SOCIAL MEDIA IN VENEZUELA: A TOOL FOR AUTHORITARIANS, A BOOST TO SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, OR BOTH?

Various social media platforms have been used as tools by social movements and have propelled democratic ideals. Social media has also been used by autocratic leaders to control and repress populations. Both uses of social media have played a prominent role in Venezuela’s political discourse since 2000. However, while it is clear that social media has played a salient role in Venezuela’s politics, what remains unclear is how effective these platforms are at empowering the social movement sector versus helping authoritarian regimes. The case of Venezuela offers insights useful in this debate because it was one of the first countries in South America to experience democratic backsliding during the digital age. Therefore, this thesis originally sought to answer the following questions: How does social media help the Venezuelan authoritarian regime? How does social media help the social movement sector in Venezuela? How can we measure the impact of these tactics? Does social media help the regime or the social movement sector more? Because of the limited data available in secondary research, it is not possible to directly measure effectiveness. Nevertheless, the analysis did reveal that the regime’s and opposition’s use of social media in Venezuela has augmented their traditional strategies. Understanding which faction it helps more overall will require access to social media databases.Captain, United States Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

PER UNIT COSTS TO OWN AND OPERATE FARM MACHINERY

Entropy and jackknife estimation procedures were used to find that custom rates are 20.3% lower than the true cost to own and operate machinery for an average size Kansas farm. A method was then developed to estimate a farms total machinery costs with which to benchmark machinery costs.Farm Management,

Handedness and behavioural inhibition system/behavioural activation system (BIS/BAS) scores: A replication and extension of Wright, Hardie, and Wilson (2009)

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) as modified by Briggs and Nebes was administered along with Carver and White's behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and behavioural activation system (BAS) scale and a shortened form of the Big Five personality questionnaire to 92 university students. After eliminating the data from five respondents who reported having changed handedness and one outlier, there was a significant sex difference in mean BIS scores, with females (n = 43) scoring higher than males (n = 43). Replicating the results of Wright, Hardie and Wilson, non-right-handers (n = 36) had significantly higher mean BIS score than right-handers (n = 50). Controlling for sex of participant, neuroticism and BAS sub-scale scores in hierarchical regression analyses left this BIS effect substantially unaffected. There was no handedness or sex difference on any of the three BAS sub-scales. Further analyses revealed no association between strength, as distinct from direction, of handedness and BIS (or BAS) scores. The findings are discussed with reference to recent developments in reinforcement sensitivity theory on which BIS/BAS variables are based

Trends in microfluidic systems for in situ chemical analysis of natural waters

Spatially and temporally detailed measurement of ocean, river and lake chemistry is key to fully understanding the biogeochemical processes at work within them. To obtain these valuable data, miniaturised in situ chemical analysers have recently become an attractive alternative to traditional manual sampling, with microfluidic technology at the forefront of recent advances. In this short critical review we discuss the role, operation and application of in situ microfluidic analysers to measure biogeochemical parameters in natural waters. We describe recent technical developments, most notably how pumping technology has evolved to allow long-term deployments, and describe how they have been deployed in real-world situations to yield detailed, scientifically useful data. Finally, we discuss the technical challenges that still remain and the key obstacles that must be negotiated if these promising systems are to be widely adopted and used, for example, in large environmental sensor networks and on low-power underwater vehicles

Fractionating negative and positive affectivity in handedness: Insights from the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ), as modified by Briggs and Nebes [(1975). Patterns of hand preference in a student population. Cortex, 11(3), 230-238. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(75)80005-0 ], was administered to a sample of 177 participants alongside the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire [RST-PQ; Corr, P. J., & Cooper, A. (2016). The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ): Development and validation. Psychological Assessment. doi: 10.1037/pas000 ], which measures two factors of defensive negative emotion, motivation and affectivity-the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS)-and one positive-approach dimension related to reward sensitivity, persistence and reactivity-the Behavioural Approach System. We sought to clarify the nature of negative, and positive, affectivity in relation to handedness. ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses converged on the following conclusions: left-handers were higher on the BIS, not the FFFS, than right-handers; in right-handers only, strength of hand preference was positively correlated with the FFFS, not the BIS. The original assessment method proposed by Annett was also used to assess handedness, but associations with RST-PQ factors were not found. These findings help us to clarify existing issues in the literature and raise new ones for future research

Dynamic Compaction Using Select Fill Displacement Methods

Since its development as a full-fledged soil compaction technique by Louis Menard in the late 1960s, the Dynamic Compaction method has evolved considerably and has become an increasingly efficient ground improvement system. Among the special techniques borne out of this evolution is the use of Dynamic Compaction to create large-diameter columns using select granular material. This method serves to not only provide increased support and better distribution of imposed loads through the columns themselves, but also augments the capability of the process in improving the host soils to a depth and degree not possible using conventional DC methods. Three case histories are presented to illustrate this technique and its benefits in terms of increased effectiveness and range of application