Reasoning about topological and cardinal direction relations between 2-dimensional spatial objects

Increasing the expressiveness of qualitative spatial calculi is an essential step towards meeting the requirements of applications. This can be achieved by combining existing calculi in a way that we can express spatial information using relations from multiple calculi. The great challenge is to develop reasoning algorithms that are correct and complete when reasoning over the combined information. Previous work has mainly studied cases where the interaction between the combined calculi was small, or where one of the two calculi was very simple. In this paper we tackle the important combination of topological and directional information for extended spatial objects. We combine some of the best known calculi in qualitative spatial reasoning, the RCC8 algebra for representing topological information, and the Rectangle Algebra (RA) and the Cardinal Direction Calculus (CDC) for directional information. We consider two different interpretations of the RCC8 algebra, one uses a weak connectedness relation, the other uses a strong connectedness relation. In both interpretations, we show that reasoning with topological and directional information is decidable and remains in NP. Our computational complexity results unveil the significant differences between RA and CDC, and that between weak and strong RCC8 models. Take the combination of basic RCC8 and basic CDC constraints as an example: we show that the consistency problem is in P only when we use the strong RCC8 algebra and explicitly know the corresponding basic RA constraints

Neuronale Signalwege in der Entstehung und Progression gastrointestinaler Tumore unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des duktalen Pankreaskarzinoms

Die Entitäten des Pankreaskarzinoms und des Magenkarzinoms sind häufige Tumorentitäten, bei denen die chirurgische Resektion, wenn der Primärtumor respektabel ist, die zentrale Rolle spielt. Die Chirurgie muss dann in ein multimodales Behandlungskonzept eingebunden werden. Trotz der chirurgischen Resektion besteht allerdings in vielen Fällen ein hohes Rezidiv- und Metastasierungsrisiko. Hinzu kommt, dass eine Heilung in der metastasierten Situation praktisch unmöglich ist. Dementsprechend liegt hier ein erheblicher Forschungsbedarf sowohl bei adjuvanten und palliativen Therapieverfahren als auch im besseren Verständnis der Biologie dieser Erkrankungen vor, um weitere potentielle therapeutische Zielstrukturen zu identifizieren und entsprechende Behandlungsstrategien zu entwickeln. Die hier vorliegende kumulative Habilitationsschrift beschäftigt sich mit dem Einfluss des autonomen Nervensystems auf die Initiierung und Progression des Pankreas und Magenkarzinoms. Die Schrift setzt sich aus Arbeiten zusammen, bei denen zum einen die Rolle des autonomen Nervensystems (Sympathikus und Parasympathikus) in der Initiierung und Progression des PDACs und zum anderen die Rolle des N. vagus in der Entwicklung des Magenkarzinoms untersucht wurden. Hierzu wurden aktuellste in vitro Methoden verwendet und teilweise neue GEMMs für in vivo Untersuchungen entwickelt. Im Rahmen der Arbeiten wurden einige dieser GEMMs neu generiert. Aufgeführt werden hier die vier wichtigsten Arbeiten des Autors aus dem Bereich der Tumorneurobiologie

Neuronale Signalwege in der Entstehung und Progression gastrointestinaler Tumore unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des duktalen Pankreaskarzinoms

Die Entitäten des Pankreaskarzinoms und des Magenkarzinoms sind häufige Tumorentitäten, bei denen die chirurgische Resektion, wenn der Primärtumor respektabel ist, die zentrale Rolle spielt. Die Chirurgie muss dann in ein multimodales Behandlungskonzept eingebunden werden. Trotz der chirurgischen Resektion besteht allerdings in vielen Fällen ein hohes Rezidiv- und Metastasierungsrisiko. Hinzu kommt, dass eine Heilung in der metastasierten Situation praktisch unmöglich ist. Dementsprechend liegt hier ein erheblicher Forschungsbedarf sowohl bei adjuvanten und palliativen Therapieverfahren als auch im besseren Verständnis der Biologie dieser Erkrankungen vor, um weitere potentielle therapeutische Zielstrukturen zu identifizieren und entsprechende Behandlungsstrategien zu entwickeln. Die hier vorliegende kumulative Habilitationsschrift beschäftigt sich mit dem Einfluss des autonomen Nervensystems auf die Initiierung und Progression des Pankreas und Magenkarzinoms. Die Schrift setzt sich aus Arbeiten zusammen, bei denen zum einen die Rolle des autonomen Nervensystems (Sympathikus und Parasympathikus) in der Initiierung und Progression des PDACs und zum anderen die Rolle des N. vagus in der Entwicklung des Magenkarzinoms untersucht wurden. Hierzu wurden aktuellste in vitro Methoden verwendet und teilweise neue GEMMs für in vivo Untersuchungen entwickelt. Im Rahmen der Arbeiten wurden einige dieser GEMMs neu generiert. Aufgeführt werden hier die vier wichtigsten Arbeiten des Autors aus dem Bereich der Tumorneurobiologie

Development and evaluation of a small and mobile Magneto Alert Sensor (MALSE) to support safety requirements for magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to (i) design a small and mobile Magnetic field ALert SEnsor (MALSE), (ii) to carefully evaluate its sensors to their consistency of activation/deactivation and sensitivity to magnetic fields, and (iii) to demonstrate the applicability of MALSE in 1.5 T, 3.0 T and 7.0 T MR fringe field environments. METHODS: MALSE comprises a set of reed sensors, which activate in response to their exposure to a magnetic field. The activation/deactivation of reed sensors was examined by moving them in/out of the fringe field generated by 7TMR. RESULTS: The consistency with which individual reed sensors would activate at the same field strength was found to be 100% for the setup used. All of the reed switches investigated required a substantial drop in ambient magnetic field strength before they deactivated. CONCLUSIONS: MALSE is a simple concept for alerting MRI staff to a ferromagnetic object being brought into fringe magnetic fields which exceeds MALSEs activation magnetic field. MALSE can easily be attached to ferromagnetic objects within the vicinity of a scanner, thus creating a barrier for hazardous situations induced by ferromagnetic parts which should not enter the vicinity of an MR-system to occur

Environmental Performance of Hydrothermal Carbonization of Four Wet Biomass Waste Streams at Industry-Relevant Scales

[EN] Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of green waste, food waste, organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), and digestate is assessed using life cycle assessment as a potential technology to treat biowaste. Water content of the biowaste and composition of the resulting hydrochar are important parameters influencing environmental performance. Hydrochar produced from green waste performs best and second best in respectively 2 and 10 out of 15 impact categories, including climate change, mainly due to low transportation needs of the biowaste and optimized pumping efficiency for the feedstock. By contrast, hydrochar produced from the organic fraction of MSW performs best in 6 impact categories, but has high potential impacts on human health and ecosystems caused by emissions of toxic elements through ash disposal. The greatest potential for environmental optimization for the HTC technology is in the use of heat and electricity with increasing plant size, but its overall environmental performance is largely influenced in a given geographic location by the incumbent waste management system that it replaces. Impact scores are within the range of existing alternative treatment options, suggesting that despite being relatively immature technology, and depending on the geographic location of the plant, HTC may be an attractive treatment option for biowaste.This research was funded by the European Commission under the seventh framework program; SME-2013-2: NEWAPP, grant agreement 605178.Owsianiak, M.; Ryberg, MW.; Renz, M.; Hitzl, M.; Hauschildt, MZ. (2016). Environmental Performance of Hydrothermal Carbonization of Four Wet Biomass Waste Streams at Industry-Relevant Scales. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 4(12):6783-6791. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01732S6783679141

Exercise as a Potential Intervention to Modulate Cancer Outcomes in Children and Adults?

Exercise is recommended for the healthy population as it increases fitness and prevents diseases. Moreover, exercise is also applied as an adjunct therapy for patients with various chronic diseases including cancer. Childhood cancer is a rare, heterogeneous disease that differs from adult cancer. Improved therapeutic strategies have increased childhood cancer survival rates to above 80% in developed countries. Although this is higher than the average adult cancer survival rate of about 50%, therapy results often in substantial long-term side effects in childhood cancer survivors. Exercise in adult cancer patients has many beneficial effects and may slow down tumor progression and improve survival in some cancer types, suggesting that exercise may influence cancer cell behavior. In contrast to adults, there is not much data on general effects of exercise in children. Whilst it seems possible that exercise might delay cancer progression or improve survival in children as well, there is no reliable data yet to support this hypothesis. Depending on the type of cancer, animal studies of adult cancer types show that the exercise-induced increase of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine, have suppressive as well as promoting effects on cancer cells. The diverse effects of exercise in adult cancer patients require investigating whether these results can be achieved in children with cancer

The improvement of Mo/4H-SiC Schottky diodes via a P2O5 surface passivation treatment

Molybdenum (Mo)/4H-silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes have been fabricated with a phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) surface passivation treatment performed on the SiC surface prior to metallization. Compared to the untreated diodes, the P2O5-treated diodes were found to have a lower Schottky barrier height by 0.11 eV and a lower leakage current by two to three orders of magnitude. Physical characterization of the P2O5-treated Mo/SiC interfaces revealed that there are two primary causes for the improvement in electrical performance. First, transmission electron microscopy imaging showed that nanopits filled with silicon dioxide had formed at the surface after the P2O5 treatment that terminates potential leakage paths. Second, secondary ion mass spectroscopy revealed a high concentration of phosphorus atoms near the interface. While only a fraction of these are active, a small increase in doping at the interface is responsible for the reduction in barrier height. Comparisons were made between the P2O5 pretreatment and oxygen (O2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) pretreatments that do not form the same nanopits and do not reduce leakage current. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that SiC beneath the deposited P2O5 oxide retains a Si-rich interface unlike the N2O and O2 treatments that consume SiC and trap carbon at the interface. Finally, after annealing, the Mo/SiC interface forms almost no silicide, leaving the enhancement to the subsurface in place, explaining why the P2O5 treatment has had no effect on nickel- or titanium-SiC contacts

Nonprofit-public collaborations: understanding governance dynamics

As many of the challenges facing society are too complex to be addressed by single organizations working alone, nonprofit organizations are increasingly working in collaboration with public authorities. The governance of nonprofit–public collaborations is important for their effectiveness, yet it remains poorly understood. Drawing on case study research, this article examines and develops an extant conceptual model developed by Takahashi and Smutny that seeks to explain the formation and demise of nonprofit collaborations in terms of “collaborative windows” and the inability to adapt initial governance structures. The research finds that while initial governance structures are an important constraint on development, they can be adapted and changed. It also suggests that the development of collaborations is not only influenced by changes in the collaborative window but also by how key actors in the collaboration respond to important internal tensions