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Additional file 1. Study protocol.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): Along with breast-conserving surgery (BCS), adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) of patients with early breast cancer plays a crucial role in the oncologic treatment concept. Conventionally, irradiation is carried out with the aid of tangentially arranged fields. However, more modern and more complex radiation techniques such as IMRT (intensity-modulated radio therapy) are used more frequently, as they improve dose conformity and homogeneity and, in some cases, achieve better protection of adjacent risk factors. The use of this technique has implications for the incidental- and thus unintended- irradiation of adjacent loco regional lymph drainage in axillary lymph node levels I-III and internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLNs). A comparison of a homogeneous "real-life" patient collective, treated with helical tomotherapy (TT), patients treated with 3D conformal RT conventional tangentially arranged fields (3DCRT) and deep inspiration breath hold (3DCRT-DIBH), was conducted. MATERIALS/METHODS: This study included 90 treatment plans after BCS, irradiated in our clinic from January 2012 to August 2016 with TT (n = 30) and 3D-CRT (n = 30), 3DCRT DIBH (n = 30). PTVs were contoured at different time points by different radiation oncologists (> 7). TT was performed with a total dose of 50.4 Gy and a single dose of 1.8 Gy with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to the tumor cavity (TT group). Patients irradiated with 3DCRT/3DCRT DIBH received 50 Gy à 2 Gy and a sequential boost. Contouring of lymph drainage routes was performed retrospectively according to RTOG guidelines. RESULTS: Average doses (DMean) in axillary lymph node Level I/Level II/Level III were 31.6 Gy/8.43 Gy/2.38 Gy for TT, 24.0 Gy/11.2 Gy/3.97 Gy for 3DCRT and 24.7 Gy/13.3 Gy/5.59 Gy for 3DCRT-DIBH patients. Internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) Dmean were 27.8 Gy (TT), 13.5 Gy (3DCRT), and 18.7 Gy (3DCRT-DIBH). Comparing TT to 3DCRT-DIBH dose varied significantly in all axillary lymph node levels and the IMLNs. Comparing TT to 3DCRT significant dose difference in Level I and IMLNs was observed. CONCLUSION: Dose applied to locoregional lymph drainage pathways varies comparing tomotherapy plans to conventional tangentially arranged fields. Studies are warranted whether dose variations influence loco-regional spread and must have implications for target volume definition guidelines.

Background Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a novel MRI technique applied to brain tumor patients. Purpose To investigate the anatomic location dependence of CEST MRI obtained at 7T and histopathological/molecular parameters in WHO IV° glioma patients. Study Type Analytic prospective study. Population Twenty‐one patients with newly diagnosed WHO IV° gliomas were studied prior to surgery; 11 healthy volunteers were investigated. Field Strength/Sequence Conventional MRI (contrast‐enhanced, T2w and diffusion‐weighted imaging) at 3T and T2w and CEST MRI at 7T was performed for patients and both patients and volunteers. Assessment Mean CEST signal intensities (nuclear‐Overhauser‐enhancement [NOE], amide‐proton‐transfer [APT], downfield NOE‐suppressed APT [dns‐APT]), ADC values, and histopathological/molecular parameters were evaluated with regard to hemisphere location and contact with the subventricular zone. CEST signal intensities of cerebral tissue of healthy volunteers were evaluated with regard to hemisphere discrimination. Statistical Tests Spearman correlation, Mann–Whitney U‐test, Wilcoxon signed‐rank‐test, Fisher's exact test, and area under the receiver operating curve. Results Maximum APT and dns‐APT signal intensities were significantly different in right vs. left hemisphere gliomas (P = 0.037 and P = 0.007), but not in right vs. left hemisphere cerebral tissue of healthy subjects (P = 0.062‐0.859). Mean ADC values were significantly decreased in right vs. left hemisphere gliomas (P = 0.044). Mean NOE signal intensity did not differ significantly between gliomas of either hemisphere (P = 0.820), but in case of subventricular zone contact (P = 0.047). A significant correlation was observed between APT and dns‐APT and ADC signal intensities (rs = –0.627, P = 0.004 and rs = –0.534, P = 0.019), but not between NOE and ADC (rs = –0.341, P = 0.154). Histopathological/molecular parameters were not significantly different concerning the tumor location (P = 0.104–1.000, P = 0.286–0.696). Data Conclusion APT, dns‐APT, and ADC were inversely correlated and depended on the gliomas' hemisphere location. NOE showed significant dependence on subventricular zone contact. Location dependency of APT‐ and NOE‐mediated CEST effects should be considered in clinical investigations of CEST MRI.

Background: The aim of the thesis is to improve treatment plans of carbon ion irradiation by integrating the tissues' specific α/β-values for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Material and Methods: Five patients with LAPC were included in this study. By the use of the treatment planning system Syngo RT Planning (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) treatment plans with carbon ion beams have been created. Dose calculation was based on α/β-values for both organs at risk (OAR) and the tumor. Twenty-five treatment plans and thirty-five forward calculations were created. With reference to the anatomy five field configurations were included. Single Beam Optimization (SBO) and Intensity Modulated Particle Therapy (IMPT) were used for optimization. The plans were analyzed with respect to both dose distributions and individual anatomy. The plans were evaluated using a customized index. Results: With regard to the target, a field setup with one single posterior field achieves the highest score in our index. Field setups made up of three fields achieve good results in OAR sparing. Nevertheless, the field setup with one field is superior in complex topographic conditions. But, allocating an α/β-value of 2 Gy to the spinal cord leads to critical high maximum doses in the spinal cord. The evaluation of dose profiles showed significant dose peaks at borders of the α/β-gradient, especially in case of a single posterior field. Conclusion: Optimization with specific α/β-values allows a more accurate view on dose distribution than previously. A field setup with one single posterior field achieves good results in case of difficult topographic conditions, but leads to high maximum doses to the spinal cord. So, field setups with multiple fields seem to be more adequate in case of LAPC, being surrounded by highly radiosensitive normal tissues.

Is there a chance that public or private research and development institutions can improve the efficiency of the R&D process? This book gives a positive answer by designing an integrated concept of the science technology cycle and the innovation system of each technology. The position of a new technology in the sciencetechnology cycle is identified by several indicators from patent analysis, citations and market information data. The innovation system supports the search for a comprehensive understanding of all important stakeholders of an innovation, possible obstacles and related policies. The application of the methodology leads to convincing results: the hype of the PEM fuel cell activities could have been identified at the end of the 1990s as the phase of euphoria, but not as a situation close to market entry in the car or boiler markets.

Die deutsche Werkzeugmaschinenindustrie nimmt im internationalen Vergleich eine Spitzenstellung ein. Für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung und die Erhaltung dieser Führungsposition im globalen Wettbewerb ist es wichtig, neue Erfolgspotenziale frühzeitig zu identifizieren und rechtzeitig zu erschließen. Dies bezieht sich vor allem auf eine vorausschauende Planung technischer Neuerungen bei Werkzeugmaschinen, um auf kurzfristig wechselnde Kundenanforderungen angemessen reagieren zu können. Auf Grund des sich dynamisch wandelnden Umfelds und Innovationssprüngen bei unterschiedlichen Technikentwicklungen sind die Eigenschaften der Werkzeugmaschine der Zukunft und die an sie gestellten Anforderungen von komplexer Natur. Dieser Trend gewinnt zunehmend eine hohe Bedeutung sowohl für die in Deutschland ansässigen Werkzeugmaschinenhersteller als auch für deren Kunden.

Vor dem Hintergrund theoretischer Erwartungen über die leistungssteigernden Wirkungen von Kooperationen sowie verbreiteter empirischen Einschätzungen zu Kooperationsbarrieren in den neuen Bundesländern werder zwischenbetriebliche Kooperationen wirtschaftspolitisch aktiv gefördert. Wodurch ist das Kooperationsgeschehen in Ostdeutschland charakterisiert? Wie verbreitet sind Kooperationen, und welchen Effekt haben sie auf die betriebliche Leistungsfähigkeit? Der vorliegende Beitrag diskutiert diese Fragen auf der Grundlage einer aktuellen Breitenerhebung im Ost-West-Vergleich sowie von Fallstudien. "Der Beitrag diskutiert die Kooperationsaktivitäten und ihre Effekte für die Leistungsfähigkeit von Betrieben in den neuen Bundesländern. Hintergrund sind die theoretischen Erwartungen über die leistungssteigernden Wirkungen von Kooperationen sowie die verbreiteten Einschätzungen zu Kooperationsbarrieren in den neuen Bundesländern; beides führt zu einer aktiven wirtschaftspolitischen Unterstützung von Kooperationen. Entgegen verbreiteten Erwartungen sind Kooperationen zwischen ostdeutschen Betrieben keine Seltenheit, und kooperierende Unternehmen sind nicht durchgängig leistungsfähiger als nicht-kooperierende Betriebe. Offenbar, so die Schlussfolgerung, ist zu wenig darüber bekannt, unter welchen Bedingungen sich die leistungssteigernden Effekte zwischenbetrieblicher Kooperationen einstellen."

Delphi '98-Befragung für den Bereich Produktion und Management werden dargestellt. An dieser Studie nahmen 2000 Experten für folgende Themenfelder teil: Information und Kommunikation, Produktion und Management; Ernährung, Umwelt und Natur, Energie und Rohstoffe; Bauen und Wohnen; Mobilität und Transport, Raumfahrt; Großexperimente. Das Themenfeld Management und Produktion enthält Thesen zu neuen Werkstoffen, Aspekten der Ressourcenschonung, zur Produktions- und Betriebsmitteltechnik, zur Qualität und Arbeitssicherheit, zur Steuerung der Wertschöpfungskette sowie zu Aspekten menschlicher Erwerbstätigkeit und des Managements.