NUI Galway Theses (PhD Theses)
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Environmental aqueous geochemistry of arsenic in groundwater: occurrence, speciation and biogeochemical processes
(NUI Galway, 2020-04-27)The presence of arsenic and other trace elements within groundwater has become a global concern due to the health risks from drinking water associated with elevated concentrations in the last three decades. Whilst ample ... -
Legal remedies, truth recovery and illegal adoptions: The limits and transformative potential of human rights law and practice
(NUI Galway, 2019-11-06)This thesis seeks to address two related research questions. First, to consider and assess the Irish State’s approach and legal responses to historical practices of illegal adoption – how are such legal responses affected ... -
Contributions to unconstrained palmprint recognition on smartphones
(NUI Galway, 2019-11-27)This thesis investigates the suitability of unconstrained palmprint as a biometric modality for handheld devices equipped with a camera, such as smartphones. A detailed literature survey is provided, covering existing ... -
Deep learning techniques in data augmentation and neural network design
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-22)In recent years, deep learning has revolutionized computer vision and has been applied to a range of problems where it often achieves accuracies equal to or greater than those obtainable by individual human experts. This ... -
A rational computer-aided drug discovery approach to target IRE1 and PERK: Insights into structural dynamics and selectivity
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-18)Cells constantly monitor the number of misfolded proteins they accumulate. The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) triggers an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway called the unfolded ... -
Obesity prevention during early life: Developing the evidence base to maximise the effectiveness of interventions delivered by health professionals
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-10)Background: Childhood obesity is a global public health challenge. Research priorities have not been established for obesity prevention research across childhood, however. Coproduction of research priorities leads to ... -
Revolution and international criminal law: The extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-08)This doctoral thesis examines whether and how a context of revolution impacts the application of international criminal law through a case study of the revolutionary context during the Democratic Kampuchea era in Cambodia, ... -
Assessing public preferences for integrated multi-trophic aquaculture
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-05)The global aquaculture industry demonstrates consistently high growth rates, yet growth of the European industry is lagging. The European Union expressed a dual approach to develop European aquaculture; aiming to increase ... -
Computational modelling of the degradation of poly-L-lactide for a bioresorbable polymeric stent
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-08)The interest in biodegradable polymers for the design of bioresorbable stents, temporary vascular scaffolds designed to restore patency to obstructed vessels, has witnessed a dramatic growth over the last ten to fifteen ... -
Ablation of FAP+ stromal cells impairs endogenous revascularization during hind limb ischemia
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-08)Stromal cells have long been studied for their putative role in maintaining tissue homeostasis, driving tissue remodeling processes during injury, and modulating inflammation by synergizing with immune cells. Studying ... -
Doppeltes spiel: Selbstreflexive konfigurationsstrategien als gegenstand einer kritischen textpraxis digitaler spiele. Analysen und interpretationen zu Vagrant Story, Dark Souls III und Horizon: Zero Dawn
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-07)Seen as a comparatively recent phenomenon, digital games continue to challenge academic discourse. The study argues that digital games are best understood as both complex configurational practices as well as audio-visually ... -
The politics of non-domination: Towards an an-archic critique of neo-republican political philosophy
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-08)This thesis offers an an-archic critique and analysis of Philip Pettit’s approach to theorising neo-republican politics and democracy. Neo-republican political philosophy has come to dominate much of the field of contemporary ... -
Experimental and computational investigation of atherosclerotic plaque biomechanics
(NUI Galway, 2019-11-22)The overall objective of this thesis is to provide new insights into the composition and biomechanical behaviour of atherosclerotic plaque. Experimental and computational analysis techniques are developed to investigate ... -
Characterisation and testing of carbon fibre PEEK for linerless composite cryogenic storage tanks
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-07)Cryogenic storage tanks, also known ’cryotanks’, are an important component of space launch vehicles. Cryotanks can form an integral part of the overall structure of the launch vehicle and also represent a significant ... -
A qualitative investigation of family perceptions, experiences and management of childhood fussy eating behaviours
(NUI Galway, 2020-01-31)Background: Fussy eating refers to the consumption of an inadequate variety or quantity of food. Childhood fussy eating can impact nutritional intake and has been associated with family stress and conflict at mealtimes. A ... -
Larping audiences into theatre: Reflective affective structures of participatory performance
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-07)This thesis asks what strategies and structures of larp-led participatory performance encourage participants to reflect on their affective embeddedness within evolving differential structures of becoming as represented ... -
Biofortification for better nutrition: developing and delivering crops with more impact
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-06)Background: Globally, around three billion people have inadequate diets and are often malnourished. Biofortification, a nutrition-sensitive approach that aims to increase the nutritional density of staple crops, has great ... -
Through-process characterisation for welding, microstructure evolution and constitutive response of 9Cr steel material for flexible power plant operation
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-06)This thesis presents a combined experimental and computational characterisation programme of work for development of a through-process modelling methodology for the welding, post-weld heat treatment and in-service performance ... -
(Re)Conceptualising vulnerability in international refugee law and practice: An exploration of the value of a more dynamic approach to vulnerability in refugee status determination
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-07)This thesis investigates whether a reconceptualisation of the concept of vulnerability is required in order to ensure that the needs of ‘vulnerable’ asylum seekers are accommodated in national refugee status determination ... -
When in Rome, you do as the Romans do? Black Africans and social work in the Republic of Ireland
(NUI Galway, 2020-05-06)The research project investigates why a social work response, in neo-liberal times and specifically in the Irish context, is largely ineffective, reluctant and incoherent in providing services to Black African communities.To ...