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Background The prognostic effect of tumour budding was retrospectively analysed in a cohort of 173 patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) of the prospective clinical multicentre CONKO-001 trial. Methods Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained whole tissue slides were evaluated. In two independent approaches, the mean number of tumour buds was analysed according to the consensus criteria in colorectal cancer, in one 0.785 mm2 field of view and additionally in 10 high-power fields (HPF) (HPF = 0.238 mm2). Results Tumour budding was significantly associated with a higher tumour grade (p

The influence of the nature of the anions on the conductivity of polypyrrole films in aqueous solution was investigated by photocurrent spectroscopy combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in dependence on the potential. As demonstrated, the conductivity of polypyrrole films at negative potentials can vary from a semiconducting to an ionic conducting state, depending on the size of the charge-compensating counter-anion incorporated during the electropolymerization. The reduced polypyrrole shows semiconducting properties when small anions are inserted, releasing the polymer matrix during the reduction process. The polymer can than be considered as a two-layer system, consisting of a semiconducting layer and a porous layer. Measurements at different thickness of polypyrrole films have shown that the position of the semiconducting layer is in the electrode/polymer interface. The ohmic resistance of the semiconducting layer is in the range 1–5 kΩ, the capacitance approaches a value of 100–500 nF and the flatband potential is −0.62 VSCE. If large anions are incorporated, cation insertion takes place during reduction, the electrolyte content in the polymer then is relatively high and the polymer's behaviour is similar to that of an ionic conductor. The results are presented and discussed together with the example of methylsulfonate as a relatively small anion and polystyrenesulfonate as a large anion.