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Relationship between macular pigment and visual function in subjects with early age-related macular degeneration
Get PDFThe Relationship of Spiritual Well-Being to Quality of Life in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Get PDFThis study explored and described how adults who experience intellectual and
developmental disabilities perceive the significance of their spiritual well-being in
relation to their quality of life. Specifically, the relationship between perceived spiritual
well-being and quality of life; the difference gender and living situations have on these
variables; and the understanding and relevance individuals who experience intellectual
and developmental disabilities give these two variables was examined. To answer the
research questions, this study utilized a mixed methods sequential explanatory design,
consisting of a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. From a quantitative
design framework: Phase One utilized associated theories of spirituality and quality of
life, along with two standardized questionnaires that were administered to a total of 50
adults who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities living in both urban
and rural areas of Alaska. Next: Phase Two utilized a qualitative framework consisting
of unstructured, in-depth interviews, participant observation and document reviews
involving 15 adults who were a subset of the study sample population. The findings
from this research revealed that a significant positive relationship exists between
perceived spiritual well-being and quality of life in adults who experience intellectual
and developmental disabilities. The qualitative phase provided additional data adding
depth and breadth to understanding the significant positive relationship found in the
quantitative phase. Five overarching themes emerged from the qualitative data collected
that provided a context for understanding the significant positive relationship found
between participants’ spiritual well-being and quality of life. The emergent themes
were: framework for life; identity; sense of inner well-being; opportunity to contribute;
and sense of connectedness. The results of the study suggest that adult individuals who
experience intellectual and developmental disabilities across genders and living
situations, perceive spirituality as an important aspect of life and overall well-being and
that most perceive their spiritual needs to be as important as needs in other areas of life.
Study findings produced both disability related theoretical implications and service
planning and practice policy implications
Software defined utility: A step towards a flexible, reliable and low-cost smart grid
Get PDFThe Smart Grid relies in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) but usually there is still a lack of integration in their deployment. They are designed as separated systems and managed that way too. In addition, the changes in the electric network are so complex and dependable on a very rigid hardware architecture. Based on the work done in the European project FINESCE, this paper presents the “Software Defined Utility “(SDU) concept, which advocates the migration of the utility infrastructure to software systems instead of relying on complex and rigid hardware based systems. This new approach provides a prospective view on the evolution of power systems that will benefit from software systems and high-speed data network infrastructures. More concretely, as a first SDU building block, the paper proposes a data storage and management system based on a hybrid cloud infrastructure to meet the storage requirements of electric utilities. In this regard, the following dimensions have been analysed: the most appropriate methodology to select where data resources should be allocated; security requirements and threads taking into account its deployment in a critical infrastructure like a Smart Grid
Understanding what Motivates Entrepreneurs to Engage and Sustain Engagement with Learning Networks over Time: a Longitudinal Study
Get PDFLearning networks represent a highly effective and efficient means of enterprise development for entrepreneurs (Bessant and Tsekouras, 2001). The highly contextual, peer-to-peer nature of the learning that occurs in learning networks makes them a valuable vehicle for the development of indigenous enterprises. Prior research highlighted the need to examine the developmental dynamics of networks over time (Hoang and Antoncic, 2003; Provan, Fish and Sydow, 2007 and; Jack, Drakopoulou Dodd and Anderson, 2008) and the examination of gender-specific networks of entrepreneurs (Greve and Salaff, 2003; Hanson and Blake, 2009; Hampton, Cooper and McGowan, 2009). This research addresses these deficiencies by exploring what motivates entrepreneurs to engage and sustain engagement with learning networks over time. Utilising a longitudinal mixed method research design, six learning networks of entrepreneurs in Ireland and Wales were examined over a period of almost three years. Differences were examined across female, male and mixed-gender networks; using a series of data points: 350 hours of observations, 37 in-depth interviews, 46 personality inventories and 400 questionnaires and evaluations. This research identified a number of factors that impact sustained engagement with networks including: participant commitment to network purpose, valuable network engagement, high accountability between members, a positive network environment of openness and sharing, the presence of network champions and critically, routine structures and processes within network operations. In Ireland the networks continue to meet almost six years later as an amalgamated network; whereas, the networks in Wales ceased to meet after two years. This study contributes to existing research on the creation, development and sustaining of networks, to our knowledge of learning networks, and our understanding of what motivates entrepreneurs to engage with and remain engaged with networks over time. The research has implications for academics, consultants, practitioners and enterprise support agencies interested in setting up sustainable, self-propagating learning networks
An exploratory analysis of employees’/volunteers’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in public and third sector organisations
Get PDFGiven the prolonged recession, rigid austerity programmes and growing pressures to innovate, organisations are increasingly obliged to harness the entrepreneurial potential of their employees/volunteers. This is particularly the case for public sector, voluntary sector, and community and enterprise organisations. Therefore, interest in stimulating and supporting more entrepreneurial behaviour has significantly grown in public and not-for-profit sector literature. However, literature specifically pertaining to this issue is relevantly scarce (Kraus, 2013). Prior research concerned with entrepreneurial practices in public and voluntary sectors was mostly focused on organisational characteristics and the holistic view on being more entrepreneurial, as opposed to examining entrepreneurial orientation at employee and volunteer levels.
This study is to some extent unique, as it delves into variables that were rarely studied in the past. It comprises of respondents’ past entrepreneurial experiences and the extent to which they can be entrepreneurial within their respective organisations. Thus, by adopting a different level of analysis and exploring employees’/volunteers’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) this research offers a magnitude for richer understating of how employees/volunteers can contribute to the EO of public sector, voluntary sector, and community and enterprise organisations.
The research involved administering an online survey to employees and/or volunteers working in public sector, voluntary, and social enterprise organisation in six regions/countries Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland, (South-East) Ireland, Portugal, and Sicily. A total of 450 people completed and returned the survey, representing 216 organisations. The methodology was a quantitative analysis using manual techniques. A major finding from this research is that there appears to be a link between (i) employees/volunteers that have entrepreneurial experience (external to the organisation in which they are currently working/volunteering), (ii) the degree to which they are enabled to be entrepreneurial within their organisations, and (iii) the degree to which employees/volunteers behave entrepreneurially within their organisations. This study contributes to existing research on and to a deeper and broader understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour of employees/volunteers in public sector, voluntary, and social enterprise organisations
An investigation of inefficiencies in enterprise supports: A study of the Irish enterprise support system
Get PDFSince the 1990s Irish Government enterprise policy has recognised the contribution of indigenous Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to economic growth and also the need to address the challenges that such enterprises face. Such policies have resulted in the creation of agencies tasked with providing both financial and soft support to SMEs. This thesis evaluated aspects of the effectiveness of financial support issued by agencies Enterprise Ireland (EI) and The City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) during a recessionary period for Ireland between 2008 and 2011. To date evaluation of enterprise supports has frequently concerned measuring additionality. However, previous evaluations have also revealed a number of inefficiencies associated with such supports. The principal inefficiency is deadweight, which is defined as activity that would have occurred regardless of support being provided. However there are other inefficiencies which have been discovered, ranging from substitution of private finance with public funds by SMEs to selection bias by government agencies. In previous research these concepts have largely been explored in isolation. However, this thesis presents a more holistic view and develops a novel framework to explain the potential relationships between these different concepts, for their simultaneous measurement. The research was carried out over three stages using a mixed methodology. Firstly a survey was conducted on a sample of supported and unsupported enterprises. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sub-sample of the survey respondents to garner their responses with further detail. Finally, interviews were carried out with EI and CEB representatives. The findings suggest that deadweight is present in the Irish enterprise support system, but is less prolific than outlined by previous research. However, the occurrence of deadweight negatively affects performance metrics of agency activities, such as cost per job measures. The findings also suggest that deadweight is perpetuated by selection biases on the part of support agencies and the enterprise’s potential to substitute private finance with public funds. However, evidence of additionality has the potential to mitigate for some of these inefficiencies. This thesis has made a number of contributions. Firstly, it has developed a greater understanding of the concept of deadweight through the development and testing of a unique theoretical framework. Secondly, this research has developed a methodology based on best practice evaluation approaches, which have not been used previously in the evaluation of deadweight. Finally, this research has contributed to the enterprise policy and state support debate in what was a particularly difficult era in Ireland’s economic history
Complex Information Systems Development and Deployment Processes: A GT Study of TCK
Get PDFThis research was a grounded theory longitudinal case study of a telemedicine centre in a post-conflict region. Rich studies of the development practices of advanced Information and Communications Technology (ICT) initiatives in developing countries are rare, and almost non-existent for post-conflict developing regions. The post-conflict context loaded additional factors into an already complicated systems development process.
The primary contribution of this research was to set out factors present in the case organisation which have received little attention previously in the academic literature and which were important in the successful implementation of a large scale telemedicine system in the Balkans. These factors have important implications for the design, development and delivery process for complex information systems projects in post-conflict regions, and incorporate a range of technical, social, political and cultural factors.
What emerges from this research is the symbolic role of hope and conflict in the project and the management of the political environment as the main factors which influenced information systems development success. These factors manifested themselves in practical ways during the information systems management activities associated with the deployment of telemedicine information systems and this is set out in the study.
The findings have important implications for our understanding of the dynamics of developmental ICT initiatives generally and in post-conflict, developing regions in particular. They also have implications for donor agencies that are providing support to post-conflict contexts as these regions develop important ICT infrastructure during the process of recovery
A Brighter Future: Understanding Desistance in Young Irish Men
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to understand the factors which led to desistance in young men from the South East of Ireland, who were involved in offending between the ages of 12-18. The participants of this study will be those who desisted from crime prior to any involvement in the formal judicial and penal systems and they will be aged between 18 and 23 at the time of engaging in the study. An extensive review of the literature was carried out. Through conducting this literature review it became evident that desistance studies in Ireland have been limited to the experience of older adults and those who have been incarcerated. This research aims to respond to this gap identified in the research. The hypothesis of this research is that if we better understand the elements which lead to the desistance of offending in young men then we can better support them and/or other young people in similar circumstances, to maintain their desistance in the long term. The epistemological stance of the researcher and the study is based on the constructivist paradigm. This study was carried out using a Descriptive, Cross-sectional Correlational research design. Primary qualitative data was gathered using semi structured interviews. Participants for the study were selected using Non-Probability Convenience Sampling Design. The data was then analysed using NVivo 10 and the findings and recommendations are discussed on the back of this analysis. The results of this study show that there are a lot of similarities between the experiences of the participants during their teen years. There is a commonality in how they perceived their communities, in how they felt about education and in the types of offending that they were involved in. Through analysing this data, common trends in terms of the factors which the participants feel leads to desistance were also evident such as increased levels of empathy, changing peer groups and spending more time outside of their community
The new ISO-standard on ”Soundscape” - Maximizing the benefit for the Architectural design process
Get PDFThe new ISO 12913-1 introduces a conceptional framework for the ”Soundscape” approach and refers to
”factors relevant for measurement and reporting of soundscape studies, as well as planning, design and
management of soundscape”. This emphasizes a common ground to Soundscape for Acousticians and
Architects/Urban Designers (among others): for Acousticians to investigate sound qualities in relation to
their specific context, and for Architects/Urban Designers to pro-actively implement sound qualities into
their designs. However, both professions usually come from fundamentally different perspectives:
Acousticians rather act as ”analysts”: they observe specific environments in order to derive findings, such
as patterns, generalizations or rules; Architects tend to do the exact opposite and act as ”synthesizers”: they
use patterns, generalizations and rules, in order to integrate them into the design of a specific environment.
Consequently, the expectations and the outcome of a ”standardization” approach may differ significantly.
The paper discusses the underlying triangulation principle of the soundscape-approach based on ”peoplecontext-
acoustic environment” against a proposed similar triangulation of the Architectural/Urban design
process based on ”programme-context-idea”. It explores the potentials of the Soundscape approach from an
Architect’s view and the way it could be enhanced by an interdisciplinary approach as anticipated in the
new ISO
The Use of Digital Video in the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Physical Education
No full textThis thesis details the technical, operational and educational aspects of the physical education digital video project, a project that investigated the role of digital video in physical education in 12 Irish schools over a period of two academic years. The project design involved a qualitative and quantitative investigation into the use of digital video in three areas of physical education, namely teaching, learning and assessment. The group of physical education teachers who implemented the project received intensive training in the use of the technology initially and were also given additional training to meet the evolving needs of the project over its duration. The impact of the use of the technology on teachers’ pedagogical practices was examined. The motivational effect of the use of the technology on students was noted. The capacity of the technology to provide focused feedback on performances was examined through the reviewing of video clips of students’ performances in physical education lessons. The use of digital video as an aid to both formative and summative assessment in physical education was also examined. Aspects of assessment for learning were used in providing a cohort of students with opportunities to set their own learning goals and evaluate their own learning while compiling electronic learning portfolios. A total of 31 such portfolios were collated. An examination of the use of digital video technology as a means of assessing practical performances was also undertaken