Cette thèse traite des school shootings, soit les fusillades perpétrées par des élèves dans leur école. Elle rend compte de la globalisation de ce phénomène, observée depuis que les auteurs des fusillades prémédient leurs actes de violence via l'usage des médias participatifs. Il s'agit d'analyser cette stratégie de communication et montrer comment différents publics se l'approprient. Cette forme de violence produit des événements médiatiques disruptifs globaux. Nous montrons comment les citoyens ordinaires prennent part à ces événements en développant des formes contemporaines de sociation au sein des réseaux sociaux numériques. Nous en singularisons notamment une, la communauté cocon. Parmi ces publics ordinaires, on voit également émerger un contre public, celui des school shootings. Ils investissent les médias participatifs pour rappeler qu'une révolte souterraine se prépare. Ils la font vivre au quotidien dans une scène subculturelle numérique hébergée par YouTube, via des vidéos à l'effigie des tueurs. Leurs pratiques communicationnelles sont au cœur de cette thèse tant leur association est suspectée d'alimenter le vivier de futurs tueurs. L'investigation de cette subculture nous a amenée à singulariser le fait que les plus extrêmes, ceux qui passent à l'acte, s'engagent dans un processus d'individuation posthume d'anti-sujet. Si les auteurs des fusillades connaissent l'issue fatale qui les attend, un suicide by cop, ils la déjouent avec leurs stratégies médiatiques. En mobilisant des procédés imitatifs, ils instrumentalisent les médias pour garantir la signification de leurs actes et prendre leur revanche sociale en accédant au statut d'anti-héros. / This thesis deals with the phenomenon of "school shootings". It accounts for the globalization of this phenomenon, observed since school shooters started using participatory media for communication strategies. This thesis analyzes this strategy of premediation and shows how their audiences appropriate it. This extreme form of school violence creates global disruptive media events. We show how ordinary citizens take part in this event by developing contemporary forms of sociation in digital social networks. We shall highlight one particular: the cocoon community. Among the ordinary audience of the media event, we see the emergence of counter-public, “school shooting” fans. The use participatory media to remind everyone that an underground revolt is underway. The remind us of this daily in broadcasting videos to the effigy of the killers on a digital subcultural stage hosted by YouTube. These fans, as well as their audiovisual and communication practices, are at the heart of this thesis, as their subculture is suspected of constituting a pool of future killers. The investigation of this subversive subcultural scene has led us to single out a phenomenon that is characteristic of the youth in search of points of reference beyond good and evil. The most extreme, those planning to act, appear to engage in what we call a process of posthumous anti-subject individuation. Even if they know the fatal outcome awaiting them, “a suicide by cop”, they thwart it with their media strategies. By the means of imitation, they guarantee the attribution of meaning to their acts and instrumentalize the media to take their revenge by achieving social fame and the status of an anti-hero.

Master of Science / Food Science / Kelly J.K. Getty / James L. Marsden / Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been linked to leafy green produce and bagged spinach. The objective of this study was to evaluate a Photohydroionization (PHI) panel (novel advanced oxidation technology) and varying concentrations of lactic acid washes for controlling E. coli O157:H7 on baby spinach. Leaves were dip inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 inoculum having a concentration between 5-6 log CFU/ml. Leaves were submerged in inoculum for 30 s and dried for 1 h. Non-inoculated and inoculated leaves were washed for 30 s in food grade lactic acid diluted to concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% and allowed to dry for 10 min. For PHI treatment, leaves were placed under the PHI panel and treated for 1, 2, or 5 min on both sides for total treatment times of 2, 4 or 10 min. Following treatments, leaves were either sealed in low-density polyethylene bags or enumerated. Samples were enumerated at 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days following inoculation. Ten gram samples were diluted with sterile peptone and stomached for one min, and then 0.1 ml was plated onto sorbitol MacConkey agar with cefixime and tellurite plates that were incubated at 37°C for 24 h. For lactic acid treatments, E. coli O157:H7 populations were different (P < 0.05) compared to the control. There was no difference (P > 0.05) due to sampling time so sampling times where pooled together for each lactic acid concentration of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% and resulted in 2.01, 2.78, and 3.67 log CFU/g reductions, respectively. Leaves treated with 1.0% and 2.0% lactic acid had color degradation and were organoleptically unacceptable by day 14. When leaves were treated with PHI for 1, 2, or 5 min per side, E. coli O157:H7 populations were reduced 1.6, 1.49, or 1.95 log CFU/g, respectively. Leaves treated with PHI were not different from one another, but were different (P < 0.05) from the positive control. No color change occurred in leaves treated with PHI. The PHI panel and lactic acid washes of 0.5% or higher are effective in reducing E. coli O157:H7 in baby spinach.

Den här studien visar resultatet av vår studie på hur att arbeta på företag som säljer ekologiska produkter påverkar anställdas motivation och identifiering med företaget. Vidare utreder den vilken roll kunskap om ekologisk hållbarhet spelar i relation till motivation och identifikation. Eftersom vi var intresserade av anställdas åsikter och känslor valdes en kvalitativforskningsmetod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Anledningen till detta var att tidigare studier generellt haft en kvantitativ design, huvudsakligen genom surveyundersökningar. Till följd av detta kommer vår studies data från sju intervjuer med försäljare från olika branscher och företag som samtliga säljer ekologiska varor, med målet att ge en större förståelse för hur det påverkar den anställda att sälja ekologiska varor. För att systematiskt utreda vårt ämne sattes tre frågor om motivation, identifikation respektivekunskap, alla i förhållande till ekologisk hållbarhet. Dessa utgör också en röd tråd i teori, empiri och analys och diskussion. För att förstå dessa beskrivs och diskuteras ett flertalbegrepp, vilka inkluderar CSR, TBL, EoC, the 5Cs of Happiness och tvåfaktorteorin. Diskussionen kring dessa stöds av tidigare studier, vilka samtliga bidragit till att forma vår intervjuguide och senare till att analysera datan. Intervjuguiden och all data finnsdokumenterad för framtida stöd och forskning. Studiens resultat visar att ekologisk hållbarhet kan vara en effektiv metod för att motiveraanställda och ge dem en känsla av meningsfullhet. Vidare fungerar ekologisk hållbarhet som en stark identifikationsfaktor som knyter de anställda till företaget och gör dem mer lojala, lyckliga och bättre presterande, vilka samtliga är komponenter för organisatorisk utveckling och framgång. För att stärka den motivation och identifikation som dessa anställda känner är kunskap central - ju mer en anställd förstår innebörden av och värderar ekologisk hållbarhet och det hållbarhetsarbete företaget gör, desto högre blir dennes motivation och identifikation med företaget. Studien bidrar till området genom att mer ingående ge belägg för hur omfattande effekten av att arbeta med ekologisk hållbarhet kan vara. Den ger en djupare förståelse för arbetare på företag som säljer ekologiska varor och kommer förhoppningsvis att inspirera till studier på större skala. / This thesis shows the result of our study on how working with companies that sell organic products affects the workers’ motivation and identification with the company. Additionally it examines the role of knowledge about organic produce in relation to motivation and identification. Since we were interested in the opinions and feelings of workers, a qualitative study method was chosen in the form of semi-structured interviews. The reason behind this was that previous studies in general have a quantitative approach, mainly deducted through survey studies. Following this, the data of this study comes from seven interviews with salesmen from various companies and trades that all sell organic products, with the aim to provide a greater understanding for how selling organic products affects the worker. In order to systematically investigate our topic, three research questions were set about motivation, identification respectively knowledge, all in relation to selling organic products. These also construct the themes used in theory, empirical data and analysis and discussion. To understand these, several concepts are described and discussed including CSR, TBL, EoC, the5Cs of Happiness and the Two Factor Theory. The discussion around these are supported by previous studies which all contributed to shaping our interview guide and later on helped analyse the result. The interview guide and all other data are documented for future support and replications. The results of the study shows that selling organic products can be an effective method to motivate workers and give them a sense of purpose. Additionally it functions as a strong identification factor that binds the workers to the company and make them loyal and happier while they present better, all of which are important components of organizational development and success. To strengthen the motivation and identification these workers experience, knowledge is key - the more a worker understands and values organic products and the sustainability work the company does, the higher the motivation and identification with the company. The study contributes to the field by going more in depth and providing evidence for how comprehensive the effect of selling organic instead of conventional products can be. It provides a deeper understanding for people who work at companies that sell organic products and will hopefully inspire to conduct studies on a larger scale. This thesis is written in Swedish.

Bibliography: leaves 230-246.

Bacterial responses to environmental stresses may be easily observed and predicted under controlled laboratory conditions. However, realistic conditions encountered during manufacturing, in retail or in households may cause unpredicted responses of spoilage or pathogenic bacteria. Therefore it is essential to identify and understand the microbial dynamics under such conditions. The overall aim of the present study was to simulate the most common environmental conditions and consumer-style practices during storage or preparation of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) and Ready-to-Cook (RTC) products in the domestic environment, and predict the microbial dynamics which may deteriorate the quality or compromise the safety of these foods. Aiming to develop a unified mathematical model for the prediction of the growth of the specific spoilage microorganisms (SSOs), the spoilage pattern of three RTE acidic spreads of low pH was described in relation to microbial, physicochemical and molecular changes during storage. Results showed that the spoilage profile of the products was primarily affected by the initial pH and the storage temperature, despite the differences in their formulation. These findings enabled the assessment of two unified models (polynomial and Ratkowsky) for the prediction of the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB; SSOs) in such acidic spreads, using only the initial pH, the concentration of undissociated acetic acid and the storage temperature. The models were validated under realistic conditions in household refrigerators. Despite the abrupt fluctuations of the temperature during validation procedure, they both were able to adequately predict the growth of LAB in the spreads. However, the initial contamination level was proved to be necessary and crucial for the accurate prediction of microbial dynamics. The time-temperature profiles of the validation procedure revealed that the suggested storage conditions were not followed promptly and, therefore, concerns were raised on the effect of such consumer mishandlings on the safety of foods. Therefore, the responses of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 to the stresses encountered during frozen storage, thawing and cooking of ground beef, simulating typical scenarios followed by the consumers, were evaluated. The results revealed that the guidelines issued by the food safety authorities lack of some specific points that may affect the safety of the final product, such as the duration of frozen storage and the method of cooking. In particular, it was found that the heat resistance of E. coli O157:H7 was likely increased after long term frozen storage, while cooking in pan-grill did not ensure the safety of the final product, even when cooked at the suggested temperature. As shown in the first study, the initial contamination level played a significant role on the predictions of the models and further on the shelf-life of the products. Therefore, the dynamics of realistically low initial populations of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium versus higher levels of the pathogens (such those used during in vitro trials) in RTE fresh-cut salads were compared. In addition, any potential uncertainty sources for the growth potential of the pathogens in broth-based simulations were investigated. Results showed that the growth variability of low inocula is highly affected by the marginal storage temperatures, the indigenous microflora and the availability of nutrients. Because of this, growth from low populations showed the likelihood to exceed the growth derived from unrealistically high inocula, suggesting that ―fail-dangerous‖ implications may derive from such challenge tests. Data derived from this part were compared with broth-based simulations and the results showed that high uncertainty should be expected when extrapolating such predictions from low initial populations in fresh-cut salads, due to the various factors affecting the microbial growth on a real food, which are (inevitably) ignored by broth-based models. Overall, the present Thesis highlights the significant impact of consumer mishandlings on the food safety and quality of foods and contributes to the identification of unpredicted potential risk origins in the domestic environment.

Marketing cooperatives play an important role in agricultural activities. Institutional support for cooperatives is based on the idea that, collectively, farmers can achieve benefits than, individually would be difficult to obtain. Head lettuce in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia is marketed and distributed by a central selling agency which is organized as a producer cooperative. Members of the cooperative are subject to regulations, in the form of market quota allocations which control the quantity of head lettuce they can sell through their cooperative. This study describes and analyses the market structure of the head lettuce industry in British Columbia to ascertain and quantify the source of benefits to producers from cooperative marketing within a regulated marketing environment. A model of the industry is constructed to characterize the market for head lettuce in B.C. The parameters which affect consumer demand and farm supply are estimated with econometric equations. A feature of supply is that current production decisions are influenced by the producer's market quota allocation which, in turn, is determined by the producer’s past sales. The market quotas are believed to have constrained supply response and this is borne out by the empirical results which indicates a highly inelastic supply curve. The demand for head lettuce is also estimated to be inelastic. This result is not surprising since head lettuce is regarded as a basic commodity by consumers. The estimated supply and demand elasticities are used to derive linear supply and demand curves at the cooperative and wholesale levels. These are used with the observed 1990 price and quantity levels to calibrate a model of the B.C. head lettuce industry. A counterfactual model is then formulated to simulate a market with no controls on output. Given an inelastic wholesale demand, the simulation results indicate that for very small increases in cooperative output, large decreases in price occur. Consequently total revenues decline at every alternative assumption of supply increase. This result supports the hypothesis that output restrictions by the cooperative have the potential to increase members' output prices. It is concluded that while the market quotas have in the past provided positive benefits to cooperative members, the quotas may now be hindering the process of adjustment to the loss of tariff protection and changing market conditions by making producers less price responsive.

This thesis suggests that it is impossible to consider any administrative agency in the abstract without losing important elements of the nature of the legal environment within which the agency operates. There is a large gap between the theories of formal administrative law and the experience of practice in particular administrative settings. Drawing upon the work of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, the thesis develops the concept of the legal administrative field as a means to approach this issue. The use of Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus and capital help to articulate and give a theoretical structure to a process and series of practices that are otherwise hard to identify or study. Two Alberta farm marketing boards, and certain specific legal issues faced by each board, are examined in detail and analyzed in terms of the concept of the legal administrative field. It is shown that for each board, the realm of what was 'legally possible' shifted despite the fact that there were no changes in the formal administrative law and that legal practice in these fields involves far more than the application of the principles of formal administrative law. The intersection of the principles and habitus of formal administrative law, the structure provided by the legislative and regulatory framework, and the respective capital and habitus of all the individuals, agents and agencies within the field all interact and these complex interactions are what structure the legal administrative fields and shape the shifts which occur within them. In the struggles of interpretation which occur in these fields an attempt to make a clear demarcation between the practice of law by lawyers and the administration of the system by administrators is inadequate; it simplifies and renders invisible much of the complex series of interactions in which the legal practitioner is a participant and which create the field in which he or she practices. The conclusion is that the heuristic value of the legal administrative field in relation to the legal issues faced by the two marketing boards, and in relation to legal practice in the farm marketing area has been established and that this concept provides a useful perspective and a valuable supplement to a more traditional approach.

The aim of Master work is to valuate Lithuanian black and white cows productivity and milk composition considering the blood dimensions of holstein breed. All data had been made through statistical analysis by EXCEL computation as well as by statistical package „R“ (http://www.r-project.org) in the LVA Laboratory of Animals Research of Breeding Worth and Selection. It was stated that the average of the Holsteinization grade of the researched cows in stock was 79,38 percent, and only 7,1 percent of the researched cows average of the Holsteinization grade didn’t reach 50 percent. Intermediate correlation between the milk productivity and milk protein was found an unfavourable but statistical reliable coherence (r=-0,346, p<0,001) The highest milk productivity was by cows with Holsteinization grade of 87,5-98,5 percent, the best milk fat consistence in percent 62,5-74,0 percent of Holsteinization grade cows, and the best milk protein consistence was by cows with Holsteinization grade reaching up to 50 percent. Having developed holsteinization grade in a stock, the percent of cows productivity was set the little statistical reliable coherence (r=0,224, p<0,01). The greatest number of somatic cells (532,7 thousand/ml.) was found in milk of cows which had the holsteinization grade to 50 and 50,0-62,4 percent.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Hons)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "February 2003" Bibliography: leaves 260 - 277.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hohenheim, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-179).