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Putting costs of direct air capture in context
No full textFCEA Working Paper Series: 002. June, 2017This working paper provides an overview of various estimates and claims on direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide, and places them in a broader context of global climate policy. Unlike other techniques of climate engineering, DAC has received significant attention from startups since its main issue is deemed to be the direct implementation cost (not side effects or social concerns), which could be significantly reduced with successful innovation. Publicly available sources demonstrate that there is a huge range of cost estimates with three orders-of-magnitude differences, with the upper end on the order of 1000 USD/t-CO2. Cost values reported by private companies tend to be lower than academic estimates, though there is no a prior reason to believe that either is inherently biased. In light of this huge uncertainty, the only way to resolve it may be to build an actual plant at scale, as a leading scholar put it. It is nevertheless important to monitor technological progress since climate policy analysis would increasingly require such cost parameters and because technology understanding would guide policy of research and development of this nascent technology. A periodic review of this nature would provide a basis to ascertain the progress of DAC technology development
Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law annual report 2016-2017
No full textThis annual report highlights the Center's work and achievements that have been made possible by our students, staff, and faculty
Epigenetic regulation of Neuregulin-1 tunes white adipose stem cell differentiation
No full textCells, Volume 9, Issue 5, 7 May 2020.Expansion of subcutaneous adipose tissue by differentiation of new adipocytes has been linked to improvements in metabolic health. However, an expandability limit has been observed wherein new adipocytes cannot be produced, the existing adipocytes become enlarged (hypertrophic) and lipids spill over into ectopic sites. Inappropriate ectopic storage of these surplus lipids in liver, muscle, and visceral depots has been linked with metabolic dysfunction. Here we show that Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) serves as a regulator of adipogenic differentiation in subcutaneous primary human stem cells. We further demonstrate that DNA methylation modulates NRG1 expression in these cells, and a 3-day exposure of stem cells to a recombinant NRG1 peptide fragment is sufficient to reprogram adipogenic cellular differentiation to higher levels. These results define a novel molecular adipogenic rheostat with potential implications for the expansion of adipose tissue in vivo
The genome of a subterrestrial nematode reveals adaptations to heat
No full textNature Communications, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1 December 2019, Article number 5268.The nematode Halicephalobus mephisto was originally discovered inhabiting a deep terrestrial aquifer 1.3 km underground. H. mephisto can thrive under conditions of abiotic stress including heat and minimal oxygen, where it feeds on a community of both chemolithotrophic and heterotrophic prokaryotes in an unusual ecosystem isolated from the surface biosphere. Here we report the comprehensive genome and transcriptome of this organism, identifying a signature of adaptation: an expanded repertoire of 70 kilodalton heat-shock proteins (Hsp70) and avrRpt2 induced gene 1 (AIG1) proteins. The expanded Hsp70 genes are transcriptionally induced upon growth under heat stress, and we find that positive selection is detectable in several members of this family. We further show that AIG1 may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from a rhizobial fungus. Over one-third of the genes of H. mephisto are novel, highlighting the divergence of this nematode from other sequenced organisms. This work sheds light on the genomic basis of heat tolerance in a complete subterrestrial eukaryotic genome
Fair use in teaching about art
No full textThe College Art Association teamed up with the CMSI to simply the approach to the principles found within the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts. Today we take a closer look at Principle Two: Teaching About Art.
In an academic setting, teachers often use reproductions or copyrighted images to enhance the classroom experience. Though copyright exemptions exists for educational purposes, teachers still find themselves weary about the images they can include. Especially if they are working with technology that extends beyond the limits of the classroom
Existential transformational game design: harnessing the "pyschomagic" of symbolic enactment
No full textFrontiers in Psychology, Volume 11, 4 November 2020, Article number 571522.This paper explores indexical symbolic enactment as a way to promote authenticity and inner balance through digital games. Drawing on research from cognitive anthropology, neurobiology, and psychology, the following presents an argument for why and how indexical symbolic enactment can impact us on a deep, unconscious level and contribute to personal transformation. It identifies four high-level guidelines that can inform existential transformative game design: (1) ritual theming (i.e., liberation, transformation, and commemoration/celebration); (2) metaphorical approach; (3) contextual mechanisms that promote a readiness for change and processing; and (4) psychological resonance. It then uses these guidelines as an analytical lens for a case study on the game Papo & Yo (Minority Media Inc., 2012). This analysis shows how indexical symbolic enactment can contribute to a game’s transformative potential and examines missed opportunities when design decisions emphasize gameplay considerations rather than symbolic congruency and psychological resonance
SPATIAL COLOR CHANNELS AND THEIR ROLE IN COLOR CONSTANCY
No full textColor always occupies a region of space, typically attached to an object, a light, or a surface; however, most of our models of color vision and approaches to understanding color perception treat color as an abstract quality void of a spatial dimension. In this dissertation, I explore the utility of considering separate types of color systems based on spatial information in the environment. In Chapter 1, I review of the study of color perception as it relates to space. Chapter 2 explores the existence of a luminance versus luminance-contrast marker in the cortex using the contrast asynchrony stimulus. Observers were shown disks modulating from bright to dark at low frequencies on either dark, midgray, and bright backgrounds while steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) were recorded. A luminance-driven signal would elicit equivalent SSVEPs across all backgrounds, but a luminance-contrast signal would differ depending on the background. I found that SSVEP amplitudes and phase relations were indicative of a contrast-driven signal. The results suggest that early cortical signals, at least from V1, are driven by contrast, rather than luminance, levels. In Chapter 3, I investigate the efficacy of color separation based on spatial scale as it relates to the phenomenon of color constancy. In a series of three studies (the first on a plain background, the second on a Mondrian, and the third on a painting), I investigate the hypothesis that object color can be represented by high spatial frequency (HSF) content while illuminant color can be represented by low spatial frequency (LSF) content. Observers’ object matches in Experiment 1 exhibited less variation across stimuli with similar than different HSF content. In Experiment 2, object matches moved in relation to HSF content and illumination matches moved in relation to LSF content. In Experiment 3, observers perceived greater change in object color across images with different HSF content than different LSF content; however, their perception of illuminant color change was no different than chance across HSF-differing and LSF-different stimuli. Altogether, this work demonstrates that color behaves differently and serves different roles at different spatial scales. Color constancy and other phenomena may be better understood from this point of view.NeurosciencesPsychologyDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. American Universit
A SURVEY OF STATISTICAL METHODS FOR INVESTIGATING RISK OF LOW BACK PAIN IN A COHORT OF MANUFACTURING WORKERS
No full textLongitudinal or panel studies involve taking repeated measurements on individuals and monitoring their status over time. Depending on the goals of the study, a variety of analysis methods may be appropriate for addressing specific research questions. This thesis presents a survey of statistical methods that can be used to analyze such data. Regression models for count data focus on the rate of occurrence of specific events. Survival analysis is particularly effective at modeling event relative risk in the presence of censored data. For repeated events of the same type, random subject effects can be included to take into account within subject variation. Multi-state models can characterize the entire event progression history when more than one status variable is tracked over time. We offer applications of each aforementioned method to a cohort study on the severity of low back pain in manufacturing and production industries. Assumptions and requirements of each method are discussed as well as inference and interpretation. This analysis is particularly useful for learning about these types of disorders as researchers can develop better job risk assessment to benefit industry.Statisticscount regression model, cox proportional hazards model, frailty model, longitudinal/panel study, low back pain, multi-state modelMathematics and StatisticsDegree Awarded: M.S. Mathematics and Statistics. American Universit
STATISTICAL INFERENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF A SPATIAL-TEMPORAL MARKOV RANDOM FIELD
No full textMarkov random fields (MRF) form a broad class of stochastic models frequently applied to spatial data. A generalization of Markov chains, the MRF models capture spatial correlation by introducing dependence among data on the surface through a chosen neighborhood structure. We introduce a three-dimensional MRF with such neighborhoods that incorporate spatial patterns as well as the time dimension to create a spatio-temporal model. The proposed clique configuration forces spatial dependencies to evolve through time, reflecting dynamics of an observed process.Our statistical inference approach to the Markov Random field is likelihood based. The complex form of the joint distribution of observed spatially and longitudinally dependent data does not allow a closed form of the likelihood function. We show that the pseudolikelihood of this MRF model, as applied to Bernoulli data, can be conveniently expressed as logistic regression. The theory of maximum pseudolikelihood estimation shows that our resulting parameter estimates are consistent and asymptotically normal. As a case study, we use our Markov random field specification to model the dynamics and spread of wildfires. We show that the model can be used to detect wildfire spread and explain the direction and speed at which a wildfire is moving, as well as changes in their behavior in time and in space. We also apply the Markov random field as a generative model in simulations to develop accurate, timely, and probabilistic wildfire spread forecasts, to complement state-of-the-art physical models.StatisticsMarkov, Markov Random Field, MRF, Spatial-Temporal, Statistics, WildfireMathematics and StatisticsDegree Awarded: M.S. Mathematics and Statistics. American Universit
Storefront for Potter's House
No full textStorefront of Potter's House with painting reading 'Spread [peace sign] and [heart] not fear' written on the windows