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