Examining Facebook practice : the case of New Zealand provincial rugby : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Sport and Exercise at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Social media have become a defining feature of 21st century communications. Conceived in 2004 Facebook has risen from relative obscurity to become the most visited website in the world. While social media use has grown exponentially, so too has its influence. Sport organisations were quick to capitalise on Facebook’s popularity particularly with the introduction of brand pages in 2010. The trend is no different particularly in New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) National Provincial Championship (NPC). However recent research indicates a lack of understanding and consistency in evaluating effectiveness within the context of Facebook. Scholars have further acknowledged a need to move beyond simple metrics as measures of performance. Using a mixed method approach this case study of four NPC rugby teams investigated the understanding of effective Facebook practice. Thematic analysis of qualitative questionnaires completed by each page’s main administrator explored their understanding of effective Facebook practice. The researcher also utilised an auto-ethnographic journal to document his own experience of managing one of the participating brand pages. Page performance was also investigated through analysis of Facebook insights data to establish how it may be more accurately interpreted to inform best practice. Results reveal that administrators perceive lack of control, maintaining credibility, guaranteeing reach and resource allocation to be the most prominent challenges faced by these brand pages. Such issues provide further tensions when attempting to justify social media use and effectiveness within sport organisations. Furthermore, teams are faced with commercial obligations to post sponsor content that may negatively impact user engagement. In addition, findings suggest that contrary to popular belief, greater total network sizes do not guarantee greater reach and engagement. It is proposed that teams consider proportional measures of performance when seeking to measure Facebook performance. Holistically the research sets a platform that can be used in future studies to tangibly connect Facebook effectiveness to organisational strategy and objectives

Economic Analysis of Using Soybean Meal as a Mushroom Growing Substrate

Mushrooms have been grown commercially on many different substrates for years, usually agricultural by-products such as straw or stover. Increased popularity for specialty mushrooms with consumers has led to increased production and great demand for economic substrates. Oyster mushrooms are easier to grow relative to other types of mushrooms and their production has increased dramatically in recent years. This study examines the economic feasibility of using soybean hulls as a primary substrate for oyster mushrooms, replacing traditional wheat straw. The study uses a cost-benefit analysis to determine an optimal substrate based on yield and the number of crops harvested per year. The study shows that soybean hulls, combined with corn gluten or soybean meal increases yield 4.5 times, which more than offsets for higher costs for soybean hulls. The use of soybean substrate also allows a producer to raise about four more crops per year, which in turn uses fixed resources more efficiently and increases profitability.Oyster, Mushrooms, Substrate, Soybean, Hulls, Meal, Economic, Feasibility, Crop Production/Industries,

Who Has Seen the Wind Benefits? Impacts of Ontario Green Energy Policy on Municipal Community Benefit Agreements from Large Wind Energy Projects

The province of Ontario has become Canada\u27s largest wind energy market. This was a result of distinct policies established by the provincial government to encourage renewable energy developments as part of its power supply system. Using distributive justice as a lens, this study aims to clarify how wind energy policy design influences community outcomes for municipalities that host wind turbine projects. Community benefit agreements between municipalities and wind project developers are a prominent tool for distributing financial benefits to local populations and these were used throughout Ontario as part of the wind energy development process. A comparative analysis is undertaken to examine the characteristics of three distinct Ontario policy periods against the measured outcomes of community benefit agreements collected from host municipalities of large wind projects. An increase in use and value of community benefit agreements is observed across all three policy periods. This corresponds with expectations of policy characteristics relating to public and municipal opposition and familiarity of the development process by municipalities. The observed influence was less consistent for characteristics associated with power contract rates, local versus central planning authority, and procurement incentives. The results also quantified the financial contributions of industrial wind turbine projects to local communities on an individual municipal basis. The findings of this study will help understand how policies impact community benefits, can inform future wind energy programs, and creates a reference to increases the transparency of financial contributions from wind energy projects to Ontario municipalities

Use of water potential measurements for assessing water stress in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo grown in Southern Oregon

Mestrado Vinifera EuroMaster - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaA study was conducted to investigate the practical use of four methods for measuring plant water potential (!) of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo (syn. Tinta Roriz, Aragónez) under field conditions within the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area. Predawn leaf water potential (!pd), midday leaf water potential (!l-md), midday stem water potential (!s-md) and early morning stem water potential measured between 07:00h and 08:00h solar time (!s-em) were each measured on vines before and after the initiation of irrigation. Measurements were conducted on the same vines and on the same dates both before and after veraison. Irrigation was applied based on an estimation of vineyard evapotranspiration (ETc) and consisted of four treatments: 70% of ETc continuously (70-70), 35% of ETc continuously (35-35), 70% ETc before veraison and 35% ETc after veraison (70-35) and 35% before veraison and 75% ETc after veraison (35- 70). Irrigation was initiated based on !l-md. When assessing vineyard variability before the initiation of irrigation, with !pd ranging between -0.05 and -0.53, all four measurement types were able to distinguish between high vigor (HV) and low vigor (LV) zones and able to categorize vines under previously established thresholds. However, !l-md showed a tendency to underestimate vine water status at levels greater than -0.9 Mpa. When comparing !s-em, !s-md and !l-md, early morning measurements showed significant differences between irrigation treatments on 3 of 4 measurement dates while midday measurements were able to distinguish significant differences on only 1 of 4 dates. !s-em measurements were generally able to distinguish differences between vine water status even when morning cloud cover was present. Linear regression analysis of !pd versus !s-em, !s-md and !l-md at one site resulted in significant r2 values of 0.62, 0.69 and 0.58, respectively. Linear regression analysis of !s-md versus !l-md using data from both sites resulted in r2 values of 0.88. Overall, !s-em seemed to provide a better option for differentiating plant water status of Tempranillo grapevines in Southern Oregon compared to !s-md and !l-md within the range of water deficit levels studied here. !s-em was able to show differences between the water status of vines before the initiation of irrigation as well as differentiate between irrigation treatments later in the year. However, questions remain about the environmental and physiological factors that might impact the results of this method before water deficit threshold levels can be clearly define

Systematic computational analyses and novel search procedures for crystallographic information

This thesis describes work in two distinct areas of crystallographic research. In chapters 3 and 4, a number of novel crystal structures are reported. Eight new potential dyotropic rearrangement precursors are discussed in chapter 3. A comparison with other known structures is given. Three conjugated zwitterionic TCNQ type derivatives are discussed in chapter 4. All three molecules show good second order hyperpolarisability and so have potential uses in non-linear optical applications. Chapter 6 and chapter 7 use the Cambridge Structural Database in novel ways to derive new information. In chapter 6 the estimated standard deviations of the 3D crystallographic coordinates have been used to derive more accurate precision indicators, as functions of the R-factor and the chemical constitution by correlation and regression methods. This research has shown that it is possible to provide effective improve precision indicators within the CSD for the circa 50,000 entries that do not possess coordinate e.s.d's. In chapter 7 a re-analysis of space group frequencies is given. New software has been written to search the CSD and derive the lowest symmetry point group utilised by the independent residues within each crystal structure. With this analysis it has been possible to produce matrices which rationalise space group frequency as a function of point group utilised within the crystal. The requirement of mirror plane occupation in mirror-symmetric space groups has been confirmed. Further trends are also noticed

A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT CONDITION OF NICHE MARKET, INDEPENDENT MOTION PICTURE PRODUCERS

This dissertation provides researchers with a window into the field of motion picture production from an inside-looking-out viewpoint filmmakers actively working in the field of motion picture production. Through a series of in-depth interviews, producers discuss the complexity of their roles and give first-hand accounts of what it means to be a filmmaker working outside of the corporate studio system of production. The study substantiates Bourdieu's model of the field of cultural production and shows how it is applicable to the study of producers. The study also expands previous research, helping to build a more complete account of the current state of the field of motion picture production. Producers interviewed for this study include: Ted Hope, producer of over sixty films and selected for this study because of his particular involvement as producer for the film American Splendor; Eric Gitter, who produced 2010's surprise hit Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a film based on the mildly successful graphic novels created by Bryan O'Malley; Christine Walker, who produced over fifteen films and worked on both American Splendor and Howl, a film based on popular beat poet Allen Ginsberg; Marisa Miller Wolfson, who directed and co-produced the 2010 film Vegucated; Ben Steinbauer, director/producer of Winnebago Man; Bradley Beesley, producer of six films such as Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo and Okie Noodling; Sarah Price, producer/director for American Movie, Summercamp and others; Tracy Droz Tragos, producer for Be Good, Smile Pretty and Rich Hill; Tim Kirk, Room 237, a film exploring the theories behind Stanley Kubrick's The Shining; Jon Betz, producer for Queen of the Sun and Seed: The Untold Story; Jon Reiss, producer of street art film Bomb It and author of Think Outside the Box Office; Stan Lee, former president and CEO of Marvel Comics and executive producer of Spider-Man, Hulk, and X-Men; and Grant Curtis, the producer for three Spider-Man films directed by Sam Raimi, as well as Raimi's Drag Me to Hel

URBAN[e] Agriculture Developing an Architecture That Supports Hyper-Localized Agriculture in the Urban Context

This thesis contains both the outline of the modern day problem of food deserts and nutritional injustice in urban areas, as well as my proposed solution for combatting both of those issues. Through research, investigation, experimentation and synthesis of design, I have put forth my thoughts and ideas on how we as a community can work together to shape our own nutritional destiny in the urban environment

Faculty Recital: Jason Eklund, horn with Judith Cole, piano

KSU faculty recital featuring Artist-in-Residence in Horn Jason Eklund, and Artist-in-Residence in Collaborative Piano, Judy Cole, performing a special program together in Morgan Hall.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1956/thumbnail.jp

Bulk-micromachined mass airflow sensor fabrication and testing methodology for an undergraduate microfabrication course.

In July 1995, National Science Foundation Award # 9551869 funded the development of a new inter-disciplinary microfabrication course under the primary leadership of Dr. Kevin Walsh at the University of Louisville. Along with this award, the completed construction of a new building in 1996 that contained a class 1000/100 cleanroom laboratory facilitated the development of the course. Moreover, curricula had to be completed to provide students with practical, hands-on experience in building Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices using processes and methodologies introduced in the course. Dr. Walsh wanted to include a mass airflow sensor in his portfolio of total possible devices students could build in the cleanroom lab for the course. This document describes the design of a bulk-micromachined, monolithic, mass airflow sensor with a thermally-isolated, thin-film, dielectric, microbridge/diaphragm design. In addition, several fabrication methodologies were explored, as well as a means to test and evaluate the sensors for this undergraduate class laboratory. The mass airflow sensor architecture chosen was based upon a closed-loop-control,microelectronic thermal (hot-wire) anemometer design, which was first developed and presented by Johnson, Higashi, et. al. at Honeywell in the mid 1980s [2]. Two separate photomask sets were developed using L-Edit™ software (by Tanner Research), with each set including multiple geometric variations of a dual/triple microbridge/cantilever flow sensor structure to be suspended over a precision, anisotropically-etched pit, integrated onto a (100) silicon substrate. Four primary structural fabrication strategies were explored to produce the thin-film material for the flow sensors: (1) RF planar magnetron sputter-deposited 1 m m -thick silicon nitride microbridges/cantilevers; (2) anodically-bonded-and-machined 20-30 m m -thick borosilicate glass diaphragms; (3) spin-on-glass microbridges/cantilevers; and (4) low-stress, 0.5 m m -thick, LPCVD silicon nitride microbridges/cantilevers. Four resistor metallizations were separately evaluated: permalloy (Ni81Fe19), chromium, titanium, and platinum. A process was developed and documented to successfully fabricate flow sensors with low stress LPCVD silicon nitride microbridges/cantilevers. DC planar magnetron sputterdeposited platinum thin-film resistors (with a ~120 nm-thick RF planar magnetron sputterdeposited chromium adhesion layer), with nominal thicknesses of ~56 – 70 nm, were delineated by photolithographic imaging techniques. The resistors had measured Temperature Coefficients of Resistance (TCR) in the range of 1.93 – 2.25 x10-3 W /W /°C at 25 - 125 °C. Anisotropic KOH etching of the (100)-oriented silicon substrate was utilized to release the flow sensor microbridge/cantilever microstructures. After designing and building a flow sensor test machine capable of controlled volumetric air flow rates of up to ~15 SLPM (0.54 m/s), nominal sensor sensitivities (SV) of up to 0.67 mV/SLPM (20.4 mV/(m/s)) were measured. The sensitivities varied somewhat depending upon resistor values set in the flow sensor heater-driver circuit and the insertion depth of the devices within the flow channel