NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Literary placemaking and narrative immersion in extended reality virtual geographic environments
No full textVirtual geographical environments (VGEs) are being used to represent our sense of place through the application of extended-reality or cross-reality (XR) technologies with a focus on technological advancement and immersion. In light of this, we propose that an expanded and interdisciplinary understanding of the concept of immersion is required to facilitate an understanding of spatial data to a broader audience. The potential of focusing on narrative immersion and literary placemaking in VGEs is discussed to evoke a stronger sense of place and a feeling of presence and belonging in users. This paper seeks to highlight the unique affordances and potentialities of XR narrative style GIS digital representations through an interdisciplinary theoretically lead analysis of outputs created by the Building City dashboards project towards the goal of expanding audiences of non-specialist stakeholders in urban planning processes
Leveraging Algorithms to Improve Decision-Making Workflows for Genomic Data Access and Management
No full textStudies on the ethics of automating clinical or research decision making using artificial intelligence and other
algorithmic tools abound. Less attention has been paid, however, to the scope for, and ethics of, automating
decision making within regulatory apparatuses governing the access, use, and exchange of data involving
humans for research. In this article, we map how the binary logic flows and real-time capabilities of automated
decision support (ADS) systems may be leveraged to accelerate one rate-limiting step in scientific discovery:
data access management. We contend that improved auditability, consistency, and efficiency of the data access
request process using ADS systems have the potential to yield fairer outcomes in requests for data largely
sourced from biospecimens and biobanked samples. This procedural justice rationale reinforces a broader set of
participant and data subject rights that data access committees (DACs) indirectly protect. DACs protect the
rights of citizens to benefit from science by bringing researchers closer to the data they need to advance that
science. DACs also protect the informational dignities of individuals and communities by ensuring the data
being accessed are used in ways consistent with participant values. We discuss the development of the Global
Alliance for Genomics and Health Data Use Ontology standard as a test case of ADS for genomic data access
management specifically, and we synthesize relevant ethical, legal, and social challenges to its implementation
in practice. We conclude with an agenda of future research needed to thoughtfully advance strategies for
computational governance that endeavor to instill public trust in, and maximize the scientific value of, health-related human data across data types, environments, and user communiti
A schema theory perspective on the psychological contracting processes of interns over time
No full textThis study explores the evolving expectations of undergraduate interns from a psychological contract schema theory perspective over time. Psychological contracts have been conceptualised as a type of schema, which is a mental model or construct through which individuals filter and understand social life. Scholarly endeavours have focused heavily on the negative effects of mismanaged psychological contracts. Less insight is available on the process through which a psychological contract is constructed, formed, and becomes impactful over time. Researching this process is vital to understanding and managing the evolution of the employment relationship. Taking a process methodological approach, we interviewed 30 interns from an Irish university between three to five times each over a 12-15 month period. We also collected written reflective accounts once they returned to the final year of study. Our findings reveal the importance of antecedents, such as normative expectations and goals, and the anticipated psychological contract on the psychological contracting process. We provide an empirically informed process model of the psychological contracting process of undergraduate interns. Our model incorporates factors such as the antecedents influencing the construction of the psychological contract, the formation and development of employment schemata, affective events, the role of agency, and the influence of internships on learners who return to the final year of undergraduate studies. We contribute to scholarly work on schema theory, the psychological contract as a dynamic process, and undergraduate internships. This research is of importance to educators preparing learners for the working world, organizations employing interns or fresh graduates, and learners themselves
Reproduction After Death: The Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Regulation of Posthumous Conception in Ireland
No full textThis thesis identifies and examines the legal and ethical challenges which surround the regulation of posthumous conception in Ireland. Proposals for regulating posthumous conception have been outlined by the Irish Government in the General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017. However, there has been no indication to date on when this Bill will progress through the legislative process. Thus, posthumous conception remains unregulated in Ireland and this presents a clean slate upon which a scheme of regulation may be built. Against this backdrop, this thesis is based on answering three research questions regarding the regulation of posthumous conception in Ireland.
First, this study investigates whether posthumous conception ought to be regulated at first instance, or whether the practice should simply be banned in Ireland. In addition, it considers whether a degree of consent should be used when regulating posthumous conception. Furthermore, this research critically examines the existing regulation of posthumous conception in various jurisdictions and identifies the primary issues which cases of posthumous conception pose for courts in practice. In doing so, this research identifies the gaps in current regulatory regimes, with a view to ascertaining what Ireland can learn from these existing policies.
Ultimately, this research reconsiders the proposals for regulating posthumous conception in Ireland as outlined under the General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017, and makes several recommendations for how the Bill can be improved. This thesis concludes that posthumous conception should be regulated in Ireland and should be permitted by law. In addition, it argues in favour of using a presumed consent model when regulating the practice in Ireland, and further demonstrates how any potential harms caused by posthumous conception can be minimised through effective regulation
F-box receptor mediated control of substrate stability and subcellular location organizes cellular development of Aspergillus nidulans
No full textFungal growth and development are coordinated with specific secondary metabolism. This coordination requires 8 of 74 F-box proteins of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. F-box proteins recognize primed substrates for ubiquitination by Skp1-Cul1-Fbx (SCF) E3 ubiquitin RING ligases and degradation by the 26S proteasome. 24 F-box proteins are found in the nuclear fraction as part of SCFs during vegetative growth. 43 F-box proteins interact with SCF proteins during growth, development or stress. 45 F-box proteins are associated with more than 700 proteins that have mainly regulatory roles. This corroborates that accurate surveillance of protein stability is prerequisite for organizing multicellular fungal development. Fbx23 combines subcellular location and protein stability control, illustrating the complexity of F-box mediated regulation during fungal development. Fbx23 interacts with epigenetic methyltransferase VipC which interacts with fungal NF-κB-like velvet domain regulator VeA that coordinates fungal development with secondary metabolism. Fbx23 prevents nuclear accumulation of methyltransferase VipC during early development. These results suggest that in addition to their role in protein degradation, F-box proteins also control subcellular accumulations of key regulatory proteins for fungal development
Analysis and evaluation of challenges in the integration of Industry 4.0 and sustainable steel reverse logistics network
No full textIndustry 4.0 (I4.0) is a comparatively new phenomenon, and it is most probable that developing countries would
face challenges in adapting it for improving the processes of supply chains and moving toward sustainability. The
steel industry is the core of industrial growth, and it has an indispensable role in the development of countries.
Steel is a highly recyclable product, meaning that it can be reused infinitely, increasing the significance of its
reverse logistics. Although many studies have been conducted in the area of I4.0 and supply chain management,
less attention has been devoted to finding and analyzing potential challenges of I4.0 technologies integration in
steel reverse logistics activities. Therefore, this study is conducted to identify and analyse the challenges to
efficient integration of I4.0 and sustainable steel reverse logistics system. Data collection is conducted with the
assistance of qualified experts familiar with the steel supply chain and I4.0 concept. The interrelations of
challenges are specified by Interpretive Structural Modeling, and the final ranking of challenges is determined
through the Fuzzy Analytical Network Process. After validating the completed questionnaires, the absence of
experts in I4.0, lack of clear comprehension of I4.0 concepts, training programs, and governmental policies and
support are determined as the most critical challenges. Finally, the results and discussion, which can help
practitioners in the efficient adoption of I4.0 to have a sustainable reverse logistics system, are presented
Topological Aspects of 1-Dimensional Closed & Open Quantum Systems
No full textWe consider the p-wave superconductor in one spatial dimension from two perspectives.
Firstly as a closed system and secondly as an open system.
As a closed system, we analyse the p-wave superconductor as a candidate platform
which can host Majorana bound states. In particular, we consider how interaction
driven errors could spoil the encoding of protected qubit states constructed from
these bound states. We present a generic analysis of how the property of topological
quantum order (TQO) suppresses an interaction driven dephasing process.
We use this to quantify the extent of correlation between spectral densities from
different topological sectors. Our key result, verified numerically for the p-wave superconductor,
is that despite mismatched bulk spectra the TQO property ensures
that interaction driven phase errors are suppressed up to a time which scales with
system length.
As an open system, we bring the model into contact with various environments.
We do so to understand the interplay of quantum and classical transport phenomena.
Our key result in this case is that there is, in general, a strong dependence on
the superconductor pairing and the boundary dissipation rates in the final nonequilibrium
steady states. Further, we demonstrate that under weak dissipation
topological properties of the closed system manifest themselves in a key aspect of
the open quantum system dynamics, the Liouvillian gap. We find that this indicator
of relaxation time retains information of these properties robustly for a number of
dissipative processes
Dimensional latent structure of ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder, complex PTSD, and adjustment disorder: Evidence from Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.
No full textWith the release of International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) in 2018, there has
been a surge in studies examining the nosology of mental disorders, including disorders associated with
stress, namely, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD (CPTSD), and adjustment disorder
(AjD). Few studies have examined the same in low- and middle-income countries that have disproportionate levels of exposure to trauma and stressors and are under resourced in mental health services. The present study examined the latent factor structure of a joint model comprising PTSD, CPTSD, and AjD symptoms and their association with stressful and traumatic life events to assess the degree of
distinctiveness between these disorders. Participants were 2,524 adults in the age range of 18
and 71 years (M/SDage = 30.44/8.67) from Ghana, (n = 500; 50% female), Kenya (n = 1,006; 49.8%
female), and Nigeria (n = 1,018; 50% female). Findings obtained through confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a dimensional and hierarchical second-order model comprising correlated latent factors of PTSD, DSO, and AjD provided the best goodness-of-fit indices. Furthermore, it was
found that stressors were positively associated with AjD and PTSD, and traumatic life events largely with PTSD. Findings support the ICD-11 classification of related-although distinct stress-related disorders in adults from 3 African natio
A comprehensive performance measurement framework for business incubation centres: Empirical evidence in an Irish context
No full textDuring the last 20 years, there has been an increased interest among academics and practitioners in the area of business incubation. However, limited attention has been devoted to developing a comprehensive framework that can measure business incubators' performances. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an appropriate, robust and useable performance framework. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework using a weighted fuzzy inference system for business incubation centres' (BIC) performance measurement. The proposed approach utilises the input of a Delphi panel to identify criteria and subcriteria. Then a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to weigh the criteria. Subsequently, a weighted fuzzy inference system is developed and applied to provide results based on the identified criteria and subcriteria. To show the proficiency and applicability of the proposed framework, a case study of Irish BICs is applied. The comprehensive performance measurement framework presented in this paper provides for accurate evaluation and monitoring across six criteria. The six criteria are facilities and infrastructure; clients; networking and marketing; products and services; finance; and human capital. The results show that although most of the BICs focus on facilities and infrastructure, there is a need to concentrate more on factors such as networking, marketing and finance. The detailed approach presented in this paper can be used by academics and practitioners who wish to apply fuzzy inference systems to performance measurement. In addition, the results from our pilot can be used by BIC managers and policymakers to improve performance
Some Fundamental Results for Cyclorotor Wave Energy Converters for Optimum Power Capture
No full textCyclorotor-based wave energy converters (WECs)
present a relatively new and innovative paradigm for wave energy
harvesting. Their operational principle is based on the generation
of lift forces on the rotating hydrofoils due to their interaction with
wave-induced circulation of water particles. As a result, relatively
little is known about their optimal operation. To date, cyclorotor
device performance has been measured by the power of waves radiated by the WEC, while a constant rotational velocity, consistent
with the wave frequency, is employed. In this note we show (a) that
variation of the cyclorotor velocity within the incoming monochromatic wave period significantly increases the generated mechanical
power, while (b) optimising wave cancellation is at odds with the
maximisation of shaft power. To optimise shaft power, the letter
adopts a multi-harmonic solution for variable cyclorotor rotation
rate, inspired by methods developed in other WEC domains