Genome engineering of stem cells for autonomously regulated, closed-loop delivery of biologic drugs

Chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis are characterized by dysregulated responses to pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Pharmacologic anti-cytokine therapies are often effective at diminishing this inflammatory response but have significant side effects and are used at high, constant doses that do not reflect the dynamic nature of disease activity. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-engineering system, we created stem cells that antagonize IL-1- or TNF-α-mediated inflammation in an autoregulated, feedback-controlled manner. Our results show that genome engineering can be used successfully to rewire endogenous cell circuits to allow for prescribed input/output relationships between inflammatory mediators and their antagonists, providing a foundation for cell-based drug delivery or cell-based vaccines via a rapidly responsive, autoregulated system. The customization of intrinsic cellular signaling pathways in stem cells, as demonstrated here, opens innovative possibilities for safer and more effective therapeutic approaches for a wide variety of diseases

How Australian manufacturing firms perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in the supply chain

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address an important question which centres on investigating how do manufacturing businesses perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in their supply chains (SCs)

New and novel business paradigms in and from China and India

Design/ Methodology: Based on content analysis, we discuss contemporary topics such as innovation, exports, FDI, technology, social capital, board independence as part of corporate governance, and explore novel themes such as consumer behaviour in regards to luxury brands and women entrepreneurship in an emerging country context in this article. This article critically identifies and discusses new and novel business paradigms in China and India. In addition, we examine the new business environment in those countries (2020 onwards) in the context of COVID 19 and explore the challenges and opportunities in the post COVID period. It was found that there are several novel paradigms in the context of China and India. A paradigm shift in diplomatic relations have taken place as an aftermath of COVID-19 in the world. This article explores most of the unique dimensions of new and novel paradigms in the context of China and India

Quality Control Studies of Wavelength Shifting Fibers for a Scintillator- based Tail-Catcher Muon-Tracker Linear Collider Prototype Detector

Detailed measurements of the wavelength shifting fiber response to a stable and reliable light source are presented. Details about materials, a double reference method, and measurement technique are included. The fibers studied were several hundred KURARAY, Y-11, multiclad, 1.2mm outer diameter wavelength shifting fibers each cut from a reel to about one meter length. The fibers were polished, mirrored, and the mirrors were UV epoxy protected. Each fiber passed quality control requirements before installation. About 94% of the fibers have a response within 1% of the overall mea

Quality Control Studies of Wavelength Shifting Fibers for a Scintillator- based Tail-Catcher Muon-Tracker Linear Collider Prototype Detector

Detailed measurements of the wavelength shifting fiber response to a stable and reliable light source are presented. Details about materials, a double reference method, and measurement technique are included. The fibers studied were several hundred KURARAY, Y-11, multiclad, 1.2mm outer diameter wavelength shifting fibers each cut from a reel to about one meter length. The fibers were polished, mirrored, and the mirrors were UV epoxy protected. Each fiber passed quality control requirements before installation. About 94% of the fibers have a response within 1% of the overall mea

SME stakeholder relationship descriptions in website CSR communications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to report on an exploratory, qualitative study of how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) describe their firm’s relationships with or impact on stakeholders when communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) on their websites. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative content analysis was conducted on 22 Australian SME websites from the information media and telecommunications sector. Stakeholder theory was used as the basis for analysis. Findings – An important aspect of CSR communication is reporting the firm’s relationships with stakeholders such as society/communities, ecological environment, employees, customers and suppliers. This paper provides insights into how these relationships are manifested in SME website communications. For example, three-way relationships between the firm and stakeholders were described on some websites, but few explained the impact of their CSR on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – This study concentrated on identifying the CSR communication on websites from one industry sector in Australia. These limitations provide the basis for future research to explore and compare CSR communication on websites by SMEs from other industry sectors and countries. Practical implications – The findings offer SME owner-managers ideas on different ways they can incorporate details of stakeholder relationships in CSR website communications. Originality/value – There has been little research on how SMEs use channels such as websites to communicate CSR. This paper addresses this gap in knowledge by providing insights into how SMEs describe stakeholder relationships in CSR website communications

LCDG4 and DigiSim - Simulation activities at NICADD/NIU

We present two software packages developed to support detector R&D studies for the International Linear Collider. LCDG4 is a full-detector simulator that provides energy deposits from particles traversing the sensitive volumes of the detector. It has been extensively used within the American ILC community, providing data for algorithm development and detector optimization studies. DigiSim models real-life digitization effects, converting the idealized response into simulated detector readout. It has many useful features to improve the realism in modeling detector response. The main characteristics of these two complementary packages are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to LCWS05 conference proceedings. Uses slac_one.rt