Welcome to the 4th volume of The Boolean, which presents snapshots of Doctoral Research at University College Cork. The aim of The Boolean is to share the outcomes of the research undertaken at UCC with a wider audience. To achieve this, the authors must describe their specialised research in terms understandable by a non-expert. We congratulate the authors in succeeding in this endeavour and we hope all readers will find the articles interesting and informative.
The team responsible would like to thank all authors for their contributions and also all involved in the reviewing of the articles, listed on the following pages.
The Boolean Team
September 2014.
Editor
Dr Liam Marnane, Dean of Graduate Studies
Deputy Editor
Fergus McAuliffe, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Reviewers
Professor Frederic Adam, Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems
Dr David Clarke, School of Microbiology
Frances Clerkin, School of Education
Anthony Colonna, School of English
Eamonn Culligan, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and School of Microbiology
Dr Anne Marie Devlin, Department of French, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Dr Gavin Dillon, Department of Early and Medieval Irish, Scoil Léann na Gaeilge / School of Irish Learning
Tara Duggan, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Aoife Flemming, School of Pharmacy
Mary Galvin, School of Applied Psychology
Professor Josephine Hegarty, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Siobhan Higgins, School of English
Dervla Hogan, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
Professor Alan Kelly, School of Food & Nutritional Sciences
Dr Martin Kilian, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Maire Lane, School of Applied Social Studies
Dr Piaras MacEinri, Department of Geography, School of the Human Environment
Dr Rachel MagShamhrain, Department of German, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Jennifer Manning, Department of Physiology
Dr Florence McCarthy, Department of Chemistry
Dr Pat Meere, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr Orla Murphy, School of English
Michelle Nelson, Head of Graduate Studies Office
Meadhbh O'Halloran, School of English
Dr Conor O'Mahony, Department of Law
Sinead O'Neill, School of Medicine
Dr Jacqui O’Riordan, School of Applied Social Studies
Laura Mernie Pomeroy, School of English
Dr Ruth Ramsey, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
David Roy, School of English
Hazel Smith, Department of Paediatrics & Child Health
Wesley van Oeffelen, Department Of Anatomy & Neuroscience
The journal team also wish to thank Peter Flynn, UCC Computer Centre and Gretta McCarthy, Academic Secretariat, for their invaluable assistance.
For comments or queries, please contact: boolean@ucc.ie