Background:Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a common postoperative complication of cataract surgery, often resulting in decreased visual acuity, reduced contrast sensitivity, and glare. Its incidence ranges from 5% to 50% within the first year after surgery, raising significant clinical concern. This study applies bibliometric analysis to explore the evolution of research frontiers and emerging hotspots in the field of PCO.Materials and methods:Articles related to PCO published between 2000 and 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to analyze publication volume, contributing countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and references.Results:A total of 1951 articles on PCO were identified, with the United States leading in publication output. The University of Vienna ranked as the most productive institution, while Liliana Werner from the University of Utah was the most prolific author. The Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery published the highest number of articles. Early research frequently focused on keywords such as “polymethylmethacrylate” and “extracapsular cataract,” whereas recent studies have emphasized terms like “migration,” “surface modification,” and “mesenchymal transition.” The most cited article was authored by D.J. Apple in 1992.Conclusions:Bibliometric analysis offers valuable insight into the current landscape and developmental trends in PCO research. By highlighting key research themes and emerging areas of interest, this approach can inform clinical research directions and promote collaboration among investigators in the field.

Left ventricular (LV) myocardial uptake of 99mTechnetium-labeled tracers is assessed to diagnose transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). The degree of uptake is visually graded using planar images utilising the Perugini score. Today, non-invasive diagnosis of ATTR-CM is broadly established in practice; however, in patients with mild tracer uptake (Perugini grade 1), no definite diagnosis can be made without endomyocardial biopsy. Within the scope of a prospective cardiac amyloidosis registry at the Medical University of Vienna, all patients who underwent bone scintigraphy graded as Perugini grade 1 with additional SPECT/CT imaging performed between September 2014 and May 2025 were retrospectively analysed. 41 patients (70.8 years, IQR: 64.9-78.8, 41.5% female) were included. The majority (n = 32, 78.0%) of scans were ordered for a suspicion of ATTR-CM. On SPECT/CT images, true LV tracer uptake was confirmed in 4 (9.8%) patients, and 1 (2.4%) patient presented with focal myocardial uptake. In all other patients, tracer uptake was not within the myocardial tissue but rather blood-pool uptake. In follow-up [99mTc]-DPD scintigraphy, myocardial tracer uptake eventually progressed to Perugini grade 2 in 3 patients who previously demonstrated mild LV myocardial tracer uptake. In contrast, those with diffuse LV uptake did not show any signs of progression in follow-up SPECT/CT imaging. SPECT/CT is mandatory in patients with mild mediastinal tracer uptake interpreted as Perugini grade 1. Among patients with Perugini grade 1 and confirmed [99mTc]-DPD LV uptake on SPECT/CT images, progression to Perugini grade 2 was observed in all individuals who underwent nuclear medicine imaging follow-up.

The intersection of gender, irregular legal status, and economic precarity places undocumented women in Leipzig at heightened risk of exclusion from both healthcare and the labor market. German migration policy, increasingly centered on border enforcement and deterrence, continues to neglect the realities of women working in informal care and domestic sectors. This policy orientation reinforces institutional barriers, especially in reproductive and mental healthcare, and marginalizes undocumented women within systems of care and employment. Between March and June 2025, a structured mini-review of academic and grey literature was conducted using the Vienna University Library and key NGO reports. The review analyzed gendered exclusions across Germany’s legal, healthcare, and labor frameworks, with a particular focus on Leipzig. Findings indicate a striking absence of gender-disaggregated municipal data, perpetuating the invisibility of undocumented women. This invisibility is unintentionally reinforced by Section 87 of the Residence Act (AufenthG), which obliges public authorities to report undocumented individuals, thereby deterring women from accessing healthcare or labor rights protections. The review confirms national trends of labor exploitation and healthcare avoidance among undocumented migrants while highlighting the significant data gaps in Leipzig, which undermine effective local governance. Addressing this invisibility requires gender-sensitive data collection, robust legal firewalls decoupling essential services from immigration enforcement, and targeted municipal investment in safe-reporting mechanisms. Taken together, the Leipzig case demonstrates how migration law, though not explicitly intended for this purpose, produces exclusionary effects and underscores the urgent need for rights-based reforms that recognize undocumented women as social and political actors rather than individuals rendered invisible through policy design and implementation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of resection margins on rates of local control in patients with myxofibrosarcoma (MFS). We performed a retrospective cohort study of 135 patients with myxofibrosarcoma, treated at the Department of Orthopaedics of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria from December 1999 to October 2023. Resection margins were analysed with Enneking’s established classification scheme as well as Union internationale contre le cancer (UICC) classification. Local recurrence (LR) was reported for 14 patients (10.37%). There was no statistically significance for the influence of width of resection margins (neither UICC classification system, nor Enneking’s) on the LR rate, except for R1-dir status in the UICC-classification (p = 0.028), meaning there was microscopic tumour contamination of margins or resection alongside and macroscopic residual tumour in R2a status (p = 0.037). There was no statistical difference of resection with wide or marginal resection margins. We can carefully suppose that width of resection margins do not seem to be crucial for local recurrence in MFS, although there is a significant risk for local recurrence in R1 resections. Further investigations on the risk factors for local recurrence are needed.

Prolonged Prophylactic Ureteral Stent Placement and BK Polyomavirus Infection After Renal Transplantation—A Retrospective Case-control Study

Several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (RCT) explore disease-modifying therapeutics in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). However, it is currently unclear whether patients eligible to participate in the RCT are representative of real-world patients. ATTR-CM patients presenting to a tertiary referral center for cardiac amyloidosis at the Medical University of Vienna between March 2012 and May 2024 were included in a prospective registry. Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the ATTRACT, ATTRIBUTE, HELIOS-B, CARDIO-TTRANSFORM, and the DEPLETTR-CM trial were applied, and the baseline characteristics of the hypothetical trial cohorts as well as their survival were compared. 353 patients (80.3 years, IQR: 75.5–84.2, 17.6% female) were included, and 192 (57.8%) patients would have been eligible to participate in ATTRIBUTE, ATTRACT would have recruited 163 (49.1%) patients, HELIOS-B 105 (31.6%) patients, CARDIO-TTRANSFORM 80 (24.1%) subjects, and 71 (21.4%) patients would have been eligible for DEPLETTR-CM. Hypothetical ATTRIBUTE, ATTRACT, HELIOS-B, and CARDIO-TTRANSFORM patients demonstrated only minor differences regarding baseline characteristics, both among each other and compared to the real-world cohort. However, DEPLETTR-CM eligible patients exhibited more severely elevated biomarkers of heart failure (NT-proBNP: 2590pg/mL, IQR: 1614–4423, vs. 2339pg/mL, IQR: 1154–4250; p < 0.001) and more advanced National Amyloidosis Centre stage (p < 0.001). Patients who could have been included in DEPLETTR-CM also showed significantly worse survival. Applied to our real-world ATTR-CM cohort, RCT inclusion and exclusion criteria would have selected patients comparable to the real-world cohort. Only the DEPLETTR-CM trial would have selected patients with more advanced disease and worse prognosis.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-21779-9.

Abstract Background and Aims Medication non-adherence to immunosuppressive drugs is a major challenge in the management of kidney transplant recipients and a major risk factor for rejection and early graft loss. Utilizing electronic healthcare data in the form of pharmacy refill records (PRR) offers a practical method for estimating adherence in this setting. Analysis of the value of PRR in the context of a multimodal assessment of non-adherence in a real world setting is crucial for its application in routine post-transplant care. Method The prospective single-center AdTorque trial was initiated to conduct a multimodal and longitudinal evaluation of adherence to immunosuppressive medications among kidney transplant recipients including PRR. All 287 adult kidney graft recipients transplanted at the Medical University of Vienna between 2018 and 2019 were monitored for 2 years with a clinical follow-up of 4 years. PRR were analyzed using the standardized continuous measures of medication availability (CMA) calculations (CMA1-CMA9; primary analysis CMA7). These scores estimate adherence as a value from 0 to 100%, denoting complete non-adherence and perfect adherence to a given regimen, respectively. Results For this interim analysis only the 101 subjects with a complete record of dispensations and prescriptions for the first post-transplant year were included. Interestingly, PRR showed different adherence estimates between tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolic acid (MPA; mean CMA7: TAC: 72.4%; MPA: 87.3%, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Such differences were also found in the more basic CMAs scores. No differences in CMA scores were found regarding biopsy proven graft rejection and de novo donor specific antibodies. Notably, no association was found between CMA scores and adherence assessed using the self-report questionnaire BAASIS®, which in contrast to PRR picks up on irregularities concerning the time of drug intake during the day. Conclusion This study suggests that when using PRR to estimate adherence in a post-transplant setting TAC and MPA need to be considered separately and that the customary 80% cutoff to identify adherence might not be applicable. In case granular data is not available the more simple CMA scores seem to provide similar insight to more sophisticated CMAs, which take less assumptions but need more granular data to be computed. Furthermore, PRR alone might not be conclusive in this setting due to their blindness to timing issues.

Abstract Background and Aims Technique survival on peritoneal dialysis (PD) is limited by treatment-related infections, mechanical catheter problems, psychosocial challenges, and/or peritoneal membrane failure. Traditionally, the evaluation of the peritoneal membrane function involves the time- and resource-consuming peritoneal equilibrium test (PET). Our group recently suggested that a glucose-corrected ultrafiltration (gcUF), calculated from cycler machine-readouts, may serve as a valuable and cost-effective biomarker for real-time peritoneal membrane monitoring. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate this biomarker alongside other real-world treatment response measures in context of dialysis prescription to predict adverse outcomes in a large single-center cohort of patients on automated PD (APD). Method For this retrospective study we collected and analyzed daily APD cycler treatment response measures (as direct machine readouts) and prescription data of adult patients on APD treated between 2000–2022 at the Medical University of Vienna. Prescription data (i.e., daily glucose load, prescribed dialysis fluid volume) and subsequent treatment response measures (i.e., gcUF, cycler ultrafiltration) was evaluated at an extended baseline period during the first three months of APD in daily, weekly or monthly intervals for the prediction of technique failure (death or transfer to hemodialysis) and major adverse peritoneal events (MAPE, first occurrence of either PD-associated peritonitis or transfer to hemodialysis). This analysis was conducted with Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard regression with empirical covariate selection ( compared to a stepwise forward selection procedure). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was conducted to analyze model performance and calculate area under the curve (AUC) measurements with respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), sensitivity, specificity, and to find optimal thresholds for endpoint prediction in selected models. Results A total of 171/308 (56%) of patients treated with APD for home dialysis for 2.5 ± 1.9 years at mean (± standard deviation) were included. The analyzed patients were in 61% male, 54 ± 15 years of age at mean, and in 27% diabetic. 29% of patients were transferred to hemodialysis, and 29% of patients died on APD, corresponding to an all-cause technique failure-rate of 58%. Daily and weekly machine-readout cycler ultrafiltration at baseline significantly (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively) predicted transfer to hemodialysis, with an AUC of 0.6. While gcUF at baseline displayed the same AUC, covariate-adjusted Cox regression resulted only in a predictive trend (P = 0.08). Surprisingly, daily prescribed glucose loads were significant predictors of MAPE in the empirically adjusted and covariate forward selection procedure models (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02), with an AUC of 0.68. In addition, daily glucose loads were higher at baseline in patients who died on APD than in patients transferred to HD later during their treatment course (P = 0.05). Conclusion These data support the value of extended baseline measures, such as treatment response measures (as direct machine readouts) and prescription data for potential stratification of patients on APD with higher risk for adverse treatment trajectories and outcomes. Adding prescription data (such as the daily glucose load) to remote cloud-based APD analysis software thereby holds the potential to improve patient outcomes by providing the hospital-based dialysis team with the necessary toolkit for timely and rigorous treatment analysis and subsequent intervention.

Abstract Background and Aims For patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, a kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL). An in-depth understanding of individual factors affecting HRQOL might help to develop strategies to support the process of HRQOL improvement. The AdTorque study was designed to prospectively assess HRQOL in the context of patient-related characteristics and follow-up data associated with HRQOL. Method This cohort study screened all 283 consecutive adult kidney graft recipients transplanted at the Medical University of Vienna between January 2018 and December 2019. HRQOL was monitored within the first-year post-transplant applying the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire at 3 study-visits: at the first out-patient visit (P1), 3 months post-transplant (P2) and 12 months post-transplant (P3). The WHOQOL-BREF assesses the HRQOL perceived by patients in the previous month in 4 domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environmental health. Each domain is scored between 0 and 100 and a total score for overall HRQOL is calculated by the sum of all domains (0–400). For subgroup analysis all patients were stratified according to sociodemographic, psycho-social and transplant-related variables. Results In the total cohort of 183 patients (33% females; median age 56 [IQR 46–53]) the median overall HRQOL was 315 (IQR 278–340) at P1, 322 (IQR 277–351) at P2 and 328 (IQR 289–359) at P3. A significant improvement was only detected in the physical health domain (71 [IQR 54–79] at P1 to 79 [IQR 56–89] at P3; P = 0.006). While male sex, younger age, higher education and donation from a living donor indicated a positive influence, smoking and living-alone affected the improvements in HRQOL negatively. Patients with psychological disorders (n = 67; 37%) reported a significantly reduced overall HRQOL compared to patients without such disorders (279 [IQR 251–323] vs. 329 [IQR 307–347, P &amp;lt; 0.001] at P1, 284 [IQR 244–335] vs. 333 [IQR 297–354, P &amp;lt; 0.001] at P2 and 302 [IQR 267–335] vs. 354 [IQR 307–371, P &amp;lt; 0.001] at P3). Conclusion Patients with a psychological disorder and fewer social relations perceived less improvement in their HRQOL over the first year post kidney transplantation. Our study emphasizes the need for psycho-social support in post-transplant routine care.

Abstract Background and Aims Personalized balance of immunosuppression is crucial to prevent organ rejection and infections in kidney transplant recipients. Plasma load of the non-pathogenic and highly prevalent torque teno virus (TTV) has been suggested to assess the state of immunosuppression. A cut-off value for risk prediction of infections in the first year post-transplant has been defined and is currently tested in an interventional randomized clinical trial (TTVguideIT). Defining cut-off values beyond year one post-transplant are crucial for the design of follow-up trials (e.g. TAOIST) and long term routine clinical care. Method For this secondary analysis of the prospective single-center AdTorque study, all 268 consecutive adult patients who underwent a kidney transplantation between January 1st, 2018 and December 31st, 2019 at the Medical University of Vienna were included and followed up for a maximum of 4 years. Over this time, all infectious events with respective treatments, hospitalizations and changes of immunosuppression were recorded. Infectious disease work up included syndromic PCR panel testing, among others including SARS-CoV-2 PCR. Additionally, immunologic monitoring via TTV PCR from plasma was performed. Results In a preliminary analysis including 150 patients (37.2% female; median age 52.7 years) 621 infectious events were recorded, with 24 patients not experiencing an infection. Of all events the majority were urinary tract infections (n = 204; 32.9%), 178 of all events led to hospitalization. The most commonly identified pathogens were cytomegalovirus (n = 97), Escherichia coli (n = 71) and SARS-CoV-2 (n = 53). The overall event rate declined over the first three years post-transplant, with a rise in the fourth year (year 1: 94.9%; year 2: 48.0%; year 3: 44.7%; year 4: 78.4%). Conclusion This interim analysis gives valuable insight on the epidemiology of infectious disease in the current post-transplant era. The strength of the study is the long term follow-up, the overlap with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inclusion of multiplex PCR panels in routine work-up. The full data set including associations with TTV load and respective cutoffs are currently being assessed, and will be presented at ERA 2025 in case of acceptance.

To assess and compare 3-year visual and subjective outcomes following mix-and-match implantation of enhanced monofocal and trifocal or trifocal EDOF IOLs. Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Single-center, prospective, clinical trial. 50 patients (100 eyes) received bilateral cataract surgery with implantation of the enhanced monofocal Isopure IOL in the dominant eye and either the trifocal Finevision HP or trifocal EDOF Finevision Triumf IOL in the non-dominant eye (all PhysIOL s.a., Liège, Belgium). At the 3-year examination, binocular uncorrected distance (UDVA), intermediate (UIVA) and near (UNVA) visual acuities, binocular defocus curves, halo/glare simulation, Catquest-9SF questionnaire, spectacle dependence and Nd:YAG rate were evaluated. In total, 34 patients (68 eyes) were available at the 3-year follow-up examination. In the Isopure-HP group, binocular UDVA, UIVA (80cm), UIVA (66cm), and UNVA were -0.04±0.10 (20/20), 0.06±0.07 (20/25), 0.10±0.08 (20/25) and 0.17±0.08 (20/32) logMAR, respectively. Corresponding values in the Isopure-Triumf group were 0.03±0.11 (20/20) (p=.08), 0.09±0.10 (20/25) (p=.40), 0.12±0.11 (20/25) (p=.56) and 0.27±0.07 (20/40) (p<.001) logMAR, p-values refer to the difference between both groups. Binocular defocus curves showed ≤0.2logMAR visual acuities up to -3.0D (Isopure-HP) and -2.0D (Isopure-Triumf). Halo, glare and Catquest-9SF scores were comparable (p>0.05). Nd:YAG treatment was required in 15 (44%) of Isopure eyes, 2 (13%) of Finevision HP eyes and 1 (6%) of Finevision Triumf eyes. Combined implantation of enhanced monofocal and trifocal/trifocal EDOF IOLs yields excellent distance and intermediate vision. Near visual acuity and spectacle independence was higher in the Isopure-HP group. Low incidence of photic phenomena and high patient satisfaction highlight the long-term effectiveness of both mix-and-match strategies.

Quantum mechanics: Are we seeing reality as it is? Dr Peter Verheyen from the Sola Society and Academy at Vienna University examines whether quantum mechanics and information serve as the fundamental descriptions of reality. Anton Zeilinger, Alain Aspect, and John F. Clauser were awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for their contributions to Quantum Mechanics, establishing QM as the foundation of reality. ‘Einstein was wrong, God plays dice, Quantum Mechanics rules.’

1. Overview Professor John Komlos is a former chairman of the Department of Economic History at the University of Munich and also taught as a visitor at Harvard, Duke, and the University of Vienna. In his book, “Foundations of Real-World Economics: What Every Economics Student Needs to Know and Doesn’t Get in the Usual Principles Text”, he examined mainstream economics and contemporary economic policies. This book has been translated into Chinese, German, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian, and other languages are forthcoming. This can be categoriSed as a major reference book to study the hopelessness of mainstream economic thought in explaining contemporary economic issues. Professor Komlos received a PhD in history in 1978 and a second PhD in economics in 1990, both from the University of Chicago. His academic career mainly consists of research and study of the effect of economic development on human biology. This background is reflected in the contents and sub-topics of his book in which he established the links of economics with neurology, psychology, sociology, ideology, and humanism. He advocates for a new paradigm: Capitalism with a human face by differentiating humanistic and mainstream economics based on their fundamental characteristics. Humanistic economics accepts the foundational achievements of sister disciplines as well as behavioral psychology. Instead of using mathematical logic, he emphasises considering human sentiments and morality, which cannot be incorporated into mathematical equations. In his own words, “I believe that our starting point should not be Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1776), but his Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), in which Smith asserted forcefully that we possess an innate empathy toward our fellow human beings.”

Abstract BACKGROUND Pseudoprogression (PP) is a treatment-related imaging phenomenon that mimics true progression (P) after chemoradiotherapy for glioblastoma (GBM). Distinguishing between PP and P is essential to avoid premature therapy changes, yet reliable clinical predictors remain scarce. In this study, we investigated the occurrence, predictors, and survival impact of PP at multiple timepoints in a large, single-center cohort of GBM patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this retrospective study, we analyzed 215 adults with GBM who received surgical resection at the Medical University of Vienna between 2012 and 2024. Radiological outcomes were evaluated at three timepoints after radiotherapy completion: 6 months (M6), 9 months (M9), and 12 months (M12), followed by patient classification into PP, P or no radiological event. Clinical, imaging, and molecular variables were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models. RESULTS PP occurred in 9.3% of patients at 6 months, 11.2% at 9 months, and 10.2% at 12 months. MGMT promoter methylation was consistently associated with a higher likelihood of PP at all timepoints (M6: OR 4.72, p = 0.0115; M9: OR 4.58, p = 0.0045; M12: OR 3.79, p = 0.0138). CCNU use appeared linked to pseudoprogression, although the small sample size limits definitive conclusions. No reliable predictors emerged when comparing PP patients to those without any radiological changes. Patients who developed pseudoprogression survived longer than those with true progression (median 31.8 months vs. 13.4-16.4 months; p &amp;lt; 0.0001). The survival rates of patients with PP matched those of patients who did not experience any radiological events. MGMT promoter methylation remained an independent predictor of improved survival across all timepoints. CONCLUSION Pseudoprogression is strongly associated with MGMT promoter methylation and favorable prognosis during the first 12 months after completion of radiotherapy. The integration of molecular data with continuous imaging assessments serves as a critical tool for making treatment choices improving patient outcomes.

Abstract BACKGROUND Accurate intraoperative tissue diagnosis is essential for surgical guidance, preserving neurological function, and selecting appropriate adjuvant therapies in spinal tumor surgery. Current state-of-the-art AI models trained on intracranial CNS tumors achieve low diagnostic performance when applied to spinal tumors, highlighting the need for specialized diagnostic tools. This diagnostic gap leads to reliance on time-consuming frozen sections, creating a critical need for dedicated spinal tumor classification systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS We developed an AI-powered computer vision tool using a portable stimulated Raman histology (SRH) imager that consumes acrylic slides with squeezed fresh unprocessed tissue specimens. To test the model’s performance, we conducted an international multicenter study enrolling patients across three institutions (New York University, University of Michigan, and Medical University of Vienna). Using a SRH-specific foundation model (University of Cologne), pretrained with near whole CNS tumor spectrum and combined with a novel patch-based transformer classifier, we trained the system for common spinal tumor classification and visualization into (1) Meningioma CNS WHO Grade 1-2, (2) Schwannoma CNS WHO Grade 1, (3) Ependymoma spinal, myxopapillary CNS WHO Grade 2, and (4) Metastases of various primary origin. We compared performance against the existing state-of-the-art SRH CNS classification model on our testing cohort. Final integrated neuropathological diagnosis served as ground-truth. RESULTS We analyzed 140 intraoperative SRH slides comprising ependymomas (n=58, 41.4%), metastases (n=45, 32.1%), schwannomas (n=23, 16.4%), and meningiomas (n=14, 10.0%). Our model achieved 90.87% mean class accuracy (95% CI: 87.30-94.33) with 93.58% macro-average AUROC (95% CI: 91.30-95.72) at slide-level, significantly outperforming the current state-of-the-art model (56.89% MCA). Individual class accuracies were: schwannoma 23/23 (100%), meningioma 14/14 (100%), metastasis 41/45 (91.23%), and ependymoma 42/58 (72.24%). The system demonstrated high specificity (95.17%, 95% CI: 93.20-97.01) and sensitivity (90.87%, 95% CI: 87.30-94.33). We observed 16 false negatives and 2 false positives for ependymomas, while metastases showed 4 false negatives and 9 false positives. The system delivered diagnostic results with interpretable visual feedback within 3 minutes of slide processing. CONCLUSION Our model is the first dedicated intraoperative AI vision system for classifying spinal tumors specifically. The performance shift between models demonstrates that domain-specific AI development with transformer-integrated architecture achieves a 30% performance boost. Moreover, this tool enables near real-time surgical decision-making and guidance, potentially reducing reliance on frozen sections.

Implementation and evaluation of service learning at higher education institutions.

This study reports on longitudinal clinical characteristics of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) treated at the Department of Ophthalmology of the Medical University of Vienna. This retrospective study included children with a genetically proven diagnosis of NF1. Clinical characteristics and outcomes, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refractive error, ocular motility, specific ophthalmological findings (e.g., Lisch nodules), and the presence of cutaneous café au lait stains were evaluated. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained to evaluate optic nerve abnormalities and early detection of optic glioma. One hundred and sixty-eight eyes of 85 children were included. The mean follow-up of the patients was 8 ± 3.7 years (range: 2-19 years) and mean age at baseline was 3.1 ± 2.6 years. Mean (±SD) BCVA was 0.19 (±0.20) logMAR at baseline. 16.5% of patients showed the presence of optic nerve abnormalities, 18.8% had therapy, 32.9% of the patients had cafe au lait stains, and 37.1% had Lisch nodules in the eye examination. Worse BCVA at baseline was associated with the presence of severe optic nerve abnormalities (mean 0.21 ± 0.14 logMAR; p < 0.01), compared to patients without optic nerve abnormalities (mean 0.14 ± 0.14 logMAR). Additionally, BCVA at baseline was dependent on the visual test (from mean 0.04 ± 0.19 logMAR to mean 0.3 ± 0.16 logMAR; p < 0.01). There was also a significant difference in BCVA change to follow-up in patients who received therapy compared to patients who did not (p = 0.033). The age showed no significant influence on the BCVA at baseline (p = 0.92). Optic nerve glioma poses a significant threat to vision in NF1 patients, necessitating biannual follow-up until age 6, including MRI, fundoscopy, and OCT imaging.

Hormone therapy is recommended in women with premature ovarian insufficiency to mitigate long-term risks associated with estrogen deficiency, such as loss of bone mineral density. However, data on the optimal route of administration are scarce. This study aimed to compare the effect of transdermal and oral hormone therapies on the T-scores of the femur and the hip in women with premature ovarian insufficiency. This retrospective, single-center cohort study included 55 women with spontaneous premature ovarian insufficiency who were regularly monitored at the Clinical Division of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine of the Medical University of Vienna. For hormone therapy, participants received either oral or transdermal estrogen therapy. The main outcome parameters were the T-scores of the femur and hip assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans. Among the 55 women included [median age: 34y, interquartile range (IQR): 27-36], 65.5% showed reduced bone mineral density in the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan results (osteopenia: n= 27, 49.1%; osteoporosis: n= 9, 16.4%). Participants were treated with transdermal and oral estradiol in 27 (49.1%) and 28 cases (50.9%), respectively. There were no significant differences in the T-scores of the femur and the hip, neither at baseline ( P =0.586, P =0.400) nor at follow-up assessment ( P =0.618, P =0.471) between the two treatment groups. Both oral and transdermal hormone therapies effectively help maintain bone mineral density in women with premature ovarian insufficiency, indicating that either option is a suitable treatment choice for this population.

The optimization of constructions is becoming increasingly important in view of the growing scarcity of resources. There is considerable potential for increasing the efficiency of tunnel shells in segmental lining by making targeted adjustments to the design and dimensioning of the tunnel segments. A reinforcement concept developed at the Technical University of Vienna offers the opportunity to increase the load‐bearing capacity of the segments and optimize resource consumption. This design with butt‐jointed longitudinal bars was investigated using large‐scale test specimens representing sections of tunnel segments. The tests were carried out in a test frame with a maximum load of 18 MN, which made it possible to test common segment thicknesses of 40 cm on a scale of 1:1. While the experimental loads for the test specimens have already been set in relation to the global warming potential of the materials used in the past, deviating results can be assumed for real segment geometries. By transferring the tests to fictitious, realistic tunnel segments, this work clearly shows that the improved resource efficiency of the reinforcement concept is particularly evident when entire segments are considered. In addition, in contrast to the purely centric test results, considerations are made regarding the handling of eccentricities. Here, the possibilities for arranging the longitudinal bars can be demonstrated using a fictitious segment.

Background: Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injuries frequently result from trauma to the shoulder girdle and are particularly common among young, physically active individuals. These injuries account for approximately 9% of all traumatic shoulder girdle injuries and often lead to functional impairment and pain. The TightRope® system, LARS™ band, and Bosworth screw are among over 160 currently described surgical techniques for managing ACJ dislocations. However, there is no consensus regarding the optimal surgical approach, particularly for the management of moderate Rockwood Type III ACJ dislocations. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, data from 246 patients who underwent surgery for ACJ dislocation between 2010 and 2018 at the Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, were analyzed. Patients were divided into four cohorts based on the surgical technique used: Bosworth screw, LARS (acute), LARS (chronic), and TightRope. Clinical and radiological outcomes were assessed pre- and postoperatively using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Constant, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score (DASH), Simple Shoulder Test (SST), University of California—Los Angeles Shoulder Score (UCLA), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), as well as radiographic analysis. Radiological measurements of the acromioclavicular (AC) and coracoclavicular (CC) joint spaces were taken on both the injured and uninjured shoulders to analyze and compare the reduction in joint gaps. Results: All surgical methods resulted in significant reductions in AC and CC joint gaps. The TightRope and LARS acute groups showed the greatest reductions, with minimal complication rates. Complication analysis revealed significant differences in clavicular elevation (p < 0.001) and CC-ligament ossification (p = 0.006), which were most frequent in the Bosworth group and least common in TightRope® patients, with LARS showing intermediate values. AC joint arthrosis was uncommon in all four groups and did not differ significantly (p = 0.13). Overall, TightRope® was associated with the most favorable complication profile. The postoperative VAS score in the TightRope group was 1.52 ± 2.06, and the Constant score was 96.83 ± 5.41, reflecting high patient satisfaction. Conclusions: All systems led to satisfactory radiological and clinical outcomes, with the LARS™ band showing particular effectiveness in chronic ACJ dislocations. While all techniques provided good results, the TightRope® system demonstrated the most favorable overall profile in our cohort and may therefore be considered a promising contemporary option. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment for moderate ACJ dislocations and to assess the cost-effectiveness of these surgical techniques.