Progression to androgen independence remains the main problem that impacts on survival and quality of life in prostate cancer patients. We have investigated the potency of tributyrin, an orally available prodrug of butyrate, to induce growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in LNCaP, PC-3 and TSU-PR1 human prostate cancer cell lines. Cells were treated with 0.1 to 5 mM tributyrin or sodium butyrate. Growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction was assessed using standard methods. Both agents induced a more differentiated, fibroblast-like phenotype in androgen-sensitive as well as androgen-resistant cell lines. Expression of prostate-specific antigen was increased in LNCaP cells by tributyrin as a indicator of differentiation. The IC(50) for sodium butyrate was 2.5 mM in PC-3 and TSU-PR1 cells. LNCaP cells exhibited <50% growth inhibition at 5 mM sodium butyrate. However, the IC(50) for tributyrin was 0.8 mM in PC-3 cells, 1.2 mM in TSU-PR1 cells and 3.1 mM in LNCaP cells. Flow cytometry revealed a strong G1-arrest after exposure to tributyrin or sodium butyrate. Both agents resulted in a strong increase of apoptosis rates compared with mock-treated cells. Overall, tributyrin had a 2.5- to 3-fold growth inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing potency compared with equimolar concentrations of sodium butyrate. Our results demonstrate that tributyrin is more potent than butyrate in regard to cell growth inhibition and apoptosis induction at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. Hence, tributyrin may be a promising candidate for clinical protocols in prostate cancer.

The following paper presents a novel 900MHz pulse-width-modulated current-mode class-S power amplifier. The conversion from an analog to a digital signal, which can be handled by the subsequent switch-mode-stage, is implemented using a fast pulse-width-modulator. The complete class-S amplifier is characterized using clipped WCDMA signals with 5MHz and 80MHz bandwidth, respectively. For the 5MHz signal, the measured spectrum at the amplifier's output shows good EVM of < 12% (approx. 1.5% degradation assumed for class-S PA) and also meets the 3GPP ACLR requirements within 9dB input power range. The capability to support large signal bandwidths is demonstrated, using an 80MHz WCDMA signal, thus meeting the expectations on class-S amplifier for the first time with respect to signal bandwidth.Index Terms -Class-S amplifier, switch-mode operation, linearity, large signal bandwidth, PWM.

The following paper presents a novel 900MHz pulse-width-modulated current-mode class-S power amplifier. The conversion from an analog to a digital signal, which can be handled by the subsequent switch-mode-stage, is implemented using a fast pulse-width-modulator. The complete class-S amplifier is characterized using clipped WCDMA signals with 5MHz and 80MHz bandwidth, respectively. For the 5MHz signal, the measured spectrum at the amplifier's output shows good EVM of < 12% (approx. 1.5% degradation assumed for class-S PA) and also meets the 3GPP ACLR requirements within 9dB input power range. The capability to support large signal bandwidths is demonstrated, using an 80MHz WCDMA signal, thus meeting the expectations on class-S amplifier for the first time with respect to signal bandwidth

In this exploratory eye tracking study, gaze behavior during an experiment on electrolysis of a zinc iodide solution has been examined. The experiment is designed according to inquiry-based learning and therefore well suited to students’ self-directed experimenting in science classrooms. Scaffolding by means of stepwise presented digital hints (sequential scaffolds), here by means of augmented reality (AR), supported learners during the experiment. Two succeeding AR-hints were offered. This research focuses on the set-up of the experiment by learners and the change of gaze between the AR-hints and the real experiment. This was investigated by means of mobile eye tracking. For the analysis of the gaze changes, scanpath analyses are used. Areas of Interest-based visualizations such as radial transition graphs and scarf plots are used to compare and detect similar or different gaze behaviors of participants. Results reveal that students first look at the AR-hints, try to memorize the construction and then switch to setting up the experiment. Recurrent changes of gaze between the AR-hints and the experiment hardly, or do not, occur. Furthermore, students who had already set up the experiment correctly with the first hint only use the second hint for evaluating correctness of their own set-up.

This paper presents a novel system architecture for small cell base stations with integrated millimeter-wave wireless backhaul. In contrast to existing systems, the data signal on the wireless backhaul uses the same 3GPP compliant signal than on the access link serving the users. The small cell omits the 60GHz local oscillator source completely by using the self-heterodyning mixing approach and transmits only a suppressed carrier. Measurements of a single-carrier WCDMA signal on a simplified setup with lower carrier frequency demonstrated that due to successful phase noise cancellation the 3GPP ACLR and EVM requirements are easily met, even with 15dB dynamic on the backhaul link. Moreover, the required broadband capability is proven using an LTE signal with 20MHz bandwidth.Index Terms -Millimeter-wave, phase noise cancellation, self-heterodyne mixing, small cells, wireless backhaul.978-1-4799-5507-7/15/$31.00