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Background/Objectives: This study aims to investigate the long-term effect of inactive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on the retinal microcirculation measured via optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). Methods: Twenty-four eyes of 24 patients with inactive SLE under hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy were included. The OCT-A data (mainly vessel density (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) data of the superficial and of the deep capillary plexus (SCP, DCP) and the choriocapillaris (CC)) were analyzed and compared between the baseline examination (t0) and 2 years later (t1). Results: At t1, VD in the whole en face SCP and in the CC was notably reduced compared to t0 (SCP: p = 0.001, CC: p = 0.013). VD in the DCP, CRT and FAZ area showed no difference at t1 compared to t0 (DCP: p = 0.128, FAZ: p = 0.332, CRT fovea: p = 0.296). Correlation analysis between the increase in cumulative doses of HCQ between t0 and t1 and the VD of the whole en face SCP did not show any correlation (Spearman r = 0.062 (95% CI −0.367; 0.477). Conclusions: SLE patients demonstrated a decrease in the retinal VD of the SCP and CC over a 2-year period. There was no correlation with the change in cumulative doses of HCQ. These results suggest an ongoing effect of the disease on the retinal and choriocapillary microcirculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratoconus (KC) is the most common corneal ectasia. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a relatively new non-invasive imaging technique that allows the visualization and quantification of retinal and choriocapillary blood vessels. The aim of this study is to assess retinal and choriocapillary vessel density (VD) differences between KC patients and healthy controls and to investigate correlations between VD and KC severity. Fifty-two eyes were included in this exploratory study: twenty-six eyes from 26 KC patients and twenty-six eyes from 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. All patients underwent Scheimpflug corneal topography with Pentacam, axis lengths measurement and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). The thinnest spot in corneal pachymetry, maximum K (Kmax) and KC severity indices from the Belin/Ambrósio enhanced ectasia display (BAD) were also assessed. There was a distinct reduction particularly in the retinal VD of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP). Correlation analyses showed strong and moderate negative correlations between the VD in the macular SCP and BAD KC scores and between the SCP VD and Kmax. There was no difference in retinal thickness between the KC and healthy controls. With this study, further evidence for altered VD measurements by OCT-A in KC patients is given. For the first time, we demonstrated negative correlations between BAD KC scores and retinal blood vessel alterations. A major limitation of the study is the relatively small sample size. Since an artefactual reduction of the quantitative OCT-A measurements due to irregular corneal topography in KC must be assumed, it remains to be investigated whether there are also actual changes in the retinal microcirculation in KC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: The aim of this paper is to compare retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) and Bruch's membrane opening-based minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) in terms of their performance in detecting early and moderate/advanced glaucoma using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and the classification using the 5th percentile as a cut-off. Methods: One hundred eyes from 100 patients with early glaucoma (mean deviation (MD): < -5.0 dB) and 100 eyes from 100 patients with moderate/advanced glaucoma (MD: > -5.0 dB) were carefully matched to healthy controls based on optic disc size. Then, the dataset was divided, based on the 50th percentile of the measured Bruch's membrane opening area (BMO-A), into small (BMO-A < 1.95 mm2) and large optic discs (BMO-A > 1.95 mm2). Finally, the discriminative performance of BMO-MRW and RNFL between glaucoma and controls using ROC analysis and the manufacturer's classification based on the 5th percentile was analyzed. Results: In discriminating between glaucoma and matched healthy controls, global BMO-MRW and global RNFL thickness had comparable areas under the ROC curve for eyes with early glaucoma and both small BMO-As (ROC ± confidence interval [CI] 0.91 [0.87 to 0.95] and 0.88 [0.83 to 0.93]) and large BMO-As (0.86 [0.82 to 0.92] and 0.84 [0.79 to 0.90]), as well as in moderate/advanced glaucoma with small BMO-As (0.99 [0.98 to 1.00] and 0.97 [0.95 to 1.00]) and large BMO-As (0.94 [0.91 to 0.98] and 0.97 [0.94 to 1.00]). Using the calculated 5th percentile as a threshold value, the sensitivities for the detection of early and moderate/advanced glaucoma were comparable for BMO-MRW and RNFL in eyes with small optic discs (early glaucoma: fifty-two percent and 61%; moderate/advanced glaucoma: ninety-one percent and 92%). In eyes with large optic discs, the sensitivity of BMO-MRW was inferior to that of RNFL for both early (38% versus 51%) and moderate/advanced (80% versus 91%) glaucoma. Conclusion: Based on an ROC analysis, the discriminative performance of BMO-MRW and RNFL between patients with early and moderate/advanced glaucoma and a healthy control group matched based on optic disc size is comparable in eyes with BMO-As smaller and larger 1.95 mm2. Using a classification based on the 5th percentile, as used in clinical practice, RNFL is shown to be superior to BMO-MRW regarding sensitivity in glaucoma detection with large optic discs. This study underscores the importance of RNFL imaging and measurement in the diagnostic evaluation of glaucoma, especially in cases of large optic discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal microvascular density using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Methods: Nineteen eyes of 19 patients with SLE (study group) without HCQ retinopathy and 19 eyes of 19 healthy subjects (control group) were included in this study. The study group was divided into patients using HCQ for > 5 years (high-risk group) and < 5 years (low-risk group). The VD data of the 3 × 3 mm OCT angiogram of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and the choriocapillaris (VD-CC), the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and the central retinal thickness (CRT) were extracted and analyzed. Results: VD in the en face SCP was significantly reduced in the high-risk group and the low-risk group compared with that in the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.001) and in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group (p = 0.007). Correlation analysis between the cumulative dose of HCQ and the VD of the study group revealed a negative correlation, but no statistical significance (p = 0.074). However, a significant positive correlation was observed for the low-risk group (p = 0.035). In patients with SLE, VD-CC was lower (p = 0.042) and the FAZ area larger (p = 0.019). CRT showed no difference between the groups (p = 0.183). Conclusion: In this study, SLE patients showed a reduced VD in both groups. In patients treated with HCQ < 5 years, HCQ might have a protective effect on retinal microvasculature. Analysis of retinal microvascular density using OCTA could be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of vascular alteration in patients with SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past years, high-k dielectrics have been incorporated into modern semiconductor devices. One example is ZrO2, which has been introduced in memory applications. This paper elucidates some difficulties with pure ZrO2 like unintended crystallization during the growth of the dielectric and the evolution of the monoclinic phase, which reduces the k-value. The admixture of Sr is shown as a solution to circumvent those issues. A detailed structural analysis for a varying stoichiometry ranging from pure ZrO2 to the perovskite SrZrO3 is given. The detected crystal structures are correlated to our observations of the dielectric properties obtained by an electrical characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-Insulator-Metal capacitors, with ZrO2/Al2O3/ZrO2 (ZAZ)-nanolaminate thin-films as a dielectric layer, exhibit reduced leakage currents compared to corresponding capacitors based on pure ZrO2 while maintaining a sufficiently high dielectric constant for the DRAM application. This work is a comparative study demonstrating how the incorporation of a small amount of Al is responsible for the suppression of crystallization during deposition. Extensive electrical characterization leads to the identification of a defect band which conductive atomic force microscopy shows to be formed along crystallite grain boundaries, extending through the entire ZrO2-film. The incorporation of a sub-layer of Al2O3 prevents these grain boundaries resulting in an effective reduction of leakage currents, despite the film being in the nanocrystalline phase, necessary for it to exhibit the required high dielectric constant. A transport model based on phonon assisted trap to trap tunneling is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main topic of this article is host care for children for whom institutional care has been ordered, something which is still largely unknown for most non-professionals and also some professionals, even though host care is constantly expanding. We consider the possible negatives of this type of childcare provided by an institution and point out the disunity in its implementation, which is caused by the non-existence of laws to govern this institution. On the basis of a qualitative research study, we compared opinions on host care from the point of view of carers, social workers, and heads of children’s homes and found out whether their opinions are influenced by their positions. The results of the research also present the opinions of host families. We also look at host care in the context of meeting basic psychological needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the reaction of microglial cells (MG) when incubated with lipofuscin (LP) in vitro with emphasis on the immunological reaction of the MG toward LP and the suppression of this reaction by immunomodulatory agents. MG are involved in the pathogenesis of degenerative eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). LP is a heterogeneous waste material that accumulates in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells with advancing age. LP is known to have toxic effects on RPE cells and therefore an elevated LP-derived fundus autofluorescence is a risk factor for AMD development. MG in the subretinal space have been reported in eyes affected by AMD. Moreover, in senescent mice, subretinal MG were found, which display an autofluorescence that may be derived from LP uptake. Methods: In this study, we incubated MG (BV-2 cell line and primary cells from murine brain) in vitro with LP isolated from the human RPE. We observed phagocytosis, studied cell morphologies, and analyzed the cell culture supernatants. We also investigated the effect of the immunomodulatory agents hydrocortisone (HC), minocycline, and the tripeptide TKP. Results: The MG phagocytosed the LP quickly and completely. We detected highly elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (especially of IL-6, IL-23p19, TNF-α, KC, RANTES, and IL-1α) in the cell culture supernatants. Furthermore, levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were raised in BV-2 cells. Anti-inflammatory agents added to the cell cultures inhibited the inflammatory reaction, in particular hydrocortisone (HC). Minocycline and TKP had less impact on the cytokine release. Conclusion: The interaction of MG and LP could play a role in the development of retinal degeneration by triggering an inflammatory reaction and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Doped HfO2 exhibits ferroelectricity. [•] Ferrolectric HfO2 was integrated in 500 nm and 100 nm FETs. [•] Ferroelectricity induces a VT shift enabling non-volatile data storage. [•] Endurance is 20k cycles and retention can be extrapolated to 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work elucidates the role of the Schottky junction in the electronic transport of nanometer-scale transistors. In the example of Schottky barrier silicon nanowire field effect transistors, an electrical scanning probe technique is applied to examine the charge transport effects of a nanometer-scale local top gate during operation. The results prove experimentally that Schottky barriers control the charge carrier transport in these devices. In addition, a proof of concept for a reprogrammable nonvolatile memory device based on band bending at the Schottky barriers will be shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astronomers are now able to detect planets orbiting stars other than the Sun where life may exist, and living generations could see the signatures of extra-terrestrial life being detected. Should it turn out that we are not alone in the Universe, it will fundamentally affect how humanity understands itself—and we need to be prepared for the consequences. A Discussion Meeting held at the Royal Society in London, 6–9 Carlton House Terrace, on 25–26 January 2010, addressed not only the scientific but also the societal agenda, with presentations covering a large diversity of topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Einstein originally judged that ‘there is no great chance of observing this phenomenon’, the ‘most curious effect’ of the bending of starlight by the gravity of intervening foreground stars—now commonly referred to as ‘gravitational microlensing’—has become one of the successfully applied techniques to detect planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, while being quite unlike any other. With more than 400 extra-solar planets known altogether, the discovery of a true sibling of our home planet seems to have become simply a question of time. However, in order to properly understand the origin of Earth, carrying all its various life forms, models of planet formation and orbital evolution need to be brought into agreement with the statistics of the full variety of planets like Earth and unlike Earth. Given the complementarity of the currently applied planet detection techniques, a comprehensive picture will only arise from a combination of their respective findings. Gravitational microlensing favours a range of orbital separations that covers planets whose orbital periods are too long to allow detection by other indirect techniques, but which are still too close to their host star to be detected by means of their emitted or reflected light. Rather than being limited to the Solar neighbourhood, a unique opportunity is provided for inferring a census of planets orbiting stars belonging to two distinct populations within the Milky Way, with a sensitivity not only reaching down to Earth mass, but even below, with ground-based observations. The capabilities of gravitational microlensing extend even to obtaining evidence of a planet orbiting a star in another galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the extent to which the reactivities of chloromuconates can be accounted for and examined the substrate specificity of the muconate cycloisomerases from Pseudominas putida. Information on the differential specificities of muconate cycloisomerases Conversion of 2- and 3-substituted muconates; Results of the study.

Shows the conversion of 2-chloro-cis,cis-muconate by purified preparations of the pJP4- and pAC27-encoded chloromuconate cycloisomerases to trans-dienelactone (trans-4-carboxymethylenebut-2-en-4-olide). Kinetic parameters of the pJP4-encoded chloromuconate cycloisomerase; High-performance liquid chromatographic analyses.

HfTiO2 layers of various stoichiometries where deposited by physical vapor depostion on TiN and TiN/Ru bottom electrodes (BE) in order to determine the influence of composition, conduction band offset, and BE morphology on the overall leakage current characteristics. Current-voltage spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and conductive atomic force microscopy studies show increased leakage current and charge trapping with increased Ti content. The interplay of conduction band offset and trap density were studied. The influence of Ru bottom electrode roughness on the leakage current is higher than the influence of Ti content and low conduction band offset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge transport in (Zr02)0.8(Al2O3)0.2 thin films consisting of nanoscale crystallites in an amorphous matrix were investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy. Local current-voltage curves were obtained either from multiple current images for different biases or by ramping the tip bias at a specific location. Comparison of both approaches for amorphous matrix sites implies that they are equivalent. Current-voltage curves for crystallite and amorphous sites are different, but repeated voltage ramps at amorphous sites yield curves as obtained at pristine crystallites. This suggests charge transport through leakage paths along defects at grain boundaries and along stress-induced defects at amorphous sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful analytics solutions that provide valuable insights often hinge on the connection of various data sources. While it is often feasible to generate larger data pools within organizations, the application of analytics within (inter-organizational) business networks is still severely constrained. As data is distributed across several legal units, potentially even across countries, the fear of disclosing sensitive information as well as the sheer volume of the data that would need to be exchanged are key inhibitors for the creation of effective system-wide solutions—all while still reaching superior prediction performance. In this work, we propose a meta machine learning method that deals with these obstacles to enable comprehensive analyses within a business network. We follow a design science research approach and evaluate our method with respect to feasibility and performance in an industrial use case. First, we show that it is feasible to perform network-wide analyses that preserve data confidentiality as well as limit data transfer volume. Second, we demonstrate that our method outperforms a conventional isolated analysis and even gets close to a (hypothetical) scenario where all data could be shared within the network. Thus, we provide a fundamental contribution for making business networks more effective, as we remove a key obstacle to tap the huge potential of learning from data that is scattered throughout the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capabilities of supervised machine learning (SML), especially compared to human abilities, are being discussed in scientific research and in the usage of SML. This study provides an answer to how learning performance differs between humans and machines when there is limited training data. We have designed an experiment in which 44 humans and three different machine learning algorithms identify patterns in labeled training data and have to label instances according to the patterns they find. The results show a high dependency between performance and the underlying patterns of the task. Whereas humans perform relatively similarly across all patterns, machines show large performance differences for the various patterns in our experiment. After seeing 20 instances in the experiment, human performance does not improve anymore, which we relate to theories of cognitive overload. Machines learn slower but can reach the same level or may even outperform humans in 2 of the 4 of used patterns. However, machines need more instances compared to humans for the same results. The performance of machines is comparably lower for the other 2 patterns due to the difficulty of combining input features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The SALUS study aims to improve the healthcare situation for glaucoma patients in Germany. In order to detect diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations, inpatient monitoring of IOP in an eye hospital for a minimum of 24 h is the current standard. SALUS assesses the benefits of a new form of outpatient care, where IOP can be measured by the patients themselves at home using a self-tonometer. This approach should promote the patient's health competence and empowerment within the healthcare system while reducing treatment costs. Methods: The SALUS study is a randomized controlled, open non-inferiority trial, alongside an economic analysis, determining whether outpatient monitoring of IOP with self-tonometry is at least as effective as current standard care and would reduce treatment costs. Participants (n = 1980) will be recruited by local ophthalmologists in the area of Westphalia-Lippe, Germany, and randomized to receive 7-day outpatient or 24-h inpatient monitoring. Participants in both study arms will also receive 24-h blood pressure monitoring. Furthermore, patient data from both study groups will be collected in an electronic case file (ECF), accessible to practitioners, hospitals, and the study participants. The primary endpoint is the percentage of patients with IOP peaks, defined as levels 30% above the patient-specific target pressure. Data will also be collected during initial and final examinations, and at 3, 6, and 9 months after the initial examination. Results: The study implementation and trial management are represented below. Conclusion: SALUS is a pioneering prospective clinical trial focused on the care of glaucoma patients in Germany. If SALUS is successful, it could improve the healthcare situation and health literacy of the patients through the introduction of various telemedical components. Furthermore, the approach would almost certainly reduce the treatment costs of glaucoma care. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04698876, registration date: 11/25/2020. DRKS-ID: DRKS00023676, registration date: 11/26/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a rare and often misdiagnosed disease of the lacrimal apparatus, only limited data exist on long-term outcomes of surgical methods for the treatment of primary canaliculitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate canaliculotomy with silicone tube intubation (STI) as a surgical procedure for canaliculitis in a long-term follow-up setting. A total of 25 eyes of 25 patients with canaliculitis treated with canaliculotomy and STI at the University of Muenster Medical Center, Germany, from 2015 to 2021 were included in this study. Data analysis involved clinical symptoms, complications, duration of STI and rate of recurrence. Mean patient age was 63.7 ± 17.2 years. After a follow-up time of 3.7 ± 1.5 years, 88% of cases showed no recurrence of inflammation. The mean duration of STI was 5.8 ± 3.4 months. Complications such as post-operative hemorrhage, spread of infection, obstruction of the canaliculus or migration of the STI were not observed in any of the patients. However, tube dislocation occurred in four cases, a pyogenic granuloma in two cases and a fistula formation in one case. The management of canaliculitis by canaliculotomy with STI showed very good postoperative outcomes and low complication rates in the long-term and can therefore be considered a safe and successful surgical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report on design, fabrication, and electro‐optical characterization of single‐frequency diode lasers emitting around 696, 707, and 712 nm. This has been achieved by a variation of the periods of the 10th order surface Bragg gratings implemented on a single epitaxial wafer. Depending on the wavelength, the devices achieved an optical output power of up to 60 mW at a current of 150 mA and spectral linewidths of about 400 kHz (full width at half maximum (FWHM)) and 20 kHz (Lorentzian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a multi‐active‐region bipolar‐cascade distributed‐Bragg reflector (DBR) laser emitting around 910 nm. The three active regions and two tunnel junctions are located in a single waveguide core sharing the same third‐order vertical mode. A slope efficiency of 2.25 W/A was measured with a threshold current density of 400 A/cm2. Due to the implemented 7th Bragg order surface grating, the laser exhibits a narrow optical spectrum with a width of 0.3 nm and a thermal detuning of 60 pm/K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi‐active‐region bipolar‐cascade edge‐emitting laser emitting at nearly 900 nm is presented. The three active regions and two tunnel junctions located in a single waveguide core share the same third‐order vertical mode. A slope efficiency of 3.6 W/A was measured with a threshold current density of 230 A/cm2. The epitaxial layer stack developed features with very low internal optical losses of 0.7 cm−1. The voltage extrapolated to vanishing current is only 0.3 V larger than 3 times the voltage of 1.4 V originating from the photon energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic diseases have emerged as a major health care burden, especially in the western hemisphere. They are defined by overshooting reactions of an aberrant immune system to harmless exogenous stimuli. The T H 1/T H 2 paradigm assumes that a dominance of T H 2 cell activation and an inadequate T H 1 cell response are responsible for the development of allergies. However, the characterization of additional T helper cell subpopulations such as T H 9, T H 17, T H 22, T H GM-CSF and their interplay with regulatory T cells suggest further layers of complexity. This review summarizes state-of-the-art knowledge on T cell diversity and their induction, while revisiting the T H 1/T H 2 paradigm. With respect to these numerous contributors, it offers a new perspective on the pathogenesis of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR) and atopic dermatitis (AD) incorporating recent discoveries in the field of T cell plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered ferroelectric behavior of HfO2-based dielectrics yields the potential to overcome the main challenges of the ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs)—CMOS compatibility as well as scalability to the state-of-the-art technology nodes of logic transistors. In this paper, we study the impact of scaling on the memory performance of FeFET devices employing Si:HfO2 ferroelectric films. The operation capability was proven down to a gate length of 28 nm. Program/erase characteristics, endurance behavior, and retention properties were analyzed for FeFETs with gate lengths scaled down to 32 nm. The detected difference in the performance between the long and short channel devices could be for the most part attributed to transistor short channel effects. In addition, the effect of temperature on the device properties of Si:HfO2-based FeFETs was investigated in detail. The program/erase speed was ascertained to be independent of temperature. On the other hand, increase in temperature resulted in reduced initial memory window accompanied by its slightly accelerated decay with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]