Efferocytosis drives a tryptophan metabolism pathway in macrophages to promote tissue resolution

It will be great for us to have such a waiver statement as below: While all authors subscribe to NIH Open Policy, Harvard Medical School (HMS) does not demand that a non-HMS lead author of a manuscript on which an HMS co-author appears must pay the fee for the journal's own open access program.Author's Origina

Combatting Collusion Between Reinforcement Learning Agents in Electricity Markets

When markets are well behaved, we expect firms to produce at the point where marginal revenue matches marginal cost. Collusive behavior, on the other hand, arises when firms produce less than this, leading to elevated prices, lower social welfare and higher industry profits. It is interesting, then, that collusive behavior has been observed between reinforcement learning (RL) agents that act to set prices for goods across repeated interactions in simple, simulated markets. This behavior is the convergence toward a market equilibrium that has lower social welfare or higher industry profits than what is considered a Nash equilibrium for the reinforcement learning agents. In this project, I create a simplified model of an electricity market to confirm the collusive behavior of RL agents, comparing theoretical baselines of profit and welfare to the result of using Q-Learning agents. I then study the effect of various market interventions, in both this simplified model and Abada and Lambin’s model \cite{Abada-Lambin}. The interventions I consider include a) the introduction of a welfare-maximizing agent, b) setting limits on battery and output capacity, c) the use of taxation, and d) a reward-punishment scheme. In order to assess the suitability of each intervention, a game-theoretic equilibrium is calculated for each intervention and compared to theoretical baselines. This is computed using quadratic program solvers and Scipy optimization packages. The intervention is then implemented in an OpenAI Gym environment to confirm or reject the game-theoretic improvements that were demonstrated. For the welfare-maximizing agent intervention, it was also implemented on the Abada and Lambin model to explore how agents react to the intervention in a more complex environment. A first result, in both the simplified model as well as Abada and Lambin’s model, is that the introduction of a welfare-maximizing agent fails to provide a desired improvement in social welfare. Likewise, creating restrictions on battery and output capacity fails to provide a desired improvement in social welfare. Rather, I show that a promising direction is to make use of a suitable taxation or reward-punishment scheme, with this able to improve social welfare in both models.Applied Mathematic

Society, Patients, and Nazi Psychiatry: A History of Reappraisal

Author's Origina

Residential Battery Storage - Reshaping the Way We Do Electricity

In this study, we investigate households’ investments in behind-the-meter battery storage alongside rooftop solar and examine the effects of these batteries on consumers, the power market, and environmental emissions. We develop a structural estimation model of residential electricity usage that separates observed demand and consumption preferences and lets us estimate a non-financial utility that households may have for using self-generated solar power over grid-procured electricity. We call this utility nonmarket valuation, provide evidence that it is driven by sustainability and autarky desires, and relate it to the early adoption of residential storage. Applying this model to a novel data set of German households, we find that the median household has a nonmarket valuation of 0.29€ per kilowatt hour (kWh). We then show that owning storage increases a household’s electricity demand (storage rebound) and marginally increases the emissions by 57 kg CO2 / year / kWh of battery capacity. However, batteries may reduce emissions if solar penetration in the grid is sufficiently high. Lastly, we estimate that, at future technology costs, 2023 European electricity prices, and without subsidies, investing in storage is optimal for 54% of households, which would reduce the residential grid load by 38%, but, counterintuitively, also make it more variable.Accepted Manuscrip

Revolution of the Heart: The Alternative New Woman in Early Soviet Media

The early Soviet government of the 1910s and 1920s was one of the first countries in the world to grant women equal rights with men. Among the Bolshevik Party members was a belief that so-called “new people” would come into being through the material and economic changes that the Revolution accomplished. For women and their representation in fictional narrative arts, this change in political and economic systems provided them with new opportunities for self-determination. State propaganda campaigns sought to bolster and harness women’s empowerment for political goals. Against this, a variety of authors of the 1920s instead explored a more individual-focused application of new opportunities for women. The authors analyzed in this project are Aleksandra Kollontai, the noted Bolshevik advocate for women’s rights, author Evgeni Zamyatin, avant-garde playwright Sergei Tret’yakov and Abram Room, filmmaker. I identify a fictional construct in works by these four artists which I call the “Alternative New Woman” through a feminist-informed close reading of key fictional works by these authors. Vasilisa Malygina by Kollontai, We by Zamyatin, I Want a Baby! by Tret’yakov, and Bed and Sofa by Room all feature a female protagonist who pursues her own desires (rather than conforming to societal expectations) throughout her narrative arc, which forms the basis for my definition of the Alternative Woman. The Alternative New Woman challenges both traditional and Bolshevik understandings of gender, femininity, and individuality. The Alternative New Woman of the 1920s also explores the changing social and material conditions of everyday life during the New Economic Policy (NEP), especially on topics that are traditionally understood as part of the feminine domain: family, marriage, sexuality, and reproduction.Slavic Languages and Literature

Exploring Variations and Decision-making Processes of the Utilization of Modern Contraceptive Methods During Protracted Violence and Political Instability in Rural Haiti

Background Haiti's protracted sociopolitical instabilities greatly impact healthcare delivery, leading to low family planning coverage of 35%. Short-term contraceptive methods are predominant, making frequent and expensive visits to healthcare facilities necessary. These instabilities also cause disruptions in healthcare services, potentially resulting in missed follow-ups and unintended pregnancies ultimately. Methodology We investigated family planning utilization trends and decision-making in four Haitian communes during prolonged sociopolitical instabilities through a convergent mixed-method study. Secondary quantitative data on family planning service usage from healthcare facilities were collected, alongside data on major sociopolitical events from online newspapers. Linear regressions were employed to analyze the impact of these events on family planning usage. Qualitative data were gathered from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions across the communes. Then inductive content analysis was performed using Dedoose. Results During the study period, 163,179 women aged 15 to 49 utilized the six most common contraceptive methods across four healthcare facilities. Simultaneously, 188 sociopolitical events were recorded, with 80% being national, 10% local, and 10% regional events. In bivariate analysis, we found a negative correlation between stockout of common contraceptives and family planning service utilization -0.64 (95%CI: -0.79, -0.49), p.001. Strikes reduced family planning utilization -0.63 (95%CI: -2.6, 1.35) but, their effect was not statistically significant, p=0.53. Having more than two trained providers was positively correlated with family planning utilization, 1.99 (95%CI:1.8, 2.0). Surprisingly we found an increase in family planning service utilization during gang clashes 1.94 (95%CI: -0.02, 3.9), police-gang clashes 1.8 (95%CI:0.64, 2.9), and gang violence 1.8 (95%CI:0.68, 2.9). After controlling for confounders, the relationship between health facilities characteristics and family planning service utilization remained statistically significant. Inductive qualitative analysis revealed six main themes representing three barriers: 1) accessing healthcare facilities, 2) family planning side effects, and 3) workforce challenges. Additionally, three facilitators for family planning utilization emerged: 4) integrated services, 5) interpersonal influences, and 6) socio-economic challenges. Conclusion Prolonged sociopolitical events impact family planning access, creating both barriers and opportunities. These events may hinder the movement of people and goods, prompting proactive strategies by healthcare professionals and family planning users. Our recommendations include expanding storage capacity, promoting long-acting contraceptives, and improving community-based distribution. The observed positive correlation between family planning service utilization and sociopolitical instabilities suggests increased demand during crises. This highlights the need for timely provisioning of FP supplies to empower communities to navigate ongoing crises effectively.Graduate Educatio

Molecular Insights into Noncanonical Histone Chaperone Complexes

Two fundamental macromolecular complexes required for the survival of eukaryotic cells are nucleosomes, which organize our genetic material (DNA), and ribosomes, which translate the information encoded by genes into functional proteins. The protein subunits of each of these complexes must be faithfully assembled together with DNA (nucleosomes) or RNA (ribosomes) for correct function. My dissertation research focused on two factors, UBE2O and CDAN1, that interact with specific chaperones of histones, the building blocks of nucleosomes, to perform functions linked to protein complex assembly that are particularly important for red blood cell (RBC) production. In Chapter 2, I focus on how UBE2O mediates the quality control of unassembled ribosomal subunit proteins (RPs). RPs that fail to assemble into the ribosome, also called orphan RPs, must be recognized and degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), a cellular protein quality control pathway. UBE2O is a unique ubiquitylation enzyme implicated in RP quality control and ribosome clearance during RBC differentiation. However, the mechanisms of specific RP client selection by UBE2O remain unclear. I describe how the histone chaperone NAP1L1 is repurposed as a substrate adaptor for UBE2O to promote ubiquitylation of orphan RP clients. Our discovery of NAP1L1 as an E3 ligase adaptor for orphan RPs represents a new noncanonical function of this histone chaperone. In Chapter 3, I focus on CDAN1, which interacts with the histone chaperone ASF1. CDAN1 is an essential protein of unknown function that has been reported to bind CDIN1, a predicted endonuclease, and ASF1. Mutations in the CDAN1 or CDIN1 genes cause a specific form of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA). Although ASF1 is required for efficient nucleosome assembly, the role of the CDAN1:ASF1 interaction and its relationship to CDIN1 and histones remains unclear. I combined structural and biochemical approaches to investigate the CDAN1:CDIN1:ASF1 (C:C:A) complex. We demonstrate that the CDAN1 complex blocks multiple functional interfaces of ASF1, including regions that recruit histones, thus forming a noncanonical complex that prevents the binding of typical ASF1 clients. We also find that CDAN1 forms a dimer capable of recruiting multiple copies of ASF1 through previously unappreciated conserved binding motifs that discriminate between the ASF1 paralogs, ASF1A and ASF1B. Altogether, my thesis research reveals new molecular insights into noncanonical histone chaperone interactors.Medical Science

Nanoscale Investigations of Monolayer Thin Films and Heavy Element Materials

During my Ph.D, my work were divided into two parts. First, I spent a lot of time and effort using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow monolayer thin films that have novel quantum properties. Second, I used the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to study cleavable single crystals, including materials with a strong surface Rashba effect and Kondo effect. This dissertation focuses on a subset of the work that I have done in my Ph.D. Part I is about film growth using MBE, which includes three chapters. Chapter 1 gives a general introduction to the characterization tools I used for film growth, including STM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Chapter 2 appears in its entirety in the manuscript: Samantha O’Sullivan, Ruizhe Kang, Jules A. Gardener, Austin J. Akey, Christian E. Matt, and Jennifer E. Hoffman ”Imaging Se diffusion across the FeSe/SrTiO3 interface.” Physical Review B 105, 165407 (2022) There has been a long debate on the exact structure of the FeSe/SrTiO3 interface. Some groups reported a clean interface between the FeSe and the SrTiO3 surface while others observed an additional Se layer. In this chapter, we provided evidence aiming to put an end to this debate. Even though we didn’t observe an ordered Se layer between the film and the substrate, we discovered a significant amount of Se diffused across the monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3 interface using EELS. This work shines light for a possible factor that affect the high-temperature superconductivity at FeSe/SrTiO3 interface. Chapter 3 demonstrates my efforts in growing a monolayer honeycomb bismuth film (bismuthene) on hydrogen-passivated SiC substrates. In this chapter, I have demonstrated the importance of the hydrogen passivation of the SiC substrate and provided evidence of the air sensitivity of the bismuthene film. The second part of this thesis is about STM studies on two cleavable materials composed of heavy elements, BiTeI and UTe3. Chapter 4 is adapted from this manuscript: Ruizhe Kang, Jian-Feng Ge, Yang He, Zhihuai Zhu, Daniel T. Larson, Mohammed Saghir, Jason D. Hoffman, Geetha Balakrishnan, Jennifer E. Hoffman. ”Nanoscale variation of the Rashba energy in BiTeI.” arXiv.2402.18779 The strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) leads to a huge Rashba effect in BiTeI. In this chapter, we observed ring-like charging states on the iodine surface of BiTeI, which could be used as a probe of the local electric field. We extracted the local Rashba energies by fitting the van Hove singularities observed in our scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We discovered that the Rashba energies have nanoscale variations, which positively correlate with the local electric field probed by the charging ring states. Chapter 5 reports the first-ever STM measurement on UTe3, where we measured Kondo resonance. In this chapter, we demonstrate how the Kondo holes affect the local Kondo resonance. We discovered that the Kondo holes in UTe3 will reduce the local q factors and shift the Kondo resonance energies towards the valance band. However, the hybridization factor Γ shows a very weak correlation with the Kondo hole locations, indicating that the Kondo holes could induce some hybridization disorder. This manuscript is in preparation.Engineering and Applied Sciences - Applied Physic

Good, Bad, or Indifferent: Effects of Brain Stimulation for Those Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects the social and behavioral abilities of those who are impacted by it. Because the disorder is not specific in who it affects (due to genetic and environmental factors), it is not easy to pinpoint the cause to apply a solution across the board. Which symptoms are displayed, and the severity in which they are experienced is a roll of the dice. From the time the term autism was first documented to have been spoken, consistent change is all we have known. Today, individuals who are on the spectrum have access to a more inclusive and accommodating experience when compared to historical accounts of those with ASD-like impairments. Person-specific treatment plans and targeted therapies are available to increase quality of life while also managing the symptoms of ASD. While traditional methods such as treatment programs, medication, and the like have given this population relief, I think it is time for us to push the boundaries for our impaired brethren and sistren. Various forms of brain stimulation, as well as electroconvulsive therapy, currently provide alternative treatment measures that may be able to offer more than momentary relief for the individual as well as the caretaker. While the methodology was misused as a weapon in the past, I say we reclaim this restorative tool and look to give this population some life back to their years. By introducing case studies and other works, we will see how this tool can be utilized for the good of the ASD community.Extension Studie