64 research outputs found
DSC prize interviews: celebrating on South Asian literature
No full textAt the end of November the shortlist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature was revealed at LSE. Sonali Campion conducted interviews at the event with the prize’s co-founder Surina Narula MBE, shortlisted author Romesh Gunesekera and chair of the judging panel Keki Daruwalla. On the eve of the Jaipur Literature Festival where the DSC Prize winner will be announced, India at LSE shares their reflections on the prize, the shortlist and writing about South Asia
Abstract 603: Evaluation of CD19 targeted T cells in relapsed or refractory ALL patients unable to afford allogenic bone marrow transplant in India
No full textAbstract
CAR-T cell therapy has demonstrated remarkable success in long-term remission of relapsed or refractory B-ALL. Unlike western countries, most of the relapsed/refractory B-ALL patients in India are unable to afford allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT), and simply choose palliation. To assess the potential use of CAR-T cells as a first line therapy, it is critical to evaluate CAR-T cell efficacy in patients unable to undergo allo-SCT. As a first step, a novel anti-CD19 CAR was designed and CD19-vector was produced using lentiviral mediated gene delivery system. To generate CD19+CAR T cells, T cells from healthy subjects were transduced and expanded either with rIL-2 or rIL-15. Almost 20-50% transduced T cells express CD19-CAR on their surface as analysed by flow cytometry. Next, efficacy of CD19-CAR-T cells was examined by cytotoxicity assay using CD19+ malignant B cell lines (Raji cells) and autologous B cells. CAR-T cells were able to kill majority of CD19+B cells effectively (100% killing). In addition, CAR-T cells secreted high levels of IFNΓ and IL-2. The CAR-T cells expanded in presence of rIL-15 showed fewer Treg compared to CAR-T cells expanded using rIL-2, however, there were no differences in numbers of T stem cells (TSC) and central memory T cells (TCM). In addition to data on healthy volunteers reflected above, results of above tests in relapsed/ refractory B-ALL patients is ongoing and being collated for inclusion in the final analysis. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the successful development of an indigenous CAR-T cell platform for subsequent use in clinical trials of CD19+B cell malignancies.
Citation Format: Alka Dwivedi, Sushant Kumar, Terry Fry, Gaurav Narula, Rahul Purwar. Evaluation of CD19 targeted T cells in relapsed or refractory ALL patients unable to afford allogenic bone marrow transplant in India [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 603. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-603</jats:p
Thin Cu film resistivity using four probe techniques: Effect of film thickness and geometrical shapes
No full textUncertainty Assessment in Hydrological Modelling Using Polynomial Chaos Expansion
No full textHydrological models are powerful tools that simulate the natural hydrological cycle and natural processes like surface runoff, groundwater flow, and evapotranspiration, which are needed to be understood and quantified for a wide range of applications like water resource management, climate change impact assessment, flood studies and water quality assessment. Errors and uncertainties are bound to creep into the modelling process because of various reasons like incomplete understanding and representation of the natural phenomena, model errors, approximation errors, and parameter uncertainties. This study aims to efficiently quantify the parameter uncertainty by making use of surrogate modeling techniques. There is an inherent trade-off between model complexity and the parameter uncertainty i.e., parameter uncertainty usually increases if complex hydrological model with high model accuracy is employed, but the required computational effort would increase significantly. Considering this tradeoff, one lumped, conceptual model (HYMOD) and one semi-distributed, process-based model (SWAT) for a small (179 km2) and mid-sized (2318 km2) watershed are considered for this study. Hydrological modelling processes are frequently hampered by computationally costly simulations. Consequently, modellers can opt a surrogate model which is a machine learning model that approximates another model but requires less computational effort. This thesis uses Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) method of surrogacy which represents an accurate approximation of the model as the sum of carefully selected polynomials, each separately weighted. The aim of this study is to use Polynomial Chaos Expansion to 1) Improve the calibration and uncertainty assessment procedure for HYMOD, and 2) Quantify parameter uncertainties in SWA
Low cost thermoplastic composites: An empirical approach
No full textIn this report, the possibility of replacing high performance thermoplastic polymers with alternative low-cost ones is investigated. Since thermoplastics offer fast processing times and the opportunity to use efficient production processes which are not suitable for thermosets, they are an attractive materialsystem for the aerospace/automobile industry. However, the processing and procurement costs are a limiting factor for high grade thermoplastic polymers.Candidate alternatives are looked into in the review, and testing modules are investigated in order to assimilate the tools for a trade-off analysis. Glass/PEI was selected as the benchmark material, and Carbon/PA-12 was decided upon as the candidate low-cost alternative. The final aim is to quantify the viability of the substitute polymers in direct comparison to the existing ones. It is evident from the investigations that the PA-12 is not a direct replacement for PEI or other similar high-performance polymers due to its performance limitations, but it does exhibit some potential owing to the cost-effectiveness of its processing requirements. If some of the limitations of the PA-12 polymer can be mitigated using engineering solutions, it can prove to be a viable alternative to costlier options in less demanding applications.Aerospace Engineering | Structures and Material
An interleaved PFC converter based welding power supply with improved power quality
No full textA power factor corrected switched mode power supply (SMPS) using interleaved boost converter is presented for arc welding applications. Reductions in input current ripple, electromagnetic interference, conduction losses, diode current stress and input inductor volume are among the many advantages offered by interleaved operation of boost converter. Nearly unity input power factor with low total harmonic distortion in supply current is attained by using an interleaved boost converter at the front end of SMPS. The second stage comprising of three full bridge converters connected in parallel perform dc-dc conversion with high-frequency isolation. The modularity of entire structure allows flexibility in current, voltage and power levels, using the same range of components and ease of maintenance. Independent control loops are used to optimize the operation of the power supply. Double-loop control scheme is used to attain a regulated DC output voltage and overcurrent protection. Theoretical analysis of both the converters is presented and performance of proposed arc welding power supply (AWPS) is verified through experimental results obtained on laboratory prototype. Test results confirm the effectiveness of proposed AWPS in maintaining excellent power quality at utility interface point over a wide load range while over-current handling capability leads to improved welding performance and weld bead quality
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An extended dual economy model: implications for emerging economies and their multinational firms
No full textPurpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new theoretical framework called the “extended dual economy model”. Based on the seminal work of Lewis (2014), the author uses it to explain the sectoral specialisation of home countries and their firms and MNEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is multi-disciplinary and entirely conceptual, with cool ideas but very few numbers and equations.
Findings
Emerging economies exhibit a “duality” in their economic structure that reflects itself in two largely different sets of location (L) characteristics. They are simultaneously home to both “traditional” sectors, which are resource and labour intensive, as well as “modern” sectors, which are knowledge and capital intensive, each of which can be analysed as having two sub-economies. These different sets of location advantages shape the firm-specific advantages of EMNEs and their FDI.
Research limitations/implications
This analysis helps to underline what shapes the ability of home countries to “emerge”, and the ability of their firms to grow and their MNEs to become internationally competitive. Few EMNEs can thrive in international markets without concurrent growth in their domestic markets. Maintaining the appropriate location assets to optimally support both types of sectors is costly. Each type of sub-economy requires different kinds of support sectors, infrastructure and policies, with little overlap. Weaknesses in its home country L advantages hinder the long-term competitiveness of their EMNEs.
Practical implications
Few EMNEs can thrive in international markets without concurrent growth in their domestic markets. Weaknesses in its home country L advantages hinder the long-term competitiveness of their EMNEs.
Originality/value
The extension of the Lewisian dual economy model allows a number of interesting new insights because it allows us to consider firms, non-firms, informality and the bottlenecks associated with promoting knowledge-intensive sectors in a globalised world. It emphasises structural change, and the need to manage pathways and effectively channel growth
Why and How Might the Modern MNE Respond Strategically to Violent Conflict:A Commentary
No full textIn another commentary on the Oetzel and Getz (2012) article – “Why and how might firms respond strategically to violent conflict” -, the author zooms in on the strategies of MNEs to reduce conflict risk. This is the core idea behind the ‘peace through commerce’ thesis. The strategic risk management initiatives described in the chapter correspond mainly with MNE non-market strategies and include: (1) indirect and collaborative responses such as cooperating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs); (2) indirect and unilateral responses such as donating resources; (3) direct and collaborative responses such as mediation interactions between parties to the conflict; and (4) direct and unilateral responses such as speaking out publicly against the acts of violence. Importantly, since conflict weakens the institutions that restrict discretionary actions by the government and reduce the transparency of transactions, some MNEs are also expected to fall in the category of “conflict-profiting” firms
European Union Foreign Direct Investment in China: Evidence from a Panel Study of EU Manufacturing Firms, 1998-2007
No full textThe paper examines determinants of the EU‘s FDI into the China by using a newly available Manufacturing firm-level data set for the period 1998-2007 from the State Statistical Bureau of China. The theoretical framework of the paper builds on Dunning's ownership–location–internalization (OLI) paradigm, incorporating the institutional determinants to test international production by EU firms in emerging market. The paper analyses recent trends and patterns of EU FDI and its firms‘ characteristics in China. This study applies both static and dynamic panel data approaches (fixed effects and GMM system estimators) to test the presence of agglomeration effect of past FDI. It finds that EU FDI in China is positively associated with export intensity and labour cost. However, technology and profitability of the firm show unexpected results, not lining with theory in the study. The results further suggest that locational factors with regard to macroeconomic and legal environment are also considered by EU firms when deciding on FDI in China. The findings have important implications for practitioners and policymaking
Parallel execution for conflicting transactions
No full textThesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 75-79).Multicore main-memory databases only obtain parallel performance when transactions do not conflict. Conflicting transactions are executed one at a time in order to ensure that they have serializable effects. Sequential execution on contended data leaves cores idle and reduces throughput. In other parallel programming contexts---not serializable transactions--techniques have been developed that can reduce contention on shared variables using per-core state. This thesis asks the question, can these techniques apply to a general serializable database? This work introduces a new concurrency control technique, phase reconciliation, that uses per-core state to greatly reduce contention on popular database records for many important workloads. Phase reconciliation uses the idea of synchronized phases to amortize the cost of combining per-core data and to extract parallelism. Doppel, our phase reconciliation database, repeatedly cycles through joined and split phases. Joined phases use traditional concurrency control and allow any transaction to execute. When workload contention causes unnecessary sequential execution, Doppel switches to a split phase. During a split phase, commutative operations on popular records act on per-core state, and thus proceed in parallel on different cores. By explicitly using phases, phase reconciliation realizes two important performance benefits: First, it amortizes the potentially high costs of aggregating per-core state over many transactions. Second, it can dynamically split data or not based on observed contention, handling challenging, varying workloads. Doppel achieves higher performance because it parallelizes transactions on popular data that would be run sequentially by conventional concurrency control. Phase reconciliation helps most when there are many updates to a few popular database records. On an 80-core machine, its throughput is up to 38x higher than conventional concurrency control protocols on microbenchmarks, and up to 3x on a larger application, at the cost of increased latency for some transactions.by Neha Narula.Ph. D
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