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Notes: Morphology changes and irreversible reorientation of the easy magnetization axis upon annealing of thin epitaxial fcc-iron films grown at 100 K on Cu(100) were studied in situ with scanning tunneling microscopy and the magneto-optical Kerr effect. An irreversible spin reorientation from in-plane to out-of-plane is observed for 6 monolayers thick iron films annealed to 350 K. This change in magnetic anisotropy is accompanied by considerable smoothing of the iron film surface. Annealing to higher temperatures leads to a strong increase of the coercive field by up to a factor of 6. The surfaces of these films are atomically flat and display some scattered needle-like protrusions and dislocation lines. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: A scanning near-field optical microscope is combined with a modified Sagnac interferometer to generate high-resolution magnetic contrast images of a magneto-optical disk (MOD) in reflection. The interferometer acts as a magnetic sensor to determine the Kerr rotation of reflected circularly polarized light. A separate shear-force sample topography is obtained simultaneously with the optical. This technique allows successful magnetic imaging of samples with complicated surface topographies, as demonstrated with the MOD. For these initial measurements, the resolution with nonmetal-coated fiber tips is 300 nm, and the magnetic phase sensitivity is 1 mrad. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Hot electrons injected with a scanning tunnel microscope (STM) tip into Pt/SiO2/Si(100) structures were detected as a collector current in the Si by using a STM configuration known as ballistic electron emission microscopy. The collector current, observed for STM tip potentials (approximately-greater-than)4 V and for oxide biases ≥0 V, is direct evidence for electron transmission through the conduction band of the SiO2. Negative oxide biases delayed the onset of current to correspondingly higher tip potentials. A simple model was used to extract the energy and bias dependent transmission probabilities from the experimental data for a 62 A(ring) SiO2 layer. The results are compared with Monte Carlo calculations. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: A novel method for the formation of a p+-layer underneath a Si(111)7×7 surface is presented. It is based on annealing of an epitaxial Al/n-Si(111) interface up to complete desorption of the Al film. This leads to a strong potential variation within the substrate, as observed in Si-2p core-level photoemission spectra with variable sampling depth, while scanning-tunneling microscopy reveals an unchanged 7×7 reconstructed surface. These observations are consistent with a p+ doping of (4±2)×1018/cm3 and a lowering of the surface Fermi level by (0.06±0.02) eV. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Background  The Objective Severity Assessment of Atopic Dermatitis (OSAAD) score is a recently developed scale for evaluation of severity of atopic dermatitis, constructed from the assessment of epidermal barrier function, and properties using noninvasive bioengineering methods and computer-assisted estimates of disease extent. The method has been validated for use in infants and children with atopic dermatitis and compared with a referent scoring system.Objectives  The aim of the present study was to test the validity, reliability and sensitivity of the OSAAD score as an objective tool for the assessment of the severity of atopic dermatitis in adult patients.Methods  Thirty-two adult patients with atopic dermatitis were included in the study. To assess the validity of the OSAAD score we tested it against the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index of the European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis as a referent clinical severity scale, and the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-16 as a laboratory variable for monitoring the activity of atopic dermatitis. Responsiveness to change was assessed in a longitudinal study comparing OSAAD, SCORAD and serum levels of IL-16 before and after treatment. To test the reliability of the OSAAD score we studied the interobserver variability of the score recorded by three independent board-certified dermatologists in 16 patients and compared it with SCORAD.Results  We report a significant correlation between the OSAAD and the SCORAD index as an acknowledged referent severity scale. The OSAAD score correlated significantly with the serum levels of IL-16 in the acute stage of atopic dermatitis. In a longitudinal study, the OSAAD score decreased significantly, parallel with improvement of the skin findings and a significant decrease in the SCORAD score and IL-16 serum levels. We report improved interobserver variability for the OSAAD score compared with SCORAD.Conclusions  This is the first study validating the OSAAD score as a sensitive and reliable tool for the assessment of the severity of atopic dermatitis in adult patients.

Notes: Baker and confectioner apprentices have been included in a prospective follow-up study in the region of East Thuringia, to evaluate risk factors for the development of hand dermatitis. Starting in August 1996, the apprentices have been interviewed and examined in a standardized way right at the beginning (n=91) of their vocational training, 6 (n=79) and 12 months (n=63) later. To gain objective data, TEWL score was also assessed at 3 standardized sites on the hands. In their case histories, 3.3% (n=3) of the apprentices reported hand dermatitis. The 1st assessment after 2 to 4 weeks vocational training revealed hand eczema in 17.5% (n=16) of the individuals. At the follow-up after 6 months of training 29.1% (n=23), and after 12 month of training 27.0% (n=17), of the apprentices had hand dermatitis of mild to moderate severity. Within 6 months, the TEWL score rose significantly (p〈0.001) from 11.9 g m−2 h−1 (± 5.4) to 16.8 g m−2 h−1 (± 9.5). After 12 months, the TEWL score was 14.9 g m−2 h−1 (± 4.6). For the atopic skin diathesis (〉 10 points of Diepgen's atopy score), there was a significant tendency to be a predictive factor for the development of occupational hand dermatitis. TEWL score failed to correlate with the development of skin damage in our study. The same was true for respiratory atopy and metal sensitization.

Notes: Contact allergy to methyldibromo glutaronitrile (MDBGN), often combined with phenoxyethanol (PE) (e.g., Euxyl K 400®), increased throughout the 1990s in Europe. Consequently, in 2003, the European Commission banned its use in leave-on products, where its use concentration was considered too high and the non-sensitizing use concentration as yet unknown. The 2 objectives of the study are (a) to find a maximum non-eliciting concentration in a leave-on product in MDBGN/PE-sensitized patients, which could possibly also be considered safe regarding induction and (b) to find the best patch test concentration for MDBGN. We, therefore, performed a use-related test (ROAT) in patients sensitized to MDBGN/PE (n = 39) with 3 concentrations of MDBGN/PE (50, 100 and 250 p.p.m. MDBGN, respectively). A subset of these patients (n = 24) was later patch-tested with various concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5% MDBGN, respectively). 15 patients (38%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 23–55%) had a negative and 24 (62%; 95% CI = 45–77%) a positive overall repeated open application test (ROAT) result. 13 reacted to the lowest (50 p.p.m.), 8 to the middle (100 p.p.m.) and 3 to the highest concentration (250 p.p.m.) only. In those 13 reacting to the lowest ROAT concentration, dermatitis developed within a few days (1–7). The strength of the initial and the confirmatory patch test result, respectively, and the outcome of the ROAT were positively associated. Of the 24 patients with a use and confirmatory patch test, 15 reacted to 0.1% MDBGN, 16 to 0.2%, 17 to 0.3% and 22 to 0.5%. With the patch test concentration of 0.5%, the number of ROAT-negative patients but patch-test-positive patients increases considerably, particularly due to + reactions. A maximum sensitivity of 94% (95% CI = 70–100%) is reached with a patch test concentration of 0.2%, and is not further improved by increasing the concentration. However, the specificity decreases dramatically from 88 (95% CI = 47–100%) with 0.2% to a mere 12.5% (95% CI = 0–53%) with 0.5%. It can be concluded (a) that for MDBGN 0.2% is very likely the best patch test concentration and (b) that 50 p.p.m. in a leave-on product can elicit contact dermatitis in sensitized persons. We were, therefore, unable to find a safe, still microbicidal, concentration for leave-on products. By contrast, with other contact allergens, dose–response use tests may be able to identify a non-eliciting concentration, which could give valuable clues to a non-inducing (i.e., safe) concentration in products.