Digital Commons Network^™

The Adoption Of Best Management Practices In The Louisiana Crawfish Industry, Narayan P. Nyaupane

LSU Master's Theses

Agricultural production can have result in environmental deterioration in cases where proper management practices have not been implemented. Louisiana, one of the tropical states, has a significant agricultural base with more than 1,600 farmers raising crawfish. Large volumes of waste water containing environmental pollutants result significant environmental problem in the state. Voluntary adoption of a number of best management practices (BMPs) that are considered to be environmentally and economically beneficial is encouraged in Louisiana. The major objectives of this study are to investigate farmer adoption of 18 selected Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost share eligible BMPs and the reasons …

Country Natural Beef: A Maturing Co-Op At The Crossroads, Madeleine E. Pullman, Victoria Villa-Lobos, Zhaohui Wu

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Business Base Study of a Group of Northwest Cattle Ranchers that Formed a Co-op to Market Natural Beef Products, in the Face of economic uncertainty and the rise of corporate farms and ranches. Provides an overview of the cattle ranching industry, the history of the co-op, its economic outlook, and future challenges.

Users' Understandings Of The Virtual Economy In Social Virtual Worlds: Consumption And Entrepreneurship Of Virtual Goods, Yoonhyuk Jung

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Social virtual worlds (SVWs) such as Second Life have gained immense popularity during the last decade. Their popularity is reflected in the explosive growth of the in-world economy, which is mainly supported by users’ consumption of virtual goods and entrepreneurial behavior. Users’ economic behavior has increased the size of the virtual economy to reach over $1B in the United States in 2009 (Nicholson 2009). Given that virtual consumption and entrepreneurship have become an important part of everyday virtual life in SVWs, understanding these two types of economic activities is an essential aspect to understanding user behavior in SVWs. This research …

The Influence Of A State Law Enforcement Training Academy On Future Performance Of Law Enforcement Officers In A Southeastern State Of The United States, Cary Allen Caro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of the state police law enforcement academy on the performance of commissioned officers in the field training officer (FTO) program in a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The law enforcement training academy is paramount in preparing cadets for the roles, responsibilities, and activities that graduates assume independently in the field. As such, it is important to understand the value added to future performance in the field through adequate preparation in the training academy. This dissertation analyzes a sample of officers in the Southeastern region of the United States and explores the …

Press Independence In Newspaper Coverage Of The 2009 Health Care Debate, Matthew Holt Barnidge

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines press independence from the government in the 2009 national health care debate. Through a content analysis examining source expressions, or the words journalists attribute to various people in the news, the study captures the essence of the discourse represented in the news about the debate. This paper also outlines a distinction between various types of autonomy, and offers a new conceptualization of independence. Procedural autonomy, which is autonomy in journalistic norms and routines, does not necessarily result in content autonomy, which is autonomy of viewpoints expressed in the news. In other words, if non-governmental sources say substantially …

The Theoretical Learning Impact Of A Summer Engineering Program Curriculum For Underrepresented Middle School Students, Vaneshette Teshawn Henderson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods, exploratory and confirmatory study was designed to evaluate the theoretical learning impact of a innovative summer engineering program curriculum would have on its audience, middle school minority students. Several theories were used to develop the innovative curriculum including Human Constructivism, cultural learning styles of African Americans, visual spatial learning and graphic design learning. This study was completed in two phases: evaluation of existing middle school summer engineering program curriculum for best practices and development of innovative curriculum and expert evaluation of the innovative curriculum. Three existing programs from across the country participated in this study. Five engineering …

University Admissions Officers' Perceptions Of Student Performance Within The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, Emily Trabona Tarver

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to provide a general perception of admissions offices of secondary institutions have toward the Diploma Program through a grounded theory approach. The first goal of the study investigated the nature of credit awards for a student’s high school academic performance. Specific attention was paid to the processes institutions use for determining credit awards, policies associated with credit awards, and perceptions related credit awards. The second goal investigated admissions policies, processes, and perceptions associated with credit awards and the DP specifically. Finally, the third goal sought to illustrate the development and/or changes in the perceptions and actions …

Laser-Assisted Zona Pellucida Hatching Of Frozen-Thawed In Vivo-Produced Bovine Embryos, Mindy Kaye Chiasson

LSU Master's Theses

Incomplete zona hatching or failure of the zona to rupture compromises post-transfer embryo viability and conceptus development. Assisted hatching prior to the transfer of frozen-thawed bovine embryos has been proposed as a means to increase recipient pregnancy rates. The objective of this study was to determine if laser-assisted hatching would improve in vivo-produced frozen-thawed bovine embryo hatching and pregnancy rates. In Experiment I,II and III frozen direct-transfer embryos received either two a or three symmetrical rents at either 40% or 80% through the outer zona surface using the Hamilton Thorne XYClone® (Hamilton Thorne Biosciences) diode laser at 90% power with …

Ephemeral Media, Persistent Action: Public Pedagogies Of Collective Resistance, Jessica Ketcham Weber

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In Ephemeral Media, Persistent Action: Public Pedagogies of Collective Resistance, I argue that representations of contemporary activism against corporate globalization, as analyzed in three different sites of commercially-driven media texts—newspapers, film, and websites—teach people to move away from public forms of collective activism and towards privatized and institutionally-sponsored forms as part of the larger project of neoliberalism. Specifically, this dissertation focuses on the representations of, and responses to the representations of, two events—the protests against the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington in 1999 and the protests during the Republican National Convention in 2004 in New York City—as …

Improving Software Quality Using An Ontology-Based Approach, Yixin Luo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ensuring quality in software development is a challenging process. The concepts of anti-pattern and bad code smells utilize the knowledge of reoccurring problems to improve the quality of current and future software development. Anti-patterns describe recurring bad design solutions while bad code smells describe source code that is error-free but difficult to understand and maintain. Code refactoring aims to remove bad code smells without changing a program’s functionality while improving program quality. There are metrics-based tools to detect a few bad code smells from source code; however, the knowledge and understanding of these indicators of low quality software are still …

The Achievement Of Business Education Students On High School Core Subjects, Mohd Khata Bin Jabor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of academic courses taken during high school has been well documented. It could determine the students’ achievement in high school, affect the students’ ability to transition to postsecondary education and expand the students’ choice of postsecondary majors and degree options (Laird, Chen, & Levesque, 2006). This study examined whether enrollment in business education is related to achievements in high school core subjects. The rationale for the study is to determine if business education contributes to the academic achievement of high school students. This study used the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript …

The Influence Of Program Participation In Business Education Courses On Standardized Test Performance Among Secondary Students In Louisiana, Debra A. Wilkerson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement, as measured by scores on the English and math portions of the Graduate Exit Examination (GEE), of public high school students in Louisiana by whether or not they were identified as business education students. The GEE is a high-stakes test that is administered to high school students in Louisiana. Students must pass specific portions of the test to obtain a diploma. Academic achievement data on the GEE was obtained from the Louisiana Department of Education. The sample for the study was all 10th and 11th grade students enrolled …

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Male Involvement In Reproductive Health During Pregnancy, Childbirth And The Postnatal Period In Rural Districts Of Malawi, Jane Dzumbila-Namasasu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis focuses on socio cultural factors influencing male involvement in reproductive health during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period in rural districts of Malawi. This research stems from my fourteen years of experience in designing and overseeing the implementation of reproductive health services in Malawi, which led me to question why men as partners/husbands are not considered in the design and implementation of such services. Men as partners/husbands bear witness to most of the reproductive health problems that women go through and they are in a position of power, making decisions for their families‟ welfare. In addition to men‟s …

Improving The Aesthetic And Other Experiential Design Aspects Of Bicycle Paths In Western Australia, Anthony W. Stephens

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Governments around Australia are in the process of promoting cycling as both a sustainable form of transport that can be a viable alternative to the motor vehicle, particularly for shorter trips, and as a healthy recreational pursuit that can play an important role in addressing the growing problem of obesity and illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle in the community. As part of this initiative, the development of effective and efficient infrastructure for bicycles is seen as a vital step for achieving higher participation rates.

A major component of the nation’s bicycle infrastructure is the growing networks of paved paths …

Impact Of Static Stretch And Muscular Contractions On Force Production Within The Human Triceps Surae Muscle-Tendon Complex, Anthony D. Kay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pre-performance routines commonly include stretching and intense muscular contractions in an attempt to optimise muscular performance and reduce injury risk. However, the isolated and combined effects of stretching and muscle contractions on neuromuscular performance are not well described. The aims of this research were to examine the effects of acute static stretch and intense muscular contractions on force production of the human plantarflexors and to examine possible mechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning any changes. Techniques including isokinetic dynamometry, electromyography (EMG), sonography and motion analysis were used in three studies on recreationally active human volunteers (n=20). In the first study, three …

A Model For The Measurement And Presentation Of Participation Awareness In Online Groupware Systems, Greg Baatard

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The need to support effective group work in online environments has become a prominent issue in both education and enterprise. Universities continue to adopt constructivist-based learning strategies which see learners engage in group work to build knowledge, coupled with an increase in online and distance learners. In enterprise, where group or team based work is commonplace, the prevalence of the Internet has seen the emergence of teams that collaborate wholly or partially online.

In response to this emergent need, groupware, software used to support online group work, has become widely used in both education and enterprise. Although based upon sound …

Trophic Implications Of Light Reductions For Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Fauna, Adam Gartner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The ongoing threat of seagrass loss from reduced light availability, coupled with our lack of knowledge of associated trophic responses has motivated this characterization of the flow-on effects of light reductions to Amphibolis griffithii seagrass fauna. Recently, field manipulations of varying light reductions, induced disturbances in a A. griffithii seagrass meadow that have been shown to effect potential food resources and the structural complexity of seagrass habitats for macroinvertebrates. This offered the opportunity to assess the flow-on effects to seagrass for fauna, a topic that has seldom been examined. This study investigated the effects of different light reduction intensity (high: …

Ethical Concerns Over The Use Of Fear Appeals When Targeting Vulnerable Populations, Stephanie Hutchinson

Theses : Honours

Advertising is a promotional tool that marketers use to build awareness of an organisations product or service, and the success of their communication efforts lie in being able to effectively and efficiently reach their target audience, therefore different appeals are used to persuade different audiences. This study was conducted to determine if there was a positive relationship between the use of fear appeals targeted to vulnerable people, and the advertisement being perceived as unethical, therefore providing a better understanding of the effects of advertising tactics that involve a disadvantaged target audience who may be prone to manipulation, and the detrimental …

An Exploratory Study On The Perspectives Of Western Australian Drivers Towards Responding To Emergency Vehicles, Pauline Grant

Theses : Honours

Failing to give way to emergency vehicles has resulted in one crash per day on Australian roads (NRMA, 2009), and delayed emergency service responses to situations that constitute a serious threat to life and/or property. With an anticipated population increase in Western Australia (ABS, 2009) this problem will only worsen. Whilst there have been attempts to address the problem through information leaflets and media campaigns, the success of such initiatives is not clear because of a lack of empirical assessment. The little research available in the area, focused on crash scenarios, emergency vehicle drivers, or other non-psychological processes. The current …

Comparison And Application Of Three Decorrelation Methods Pca, Maf And Acdc, Jacqueline Ferreira

Theses : Honours

Geostatistics is a branch of applied mathematics that deals with spatially correlated data. Analysing and modelling spatially correlated data can be difficult and time consuming, especially for a multivariate data set. One of the techniques used to make analysis and modelling easier involves decorrelation, whereby a linear transformation on the sample variables is used to associate the spatially correlated variables with a set of decorrelated factors which are statistically and spatially independent. PCA was one of the first multivariate techniques and is mostly used as a data reduction technique. A popular alternative decorrelation technique often used in the mining industry …

Impact Of Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements On Nteu Membership Density, Tulsi Laxman Panchani

Theses : Honours

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is the only union working entirely in tertiary education around Australia. The union has over twenty four thousand members comprising of academic and general staff. NTEU maintains membership records at three levels, national, state and branch. The information collected includes gender, age group, employment type and work classification. In late April 2005, Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) legislation was introduced by the Australian government. This legislation imposed restrictions on the interaction between the universities and the union and also curtailed an automatic involvement of the union in the resolution of workplace issues. The …

Experiences And Perceptions Of How Community-Based Interventions Can Promote Young Adults' Resilience To Suicide Within Rural/Regional Communities, Tracy Evans

Theses : Honours

In the literature, both statistics and studies have noted that suicide in rural/regional young adults' is an important concern. Recent research suggests, that to facilitate a primary approach to suicide prevention in young people, there is a need to promote the protective construct of resilience at a community level, highlighting strategies such as connectedness, and decreasing the stigma related to mental illness and health-seeking behaviour (Commonwealth Department of Health & Aged Care, 2005; Injury Control Council of Western Australia, 2006). However, there is a need to investigate and identify the links or mediating factors that promote individual resilience within a …

An Exploration Of The Impact Of Brand Personality On Consumer Buying Intentions Toward Specialist Stationery Products Across Age Groups, Chalinun Aurmanarom

Theses : Honours

The market for stationery products is constantly evolving particularly in light of technological influences and changes in the range of items available beyond single category products. Customers now seek more than pens and paper products; rather they are looking towards convenient specialist stationery one-stop-shop options. This research aimed to provide insight into consumers' specialist stationery products (SSPs) purchasing intentions across different age groups. A qualitative design via focus groups was used to gather consumer information. This process allowed for expressions of personal feelings and emotions relating to SSPs purchasing experiences to be captured. The findings revealed that brand personality is …

Differing Attitudes Towards The Cannabis Infringement Notice Scheme As A Function Of Career Aspirations And Dispositional Variables, Mark Thomas Wallace

Theses : Honours

This paper investigated the predictive relationship between individuals' career aspirations, dispositional variables such as temperance mentality and need for closure, and recent cannabis use, and attitudes towards the Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) scheme in Western Australia; and also examined if differences in attitudes towards CIN scheme existed between different career aspiration groups. The CIN scheme, a harm reduction strategy, came into effect on 22 March 2004 (Lenton, 2004). Harm reduction is one of three strategies encompassed by the policy of harm minimisation, which underpins Australia's approach to drugs and drug related harm (Ryder, Walker, & Salmon, 2006). Studies investigating attitudes …

Lives In Transition: Ethnic Identity And Psychological Well-Being In Adults With A Highly Mobile Global Upbringing, Sutharshini (Dharshi) V. Vasikaran

Theses : Honours

This study explored the nature of ethnic identity and its relationship to psychological wellbeing (PWB) in third culture kids (TCKs). Ethnic identity achievement in acculturating individuals (e.g., migrants) is known to furnish one with a sense of belonging to one's group together with desirable psychological outcomes. Ethnic identity construction can be more complex in TCKs because of exposure to multiple cultural contexts during developmental years. Seven TCKs currently residing in Australia were interviewed. Analysis proceeded according to Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology. Two themes were elucidated: 'Making sense of identity' and 'sense of belonging and PWB'. Single and multiple (blended and alternating) …

How Do They Cope: Teaching Students With Learning Difficulties In Mainstream Classrooms, Coralyn Dick

Theses : Honours

This study seeks to examine how teachers cope with the demands of teaching students with and without learning difficulties (LD) in mainstream classrooms. The relationship between psychological coping and teachers stress, self efficacy and adaptiveness was examined in a sample of 151 mainstream primary school teachers from Perth, Western Australia. Teaching experience ranged from 1 to 35 years. Three multiple regression analyses were conducted using the psychological constructs of problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping as criterion variables. Results indicated that, time management, professional investment, and instructional practices were predictors of problem-focused coping; work related stress was a predictor …

Asperger's Disorder: A Musical Treatment For Child Anxiety, Jeremy Marriott

Theses : Honours

School-aged females with Asperger's Disorder (AD) are significantly affected by debilitating anxiety. At present, no empirically validated treatments exist to treat this anxiety. To investigate this affect and treatment gap, a mixed-methods revelatory single-case design, built on evidence-based treatment elements was designed and tested. Solo pianist, David Helfgott rated, performed and provided musical performances by Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Claude Debussy which were listened to once each morning before school by a 10-year-old female with AD. Anxiety was recorded via a self-report Daily Journal and parent-report Spence Child Anxiety Scale for 20 consecutive school days. Results indicated support for the …

The Relationship Between Amount Of Training And Performance On A New Task, Jacinta Avril Tan

Theses : Honours

This paper was designed to examine the relationship between training and transfer tasks and performance on these tasks whereby training can be used to predict transfer. Previous research has assumed that performance of an established task should extrapolate the power function of learning. That is, performance of an established skill in a new domain will continue to improve at the same rate with practice as if there was no change in the domain. 60 participants were recruited from the University of Edith Cowan and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions; I 0 block condition, 20 block condition, or …

Resilience In Families With Same-Sex Parents, Natasha Griffiths

Theses : Honours

Research suggests resilience can be viewed as a dynamic process facilitating positive functioning within the context of significant adversity. A nuclear family type that remains a controversial and stigmatized group is families with same-sex parents. Same-sex families face a great number of challenges, due to the presence of heterosexism in society and they are often heavily criticised within the broad public domain. The current study adopted a phenomenological methodology to identify the family resilience processes utilised by same-sex families. Five lesbian couples (n = 10) raising children in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. A thematic analysis technique outlined by Glesne …

Factors That Influence Help-Seeking Behaviours In Young Men Aged 25 To 30 Years, Meredith Bolland

Theses : Honours

Using Heidegger's (1962) hermeneutic phenomenology informed by van Manen (1984) and Gadamer (1975), this qualitative inquiry has been an exploration, analysis and interpretation of the lived experiences of the help-seeking phenomenon in young men aged 25 to 30 years. A purposive sample of thirteen young men, 25 to 30 years of age, living in urban areas of Perth, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The ultimate aim of this study was to discover meaning and enhance the understanding of the essential experiences that influence help-seeking behaviours of these young men. The findings of this inquiry indicate a sophisticated emotional discourse …