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HPA 23-321 (In the Matter of 941 Westminster St., NW.)
No full text[MD]
*HPA No.: 23-321
*In the Matter of: 941 Westminster St., NW
*Date of Order: 05/24/2024
*Type of Case/Type of Permit Sought: After-the-fact permit for addition
*Disposition: Approved
*Subject Matter(s): Consistency with the purposes of the Preservation Act
Owner Mark Schamel sought an after-the-fact permit for a staircase to a roof deck on his row house, located in the U Street Historic District. The Mayor’s Agent here approved the permit.
A permit had initially been granted for the owner to build a spiral staircase to the roof deck, which the HPO found to be more appropriate for the site, but the builder put in a straight staircase. The HPRB held a hearing and denied the after-the-fact permit, since the spiral staircase was “more consistent with the character of the historic district.” Following the HPRB’s denial, the owner sought a hearing with the Mayor’s Agent. At the hearing, he presented evidence that the straight staircase was safer, and that the straight staircase was “consistent with the rears of the houses in the historic district.”
The Mayor’s Agent can approve a permit for alteration, as long as the alteration is “consistent with the purposes” of the Preservation Act, which are “to retain and enhance those properties which contribute to the character of the historic district and to encourage their adaptation for current use,” and “to assure that alterations of existing structures are compatible with the character of the historic district.” D.C. Code §§ 6-1105(f), 6-1101(b)(1). The Mayor’s agent considers the judgments of the HPRB but is not formally bound by them. In re 528 4th Street, SE, HPA No. 22-145, at 3 (Nov. 4, 2022). In this case, the Mayor’s Agent approved the permit, because the “straight staircase both adapts the home for current use and is consistent with the character of the historic district.” He cited the fact that the roof deck and stairs are only visible in the rear alley from an “oblique angle,” as well as the fact that many alleys in the historic district have roof decks with both straight and spiral stairways. In addition, the alterations are reversible, “involving no significant damage to the actual historic fabric.” There are also no guidelines in DC regarding such stairways or roof decks. The Mayor’s Agent disagreed with the HRPB, finding that the fact that the spiral staircase is “less conspicuous” is not relevant. Finally, he specified that the HPRB should not deny a permit after the fact because an applicant previously had constructed in violation of a previous permit. Rather, applications for an after-the-fact permit should be considered “without regard to the permit violation.
The Impact of Education and Clinical Decision Facilitators on Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Rates for Heart Failure Patients
No full textD.N.P.Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a Class I recommendation that has been underutilized among providers and patients alike. The literature has cited different issues contributing to low CR referral rates, such as providers’ lack of knowledge about CR and unfounded attitudes and perceptions about the benefits of CR. However, research has demonstrated that CR participation has been shown to improve patients’ functional capacity, decrease cardiac mortality, and reduce hospital readmissions. There is a remarkable disparity in provider referrals to CR for patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) compared to patients with other cardiovascular conditions. A needs analysis of the project site revealed a similar gap in CR referral trends among HFrEF patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have expanded CR coverage to HFrEF patients, but there are specific criteria for patient eligibility.A quality improvement project was conducted on a single inpatient cardiology unit at an urban hospital. Retrospective and prospective data were analyzed to compare CR referral rates in HFrEF patients. The project’s primary aim was to improve CR referral rates for HFrEF patients through provider education, bi-weekly e-mail reminders, and a clinical decision algorithm with CMS criteria. Provider attitudes and beliefs toward CR were measured using the Provider Attitudes Toward Cardiac Rehabilitation & Referral Scale (PACRR). The secondary aims of the project were to compare pre- and post-PACRR scores two months after the practice change, and to evaluate differences in PACRR scores between types of providers. The project included 13 providers, including four attending physicians, five residents, three nurse practitioners, and one physician assistant. The results demonstrated an insignificant decrease in CR referral rates from 43.6% to 37.5%. The practice change did increase providers’ total PACRR scores, with statistical significance noted in the mean subscales for referral norms, preference to manage patients independently of CR, and perceptions of program quality (
Decoding Beijing: Book Review of Susan Shirk's "Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise"
No full textCopper Catalyzed sp3 C-H Functionalization
No full textPh.D.Creating C-C bonds is crucial in organic synthesis, drawing significant research attentionfor efficient C-C coupling protocols. While late transition metals have been effective in
transforming sp2 C-H bonds into various functional groups like alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, and alkynyl
groups, sp3 C-H functionalization is still developing. Our goal is to provide new approaches to sp3
C-H functionalization using environmentally friendly earth-abundant metals.
The Warren group has utilized β-diketiminate copper(I) catalyst with di-tert-butyl peroxide
as an oxidant to achieve sp3 C-H functionalization. Using acetophenone as the reactant, we unveiled
a novel pathway for direct sp3 C-H acetylation. The critical intermediate, a copper(II) enolate, can
either undergo self-dimerization or engage in C-C cross-coupling with an alkyl radical.
In the past, sp3 C-H alkenylation had inherent challenges, either with substrates featuring
highly acidic C-H bonds for alkenylation or being restricted to styrenylation. We have developed
a catalytic sp3 C-H alkenylation method using alkenylboronic esters via the radical relay
mechanism. Additionally, we observed that the key reaction intermediate [CuII]-CH=CMe2
exhibits a strong radical character at the sp2 α-carbon. This radical nature makes it prone to
dimerization, radical capture, and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), as characterized through both
computational and experimental studies. Particularly noteworthy is the potential of the [CuII]-
alkenyl intermediate for HAT, which can serve as a novel reagent for generating radicals in other
types of radical coupling reactions.
Furthermore, we discovered a system capable of performing sp3 C-H borylation using
diboron species ((RO)2B-B(OR)2) on cyclohexane without the need for a metal catalyst. We also
conducted an in-depth investigation into the mechanism of metal-free C-H borylation. However,
this metal-free borylation method is only effective with cyclohexane substrate. To broaden the
substrate scope, we employed the radical relay method and utilized a copper(I) β-
diketiminate catalyst for benzylic C-H borylation. Additionally, we observed that the
transmetalation rate for forming copper(II) boryl intermediates is influenced by the steric
hindrance of the diboron species
Girls Against Gods: Divinity as the Antagonist for the Morally Grey Female Protagonist in Contemporary Fantasy
No full textM.A.N
Monitoring and Modulating the Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata and Superior Colliculus in a Rat Model of Genetic Absence Epilepsy
No full textPh.D.Epilepsy is a common neurologic condition, affecting nearly 1% of the population. While anti-seizure medications are effective for many patients, nearly one third of individuals have seizures that go untreated. One alternative approach, deep brain stimulation (DBS), has become increasingly applied. In efforts to increase DBS efficacy, current research seeks to characterize excitatory and inhibitory patterns within regions that influence seizure suppression. The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) has been a key target of investigation and, when inhibited, shows potent anti-convulsant effects across a range of models. These effects have been suggested to be mediated by disinhibition of the deep layers of the superior colliculus (DLSC) – a primary target of SNpr GABAergic output. Activation of the DLSC is potently anticonvulsant in several experimental models. Nevertheless, both of these regions’ anti-convulsant effects have not been established in chronic spontaneous seizure models. Furthermore, the seizure derived neuronal activation patterns within each of these regions has been under investigated. Therefore, these studies assessed the cellular activation profiles within the SNr and the DLSC in response to spontaneous seizures in the WAG/Rij rat absence seizure model, and sought to determine the efficacy of optogenetic stimulation as a means for seizure suppression. In this dissertation we found that SNr activity increases as a result of seizure onset and that subsequent open-loop optogenetic inhibiton of the SNr attenuates spontaneous seizures. Correspondingly, activity within the DLSC decreases in the seconds leading up to seizures, acting as a precise but not specific predictor of seizure onset. Modulation of this physiological decrease through optogenetic activation of the DLSC effectively reduces seizure burden and suppresses seizures in real-time.
Building off of decades of research surrounding anti-convulsant seizure circuits, this work supports both the SNr and DLSC as potent anticonvulsant targets and highlights the specific cellular dynamics that may be influencing their role in seizure suppression
Essays on Industrial Organization in Energy Markets
No full textPh.D.The speed at which electricity generation can transition to green energy sources depends in part on the incentives of coal and natural gas plants to enter or exit. Chapter 1 of this dissertation examines how the design of government subsidies and the costs of renewables shape those strategies. To do so, I formulate a nonstationary dynamic model of generator entry and exit that incorporates heterogeneity in entry costs and nests it within a dynamic, hourly model of competition in the wholesale electricity market. I estimate the model using data from Texas. I find that renewable subsidies in place in 2005--20 reduce cumulative CO2 emissions by 1.71 billion tons through 2060, largely because of a dynamic mechanism: they shift expectations about future competition and thereby reduce the entry of new coal plants very early in the transition. I further show that, by leveraging the dynamic mechanism, a short-horizon subsidy can more effectively reduce carbon emissions with less tax burden by bunching more wind investment and intensifying competition earlier for coal power plants.Chapter 2 of this dissertation, co-authored with Xincheng Qiu and Chenyu Yang, studies the impacts of a large-scale but short-lived industrial policy in China’s coal market. In 2016, major coal-producing provinces in China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, reduced coal mining capacity by 16%, triggering a 60% price surge. We estimate a parsimonious model of China’s coal demand and supply to quantify the impact of the policy. We find that the policy reduces consumer surplus by 157.8 billion RMB and increases producer surplus by 176.5 billion RMB. Environmental costs for domestic residents are reduced by 4.46-13.54 billion RMB and the policy generates global environmental benefits from reducing CO2 emissions by 53.82-414.94 billion RMB
DUTY TO SERVE: REINTEGRATION FOR SERVICE MEMBERS AT HIGH RISK WITH POLICY AND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
No full textM.A.L.S.This thesis aims to underline society's duty to provide for our service members who have sacrificed life and limb on behalf of a country that has historically continued with business as usual upon their return. Duty to serve not only represents our military members’ duty to serve, but also the duty of the government and civilian society to serve the service member. The paper will analyze some of the existing military transition programs in the United States, their effectiveness as well as their shortcomings and weaknesses, and discuss some of the major problems reported by service members in transition. The analysis will focus on better identifying those at higher risk, such as those who suffered an emotionally traumatic experience while serving or had suffered a severe service-related injury during combat, minority service members, and those with mental health problems. Finally, the paper will recommend novel ways, incorporating Georgetown’s values of Cura Personalis that will consider the whole person, to help them successfully reintegrate into society (such as HRV Biofeedback and Virtual Reality), alternative therapies (Group Therapy, ACT, and EFT), and spirituality (contemplative practices). A summary of findings will be presented, and recommendations will be made for ways forward
Calcium and Cadmium Activate Estrogen Related Receptor Beta to Mediate Cell Stemness and Pluripotency
No full textPh.D.Estrogen related receptor beta (ESRRB) is thought to be an orphan receptor, that collaborates with the other core network of transcription factors (TFs) to regulate cell stemness and pluripotency. Calcium is involved in several key pathways regulating cell pluripotency and cell renewal, such as Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, transforming growth factor (TGF) beta, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathways. This study investigates whether ESRRB is activated by calcium or cadmium and participates in the signaling pathways that govern cell stemness and pluripotency, explores the transcriptomic and biological changes of metal activation of ESRRB, and reveals the underlying mechanisms by which metals active ESRRB. In HEK293T cells, treatment with calcium or cadmium induced the expression of ESRRB regulated genes that was blocked by an ESRRB antagonist. In MDA-MB-453 cells, treatment with calcium, cadmium, or GSK4716 enhanced the localization of ESRRB in the nucleus, increased the recruitment of ESRRB and RNA polymerase 2 to estrogen related response elements and induced the expression of ESRRB downstream genes that was blocked by an ESRRB antagonist, especially estrogen receptor alpha. Mutational analysis and molecular docking identified the potential interaction sites of calcium and cadmium with the ligand binding domain of ESRRB. The results suggest that calcium is a natural ligand of ESRRB and cadmium, which mimics calcium, activate ESRRB to mediate cell stemness and pluripotency