Mid-Infrared, Optically Active Black Phosphorus Thin Films on Centimeter Scale.

Black phosphorus (BP) is a narrow bandgap (∼0.3 eV) semiconductor with a great potential for optoelectronic devices in the mid-infrared wavelength. However, it has been challenging to achieve a high-quality scalable BP thin film. Here we present the successful synthesis of optically active BP films on a centimeter scale. We utilize the pulsed laser deposition of amorphous red phosphorus, another allotrope of phosphorus, followed by a high-pressure treatment at ∼8 GPa to induce a phase conversion into BP crystals. The crystalline quality was improved through thermal annealing, resulting in the observation of photoluminescence emission at mid-infrared wavelengths. We demonstrate high-pressure conversion on a centimeter scale with a continuous film with a thickness of ∼18 nm using a flat-belt-type high-pressure apparatus. This synthesis procedure presents a promising route to obtain optical-quality BP films, enabling the exploration of integrated optoelectronic device applications such as light-emitting devices and mid-infrared cameras on a chip scale.

Sex Differences in 10-Year Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents: Insights From the DECADE Cooperation.

BACKGROUND: Although some studies have investigated sex-related outcomes up to 5 years after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), analyses at longer follow-up (ie, to 10 years) in large cohorts treated exclusively with drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to define whether sex-related differences in long-term outcomes after PCI persist both in the DES era and at longer-term follow-up. METHODS: Individual data of patients treated with DES in 5 randomized controlled trials with 10-year follow-up were pooled. Patients were divided into 2 groups by sex. The analysis of individual participant data was performed using a 1-stage approach by entering a clustering effect by parent study in all univariable and multivariable models focusing on sex. The main outcomes of interest for this analysis included cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and definite stent thrombosis to 10 years after PCI. Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate the time to first event, and differences between the 2 groups were tested with the log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model. Conventional multivariable analyses with adjustment for relevant variables were performed. RESULTS: Among 9700 patients undergoing PCI with DES implantation included in the present analysis, 2296 were women and 7404 were men. Through to 10 years, cardiovascular death occurred in 407 of the 2296 female patients and 1012 of the 7404 male patients (adjusted HR [HRadj], 0.94 [95% CI, 0.80-1.11]). Female sex was associated with a lower risk of repeat revascularization of the target lesion (HRadj, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.74-0.87]), target vessel (HRadj, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.76-0.87]), and nontarget vessels (HRadj, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.62-0.77]). Compared with male patients, female patients displayed an increased risk of myocardial infarction in the first 30 days after PCI with DES (HRadj, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.24-2.19]) but a comparable risk of myocardial infarction thereafter. The risk of definite stent thrombosis was not significantly different between female and male patients (HRadj, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.89-1.47]). CONCLUSIONS: Through to 10-year follow-up after PCI with DES, female patients are at increased risk of early myocardial infarction, receive fewer repeat revascularizations, and have no difference in cardiovascular mortality compared with male patients.

Liver, renal, genitourinary and diabetic ketoacidosis risks among new users of empagliflozin versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes: Post-authorization safety study based on multinational cohorts.

AIM: To estimate risks of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), acute liver injury (ALI), acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), severe complications of urinary tract infection (UTI) and genital infection (GI) among patients with type 2 diabetes initiating empagliflozin versus those initiating a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this large multinational, observational, new-user cohort study in UK, Danish and US healthcare data sources, patients initiated empagliflozin or a DPP-4 inhibitor between August 2014 and August 2019, were aged ≥18 years, and had ≥12 months' continuous health plan enrolment. Incidence rates by exposure and incidence rate ratios, adjusted for propensity-score deciles, were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 64 599 empagliflozin initiators and 203 315 DPP-4 inhibitor initiators were included. There was an increased risk [pooled adjusted incidence rate ratios (95% confidence interval)] of DKA [2.19 (1.74-2.76)] and decreased risks of ALI [0.77 (0.50-1.19) in patients without predisposing conditions of liver disease; 0.70 (0.56-0.88) in all patients] and AKI [0.54 (0.41-0.73)]. In the UK data, there was an increased risk of GI [males: 4.04 (3.46-4.71); females: 3.24 (2.81-3.74)] and decreased risks of CKD [0.53 (0.43-0.65)] and severe complications of UTI [0.51 (0.37-0.72)]. The results were generally consistent in subgroup and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with DDP-4 inhibitor use, empagliflozin use was associated with increased risks of DKA and GI and decreased risks of ALI, AKI, CKD and severe complications of UTI. These associations are consistent with previous studies and known class effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, including renoprotective effects and beneficial effects on alanine aminotransferase levels.

Effects of temperature, chloride and perchlorate salt concentration on the metabolic activity of Deinococcus radiodurans.

The extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is characterized by its ability to survive and sustain its activity at high levels of radiation and is considered an organism that might survive in extraterrestrial environments. In the present work, we studied the combined effects of temperature and chlorine-containing salts, with focus on perchlorate salts which have been detected at high concentrations in Martian regolith, on D. radiodurans activity (CO2 production rates) and viability after incubation in liquid cultures for up to 30 days. Reduced CO2 production capacity and viability was observed at high perchlorate concentrations (up to 10% w/v) during incubation at 0 or 25 °C. Both the metabolic activity and viability were reduced as the perchlorate and chloride salt concentration increased and temperature decreased, and an interactive effect of temperature and salt concentration on the metabolic activity was found. These results indicate the ability of D. radiodurans to remain metabolically active and survive in low temperature environments rich in perchlorate.

CHA2 DS2 -VASc impact on risk following percutaneous coronary intervention in atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: In 2010, the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on atrial fibrillation (AF) introduced the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score to guide initiation of oral anticoagulation. In patients with AF undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), triple therapy with oral anticoagulation and dual antiplatelet therapy was recommended to reduce ischaemic risk. We examined how the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score impacted oral anticoagulation use and risks of ischaemic and hospitalized bleeding events in patients with AF undergoing PCI. METHODS: We included 6,014 patients with AF undergoing first-time PCI in Western Denmark between 2003 and 2017. We divided patients into four groups based on year of PCI and estimated 1-year risks of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and hospitalization for bleeding. RESULTS: The proportion of oral anticoagulation users was 48% in 2003-2006 and 49% in 2006-2010. Following the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score implementation, the proportion increased to 59% in 2011-2014 and 77% in 2015-2017. Using 2003-2006 as reference, risks of MACE were similar in 2007-2010 (adjusted relative risk [RRadj ] 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-1.18) and 2011-2014 (RRadj 0.92, 95% CI 0.78-1.09), but declined by 23% in 2015-2017 (RRadj 0.77, 95% CI 0.65-0.92). Hospitalizations for bleeding did not increase despite wider use of triple therapy. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score in the 2010 European guidelines on AF was associated with an increased utilization of oral anticoagulation and triple therapy among AF patients undergoing PCI. These changes were associated with a gradual decline in the risk of MACE, while the risk of hospitalized bleeding remained unchanged.

Ten-year cardiovascular risk in diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease: a retrospective Western Denmark cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease as assessed by coronary angiography have a low risk of myocardial infarction, but their myocardial infarction risk may still be higher than the general population. We examined the 10-year risks of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and death in diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease according to coronary angiography, compared to risks in a matched general population cohort. METHODS: We included all diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease examined by coronary angiography from 2003 to 2016 in Western Denmark. Patients were matched by age and sex with a cohort from the Western Denmark general population without a previous myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization. Outcomes were myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and death. Ten-year cumulative incidences were computed. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) then were computed using stratified Cox regression with the general population as reference. RESULTS: We identified 5734 diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease and 28,670 matched individuals from the general population. Median follow-up was 7 years. Diabetes patients without obstructive coronary artery disease had an almost similar 10-year risk of myocardial infarction (3.2% vs 2.9%, adjusted HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.72-1.20) compared to the general population, but had an increased risk of ischemic stroke (5.2% vs 2.2%, adjusted HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.47-2.38) and death (29.6% vs 17.8%, adjusted HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with diabetes and no obstructive coronary artery disease have a 10-year risk of myocardial infarction that is similar to that found in the general population. However, they still remain at increased risk of ischemic stroke and death.

Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated With Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Patients With and Without Coronary Artery Disease.

Background and Purpose- Diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-DM patients without coronary artery disease (CAD) have a similar low risk of myocardial infarction after coronary angiography. The risk of ischemic stroke in DM patients dependent on CAD status is less explored. We examined whether DM patients without CAD have a risk of ischemic stroke similar to that in patients with neither DM nor CAD. Methods- We conducted a cohort study of patients who underwent coronary angiography between 2004 and 2012 in Western Denmark. Patients diagnosed with previous ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were excluded. Patients were stratified according to the presence of DM and CAD. Follow-up started 30 days after coronary angiography. We computed event rates and adjusted incidence rate ratios using patients without DM or CAD as reference. We examined the trend between CAD extent and ischemic stroke in patients with DM. Results- A total of 81 909 patients were included. Median follow-up was 3.8 years. Patients with both DM and CAD were at the highest risk of ischemic stroke (1.32 events per 100 person-years; adjusted incidence rate ratio, 2.00 [95% CI, 1.72-2.32]). Patients with CAD alone (0.77 events per 100 person-years; adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.12-1.44]) or DM alone (0.95 events per 100 person-years; adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.42-2.15]) were at intermediate risk, whereas patients with neither DM nor CAD (0.52 events per 100 person-years) were at the lowest risk. Among patients with DM, extent of CAD was further predictive of risk (Ptrend<0.001). Conclusions- Not only CAD but also DM are associated with the risk of ischemic stroke after coronary angiography. Their combination further increases the risk of ischemic stroke depending on the extent of CAD.

Predicting stroke in patients without atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Only few studies in selected cohorts have examined whether the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score can predict the risk of atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic events in patients without atrial fibrillation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with coronary angiography performed between 2004 and 2012 were grouped according to CHA2 DS2 -VASc score. We excluded patients with atrial fibrillation, anticoagulant therapy and follow-up <30 days. The endpoints were atrial fibrillation and a composite of ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack and systemic embolism. Event rates per 100 person-years were estimated for each CHA2 DS2 -VASc score (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and >4). Incidence rate ratios were calculated using low-risk patients (CHA2 DS2 -VASc score 0 in males or 1 in females) as reference. RESULTS: In total, 78 233 patients were included with group sizes varying between 8299 (CHA2 DS2 -VASc >4) and 19 882 (CHA2 DS2 -VASc 2). An increasing CHA2 DS2 -VASc score was significantly associated with a future diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (P for trend <0.0001) and an incremental risk of ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, systemic embolism (P for trend <0.0001) and all-cause death (P for trend <0.0001). Patients with a CHA2 DS2 -VASc score of 3 had a rate of ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack/systemic embolism of 1.30 per 100 person-years. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing coronary angiography, the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score predicted a future diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and the composite risk of ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack or systemic embolism in patients without atrial fibrillation. A CHA2 DS2 -VASc score of 3 was associated with a risk that would justify prophylactic oral anticoagulation treatment in a patient with atrial fibrillation.

Classification and characteristics of on-label and off-label apixaban use in Denmark and Sweden.

PURPOSE: To estimate the proportion of apixaban users who received the drug for on-label indications and characterise the patients using apixaban for on-label and off-label indications. METHODS: We report results from two independently conducted studies in Denmark and Sweden, with 19,709 Danish and 17,592 Swedish patients, who received at least one outpatient dispensing of apixaban as identified through nationwide prescription registries. Indications, inferred from inpatient and hospital diagnoses recorded at the initial apixaban dispensing, were classified as on-label, off-label, or unclassified according to the Summary of Product Characteristics. All diagnoses were retrieved using inpatient or outpatient hospital diagnoses at the first outpatient dispensing during the study period. RESULTS: Men comprised 52% of the users in both Denmark and Sweden. The median age was 76 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 68-83 years) among Danish patients and 74 years (IQR: 67-82 years) among Swedish patients. An on-label indication could be assigned to 82.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.1%-83.1%) of the Danish patients and 86.4% (95% CI: 85.9%-86.9%) of the Swedish patients. The main on-label indication for apixaban was non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), which accounted for 76.1% of the indications in Denmark and 69.1% of the indications in Sweden. Off-label indications were assigned to 10.8% (95% CI: 10.3-11.2) of the Danish patients (main indication possible mechanical heart valve) and 7.7% (95% CI: 7.3-8.1) of the Swedish patients (main indication off-label atrial fibrillation). CONCLUSION: The majority of apixaban initiators in Denmark and Sweden received apixaban for an on-label indication, primarily for NVAF.

Neuroregeneration and Vascular Protection by Citalopram in Acute Ischemic Stroke (TALOS).

Background and Purpose- Recent studies indicate a possible beneficial effect on neuroregeneration and vascular protection of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors after stroke. We conducted a national multicentre study to explore these effects. Methods- The TALOS study (The Efficacy of Citalopram Treatment in Acute Stroke) is a Danish placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study of citalopram started within 7 days after symptom onset to detect improvement in functional outcomes and cardiovascular protection in nondepressed, first-ever ischemic stroke. Study medication was given as add-on to standard medical care and treatment duration and follow-up was 6 months. There were 2 coprimary outcomes: changes in functional disability from 1 to 6 months on the modified Rankin Scale, and a composite vascular end point of transient ischemic attack/stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular mortality during the first 6 months. Results- We enrolled 642 patients randomized to either citalopram (n=319) or placebo (n=323). Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 5.3 (range, 0-27) versus 4.8 (range, 0-28) at admission. Improvement in functional recovery from 1 to 6 months occurred in 160 (50%) patients on citalopram and 136 (42%) on placebo (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.92-1.74; P=0.057). When dropouts before 31 days were excluded (n=90), the analysis population showed an odds ratio of 1.37 (95% CI, 0.97-1.91; P=0.07). During a median follow-up of 150 days, 23 (7%) patients in the citalopram group and 26 (8%) patients in the placebo group had a primary, vascular end point (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.50-1.60; P=0.24). A total of 28 patients (4%) died (16 versus 12; P=0.42) during the study. Conclusions- Early citalopram treatment did not improve functional recovery in nondepressed ischemic stroke patients within the first 6 months, although a borderline statistical significant effect was observed in the analysis population. The risk of cardiovascular events was similar between treatment groups, and citalopram treatment was well tolerated. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01937182. URL: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ . EudraCT number: 2013-002253-30.

Randomized clinical comparison of the dual-therapy CD34 antibody-covered sirolimus-eluting Combo stent with the sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and study design of the Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials with Clinical Outcome (SORT OUT) X trial.

BACKGROUND: The Combo stent (OrbusNeich, Hoevelaken, the Netherlands) combining an abluminal, bioabsorbable polymer eluting sirolimus with a luminal CD34+ antibody to capture endothelial progenitor cells has been developed to further improve safety and efficacy of coronary interventions. We have designed a large-scale registry-based randomized clinical trial to compare the Combo stent to the Orsiro stent (Biotronik, Bülach, Switzerland) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: The SORT OUT X study will randomly assign 3,140 patients to treatment with Combo or Orsiro stents at 3 sites in Western Denmark. Patients are eligible if they are ≥18 years old, have chronic stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes, and have ≥1 coronary lesion with >50% diameter stenosis requiring treatment with a drug-eluting stent. The primary end point target lesion failure is a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (not related to other than index lesion), or target lesion revascularization within 12 months. Clinically driven event detection will be derived from validated Danish registries. An event rate of 4.2% is assumed in each stent group. With a sample size of 1,570 patients in each treatment arm, a 2-group large-sample normal approximation test of proportions with a 1-sided 5% significance level will have 90% power to detect noninferiority of the Combo stent compared with the Orsiro stent with a predetermined noninferiority margin of 2.1%. CONCLUSION: The SORT OUT X trial will determine whether the dual-therapy Combo stent is noninferior to the Orsiro stent with respect to clinically driven events (ClinicalTrials.govNCT03216733).

Rational and design of the European randomized Optical Coherence Tomography Optimized Bifurcation Event Reduction Trial (OCTOBER).

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention in complex bifurcation lesions is prone to suboptimal implantation results and is associated with increased risk of subsequent clinical events. Angiographic ambiguity is high during bifurcation stenting, but it is unknown if procedural guidance by intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) improves clinical outcome. Methods and Design: OCTOBER is a randomized, investigator-initiated, multicenter trial aimed to show superiority of OCT-guided stent implantation compared to standard angiographic-guided implantation in bifurcation lesions. The primary outcome measure is a 2-year composite end point of cardiac death, target lesion myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization. The calculated sample size is 1,200 patients in total, and allocation is 1:1. Eligible patients have stable or unstable angina pectoris or stabilized non­ST elevation myocardial infarction, and a coronary bifurcation lesion with significant main vessel stenosis and more than 50 % stenosis in a side branch with a reference diameter ≥2.5mm. Treatment is performed by the provisional side branch stenting technique or 2-stent techniques, and the systematic OCT guiding protocol is aimed to evaluate (1) plaque preparation, (2) lesion length, (3) segmental reference sizes, (4) lesion coverage, (5) stent expansion, (6) malapposition, (7) wire positions, and (8) ostial results. Implications: A positive outcome of the OCTOBER trial may establish OCT as a routine tool for optimization of complex percutaneous coronary intervention, whereas a negative result would indicate that OCT remains a tool for ad hoc evaluation in selected cases.

Coronary stent implantation and adverse cardiac events after surgery.

BACKGROUND: In the risk assessment of patients considered for non-cardiac surgery and with recent coronary stent implantation, coronary drug-eluting stent implantation procedure characteristics may be taken into account. We aimed to evaluate associations between coronary drug-eluting stent implantation procedure characteristics and the risk of myocardial infarction and all-cause death within 30 days after non-cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Patients with coronary drug-eluting stents were identified using the Western Denmark Heart Registry. Surgical procedures performed after stent implantation were detected using the Danish National Patient Registry. We used registry-based detection of myocardial infarction and all-cause death. RESULTS: Of 22 590 patients treated with drug-eluting stents between 2005 and 2012, 4046 underwent non-cardiac surgery within 1 and 12 months after stent implantation. We found no significant association between the risk of myocardial infarction or all-cause death within 30 days after surgery and number of arteries treated (1 [reference] vs more), number of lesions treated (1 [reference] vs more), segments treated (left main and proximal left anterior descending artery vs other [reference]), total stent length (<20 mm [reference] vs ≥20 mm), number of stents (1 [reference] vs >1) and largest balloon diameter (≥3 mm [reference] vs <3 mm). All-cause death, but not myocardial infarction, risk was lower among patients treated with first-generation vs second-generation stents (odds ratio 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: We identified no significant associations between stent implantation procedure characteristics and risk of myocardial infarction or all-cause death among patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. All-cause death was lower with first- vs second-generation drug-eluting stents.

Coronary artery disease and risk of adverse cardiac events and stroke.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute myocardial infarction are at increased risk of ischaemic stroke. Previous myocardial infarction is an important part of risk assessment for ischaemic stroke. However, there is a lack of information regarding the association between the severity and extent of coronary artery disease and long-term risk of ischaemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort study of coronary angiographies performed in western Denmark from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2012. Patients were stratified according to the number of vessels affected by obstructive coronary artery disease (lumen narrowing ≥50%) at the time of angiography: zero-, one-, two- or three-vessel disease and diffuse vessel disease. We followed patients for a maximum of 7 years. Endpoints were all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Cumulative risks and crude and adjusted rate ratios were estimated. RESULTS: The study population included 78 195 patients. Of these, 32 061 (41·0%) had zero-vessel disease, 6205 (7·9%) had diffuse vessel disease, 20 202 (25·8%) had one-vessel disease, 10 675 (13·7%) had two-vessel disease, and 9038 (11·6%) had three-vessel disease. Median follow-up was 3·6 years (interquartile range 1·7-6·0 years). Increasing severity of obstructive coronary artery disease was associated with an increasing risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic stroke during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The presence and extent of coronary artery disease was associated with an incremental risk of not only death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, but also ischaemic stroke over a 7-year period.

ITO with embedded silver grids as transparent conductive electrodes for large area organic solar cells.

In this work, development of semi-transparent electrodes for efficient large area organic solar cells (OSCs) has been demonstrated. Electron beam evaporated silver grids were embedded in commercially available ITO coatings on glass, through a standard negative photolithography process, in order to improve the conductivity of planar ITO substrates. The fabricated electrodes with embedded line and square patterned Ag grids reduced the sheet resistance of ITO by 25% and 40%, respectively, showing optical transmittance drops of less than 6% within the complete visible light spectrum for both patterns. Solution processed bulk heterojunction OSCs based on PTB7:[70]PCBM were fabricated on top of these electrodes with cell areas of 4.38 cm2, and the performance of these OSCs was compared to reference cells fabricated on pure ITO electrodes. The Fill Factor (FF) of the large-scale OSCs fabricated on ITO with embedded Ag grids was enhanced by 18% for the line grids pattern and 30% for the square grids pattern compared to that of the reference OSCs. The increase in the FF was directly correlated to the decrease in the series resistance of the OSCs. The maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the OSCs was measured to be 4.34%, which is 23% higher than the PCE of the reference OSCs. As the presented method does not involve high temperature processing, it could be considered a general approach for development of large area organic electronics on solvent resistant, flexible substrates.

Zotarolimus-eluting durable-polymer-coated stent versus a biolimus-eluting biodegradable-polymer-coated stent in unselected patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (SORT OUT VI): a randomised non-inferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: New-generation drug-eluting coronary stents have reduced the risk of coronary events, especially in patients with complex disease or lesions. To what extent different stent platforms, polymers, and antiproliferative drugs affect outcomes, however, is unclear. We investigated the safety and efficacy of a third-generation stent by comparing a highly biocompatible durable-polymer-coated zotarolimus-eluting stent with a biodegradable-polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent. METHODS: This open-label, randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority trial was done at three sites across western Denmark. All patients who presented with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes and at least one coronary artery lesion (more than 50% stenosis) from March, 2011, to August, 2012, were assessed for eligibility. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the durable-polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent or the biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stent. The primary endpoint was a composite of safety (cardiac death and myocardial infarction not clearly attributable to a non-target lesion) and efficacy (target-lesion revascularisation) at 12 months, analysed by intention to treat. The trial was powered to assess non-inferiority of durable-polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent compared with the biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stent with a predetermined non-inferiority margin of 0·025. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01956448. FINDINGS: Of 7103 screened, 1502 patients with 1883 lesions were assigned to receive the durable-polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent and 1497 patients with 1791 lesions to receive the biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stent. 79 (5·3%) and 75 (5·0%) patients, respectively, met the primary endpoint (absolute risk difference 0·0025, upper limit of one-sided 95% CI 0·016%; p=0·004). The individual components of the primary endpoint did not differ significantly between stent types at 12 months. INTERPRETATION: The durable-polymer-coated zotarolimus-eluting stent was non-inferior to the biodegradable-polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent in unselected patients. FUNDING: Medtronic Cardiovascular and Biosensors Interventional Technologies.

Imaging scatterometry for flexible measurements of patterned areas.

Characterization of micro/nano-textured surfaces is time consuming using scanning probe and electron microscopy techniques. Scatterometry, where the intensity of scattered light is used as a 'fingerprint' to reconstruct a surface, is a fast and robust method for characterization of gratings. However, most scatterometry techniques are measuring the averaged signal over an area equal to the spot size of the light source. In this paper we present the imaging scatterometry technique, which is capable of locally measuring topographic parameters of gratings spanning an area down to a few µm(2) with nm accuracy. The imaging scatterometer can easily find areas of interest on the cm scale and measure multiple segments simultaneously. We demonstrate two imaging scatterometers, one built into an optical microscope and one in a split configuration. The two scatterometers are targeted characterization of mm(2) and cm(2) areas, respectively, and both setups are validated using nano-textured samples.

Morphology and composition of oxidized InAs nanowires studied by combined Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

Any device exposed to ambient conditions will be prone to oxidation. This may be of particular importance for semiconductor nanowires because of the high surface-to-volume ratio and only little is known about the consequences of oxidation for these systems. Here, we study the properties of indium arsenide nanowires which were locally oxidized using a focused laser beam. Polarization dependent micro-Raman measurements confirmed the presence of crystalline arsenic, and transmission electron microscopy diffraction showed the presence of indium oxide. The surface dependence of the oxidation was investigated in branched nanowires grown along the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] wurtzite crystal directions exhibiting different surface facets. The oxidation did not occur at the [Formula: see text] direction. The origin of this selectivity is discussed in terms transition state kinetics of the free surfaces of the different crystal families of the facets and numerical simulations of the laser induced heating.

Ultrathin compound semiconductor on insulator layers for high-performance nanoscale transistors.

Over the past several years, the inherent scaling limitations of silicon (Si) electron devices have fuelled the exploration of alternative semiconductors, with high carrier mobility, to further enhance device performance. In particular, compound semiconductors heterogeneously integrated on Si substrates have been actively studied: such devices combine the high mobility of III-V semiconductors and the well established, low-cost processing of Si technology. This integration, however, presents significant challenges. Conventionally, heteroepitaxial growth of complex multilayers on Si has been explored-but besides complexity, high defect densities and junction leakage currents present limitations in this approach. Motivated by this challenge, here we use an epitaxial transfer method for the integration of ultrathin layers of single-crystal InAs on Si/SiO(2) substrates. As a parallel with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, we use 'XOI' to represent our compound semiconductor-on-insulator platform. Through experiments and simulation, the electrical properties of InAs XOI transistors are explored, elucidating the critical role of quantum confinement in the transport properties of ultrathin XOI layers. Importantly, a high-quality InAs/dielectric interface is obtained by the use of a novel thermally grown interfacial InAsO(x) layer (~1 nm thick). The fabricated field-effect transistors exhibit a peak transconductance of ~1.6 mS µm(-1) at a drain-source voltage of 0.5 V, with an on/off current ratio of greater than 10,000.

Alignment-free characterization of 2D gratings.

Fast characterization of 2D gratings is demonstrated using a Fourier lens optical system and a differential optimization algorithm. It is shown that the grating-specific parameters such as the basis vectors and the angle between them, along with the alignment of the sample, such as the rotation of the sample around the x, y, and z axis, can be deduced from a single measurement. More specifically, the lattice vectors and the angle between them have been measured, while the corrections of the alignment parameters are used to improve the quality of the measurement and, hence, reduce the measurement uncertainty. Alignment-free characterization is demonstrated on a 2D hexagonal grating with a period of 700 nm and a checkerboard grating with a pitch of 3000 nm. The method also can be used for automatic alignment and in-line characterization of gratings.