As the number and age of human couples turning to assisted reproductive technology (ART) continues to increase, it is essential for clinicians to understand infertility threats related to both female and male patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between age, environment, and reproductive success in male patients having participated in assisted reproductive technology. In corresponding experiments, male infertility variables such as; age, lifestyle exposures, body mass index (BMI), and infertility length with current partner (ILCP) were investigated. A retrospective collection of clinical male patient data from 2011 to 2014 was evaluated. Thirty-five variables were collected from an original sample of 132 patients and correlated for relationships related to male fertility. A negative relationship was observed between pregnancy and male age, IVF pregnancy and male age, male age and semen volume, and male age and semen progressive motility. A negative correlation was also revealed among alcohol usage and semen volume and alcohol usage and total motile sperm/specimen. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between ILCP and percent normal semen. The goal of the following study, the clinician survey, was to evaluate and compare differences in opinions. Questions pertained to male infertility factors and fertility clinic practices. Clinicians responded with the following opinion rates; 67.9% felt semen analysis was an effective predictor, 32.7% reported no idea if DNA fragmentation was a predictor, 58.5% were in agreement that male age had somewhat significance, 80.1% responded that genetics and/or epigenetics displayed somewhat or significant influence (41.5% and 39.6%), 58.5% believed male exposure/environmental factors displayed significance, 53.9% felt access to more male information would enable better care. The most commonly seen descriptive variable clinicians reported was ILCP (70.8%), the most important semen characteristic was sperm count (84.6%), the most commonly seen urological variable was vasectomy (77.8%), smoking was the most commonly seen environmental exposure (74.5%), and medication use was the most commonly seen medical variable (84.8%). Clinicians described that 39.1% of patient charts were <25.0% completed and 63.0% of clinicians acknowledged that the industry was not providing adequate male reproductive information to infertility patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine if differences exist between 4-H members and non 4-H members in a south Louisiana parish on career decision making self-efficacy. This study may help youth recognize experiences that help them make career decisions. This was a cross-sectional study designed to describe 4-H and non-4-H members on career decision making self-efficacy. This study describes the information obtained from a one-time pencil/paper survey. All participants will remain anonymous. There was a statistically significant positive association between career decision making outcome expectancy/intentions and goals and years in 4-H as well as total club membership. As youths years in 4-H increased, so did their career decision making outcome expectancy/intentions and goals scores. Additionally, as youths total membership in clubs increased so did their career decision making outcome expectancy/intentions and goals scores.

Alternative routes to teacher certification have increasingly gained popularity since the early 1980s. This increased attention is due to added focus on teacher quality and quantity. By participating in an alternative certification program, candidates are afforded the opportunity to obtain full teacher certification in an abbreviated time period. Completers of alternative certification programs are tasked with the same responsibilities as traditionally certified teachers. A substantial number of adults are making the decision to transition into the dynamic world of teaching. There are numerous debates regarding the efficacy of alternative pathways. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the belief that alternative teacher certification aids in creating a diversified workforce. However, limited research exists on the level of preparation participants perceive they acquire upon completion of an alternative certification program. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceived teaching preparation of completers of an alternative certification program as it relates to their preparation to teach diverse populations. This exploration focused on their perceptions of preparation in terms of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, curricular knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and personal practical knowledge. This case study used qualitative research methods of data collection and analysis. Interviews were conducted with each study participant. The interview questions were based on Shulmans (1987) Model of Teacher Knowledge and Connelly and Clandinins Theory of Personal Practical Knowledge. The interview protocol was divided into the following sections: (1) content knowledge, (2) curricular knowledge, (3) pedagogical knowledge, (4) pedagogical content knowledge, and (5) personal practical knowledge. The study findings indicated alternatively certified teachers upon completion of their respective certification program felt very prepared to face the challenges of teaching any student who entered their classrooms. Although the alternatively certified teachers perceived their level of preparedness to be high, they were only marginally prepared to handle classroom management and building a connection with students in an urban school district. Although this study is based on completers self-perceptions, the findings from the study provide data on the effectiveness of alternative certification programs and offer a foundation for future research that extends to other regions, states, or geographical areas.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the influence of selected demographic and academic factors on the science achievement among middle school students in Louisiana. The dependent variable for this study was Science achievement as measured by the Eighth Grade LEAP Test. The independent variables consisted of selected demographic characteristics and student scores on the ELA, Reading, Mathematics, and Social Studies sections of the Eighth Grade LEAP Test and their subtests. The target population of this study was Eighth Grade students in the public schools of Louisiana who were required to successfully complete the LEAP test in order to reach the Ninth Grade. The sample for the study was made up of all Eighth Grade students in the public schools of Louisiana who complete the LEAP test during the Spring testing period in 2009. Data was received from the Louisiana State Department of Education and transferred into an Excel file and then into a SPSS file. The data did not identify the students. All students were described in the first research objective, but for the remaining objectives students who were categorized as Special Education, 504, or Limited English Proficiency were removed from the study. The major findings of the study were that there was a significant difference between the different races in the study on their Science achievement. A relationship was found between socioeconomic status and Science scores as well. Those who received their lunch for free tended to score lower than those who paid full price or a reduced price for lunch. Lunch Status-Free explained 13.5% of the variance in Science scores. The total Social Studies Score explained an additional 55.3%. Student raw score percentages in Math and Reading explained an additional 4.9% and 1.0% respectively. This researcher concluded that there was a connection between Science scores and the scores in other academic subjects. He recommended that teachers in Science develop strong relationships with teachers in Math, ELA, Reading, and Social Studies in order to develop uniform techniques which students can use to raise test scores.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections 100 hour pre-release program and vocational education had a significant impact on offender recidivism. Additionally, a model of predicating offender recidivism using demographic data was another aspect of the study. Offenders in the study were 404 offenders who completed the pre-release program, 404 offenders who completed vocational education and 808 offenders who composed the control group. All offenders were released from prison in the year of 2010, and if they returned to prison between their release and December 31, 2013, they were considered to have been a recidivist for the purpose of the study. The effectiveness of the 100 hour pre-release and vocational education was conducted using SPSS with the chi-square test for program significance. Based on the test, neither program was found to have a significant impact on recidivism. However, when examining percentages of return to prison between the three groups, vocational education offenders performed the best and offenders who completed the 100 hour pre-release program had the highest percentage of offenders returning to prison. The ability to develop a predictive model for recidivism utilizing select demographic factors was attempted using SPSS with the Binary Logistical Regression analysis. The demographic factors used were age, sex, race, marital status and education. A predictive model was unable to be established with this population. However, when looking at the population, being a male or a young offender was found to be predictors that were significantly tied with offender recidivism as individual characteristics. Based on the body of research and the findings of the study, recommendations concerning the 100 hour pre-release program and vocational education suggest these programs need additional components of cognitive development training and community supports to show a greater impact on recidivism. Also, the creation of a reliable and valid risk model based on the total offender population is necessary. By implementing effective programs and having the correct offenders entering these programs, a reduction in recidivism may be more significant.

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This thesis presents a study of intra-organisational legitimation of the Human Resource function in a large Australian airline. Major changes in senior management and strategy, under tumultuous circumstances for the industry and the firm, saw a repositioning of human resources in the organisation. The study draws on empirical ethnographic research conducted within a large global airline over approximately fourteen months, focusing on 2001. Using a longitudinal and processual research strategy, the study adopted enabled the close examination of the interrelationships between institutional structures and organisational action, embedded in an organisational setting. In particular, it considers the loss of legitimacy and agency of managers in a corporate human resources department and their response in re-establishing legitimacy in a new institutional context. Legitimacy implies the actions and existence of these actors and their sub-unit are both valued and considered valid by their constituencies. In the analysis of the unfolding multi-layered processes of legitimation, I employed elements of neo-institutional theory and critical realist ontology and applied this analysis to a modified conception of structuration, mapping out the HR managers' experience of the inner context and how it came to position their practices and constrain their agency. The study found that the human resource actors in the airline were able to re-form and regain the legitimacy of their sub-unit and of their major strategic initiative, by drawing on their stock of political relationships and on the plurality of logics, values and norms available within the large, diverse firm" Their reflexive awareness of their contextual positioning enabled them to alter their legitimation strategies and regain legitimacy" This thesis makes a contribution to our understanding of processes of deinstitutionalisation and legitimation and ongoing structuration in organisational settings. It also expands our conceptualisation of legitimacy, by focusing on legitimation as an act of becoming, and developing the notion of legitimacy struggles as institutional politics. Finally, the thesis contributes to critical human resource management research and our understanding of human resource managers' capacity for agency within broader institutional contexts.

This thesis presents a study of intra-organisational legitimation of the Human Resource function in a large Australian airline. Major changes in senior management and strategy, under tumultuous circumstances for the industry and the firm, saw a repositioning of human resources in the organisation. The study draws on empirical ethnographic research conducted within a large global airline over approximately fourteen months, focusing on 2001. Using a longitudinal and processual research strategy, the study adopted enabled the close examination of the interrelationships between institutional structures and organisational action, embedded in an organisational setting. In particular, it considers the loss of legitimacy and agency of managers in a corporate human resources department and their response in re-establishing legitimacy in a new institutional context. Legitimacy implies the actions and existence of these actors and their sub-unit are both valued and considered valid by their constituencies. In the analysis of the unfolding multi-layered processes of legitimation, I employed elements of neo-institutional theory and critical realist ontology and applied this analysis to a modified conception of structuration, mapping out the HR managers' experience of the inner context and how it came to position their practices and constrain their agency. The study found that the human resource actors in the airline were able to re-form and regain the legitimacy of their sub-unit and of their major strategic initiative, by drawing on their stock of political relationships and on the plurality of logics, values and norms available within the large, diverse firm" Their reflexive awareness of their contextual positioning enabled them to alter their legitimation strategies and regain legitimacy" This thesis makes a contribution to our understanding of processes of deinstitutionalisation and legitimation and ongoing structuration in organisational settings. It also expands our conceptualisation of legitimacy, by focusing on legitimation as an act of becoming, and developing the notion of legitimacy struggles as institutional politics. Finally, the thesis contributes to critical human resource management research and our understanding of human resource managers' capacity for agency within broader institutional contexts.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p.132-140).