18736 research outputs found
Sort by
Extraterrestrial Accountability: Applying the Stakeholder Management Approach in Space Mining
No full textCorporate secrecy is not a new phenomenon. Companies routinely take steps to ensure that prized information is secured and kept from competitors. Securing intellectual property as trade secrets keeps the information confidential for as long as the owner employs reasonable measures to guard the information—unlike patents, which offer term protection of certain types of intellectual property in exchange for public registry. Geographical and geological location data are especially lucrative for mining and petroleum companies, which target mineral resources for extraction and production. So, it is not unexpected that space mining companies would want to do the same. But should they be able to do the same is another question
Radon Plate-out and the Effects of Airflow and Electric Charge for Dark Matter Experiments
Get PDFThe Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS) is an international collaboration designed to search for and detect dark matter particles, which make up ~85% of the matter in the universe. The plate-out, or deposition of naturally occurring radioactive decay byproducts onto surfaces, can create backgrounds that interfere with dark matter detection experiments. In the first series of these experiments, we analyze the amount of radon progeny, 214Pb and 214Bi, that plate-out on polycarbonate samples while controlling factors such as electric charge and airflow. These samples are exposed to radon-spiked nitrogen gas in a polycarbonate wind tunnel to simulate plate-out conditions in a controlled environment. To determine radon progeny plate-out rates for each trial, the initial activity of radon progeny is calculated from the measurements of an Ortec alpha counter. In previous iterations of the experiment, we observed static charge buildup on surfaces, especially polycarbonate. This charge buildup was reduced by the implementation of an electric field source in the wind tunnel, yielding more consistent polycarbonate trials. After neutralizing the electric charge on polycarbonate, the second series of the experiment compares normalized radon daughter plate-out for polycarbonate and copper samples. Copper measurements demonstrated a positive correlation between air speed and radon daughter plate-out rate from speeds of 0 to 60 ft/min, stabilizing at speeds between 0 to 60 ft/min. Acrylic measurements demonstrated no observable relation between air speed and normalized plate-out rates. Results from both results deviate from the linear correlation of air speed and plate-out rate predicted by the Jacobi plate-out model [1
Section 363 Sales and Their Blind Faith in the Markets
Get PDFAirlines tend to go bankrupt. In fact, all the so-called legacy carriers have gone bankrupt at one time or another. What leads these airlines into financial distress varies from case to case. Sometimes they are overrun by costs, and other times they lack sufficient demand. The concern of this paper, though, is not why airlines file bankruptcy—it is assumed that, from time to time, airlines will face financial distress and will require the protection of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (the Code). Instead, this paper will examine how large firms such as airlines are navigating bankruptcies today.
After providing some overview of the current landscape of large Chapter 11 cases—specifically in the realm of § 363 asset sales and the debates surrounding these sales—this paper will argue that the theories supporting the continued use of these sales are suspect and should be met with skepticism by the courts and by policymakers, and, additionally, that these sales often undermine the policy objectives of the Code in general. Finally, this paper will look at how these debates are shaping future bankruptcy policy and will argue in favor of proposed legislation from Senator Manchin of West Virginia amending § 363 of the Code
Best Practices: Using Semiotics in Environmental Storytelling
Get PDFThis thesis explores an aspect of environmental storytelling known as “semiotics.” Semiotics conveys information and relevant interconnections to an individual through visual representations. There are diverse types of semiotic elements, including symbols, icons, and indexes. The researcher examined the use of semiotics in video games and derived seven best practices for conveying story beats and relaying aspects of a video game’s narrative. The researcher implemented these semiotic-related practices into a custom Fallout 4 level, gathered testers to play the level, and asked the testers to give their opinions on the experience. The researcher analysed the tester’s feedback to conclude whether these best practices were truly successful or not
Essays on Economic Geography
No full textChapter 1 studies how land reforms mediate the rural-urban migration response to climate shocks in India. Using a district-level panel, we find that regions that benefit from land reforms that raise local income experience more climate-induced migration. In contrast, when land reforms promote land ownership, regions experience less climate-induced migration. These results suggest that owning less liquid assets in the form of land may keep rural households from moving when faced with climate shocks.
Chapter 2 investigates whether a country’s shape affects its development level. I empirically investigate this question by proposing several novel shape measures and estimating their relationship with GDP per capita. First, I focus on two pure geometric properties: compactness and orientation. Compactness reflects the expected geodesic distance between a random pair of locations in a certain country. Orientation measures the orientation of a country’s axis. I find compactness has significant negative effects on GDP per capita only for landlocked countries while orientation has no significant effects. Then I propose a new compactness measure by taking exogenous geographic features into account. The results show robust negative effects of this new measure on GDP per capita. Using it to instrument for domestic market potential, I find that GDP per capita is significantly correlated with the domestic market potential.
Chapter 3 analyzes the determinants of economic growth across the world at the 0.25◦ by 0.25◦ level. It considers three classes of nature-given determinants: agricultural productivity, trade connectivity, and amenities. All three are important determinants of economic growth, but trade connectivity is more important in low-income countries and amenities are less important in countries that experience high growth in the service sector. As countries become richer and more service-based, trade connectivity matters less and amenities matter more. To further assess the nature-given drivers of economic growth, we analyze what happens to locations that are hit by major floods. In recently settled areas, we find that locations do not recover, except when they have good amenities. This, again, suggests that amenities are becoming increasingly important in determining the spatial distribution of economic activity
The Tissue-Specific Role of smn-1 in C. elegans
No full textSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease that results from mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN-1) gene. Although SMN is a ubiquitously expressed protein that acts as an RNA-binding protein (RBP), SMA is characterized by the selective degeneration of motor neurons of the lower spinal cord. Despite a clear understanding of the genetic causes underlying SMA, the mechanisms associated with low SMN levels to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigate the role SMN-1 has in different tissues to begin understanding possible mechanisms. This project has three aims that has guided our experiments. The first aim is to discover which cells or tissues are responsible for the SMA phenotypes in C. elegans. Behavioral assays such are used as a measurement of health since defects in these areas are typical SMA phenotypes. Chapter 1 outlines the surprising discovery that the loss of smn-1 in neurons and muscles, as previously studied, did not result in any strong phenotypes, but rather the loss of smn-1 in the intestine cause defects similar to that of null smn-1 mutants. These findings represent a new area of study for a better understanding of SMA. More research is needed to begin to understand the connection between the intestine and the neuromuscular defects. The second aim looks at how deleting smn-1 in specific tissues alter patternss of gene expression. The results from Chapter 1 prompted us to survey the impact of the intestinal deletion of smn-1 on gene expression. In Chapter 2, RNA-sequencing data revealed a set of proteins produced in the intestine to be highly regulated in smn-1 mutants. These proteins were found to be involved in the intracellular pathogen response (IPR) that provides resistance against proteotoxic stress. In relation to this type of gene expression profile, thermotolerant properties are exhibited with the mutants. The third aim studies possible mechanisms in the intestine that lead to the observed phenotypes. A unique observation was made while testing the health of smn-1 mutants. We observed in the lifespan assay that the intestinal KO of smn-1 was surviving longer on commonly-used standard laboratory drugs than on normal plates. Therefore, Chapter 3 examines the impact of these drugs on SMA phenotypes seen in the intestinal smn-1 KO. We found that they act on RNA to some capacity and causes lifespan extension of the intestinal KO. Through further experimentation we hope to uncover how organisms cope with stress, via the IPR, as it relates to SMN deficiency in the intestine and how drug activity affects RNA when smn-1 is absent in the intestine
Ending Arkansas’ First Appearance Crisis
Get PDFArkansas law is clear: every arrested person has the right to an attorney’s help the first time they see a judge. But across the state, people often face a judge at first appearance without a lawyer by their side. Even worse, a shortage of attorneys means people sometimes wait months for a lawyer’s help. The Constitution promises that every person in jail will have access to the courts and to counsel. Yet far too often, Arkansas allows people to languish in jail alone, afraid, and undefended.
This policy brief outlines research-based solutions for Arkansas to honor the Constitution’s promises by guaranteeing counsel at first appearance, ensuring appointment of defense counsel within 72 hours of arrest, and adequately funding public defense. These reforms can end the first appearance crisis, reduce court backlogs, and ease jail overcrowding.https://scholar.smu.edu/deasoncenter/1011/thumbnail.jp
Text and Commentary: Jewish Identity in Beryl Korot\u27s Video Art
No full textSince the 1970s, American artist Beryl Korot (b. 1945) has been recognized as a pioneer of video art who has combined new media with textiles and drawing in her multimedia installations. Much of the existing literature on Korot focuses on positioning her within the emergent video art movement and contextualizing her work in relation to later video art. This thesis takes a different approach, examining themes of Jewishness within a selection of Korot’s video art – Dachau 1974 (1974), Text and Commentary (1976-77), and Babel: The 7 Minute Scroll (2007) – and, more specifically, explores how the three works manifest different Jewish responses to the Shoah.
By emphasizing the importance of Korot’s Jewish identity within her video art, I hope to move beyond the existing scholarship that contextualizes Korot with reference to video art and the feminist art movement. In examining the previously understudied role of religious identity in Korot’s work, I explore how it intersects with themes of memory, gender, and textuality. Throughout this thesis, I assert that new relevance can be found within Korot’s visually complex and conceptually sophisticated works by attending to the theme of Jewish identity