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This thesis was scanned from the print manuscript for digital preservation and is copyright the author. Researchers can access this thesis by asking their local university, institution or public library to make a request on their behalf. Monash staff and postgraduate students can use the link in the References field.

El artículo presenta un perfil del periodista venezolano que usa la red social Twitter, así como un análisis de su uso. Se sustentó teóricamente en autores como Cobos (2010), Arcila (2008) y Crucianelli (2010). Se trata de una investigación descriptiva y analítica, con un diseño no experimental. La población estuvo conformada por 621 periodistas registrados en el portal Twitter-Venezuela. Se obtuvo una muestra aleatoria de 83 periodistas para la elaboración del perfil y una muestra no aleatoria de tipo intencional de las 10 cuentas más populares en el portal Twitter-Venezuela para el análisis de contenido. Los instrumentos de recolección de datos fueron un cuestionario en línea enviado a los 83 periodistas y una ficha de observación aplicada a las 10 cuentas más populares. Se concluyó que la plataforma tiende a estar politizada y quienes hacen uso de ella principalmente son periodistas menores de 30 años provenientes de la zona central y occidental de Venezuela. Se recomendó la creación y/o reformulación de programas de pre y post grado que profundicen sobre el estudio del potencial periodístico de las redes sociales. This paper analyses Venezuelan journalists’ profiles in Twitter. The research is based on theoretical references from Cobos (2010), Arcila (2008) and Crucianelli (2010). It’s a descriptive and analytical study, with a non-experimental design. Among 621 journalists registered in Twitter, we chose a sample of 83 for a survey and a sample of 10 (the top ten) for a content analysis. According to the findings this social network tends to be politicized and users are mainly under 30 from Central and Western Venezuela. The study recommends the creation or reformulation of degrees on Media, Communications and Journalism, in order to teach the potential of social networks in the profession.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are crucial in atherogenesis. alpha-Tocopherol is both an antioxidant and an antiinflammatory agent.We evaluated the effect of RRR-alpha-tocopherol supplementation on carotid atherosclerosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) on drug therapy.Randomized, controlled, double-blind trial compared RRR-alpha-tocopherol (1200 IU/d for 2 y) with placebo in 90 patients with CAD. Intimal medial thickness (IMT) of both carotid arteries was measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography at 0, 1, 1.5, and 2 y. At 6-mo intervals, plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations, C-reactive protein (CRP), LDL oxidation, monocyte function (superoxide anion release, cytokine release, and adhesion to endothelium), and urinary F(2)-isoprostanes were measured.alpha-Tocopherol concentrations were significantly higher in the alpha-tocopherol group but not in the placebo group. High-sensitivity CRP concentrations were significantly lowered with alpha-tocopherol supplementation than with placebo (32%; P0.001). alpha-Tocopherol supplementation significantly reduced urinary F(2)-isoprostanes (P0.001) and monocyte superoxide anion and tumor necrosis factor release compared with baseline and placebo (P0.001). No significant difference was observed in the mean change in total carotid IMT in the placebo and alpha-tocopherol groups. In addition, no significant difference in cardiovascular events was observed (P = 0.21).High-dose RRR-alpha-tocopherol supplementation in patients with CAD was safe and significantly reduced plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation but had no significant effect on carotid IMT during 2 y.

North Dakota and Minnesota are currently witnessing a renewal in the growth of cooperative enterprises. At the heart of this renewal lies the so-called New Generation Cooperative (NGC), a term that has been applied to the dozens of value-added processing, selected membership cooperatives that have recently formed in the region's agricultural sector. A key organizational feature of NGCs is the linking of producer capital contributions and product delivery rights. This paper describes the organizational features of NGCs and positions them in the broader context of cooperative incentive structures, governance structures, and the cooperative development process. More generally, the paper uses NGCs as a lens through which important elements of cooperative theory can be reviewed.

North Dakota and Minnesota are currently witnessing a renewal in the growth of cooperative enterprises. At the heart of this renewal lies the so-called New Generation Cooperative (NGC), a term that has been applied to the dozens of value-added processing, selected membership cooperatives that have recently formed in the region's agricultural sector. A key organizational feature of NGCs is the linking of producer capital contributions and product delivery rights. This paper describes the organizational features of NGCs and positions them in the broader context of cooperative incentive structures, governance structures, and the cooperative development process. More generally, the paper uses NGCs as a lens through which important elements of cooperative theory can be reviewed.

In recent years the three Prairie Pools have actively expanded their primary operations to include a number of investments both within and outside of the agricultural sector. The Pools' investment strategies are economically interesting because they are being pursued within the context of a co-operative organizational structure which requires that the users of the cooperative business also own, control, and benefit from its operations. This thesis examines the possible economic incentives agricultural co-operatives may have to invest in vertically integrated and diversified activities using the case of the Western Canadian co-operative elevator companies as an example. The analysis undertaken in this thesis is structured in two ways. First, the economic literature regarding co-operative formation and conventional firm expansion is surveyed. This analysis suggests that an important difference between vertically integrated investments and diversified investments is that they are motivated by the realization of distincly different sets of economic benefits for the co-operative firm and its members. It is argued that co-operative vertical integration can convey benefits to members indirectly through the market, in the form of increased producer margins and improved market access. However, these benefits may not impact the "bottom line" of the co-operative firm. Diversification can, on the other hand, provide a co-operative with direct monetary benefits in the form of improved financial performance and increased profits, which can translate into increased patronage refunds available to members. The second component of this analysis involves the development of a simulation model to examine the implications of an additional hypothesis proposed to explain co-operative expansion. The proposed hypothesis is based on the notion that perhaps the indirect market benefits from cooperation and co-operative expansion are being undervalued. This undervaluation can result in a preoccupation with the monetary benefits from co-operative business, and may therefore cause a bias towards diversified investments. The model developed in this thesis illustrates that, although such a bias may improve a co-operative's rate of return, it may also result in significant opportunity costs for agricultural producers due to a decrease in a co-operative's pro-competitive effect on primary markets.