Applications of Evolutionary Algorithms at the Center for Applied Systems Analysis

Three applications of evolutionary algorithms at the Center for Applied Systems Analysis, namely the optimization of nuclear reactor core reload designs, of chemical engineering plants, and of optical multilayer systems, are briefly described in this paper. The examples clarify the enormous robustness and wide applicability of the evolutionary approach to problems involving highly complex, problem-adequate representations of solutions, variation operators derived from the representation, and the handling of expert knowledge to support the search process

Studies on Novel Photoselectable Organic NLO-Molecules

NLO-chromophores of the azobenzene type and of the stilbene type have been used either as dopants or as sidegroups in polymers in order to realize NLO-materials in which the refractive index and the nonlinear susceptibility could be modified optically.1,2 These changes are based on the photochemical transformation of these molecular units from the elongated trans state to the bent cis-state. Since the trans state is the thermodynamically stable state, the cis-isomers generally undergo a thermally activated relaxation back to trans even below the glass transition temperature.3</jats:p

Prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints in elderly head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing definitive (chemo)radiotherapy

Background and purposeTumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with locoregional control (LRC) in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy. As immunosenescence results in reduced immune activity, the role of TILs in elderly HNSCC patients may differ compared to younger patients, providing a rationale to study the prognostic role of TILs and immune checkpoints (ICs) in this population.Material and methodsSixty-three HNSCC patients aged ≥ 65 years undergoing definitive (chemo)radiotherapy between 2010 and 2019 with sufficient material from pre-treatment biopsies were included in the analysis. Immunohistochemical stainings of CD3, CD4, CD8, PD-L1, TIM3, LAG3, TIGIT and CD96, and of osteopontin as an immunosenescence-associated protein were performed. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined using the Kaplan–Meier method, and Fine-Gray's models were used for locoregional failure (LRF) analyses.ResultsWhile there was no correlation between patient age and IC expression, osteopontin levels correlated with increasing age (r = 0.322, p ConclusionLAG3, TIM3 and TPS are promising biomarkers in elderly HNSCC patients receiving (chemo)radiotherapy. Considering the frequency of non-cancer related deaths in this population, the prognostic value of these biomarkers primarily relates to LRC