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Artist Peter Sedgley, founder of Space Studios with painter Bridget Riley in the 1960s
Sedgley, known for his kinetic and optical art, founded the workspace, which is the oldest continuously operating art studio in London
Space said: “Peter Sedgley was an artist who looked at the world with a particular kind of social conscience
“He imagined the site of the artist’s studio as one of unbounded imagination – a prospective seat for social
“Sedgley was a very specific kind of person
the discipline required of his intricate incandescent paintings
which over time evolved to become sculptures
was something that he pursued largely independently
He also created an art information registry, which was used by members including singer David Bowie and German-British painter Frank Auerbach
Sedgley became an artist after a period in the army and a short career as an architect
His first major solo exhibition was in 1965
at the McRoberts And Tunnard Gallery in London
It sold out and several works were placed in major galleries such as Tate Britain
The London-born artist continued to work until well into his 90s and created a retrospective of his work at the Redfern Gallery in London in November last year dedicated to his late wife Inge Lommatzsch
The artist was also married to Marguerite Wiltshire, who he divorced in 1996 and had two children, Richard and Laura, with. He also had three grandsons, Joseph, James and Charles, and a grand-daughter, Kathleen.
The studio’s statement added: “It is thanks to Peter’s pioneering vision that today Space remains the oldest continuously running artist studios provider in London.”
Shops across the country might want to take a vehicle owner’s lawsuit against Service King over her Tesla Model S’s crash as an opportunity to re-evaluate their own operations and exposure
Lommatzsch v. Tesla et al states that Service King had worked on the Model S before the car crashed into a stopped Unified Fire Authority mechanic’s truck on May 11
The lawsuit doesn’t state how the work improperly affected the vehicle
Plaintiff Heather Lommatzsch sued Tesla as well
“During the year leading up to the subject accident
Defendant Service King provided service to the Tesla Model S and had replaced a sensor on the Tesla Model S,” the lawsuit states
“… Service King owed a duty of care to Plaintiff while testing
“Defendant Service King breached the duty of care by negligently testing
and/or repairing the Tesla Model S.”
cited Lommatzsch for failing to keep a proper lookout while driving
“The driver of the Tesla Model S … was subsequently interviewed by the South Jordan Police and said that she had been using the ‘Autopilot’ feature in the Tesla,” South Jordan police wrote in a news release
“While Tesla’s Autopilot feature indicates that a driver must be attentive at all times
the driver admitted that she was looking at her phone prior to the collision
the driver of the Tesla did not brake or take any action to avoid the collision.”
Service King had not responded to an email request Friday for comment by its personnel or counsel
Companies typically refrain from discussing pending litigation themselves
we note again that the lawsuit lacks specifics on what error Service King is alleged to have made during the repair
The complaint just says Service King fixed the car
and calls it a day without connecting the dots to the crash
Service King wasn’t mentioned in the police news release regarding the collision
it wasn’t brought up as an avenue of investigation at the time
“I wasn’t made aware of any of that information,” he said
indicating that the lawsuit might have been the first time the company’s alleged role had been mentioned by Lommatzsch
Federal regulators also have launched their own independent inquiry into the incident
but NHTSA does not offer preliminary information about its investigations
The body shop wasn’t mentioned in the police news release regarding the collision; a spokesman did not reply to a Friday email inquiry asking if local authorities investigated the repairer’s work
Litigation or regulatory scrutiny related to such crashes might be unavoidable even if shops do everything right — and right now
there’s no evidence that Service King delivered anything but the correct repair
it will be critical that repairers dot their Is and cross their Ts when repairing any vehicle with advanced driver assistance systems — particularly ones drawing the kind of attention as Tesla’s Autopilot
Deviate from OEM repair procedures at your own peril
your inevitable OEM co-defendant has an incentive to clear its own name by checking whether your shop’s failure to follow repair procedures compromised vehicle systems
The stakes for shops could grow even higher if the NHTSA
the National Transportation Safety Board or trial attorneys ever take a look at crashes involving less sexy ADAS technology
a Honda Civic comes standard with most of these capabilities today — Honda just brands them individually instead of as a package handling the physical driving
If the feds or trial attorneys ever wake up to this reality and decide to investigate crashes involving any car with ADAS — notably the autobraking the government prompted to be standard by 2022 — a wider population of shops could face the hot seat
“But the driver’s supposed to watch the road at all times and not rely on the ADAS,” you say
“The shop can’t bear responsibility for such collisions.” Following that sentiment to its logical conclusion reveals some glaring problems with that mindset
1. If testing establishes that the technology was likely to have engaged and mitigated a similar crash — something the IIHS demonstrates can be studied today — but didn’t
you don’t have to fix airbags correctly either
the driver wasn’t supposed to get into a crash in the first place
“Final Report – Crash involving Tesla Model S – 10400 South Bangerter Highway”
file photo released by the South Jordan Police Department shows a traffic collision involving a Tesla Model S sedan with a Fire Department mechanic truck stopped at a red light in South Jordan
The driver of a Tesla electric car that hit a Utah fire department vehicle over the weekend says the car's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode was engaged at the time of the crash
Police in the Salt Lake City suburb of South Jordan said Monday
the driver also said in an interview that she was looking at her phone before the accident
The 28-year-old woman broke her foot when her car hit a fire truck stopped at a red light while going 60 mph (97 kph)
A new police report says a Tesla that crashed in Utah while in Autopilot mode accelerated just before it smashed into a stopped firetruck.
The incident report obtained Thursday by The Associated Press through a public records request also reveals that the driver told police she assumed the vehicle’s automatic brakes would detect stopped traffic and stop.
Police speculated that a car in front of the Tesla changed lanes and the vehicle accelerated to regain speed without noticing the stopped cars ahead.
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 29-year-old driver, Heather Lommatzsch, was charged with a misdemeanor traffic citation after police say vehicle data show she didn’t touch the steering wheel for 80 seconds before the crash.
A voicemail left for Lommatzsch wasn’t immediately returned.
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Tesla in Autopilot mode sped up before crashingAssociated PressSALT LAKE CITY — A Tesla that crashed while in Autopilot mode in Utah this month accelerated in the seconds before it smashed into a stopped firetruck
according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press
Data from the Model S electric vehicle show it picked up speed for 3.5 seconds before crashing into the firetruck in suburban Salt Lake City
The driver manually hit the brakes a fraction of a second before impact
Police suggested that the car was following another vehicle and dropped its speed to 55 mph (89 kph) to match the leading vehicle
They say the leading vehicle then likely changed lanes and the Tesla automatically sped up to its preset speed of 60 mph (97 kph) without noticing the stopped cars ahead
which was obtained Thursday through an open records request
provides detail about the vehicle's actions immediately before the May 11 crash and the driver's familiarity with its system
told police she thought the vehicle's automatic emergency braking system would detect traffic and stop before the car hit another vehicle
She said she owned the car for two years and used the semi-autonomous Autopilot feature on all kinds of roadways
including the Utah highway where she crashed
Lommatzsch said the car did not provide any audio or visual warnings before the crash
A witness told police she did not see signs the car illuminate its brake lights or swerve to avoid the truck ahead of it
Lommatzsch did not return a voicemail message on Thursday
Tesla referred to a prior comment that drivers are continually reminded to keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of their vehicle at all times while using the Autopilot system
"Tesla has always been clear that Autopilot doesn't make the car impervious to all accidents," it said
Police say car data show Lommatzsch did not touch the steering wheel for 80 seconds before the crash
She told police she was looking at her phone and comparing different routes to her destination
She broke her foot in the crash and this week was charged with a misdemeanor traffic citation
Online court records do not show an attorney listed for her
The driver of the firetruck told police he had injuries consistent with whiplash but did not go to a hospital
ultrasonic sensors and radar to sense the vehicle's surrounding environment and perform basic functions automatically
Among those functions is automatic emergency braking
which the company says on its website is designed "to detect objects that the car may impact and applies the brakes accordingly." Tesla says the system is not designed to avoid a collision and warns drivers not to rely on it entirely
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said it is investigating the May 11 crash
Tesla reached a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit alleging that it sold Autopilot features that weren't available and made its vehicles dangerous
according to court records released Thursday by the U.S
Neither Tesla nor Seattle attorney Steve Berman
But Tesla said previously that since rolling out its second generation of Autopilot
it has continued to update software leading to major improvements
The company has said that it agreed to compensate customers who purchased Autopilot and had to wait longer than expected to get all of its features
Tesla's Autopilot has been the subject of previous scrutiny following other crashes involving the vehicles
a driver was killed when a Model X with Autopilot engaged hit a barrier while traveling at "freeway speed" in California
NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating that case
Tesla said Autopilot was not engaged when a Model S veered off a road and plunged into a pond outside San Francisco
the NTSB opened a probe into an accident in which a Model S caught fire after crashing into a wall at a high speed in Florida
Two 18-year-olds were trapped and died in the blaze
The agency has said it does not expect Autopilot to be a focus in that investigation
PDF
Background: Regular use of inhaled β2-agonists has been associated with a paradoxical loss of asthma control and a deterioration of airway hyper-responsiveness
The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has recently been identified as a mediator of airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma
Methods: Eighteen patients with mild allergic asthma who did not use any regular antiasthmatic therapy inhaled the long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol for 2 weeks followed by 2 weeks of combination therapy with salmeterol and the corticosteroid fluticasone
Airway responsiveness to histamine and BDNF concentrations in blood were assessed prior to entry
after 14 days of salmeterol therapy and after 14 days of combination therapy
salmeterol effects on BDNF release by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assessed
Results: Monotherapy with salmeterol significantly increased BDNF concentrations in serum and platelets
This increase was abolished by the addition of fluticasone to the treatment
The findings were confirmed in vitro: salmeterol increased the release of BDNF by mononuclear cells
and this was inhibited by co-incubation with fluticasone
Increased BDNF concentrations in serum and platelets correlated with the deterioration of airway hyper-responsiveness following salmeterol monotherapy
there was no association between β2-receptor polymorphisms and changes in airway responsiveness
Conclusion: Increased BDNF concentrations may underly the adverse effects of salmeterol monotherapy on airway responsiveness in asthma
https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.2008.110916
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the mechanism by which the regular inhalation of β2-agonists contributes to increased airway responsiveness and a loss in asthma control is unclear
there is no information on the effects of β2-agonists on BDNF concentrations in asthma
we investigate the effect of monotherapy with a LABA on BDNF concentrations and airway responsiveness in patients with asthma
The study medication was withheld for ⩾12 h prior to lung function testing
The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Ärztekammer Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Rostock
Participating subjects gave their written informed consent
assessment of airway responsiveness to histamine and blood collection for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) measurements were performed prior to entry (white box)
after 14 days of salmeterol therapy (light grey box) and after 14 days of combination therapy (dark grey box)
forced expiratory volume in 1 s as a percentage of the predicted value (% pred.); PC20
provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in FEV1
Most parameters were non-normally distributed
Correlation analyses between the changes in BDNF concentrations and PC20 after 14 days of salmeterol therapy and after 14 days of combination therapy
and correlation analyses between β2-receptor polymorphisms and the changes of the PC20 after 14 days of salmeterol therapy were performed using the Spearman’s correlation coefficient
platelet counts and BDNF concentrations prior to entry
after 14 days of salmeterol therapy and after 14 days of combination therapy were compared using the signed ranks Wilcoxon test for related samples
Means of BDNF concentrations in cell culture supernatants after 24 h of incubation with TNFα alone and TNFα plus salmeterol xinafoate
fluticasone propionate or salmeterol xinafoate/fluticasone propionate were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA; with SPSS)
Probability values of p <0.05 were regarded as statistically significant
Three patients (16%) reported mild adverse effects (subjective discomfort or worsened dyspnoea) during salmeterol monotherapy
whereas none of the patients reported adverse effects during combination therapy
There were no severe adverse effects (leading to hospitalisation or death) during the study
Shown are forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; % predicted) values (A) and peak expiratory flow (PEF; % predicted) values (B) prior to entry (white box)
after 14 days of salmeterol therapy (light grey box) and after 14 days of combination therapy (dark grey box) of n = 18 patients with allergic asthma
Boxplot graphs display the median (line within the box)
interquartile range (edges of the box) and the range of all values less distant than 1.5 interquartile ranges from the upper or lower quartile (vertical lines)
PC20 (provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s) values are shown for each patient (n = 18 patients) prior to entry (Baseline)
Patients with a decrease in PC20 values after 14 days of salmeterol therapy are displayed with continuous lines
Patients with an increase in PC20 values after 14 days of salmeterol therapy are displayed with dashed lines
There were no statistically significant changes in platelet counts at baseline (median: 232×109/l)
after salmeterol monotherapy (median: 247×109/l) and after combination therapy (median: 255×109/l)
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in serum and platelets. Shown are BDNF concentrations in serum (ng BDNF/ml serum) and platelets (pg BDNF/106 platelets) prior to entry (white box)
after 14 days of salmeterol monotherapy (light grey box) and after 14 days of combination therapy (dark grey box) of n = 18 patients with allergic asthma
Changes in BDNF concentrations in serum and platelets were correlated with the changes in PC20 values following salmeterol monotherapy (fig 5)
Although BDNF levels decreased and PC20 values increased significantly following combination therapy with salmeterol and fluticasone
changes in BDNF levels were no longer correlated with the changes in PC20 following combination therapy (p>0.05 for serum and platelet BDNF concentrations)
Association of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with changes in PC20 (provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s)
Shown are correlations between changes in BDNF concentrations in serum (A) or platelets (B) and changes in the PC20 values (histamine) after 14 days of salmeterol therapy
as compared with the baseline before therapy
Each dot represents one patient; the line is the regression line calculated with SPSS (Chicago
Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (r) and the significance of the correlation (p) are given above each graph
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) release by leucocytes in vitro
Monocyte-enriched human peripheral blood mononuclear cells of n = 22 healthy volunteers were stimulated with tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα
Shown are BDNF concentrations (mean (SD)) in supernatants of wells containing fluticasone propionate (10−7 M)
salmeterol xinafoate (10−7 M) and both fluticasone propionate (10−7 M) and salmeterol xinafoate (10−7 M)
as compared with BDNF concentrations in the medium control
There was no statistically significant association between the changes in PC20 after salmeterol treatment and the β2-receptor polymorphism arg16gly (r = 0.11
p = 0.65) or the β2-receptor polymorphism gln27glu (r = 0.34
it can be speculated that not only a BDNF overproduction in the airways by leucocytes and epithelia
but also an enhanced deposition of BDNF by platelets might contribute to the development of AHR in asthma
some of the beneficial effects of ICS in a combination with LABA in asthma might be related to a suppression of LABA-induced BDNF overexpression
It is of note that the decrease in BDNF levels did not correlate with the increase in PC20 values following combination therapy
This might be due to the fact that fluticasone not only suppresses BDNF
but has several other effects on a variety of cell types which influence airway responsiveness
although this may appear overcautious in patients with mild asthma
This decision has been confirmed in part by our results which showed a deterioration of AHR and mild adverse effects in a substantial portion of the participants following salmeterol monotherapy
Another potential pitfall in the design of our study is the lack of a placebo arm
although this might have at least theoretically improved the study
it was prospectively decided that this approach would not offer advantages because the high dose of the β2-agonist (100 μg of salmeterol twice daily) unblinds such a design due to its inherent side effects
baseline parameters are representative of a placebo arm since baseline treatment (short-acting bronchodilators on an as-needed basis) was maintained unchanged throughout the study
we show that unbalanced monotherapy with salmeterol in patients with mild asthma increases BDNF production and storage and that changes in AHR are associated with this effect
hypothesise that augmented BDNF concentrations explain some of the adverse effects of β2-agonists in asthma
Further studies in patients with more severe airflow obstruction are warranted to confirm these findings
We thank Petra Thamm for excellent technical assistance
See Editorials, p 738 and p 739
Funding University of Rostock and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Ethics approval The study was approved by the local ethics committee of Rostock
Provenance and Peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License
provided the original work is properly cited
Metrics details
The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether a correlation exists between glaucoma-associated alteration of ocular vascular haemodynamics and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels exist
Eyes of patients with cataract (n = 30) or glaucoma (n = 68) were examined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography (OCT-A; AngioVue™-RTVue-XR; Optovue
The peripapillary and the macular vessel density (VD) values were measured
Inferior and superior retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness loss was used for further OCT staging
Aqueous humour of the examined eye and plasma were sampled during cataract or glaucoma surgery and analysed by means of ELISA to determine their ET-1 level
Glaucoma eyes are characterised by reductions in RNFL thickness and VD that correlate significantly with the OCT GSS score
Peripheral and ocular ET-1 level were significantly elevated in patients with glaucoma and correlate positively with the OCT-GSS score of the entire study population
Peripapillary and macula VD of glaucoma patients correlates negatively with plasma ET-1 levels
Multivariable analysis showed a subordinate role of intraocular pressure predictive factor for impaired retinal blood flow compared with plasma ET-1 level in glaucoma
Peripheral ET-1 level serves as risk factor for detection of ocular blood flow changes in the optic nerve head region of glaucomatous eyes
no study has yet investigated the relationship of ET-1 to retinal VD by means of OCT-A imaging in glaucoma patients
we set out to determine the concentration of ET-1 in plasma and aqueous humour (AqH) in relation to papillary and macular VD in glaucoma eyes and controls
This prospective monocentric study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology and Ophtha-Lab at St
Franziskus Hospital Muenster (Germany) and approved by the ethics committee of the Medical Association of Westfalen-Lippe
The study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki
All patients provided written informed consent before study entry
A group of patients with glaucoma was compared with a control group without glaucoma
In both groups there was a medical indication for cataract surgery or
The diagnosis of glaucoma was in all cases based on the findings of funduscopy and OCT
At least two of the following optic nerve criteria had to be fulfilled for inclusion: increased vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR; ≥ 0.5); VCDR asymmetry > 0.2; glaucomatous reduction in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and/or ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness at posterior pole
Control subjects had to have IOP ≤ 21 mmHg without a history of elevated IOP or a positive family history of glaucoma
the optic disc had to be normal in appearance with an intact neuroretinal rim
and no lateral asymmetry in VCDR exceeding 0.1 as measured by OCT
As lens opacities might have a significant influence on the image quality of retinal blood flow measured via OCT-A
we excluded patients with severe cataract from the control
the exclusion criteria for both groups were any ocular disease apart from mild to moderate cataract in the glaucoma group or refractive error > ± 6dpt sphere and ± 2dpt cylinder
Low imaging quality with OCT-A signal strength index (SSI) index < 45 and/or scan quality (SQ) < 6 resulted in exclusion
All subjects had to be at least 18 years old and have undergone no previous surgical treatment apart from uncomplicated cataract surgery with posterior chamber lens implantation or selective laser trabeculoplasty/argon laser trabeculoplasty or laser iridotomy (more than 6 months before inclusion)
The presence or history of systemic vascular disease (e.g
status post apoplexy/myocardial infarction/thrombosis) or a history of systemic vasoactive medication also led to exclusion in both groups
all patients underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)
slit-lamp biomicroscopy with indirect ophthalmoscopy and measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP)
Goldmann applanation tonometry was performed
The relevant medical history and the current glaucoma medication were documented
CDR and rim volume were measured with OCT (SD-OCT
The pupils were not dilated with medication for the measurements
software version 2016.2.035) was then performed in both groups
The OCT-A system in this study uses a split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography algorithm and operates at 70,000 A-scans per second to acquire OCT-A volumes consisting of 400 × 400 A-scans
All scans taken had a 6 × 6 mm scan area centred on the fovea
and an additional 4.5 × 4.5 mm grating centred on the optic disc was used
The reduction of projection artefacts in the deep layers was automated using 3D Projection Artifacts Removal (3D PAR)
all OCT-A images were reviewed by the same person (CL) to ensure correct centring and segmentation and to identify poor-quality scans with motion artefacts or blurring
Poor-quality images were excluded based on the presence of one or more of the following criteria: SSI < 45; SQ < 6; poor fixation resulting in duplication of artefacts; media opacity obscuring the view of the vasculature (e.g
The optic disc scan was performed in the segmentation area of the superficial nerve fibre layer
referred to by the manufacturer as "radial peripapillary capillaries" (RPC)
which corresponds to an extension from the internal limiting membrane (ILM) to the posterior border of the RNFL
the software calculates the value first as whole VD (ONH Whole in %) and then divides it into an intrapapillary VD (ONH Inside in %) value and an average peripapillary VD value (PeriONH Average in %) with further subdivision into eight different peripapillary sectors (PeriONH NasSup
In the macular region segmentation was performed into superficial (SVP) and deep vascular plexus (DVP)
predefined by the manufacturer as follows: SVP: ILM to inner plexiform layer (IPL) − 10 µm; DVP: IPL − 10 µm to outer plexiform layer (OPL) + 10 µm
AngioVue™ first evaluates the whole VD (Macula SVP/DVP Whole in %) and then distinguishes a foveal region (Fovea SVP/DVP in %; diameter of 1 mm) from a parafoveal region (ParaFovea SVP/DVP Average in %; diameter of 3 mm)
and a perifoveal region (PeriFovea SVP/DVP Average in %; diameter of 6 mm)
the system subdivides the parafoveal and perifoveal zones each into four equal quadrants (ParaFovea SVP/DVP Temp
The foveal avascular zone (FAZ; in mm2) was calculated as a combination of the two plexuses and is referred to by the manufacturer as the "retinal" segmentation layer (ILM to OPL + 10 µm)
Another way of looking at the avascular zone in more detail is to describe its acircularity
AngioVue™ automatically calculates a so-called acircularity index (AI)
which describes the relationship between the measured circumference of the FAZ and the circumference of the same size of a round surface
This tool utilizes the average peripapillary RNFL thickness in the superior and inferior region and applies age correction
these OCT GSS (glaucoma staging system) scores were interval scaled and stratified into seven OCT GSS stages: healthy
the defect type was characterised as inferior
depending on the area(s) presenting damage
Peripheral blood and AqH samples were collected from patients undergoing either cataract or glaucoma surgery (e.g
canaloplasty) who were scheduled for surgery independent of the study
AqH was collected during the planned glaucoma or cataract surgery (100 to 150 µl)
transferred to 1.5-ml reaction tubes and stored at − 80 °C until use
Venous blood was collected during the anaesthetic period (heparin blood 7 ml)
The blood was centrifuged at 4 °C for 10 min at 2000×g
and the plasma phase was transferred to 1.5-ml reaction tubes and stored at − 80 °C until further analysis
AqH and plasma samples were analysed for their protein content using a commercially available Bradford protein assay (Bio-Rad
AqH and plasma samples were analysed using the Endothelin-1 Quantikine ELISA Kit (R&D Systems
Standards and samples were measured in duplicate according to the manufacturer's instructions
Belgium) and R Version 4.0.2 (2020-06-22; Dormagen
Germany) were used for all statistical analyses
Normal distribution of the data was checked by means of the Shapiro test and data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation for N > 30 or gaussian distributed (parametric) observations
the median and the interquartile interval (25% and 75%) are given (non-parametric)
The means of two groups were compared using an adequate T-test if the preconditions were met
As non-parametric alternative we used a Wilcoxon test (rank test
more than two groups were compared by means of an ANOVA followed by a Tukey post-hoc analysis
a Kruskal‒Wallis test (Dunn as post hoc) was performed
For the post-hoc analyses we carried out Bonferroni corrections of the p-values
The chi-square test was chosen for the comparison of nominal scaled observations if any matrix element was at most 5
those from r = 0.30 correspond to an average effect
and those from r = 0.50 correspond to a strong effect
For univariable regression analysis we applied Pearson’s correlation test for bivariate gaussian distributions
For multivariable regression we assumed a gaussian linear model
The resulting p-values of the independent variable allowed us to identify variables with significant influence in the multivariable regression model
Of the 30 control patients, seven were classified as borderline (n = 5), stage 1 (n = 1), or stage 2 (n = 1). Eleven patients of the glaucoma group were classified as healthy (Supplemental Table S2)
The defect location type differed significantly among OCT GSS stages (p < 0.001)
the diffuse type predominated with increasing OCT GSS stage
vertical CDR and rim area in [mm2] for the healthy stage were set to 100%
stage 1–5) were normalized to the healthy stage and are displayed in [%]
(A,B) ET-1 level of (A) AqH and (B) plasma samples from cataract and glaucoma patients
(C) Spearman rank correlation of plasma ET-1 level to AqH ET-1 level in the glaucoma patients
The ET-1 level in the AqH of glaucomatous eyes was significantly higher than in the respective plasma samples (p < 0.001), but did not correlate with the plasma ET-1 level (p = 0.84; r = − 0.029; Fig. 2C)
ET-1 level in AqH did not correlate with the ET-1 plasma level in the control group
univariable regression analysis including samples from both control and glaucoma groups showed no significant correlation between AqH and plasma ET-1 level (p = 0.4335; rho = 0.092)
There was no significant correlation between AqH and ET-1 levels in the glaucoma group
the plasma protein concentration correlated positively with increasing OCT GSS score (r = 0.23; p = 0.031)
lens status or OCT parameters were detected
In order to identify correlation and dependency structures among the variables
IOP and age as independent variables and analysed whether they were suitable markers for the modulated parameters of glaucomatous eye measured via OCT-A
At first, we assessed the predictive value of those markers in healthy and glaucoma patients (Supplemental Tables 4, 5)
The greatest number of significant differences (hereinafter: most significances) was found between IOP and OCT-A parameters (e.g
pointing to IOP being an important predictor for the presence of glaucoma
while AqH and plasma ET-1 level were of less importance
we identified 37 patients with normal plasma ET-1 level (1.92 ± 0.33 pg/ml) and 31 patients with significantly elevated (high) plasma ET-1 level (3.13 [2.87–3.44] pg/ml; p < 0.001)
The ET-1 level in AqH did not differ significantly between the two groups (normal 4.74 ± 1.21 pg/ml; high 4.18 [3.25–5.43])
The patients of the high ET-1 group were not significantly older than those of the normal group (p = 0.06), had a higher protein concentration in plasma samples (p = 0.021; AqH p = 1.000), and showed a significantly reduced IOP (p = 0.045) (Supplemental Table 8)
The normal and high groups did not differ with regard to defect type, OCT staging or the main OCT-A parameters such as GCC, RNFL and VD (Supplementary Table 8)
As therapeutic treatment of hypertensive glaucoma is also focused on IOP lowering drugs
early diagnosis and clinical long-term monitoring of glaucoma based on IOP measurement is inappropriate
glaucomatous changes of the retinal structures are diagnosed early by RNFL thickness loss as measured by OCT
Since it was shown that the RNFL based OCT GSS scores correlated significantly with the impaired haemodynamic parameters measured via OCT-A
inclusion of OCT-A parameters for glaucoma staging might be of added value in the future if these results can be confirmed with larger patient populations
In order to strengthen the early diagnosis of glaucoma before symptom onset
it would be of great interest to identify IOP-independent glaucoma biomarkers (e.g
and correlate them with simpler non-invasive tests such as OCT/OCT-A
when analysing the entire study population in the current study
no correlation between ET-1 AqH or ET-1 plasma with IOP was found
neither after subdivision into three IOP-ranges IOP (Low = IOP ≤ 18 mmHg
middle = 19–24 mmHg and High = ≥ 25 mmHg; data not shown)
our study did not show a correlation between ocular or plasma ET-1 levels and elevated IOP in subgroup analysis
indicating that these areas appear to be especially sensitive to ET-1
We confirmed these findings in our current study
no correlation could be found between intraocular and plasma ET-1 levels
implying that the ET-1 in the AqH is formed and released in the eye
we found a positive correlation between the elevated protein and ET-1 level in plasma samples of glaucoma patients but no further correlation with age
which may indicate that the plasma ET-1 level is related to more advanced stages of glaucoma and accompanied RNFL thinning
we could not find any significant differences in visual acuity
OCT or OCT-A parameters when comparing glaucoma patients with normal and high plasma ET-1 level
we could not detect any significant differences in visual acuity
OCT or OCT-A parameter when comparing glaucoma patients subdivided in normal and high plasma ET-1 level
and their respective circumpapillary RNFL thinning
Therein it was demonstrated that the lower MT of the superior and temporal quadrant in POAG was associated with faster RNFL thinning in the respective quadrants during follow-up period of at least 2 years compared to the inferior quadrant
These ocular changes were significantly corelated with an increased age
suggested that age is a contributing factor in particular because of the relation to cardiac dysfunctions and proposed that age related systemic circulatory failures may lead to ONH hypoperfusion observed in glaucoma
In the current study the elevated ET-1 plasma level correlates strongly with age
as well as impaired VD of the PeriONH TempSup
The peripheral plasma ET-1 level is shown to be of superior predictive significance compared with age or IOP within the glaucoma cohort
in this study patients with cardiac dysfunction and hypertension were excluded
and yet we found a strong correlation between ET-1 and impaired blood flow
which points to an early biomarker potential of plasma ET-1 levels
in particular with longitudinal perspectives and a broader glaucoma cohort with and without further systemic diseases
are needed to support the biomarker quality of plasma ET-1 for prediction of ONH blood flow
Multivariable regression analysis confirmed these findings
showing that factors such as age and MAP are of less importance as predictive factors for both glaucoma and impaired retinal blood flow
While the multivariable analysis confirmed that IOP is a predictive factor for glaucoma
plasma ET-1 level turned out to be a more significant predictor than IOP for impaired retinal blood flow at the ONH and in the foveal area within the glaucoma group
plasma ET-1 level may be an early predictive factor of impaired VD within PeriONH TempSup and the Fovea SVP/DVP area
a causal relation between the elevated ET-1 plasma level of glaucoma patients and the impaired blood flow in particular of the ONH region might exist
As perimetry remains the current gold standard in glaucoma monitoring
this technique should nevertheless be included in future studies
as well as expansion of the patient population to patients with more advanced stages of glaucoma and more individuals with NTG and XFG
The expansion and re-evaluation of the initial patient population at a later point of time would also allow to determine the sensitivity and specificity of plasma ET-1 as a diagnostic index
In the current study all samples were obtained within the first 10 min after onset of anaesthesia
an influence of anaesthesia on the ET-1 level is unlikely
the glaucoma medication was not interrupted preoperatively
It is conceivable that individual drugs had an influence on the ET-1 concentration
For analysing the correlation between the proteins and the clinical parameter we did no adjustment of the p-values for multiple testing
our observations of this pilot study have to be confirmed
by tested with a larger number of cases for the sub group analysis
individuals with glaucomatous symptoms (e.g
the presence of an associated systemic disorder might influence the plasma ET-1 level
This study detected a notable correlation of ET-1 level with the OCT GSS score as determined using the classification of Brusini et al
and with impaired peripapillary and foveal VD on SVP and DVP as measured by OCT-A
multivariable regression analysis indicated that plasma ET-1 level is a significant predictive marker for impaired retinal blood flow in the ONH region in particular in glaucoma
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request
Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040: A systematic review and meta-analysis
The pathophysiology and treatment of glaucoma: A review
Is primary open-angle glaucoma an ocular manifestation of systemic disease?
Role of cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the pathogenesis of glaucoma
Non-invasive biometric assessment of ocular rigidity in glaucoma patients and controls
The impact of ocular blood flow in glaucoma
Blood-flow velocities of the extraocular vessels in patients with high-tension and normal-tension primary open-angle glaucoma
Vascular risk factors for primary open angle glaucoma: The Egna-Neumarkt Study
The Rotterdam Study: 2016 objectives and design update
Risk factors for incident open-angle glaucoma: The Barbados eye studies
Ocular perfusion pressure and glaucoma: Clinical trial and epidemiologic findings
Relationship between ocular perfusion pressure and retrobulbar blood flow in patients with glaucoma with progressive damage
Nitric oxide and endothelin-1 are important regulators of human ophthalmic artery
Characterization of a coronary vasoconstrictor produced by cultured endothelial cells
Endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors
Endothelin-1 synthesis and secretion in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19): Differential regulation by cholinergics and TNF-alpha
Endothelin-like immunoreactivity in the aqueous humour and in conditioned medium from cultured ciliary epithelial cells
Increased plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with progressive open angle glaucoma
Endothelin-1 plasma levels and vascular endothelial dysfunction in primary open angle glaucoma
Association between plasma endothelin-1 and severity of different types of glaucoma
ET-1 plasma levels and ocular blood flow in retinitis pigmentosa
Aqueous humor endothelin-1 and total retinal blood flow in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Retrobulbar hemodynamics and aqueous humor levels of endothelin-1 in exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma
Use of colour Doppler imaging in ocular blood flow research
Quantitative OCT angiography of optic nerve head blood flow
Standardisation of optical coherence tomography angiography nomenclature in uveitis: First survey results
Standardization of OCT angiography nomenclature in retinal vascular diseases: First survey results
OCTA vessel density changes in the macular zone in glaucomatous eyes
Vessel density in OCT angiography permits differentiation between normal and glaucomatous optic nerve heads
A comparison of the diagnostic ability of vessel density and structural measurements of optical coherence tomography in primary open angle glaucoma
OCT Glaucoma Staging System: A new method for retinal nerve fiber layer damage classification using spectral-domain OCT
Cataract significantly influences quantitative measurements on swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography imaging
Relationship between intraocular pressure and primary open angle glaucoma among white and black Americans
The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020
Knowledge about glaucoma in the unselected population: A German survey
Why do people (still) go blind from glaucoma?
Test-retest variability in glaucomatous visual fields
Categorizing the stage of glaucoma from pre-diagnosis to end-stage disease
Residual and dynamic range of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in glaucoma: Comparison of three OCT platforms
OCT-angiography: Regional reduced macula microcirculation in ocular hypertensive and pre-perimetric glaucoma patients
Association of macular and circumpapillary microvasculature with visual field sensitivity in advanced glaucoma
Steps to measurement floor of an optical microangiography device in glaucoma
Endothelin: Is it a contributor to glaucoma pathophysiology?
Upregulation of the endothelin A (ETA) receptor and its association with neurodegeneration in a rodent model of glaucoma
Endothelin and its potential role in glaucoma
Effect of endothelin on outflow facility and accommodation in the monkey eye in vivo
The regulation of trabecular meshwork and ciliary muscle contractility
Regulation of outflow rate and resistance in the perfused anterior segment of the bovine eye
Effects of endothelin-1 on intraocular pressure and aqueous humor dynamics in the rabbit eye
The effects of endothelin-1 on intraocular pressure and pupillary diameter in rabbits
Biphasic intraocular pressure response to intravitreal injection of endothelin-1
Correlation of endothelin-1 concentration in aqueous humor with intraocular pressure in primary open angle and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma
Effect of endothelin and BQ123 on ocular blood flow parameters in healthy subjects
Effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on ocular hemodynamics
Plasma and aqueous humor endothelin levels in primary open-angle glaucoma
Endothelin-like immunoreactivity in aqueous humor of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and cataract
Endothelin-1 concentration is increased in the aqueous humour of patients with exfoliation syndrome
Association of endothelin-1 with normal tension glaucoma: Clinical and fundamental studies
Endothelin-1 plasma levels in normal-tension glaucoma: Abnormal response to postural changes
Effects of cold-induced vasospasm in glaucoma: The role of endothelin-1
Plasma endothelin-1 level in Japanese normal tension glaucoma patients
Elevated plasma endothelin-1 levels in normal tension glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma: A meta-analysis
Aerobic exercise training reduces plasma endothelin-1 concentration in older women
Aqueous humor in glaucomatous eyes contains an increased level of TGF-beta 2
Aqueous humor protein concentration in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma under clinical treatment
Cellini, M. et al. Color Doppler imaging and plasma levels of endothelin-1 in low-tension glaucoma. Acta Ophthalmol. Scand. Suppl. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0420.1997.tb00448.x (1997)
Time-course changes in optic nerve head blood flow and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in eyes with open-angle glaucoma
The role of endothelin-1 and endothelin receptor antagonists in inflammatory response and sepsis
Does the foveal avascular zone change in glaucoma?
Evaluation of optic nerve head blood flow in response to increase of intraocular pressure
Lack of blood-brain barrier properties in microvessels of the prelaminar optic nerve head
Blockage of axonal transport in optic nerve induced by elevation of intraocular pressure
Effect of arterial hypertension induced by angiotensin I
The primary vascular dysregulation syndrome: Implications for eye diseases
The discovery of the Flammer syndrome: A historical and personal perspective
Effects of anesthesia and surgery on plasma endothelin levels
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and M.K.: The study was supported by Novartis Pharma GmbH
Paolo Brusini for his kind invitation to use the OCT staging tool in the current study (Brusini et al
These authors contributed equally: Claudia Lommatzsch and Kai Rothaus
Department of Ophthalmology and Ophtha Lab at St
Claudia Lommatzsch & Swaantje Grisanti
All authors critically revised the manuscript and agreed with its contents
The other authors declare no competing interests
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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Heather Lommatzsch alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that Tesla salespeople told her the Model S's Autopilot mode would ensure the car stopped on its own if something was in its path
She says she tried to hit the brakes but they didn't work
A Tesla spokesperson didn't immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment
The incident occurred on May 11 in South Jordan
The 29-year-old Lommatzsch broke her foot in the crash and was charged with a misdemeanor traffic citation
Tesla's Autopilot has been the subject of previous scrutiny following other crashes
Jason Murdock is a staff reporter for Newsweek.
Murdock previously covered cybersecurity for the International Business Times UK and B2B tech for V3.co.uk
Winner of The Drum's 'Digital Writer of the Year' award in 2017. Contact: j.murdock@newsweek.com
either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter
or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
A Tesla Model S that was involved in a road traffic collision while set to autopilot mode earlier this month accelerated just prior to the crash
was reported by the local police department at the time
Officials said that the driver—named as Heather Lommatzsch—hit a vehicle belonging to the Fire Authority and had been looking at her phone in the minutes before impact
Investigators now believe the Tesla sped up for just over three seconds before hitting the stationary firetruck, according to The Associated Press
which obtained the internal police document on Thursday
The main theory is that the Model S had reduced its speed from 60 mph to 55 mph to match a vehicle in front but sped up again automatically to the preset of 60 mph after the car ahead changed lanes
On its website, Tesla says its autopilot—which is not intended as a way of avoiding a crash—is made to "detect objects that the car may impact" and help apply the brakes." The electric cars also come with front collision alerts to "help warn of impending collisions with slower moving or stationary cars."
Lommatzsch—who was described as 29 years old by The Associated Press but 28 by Utah police
said she thought the Tesla's braking system would have stopped the car before the crash took place
A witness at the scene was recorded as saying that the driver did not appear to hit the brakes
The Elon Musk-led company said Lommatzsch had "engaged Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control on multiple occasions" and "repeatedly cancelled and then re-engaged these features" while travelling on the highway
It revealed that she had "manually pressed the vehicle brake pedal fractions of a second prior to the crash."
Tesla confirmed the speed was "around 60 mph" when the incident happened
The data analysis stated: "The vehicle registered more than a dozen instances of her hands being off the steering wheel in this drive cycle
she had her hands off the wheel for more than one minute each time and her hands came back on only after a visual alert was provided
"Each time she put her hands back on the wheel
she took them back off after a few seconds," it added
the driver did not pay attention to the road at all times
did not keep her hands on the steering wheel
and she used it on a street with no center median."
Musk took to Twitter after news of the crash broke to criticize the media. He said it was "super messed up" that it was being covered heavily by the press
"What's actually amazing about this accident is that a Model S hit a fire truck at 60 mph and the driver only broke an ankle," the founder wrote
"An impact at that speed usually results in severe injury or death."
Earlier this month, Tesla told Newsweek that it would fully cooperate with authorities in Florida investigating a collision involving a Model S that resulted in the death of two teenagers
which was "engulfed in flames" after hitting a wall
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground
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the coating technology is a key innovation driver for almost all areas of daily life – for example
for making scratch-proof displays for smart phones or anti-bacterial surfaces in refrigerators
Other coatings protect components from corrosion or aging
for example in a solar cell module or a car engine
without the end user noticing their existence
wet chemical processes or vacuum plasma processes are primarily used for coating applications
limited to smaller components and applying a coating takes a relatively long time
Wet chemical processes often involve high resource and energy consumption with the corresponding environmental damage and can also cause difficulties in the handling of material combinations for lightweight construction such as plastics/ metals or aluminum/steel
Uwe Lommatzsch from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen
the IFAM team developed a new kind of plasma coating process that works at ambient pressure
"Because the pressure is more than 10,000 times higher and the absence of a vacuum reactor
we had to stop unwanted particles from forming and embedding in the coating
That was the key to developing robust and efficient industrial processes using the new plasma system
The use of a nozzle allows the coating to be applied very precisely and only where it is needed
"We can control the processes so that the same nozzle can be used to apply coatings with various functionalities
for corrosion protection or for increasing or reducing adhesion
Only very small amounts of coating material are required and practically all materials and material combinations can be coated
in addition to the coating qualities and functionalities
even more benefits: it can be easily integrated into an inline production process
requires little space and is easy to automate
Yet another advantage: low investment costs and easy on the environment
The positive characteristics benefit industrial production: depositing an adhesion-promoting coating on a car window edge before gluing it in
to replace environmentally damaging chemicals or as a substitute for thick protective paint on printed circuit boards
which improves heat dissipation and hence prolongs service life
The process is already employed in the automotive industry and the energy sector to provide protection against corrosion and aging
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The husband of a woman who was killed when the couple’s Tesla Model 3 ran into a stationary fire truck has filed a lawsuit accusing the company and its founder
of deceiving the public with unfounded claims about the capability of its “self-driving” system
Derek Monet was driving on Interstate 70 in Indiana on Dec
when it crashed into the rear of a fire truck that was stopped on the freeway after responding to an earlier accident
Monet’s spine and femur were broken in the collision and his wife
The complaint says that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is aware of at least 11 incidents in which Tesla’s software failed to react to emergency vehicles with flashing lights
NHTSA launched an investigation last August and in October ordered Tesla to release documents relating to purported non-disclosure agreements with drivers who agreed to test its “full-self driving” systems
The agency also asked Tesla why it did not recall its vehicles after the company transmitted a wireless software update designed to prevent crashes into stationary objects
has known for years that ‘stopping for stationary objects [has] been a particularly difficult problem for Autopilot and other vision-based systems like Mobileye in the real world
and numerous drivers have rear-ended stopped vehicle such as highway patrol cars of fire trucks,'” the lawsuit states
quoting a November 2018 article in The Information
an online magazine that reports on technology
The 69-page complaint uses comments that Musk and other tech executives made to the media and the company’s marketing materials to make the case that Tesla was well aware that Tesla’s Autopilot is not even close to being capable of safe autonomous driving
yet the the company continues to “hype” its products as if they are
giving its customers a false sense of security
Monet filed the lawsuit in the Santa Clara County
But the company moved its headquarters to Austin
Texas last year and Tesla removed the lawsuit to the US District Court for the Northern District of California
Monet’s lawyers have filed a motion to remand the case back to Santa Clara County
Federal court records show that at least five other lawsuits have been filed against Tesla alleging product defects led to accidents
allege that Tesla vehicles suddenly accelerated on their own
alleges that his 2018 Model X suddenly accelerated while he was attempting to park and slammed into a Subway restaurant in Portland
Heather Lommatzsch says she was injured when her Model S suddenly accelerated and ran into a stationary vehicle parked along a highway in Utah while she was driving in Autopilot mode
Four of the five product-defect lawsuits were ordered into arbitration
although attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that they should be allowed to try their cases before a jury
Attorneys for Monet and for Tesla did not respond to requests for comment
About the photo: This photo provided by the Laguna Beach Police Department shows a Tesla sedan
in autopilot mode that crashed into a parked police cruiser Tuesday
Jim Cota says the officer was not in the cruiser at the time of the crash and that the Tesla driver suffered minor injuries
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To investigate the therapeutic effects of different treatments on serous pigment epithelium detachment (PED) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
A total of 328 patients suffering from serous PED in AMD were retrospectively analysed
We treated only patients with documented visual deterioration: 86 patients with bevacizumab
and 54 with photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA)
Best-corrected vision was determined in the logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR)
We also analysed morphological findings such as full foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT)
manually calculated height of PED as measured by OCT
The best-corrected visual acuity of 0.78 logMAR before treatment could be improved by about 0.066 logMAR after treatment
Retinal thickness decreased in all patients with PED
and the mean value of the manually calculated height decreased by about 0.98 units
All functional and morphological results proved to be significantly better after injection of ranibizumab and bevacizumab than after pegaptanib and the combined treatment with PDT and IVTA
41 (12.5%) of our patients developed a tear of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)
The therapeutic results were significantly better in patients treated with bevacizumab and ranibizumab than in those treated with pegaptanib or with a combination of PDT and IVTA
tears of the RPE or only a partial flattening of the PED always indicated a worse prognosis in eyes with exudative AMD than in eyes with classic choroidal neovascularization
The reasons for this include both the development of PED and CNV recurrences
treatment could no longer be carried out and thus the development of a central disciform scar could not be avoided
the results of all the different therapeutic procedures have not been compared up to now
the aim of this study was to evaluate the data of 328 patients suffering from exudative AMD with serous PED who received different treatment procedures
86 patients exclusively received injections with 1.25 mg bevacizumab (Avastin®)
and 60 patients with 0.3 mg pegaptanib (Macugen®)
We administered the drug at intervals of 4 weeks (ranibizumab) and 6 weeks (pegaptanib/bevacizumab)
The statistical calculations were based on the following features: BCVA
and changes in the central retinal thickness
The frequency of developing RPE tears was registered in all treatment groups
The statistical analysis comprised mean values
and standard deviation with confidence intervals (CIs)
The regression of visual changes was determined by using regression analysis and correlating non-normally distributed data by means of the Spearman correlation coefficient
The differences in the results between the various treatment groups were compared by means of the Mann–Whitney U-test or the Wilcoxon test
We used the program Access/Windows 2003 and Medcalc version 9.6.4.0 and SAS version 9.1 for the statistical calculations
The treatments were tolerated well by all of our patients
We did not observe any severe complications such as an increase in intraocular pressure; in particular
the data were calculated from the following groups:
54 patients who received combined treatment with PDT and IVTA
Difference in visual acuity for each treatment
The P-value is noted for the Mann–Whitney U-test
Difference in foveal centre thickness in OCT in μm. In the three groups that received injection therapy, there was a significant difference between all groups.
Decrease of height of PED with a significant difference between bevacizumab and ranibizumab
In all groups, there was a significant correlation between the development of VA and retinal thickness; Spearman correlation coefficient before treatment was 0.21 (P=0.0008) and at 12 weeks after treatment 0.33 (P<0.0001) (Figure 4). Consequently, the reduction in central retinal thickness produced an improvement in vision.
Correlation between foveal centre thickness in μm and visual acuity in logMAR at baseline
Spearman correlation coefficient is 0.21 (P=0.0008)
During the follow-up period, 41 patients (12.5%) developed a tear of the RPE; in patients who were treated with VEGF inhibitors, the frequency was 9.9% (bevacizumab 13 (15.1%) patients, ranibizumab 11 (8.6%) patients, and pegaptanib 3 (5%) patients), and after combined treatment with PDT and IVTA, 14 (25.9%) patients developed PE tears (χ2 P=0.0018, Figure 5).
Frequency of tears of RPE in different treatment groups (χ2 test P=0.0025)
We can confirm these results of significant stabilization of vision during a follow-up period of 24 weeks
the rate of RPE ruptures still remained high
A 68-year-old man was referred for decreased BCVA in the right eye
Examination revealed an elevated subfoveal lesion
ICG-A) shows intense hyperfluorescence of the occult lesion zone of leakage of CNV and associated PED (a)
The OCT imaging of the macula shows the corresponding PED height; intraretinal and subretinale fluid are visible (b)
The same eye 3 months after the upload therapy with ranibizumab
A reduction of the hypofluorescence PED area and the leakage of the occult CNV could be observed (c)
The OCT imaging showed an almost complete recovery of PED height (d)
the intraretinal oedema and subretinal fluid is the major cause for visual decrease
These factors can be effectively reduced by anti-VEGF therapy
serous PED patients have intra- and subretinal as well as sub-RPE fluid
As the reason for this fluid accumulation is thought to be
due to changes in the hydroconductivity of Bruch's membrane
the effects of anti-VEGF therapy on fluid reduction in these patients are not that effective
we observed this in 12% of all patients who were treated with VEGF inhibitors
The differences observed between these drugs are not statistically significant because of the relatively small number of cases
The long-term prognosis in these patients has not been defined either
and especially the question of the long-term treatment strategy is still open
and pegaptanib can stabilize occult CNV associated with serous PED and RAP associated with PED
Treatment with bevacizumab and ranibizumab produced significantly better morphological and visual results than pegaptanib and fewer complications than PDT with IVTA
as only a partial regression can be achieved and RPE tears can generally not be avoided
we must continuously search for more specific
more effective treatment modalities that are associated with fewer side effects
As serous PED could only be reduced in most patients and because the course of RPE tears with and without further treatment is not known
long-term treatment strategies and prognosis should be defined
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness
An international classification and grading system for age-related maculopathy and age-related macular degeneration
The International ARM Epidemiological Study Group
Pathogenesis of lesions in late age-related macular disease
Clinicopathological findings of retinal angiomatous proliferation
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2007; 245 (2): 295–300
Three-dimensional imaging of pigment epithelial detachment in age-related macular degeneration using optical coherence tomography
retinal thickness analysis and topographic angiography
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2006; 244 (10): 1233–1239
Serous retinal pigment epithelial detachment with a notch
A sign of occult choroidal neovascularization
Retinal pigment epithelial detachments in the elderly
Trans Ophthalmol Soc UK 1986; 105: 674–682
Pathogenesis of retinal pigment epithelial detachment in the elderly; the relevance of Bruch's membrane change
Clinicopathological correlation of retinal pigment epithelial tears in exudative age related macular degeneration: pretear
Pigment epithelial detachment in the elderly
natural course and pathogenetic implications
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2002; 240 (7): 533–538
Types of choroidal neovascularisation in newly diagnosed exudative age-related macular degeneration
Retinal pigment epithelial tear after photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization
Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for choroidal neovascularization associated with retinal pigment epithelial detachment in age-related macular degeneration
Treatment of pigment epithelial detachments in the elderly
Retinal pigment epithelial tear following photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD
Combined photodynamic therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration with pigment epithelium detachment
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2006; 37 (6): 455–461
A new treatment regimen in combined intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide and photodynamic therapy
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2006; 244 (7): 863–867
Intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a one-year prospective study
Intravitreal bevacizumab combined with photodynamic therapy for the treatment of occult choroidal neovascularization associated with serous pigment epithelium detachment in age-related macular degeneration
Ranibizumab for retinal angiomatous proliferation in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2007; 245 (12): 1877–1880
Retinal pigment epithelium tears after intravitreal bevacizumab in pigment epithelium detachment
Photodynamic therapy of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration with verteporfin: one-year results of 2 randomized clinical trials—TAP report
Treatment of age-related macular degeneration with photodynamic therapy (TAP) Study Group
Verteporfin In Photodynamic Therapy Study Group
Verteporfin therapy of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration: two-year results of a randomized clinical trial including lesions with occult with no classic choroidal neovascularization—verteporfin in photodynamic therapy report 2
Recommendation for the implementation of intravitreal injections—statement of the German Retina Society
the German Society of Ophthalmology (DOG) and the German Professional Association of Ophthalmologists (BVA)
Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 2005; 222 (5): 390–395
Retinal angiomatous proliferation in age-related macular degeneration
Volume determination of pigment epithelium detachment in AMD by laser scanning tomography
Neovascularization associated with large retinal pigment epithelial detachment in elderly Korean patients: subdivision according to indocyanine green angiographic features
Indocyanine green angiography and age-related serous pigment epithelial detachment
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1996; 234 (1): 25–33
High resolution Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography of retinal angiomatous proliferation
Successful treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation by photodynamic therapy
Sequenced combined intravitreal triamcinolone and indocyanine green angiography-guided photodynamic therapy for retinal angiomatous proliferation
The International Intravitreal Bevacizumab Safety Survey: using the internet to assess drug safety worldwide
Pegaptanib for neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Year 2 efficacy results of 2 randomized controlled clinical trials of pegaptanib for neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Ophthalmology 2006; 113 (9): 1508 e1501–e1525
Intravitreal bevacizumab for the treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation
Retinal pigment epithelial tears after single administration of intravitreal bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment in patients with retinal angiomatous proliferation
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2007; 245 (11): 1597–1602
Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for retinal angiomatous proliferation
RPE tears after pegaptanib treatment in age-related macular degeneration
Retinal pigment epithelial tear following intravitreal pegaptanib sodium
Retinal pigment epithelial tears after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for AMD
Retinal pigment epithelium tear after intravitreal bevacizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration
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Rockaway Borough’s first-responders are among those honored for braveryPNJMFirefighters
police and emergency medical providers risked their lives in 11 incidents involving fires
gas-filled homes and other emergencies in Morris County towns last year
The public safety professionals – volunteer and professional – who performed these and other gallant rescues were honored April 28 by the 200 Club of Morris County
an organization of individuals who support first responders
paramedics and emergency medical technicians who put their lives at risk earn the Valor Award
Those whose work was above and beyond the call of duty are awarded the Meritorious Award
A total of 39 public safety providers received honors
Northern New Jersey EMS Communications Dispatcher Jo-Ann Mellor
Saint Clare’s Hospital paramedics James Correale and Sarah Crellin
and Denville Fire Department members Kevin Andreano
came together in response to a possible drowning of a 13-year-old boy in a pool
The team worked together to resuscitate the boy
These nine first responders received a Meritorious Team Award
Rockaway Borough Police Officers Peter Krowiak and James Lommatzsch
and Rockaway Borough Fire Department members Jeffrey Heintzelman
panicking because her disabled son was upstairs
Krowiak and Lommatzsch were first on the scene and were able to quickly rescue the woman
Officer Krowiak went back into the house through heavy smoke and heat to try to rescue the woman’s son
The pair was trying to carry the man down the stairs as burning ceiling tiles fell around them and the fire intensified
who responded directly to the scene and had no turnout gear
and Smith met the two police officers and assisted them with removing the handicapped
Both police officers were treated for smoke inhalation
Officer Krowiak suffered permanent damage to his nasal passages and lost his sense of smell
Krowiak and Lommatzsch were awarded the Award of Valor and Heintzelman and Smith received Meritorious Awards
Tozzi earned Meritorious Awards for their actions during the initial response to a possible drowning in White Meadow Lake on a cold winter’s night
By working together and using a borrowed canoe
the pair rescued one man who had fallen out of a canoe
New Jersey State Troopers Richard Dowling and Andrew Koehler
along with State Police Detective I Anthony Sardanopoli
were en route to an assignment when they came across a single-vehicle accident on Route 80 in Rockaway
the troopers worked together to rescue the badly injured man
Using fire extinguishers to keep flames at bay
the trio provided care for the man for almost 20 minutes before additional help arrived
They then created a zone of safety for other first responders to work
It took 30 minutes for firefighters to remove the man
The three men received Meritorious Awards for their actions.