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.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This body of research explores the barriers that exist to the introduction of best practice models for dietetics services in rural areas of Australia. Best practice in this thesis refers to workforce staffing and organisational best practice, rather than clinical best practice. For the purpose of this thesis a best practice dietetic service has been defined as a timely, accessible, up-to-date nutrition and dietetic service that is effective in meeting the identified needs of the community based on a quality health service definition (Halton 2005). There is no known previous research that has investigated the elements of a best practice dietetics staffing model and the factors that support or inhibit the development of a best practice dietetic service model in rural areas. A review of the literature was conducted to determine the potential features of a best practice dietetic service for rural areas and the factors that are known to affect the development of a best practice service. A theoretical model of best practice dietetic services for rural areas was tested using a series of case studies. An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach has been used in six case study sites to investigate the barriers to best practice using rural sites in northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia as the setting. The mixed method multiple case study investigated the dietetics workforce characteristics and development in the study sites. Best practice dietetic service delivery was tested with cancer patients using the implementation and evaluation of best practice dietetic clinical guidelines in a rural setting. Key findings from this research include: retention issues related to a lack of management support, limited career pathways and professional isolation. Key drivers for the creation of dietetics positions included the actions of champions and the support of management. The main barriers to the creation of positions included a general lack of funds and competing priorities. The outcomes of this research are important for future workforce planning for dietitians in rural areas.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of financial knowledge and selected demographic characteristics on student retention from the second to the third year at a public research university in the southern region of the United States. The accessible population was defined as students in the Fall 2013 entering freshman cohort who were enrolled in the Spring 2015 semester. Measurements including the independent variable represented by the financial knowledge score and 17 other independent variables were collected using a survey instrument and downloaded data from the universitys electronic student information system. A total of 695 students responded, and these data were analyzed utilizing appropriate descriptive measures and stepwise multiple discriminant analysis. Of the 695 students who responded to the survey, 665 or approximately 96 percent of the students did persist from the second to the third year while the remaining 30 or approximately 4% of the students did not persist. The mean score on the financial knowledge instrument was 68 percent with scores ranging from 15 percent to 100 percent. Financial knowledge did not have an impact on student retention from the second to the third year in this study. However, further study is recommended on this relationship and the instrument should be administered to a larger sample size and retention evaluated beyond the second to the third year. A model was identified that increased the ability to correctly classify university students on whether the student did or did not persist from the second to the third year. The model correctly classified 95.7 percent of the students on their retention status. The three variables that entered the model were: high school GPA, college GPA, and on/off-campus living. Residency status and the amount of loan debt were related to student retention. Students whose race was Black or African American persisted at a lower rate than other races. Additionally, students who lived off-campus were retained at a higher rate than students who lived on-campus. This conclusion is contrary to previous studies and much of the available research.

Histology as a career offers many challenging and diverse job opportunities but few qualified applicants pursue this vocation. The purpose of this research was to collect data to identify factors impacting this problem. The study investigated the awareness, attitudes and perceptions of community college and university science students towards laboratory health science and histology as a career option. The goal was to develop strategies to identify and recruit potential individuals who are qualified for the histology profession. The researcher surveyed 15 undergraduate science classes from two community colleges and one university in the Midwest. The community colleges and university surveyed offer academic course work necessary for a student to pursue a career in histology. The survey was designed to collect data regarding the student's attitudes toward career preparedness, job opportunities, anticipated salary, and laboratory science employment. Results of this study support the hypothesis that undergraduate students pursuing science degrees are potential candidates for careers in histology but they are unaware of the profession. The study also provides a preliminary needs-assessment to support the development of programs that offer histology training for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing college science degrees.

JODI L. SCHOEN Doctor of Philosophy degree in WORKFORCE EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT, presented on March 22, 2018, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: CONGRUENCY OF LEARNING STYLES AND TEACHING STYLES ON PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES OF CERTIFIED NURSE AIDE STUDENTS COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Barbara Hagler The study of learning styles and teaching styles is a topic of growing interest and debate over the benefit of matching learning styles to teaching styles for improved student performance. There is a diversity of learning style and teaching style instruments that attempt to identify patterns or preferences. The learning theory suggests that knowing this information can improve learning through adjusting curriculum or teaching styles armed with this knowledge. A need for further research in the learning context of nurse aide student population was identified and the focus of this research. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the learning styles of students and teachers, teaching styles and the influence of congruency on performance. The sample for the study consisted of 187 nursing assistant students and 23 instructors. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) version 3.1, and Grasha-Reichmann Teaching Style Inventory (TSI) were used to measure learning styles and teaching styles, and a questionnaire was used to gather demographic data. These data were compared to test scores gathered via The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Test. The findings showed that there was no significant influence of the four learning styles identified through the Kolb LSI of accommodating, diverging, assimilating and converging. However, there was a significant relationship between the concrete experience (CE) learning style construct and decreased test performance. There were no significant findings to support the congruency of learning styles of students and teacher on outcomes. Although the mean scores of those matching learning styles achieved a higher mean of 84.75, as compared to 80.28 to those not-matching learning styles. Teachers had an increased preference for Expert, Formal Authority and Personal Model teaching styles, and teaching style had no significant effect on test performance. The most common learning styles were Diverging (39%), Assimilating (28%), Accommodating (26%) and Converging (7%) for students, and Assimilating (40%), Diverging (35%), Converging (15%) and Accommodating (10%) for teachers.

The cyphers dont lie: women remain significantly underrepresented in positions of authority across the United States, despite their nearly equal representation in the labor force. Gender bias has been proposed as one of the major reasons for the disparity in leadership roles between men and women. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether gender bias influenced facultys perceptions of leadership effectiveness at a Research 1 (R1) Doctoral institution in the southeastern United States when high-ranking university leaders made mistakes, and how type of error, diversity climate, and gender of subordinate affected this relationship. Two scenarios were created based on real-life examples provided by academic leaders via interviews, and each scenario was led by either a male department director or a female department director, for a total of four test conditions: 1) relationship error committed by a female leader, 2) relationship error committed by a male leader, 3) task error committed by a female leader, and 4) task error committed by a male leader. The study findings did not conform to the predictions formulated based on the literature review. Gender of leader was not found to significantly influence subordinate perceptions of leader effectiveness when mistakes were made (H1). Likewise, whether the error was task-oriented or relationship-oriented (H2), and whether the participant was male or female (H3) did not produce differential ratings of leader performance based on gender. Although diversity climate did significantly relate to perceptions of leader effectiveness, it did not interact with gender of leader, failing to support hypothesis 4. Explanations for these findings, as well as their implications and directions for future research are presented.