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Purpose: Antivascular endothelial growth factor agents are increasingly used in diabetic macular oedema (DME); however, there are few studies exploring their use in DME in real-world settings. Methods: POLARIS was a noninterventional, multicentre study to monitor 12-month outcomes in patients starting ranibizumab treatment in routine practices. The primary outcome was mean change in visual acuity (VA) from baseline to month 12 (last observation carried forward approach). Other outcomes included mean change in central retinal thickness (CRT) and resource utilization. Visual acuity (VA) outcomes were also stratified by country, baseline visual acuity score (VAS), sex, age and injection frequency. Results: Outcomes were analysed from all treated patients (n=804) and from first-year completers (patients who had a visual acuity assessment at 12months; n=568). The mean (SD) baseline VAS was 59.4 (15.9) letters, and the mean change in visual acuity was 4.4 letters (95% confidence interval: 3.3–5.4) at month 12 (study eye; first-year completers). The mean number of injections (study eye) was 4.9, and the mean number of all visits (any eye) was 10 (58% were injection visits) over 12months (first-year completers). The mean (SD) baseline CRT was 410.6 (128.8) μm, and the mean change in CRT was −115.2μm at month 12 (study eye; first-year completers). Visual acuity (VA) outcomes were generally comparable across most countries and subgroups and were greatest in patients with the lowest baseline VAS (≤60 letters). Conclusion: POLARIS showed that real-world outcomes in DME patients starting treatment with ranibizumab were lower than those observed in clinical studies, in spite of extensive monitoring.

Background: Cumulative light exposure is significantly associated with ageing and the progression of age-related macular degeneration. To prevent the retina from blue-light damage in pseudophakia, blue light-absorbing intraocular lenses have been developed. This study compares the possible protective effects of a blue light-absorbing intraocular lens to an untinted ultraviolet-absorbing intraocular lens with regard to light-induced oxidative stress and senescence of human retinal pigment epithelium. Methods: As primary human retinal pigment epithelium cells were exposed to white light, either an ultraviolet- and blue light-absorbing intraocular lens or ultraviolet-absorbing intraocular lens was placed in the light beam. After 60 min of irradiation, cells were investigated by electron microscopy for viability, induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3 and their mRNA were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Light exposure induced structural damage, decreased retinal pigment epithelium cell viability, and increased reactive oxygen species, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3 expression and secretion. Although both types of intraocular lens significantly reduced these effects, the protective effects of the ultraviolet- and blue light-absorbing intraocular lens were significantly stronger than those of the ultraviolet-absorbing intraocular lens. Conclusions: The ultraviolet- and blue light-absorbing intraocular lens demonstrated significantly better protection against light-induced oxidative stress, senescence and structural damage than the ultraviolet-absorbing intraocular lens. These in vitro findings support the hypothesis that the ultraviolet- and blue light-absorbing intraocular lens may prevent retinal damage in clinical use.

Purpose: Indocyanine green (ICG) is a commonly used vital dye for macular surgery. Recent reports implicate that its use might be associated with less favourable results regarding postoperative visual outcome and damage of retinal cells, and atrophic degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been described. This study investigates the effects of ICG on light-induced senescence of RPE cells. Methods: Primary human RPE cells were either pre-incubated with ICG in concentrations of 0.005% and 0.05% or not and then exposed to white light. After 10 min of irradiation viability, induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity (SA β-Gal) were determined. Expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1 and 3 and their mRNA were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. Results: Light exposure decreased RPE cell viability by 46%. Treatment with 0.005% and 0.05% ICG alone decreased RPE cell viability by 7% and 21%. In addition, expression of ROS, SA β-Gal, and MMP-1 and 3 was significantly increased. When 0.005% and 0.05% ICG treatments were combined with light exposure, viability decreased by 69% and 82% compared to the untreated control. Effects on the expression of ROS, SA β-Gal, and MMP-1 and 3 were, depending on the ICG dose, significantly increased when cells were pre-incubated with ICG and then illuminated. Conclusion: In this study, pretreatment with ICG significantly increased light-induced oxidative stress and senescence. This might indicate a potential, supplementary mechanism that could explain RPE alterations and reduced functional results after ICG-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling.

Wassergesattigte Atemalkohol-Kalibriergasgemische werden haufig nach dem Sattigungsverfahren hergestellt. Die Ethanolkonzentration im Gasstrom wird dabei uber empirische Verteilungskoeffizienten berechnet, deren Werte jedoch in der Literatur eine deutliche Varianz zeigen. In diesem Beitrag wird der Aufbau eines Generators beschrieben, mit dem Kalibriergasgemische fur die Atemalkoholmesstechnik erstmals auf dynamisch-gravimetrische Weise, unabhangig von empirischen Verteilungskoeffizienten hergestellt werden. Die Unsicherheit der Ethanolkonzentration wird anhand des GUM (Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement) berechnet. Die Gasgemische des dynamisch-gravimetrischen Generators werden mit denen des Sattigungsverfahrens verglichen. Aus den Ergebnissen des Vergleichs konnen neue Verteilungskoeffizienten fur das Stoffsystem Ethanol-Wasser-Luft berechnet werden.

Background: Cataract is one of the most prevalent eye disease and a major cause for legal blindness in the world. Beside others, cumulative light-exposure and apoptotic cell death are significantly associated with cataract development. In contrast, supplementation with antioxidants has been suggested to prevent premature cataractogenesis. This study investigates possible protective effects of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) regarding light-induced stress and apoptotic cell death in human lens epithelial cells (LEC). Methods: Human LEC were either pre-incubated with CoQ10 or not and then exposed to white light. After 10–40 min of irradiation viability, induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis and cell death was determined. Expression of apoptotic BAX and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and their mRNA were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results: Light exposure decreased LEC viability and Bcl-2 expression and increased intracellular ROS, apoptotic cell death, and BAX expression in a time-of-irradiation-dependent manner. Phototoxic cell death and apoptosis, as well as decrease of Bcl-2 and increase in BAX expression was significantly reduced, when cells were pre-incubated with CoQ10. Conclusions: In this study, CoQ10 significantly reduced light-induced LECdamage and attenuated phototoxic effects on BAX and Bcl-2 expression. Therefore, CoQ10 supplementation might also be useful in preventing LEC death and consecutive cataract formation in vivo.

The paper presents a methodology for the construction of an explicit nonlinear control law via approximation of the nonlinear constrained finite-time optimal control (CFTOC). This is achieved through an approximate mapping of a general nonlinear system in a set of linear piecewise affine (PWA) systems. The key advantages of this methodology are two-fold. First, the construction of an analytic solution of the CFTOC problem leads to an efficient explicit implementation. Second, by taking advantage of model predictive control's systematic fashion to handle constraints, an improved performance can be obtained for the closed-loop system. The proposed theory is applied in real-time for a system with fast dynamics: a magnetic levitation benchmark. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society

Objectives. Voter participation, political knowledge and efficacy, and feelings of political estrangement or alienation have all been linked to varying levels of racial/ethnic descriptive representation. The goal of this study is to investigate similar effects on feelings of political trust with regard to the descriptive representation of women in municipal government. Methods. Using original survey data collected in 70 different U.S. municipalities, this study investigates the linkage between the descriptive representation of women on municipal legislative bodies and attitudes of political trust among the public, while controlling for other important factors. Results. The findings indicate that female descriptive representation has slightly positive effects on women's political trust, and much stronger negative effects on men's feelings of trust in government. Importantly, this effect is present only among those citizens exhibiting a moderate awareness of politics and government. Conclusions. These findings suggest that our investigations into the impact of female descriptive representation need to include more fine-grained analyses to uncover other potential group differences, and that descriptive representation may enhance feelings of governmental trust among some segments of society but may not cure ailing political trust levels in the aggregate.

Purpose: To compare the amount and pattern of fluorescein leakage in diabetic macular oedema with the retinal thickness maps obtained with the retinal thickness analyser (RTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: A consecutive series of 30 eyes from 30 patients with diabetic macular oedema was included. On fluorescein angiography (FA) the macula was analysed in 10 subfields as defined by the ETDRS. The amount and source of leakage for each field were determined. Retinal thickness was measured by OCT and RTA maps in each of the 10 fields and compared with the FA grading. Results: Foveal retinal thickness on OCT was most influenced by the overall FA leakage, which was the only significant covariate on multivariate analysis. The source and amount of leakage correlated significantly with the topography of retinal thickness in the four peripheral fields between 1500 µm and 3000 µm from the macular centre (r = 0.54, p = 0.002). The mean amount and source of leakage in those fields also showed the highest correlation with central macular thickness on OCT (r = 0.46, p = 0.01). Similar results were obtained by RTA when excluding ischaemic cases (r = 0.44, p = 0.04). For both instruments, FA leakage within the four central fields

Objective. Many have written about the public's low opinion of the federal government; however, the theoretical sources and consequences of political trust have been empirically elusive. Drawing on the procedural justice framework, this study investigates the structure and consequences of people's mistrust of the federal government. Methods. Using data from various years of the National Election Study (NES), this research investigates the relationship between policy, procedural, and personal concerns and support of government. Results. Judgments about policy outputs, the process by which these policies develop, and the people involved in this process are shown to be sources of governmental trust, and certain aspects of trust are shown to have important behavioral consequences. Conclusions. These findings help to explain the failure of previous research into the causes and consequences of political trust. The various policy and process judgments that the NES Index combines play important independent roles in explaining political trust itself and its relationship with political behaviors and other attitudes.

Editor, L aser photocoagulation is a well evidence-based standard therapy for both proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and diabetic macular oedema (DME), recently supplemented by e.g. anti-VEGF treatment (Elman et al. 2010). Over the last decades, numerous technical advances have been introduced to laser therapy including subthreshold techniques (Nakamura et al. 2010) and pattern laser generation (Bolz et al. 2010). However, the advantages of computerized precision well known from refractive surgery (‘eye tracking’) have not become widely available despite several technical approaches towards that goal (Naess et al. 2002). Navilas is a novel fundus imaging and laser treatment device (ODOS GmbH, Teltow, Germany) that allows imaging (infrared, colour, fluorescein angiography) and integrated laser treatment of the retina, including pattern laser generation. Besides documentation, safety and patient comfort, the main theoretical advantages lie in retina navigation. The device offers retina navigation by computerized image and target assistance systems, resulting in high precision and reproducibility of theoretically

Die angespannte Situation auf dem Arbeitsmarkt fur Physiker halt an. Bei den Absolventen wachsen Frustration und Unmut; dies belegen nicht zuletzt auch die bei der DPG und den Physikalischen Blattern eingehenden Zuschriften junger Physiker (siehe z. B. Dezember-Heft 1994, S. 1112). Rekordzahlen von 4000 diplomierten und 1500 promovierten Physikern pro Jahr sind abzusehen. Langst ist die Zahl der Bewerber pro offener Physikerstelle ins Dreistellige gewachsen. Die Spitze des „Absolventenbergs” wird fur Diplomphysiker in zwei bis drei Jahren erwartet, die fur Promovierte drei bis vier Jahre spater. Vor diesem Hintergrund war es nur folgerichtig, das die DPG ihre Diskussionsveranstaltung am letztjahrigen „Tag der DPG”, dem 11. November 1994, den Zukunftsperspektiven der Physik und der Physiker widmete, um die Ursachen dieser Negativentwicklung zu, erforschen und mogliche Masnahmen zu diskutieren. Die Diskussion unterteilte sich in drei Themenbereiche: 1) „Wie sehen die Physiker ihre Zukunft, insbesondere die Hochschulabsolventen?” (Einfuhrendes Referat und Moderation: Prof. Peter Reineker, Universitat Ulm, im Vorstand der DPG verantwortlich fur den Bereich „Bildung und Ausbildung”) 2) „Was wird von den Physikern erwartet, insbesondere aus Sicht der Industrie?” (Prof. Hans Sixl, Hoechst AG, Bereich „Berufsfragen und wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs”) 3) „Was konnen die Physiker selbst gestalten? Wie kann insbesondere das Tatigkeitsfeld erweitert werden?” (Prof. Gunnar Berg, Universitat Halle, Bereich „Wissenschaftliche Programme und Preise”). An der von DPG-Prasident Prof. Hans-Gunter Danielmeyer geleiteten lebhaften Diskussion nahmen auch die Mitglieder eines am CERN gegrundeten Arbeitskreises betroffener Nachwuchsphysiker teil. Deren „Bilanz aus Sicht der Betroffenen” und die daraus abgeleiteten Forderungen und Wunsche an die DPG sind den Kasten zu entnehmen, die in den folgenden Beitrag eingebaut sind. Einigkeit herrschte bei den Diskussionsteilnehmern, das wir es eigentlich mit zwei Problemen zu tun haben: Massive Uberbruckungsmasnahmen sind notwendig, um den in den nachsten Jahren zu erwartenden „Physikerberg” abzubauen, wobei anziehende Konjunktur und seit vier Jahren rucklaufige Anfangerzahlen hoffen lassen, das es sich hierbei um ein kurz- bis mittelfristiges Problem handelt. Generallosungen sind allerdings nicht in Sicht; nur das Zusammenspiel vieler kleiner Masnahmen kann hier Abhilfe schaffen. Das zweite Problem ist langreichweitiger Natur: Strukturelle Anderungen in Gesellschaft und Industrie lassen es als notwendig erscheinen, das sich die Physiker langfristig neue Betatigungsfelder erschliesen und auch die Ausbildung an dieses veranderte Umfeld angepast wird. Das Zusammenspiel von Forschung und Wirtschaft wird zukunftig weniger technologieorientiert, starker marktorientiert sein; der Stellenwert innovativer Dienstleistungen wird zunehmen. Als konkretes Ergebnis der Diskussionsveranstaltung soll unter Einbeziehung betroffener junger Physiker eine Arbeitsgruppe gebildet werden, die die andiskutierten Losungsansatze weiter durchdenkt und gegebenenfalls Masnahmen zur Umsetzung erarbeitet. Desweiteren kundigte H.-G. Danielmeyer eine Befragung aller Physikfachbereiche an, in der diese darlegen sollen, was sie bislang unternehmen, um die Arbeitsmarktchancen ihrer Absolventen zu verbessern.

Der funfzigste Jahrgang der Physikalischen Blatter ist ein willkommener Anlas, die Entwicklung der Physik in Deutschland sowie der zugrundeliegenden Forschungsstrukturen uber diesen Zeitraum einmal Revue passieren zu lassen. Wie kaum ein anderer ist dazu Professor Heinz Maier-Leibnitz geeignet, der als Hochschullehrer, Institutsgrunder und langjahriger Prasident der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft sowohl die Physik als auch die Forschungslandschaft entscheidend mitgepragt hat. In dem folgenden Gesprach mit Helmut Rechenberg und Stefan Ulbig beschreibt er aber nicht nur seine ganz personlichen Erfahrungen aus dieser Zeit, sondern er bezieht daruber hinaus Position zu aktuellen Fragen wie: Ist Europas Forschung durch die Brusseler Burokraten bedroht? Forschen wir zuviel? Wie last sich die Qualitat der Lehre verbessern?

Seit April 1991 ist der Hochstflusreaktor des Instituts Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble abgeschaltet. Professor R. Scherm, seit November 1992 deutscher Vizedirektor des ILL, beantwortet Fragen der Redaktion nach dem Stand der Reparaturarbeiten und den mit dem langen Stillstand verknupften Problemen. Am Rande der Debatten um das 4. Forschungs- und Entwicklungs-Rahmenprogramm der Europaischen Union (EU) befindet sich die Kommission bereits in der Diskussion uber die daraus resultierenden spezifischen Programme. Der folgende Beitrag ist der Beginn einer Serie von Berichten uber den Diskussionsstand einiger dieser Programme.

Purpose Hypoxia-induced breakdown of the inner and outer blood–retina barrier and increased expression of growth factor are closely associated with the development and progression of diabetic macular edema. This study was performed to investigate the effects of the multikinase inhibitor axitinib on hypoxia-induced increased tissue permeability, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) expression of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In addition, the effects of axitinib on the expression of VEGF receptors 1/2 (VEGFR-1/2) and PDGF receptor beta (PDGFR-β) were explored. Methods Primary human RPE cells and HUVECs were treated with axitinib (0.5 µg/mL). Viability of cells and expression of VEGFR-1/2 and PDGFR-β, and their mRNAs, were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Cells were exposed to hypoxia. Viability, tissue permeability, expression, and secretion of VEGF and PDGF were determined by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Treatment with axitinib reduced expression of VEGFR-1/2 and PDGFR-β. Hypoxia decreased cell viability and increased tissue permeability, expression, and secretion of VEGF and PDGF. Axitinib significantly reduced hypoxia-induced overexpression and secretion of the growth factors and tissue permeability. Conclusion Our in vitro results suggest that axitinib may have promising properties as a potential treatment for diabetic macular edema.

Purpose Age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. This study investigates the possible anti-apoptotic and cytoprotective effects of idebenone on retinal pigmentepithelial cells (ARPE19) under oxidative stress. Methods ARPE19 were treated with 1 to 100 µM idebenone. Cell viability (tetrazolium dye-reduction assay and live-dead assay) and expression of BAX and Bcl-2, two key modulators of apoptosis, and their mRNA were determined after 48 h and after H2O2 treatment. Results Idebenone concentrations from 1 to 20 µM showed no toxic effects ARPE19. Doses of 5 and 7.5 µM were most effective in increasing cell viability after H2O2 treatment. Further more RT-PCR and Western blot analysis yielded an increased expression of Bcl-2 and a decrease of BAX compared to those cells that were treated with H2O2 only. Conclusion In this study idebenone reduced oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death in cultured ARPE19 in vitro. Our results suggest that idebenone may help to protect these cells in vivo, and therefore might be helpful in preventing the progression of geographic atrophy in age related macular degeneration.

Purpose Treatment accuracy and patient pain were evaluated using a novel navigating laser (NAVILAS) compared to conventional laser treatment in clinically significant macular edema (CSME). Methods Focal Navilas laser was performed in 42 patients. On color images (CI) and OCT laser spots were analyzed regarding accuracy spot placement compared to planning. Treatment pain was quantified on a visual-analogue-scale (VAS) and compared to a matched control. Up to one year clinical follow-up investigated retreatment and visual acuity compared to a control of 113 patients treated by conventional laser. Results 79% of laserspots were visible on CI, of which 96% were within 100µm from the planned target. OCT confirmed that laser effects were limited to the outer retina . The number of laser spots per patient was 115+/-97 with Navilas, (43+/-36) with conventional laser. Pain on VAS was mean 1.6 (SD 1.0), 4.4 (SD 1.8) for the control. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed separation of the retreatment curves after 4-5 months with less retreatments for Navilas. Conclusion Compared to conventional laser, significantly more laserspots were placed with Navilas, patient reported pain was significantly lower. the tendency for lower retreatment rates tend with Navilas may be important when considering possible combination laser and anti-VEGF drug therapy. Commercial interest

Herr Weisskopf, Sie stehen mitten in Ihrem neunten Lebensjahrzehnt und beschaftigen sich seit uber 60 Jahren mit der Physik. Was sind in Ihren Augen die gravierendsten anderungen, die die Methoden der physikalischen Forschung in diesem Zeitraum erfahren haben? Victor Weisskopf, einer der Pioniere der Physik unseres Jahrhunderts und einer der wenigen verbliebenen Zeitzeugen der Umwalzungen, die die Quantentheorie und die Relativitatstheorie in den Naturwissenschaften verursacht haben, wird am 19. September 85 Jahre alt. Dazu gratulieren wir sehr herzlich! Weisskopfs Wirken ist von der Erkenntnis gepragt, das fur einen Wissenschaftler das Leben in einer komplementaren Weise zu erfassen sei: Zur wissenschaftlichen Neugier (curiosity) mus das soziale Mitgefuhl fur die Mitmenschen (compassion) hinzukommen. Seit Jahrzehnten in den USA lebend, verbringt er regelmasig einige Wochen des Jahres in der Nahe von Genf. Im Gesprach mit S. Ulbig ausert er sich u. a. zur Entwicklung der Physik in unserem Jahrhundert, zum Stellenwert der Grundlagenforschung in der Erfahrungswelt des Alltags und zur Verantwortung des Physikers

Zwolf Jahre lang war Prof. Volker Soergel Vorsitzender des DESY-Direktoriums, bevor er im Marz dieses Jahres an die Universitat Heidelberg zuruckkehrte. Im Gesprach mit S. Ulbig ausert er sich zur heutigen Lage der Elementarteilchenforschung und erlautert, welche Fragen die Teilchenphysiker in der naheren Zukunft beschaftigen werden.

Purpose To investigate accuracy of a navigating laser photo-coagulator in clinically significant macular edema. Methods Focal laser in 20 patients was digitally planned on fundus images and performed with navigation using Navilas® (OD-OS GmbH, Teltow, Germany). On color images, OCT and autofluorescence we analyzed 784 laser spots (mean 39 per eye) at one week follow-up and determined accuracy of spot placement using an image flicker method. Results 76% of lesions were visible on color images, 95% were within 100 µm from the planned target. OCT confirmed that laser effects were limited to the outer retina. Conclusion Navilas® laser effects were visualized to high percentage on post-treatment images, location showed high concordance to preplanning.

Am 1. Oktober hat Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Specht die wissenschaftliche Leitung der GSI Darmstadt ubernommen. Im Gesprach mit S. Ulbig erlautert er seine Plane fur die wissenschaftliche Zukunft dieser Grosforschungseinrichtung ebenso wie erste Ansatze fur eine Neustrukturierung der GSI.