Search

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 programming, such as its abstract nature, the length of time it takes to grasp basic principles and the pre-existing perceptions students have of Computer Science programmes in general. Computer programming is associated with high drop-out rates and poor retention, and this research set out to investigate suitable tools and institutional supports that could be put in place to enhance engagement in learning computer programming. An initial review of the teaching and learning approaches for computer programming in the focus institution revealed the absence of group work, which was considered a counter-productive learning approach. In addition, no strategies for the self-regulation of learning were introduced to the students furthering the learning engagement problem. An action research methodology was identified as a suitable research approach because of its problem-focused orientation. Three research cycles were carried out between 2014 and 2016. The first two research cycles were based on the use of an individual reflective learning journal to be used in conjunction with computer programming. These studies revealed that many students did not derive any benefit from completing the learning journal, the activity became a mundane task with no obvious advantage, leading to a sense of frustration for some. What was evident from the findings within these first two research cycles was the desire for students to learn in groups, this led to research into social learning activities with a specific focus on group learning in computer programming. The third action research cycle involved a control and treatment group. The treatment group experienced social learning delivered through Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) interventions over the course of a semester. The findings revealed an encouraging response from the treatment group expressed through their enjoyment of working with others in solving problems, and positive engagement in programming was observed by faculty members. Emerging as a benefit, the treatment group enjoyed interacting and learning with their peers, irrespective of race, culture and diverse perspectives. This finding underscores the importance of introducing students to simulated multicultural work experiences reflective of the multicultural team environments found within the IT industry. In addition, there was a positive increase in students’ academic self-efficacy in group-based computer programming activities, but no strong evidence was found that social learning activities enhanced programming ability. The actions taken during this study have positively influenced faculty peers in the consideration of group learning for their subjects and influenced the focus institution to establish a Student Mentoring Academy, in which Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is supported by student mentors. The recommendations are to consider social learning through the introduction of PBL and PAL related activities to facilitate student engagement and enhancement of self-efficacy. Further work is required to examine approaches and tools to build social learning capacity across the focus institution and in the identification, training and retention of suitable student mentors.

The past century and a half of our era has seen a plethora of research, analysis and comment on the two major Greek historians of antiquity. Seminal commentaries have appeared, notably those of Macan (1895, 1908), of How and Wells (1913), and of Asheri, Lloyd and Corcella (1988-1998) on Herodotus, and of Gomme, Andrewes and Dover (1945-1981), and of Hornblower (1991-2008) on Thucydides. These have concentrated, as one would have expected of historical commentaries, on analysing the texts from an historical viewpoint although all, to a greater or lesser extent (Hornblower's fully), do comment in their introductions or appendices on matters of composition, language and style. There have also appeared many studies of both historians, either in book or article form, most of which are well known and cited often in this thesis. The post-modern revolution in the study of language and literature over the past century has also had a significant effect upon historiographical studies and thus upon this thesis. Its progress into the twenty-first century is well described in summary by Dewald (2005, 1-13), and analysed in the case of Herodotean studies by Luraghi (2001, 1-9). Meanwhile the corresponding revolution in Thucydidean studies is pithily summed up by Connor (1977), while excellent summaries of the progress of Herodotean and Thucydidean scholarship over the same period are provided by Marincola (2001, 1-8), and by Dewald and Marincola (2006, 1-7). An important offshoot of this revolution, not least because of its effect upon the subject of this thesis, has been the rise of narratology, the most illuminating explanation of which so far for classical students has been written by de Jong (2014) in her book Narratology and Classics; this thesis takes cognisance of this relatively new science. Despite the advances in the study of both historians, however, there had still been few attempts comprehensively to compare their Speeches, until the important work appeared, in German, of Scardino in 2007. In addition, there has been the recent 4 publication, in 2012 during the writing of this thesis, of a complete book devoted to a comparison of Herodotus and Thucydides, edited by Foster and Lateiner and containing articles by Pelling, Stadter and, again, by Scardino, all three of which are directly relevant to this topic and which I cite passim. Other recent works of direct relevance are de Bakker (2007) and Zali (2014). Nevertheless, the controversy about the origins of the Speeches and the respective contributions made by our two historians to this medium in the history of historiography is still far from settled. And yet it is the use of speeches that provides one of the most obvious similarities methodologically between the two Histories. Indeed the Speeches may hold the key to a better understanding of their authors' overall methodology and message, and thus to their individual and combined contribution to the early development of historiography.

The adaptation of standard integrated circuit (IC) technology for biosensors in drug discovery pharmacology, neural interface systems, environmental sensors and electrophysiology requires electrodes to be electrochemically stable, biocompatible and affordable. Unfortunately, the ubiquitous IC technology, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), does not meet the first of these requirements. For devices intended only for research, modification of CMOS by post-processing using cleanroom facilities has been achieved by others. However, to enable adoption of CMOS as a basis for commercial biosensors, the economies of scale of CMOS fabrication must be maintained by using only low-cost post-processing techniques. The scope of this work was to develop post-processing methods that meet the electrochemical and biocompatibility requirements but within the low-cost constraint. Several approaches were appraised with the two most promising designs taken forward for further investigation. Firstly, a process was developed whereby the corrodible aluminium is anodised to form nanoporous alumina and further processed to optimise its impedance. A second design included a noble metal in the alumina pores to enhance further the electrical characteristics of the electrode. Experiments demonstrated for the first time the ability to anodise CMOS metallisation to form the desired electrodes. Tests showed the electrode addressed the problems of corrosion and presented a surface that was biocompatible with the NG108-15 neuronal cell line. Difficulties in assessing the influence of alumina porosity led to the development of a novel cell adhesion assay that showed for the first time neuronal cells adhere preferentially to large pores rather than small pores or planar aluminium. It was also demonstrated that porosity can be manipulated at room temperature by modifying the anodising electrolyte with polyethylene glycol. CMOS ICs were designed as multiple electrode arrays and optimised for neuronal recordings. This utilised the design incorporating a noble metal deposited into the porous alumina. Deposition of platinum was only partially successful, with better results using gold. This provided an electrode surface suitable for electric cell-substrate impedance sensors (ECIS) and many other sensor applications. Further processing deposited platinum black to improve signal-to-noise ratio for neuronal recordings. The developed processes require no specialised semiconductor fabrication equipment and can process CMOS ICs on laboratory or factory bench tops in less than one hour. During the course of electrode development, new methods for biosensor packaging were assessed: firstly, a biocompatible polyethylene glycol mould process was developed for improved prototype assembly. Secondly, a commercial ‘partial encapsulation’ process (Quik-Pak, U.S.) was assessed for biocompatibility. Cell vitality tests showed both methods were biocompatible and therefore suitable for use in cell-based biosensors. The post-processed CMOS electrode arrays were demonstrated by successfully recording neuronal cell electrical activity (action potentials) and by ECIS with a human epithelial cell line (Caco2). It is evident that these developments may provide a missing link that can enable commercialisation of CMOS biosensors. Further work is being planned to demonstrate the technology in context for specific markets.

This thesis describes research examining the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in structural wind engineering. It looks in particular at steady and unsteady RANS simulations and Detached Eddy Simulation and their use in the calculation of structural loads on static bluff building structures. Previous research across structural wind engineering and CFD is reviewed and critically examined with respect to structural engineering. CFD simulations are performed and compared with published flow data for simple cubes. Loading studies are performed for a complex building and the results compared with wind tunnel studies used in the structural design of the building. Some important local pressure and design forces are found to be highly dependent upon simulation parameters including the spatial discretisation used. In particular, local forces and pressures in the separation and reattachment regions cannot be consistently predicted. Standard industrial CFD methods for improving simulation accuracy including mesh refinement and increasing discretisation accuracy do not necessarily improve prediction of structural loads and explanations are given for this. Results for overall structural loads are found to be sufficiently settled and repeatable for comparison with experimental values, while some local forces and pressures cannot be predicted consistently. Recommendations are made for the appropriate use of CFD in structural engineering and for the future development of CFD techniques. In particular, improved representation of multiple turbulent scales in the free stream and separation regions is required.

This research project has investigated the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism in organic systems, with the ultimate aim of observing their co-existence. In order to pursue this study, a series of charge transfer salts of BEDT-TTF (BEDT- TTF = bis ethylenedithio tetrathiafulvalene) have been successfully prepared with M(C2O4)33- anions (M = Fe, Cr and Co). The anion has been varied to systematically monitor the effect of localised moments on the conducting properties. Crystals with the general formula (BEDT -TTF)4AFe(C2O4)3.C6H5CN (A = K, NH4 or H2O) have been electrocrystallised and identified by X - ray crystallography. In the salts where A = K or NH4 a novel packing arrangement of the BEDT-TTF moiety is observed which involves the formation of monopositive BEDT-TTF units dimerising. These dimers are surrounded by six neutral BEDT-TTF molecules. Both of these materials are semiconductors with an activation energy of 0.14eV. Susceptibility measurements indicate that the dimers are spin paired and therefore the magnetic properties are dominated by the high spin Fe3+ complex. These results are reported in Chapter 3. The A = H2O salt is reported in Chapter 4. It is the first molecular superconductor containing localised magnetic moments, which has a transition temperature of 8.5K to the superconducting state. The BEDT-TTF molecules pack in the [beta]" fashion, which facilitates considerable overlap of the Sulfur orbitals. Susceptibility measurements at low field verify the superconducting transition, but as the field is increased, the paramagnetic signal from the Fe3+ becomes more dominant. At fields greater than 1 Tesla, the superconductivity is destroyed and the material obeys the Curie - Weiss law to 2K. A contribution from the conduction electrons is also observed. Band structure calculations suggest two dimensional metallic behaviour. Chapter 5 collates other compounds which have been prepared from solutions of BEDT-TTF and M(C2O4)33- (M = Fe, Cr, Co) in Benzonitrile. This has resulted in several new phases being isolated but due to multiple twinning, their structures have not yet been determined. Crystals grown from the solution where M = Cr are semimetallic to ∼ 150K at which temperature it undergoes a transition to the insulating state. The solvent has also been modified to include 5% Methanol. This has resulted in a superconducting phase whose lattice parameters have been determined. Efforts are currently being made to determine the full crystal structure. SQUID measurements indicate a Tc of 7.5K.

The work in this thesis is consistent with, and strengthens, suggestions that murine homeobox genes play a role in the establishment of regional specification. It is shown that there is a correlation between the physical order of members of the Hox 2 cluster and their order of expression along the rostrocaudal axis, such that each more 3' gene is expressed more rostrally. Such a correlation has been previously shown for the Drosophila homeotic genes of the ANT-C and BX-C, where it was clear that these genes were involved in the establishment of regional identity along the rostrocaudal axis. It has also been demonstrated that the relationship between the murine and Drosophila clusters extends further than aspects of their expression patterns. Sequence comparisons suggest that the murine Hox clusters and the Drosophila homeobox clusters arose from a common ancestral cluster that existed prior to the divergence between the protostomes and the deuterostomes Therefore the corresponding utilisation of ordered region specific expression of members of homeobox clusters in flies and mice together with their conservation would suggest that these genes are involved in the establishment of rostrocaudal regional specification in these organisms, and by inference in all other higher metazoans. It is also demonstrated that the Hox 2 genes show spatially and temporally dynamic patterns of expression in the transverse plane of the developing central nervous system. Since all of the Hox 2 genes exhibit similar expression patterns it is felt they are reflecting events during ontogeny of the spinal cord. The observed patterns correlate with the timing and location of the birth of the major classes of neurons. It is suggested that the Hox 2 genes are conferring rostrocaudal positional information on each class of newly born neurons. These genes also exhibit a striking dorsal restriction in their expression within the developing spinal cord which does not appear to correlate with morphology and eventually breaks down.