Impact of Spatially Heterogeneous Trop-2 Expression on Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral cancer often presents with aggressive behavior and a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. For oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is the most frequent histological subtype, therapy strategies include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and EGFR inhibitors. Recently, a Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) has been approved in the United States of America for the treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer. However, this ADC has also been tested in other solid tumors including head & neck squamous cell carcinoma. The prognostic impact of Trop-2 has already been reported for several cancers. We studied the prognostic influence of Trop-2 protein expression on OSCC patients’ survival. The cohort comprised n = 229 OSCC patients with available archived tumor tissue and corresponding non-neoplastic oral mucosa tissue. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated Trop-2 expression in both the central and peripheral regions of each tumor and in corresponding non-neoplastic oral mucosa. In patients suffering from OSCC with combined high central and low peripheral Trop-2 expression, five-year overall survival (OS) was 41.2%, whereas 55.6% of OSCC patients who presented lower central and/or higher peripheral tumoral Trop-2 expression were alive after five years (p = 0.075). In multivariate Cox regression, the expression pattern of high central tumoral and lower peripheral Trop-2 expression was significantly correlated with impaired OS (HR = 1.802, 95%-CI: 1.134–2.864; p = 0.013) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.633, 95%-CI: 1.042–2.560; p = 0.033), respectively, when adjusting for co-variables. Hence, Trop-2 may serve as an independent prognostic biomarker in OSCC. In subsequent studies, the pathophysiological meaning of downregulated Trop-2 expression in the OSCC periphery has to be analyzed.     

Verfahren zur Erstellung auswertbarer Bildvorlagen für mikrovisioplastische Untersuchungen

The mechanical properties of polycristalline materials are depent on the type, the combination and the orientation of the elements in the micro structure. By means of the method of Visioplasticity assumptions are currently realized to analyse kinematic parameters inside of single grains and grain groups. Strength of the free surface of the specimen will be rough by its plastical deformation, it was difficult to register the increments of deformation of the grid. By further development of a method of picture analysis it is also possible to reproduce a 3d-surface by utilization of single light microscopical pictures.     

Rheotens-mastercurves and drawability of polymer melts

In a Rheotens experiment, the tensile force needed for elongation of an extruded filament is measured as a function of the draw ratio. For thermo-rheologically simple polymer melts, the existence of Rheotens-mastercurves is proven. Rheotens-mastercurves are invariant with respect to changes in melt temperature. Also, for polymer melts with different average molar masses, but similar molar mass distribution and branching structure, Rheotens-mastercurves are invariant to changes in the average molar mass. It is shown, by testing several polyethylenes with different molar mass distribution and different long-chain branching, that Rheotens-mastercurves allow a direct and quantitative assessment of the drawability of polymer melts under actual processing conditions, i.e. under the action of a constant tensile force and including the effects of the rheological prehistory in the extrusion die.     

Comparative performance of carbon nanotube and nanoclay on thermal properties and flammability behavior of amorphous polyamide/SEBS blend

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) or montmorillonite clay (MMT-30B) were added to a poly(hexamethylene isophthalamide-co-terephthalamine) (an amorphous polyamide - aPA) and styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene graphitized with maleic anhydride (SEBS) blend, in different concentrations, in order to investigate the morphology, thermal properties and flammability behavior. Different nanoparticle localizations in the phase blend were observed through transmission electronic microscopy. CNT nanoparticles are localized in SEBS phase, and MMT-30B nanoparticles in aPA phase. No significant changes were observed on transition temperatures and thermal stability with both nanoparticle additions. However, a slight increase on storage modulus for clay nanocomposites and a slight reduction for carbon nanotube nanocomposites were observed, due to their different phase localizations. Regarding flammability, CNT nanocomposites showed better performance as a flame retardant when compared to samples with MMT-30B. Although the MMT-30B nanocomposites could not be classified according to the UL-94 criteria, no dripped flaming particles were observed, due to the a char barrier formation on the polymer surface. The CNT nanocomposites were classified according to the UL-94 criteria as V-2. The CNT's selective localization on the SEBS phase decreases its heat-release rate, but no interconnected network structure was formed in the matrix to suppress the dripping flaming particles.     

Mercury in the Arctic atmosphere: an analysis of eight years of measurements of GEM at Alert (Canada) and a comparison with observations at Amderma (Russia) and Kuujjuarapik (Canada)

Eight years of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentration measurements from Alert, Nunavut, Canada (between 1995 and 2002) is presented. The annual time series shows a distinct repeating seasonal pattern with an overall annual median concentration for this time period of 1.58 (S.D.=0.04 ng m(-3)). Strong seasonal variation was observed throughout the years with springtime displaying strong variability in the GEM and overall lower median concentrations due to the so-called mercury depletion events (MDEs). Summer concentrations are higher than the annual average and show a decrease in variability. Fall and winter concentrations are distributed around the annual median concentrations and show little variability. The relationship between the springtime depression and the summer increase shows a change in the behaviour of mercury between 1995 and 2002. Preliminary results suggest that during this period an increasing amount of the mercury lost from the atmosphere in the spring is not returned to atmosphere in summer. A comparison of GEM concentration data from three sites--Alert (Canada), Amderma (Russia) and Kuujjuarapik (Canada)--demonstrated similar monthly distribution of GEM between Alert and Amderma, with the latter not showing as high summer concentrations. Monthly distribution of GEM at Kuujjuarapik varied considerably from the other two sites. MDEs were found to occur at each site in the spring yet displayed different characteristics. MDEs appear to start at Alert shortly after polar sunrise but in Amderma their initiation is delayed approximately 2 months following polar sunrise. MDEs occur in Kuujjuarapik in the springtime despite an incomplete development of the polar day-night cycle. In spring, as soon as air temperature attained temperatures consistently above 0 degrees C, MDEs ended immediately at all three sites. Continued studies into MDEs are warranted, but clearly an important component of future studies must focus on the origins of the variation of GEM behaviour at different sites.     

基于森林景观恢复策略的庄园遗产景观设计探寻——以荷兰海德兰省巴克塞比克地区为例

庄园遗产景观是指包含花园和农业用地的历史乡村庄园集群。在气候变化、工业发展和快速城市化的背景下,庄园遗产景观正面临水生态环境失衡、空间碎片化和文化特征消失等挑战,而这些挑战只能从区域规划尺度去应对。以荷兰海德兰省巴克塞比克地区为例,在考虑地方景观异同的同时,以景观自身特性为基底,结合未来发展趋势,进一步诠释了一种旨在提升庄园遗产景观韧性的多尺度景观设计方法。发现森林砍伐为地域空间变化的主要因素之一,它对水系统与生态多样性造成了负面影响。基于在区域尺度上对庄园遗产景观历史发展的分析,森林景观恢复(FLR)作为主要设计策略,旨在从不同尺度上对“退化的”景观进行生态功能修复并提升人类福祉。这种新的空间设计方法将在不同尺度上促进文化遗产景观发展。     

Three‐dimensional modeling of porosity development during the gasification of a char particle

This work is devoted to the three‐dimensional, direct modeling of porosity and specific surface development during the gasification of a char particle. The model was developed for heterogeneous reactions occurring inside a char particle in a kinetically controlled regime. The main goal of this work is to analyze the impact of different pore size distributions on the particle carbon conversion rate. In particular, it is shown that under certain conditions the outer particle surface can influence the specific surface area. In this context the possible adaptation of the parameter ψ from the random pore model (RPM) developed by Bhatia and Perlmutter is explained. The results of simulations are compared against the RPM and discussed. Additionally, based on the results of simulations, the physics behind several input parameters used by the RPM are explored. Finally, the possible fragmentation of a chemically reacting char particle during its gasification in dependence of instantaneous porosity was investigated numerically. It was shown that the earliest fragmentation occurs at a carbon conversion of about 0.5–0.6 due to the disaggregation of the pore walls. The results are discussed and compared implicitly with data published in the literature. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1638–1647, 2017     

Use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes to enhance in vitro fermentation of alfalfa hay and corn silage

Two in vitro experiments were performed to identify promising exogenous fibrolytic enzyme products (EFE) and optimum dose rates (DR) for improving the degradation of alfalfa hay and corn silage. The relationship between enzymatic activity and fermentation responses was examined to identify optimum formulations. In experiment 1, 5 EFE containing mainly endoglucanase and xylanase activities, with different ratios between the 2 activities, were assessed at a DR of 0.7, 1.4, and 2.1 mg/g of DM forage. Milled alfalfa hay or corn silage was incubated in an in vitro batch culture with buffer, ruminal fluid, and EFE. Gas production (GP) was measured during 24 h of incubation, and degradabilities of DM and fiber were measured after terminating the incubation at 24 h. Two (E1 and E3) EFE substantially improved GP and degradation of alfalfa hay and corn silage fiber. The optimum DR of these EFE was 1.4 mg/g of DM for both forages with improvements in NDF degradability up to 20.6% for alfalfa hay and up to 60.3% for corn silage. Whereas added activities of endoglucanase and exoglucanase were positively correlated with improvement in NDF degradability for alfalfa hay and corn silage, there was no relationship between added xylanase activity and NDF degradability. The 2 most promising EFE from experiment 1 were reevaluated in experiment 2, alone and in combination with a high xylanase EFE, to determine whether their effectiveness could be enhanced by decreasing the endoglucanase to xylanase ratio. The 2 EFE improved GP and fiber degradation in a manner similar to that observed in experiment 1, but the combination treatments resulted in no further beneficial effects. Exogenous fibrolytic enzyme products can greatly improve forage utilization, but DR and the activities supplied are critical for achieving this response. Products used with alfalfa hay and corn silage should contain high endoglucanase activity, with an ideal ratio of endoglucanse to xylanase.     

Characterization of Micro-Powders for the Fabrication of Compression Molded THz Lenses

We investigate different micro-powders that can be used as base materials for THz lenses fabricated by compression molding. For this application materials with a very weak THz absorbance and low dispersion are required. By measuring the THz absorption coefficient and refractive index of pellets pressed from the different micro-powders, we identify several materials that are well suited for the fabrication of compression molded THz lenses (CMLs). In addition, a considerable range of the refractive index is covered by the samples, which will allow for the fabrication of CMLs with different focal lengths for one and the same lens design.     

Machine scheduling in underground mining: an application in the potash industry

In this paper, a scheduling problem that occurs in potash mining is introduced, where a block excavation sequence has to be found taking into account a limited number of underground machines as well as safety-related restrictions. The aim is to minimize the maximum completion time of excavations, i.e., the makespan. The resulting problem can be transformed into a hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with reentry, unrelated machines, and job-precedences. A mixed-integer linear model is presented and small-scale instances are solved with CPLEX. In order to tackle medium- and large-scale instances heuristically, a basic and an advanced multi-start algorithm are developed, based on a specific priority rule-based construction procedure. In addition, a modified version of the Giffler and Thompson procedure is applied. Computational experiments are conducted on problem instances derived from real-world data in order to evaluate the performances of the proposed solution procedures.