Expert Systems For Sustainable Fibre Processing - A New Approach Through Machine Learning

The consequences of the climate crisis are driving an increase in demand for more sustainable fibre materials. The textile industry is experiencing a demand for more sustainable fibre materials as a market pull, whereas a significant technology push for processing these fibres is not yet visible. Traditionally, operators were tasked with the processing of common materials (e.g. cotton) and compensating for changes in their batch properties. Consequently, operators have not been trained to process non-conventional fibre materials. Consequently, the optimal settings for processing these materials are not included in the operator’s personal experience. This experience typically encompasses the state-of-the-art range of operating settings. These typically comprise the alteration of three to four main settings. To address these issues, an expert system for processing innovative fibre materials is developed within the scope of the ITA SmartMill. The SmartMill will combine expert knowledge and data collected from processing fibre materials through the utilisation of machine learning approaches. The final result will be an expert system that provides recommendations and enables operators to derive trends, thereby supporting the exploration of new operating ranges. In this paper, the development of a guideline for the formalised documentation of the processing of fibre materials is proposed. By following the guideline, a database containing important properties and processing data of very different fibres is created. Based on this work, an algorithm will be selected so that the expert system will be able to assist the operator in setting up the processes with recommendations based on the database and historical observations

Immigrant Engagement in Public Open Space: Strategies for the New Boston

Today, almost 30% of Boston residents were born outside the United States and of these, nearly half came from Latin America, a quarter from Asia, and almost 10% from Africa. The future of the city's open space system - how much land is set aside, and how that land is designed, maintained, and used - will increasingly depend on the passion and commitment of families and communities who may not see themselves or their interests reflected in the city's public lands.In this paper, we consider some of the ways in which recent immigrants to Boston connect (and do not connect) to public parks and open spaces. Our goal is two-fold: to explore alternative ways of "seeing" and using parks and open spaces in different communities in the city, as well as to highlight specific strategies, both here and across the country, that successfully engage urban residents born outside the United States. If Boston's civic spaces are to be celebrated in the future as they have been in the past, they must come to reflect the new diversity of Boston's people. Our hope is that these stories and models will encourage more culturally resonant uses of parks and other public open spaces, and equip policy makers and environmental organizations to partner more fully with newcomer communities - in Boston and beyond

Only Connect: How an Investment in Relationships Among Social Change Leaders Is Changing Them, Their Organizations, and Their City

· After years of leading social-sector organizations in an environment where competition is more the norm than collaboration, many gifted leaders are near burnout, unable to maximize their gifts. Since 2005, the Barr Fellowship has been changing that in Boston. · This network of leaders, created by the Barr Foundation, is based on the hypothesis that recognizing talented leaders and investing in their personal growth and connections with one another will result in individual, collective, and city transformation. · A longtime funder of networks, Barr designed the fellowship as a “connectivity” network, where collective actions and shared agendas might emerge but would not be imposed. In this way, the fellowship exemplifies what has been described as “ambidextrous philanthropy” – rooted in strategy yet also in values; focused on outcomes, yet also responsive. · This article describes the theory of change; strategy; evaluation methodology (including network mapping); results – for Barr Fellows, their organizations, and Boston; and how the program fits within an approach to philanthropy that embraces the long view. It discusses implications for funders interested in supporting connectivity networks

A resource guide: Mainstreaming a child with a hearing impairment: What teachers need to know

This paper is intended as a resource for teachers by providing information and teaching strategies to help meet the needs of children with a hearing impairment in the mainstream educational setting

One App to Test Them All - Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing a Remote Sampling System in Anti-Doping Work

Triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and driven by the need to save financial and environmental resources when conducting in-person anti-doping tests, a remote sampling system (RSS) was developed that may foster the digital transformation of anti-doping work. Since research on factors affecting RSS implementation is limited, we apply the Extended Valence Framework (EVF) with decomposed core constructs as the theoretical lens to qualitatively examine perceived benefits, risks, and trust perceptions associated with RSS implementation from multiple organizational perspectives. Interviews with twelve C-level representatives of anti-doping organizations indicate support for RSS implementation, as interviewees perceive a positive net balance of benefits and risks. However, the regulatory authority expressed skepticism due to perceived risks and limited trust perception. Our results contribute to IS research by providing a contextualized EVF for future qualitative and quantitative research. Moreover, we offer practical proposals to address perceived risks and promote reciprocal trust when implementing an RSS

Gaschromatographisch/massenspektrometrische Quantifizierung von oral verabreichten deuterierten Sterolen im Serum als Indikatoren für die intestinale Sterolresorption im Rahmen einer klinischen Studie zur Wirkung von Ezetimib und Simvastatin

Einführung: Zur Bestimmung der intestinalen Resorption von Sterolen in klinischen Studien wird die continuous feeding dual stable isotope method verwendet. Dazu nehmen die Studienteilnehmer mit Deuterium (D) markierte Sterole oral zu sich und danach wird der Anteil der nicht-resorbierten markierten Sterole in den Faeces bestimmt. Das regelmäßige Sammeln der Faecesproben erfordert eine gute Compliance der Studienteilnehmer. Eine Quantifizierung der resorbierten deuterierten Sterole im Serum wurde bisher aufgrund ihrer sehr niedrigen Konzentrationen im Serum nicht durchgeführt. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, eine gaschromatographisch/massenspektrometrische (GC/MS) Methode zur Quantifizierung von deuteriertem und natürlichem Cholesterol, Campesterol und Sitosterol im Serum aufzubauen, um anschließend den Zusammenhang zwischen den Serumkonzentrationen der Sterole und der Cholesterolresorption zu untersuchen. Methoden: Von 37 männlichen Patienten mit Hypercholesterolämie wurden insgesamt 148 Blutproben untersucht. Die Patienten nahmen an einer Cross-Over-Studie zur Wirkung von Placebo, Simvastatin, Ezetimib und der Kombination von Simvastatin plus Ezetimib auf die Cholesterolresorption und -synthese teil. In der jeweils letzten Woche der vier jeweils siebenwöchigen Behandlungsphasen nahmen die Studienteilnehmer dreimal täglich eine Kapsel mit D6-Cholesterol, D6-Campesterol, D6-Sitosterol sowie D4-Sitostanol als nicht resorbierbaren Marker oral zu sich. An den letzten vier Tagen der Kapseleinnahme wurden Stuhlproben für die Bestimmung der Sterolresorption gesammelt. Die Serumproben wurden jeweils am Ende jeder Behandlungsphase gewonnen und mit den Faecesproben bis zur Analyse bei -20°C gelagert.Ergebnisse: Um die deuterierten Sterole simultan mit den entsprechend natürlich vorkommenden Sterolen in den Serumproben zu quantifizieren, wurden, basierend auf einer etablierten Methode, zuverlässige GC/MS-Methoden mit hohem Nachweisvermögen erfolgreich aufgebaut, validiert und angewendet. Die absoluten und insbesondere cholesterol-standardisierten Serumkonzentrationen von D6-Cholesterol, D6-Campesterol, D6-Sitosterol korrelierten unter der Behandlung mit Placebo signifikant positiv mit der Cholesterolresorption (r zwischen 0,578 und 0,731; P 6-Cholesterol war unter Simvastatin im Mittel um 7,5 % erhöht gegenüber Placebo (P = 0,037) und unter Ezetimib und Simvastatin plus Ezetimib signifikant erniedrigt (-52 % bzw. -47 %, P P = 0,114 Ezetimib vs. Simvastatin plus Ezetimib). Die mittleren Änderungen des Serumquotienten reflektierten die Änderungen der Cholesterolresorption in den Behandlungsphasen (Simvastatin: +7 %, P = 0,051; Ezetimib: -57 %, P P P = 0,186 vs. Ezetimib).Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die cholesterol-standardisierten Serumkonzentrationen von oral verabreichtem D6-Cholesterol, D6-Campesterol, D6-Sitosterol Indikatoren für die Effizienz der Sterolresorption bei Hypercholesterolämiepatienten darstellen und dass insbesondere die Quantifizierung von D6-Cholesterol im Verhältnis zu Cholesterol im Serum mittels GC/MS als vereinfachtes Verfahren anstelle der continuous feeding dual stable isotope method verwendet werden kann, um Änderungen der Cholesterolresorption zu untersuchen.Gaschromatographic/mass spectrometric quantification of orally administered deuterated sterols in serum as indicators of intestinal sterol absorptionIntroduction: The continuous feeding dual stable isotope method is applied for the determination of intestinal absorption of sterols in clinical trials. For this purpose deuterium-labeled (d) sterols are administered orally and afterwards the proportion of non-absorbed labeled sterols is determined in feces of the study participants. The regular collection of fecal samples requires a good compliance of the study participants. Quantification of absorbed deuterated sterols in serum has not been performed yet due to their very low concentrations in serum. The objective of the present work was to establish a gaschromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method for quantification of deuterated and natural cholesterol, campesterol and sitosterol in serum in order to examine the relation between serum concentrations of sterols and cholesterol absorption. Methods: 148 blood samples of 37 male patients with hypercholesterolemia were assayed. The patients took part in a cross-over study on the effects of placebo, simvastatin, ezetimibe and a combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe on cholesterol absorption and synthesis. In the last week of each of the four seven-week-treatment periods study participants swallowed a capsule three times daily containing the deuterated sterols d6-cholesterol, d6-campesterol, d6-sitosterol together with d4-sitostanol as non-absorbable marker. Fecal samples were collected on the last four days of capsule intake for determination of sterol absorption. Serum samples were attained at the end of each treatment period and were stored frozen together with the fecal samples at -20°C until analysis.Results: For the simultaneous determination of the labeled and corresponding non-labeled sterols in serum samples reliable GC/MS-methods with high sensitivity were established, validated, and successfully applied. The absolute and particularly the cholesterol-standardized concentrations of d6-cholesterol, d6-campesterol, d6-sitosterol in serum exhibited a significantly positive correlation with cholesterol absorption under placebo treatment (r between 0,578 and 0,731; P 6-cholesterol (expressed as ratio to cholesterol) in serum was increased by 7,5 % on average under treatment with simvastatin compared to placebo (P = 0,037) and significantly decreased by ezetimibe monotherapy and combination treatment with ezetimibe plus simvastatin (-52 % and -47 %, respectively; P P = 0,114 for ezetimibe vs. simvastatin plus ezetimibe). The mean changes of the ratio d6-cholesterol/cholesterol in serum reflected the changes of cholesterol absorption during the treatment periods (simvastatin: +7 %, P = 0,051; ezetimibe: -57 %, P P P = 0,186 vs. ezetimibe).Conclusion: The results suggest that cholesterol-standardized concentrations of orally administered d6-cholesterol, d6-campesterol, d6-sitosterol in serum are indicators of cholesterol absorption efficiency in patients with hypercholesterolemia and that quantification of particularly d6-cholesterol as ratio to cholesterol in serum by GC/MS can be used as an easier approach to replace the continuous feeding dual stable isotope method for examining changes in cholesterol absorption

Modeling the interplay of religious faith and business

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-74).Believing at Work asks what difference religious faith makes in business. It suggests that professionals who infuse their work with transcendent, religious purposes may experience a shift in their mental models, which can become a marketplace advantage. This shift moves individuals from being internally focused on pursuing happiness to being externally, other-focused, driven to improve the world. In business terms, this translates to a shift from profit-centrism to Corporate Social Responsibility. While some modern theorists maintain that business' only responsibility is to maximize shareholder value, this is increasingly a minority view. In the modern, global economy, decisions by individuals and firms are widely recognized to have deep impacts the world over-not only on shareholder value, but on the environment, and on human rights. In this context, firms are finding that Corporate Social Responsibility is not only politically expedient, but strategically necessary. To effectively make this shift, firms must become more externally focused, recognizing and acting upon their potential to impact the world for good or ill.(cont.) As this same external focus is fundamental to many of the world's religions, this thesis argues that those who are grounded in such values can realize marketplace advantage over their secular peers. To develop this argument, we begin with a survey of modern business literature. This highlights both the obstacles to integrating religious faith and business, and the range of views for how they can and should (or shouldn't) come together. From there, we search for historical precedent for these views. Anchored in Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments and Max Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, we explore the fundamental dynamics driving human behavior in capitalist systems, in addition to the tensions and possible synergies between religious faith and secular work. We then synthesize these concepts in a causal loop diagram, which allows us to suggest the perspectives and behaviors that may manifest when faith-work integration is low, moderate, or high. Finally, we test and refine these hypotheses against experiences of contemporary businesspersons and religious leaders. These allow us to examine and articulate real examples of faith-based marketplace advantage.by Stefan G. Lanfer.M.B.A

Modeling Cell-Cell Interactions in Parkinson’s Disease Using Human Stem Cell-Based Models

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most frequently occurring movement disorder, with an increasing incidence due to an aging population. For many years, the post-mortem brain was regarded as the gold standard for the analysis of the human pathology of this disease. However, modern stem cell technologies, including the analysis of patient-specific neurons and glial cells, have opened up new avenues for dissecting the pathologic mechanisms of PD. Most data on morphological changes, such as cell death or changes in neurite complexity, or functional deficits were acquired in 2D and few in 3D models. This review will examine the prerequisites for human disease modeling in PD, covering the generation of midbrain neurons, 3D organoid midbrain models, the selection of controls including genetically engineered lines, and the study of cell-cell interactions. We will present major disease phenotypes in human in vitro models of PD, focusing on those phenotypes that have been detected in genetic and sporadic PD models. An additional point covered in this review will be the use of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived technologies to model cell-cell interactions in PD