The Boolean: Snapshots of Doctoral Research at University College Cork
The Boolean is an online postgraduate journal whose aim is to highlight the exciting and diverse range of doctoral research carried out at University College Cork for a general audience. There are over 1000 doctoral students registered at UCC, conducting research in almost every field of academia. The Boolean provides these students with a forum to describe their research and share their passion and curiosity with the general public and wider university community. Journal submissions are in the form of short papers, which are evaluated according to intelligibility and coherence for non-technical readers during the peer-review process.
Acknowledgements by The Boolean Team 2025-26
Copyright (c) 2026 Richard Harris https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Introduction by Prof Orla Lynch, Dean of Doctoral Studies
Copyright (c) 2026 Professor Orla Lynch https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Narratives of Violence: The Last Messages of Mass Murderers
Before committing acts of mass violence, some perpetrators leave behind writings, videos, or manifestos, what researchers call legacy tokens. These final messages serve as their last attempt to justify their actions, explain their motivations, or cement their place in history, ensuring that their story is remembered (Meloy & Hoffman, 2013). This article explores what these documents tell us about why people commit mass murder, what themes they emphasize, and how they shape public narratives about violence
Copyright (c) 2026 Keith Minihane https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
How Miscentring in CT Scans Affects Radiation Patient Dose and Image Quality
Computed tomography (CT) imaging is a cornerstone of modern medical diagnostics, yet patient miscentring remains a persistent issue affecting both radiation dose and image quality. Proper patient positioning is critical to optimising scan parameters, reducing unnecessary radiation exposure, and ensuring diagnostic accuracy. Miscentring of patients during CT scanning can result in increased radiation dose, image noise, and potential diagnostic errors. This article explores the impact of patient miscentring on CT imaging, discusses contributing factors, and highlights strategies for mitigation.
Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, University College Cork
Copyright (c) 2026 Yasser H. Hadi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Automated Protocolling in Radiology: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Workload
The increasing demand for medical imaging has placed a heavy workload on radiologists, leading to fatigue and potential errors. For example, the volume of medical imaging studies has been increasing annually in various regions. Automated protocoling (AP) using artificial intelligence (AI) promises to reduce this burden by automating routine tasks. Protocoling in radiology involves selecting the best imaging study for a patient based on their history and symptoms. AI can automate this process, ensuring consistent decisions and freeing radiologists to handle more complex cases. This article reviews the impact of AP in radiology, highlighting its benefits in improving workflow efficiency.
Transnational voluntary standards’ role in global governance
Transnational voluntary standards, as a form of legal pluralism in global governance, are gaining increasing recognition for their ability to bridge the regulatory gaps between domestic and international law. This article provides an introductory exploration of the contextual and theoretical foundations underpinning the rise of standards as instruments of global governance. It critically examines their necessity in promoting international regulatory coherence, the challenges posed by their non-binding and voluntary nature, and the principal legal and institutional obstacles they encounter as regulatory frameworks. Through this analysis, the article tries to brief the efficacy and limitations of standards in addressing contemporary legal and governance challenges.
Copyright (c) 2026 Yiyang XIONG https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Rewilding as a Model for Creative and Affective Practices
Grieving with Forests is a practice-led research project that explores novel perceptual and creative affordances of a grieving body engaged in movement and sensory-based artistic practice in collaboration with forest environments. The work asks how ecological attitudes and relationships might be altered by replacing the “recovery” directive of modernist western grief practices with an ecocentric perspective on loss that embraces rupture and ongoingness. How might one grieve differently, create differently, and even carry out research differently through paradigms of complexity and unknowing referred to in this paper under the umbrella of methodological (re)wilding?
Copyright (c) 2026 Josh Wagner https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Exploring Syncretic Approaches to Improvisatory Practices in Irish Bluegrass
Improvisation as creative practice is an important part of many forms of music making. This research explores improvisation as creative practice among ‘Irish Bluegrass’ musicians situated within international bluegrass culture. I document how ‘Irish Bluegrass’ musicians triangulate their relationship with American bluegrass and Irish traditional music in instrumental improvisation. The term ‘Irish Bluegrass’ is used by community members to signify a specialized musical trend unfolding in Ireland featuring a high concentration of musicians that play both Irish traditional music and bluegrass. These musicians see themselves as part of both traditions working within a third space that incorporates elements of both genres.
Bluegrass, Improvisation, Irish Traditional Music, Creative Practice, Transmutation, Transmigration.
Improvisation, Transmigration, Music Cognition
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathleen Coker https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Late immersion: a second chance at secondary school?
The transition from primary to post-primary education is a significant milestone in one’s education. Learners grapple with a new identity and physical environment, a wider range of subjects and teaching styles, and must adjust to new expectations. While pre-transition anxieties often fade, difficulties during this period can lead to longer term educational challenges. For some learners in Ireland, additional change occurs: the language of their schooling. This paper explores the transition of students who opt to commence immersion education for the very first time at post-primary level, accessing the curriculum through the medium of Irish.
Transition, education, immersion education, language acquisition
Education, transition, language acquisition, immersion education
Copyright (c) 2026 Hilary O Connor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Acknowledgments by The Boolean Team 2023-24
Copyright (c) 2024 Zoë Williams https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Introduction by Dr. Orla Lynch, Dean of Doctoral Studies
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Orla Lynch https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Can Rights of Nature Contribute to Enhanced Environmental Protection in Ireland?
Several sectors of Irish society have put forward rights of nature as a way to further enhance environmental protection in the country and help curb environmental degradation. In light of rights of nature developments in other jurisdictions, this piece presents rights of nature in their social, economic, and legal context, and summarises their reception by legal scholars. This portrayal will provide a basis for analysing the two main Irish rights of nature legal propositions and assess, albeit in preliminary fashion, whether these initiatives – if enacted – would further enhance environmental protection in Ireland.
Local participative environmental governance
Copyright (c) 2024 Julian Suarez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
From Fluids to Pharmaceuticals: How Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Transforms Drug Design
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool that helps scientists and engineers understand how fluids behave and move, whether in the air, liquids, or biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. This technology, which uses computer simulations to replicate real-world scenarios, plays a critical role in various industries, including medicine and drug development. By creating virtual experiments on computers, CFD allows researchers to gain insights into the interaction of biological components for drug production at different scales, from small laboratory experiments to large-scale manufacturing processes and fast-track process optimisation. The strategy and implementation of CFD for a bioreactor system has been explained in this article.
Copyright (c) 2024 vishal kumar singh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Night Owl Effect in the Premier League
A novel dataset of all the fixtures in the English Premier League’s 2021/2022 season is used to analyse the impact which kick-off time has on home advantage. Results show that late kickoffs significantly increase home advantage. During late kick-offs, home teams are significantly more likely to win fixtures and win fixtures by greater margins compared to early kick-offs. Furthermore, away teams are significantly less likely to keep clean sheets in middle-of-the-day and late kick-offs compared to early kick-offs. The night owl effect is proposed as a term to refer to this finding where late kick-offs facilitate increased home advantage.
Copyright (c) 2024 Daragh O'Leary https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Nutrition for Female Menopausal Cancer Survivors: Developing Ireland’s First Resource
Women diagnosed with a hormone-receptor positive (HR+) breast or gynaecological cancer are not routinely prescribed hormone replacement therapy to alleviate menopausal symptoms due to the risk of causing cancer recurrence. Many of these women use herbal or botanical supplements, diet and lifestyle interventions to provide relief. Through an extensive literature review, national focus groups with menopausal female cancer survivors, consultation with an established public and patient involvement panel, and the creation of a national review panel of medical and healthcare professionals, Ireland’s first evidence-based resource is in development for female menopausal cancer survivors.
Copyright (c) 2024 Katie Johnston, Dr Samantha Cushen, Professor Aoife Ryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Milking Cows Less Often Might Benefit Farmers (And Possibly Cheese)
Most dairy farms milk cows twice-a-day, but interest in once-a-day milking systems is increasing. This article discusses the background and benefits that are leading some farms to consider a change to a reduced milking frequency. Also, until recently, only limited work had been done to explore how dairy products are impacted by milking frequency. Some recent investigations completed at UCC and Teagasc on cheese now provides some reassuring evidence. Going further still, this research also suggests that reducing milking frequency might offer some unique opportunities for cheese production in the future.
Copyright (c) 2024 Richard Page https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Controlling Electron Spin to Realise a Greener Future
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is consuming an ever-increasing amount of electricity. Most electronic devices are composed of billions of transistors, which are made of materials called semiconductors. Semiconducting devices can be engineered to hold properties that suit the device’s function. One relatively unexplored property is electron spin, which, if it can be controlled, may be manipulated to increase the efficiency of semiconducting devices, particularly regarding data transfer and storage. I want to examine whether spin polarisation (the degree to which the spin of electrons aligns with a given direction) can be controlled. This is achieved by understanding the electron-scattering processes by which electrons change their spin polarisation in time. The ultimate potential impact of this research is leaner, greener telecommunications and computing. “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.” — Albert Einstein
Copyright (c) 2024 Kevin Sewell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Mixing Materials for Integrated Photonic Innovation
Photonics, an ever-growing field since the invention of lasers in the 1960s, has been applied in wide-ranging applications such as optical communications, sensing, imaging and more. Photonic integrated circuits (PIC) are the next step to take this technology and shrink it onto a semiconductor chip, leading to more compact, cheaper, and lower power consumption solutions. However, integrated photonics faces the challenge of lacking a single material platform that encompasses all the desired properties, unlike its more mature electronic integrated circuit counterpart which uses silicon with a standardised fabrication process known as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). To overcome this limitation, researchers are exploring hybrid and heterogeneous integration techniques. By combining the strengths of different photonic platforms, such as III-V materials for light emission, silicon for strong light guidance, silicon-nitride for visible light guiding, and lithium niobate for its modulating capabilities, integrated photonic technologies can harness the collective advantages and unlock new possibilities. “Light brings us the news from the universe.” — Sir William Bragg
Copyright (c) 2024 Owen Moynihan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
International Law & the Sustainable Development Goals
Law and policy are essential tools to tackle ongoing and emerging environmental challenges and are critical to the fulfilment of sustainable development. Adopted by all 193 United Nations (UN) Member States, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, also known as the 2030 Agenda) act as the 21st-century framework for sustainable development. This doctoral project seeks to investigate the interactive dynamics between international law and the SDGs to discern the potential of this relationship to strengthen, reinforce, and facilitate the realisation of existing and emerging obligations in international law.
Copyright (c) 2024 Niamh Guiry https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
WindValue, End-of-Life Decisions for Wind Farms
Wind farms have an estimated lifespan of twenty to twenty five years, and as they age, their value decreases, potentially becoming a liability. This article discusses a research project that aims to develop a decision support tool for wind farm owners. The tool will help estimate financial outcomes and assess risk profiles for different options such as repowering, life extension, or decommissioning. Additionally, the project will explore challenges and opportunities related to co-investment between local communities and wind farm owners.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dorcas Mikindani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Introduction by Professor Ruth Ramsay, Dean of Graduate Studies
Copyright (c) 2022 Stephen Murphy; Ruth Ramsay https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Fibre, A Forgotten Key to a Thriving Diet
Fibre is an often-overlooked nutrient in the debate of what constitutes a healthy diet for optimal health and the prevention of chronic disease. This article aims to introduce fibre as an important dietary component to a general audience. It discusses current and recommended dietary fibre intakes and addresses the often termed “fibre gap” observed in Western-style diets. We highlight sources of dietary fibre focusing on both whole foods and isolated and synthetic fibre ingredients that are entering the food supply. The potential benefits and consumer acceptability of reformulated food staples containing isolated fibre ingredients are discussed including their unique sensory characteristics. By reflecting on the diets of our ancestors and current non-industrialised societies our article highlights the significant changes in our diet that may have altered the gut microbiomes of Western consumers with subsequent deleterious health outcomes. Discussing the current work of the Microbe Restore project, we illustrate how our research design aims to address important questions. Can a typical Western/Modern Irish diet be reformulated to achieve ancestral fibre levels without affecting the acceptability of staple foods? What are the subsequent health outcomes of such a high-fibre diet on the modern overweight/obese consumer? Finally, we highlight how the outcomes of the Microbe Restore project may aid in shaping future food design, dietary recommendations, and the potential impact of food reformulation with isolated fibres on societal health by increasing population dietary fibre intakes.
Copyright (c) 2022 Sarah Kate Walsh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Impact of Light Based Technologies in the Future of Healthcare
There has been an increasing interest in light-based technologies offering cheap, fast and noninvasive disease detection and treatment. In 2016, the market of light-based technologies represented >64% of the total medical imaging market ($90.7 billion in total) and more than twice the radiological imaging market that included X-Ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonant imaging and others. Light-based technologies have steadily increased with the mobile and home healthcare, as well as wearable devices dominating the market to monitor quality of sleep, sports performance, and blood oxygenation in general (including COVID-19 cases). Given the importance of light in the future of healthcare, this paper covers how light-based technologies are used to find diseases early (screening) and accurately (diagnostics) in both whole body (systemically with screening tests) or localized parts of the body (during surgery).
Copyright (c) 2022 Marcelo Saito Nogueira https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
An Introduction To Monte Carlo-Tree (MC-Tree) Method
The article aims to introduce concepts in option pricing and risk management. Pricing and risk management is one of the fundamental problems in financial mathematics. Then readers may explore further to understand how to use mathematical models in pricing and risk management. More specifically, our research introduces a new method called Monte Carlo-Tree (MC-Tree), for option pricing and risk management with high accuracy.
Copyright (c) 2022 Yen Thuan Trinh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Developing Potential in the Family Business - Learnings from a Queen Concert
Psychological Capital (Hope, Optimism, Resilience, Efficacy) is a powerful psychological resource to leverage the idiosyncratic potential of the family firm and to enhance performance through the attainment of goals. By developing Psychological Capital, the family firm can address critical issues which threaten sustainability, including reduced access to financial, human and social capital resources. The family firm is unique in terms of human capital due to the psychological attributes which are rooted in the duality of the organization, namely, family and business. As a result, the family business has a high dependency on the collaboration of both family and non-family members. This article demonstrates the benefit of developing Psychological Capital through lessons learned from a Queen concert.
Copyright (c) 2022 Catherine Duggan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Sustainable Healthy Diets: Missing Pieces of the Puzzle
Climate change has become a prominent topic in the media. There is clear evidence that an increase in greenhouse gases is causing global warming, above what is typical, which is resulting in more extreme weather events. It is estimated that the food system accounts for up to one-third of the total emissions produced globally, therefore, urgent changes are required. In addition, the food system is providing unhealthy diets for many. A sustainable diet must address environmental, social, economic, and health-related challenges. Dietary change is one solution to making diets more sustainable, including increases in fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and whole grains and decreases in ruminant meats and discretionary foods. Food-based dietary guidelines will be an important policy tool in communicating these changes to the population, however, to date the messages are inconsistent. Experimental data are lacking and will be required to fully assess the effectiveness and safety of sustainable diets. The MyPlanetDiet study will help address these gaps and make an important contribution to the development of sustainable guidelines both in Ireland and globally.
Copyright (c) 2022 Ursula Leonard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Truth Behind Food and Cancer: Simple Explanations Based on Scientific Evidence
Background: Specialist oncology dietetic care is lacking in Ireland. This results in knowledge gaps that are filled by unreliable information from unqualified outlets such as the media and alternative-health providers, who promote complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). The aim of this resource is to provide cancer survivors with up-to-date, evidence-based information on cancer and nutrition Methods: Common myths about nutrition and cancer and the most popular CAM used by Irish cancer survivors were included1. National cancer organisations were also reviewed. To ensure readability, content was written according to the National Adult Literacy Agency recommendations, and peer-reviewed by other dietitians. Patient feedback was sought from patient advocates. Funding was secured from Breakthrough Cancer Research to print 20,000 copies for free distribution. Results: ‘The Truth Behind Food and Cancer: Simple Explanations based on Scientific Evidence’ is a coloured printed resource written by dietitians. It discussed popular diet-based CAM and food-avoidance patterns practiced by patients with cancer and provides an evidence-based response to myths and unproven dietary strategies. Conclusion: Following a restrictive dietary strategy can place vulnerable cancer patients at an even greater risk of malnutrition and its debilitating effects. Research shows that a significant number of cancer survivors turn to unproven dietary strategies in the absence of dietetic care or reliable resources.
Copyright (c) 2022 Clodagh Scannell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Fermented foods of Sudan are a great source of affordable daily nutrition for many families and age groups all over the country. These foods include a diverse categorisation of starting ingredients and incur traditional methodologies of production which have been preserved for centuries. We used next generation sequencing (16S rRNA and 18S rRNA) to analyse 44 Sudanese Fermented foods in five major categories food types; sorghum, plant, meat, fish and dairy. Samples were collected in Khartoum, Sudan and analysed in Cork, Ireland. We found an extensive array of unique microorganisms in Sudanese fermented foods that extended over 1300 operational taxonomic units (bacterial identification) and many fungi. While many of these foods have healthy benefits for human health, harmful bacteria and fungi were also found owing to the preparatory methods of these types of food. Further research is required to isolate the microbiome of such foods and bring about health promoting effects of Sudanese Fermented Foods to light.
This is a collaborative project between Ireland and Sudan. therefore there are many authors.
The corresponding author is Catherine Stanton. The primary author is Amel Sami
Copyright (c) 2022 Amel Sami, Catherine Stanton, Imad Elimairi, Paul R Ross , Yasmeen Elyass , Marmar Elsiddig, Heyam Salih https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
“And then things clicked” – Developing a Measure of Asexual Identity Development
Asexuality is best defined as a lack of sexual attraction towards other people that is not explained by a physical or psychological disorder. Like homosexuality and bisexuality, asexuality is recognised as a minority sexual orientation, with approximately 1.05% of the population (70 million) believed to be asexual. Recent research suggests that asexual people experience heightened levels of anxiety and depression when compared to both their heterosexual (i.e., straight) and non-heterosexual (i.e., lesbian, gay and bisexual) peers. This may be as a result of negative attitudes held towards asexual people, and a lack of recognition of asexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation. My research comprises of the steps taken to develop a psychometric tool to identify aspects of asexual identity development and internalisation. This will provide a theoretical foundation to inform sex education as well as the application of theory and knowledge within clinical settings to better evaluate the processes contributing to such heightened levels of depression and anxiety amongst asexual individuals.
Copyright (c) 2022 Sinead Kelleher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Ecomusicology and the Potential of Music and Sound for Environmental Education
Ecomusicology is an interdisciplinary field drawing together scholars from sciences and humanities who share a research interest in the overlapping of music, culture, and nature. Human and non-human animals constantly rely on sonic signals to relate with other animals and the environment. Considering this auditory connection, and the contribution that ecocritical music and music about places may have in nurturing a sentiment of environmental stewardship, I propose an applied environmental education methodology that relies on participatory music making and critical listening to foster environmental awareness.
Copyright (c) 2022 Luca Gambirasio https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0