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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Periconceptional Treatment With Growth Hormone Alters Fetal Growth And Development In Sheep, Jill Marie Koch May 2008

Periconceptional Treatment With Growth Hormone Alters Fetal Growth And Development In Sheep, Jill Marie Koch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Altering the fetal environment can modify the composition or growth rate of the fetus, a concept known as fetal programming. A majority of the research in this area has focused on intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which has been linked to adult diseases. A few studies have attempted to ameliorate the negative effects of IUGR, by applying growth promoters late in gestation, and have only observed transient effects. Our laboratory has previously shown that growth hormone (GH) treatment around the time of breeding alters the uterine environment early in gestation and results in larger lambs at birth. Therefore there were three …

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Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Highway Construction On Sediment And Benthic Macroinvertebrates In Appalachian Streams, Lara B. Hedrick May 2008

Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Highway Construction On Sediment And Benthic Macroinvertebrates In Appalachian Streams, Lara B. Hedrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Corridor H is a four-lane highway under construction in north eastern West Virginia. I used a variety of methods to assess the impacts of highway construction in the Lost River watershed, Hardy County, West Virginia. I designed a two part sediment sampler to be used to monitor sediment in paired sites upstream and downstream of highway construction. The two-part design, a base that remains embedded in the substrate, and a removeable trap, allowed for long-term placement of samplers without continual disturbance of the streambed. I used a laboratory flume to compare my sediment sampler design with other devices used to …

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Pierce-Engel Hybrid Expansions, Andrea Sutyak May 2008

Pierce-Engel Hybrid Expansions, Andrea Sutyak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pierce and Engel expansions are representations of numbers between 0 and 1 as sums of unitary fractions (of alternating signs in the case of Pierce) whose denominators are built multiplicatively, choosing the successive factors greedily. We show some results for Pierce expansions, and investigate the idea of hybrid expansions, which are built similarly but without regard to the signs of the terms.

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Comparison Of A New "U" Shaped Plastic Fish Tank System To The Traditional Concrete Raceway System, Daniel J. Miller May 2008

Comparison Of A New "U" Shaped Plastic Fish Tank System To The Traditional Concrete Raceway System, Daniel J. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this research was to compare the cost of purchasing, installing and operating a new plastic "U" shaped raceway (fish tank) to the traditional concrete flat-bottomed raceways used in many federal, state, and private fish hatcheries. Potential benefits of this new design include lower fixed (purchase and installation) costs, ease of mobility due to its light weight, reduced operational cost due to the rapid cleaning process that the "U" shape allows, and the simplicity with which modifications can be made to the tank to suit the operation. Limitations include width and depth restrictions and greater vulnerability to vandalism …

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Broadcasting In Cycles With Chords, Lisa L. Kovalchick May 2008

Broadcasting In Cycles With Chords, Lisa L. Kovalchick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Broadcasting is the process of information dissemination in which one node, the originator, knows a single piece of information and using a series of calls must inform every other node in the network of this information. We assume that at any given time, a node can communicate the message to another node, with which it shares an edge, by acting as either a sender or receiver, but not both. Multiple message broadcasting considers the case when the originator has m messages, where m > 1, to disseminate. Whereas broadcasting limits the communication of a message from one node to another node …

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Essays On Taxation And Space, Justin M. Ross May 2008

Essays On Taxation And Space, Justin M. Ross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is composed of three essays in which each examine the response to taxation while carefully considering the role of space. In the first essay, I examine the behavior of property tax assessors among local governments to uncover sources of assessment bias. While typically not a formulator of policy, property assessors are likely sensitive to political incentives as they are either directly elected to their office or appointed by another elected official. This essay searches for sources of this pressure via its in influence on the assessment-to-sale price ratio from Virginia cities and counties in 2004. Among the more …

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Development Of Direct Elemental Speciation In Solid State Materials Using Pulsed Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry, Jennifer N. Robertson-Honecker May 2008

Development Of Direct Elemental Speciation In Solid State Materials Using Pulsed Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry, Jennifer N. Robertson-Honecker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Among the various elemental mass spectrometry techniques, glow discharge mass spectrometry is recognized for its ability to provide direct determination of trace elements present in solid state samples. In the present work, a pulsed glow discharge time of flight mass spectrometry method is developed for the direct speciation of chromium in solid state samples. In initial investigations, time-resolved power perturbation and Langmuir probe studies were undertaken to elucidate the excitation and ionization processes in a pulsed glow discharge plasma. The experimental data provides further insight into the energy transfer processes that occur at different spatial locations and in different temporal …

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Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez May 2008

Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores the use of attribution retraining in a community college, distance learning course. Attribution training is a form of psychotherapy used in an attempt to shift an individual's attitude, motivation, and locus of control (LOC).;Locus of control is a measure of how one attributes success and failure. Those with internal locus of control believe they are responsible and control their fate while those with external locus of control tend to look for fault outside of themselves.;The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of attribution training, which consisted of a multimedia, interactive intervention called Just Think …

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Psychometric Properties Of A Pre-Service Teacher Performance-Based Rubric As Related To Teaching Efficacy, Lucas C. Moore May 2008

Psychometric Properties Of A Pre-Service Teacher Performance-Based Rubric As Related To Teaching Efficacy, Lucas C. Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In order to meet the stipulations set for by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, teacher education programs seeking NCATE accreditation are required to demonstrate their students' readiness to become teachers in specific, measurable ways (NCATE, 2000). As a result, new methods to assess performance began to receive attention by those in the field of teacher education. This study investigated a performance-based rubric which is used by an NCATE accredited program to assess the teaching performance of its pre-service teachers. The psychometric properties of this rubric were assessed. Additionally, the relationship between this measure of teaching performance …

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Predicting The Performance Characteristics Of Assembled Rollover Protective Structure Designs For Tractors, James R. Harris May 2008

Predicting The Performance Characteristics Of Assembled Rollover Protective Structure Designs For Tractors, James R. Harris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tractor overturn fatalities are the single leading cause of agricultural fatalities in the United States. Approximately 100 people die each year as the result of a tractor overturn. Effective engineering controls to mitigate injury and prevent death from tractor overturns are available in the form of rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seatbelts. However, approximately 50% of all tractors in the United States are without ROPS. Cost of ROPS is frequently cited as a reason why tractor owners do not have ROPS installed. Cost-effective ROPS (CROPS) have been developed with the intent to lower the cost of retro-fitting a tractor with …

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From The Forest To The Rose, Veronda G. Carey May 2008

From The Forest To The Rose, Veronda G. Carey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis will examine the methods implemented to expand the minor character role of Coralee from Lillian Hellman's Another Part of the Forest and the minor character role of Mrs. Otery from J.M. Barrie's Mary Rose. The thesis will also include performance challenges faced and review the experience of working with contrasting directing methods.

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Information-Outage Analysis Of Finite-Length Codes, David Scott Buckingham May 2008

Information-Outage Analysis Of Finite-Length Codes, David Scott Buckingham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The performance of random error control codes approaches the Shannon capacity limit as the code length goes to infinity. When the code length is finite, then the code will be unable to achieve arbitrarily low error probability and a nonzero codeword error rate is inevitable. Information-theoretic bounds on codeword error rate may be found as a function of length through traditional methods such as sphere packing. Alternatively, the behavior of finite-length codes can be characterized in terms of an information-outage probability. The information-outage probability is the probability that the mutual-information rate, which is a random variable, is less than the …

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Preferential Flow And Phosphorus Translocation In Benchmark Soils Of West Virginia, Michael B. Harman May 2008

Preferential Flow And Phosphorus Translocation In Benchmark Soils Of West Virginia, Michael B. Harman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Preferential flow is a mechanistic description of water movement in a soil profile where much of the soil matrix is bypassed during periods of rapid infiltration. The occurrence of preferential flow could lead to the movement of phosphorus (P) down through the soil profile. The objectives of this research were (i) to verify the presence of preferential flow in benchmark West Virginia soil series and (ii) measure soil test phosphorus (STP) levels within the preferential flow pathways and the surrounding soil matrix to determine the effects of preferential flow on phosphorus distribution within the soil profile. A non-reactive dye (Brilliant …

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Data Recovery From Magnetic Media Using Magnetic Force Microscopy, Terry R. Ferrett May 2008

Data Recovery From Magnetic Media Using Magnetic Force Microscopy, Terry R. Ferrett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic tapes are widely used to store voice and other data. Due to the effect of hysteresis, modification of the magnetization pattern written to a tape by overwriting, erasing, or physical damage leaves remanent information about the previous magnetization state that can not be discerned by standard audio playback devices. Recently, a high resolution microscopy technique known as magnetoresistive microscopy was used by Pappas et al. in an attempt to recover data from audio tapes which were physically damaged. However, the device, while having a higher resolution than tape playback heads, still averages over entire audio track widths when collecting …

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Evaluation Bias In Effort Estimation, Omid Jalali May 2008

Evaluation Bias In Effort Estimation, Omid Jalali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There exists a large number of software effort estimation methods in the literature and the space of possibilities [54] is yet to be fully explored. There is little conclusive evidence about the relative performance of such methods and many studies suffer from instability in their conclusions. As a result, the effort estimation literature lacks a stable ranking of such methods.;This research aims at providing a stable ranking of a large number of methods using data sets based on COCOMO features. For this task, the COSEEKMO tool [46] was further developed into a benchmarking tool and several well-known effort estimation methods, …

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Iconography Profiles, Matthew Forrest May 2008

Iconography Profiles, Matthew Forrest

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the connection between art and its viewer and how this understanding of audience interaction impacts the way I create my work. The inspiration and spiritual basis for my work is explored to show the meaning behind my thesis collection. This document also explores the methodology and processes I use in the creation of my art. I also discuss the way in which my work is displayed with consideration towards lighting and the creation of the art being exposed from start to finish for my audience. The concluding thoughts in this thesis sum up the importance of religious …

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Disturbances, Prescribed Fire, And Invasion By Exotic Plants In A Xeric Mixed-Oak And Oak-Pine Dominated Area Of The Ridge And Valley In Eastern West Virginia, Jonathan A. Pomp May 2008

Disturbances, Prescribed Fire, And Invasion By Exotic Plants In A Xeric Mixed-Oak And Oak-Pine Dominated Area Of The Ridge And Valley In Eastern West Virginia, Jonathan A. Pomp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document discusses three fire and exotic invasive plant related research studies that were conducted in an area of the Ridge and Valley dominated by xeric mixed-oak and oak-pine forest communities. The first study characterizes the timing, frequency, and magnitude of canopy disturbances in the study area by investigating demographic (age distributions), anatomical (growth increment patterns), and structural (diameter distributions) evidence. In addition to the general reconstructed disturbance history, the potential link between overstory tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima (P. Mill.) Swingle) populations and prior forest management disturbances (i.e. harvesting) is investigated. This study indicates an uneven-aged structure resulting from multiple disturbances …

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Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie May 2008

Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wireless communications over long distances can be assisted by a third radio acting as a relay. If the relay is placed close to the source, then the source-relay link will be characterized as a fairly benign additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. However, the long distance link from relay to destination is susceptible to frequency-selective fading. This thesis explores the design and analysis of a particular relay communication system characterized by a low power source, a relay that is close to the source, and a frequency-selective channel from relay to destination. Because the direct link from source to destination is …

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Analysis Of Underground Coal Mine Refuge Shelters, Mickey D. Mitchell May 2008

Analysis Of Underground Coal Mine Refuge Shelters, Mickey D. Mitchell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis summarizes the technique used to build underground coal refuge shelters and their availabilities. The first step is to discuss the manufacturers of the shelter and the types that they can provide. Next, the requirements set forth by the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training (WVOMHST) and Mine Safety and Health (MSHA) regarding the design of the shelters/chambers are examined.;The first specification examined is whether or not the shelters/chambers can withstand a 15 psi overpressure. This is determined by using techniques used in the analysis of rectangular steel beams and steel sheets. The equations used for …

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Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymer Rods, Matthew S. Shafran May 2008

Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymer Rods, Matthew S. Shafran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation I report on the successful fabrication of anisotropic liquid crystal polymer rods. These polymer rods demonstrated re-orientation by an applied external field. The polymer rods, 200 nm in diameter and a maximum of 60 mum in length, were produced by a template synthesis technique. A reactive liquid crystal monomer was filled into porous Anopore membranes which were used as a confining media. The liquid crystal monomer was polymerized by UV light while the liquid crystal remained in the nematic temperature range. The polymerization process permanently "freezes" the orientational order of the confined liquid crystal molecules, producing rods …

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Pilot Fatigue Detection Using Aircraft State Variables, Benjamin L. Smith May 2008

Pilot Fatigue Detection Using Aircraft State Variables, Benjamin L. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pilot fatigue has been proven to be the cause of many aviation accidents. Fatigue introduces error into the pilot's inputs, which can potentially lead to accidents. To date, fatigue has been widely researched through physiological variables and sleep studies. Often, systems monitoring physiological variables would require constant physical contact with the pilot during flight. This arrangement could be cumbersome to pilots, and may hinder their flying ability even more. These systems will also add unnecessary weight to the aircraft, which could lead to increases in fuel consumption. Sleep studies have been investigated in an attempt to determine causes of pilot …

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Selenite Removal Using Gac Based Iron-Coated Adsorbents, Ning Zhang May 2008

Selenite Removal Using Gac Based Iron-Coated Adsorbents, Ning Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Removal of selenite from aqueous phase using iron-coated granular activated carbons (GAC) was investigated in this study. Five different types of GAC were used for iron coating by oxidizing ferrous chloride with sodium hypochlorite and tested for selenite removal. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses indicated that Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, pore size, and pore volume deceased with the iron coating. The Darco 12x20 GAC was shown to be the most effective adsorbent among the five tested GACs after iron coating. Among the different concentrations used for iron coating, the Darco 12x20 GAC coated with 0.1 M ferrous chloride achieved the highest selenite …

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Evaluation Of Exhaust After-Treatment Device Effectiveness In Reducing Regulated And Unregulated Emissions From Natural Gas Fueled Heavy Duty Transit Bus, Arvind Padmavathy Thiruvengadam May 2008

Evaluation Of Exhaust After-Treatment Device Effectiveness In Reducing Regulated And Unregulated Emissions From Natural Gas Fueled Heavy Duty Transit Bus, Arvind Padmavathy Thiruvengadam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The promulgation of the public transit fleet rule by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2000, has given transit fleet operators the option of choosing the alternative fuel path in order to reduce their fleet average NOx and PM emissions. Natural gas being an abundant domestic fuel, has found its way as an economically and technologically feasible alternative fuel option. Many studies have shown the clean burning nature of natural gas with lower NOx and near zero Particulate Matter (PM) emissions from heavy duty natural gas vehicles. Though natural gas fueled vehicles emit lower NOx and PM than their …

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Performance And Area Optimization For Reliable Fpga-Based Shifter Design, Zahid Ali Syed May 2008

Performance And Area Optimization For Reliable Fpga-Based Shifter Design, Zahid Ali Syed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis addresses the problem of implementing reliable FPGA-based shifters. An FPGA-based design requires optimization between performance and resource utilization, and an effective verification methodology to validate design behavior. The FPGA-based implementation of a large shifter design is restricted by an I/O resource bottleneck. The verification of the design behavior presents a further challenge due to the 'black-box' nature of FPGAs. To tackle these design challenges, we propose a novel approach to implement FPGA-based shifters. The proposed design alleviates the I/O bottleneck while significantly reducing the logic resources required. This is achieved with a minimal increase in the design delay. …

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Franz Joseph Haydn's Writing For Wind Instruments And The Evolution Of The Military Band And Orchestral Wind Section, Jonathan Neiderhiser May 2008

Franz Joseph Haydn's Writing For Wind Instruments And The Evolution Of The Military Band And Orchestral Wind Section, Jonathan Neiderhiser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The compositional career of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) spans a crucial period in Western musical history. Haydn's early compositions show the influence of the late Baroque, while his late symphonies and Masses can be heard as early examples of musical Romanticism. At this same time, the development of new wind instruments within European military bands heavily influenced the establishment of the symphony orchestra, as instruments initially deemed inappropriate for indoor performance became accepted as core members of the ensemble. Haydn's critical role in the growth of the symphony has long been acknowledged, but the increasing sophistication of his wind writing …

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Prospects Of Lean Ignition With The Quarter Wave Coaxial Cavity Igniter, Franz Andreas Johannes Pertl May 2008

Prospects Of Lean Ignition With The Quarter Wave Coaxial Cavity Igniter, Franz Andreas Johannes Pertl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

New ignition sources are needed to operate the next generation of lean high efficiency internal combustion engines. A significant environmental and economic benefit could be obtained from these lean engines. Toward this goal, the quarter wave coaxial cavity resonator, QWCCR, igniter was examined. A detailed theoretical analysis of the resonator was performed relating geometric and material parameters to performance characteristics, such as resonator quality factor and developed tip electric field. The analysis provided for the construction and evaluation of a resonator for ignition testing.;The evaluation consisted of ignition tests with liquefied-petroleum-gas (LPG) air mixtures of varying composition. The combustion of …

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Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers May 2008

Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As multimedia such as games and movies grow, so does the need for content. Textures, 3D models, expansive terrain, sound effects, and other data must be generated to support and enrich these multimedia productions. As this need for content continues to grow, two critical problems emerge: the cost of hiring artists to create the content becomes extremely large, as does the amount of memory needed to store and manipulate the content.;To combat these issues, procedural content generation, or content generated algorithmically rather than via an artist, has been introduced. Algorithmically generating content allows for rapid creation of large amounts of …

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Feeding Behaviors And Performance Measurements In Bucks, Rams, And Bulls, Stephen John Chavez May 2008

Feeding Behaviors And Performance Measurements In Bucks, Rams, And Bulls, Stephen John Chavez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of the study was to determine if relationships exist with feeding behaviors of bucks, rams, and bulls and efficiency or residual feed intake (RFI). Animals utilized in this investigation were either producer consigned by species or West Virginia University animals. All animals were group-housed in pens (14.6 m x 51.2 m) with 156.2 m2 under roof at the Reymann Memorial Farm in Wardensville, WV over two years. Animals were fed complete nutritionally adequate rations ad libitum to meet daily growth requirements for each species. GrowSafe radio frequency technology (GrowSafe Systems Ltd.) was used to monitor animal identification, visit …

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Postpartum Sleep Disturbance And Psychomotor Vigilance Performance, Salvatore Insana May 2008

Postpartum Sleep Disturbance And Psychomotor Vigilance Performance, Salvatore Insana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Postpartum women have high rates of sleep disturbance and commonly suffer from many of the effects of disturbed sleep, though attentional state has not been studied extensively in this population. This study assessed sleep and attentional state psychomotor performance in postpartum women to develop a better understanding of how sleep disturbance --specifically sleep fragmentation and partial sleep deprivation-- is associated with attentional state psychomotor performance. Participants were a sample of 24 postpartum mothers from a larger study. Mothers were 29.96 (SD = 7.94) years old, had a mean income of {dollar}65,808 (SD = {dollar}41,398), and had 17.04 (SD = 2.53) …

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Evaluation Of Information Transfer Between Extension Agents And Dairy Producers In Pennsylvania, Carrie B. Nelson May 2008

Evaluation Of Information Transfer Between Extension Agents And Dairy Producers In Pennsylvania, Carrie B. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine how information from Extension Agents was being disseminated to dairy producers in Pennsylvania in areas of program advertisement and teaching methods. It also sought to determine if Extension Agents are reaching special populations of producers (e.g. Amish, Hispanic, disabled) in their areas. A descriptive research design was used to collect the data for this study. The target population was all dairy producers in Pennsylvania and the Extension Agents that serve these producers. The study found that Extension Agents and dairy producers agree on advertisement methods but disagree on teaching methods. Furthermore, the …

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