Glycosylation in Indolent,Significant and Aggressive Prostate Cancer by Automated High-Throughput N-Glycan Profiling

The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) is a major health-care concern worldwide. This cancer can manifest itself in many distinct forms and the transition from clinically indolent PCa to the more invasive aggressive form remains poorly understood. It is now universally accepted that glycan expression patterns change with the cellular modifications that accompany the onset of tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate if differential glycosylation patterns could distinguish between indolent, significant, and aggressive PCa. Whole serum N-glycan profiling was carried out on 117 prostate cancer patients’ serum using our automated, high-throughput analysis platform for glycan-profiling which utilizes ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) to obtain high resolution separation of N-linked glycans released from the serum glycoproteins. We observed increases in hybrid, oligomannose, and biantennary digalactosylated monosialylated glycans (M5A1G1S1, M8, and A2G2S1), bisecting glycans (A2B, A2(6)BG1) and monoantennary glycans (A1), and decreases in triantennary trigalactosylated trisialylated glycans with and without core fucose (A3G3S3 and FA3G3S3) with PCa progression from indolent through significant and aggressive disease. These changes give us an insight into the disease pathogenesis and identify potential biomarkers for monitoring the PCa progression, however these need further confirmation studies.     

Isothermic growth of one spherulite around circular obstacles in a polypropylene foil

Growth of one spherulite within a thin foil of polypropylene around one circular obstacle or around combinations of circular obstacles is investigated. For each obstacle there exists a region of shadow, seen from the nucleus of the spherulite, which influences the growth of the spherulite. Within any region of shadow the growth fronts are evolvents of the obstacle's boundary, because the spherulite grows isotropically. When two growth fronts belonging to one spherulite meet each other inside the shadow, an intrinsic grain boundary is formed for each obstacle. Additionally, growth of one spherulite around a rectangular obstacle and a spherical obstacle is investigated.     

A Bethe theory for the directional dependence of stopping by molecules

We derive a Bethe formula for the stopping of swift ions by target molecules oriented with respect to the beam. The theory is characterized by a directional mean excitation energy formed from transition energies and dipole matrix elements. The expression for the mean excitation energy is similar to the one for an isotropic sample but the dipole matrix elements corresponding to the various transition moment directions carry unequal weights which depend on the orientation of the molecule with respect to the beam. For a large class of molecules, the logarithm of the mean excitation energy is linear in sin² θ, where θ denotes the angle between the beam and the principal molecular axis. We illustrate the properties of the theory in the simple case of a diatomic molecule.     

Group codes on certain algebraic curves with many rational points

We construct a series of algebraic geometric codes using a class of curves which have many rational points. We obtain codes of lengthq ² over _q , whereq = 2q ₀ ² andq ₀ = 2 ⁿ , such that dimension + minimal distance q ² + 1 – q ₀ (q – 1). The codes are ideals in the group algebra _q [S], whereS is a Sylow-2-subgroup of orderq ² of the Suzuki-group of orderq ² (q ² + 1)(q – 1). The curves used for construction have in relation to their genera the maximal number of GF _q -rational points. This maximal number is determined by the explicit formulas of Weil and is effectively smaller than the Hasse—Weil bound.Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft while visiting Essen University     

Comparison of different methods to determine the spreadability and firmness of processed cheese

Summary Current texture-measuring instruments and a recently developed measuring method (two-dimensional measuring of the force necessary to spread a sample) were compared in measuring the spreadability of processed cheese. How far subjective assessment by a qualified panel correlates with the instrumental results in determining spreadability and firmness was also investigated. Samples of processed cheese with various consistencies were measured by an Universal testing machine, a buttermeasuring instrument (DIN 10331), a rotational-type rheometer (oscillation mode) and a two-dimensional force measuring instrument. The evaluation of the results shows that an oscillating rheometer is most suitable to measure the spreadability of processed cheese; the correlation coefficient (r) between the dynamic Weissenberg number, calculated from parameters of the rheometer, and the subjective judgement by the panel wasr=0.91. For the determination of firmness the two-dimensional force measuring instrument is most suitable. The correlation coefficient between the parameter tangential energy (S _t) and the sensorially evaluated firmness wasr=0.95.

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Vergleich verschiedener Bestimmungsmethoden für die Streichfähigkeit und Festigkeit von Schmelzkäse

Zusammenfassung Verschiedene gebräuchliche Meßinstrumente und ein neu entwickeltes Gerät zur zweidimensionalen Messung der Kräfte, die zum Ausstreichen einer Probe erforderlich sind, wurden vergleichend zur Charakterisierung der Streichfähigkeit von Schmelzkäse erprobt. Dabei wurde auch geprüft, inwieweit die subjektiven Beurteilungen eines qualifizierten Prüferpanels mit den Meßwerten für Streichfähigkeit und Festigkeit korrelierten. Gemessen wurde mit einer Universalprüfmaschine, dem Butterprüfgerät (DIN 10331), einem Rotationsrheometer und mit dem zweidimensional registrierenden Kraftmeßgerät. Dabei zeigte sich, daß das Rheometer im oscillierenden Modus die Streichfähigkeit am besten zu charakterisieren vermag. Die Korrelation zwischen den Rheometerwerten, berechnet als dynamische Weissenbergzahl, und den sensorisch ermittelten Werten für die Streichfähigkeit betrugr=0,91. Zur Bestimmung der Festigkeit ist das zweidimensional registrierende Kraftmeßgerät am besten geeignet, was sich in einem Korrelationskoeffizienten vonr=0,95 zwischen dem ParameterS _t und den im Sensoriktest ermittelten Werten für dieFestigkeit ausdrückt.