation, are the pivotal infrastructures that support the' organisation’s \ud
strategy in order to create competitive advantage in the market place. It provides \ud
information to efficiently manage the flow of materials, effectively utilize people and \ud
equipment, coordinate internal activities with those of suppliers and communicate \ud
with customers about market requirements.\ud
Several studies emphasized the need for alignment between the manufacturing \ud
planning and control methods and the manufacturing environment, in order to \ud
improve companies’ performance. Matching the MPC systems dimensions with the \ud
manufacturing environment is problematic.\ud
Throughout the literature there is a lack of empirical- studies that match specific \ud
manufacturing environment and planning methods. This thesis provides a practical \ud
knowledge investigating the MPC system used within the Irish engineering sector and \ud
examines the effect on performance, of linking those systems to' the business \ud
environment. The underlying hypothesis is that good performance is the result of \ud
matching the MPC system with the manufacturing environment and good use of the \ud
MPC system employed. A conceptual framework, based on the literature review has \ud
been developed. Further it examines how the use of those systems influences the \ud
companies’ performance. The thesis concludes that the performance of Irish \ud
companies improves when they can match the MPC system with the manufacturing \ud
environment and they use it efficiently
Collaborative practice: a resolution model for irish employment disputes?
Get PDFIreland has a comprehensive yet complex, statutory framework for the \ud
resolution of employment disputes. Various bodies offer conciliation, \ud
mediation, arbitration and regulation, however the processes are taking too \ud
long. The focus of this dissertation is on another form of dispute resolution – \ud
collaborative law and its suitability to the resolution of Irish employment \ud
disputes. The overarching question of this research is: Can a dispute resolution \ud
model based on collaborative practice be a useful addition to alternative dispute \ud
resolution in Irish employment law? \ud
\ud
A review of ADR and employment literature provides a context for this \ud
research. The first phase of the primary research consisted of a survey of \ud
collaborative practitioners in Ireland to identify the current usage and success \ud
of collaborative law and whether practitioners felt collaborative law was \ud
suitable for the resolution of Irish employment disputes. The second phase \ud
entailed depth interviews with key employment stakeholders to verify the \ud
findings from phase A. \ud
\ud
Analysis of the findings indicate that collaborative law could be a successful \ud
method of dispute resolution and that practitioners feel it is an appropriate \ud
method of dispute resolution for employment disputes
A comparative study of portable body sensing technology and a physical activity log, in a physical activity adherence programme
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to compare the impact of portable body sensing \ud
technology (SW3 Armband) and a physical activity log. Participants’ physical activity \ud
adherence levels were recorded over a six month period. The primary research \ud
involved a six month physical activity programme, entitled, ‘Get Started and Stick \ud
with it’, the programme commenced in October 2010 and finished in April 2011. \ud
Females (n=30) were recruited via a local newspaper and a radio advertisement. \ud
Participants were randomised to an Intervention Group (a), (n=15) or an Intervention \ud
Group (b), (n=15). The Intervention Group (a) (IGa) had the use of the SW3 Armband \ud
and a logbook, while the Intervention Group (b) (IGb) had the use of a logbook only \ud
for the duration of the study. To be eligible to participate in the study the following \ud
criteria applied: (1) age range: 30-50 years, (2) gender: female, (3) location: live in the \ud
Letterkenny or surrounding area, (4) physical activity levels: did not meet the World \ud
Health Organisations (WHO, 2011) minimum recommendations for physical activity, \ud
(5) have access to windows XP. Baseline characteristics for participants in the IGa \ud
showed that 53% were sedentary and 47% were irregularly active, while 33% of \ud
participants in the IGb were sedentary and 67% were irregularly active. Participants \ud
were assessed at Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (T2) and Time 3 (T3) regarding the amount of \ud
physical activity minutes accumulated and were also required to complete a stage of \ud
change (SOC) questionnaire, self-efficacy (SE) questionnaire, social support (SS) \ud
questionnaire and an enjoyment scale at each of the three time periods. The results of \ud
this study specify that the IGb performed a greater amount of moderate and vigorous \ud
intensity minutes of weekly physical activity compared to the IGa. At the end of T3, \ud
the IGb (Mean = 227.75) accumulated nearly three times more moderate and vigorous \ud
minutes of weekly physical activity than that of the IGa (Mean = 90.50). Therefore, a \ud
logbook has proved to be an effective method in promoting physical activity adherence \ud
in comparison to the SW3 Armband
Exploring the marketing of higher education: evidence from the Institutes of Technology sector
Get PDFThe purpose of this research dissertation is to explore the marketing of higher education \ud
institutes, looking in detail at evidence from the Institutes of Technology (IoT) sector. The \ud
aims of the research are to profile higher education in Ireland, to discover what the marketing \ud
objectives of IoTs are and investigate possible future challenges, and to assess the marketing \ud
techniques employed by IoTs. \ud
The methodology approach which utilised for the purpose of this research dissertation is a \ud
mixed methods approach, based on sequential explanatory strategy. This involves conducting \ud
quantitative research in the first instance, followed by qualitative research. When both have \ud
been completed the findings from both are combined to give an overview of the area being \ud
researched. The quantitative research took the form of questionnaires distributed to students \ud
in the Institute. The qualitative research took the form of interviews with those with \ud
responsibility for marketing in the five IoTs in the BMW region, and an additional interview \ud
with the Director of Academic Affairs in Institutes of Technology, Ireland. \ud
The research found that there was a contrast between how students see the marketing \ud
techniques employed by IoTs and how the staff within the IoTs perceive student’s \ud
requirements are in relation to marketing. \ud
It was evident from the interviews that there is not much emphasis placed on the marketing \ud
function within the IoTs, despite the fact that this is one of the key determinants which \ud
influence a prospective student when deciding whether or where to pursue third-level \ud
education
Accounting for the effects of lipids in stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N values) analysis of skin and blubber of balaenopterid whales.
Get PDFRATIONALE: Stable isotope values (d13C and d15N) of darted skin and blubber biopsies can shed light on habitat use and diet of cetaceans, which are otherwise difficult to study. Non-dietary factors affect isotopic variability, chiefly the depletion of 13C due to the presence of 12C-rich lipids. The efficacy of post hoc lipid-correction models (normalization) must be tested.\ud
METHODS: For tissues with high natural lipid content (e.g., whale skin and blubber), chemical lipid extraction or normalization is necessary. C:N ratios, d13C values and d15N values were determined for duplicate control and lipid-extracted skin and blubber of fin (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) and minke whales (B. acutorostrata) by continuous-flow elemental analysis isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-EA-IRMS). Six different normalization models were tested to correct d13C values for the presence of lipids.\ud
RESULTS: Following lipid extraction, significant increases in d13C valueswere observed for both tissues in the three species. Significant increases were also found for d15N values in minke whale skin and fin whale blubber. In fin whale skin, the d15N values decreased, with no change observed in humpback whale skin. Non-linear models generally out-performed linear models and the suitability ofmodels varied by species and tissue, indicating the need for high model specificity, even among these closely related taxa.\ud
CONCLUSIONS: Given the poor predictive power of the models to estimate lipid-free d13C values, and the unpredictable changes in d15N values due to lipid-extraction, we recommend against arithmetical normalization in accounting for lipid effects on d13C values for balaenopterid skin or blubber samples. Rather, we recommend that duplicate analysis of lipidextracted (d13C values) and non-treated tissues (d15N values) be used. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Field enhancement of the parasitoid bracon hylobii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to control hylobius abietis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); the large pine weevil
Get PDFHylobius abietis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the large pine weevil is the most damaging pest of reforestation sites in Ireland. This study examined the possibility of manipulating populations of a species specific parasitoid, Bracon hylobii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to\ud
reduce weevil populations below damaging levels or to a level where they may be of use in an Integrated Pest Management system. Levels of parasitism were studied in the field on recently felled Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine sites in an attempt to measure ‘natural’ rates of parasitism. Highest rates of parasitism measured were 42% and 21% on Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce sites respectively. This was very much lower than required for control. Field studies of parasitoid emergence and laboratory trials indicated that two peaks of adult emergence occurred during the year. Synchronisation of peak emergence with the most vulnerable stage of the weevil is discussed. It may be that an ample portion of the H. abietis population survives to cause economic damage no matter how many parasitoids are on site due to overlapping of generations. Attempts to enhance the populations of the parasitoid in the field failed due to migration of the flying adults. Reasons for this were investigated through field surveys of available plant food (nectar) and laboratory choice chamber experiments. It was concluded that the\ud
need for food and possibly, mutual interference resulted in a net migration of adults from the sites in which they emerged from the cocoons. Experimentally it was demonstrated that the presence of food resulted in greater longevity and hence longer periods for searching and oviposition. The presence of flowering plants\ud
onsite may result in greater levels of parasitism. However, this is inconclusive. The possibility of a hyperparasitoid being present was investigated using mtDNA techniques. No evidence was found to indicate the presence of a hyperparasitoid. This study indicates that natural levels of parasitism in recently clearfelled Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce forest sites is insufficient to control Hylobius abietis. The ability to\ud
enhance ‘natural’ populations by introducing laboratory reared populations failed because of the tendency of adult parasitoids to disperse. No hyperparasitoid is present
Power-to-gas energy storage and its effects on reducing emissions and improving energy security for Ireland
Get PDFThe safeguarding of a reliable, environmental benign and economically meaningful energy supply is one of the key challenges Ireland is facing towards 2020 and beyond. The country is transforming its energy system from conventional power generation relying on fossil fuel\ud
imports towards a sustainable system utilising renewable and domestic sources of supply.\ud
The increased number of non-synchronous power generation stipulates the development of energy storage technologies as the amount of electricity supplied to the network has to equal the amount of electricity consumed. With an increased share of renewable generators that produce intermittent power output the utilisation of energy storage technologies for the compensation of fluctuations and peak demand is urgently required. Power-to-Gas energy storage is a concept able to store surplus energy in the megawatt\ud
range by using the existing network infrastructure of gas. The system is linking the inflexible power network with the natural gas grid. The Power-to-Gas concept represents a complete system solution in its ability to store surplus electricity in chemical form. In a first step\ud
hydrogen is produced through the process of electrolysation. In a subsequent reaction hydrogen is united with carbon dioxide in order to produce synthetic methane. The synthetic natural gas (SNG) is able to replace fossil gas reserves on a like-for-like basis. \ud
The basic process ingredients of water, electricity and carbon dioxide reduce any dependencies on rare material components and promote its universal application in connection with non-synchronous power generators. This thesis highlights the performance\ud
characteristics of Power-to-Gas energy storage and examines the potential environmental and economical impacts of the technology for Ireland
Can appreciative inquiry reawaken the spirit of action research?
Get PDFThe paper seeks to explore how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can contribute to Action Research (AR), especially in the Irish health sector
A new archaeological site in the Burren : Moneen Cave
No full textThe Burren is renowned for its rich archaeological\ud
heritage as well as for its impressive cave\ud
systems both of which made the discovery of a\ud
new cave with archaeological material especially\ud
exciting. Moneen Cave is located towards the\ud
summit of Moneen Mountain