Rotationally symmetric formulation of the wave propagation method-application to the straylight analysis of diffractive lenses.

We introduce a modified formulation of the wave propagation method for the efficient simulation of rotationally symmetric micro-optical components. The reformulated algorithm provides an increased computational performance of approximately two orders of magnitude and strongly reduced memory requirements, in comparison to the original formulation. This enables the efficient wave optical simulation of extended micro-optical structures beyond the common thin-element approximation. As a prototypical example, we assess the modified algorithm for the evaluation of straylight induced by diffractive lenses. We find an excellent accuracy, while comparing to rigorous simulations, which justifies the ability to overcome the limitations of the thin-element approximation.

Determinants of longitudinal health-related quality-of-life change in children with asthma from low-income families: a report from the PROMIS® Pediatric Asthma Study.

BACKGROUND: How the longitudinal asthma control status and other socio-demographic factors influence the changes of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among asthmatic children, especially from low-income families, has not been fully investigated. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the trajectories of asthma-specific HRQOL over 15 months and examine the effect of asthma control status on HRQOL by taking socio-demographic factors into consideration. METHODS: A total of 229 dyads of asthmatic children and their parents enroled in public insurance programs were recruited for assessing asthma control status and HRQOL over four time points of assessment. Asthma control status was measured using the Asthma Control and Communication Instrument, and asthma-specific HRQOL was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System's Pediatric Asthma Impact Scale. Latent growth models (LGMs) were applied to examine the trajectory of HRQOL and the factors contributing to the changes of HRQOL. RESULTS: Unconditional LGM revealed that HRQOL was improved over time. Conditional LGM suggested that accounting for asthma control and participants' socio-demographic factors, the variation in the initial level of HRQOL was significant, yet the rate of change was not. Conditional LGM also revealed that poorly controlled asthma status was associated with poor HRQOL at each time point (P's < 0.05). Lower parental education was associated with lower baseline HRQOL (P < 0.05). Hispanic children had a larger increase in HRQOL over time (P < 0.01) than non-Hispanic White children. CONCLUSIONS: Vulnerable socio-demographic characteristics and poorly controlled asthma status affect HRQOL in children. This finding encourages interventions to improve asthma control status and HRQOL in minority children.

Image formation properties and inverse imaging problem in aperture based scanning near field optical microscopy.

Aperture based scanning near field optical microscopes are important instruments to study light at the nanoscale and to understand the optical functionality of photonic nanostructures. In general, a detected image is affected by both the transverse electric and magnetic field components of light. The discrimination of the individual field components is challenging as these four field components are contained within two signals in the case of a polarization resolved measurement. Here, we develop a methodology to solve the inverse imaging problem and to retrieve the vectorial field components from polarization and phase resolved measurements. Our methodology relies on the discussion of the image formation process in aperture based scanning near field optical microscopes. On this basis, we are also able to explain how the relative contributions of the electric and magnetic field components within detected images depend on the chosen probe. We can therefore also describe the influence of geometrical and material parameters of individual probes within the image formation process. This allows probes to be designed that are primarily sensitive either to the electric or magnetic field components of light.

Wave-optical modeling beyond the thin-element-approximation.

The optical design and analysis of modern micro-optical elements with high index contrasts and large numerical apertures is still challenging, as fast and accurate wave-optical simulations beyond the thin-element-approximation are required. We introduce a modified formulation of the wave-propagation-method and assess its performance in comparison to different beam-propagation-methods with respect to accuracy, required sampling densities, and computational performance. For typical micro-optical components, the wave-propagation-method is found to be considerably faster and more accurate at even lower sampling densities compared to the different beam-propagation-methods. This enables realistic wave-optical simulations beyond the thin-element-approximation for micro-optical components. As an example, the modified wave-propagation-method is applied for in-line holographic measurements of strongly diffracting objects. From a direct comparison of experimental results and corresponding simulations, the geometric parameters of a test object could be retrieved with high accuracy.

Efficacy and safety of pre-Descemet's membrane sutures for the management of acute corneal hydrops in keratoconus.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of pre-Descemet's membrane (DM) sutures associated with intracameral air injection for management of acute corneal hydrops associated with keratoconus. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective interventional study of seven consecutive cases. Three to seven pre-DM sutures with 10-0 nylon were applied perpendicularly to the tear as close as possible to DM, under general anaesthesia. An air bubble was injected into the anterior chamber at the end of each procedure. RESULTS: Corneal oedema began to decrease from day 1 after surgery in all our patients. Best-corrected visual acuity progressed from 2.13 to 1.65 logMar (p=0.031) 1 month after surgery, and from 2.13 to 0.84 logMar (p=0.016) 2 months after surgery. The mean corneal thickness measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography decreased from 1472 µm (range 689-2770 µm) on day 0 to 909 µm (range 484-1640 µm) on day 1 (p=0.016), 716 µm (range 484-1380 µm) on day 15 (p=0.016) and 528 µm (range 404-618 µm) 1 month after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that intrastromal pre-DM sutures and intracameral air injection could promptly restore imperviousness of posterior stroma. This technique seems to be a safe and useful procedure to shorten acute corneal hydrops.

Prior myocardial infarction and presence of upper gastrointestinal conditions among patients with venous thromboembolism: prevalence, associated comorbidities and burden.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a serious, life-threatening condition that often complicates treatment of individuals who are already ill and increases in risk with age. The comorbidity burden of VTE can complicate treatment; therefore, treatment should be influenced by the presence of comorbidities (Kearon 2012). The prevalence of common conditions in the VTE population is, therefore, an important subject of research. Prevalence of two common comorbid burdens, prior myocardial infarction (MI) and upper gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, was studied among survey respondents who reported DVT or PE. METHODS: Responses to the 2010 wave of the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), a self-administered, internet-based questionnaire from a nationwide, demographically representative sample of adults, were evaluated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Among the 814 participants reporting a history of VTE, 9·7% (n = 60) of the DVT subpopulation and 13·2% (n = 39) of the PE subpopulation also reported prior MI. In respondents with prior MI, cardiovascular, urological, and pain comorbidities were each reported as additional comorbidities by at least two thirds of respondents in both the PE and DVT subpopulations, with cardiovascular and urological conditions reported significantly (P < 0·05) more often than among respondents with no prior MI. Among the respondents reporting VTE, 48·9% (n = 302) of the subpopulation reporting DVT and 52·2% (n = 154) of those reporting PE also reported upper GI comorbidities. Cardiovascular and pain conditions in the respondents reporting upper GI comorbidities were each reported by more than three quarters of VTE patients in both the DVT and PE subpopulations and were significantly more common (P < 0·05) than among their counterparts without upper GI comorbidities. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The results of the NHWS indicate that VTE patients who have either of two common comorbid burdens, prior MI and concomitant upper GI conditions, also showed high levels of additional, concurrent comorbidities and generally poor health status. Clinicians must be aware of the total comorbidity profile of their patients who have experienced VTE in order to best manage them and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Genome Sequence of the Mycorrhizal Helper Bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens BBc6R8.

We report the draft genome sequence of the mycorrhizal helper bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain BBc6R8. This is the first genome of a mycorrhizal helper bacterium. The draft genome contains 6,952,353 bp and is predicted to encode 6,317 open reading frames. Comparative genomic analyses will help to identify helper traits.

[Medical care unit -- a suitable instrument for ambulatory patient-adequate care and performance-related remuneration]. / Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum - geeignetes Instrument der ambulanten patientenadäquaten Versorgung und leistungsgerechten Vergütung.

BACKGROUND: The question of whether a medical care unit is an appropriate tool for outpatient care has been discussed for a long time. Our aim is to investigate whether the MCU is an effective instrument for outpatient care and adequate performance-related remuneration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retro- and prospective overview of the work included statements on legal foundations for medical care units, for reimbursement of services in medical care units, the development of medical care centres in Germany and a listing of the specific advantages and disadvantages of an MCU. This article focuses on the generally applicable facts and complements them with examples from general, visceral and vascular surgery. The main quantitative data on medical centre statistics come from different publications of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance for Physicians. RESULTS: From a legal point of view the instrument MCU allows the participating of ambulatory and stationary care in the framework of medical care contracts. This has been especially extended for stationary applications, including the spectrum of possibilities that can contribute under certain circumstances for the provision of medical care in underdeveloped regions. Freelancers can benefit primarily from financial risk and minimising bureaucratic routine. The remuneration for services performed in the MCU is analogous to that of other ambulatory care providers. Basically, there are no disadvantages, but a greater design freedom and opportunities for the generation of aggregates are visible. The number of MCU in Germany has quadrupled in the last five years, indicating an establishment of an outpatient care landscape. MCU offers from the patient's perspective, providers and policy specific advantages and disadvantages. Indeed the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, but this is not yet verified by qualitative studies. CONCLUSION: The question of the appropriateness of medical care units as outpatient care instrumentation must be considered differentially. Under current conditions it appears suitable for ensuring the MCU and the supplement of care supply. Whether a value can be generated in the quality of care of patients, however, has to be examined separately, as there are no valid data so far. The same applies to economic assessments of costs and benefits from an economic perspective.

Modeling of line roughness and its impact on the diffraction intensities and the reconstructed critical dimensions in scatterometry.

We investigate the impact of line-edge and line-width roughness (LER, LWR) on the measured diffraction intensities in angular resolved extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scatterometry for a periodic line-space structure designed for EUV lithography. LER and LWR with typical amplitudes of a few nanometers were previously neglected in the course of the profile reconstruction. The two-dimensional (2D) rigorous numerical simulations of the diffraction process for periodic structures are carried out with the finite element method providing a numerical solution of the 2D Helmholtz equation. To model roughness, multiple calculations are performed for domains with large periods, containing many pairs of line and space with stochastically chosen line and space widths. A systematic decrease of the mean efficiencies for higher diffraction orders along with increasing variances is observed and established for different degrees of roughness. In particular, we obtain simple analytical expressions for the bias in the mean efficiencies and the additional uncertainty contribution stemming from the presence of LER and/or LWR. As a consequence this bias can easily be included into the reconstruction model to provide accurate values for the evaluated profile parameters. We resolve the sensitivity of the reconstruction from this bias by using simulated data with LER/LWR perturbed efficiencies for multiple reconstructions. If the scattering efficiencies are bias-corrected, significant improvements are found in the reconstructed bottom and top widths toward the nominal values.

North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N0432: phase II trial of docetaxel with capecitabine and bevacizumab as first-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel (T; Taxotere) with capecitabine (X) is active against metastatic breast cancer (MBC); bevacizumab (BV) has demonstrated efficacy with taxanes in the first-line setting. This study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of TX-BV in patients with MBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this single-arm, multicenter phase II study, patients received first-line bevacizumab 15 mg/kg and docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 and capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice per day on days 1-14 every 21 days. Primary and secondary end points were tumor response rate (RR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 45 assessable patients received TX-BV for a median of seven cycles. Two complete and 20 partial responses were observed (overall RR 49%); nine patients had stable disease >6 months, for a clinical benefit rate of 69%. Median response duration was 11.8 months. Median OS and PFS were 28.4 and 11.1 months, respectively. Grade 3/4 adverse events included hand-foot syndrome (29%), fatigue (20%), febrile neutropenia (18%), and diarrhea (18%). In cycles 3-10, median dose levels of docetaxel and capecitabine were 60 mg/m(2) and 660 mg/m(2), respectively. CONCLUSION: TX-BV demonstrated significant activity; dose modifications were required to manage drug-related toxic effects.

Oxidized low density lipoproteins induce apoptosis in human lymphocytes: involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL), macrophages and T-lymphocytes are present in atherosclerotic lesions. We and others have shown that oxLDL is cytotoxic for macrophages, endothelial, smooth muscle and activated T-lymphocytes and induce apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that (i) oxidized LDL (oxLDL), oxidized VLDL (oxVLDL) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induce apoptosis in human T-lymphocytes and (ii) mitogen-activated protein kinases are involved in this process. Apoptosis was monitored by immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry for annexin V binding, Apo 2.7 expression, the TUNEL reaction and caspase 3 activity. In the presence of oxLDL (100 microg/ml), oxVLDL (50 microg/ml) and H2O2 (5 mM), the fraction of apoptotic cells increased within 6 hours to more than 70%. Preincubation of lymphocytes with the MAPKK inhibitor PD-98059 and the p38MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 almost completely abolished these effects. Furthermore, oxLDL and H2O2 but not native LDL strongly enhanced phosphorylation of JNK, p38MAPK and p42/44MAPK. The results suggest that in the resting lymphocyte apoptosis triggered by oxidized lipoproteins and oxidative stress depends on the activation of p44/42MAPK and p38MAPK cascades.