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Bordism and projective space bundles
No full textWe prove that total spaces of CP^2-bundles generate the oriented cobordism ring Omega*. Combined with the surgery lemma [8, 22], this yields a somewhat different proof of Gromov’s and Lawson’s theorem [8] that all simply connected non-spin manifolds of dimension at least 5 admit metrics of positive scalar curvature
Building bridges in education: Exploring how engineering and MBA students can work together to help the environment using biodiesel
No full textThe growing demand for alternative fuels has propelled biodiesel into the spotlight as a viable solution. This case study at Manhattan College exemplifies interdisciplinary collaboration between chemical engineering and business students. It focuses on transforming waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, offering an eco-friendly fuel source and glycerin for soap and candle production. MBA students conducted a feasibility analysis for these products. Promising applications emerged: Biodiesel for generators, glycerin-based soap, and candles. This experience equips students with practical skills and emphasizes the value of engineering-business partnerships in education, encouraging cross-disciplinary teamwork and sustainable innovation
Clinical Post-SARS-CoV-2 Infection Scenarios in Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Cancer Patients in Three German Cancer Centers: A Retrospective Analysis
No full textCOVID-19 vaccines have become an integral element in the protection of cancer patients against SARS-CoV-2. To date, there are no direct comparisons of the course of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients between the pre- and post-vaccine era. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact on cancer in COVID-19 vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients from three German cancer centers. Overall, 133 patients with SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in pre- and post-vaccine eras: 84 non-vaccinated and 49 vaccinated, respectively. A mild course of COVID-19 was documented more frequently in vaccinated patients (49% vs. 29%), while the frequency of severe and critical courses occurred in approximately one-half of the non-vaccinated patients (22% vs. 42%, p = 0.023). Particularly, patients with hematologic neoplasms benefited from vaccination in this context (p = 0.031). Admissions to intermediate- and intensive-care units and the necessity of non-invasive and invasive respiratory support were reduced by 71% and 50% among vaccinated patients, respectively. The median length of admission was 11 days for non-vaccinated and 5 days for vaccinated patients (p = 0.002). COVID-19 mortality was reduced by 83% in vaccinated patients (p = 0.046). Finally, the median time from SARS-CoV-2 infection to restarting cancer therapy was 12 and 26 days among vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups, respectively (p = 0.002). Although this study does not have enough power to perform multivariate analyses to account for confounders, it provides data on COVID-19 in non-vaccinated and vaccinated cancer patients and illustrates the potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccines for these patients
Comeback in Sicht? Was Corona für die deutsche Wirtschaft bedeutet:Interview mit Prof. Dr. Manfred Krafft
No full textDie deutsche Wirtschaft ist im zweiten Quartal aufgrund der Corona-Krise im Rekordtempo eingebrochen. Wie lange sie brauchen wird, um wieder auf die Beine zu kommen, beantwortet Prof. Dr. Manfred Krafft, Direktor des Instituts für Marketing, im Podcast. Gleichzeitig erklärt er, wie ein solcher Einbruch eigentlich berechnet wird, welche psychologischen Folgen die Krise mit sich bringt und wie sich eine mögliche zweite Infektionswelle auf die Wirtschaft auswirken würde
Five-to-Seven Carbon Glycols Severely Impair Bioenergetics and Metabolism of Aggressive Lung Cancer Cells
No full textLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the vast majority of the histological subtypes and at advanced stage exhibits extremely low survival rate. Certain compounds, such as glycols, inhibit migration and decreased viability of the highly metastatic NSCLC cells A549_3R has been recently shown. The glycols-induced effects are associated with a parallel reduction of ATP production, detected in A549_3R spheroids embedded in 3D desmoplastic-like extracellular matrix, following overnight treatment. Herein, selected glycols are tested for their ability to acutely compromise bioenergetics, metabolism, and viability of A549_3R cells. Therefore, 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PD), 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HD), and 1,7-heptanediol (1,7-Hept) turn out to be the most effective. They interfere with key enzymes in glycolysis and elicit most or all of the following responses: acute collapse of the critical mitochondrial membrane potential, substantial reduction of ATP, pyruvate and L-lactate levels, and massive increase in reactive oxygen species production. Moreover, computational docking analysis reveals that the glycols bind to the substrate-binding residues of lactate dehydrogenase A, which catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate and lactate and is upregulated in aggressive tumors. Hence, the effective glycols may be promising anticancer compounds, or lead substances, for localized and intratumoral applications
Gender Empowerment in Agriculture Interventions: What Are We Still Missing? Evidence From a Randomized-Controlled Trial Among Coffee Producers in Honduras
No full textLatin-American coffee production has largely relegated women to specific family labor tasks, such as berry picking or cooking. But recent years have seen an increasing number of interventions to empower women in the agricultural sector, including coffee. As a contribution to the growing literature on women's empowerment in agriculture, this article draws on a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate a gender empowerment project among coffee producers in Honduras. Previous RCT evaluations of gender empowerment interventions have focused on average treatment effects and paid less attention to the diversity of responses in the sample. This article evaluates the effect of a project to empower women in Honduras' coffee sector but pays attention to how the intervention interacted with the amount of land owned by women to produce different outcomes. The intervention consisted of 12 workshops offered to families in 10 coffee-producing groups. The baseline and end-line surveys (2016–2018) included a sample of 88 families (41 intervention and 47 control, from 4 to 5 communities respectively). Results showed limited effects of the intervention on women's empowerment for the pooled sample, but it found heterogeneous positive effects for land-owning women. Women who owned land and received the treatment scored fewer points on a deprivation score, had input over more decisions related to the use of household income, and were more satisfied with their leisure time. For quantity of land owned, this article also found positive heterogeneous effects for the same variables, and additionally for confidence speaking in public. Results suggest that projects to empower women might benefit from a more nuanced approach to the heterogeneity within the target population
