Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi)
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Institutions and Venture Capital
No full textWe survey the literature on venture capital and institutions and present a case study comparing the development of the venture capital market in the United States and Sweden. Our literature survey underscores that the legal environment, financial market development, the tax system, labor market regulations, and public spending on research and development correlate with venture capital activities across countries. Our case study suggests these institutional differences led to the later development of an active venture capital market in Sweden compared with the United States. In particular, a later development of financial markets and a heavier tax burden for entrepreneurs have played a key role.Version of Recor
Thailand’s Economic Dilemmas in Post-Pandemic Asia
No full textWhile Thailand’s health system has fared relatively well through the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s economy faced significant strains and likely a harsher downturn than other economies in Southeast Asia. In particular, the services sector—heavily reliant on international tourism—suffered, and debt levels worsened substantially during the pandemic. Thailand’s economy has steadily recovered following the peak of the pandemic in 2020, with greater optimism coming from the growing trade in goods and growing investments from China and Japan. The tourism sector has also steadily regained strength since the worst points of the pandemic. Despite these recent positive turns, Thailand still faces daunting long-term economic and societal challenges, many of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Household finances appear increasingly stressed and debt levels have risen sharply across the economy. It is unlikely that Thailand will be able to return its tourism industry to 2019 conditions for the next several years. Meanwhile, deteriorating demographics and education enrolments pose serious threats to long-term macroeconomic prospects. Thailand’s population of young people is falling, but the country appears to lack momentum in elevating enrolment rates and improving the quality in secondary and tertiary education. The agriculture sector remains large, with some crop diversification but with limited gains in productivity, in the face of rising competition—for instance, from India and Vietnam. Policymakers may aim to revitalize Thailand’s economic prospects with policies aimed, for instance, at enhancing agricultural productivity, combining and internationalizing higher education institutions, easing restrictions on foreign investments, and promoting greater competition by smaller enterprises against large conglomerates, in addition to efforts to improve on transparency and stability, and reduce corruption, within Thailand’s political system.Version of Recor
Association of objective measures of volume status with blood pressure, cardiac structure, and cardiac function among patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis
No full textBackground Intradialytic hypertension, defined as an increase in BP from pre- to post-hemodialysis (HD), affects
5%–15% of patients receiving maintenance HD and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Hypervolemia is believed to be a major etiological factor, yet the association of more objective biomarkers of
volume status with intradialytic hypertension is not well described.
Methods In a post hoc analysis of the Frequent Hemodialysis Network Daily Trial (n5234), using data from
baseline, 1-, 4-, and 12-month visits (n5800), we used random-effects regression to assess the association of
bioimpedance estimates of volume (vector length) with post-HD systolic BP (continuous) and any increase in
systolic BP (categorical) from pre- to post-HD. We adjusted models for randomized group; age; sex; self-reported
race; Quételet (body mass) index; vascular access; HD vintage; hypertension; history of heart failure; diabetes;
residual kidney function (urea clearance); pre-HD systolic BP; ultrafiltration rate; serum-dialysate sodium
gradient; and baseline values of hemoglobin, phosphate, and equilibrated Kt/V urea.
Results The mean age of participants was 50614 years, 39% were female, and 43% were Black. In adjusted
models, shorter vector length (per 50 V/m) was associated with higher post-HD systolic BP (2.9 mm Hg; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.6 to 4.3) and higher odds of intradialytic hypertension (odds ratio 1.66; 95% CI, 1.07 to
2.55). Similar patterns of association were noted with a more stringent definition of intradialytic hypertension
(.10 mm Hg increase from pre- to post-HD systolic BP), where shorter vector length (per 50 V/m) was
associated with a higher odds of intradialytic hypertension (odds ratio 2.17; 95% CI, 0.88 to 5.36).
Conclusions Shorter vector length, a bioimpedance-derived proxy of hypervolemia, was independently associated with higher post-HD systolic BP and risk of intradialytic hypertension
Atomic-scale design and synthesis of unconventional superconductors
No full textContemporary challenges in computing and energy technologies motivate an understanding of how quantum, electronic, and magnetic phenomena in materials arise from interactions of electrons in crystal lattices. One such phenomenon, high-temperature superconductivity, harbors immense promise for energy storage, transport, and generation, yet has famously eluded a complete or predictive understanding. One approach to this problem is to use the essential features of existing high-temperature superconductors to blueprint the design of new materials that could host superconductivity. In this dissertation, I present complementary approaches to understand and design unconventional superconductors using materials synthesis at the atomic-level, enabled by the technique molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). My principal focus is on the rare-earth nickel oxides (‘nickelates’), a recently identified class of superconductors inspired by the high- cuprates. Using MBE with electronic and structural characterization techniques, we design a new family of nickelate superconductors. By adjusting the number of layers in the nickelate unit cell, we reveal a complete superconducting dome and correlated phase diagram that emerges from atomic structuring of the crystalline lattice. I also discuss an example of how modern advancements in synthesis and characterization technology can enable critical new insight into older superconducting systems. I show the first experimental band structure of MBE-synthesized LiTiO which provides insight into the strong correlations coexisting with superconductivity. This thesis foregrounds the role of atomically-controlled materials synthesis in traversing quantum and correlated phases and channeling new physics
Uncovering Geochemical Evidence for the Moon's High-energy Giant-impact Origin
No full textThe development of new-generation mass-spectrometry has enabled precise measurements for mass-dependent stable isotopic fractionation of metal elements. Ca is one of the most abundant elements in the mantle and crust of terrestrial planets and their moons. However, the behavior and extent of Ca stable isotopic fractionation during magmatic differentiation have yet been clearly understood. As a case study, we measured high-precision Ca stable isotopic data for the late-Permian alkaline igneous suite of the Øyangen Caldera, Oslo Rift, Norway. Our data show minimal Ca isotopic variation in the intermediate magma and a marked increase in 44Ca/40Ca ratio in the felsic magma of the Øyangen Caldera. This systematic increase is best explained by equilibrium isotopic fractionation controlled by plagioclase and alkali feldspar crystallization. The observed prominent fractionation demonstrates Ca-isotopes as a robust tracer of magmatic evolution and warrants broader implementations in studying planetary differentiation.
We further apply this understanding to exploring the crystallization history of the lunar magma ocean. We made new Ca isotope measurements for 13 lunar rocks and minerals. These results, when combined with isotopic modeling of the lunar magma ocean, show that the Ca isotopic compositions of the bulk silicate Earth and Moon are nearly identical. This implied Earth-Moon isotope equilibration supports the Moon’s high-energy giant-impact origin and is not readily explained by the traditional giant-impact models. Furthermore, the magmatic context provided by our Ca and Mg isotope data suggests that an important sample of lunar primitive crust, 60025, is the end product of the lunar magma ocean solidification. Therefore, its absolute ages recalibrate and refine two possible lunar differentiation timescales of (short-lived) or ~130–150 (long-lived) million years due to its debated ages. These new insights from the stable isotopic data call for better lunar chronological data to pair with for a clearer distinction of the lunar differentiation timeline.
Next, we have developed a novel methodology that uses the compositions of pristine lunar anorthosite samples and lunar magma ocean crystallization models to resolve the Moon’s refractory lithophile element compositions, which are key constraints on the Moon formation. The results suggest indistinguishable refractory element compositions of the bulk silicate Moon and Earth. This striking chemical similarity is consistent with the high-energy giant-impact origin and is challenging to reconcile the outcomes of canonical low-energy giant impact conditions.
Lastly, we designed a new numerical modeling approach to directly test the compatibility of the observed lunar chemical compositions with the variously proposed Moon-formation models. The data-model comparison shows that the canonical low-energy giant-impact models could hardly explain the Moon’s similar refractory element compositions to the Earth, even when assuming the impactor is a chemical twin of the proto-Earth. The findings presented in the thesis provide new geochemical evidence for the high-energy formation of the Earth-Moon system and highlight the significance of giant impacts in shaping other solar system bodies and exoplanets
A host–microbiota interactome reveals extensive transkingdom connectivity
No full textThe myriad microorganisms that live in close association with humans have diverse effects on physiology, yet the molecular bases for these impacts remain mostly unknown1,2,3. Classical pathogens often invade host tissues and modulate immune responses through interactions with human extracellular and secreted proteins (the ‘exoproteome’). Commensal microorganisms may also facilitate niche colonization and shape host biology by engaging host exoproteins; however, direct exoproteome–microbiota interactions remain largely unexplored. Here we developed and validated a novel technology, BASEHIT, that enables proteome-scale assessment of human exoproteome–microbiome interactions. Using BASEHIT, we interrogated more than 1.7 million potential interactions between 519 human-associated bacterial strains from diverse phylogenies and tissues of origin and 3,324 human exoproteins. The resulting interactome revealed an extensive network of transkingdom connectivity consisting of thousands of previously undescribed host–microorganism interactions involving 383 strains and 651 host proteins. Specific binding patterns within this network implied underlying biological logic; for example, conspecific strains exhibited shared exoprotein-binding patterns, and individual tissue isolates uniquely bound tissue-specific exoproteins. Furthermore, we observed dozens of unique and often strain-specific interactions with potential roles in niche colonization, tissue remodelling and immunomodulation, and found that strains with differing host interaction profiles had divergent interactions with host cells in vitro and effects on the host immune system in vivo. Overall, these studies expose a previously unexplored landscape of molecular-level host–microbiota interactions that may underlie causal effects of indigenous microorganisms on human health and disease.Accepted Manuscrip
Essays in Public Economics and Labor Economics
No full textThis dissertation is comprised of three chapters. The first two chapters study gender inequality in earnings and its childhood roots. The first chapter studies the determinants of motherhood penalties in earnings. It focuses on childhood environment, the location where women spend their childhood. Childhood environment can influence human capital development opportunities and social norms. This study separates the role played by the childhood environment from the role of parents. The second chapter studies what happens when a dimension of the childhood environment is modified, i.e. the availability of childcare. The effects of an increase in childcare availability on the earnings after childbirth of women who were children at the time of the reform is studied. The third chapter studies the introduction of a tax credit for low-income workers and its spillovers through firms on the wage earnings of ineligible workers
Situation of HDV Infection in Adult Hepatitis B Patients at The Outpatient Clinic of Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City
No full textHepatitis D virus (HDV) infection, also known as delta virus, has been identified as a crucial risk factor contributing to severe complications among hepatitis B patients. Such complications arise as HDV accelerates the progression towards cirrhosis, exacerbates the risk of decompensated cirrhosis, and increases mortality rates compared to non-HDV hepatitis B infections. Despite its clinical significance, data on HDV infection remains scarce, and exhibits marked regional disparities in Viet Nam. This study endeavors to explore HDV co-infection in adult hepatitis B patients.
A descriptive cross-sectional investigation was conducted, involving 539 hepatitis B subjects attending the Outpatient Clinic of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City between October 2021 and May 5, 2022. The study sample featured three hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, 148 patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and nine patients whose ALT levels exceeded five times the upper limit of normal (ULN). Additionally, 11 patients reported a history of blood transfusion, while no participants had any history of intravenous drug use.
Remarkably, the study did not document any instances of HDV co-infection among the subjects. These findings suggest that HDV screening may not be a routine recommendation for patients diagnosed with moderate or mild hepatitis B, particularly when presenting with low-risk factors. Further research is warranted to better understand the prevalence of HDV co-infection in this population and to guide the development of evidence-based screening guidelines.Version of Recor
Cultural Determinants of Economic and Political Outcomes: Gender, Religion and Kinship
No full textThis dissertation explores the cultural determinants of economic and political outcomes, focusing on gender disparities, political polarization, and firm dynamics. The first chapter examines the gender gap in firm leadership, highlighting the influence of religious contexts on the differential performance of male and female leaders in developing countries. The second chapter investigates the impact of women’s suffrage on political polarization in the United States during the early 20th century. Using a state-level panel dataset from 1870 to 1940, the study finds that states that granted women the right to vote experienced a significant decline in political polarization. The findings suggest that this decrease was primarily driven by incumbent politicians adjusting their policy positions in response to the newly enfranchised female electorate, particularly within the Democratic Party. The third chapter delves into the relationship between firm size and kinship ties in developing countries. The analysis demonstrates that strong kinship ties help small firms enter and grow to a certain size, but limit their ability to expand to medium firms. Together, these chapters contribute to understanding how cultural and institutional factors shape economic and political landscapes, offering insights into the complex interplay between gender, politics, and firm growth
Engineering a Novel In Vivo Circuit to Uncover Cell-intrinsic Resistance Mechanisms to Killer Lymphocyte-mediated Cytotoxicity
No full textCytotoxic lymphocytes, such as CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, play an essential role in the elimination of cancer and infected cells. Cancer cells evade detection and clearance by cytotoxic lymphocytes via several mechanisms. These include immune-evasive mechanisms such as orchestrating an immunosuppressive niche, as well as resistance to mediators of cytotoxicity. Granule-mediated cytotoxicity is an essential mechanism by which killer lymphocytes directly lyse their targets. This process involves the release of perforin and granzymes into the immunological synapse, where perforin oligomerization at the target cell membrane facilitates the delivery of granzymes, such as granzyme B (GzmB) into the target cell to induce cell death. Recent reports have shown that cancer cells can resist GzmB-induced cell death via expression of the GzmB inhibitor Serpin B9, autophagy or downregulation of gasdermin E. Identifying the mechanisms by which cancer cells survive cytotoxic lymphocyte attacks is crucial to improving immunotherapy and prevent disease relapse. To identify and characterize cancer cells that are resistant to mediators of cytotoxicity, we have developed a reporter system that allows cytotoxic lymphocytes to irreversibly label the target cells they attack. To build this system, we took advantage of the perforin-GzmB pathway and fused a Cre recombinase to GzmB, which is delivered into the target cell during the cytotoxic attack. Target cells were engineered to express a Cre-inducible mCherry. Thus, cancer cells that survive a cytotoxic attack would be irreversibly labeled with mCherry. This reporter system allows for convenient identification, isolation and characterization of cancer cells that survived a cytotoxic attack to uncover their mechanisms of resistance, potentially paving the way for improved immunotherapies