PhD Theses Collection: Recent submissions
Now showing items 281-300 of 1208
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Autonomous and Intrinsically Motivated Robots for Sustained Human-Robot Interaction
(2021-02-04)A challenge in using fully autonomous robots in human-robot interaction (HRI) is to design behavior that is engaging enough to encourage voluntary, long-term interaction, yet robust to the perturbations induced by human ... -
The Efficacy of Probiotics in Modulating Clostridium difficile Spore Germination, Growth and Toxin Production in an in vitro Human Gut Model
(2021-01-22)Background and aims Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) remains a healthcare burden and recurrent CDI (rCDI) still affects 20-30% of patients. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a host health benefit, but ... -
Modeling Affect-Based Relationships and Social Allostasis as Mechanisms for Adaptation in Social Groups
(2021-01-29)Artificial social agents are becoming increasingly present in the real world. For these agents, their success is tied to their ability to remain truly autonomous—to appropriately adapt their decisions and behaviours across ... -
Behind the Mask of a CEO of a Management Training Institution: Exploring Breakdowns of Identity in the Struggle for Recognition
(2021-02-05)This thesis explores how idealisations of management identity influence everyday practice as a CEO, drawing on narrative accounts from my experience over a number of years. Combining the performative perspective of Erving ... -
Estimation and Modelling of Errors in the Library Preparation Stage of Next Generation Sequencing
(2020-12-16)Next-generation sequencing has empowered genomics by making it possible to sequence genomes at a lower cost and less time compared to the traditional Sanger method. However, these improvements suffer from reduced accuracy ... -
The Development of the Literary Werewolf: Language, Subjectivity and Animal/Human Boundaries
(2017-03-07)The werewolf is a stock character in Gothic horror, exemplifying humanity’s fear of ‘the beast within’, and a return to a bestial state of being. Central to this is the idea that the werewolf is, once transformed, without ... -
An Exploratory Study of How and Why Some Micro-Finance Banks Overcome Adversity and Why Others Do Not
(2021-01-13)This exploratory study was undertaken to gain an understanding of how and why some Micro-finance Banks (MFBs) in Lagos, Nigeria cope with, adapt to and overcome adversity in response to a spate of failures in the industry ... -
A Comparison of Tillage Techniques on Selected Soil Microbes Within the Rhizosphere of Wheat
(2021-01-27)This thesis reports on the implications of Conventional tillage regimes with a focus upon Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi for their contribution to soil chemical, physical and biological attributes, including aggregation, ... -
Family Narratives of Lives Where Both Parent and Child Have Been Diagnosed with Persistent Physical Symptom (PPS) Conditions
(2020-12-17)There is a limited body of research that explores the lived experiences of families with persistent physical symptoms (PPS) conditions and no qualitative research on the intergenerational component to PPS. Existing research ... -
The Use of Photovoice as a Methodology to Explore Identity Expression Amongst People with Intellectual Disabilities who have No or Limited Verbal Communication
(2020-12-02)People with severe and profound intellectual disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to participate in research. This is despite the development of inclusive participatory practices. A lack of involvement in research ... -
Culture-related Depression in Taiwanese Women and the Application of The BodyMind Approach TM
(2016-09-28)This research explores the connection between modernisation and depression in women in Taiwan from two perspectives, those of modernisation and individualisation, and the duality between body and mind. Many researches ... -
Studies Exploring Non-Adherence in Adult Renal Transplant Recipients
(2020-11-10)Non-adherence to immunosuppressive medication is a major risk factor for poor clinical outcomes post-transplantation, including graft rejection and graft loss. However, it remains a common issue. Patients can experience ... -
Talking Through the Silence: How do Clinical Psychologists Who Have Experienced Suicide Bereavement ‘Make Sense’ of Suicide? - A Thematic Analysis
(2020-11-11)Aims: From the perspective of an insider researcher, this study focuses on how clinical psychologists make sense of suicide, specifically when they too hold their own personal or professional experiences of suicide ... -
Methodological and Therapeutic Implications of Studying Intrusive Memories in Non-Clinical Populations
(2020-11-17)Intrusive memories (IMs) are repetitive, unwanted memories, characterised by their disruptiveness and often distressing content. They are most widely known as a feature of clinical conditions such as depression and ... -
Cultivating Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Through Supportive Social and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies for First Year Students in Higher Education
(2020-11-17)This research is centred on first year computer programming students enrolled on a BSc in Information Technology, within a private higher education institution in Dublin, Ireland. There are known challenges in learning ... -
Computer-Based Solutions to Support Those With Colour Vision Deficiency to Access Day-to-Day Information
(2020-11-09)In modern-day society, we are bombarded with vast amounts of electronic information which we may be expected to make decisions from. Many people have difficulties in interpreting such information due to either physical ... -
The Impact of Introduced European Catfish (Silurus glanis L.) in UK Waters: a Three Pond Study
(2020-11-02)Invasive fish species pose a threat to native fish species diversity across the globe with the extinction of many native and endemic fish species. There are concerns about the increase in non-native Silurus glanis introductions ... -
Exploring Sensory Processing among Hearing Impaired and Culturally Deaf Children
(2020-10-19)It is estimated that 5-10% of the non-clinical paediatric population experience difficulties with sensory processing (SP). In some clinical groups 90-95% of children are estimated to experience difficulties in this area. ... -
Narratives of Mental Health Professionals Supporting Trans, Gender Diverse and Gender Questioning Adults
(2020-10-19)Trans, gender diverse and gender questioning people appear at a high risk of suffering from mental health difficulties, but often describe having negative experiences accessing both physical and mental healthcare in the ... -
Investigating Human Perceptions of Trust and Social Cues in Robots for Safe Human-Robot Interaction in Human-oriented Environments
(2020-10-12)As robots increasingly take part in daily living activities, humans will have to interact with them in domestic and other human-oriented environments. This thesis envisages a future where autonomous robots could be used ...