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Oil and Autocratic Regime Survival

This article uncovers a new mechanism linking oil wealth to autocratic regime survival: the investigation tests whether increases in oil wealth improve the survival of autocracies by lowering the chances of democratization, reducing the risk of transition to subsequent dictatorship, or both. Using a new measure of autocratic durability shows that, once models allow for unit effects, oil wealth promotes autocratic survival by lowering the risk of ouster by rival autocratic groups. Evidence also indicates that oil income increases military spending in dictatorships, which suggests that increasing oil wealth may deter coups that could have caused a regime collapse

Critical Conversations on Teaching and Learning Decolonial Narratives: A Duoethnography of Firekeeper’s Daughter

Exploring the role of diverse young adult (YA) literature in fostering social justice awareness, this paper focuses on the YA novel Firekeeper’s Daughter as a tool for understanding decolonization and our own individual privileges and responsibilities as they relate to colonization. Three researchers, each with differing positionalities and worldviews, employ a polyvocal methodology of duoethnography to examine the text\u27s challenges to settler colonialism and its illumination of historical and systemic injustices. Through our dialogic exchange, we aim to contribute to a wider conversation about the potential of literature storytelling, and authentic, vulnerable conversations to inspire transformative change

Anesthesia Handoff: A Quality Improvement Project

An adequate anesthesia handoff detailing vital components valuable to the continuing care of the patient is necessary to provide safe post-operative care. Background Patients undergoing general anesthesia are at significant risk for adverse events in the postoperative period, and the transfer of care from the anesthesia provider to the post-anesthesia care unit nurse is a critical time in a patient\u27s hospital stay. Communication between the releasing and receiving providers must be clear, concise, and complete, showcasing teamwork and a shared goal of patient safety. The purpose of this project is to address the problem of variances in anesthesia handover. The lack of a standardized handover process creates an opportunity for poor handover, compromising patient safety. Method This quality improvement project was performed using a pre-test and post-test to assess the knowledge level and attitudes toward anesthesia handoff among anesthesia providers at a Level 1 trauma center in South Florida. The providers voluntarily participated in a pre-survey followed by an educational module, then a post-survey, all provided to them via an anonymous emailed invitation. The data from both surveys were statistically analyzed to determine the educational modules\u27 effectiveness and impact on clinical personnel. Results Upon completion of the educational module, there was a noted increase in knowledge of the importance of adequate anesthesia handoff among participants. Based on the results, participants expressed a willingness to adapt a standardized handoff protocol to their current practice. This coincides with the results of the literature review in which the addition of a standardized anesthesia handover protocol offers valuable benefits to patient safety. Discussion Clear communication during the transfer of care is essential to a seamless transition for the patient. A standardized handover tool sets the stage for a well-structured handover process to ensue, thus making it a valuable tool to employ at this South Florida Trauma Center. Effective handoffs are detrimental to ensuring the safety, quality, and continuity of patient care. Although handoffs are common in healthcare, there is an extensive degree of variation in terms of the structure of the report and the type of information included. Based on the feedback received, the anesthesia providers there are in full support of endorsing a handover tool and offer their cooperation should a protocol be adapted. Limitations to this study include a small sample size and limited cooperation

Why things look the way they do: explaining change in design by cycles and natural selection

The purpose of this thesis is to add to the understanding of the changing appearance of mass produced designed objects over time. The Littlewood’s mail order catalogue archive, from 1932-1980, was identified as a large collection of images of designed objects, which made it suitable for a study of change over time. An initial investigation of explanations for change to design revealed two that stood out as being good candidates for this study. These were cycles and Darwinian natural selection. Cyclical theories were investigated because they represent the view that what is successful recurs, and that change to the appearance of designed objects included in the archive occurred in repeating patterns, which might be cyclical. Darwin’s theories of natural selection, including ‘sexual selection’, were investigated for this work because a study of evolutionary theory demonstrated them to be more appropriate for answering this study’s central questions than other evolutionary theories. 1 devised a method of converting mail order catalogue images of table lamps and clocks into quantifiable data, making graphs that were then compared to diagrams that were based on a version of Kondratiev’s fifty-year economic cycle, known as the Smith cycle. 1 used two models of change to help interpret the statistical results of the study, to find answers to the study’s central question - Why do designed objects change in the ways that they do? Conclusions reached were: - 1. According to the analysis of the statistics generated by this study, between 1932 and 1980, there is considerable correspondence between changes in the appearance of two products in the Littlewood’s mail order catalogue and the socio-economic cycle used in this study. 2. There is no evidence for the Spencerian progressive form of evolution, or of the Lamarckian passing on of acquired traits as a result of stimulus, form of evolution, but there is evidence for the Darwinian natural selection form of evolution. 3. Analysis of the statistical material bore out ideas of design cycles being linked to socio-economic phases and natural selection of designed objects according to the set of circumstances, characterised by the design attributes displayed in that phase. 4. The two explanations investigated in this study, cycles and evolution while initially being studied in isolation, ended up being shown to be compatible, and indeed interlinked, as explanations for change over time to the designed objects illustrated in the Littlewood’s mail order catalogue, revealing the mechanism by which a dependent design cycle is connected to a socio-economic cycle, and modified by individual events

How to grow a brand: retain or acquire customers?

Journal ArticleWhile customer acquisition is clearly important for new brands, mature brands are often said to rely on defection management for maintenance and growth. Yet the theory to support this approach has been subject to very little empirical investigation. How do brands actually increase the size of their customer base? Through superior acquisition or by reducing customer defection? Or some mixture of both? Conversely, do brands decline through deficient acquisition or excessive defection? This work analyzes changes in ‘first brand loyal’ customers to answer these questions, using a combination of panel data on the prescribing behavior of doctors and a cross-sectional tracking survey for residential finance. This study is the first research to compare defection and acquisition against stochastic benchmarks for customer churn under stationary conditions. The results are surprising: for both growth and decline, unusual acquisition plays a stronger role than unusual defection. This finding demonstrates that acquisition has been under-rated in the past, and implies that prospect management is at least as important as defection reduction. A simulation shows that unusual acquisition also accounts for far more variation in profit than does unusual defection.n/

Morphological and genetic analyses in the Melanoplus packardii group (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Melanoplus packardii Scudder was described in 1897. Three additional closely-related species were later described and their status as species has been questioned on numerous occasions. We examined morphology from specimens collected in Nebraska which fit descriptions of three of the four forms and specimens that appeared to be hybrids. We found distinct morphological characters suggesting species status for M. foedus and M. packardii, but not for M. foedus fluviatilis. Examination of aedeagi of these three forms suggests that M. foedus and M. packardii are each distinct, but that the aedeagi of M. f. fluviatilis and M. f. foedus cannot be distinguished. Molecular analyses of the three groups did not produce clear separations and suggest gene exchange between these three forms may be ongoing. Together, these data suggest that M. foedus and M. packardii should be recognized as sibling species, but M. foedus fluviatilis is best considered a form of M. foedus, typically found in low lying areas

Morphological and genetic analyses in the Melanoplus packardii group (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Melanoplus packardii Scudder was described in 1897. Three additional closely-related species were later described and their status as species has been questioned on numerous occasions. We examined morphology from specimens collected in Nebraska which fit descriptions of three of the four forms and specimens that appeared to be hybrids. We found distinct morphological characters suggesting species status for M. foedus and M. packardii, but not for M. foedus fluviatilis. Examination of aedeagi of these three forms suggests that M. foedus and M. packardii are each distinct, but that the aedeagi of M. f. fluviatilis and M. f. foedus cannot be distinguished. Molecular analyses of the three groups did not produce clear separations and suggest gene exchange between these three forms may be ongoing. Together, these data suggest that M. foedus and M. packardii should be recognized as sibling species, but M. foedus fluviatilis is best considered a form of M. foedus, typically found in low lying areas