The acute effect of roller massager on knee joint range of motion and muscle pain in older adults with total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Older adults with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have a limited range of knee joint motion due to pain and stiffness. A roller massager (RM) has recently been suggested to decrease pain and increase joint range of motion (ROM). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the acute effect of RM intervention on pain and knee joint ROM in older adults with TKA in the second postoperative week. METHODS: The participants were 23 patients (76.3±5.4 years) who had undergone TKA for knee OA. The degree of pain during the ROM measurements was measured using the visual analog scale before and immediately after the RM intervention. The RM intervention was performed on the thigh's lateral, central, and medial parts for three sets of 60 s using an RM. RESULTS: RM intervention could significantly increase knee flexion ROM (p<0.01, d=0.41, Δchange: 4.1±3.2°) and decrease pain during the knee ROM measurements (p<0.01, d=-0.53, Δchange: -11.9±21.0). CONCLUSIONS: The three sets of 60-s RM intervention significantly increased knee flexion ROM and reduced pain in older adults with TKA in the second postoperative week. These results show that RM intervention is an effective tool for treating stiffness and pain after TKA.

A 1-Week Comprehensive Foam Rolling Intervention Program Can Improve Knee Pain but Not Muscle Function and Range of Motion in Patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty.

We investigate the effect of a 1-week comprehensive foam rolling (FR) intervention program on knee pain, range of motion (ROM), and muscle function in patients with TKA.Thirty patients with TKA were randomly allocated to FR (n = 15) or control (n = 15) groups. The control group received only regular physical therapy. Patients in the FR group performed the FR intervention in addition to their regular physical therapy twice daily from postoperative weeks two to three (60 s × 3 repetitions × 2 times/day × 6 days: total = 2160 s). Pain score, knee flexion and extension ROM, muscle strength, walking function, and balance function were measured before and after the FR intervention. From the second to third postoperative weeks, there were significant improvements in all variables, and the reduction in pain score at stretching was significantly greater in the FR group (-26.0 ± 1.4; p < 0.05) than in the control group (-12.5 ± 1.9). However, there was no significant difference in changes in the other variables except for the pain score at stretching between FR and control groups. A 1-week comprehensive FR intervention program in patients with TKA could reduce pain scores at stretching without a synergistic effect on physical function, i.e., walking speed, balance function, and muscle strength of the knee extensors muscles.

Theoretical concentration limit and maximum annual optical efficiency of static/low-concentration CPV for horizontal integration to vehicle bodies.

This study proposes an extended theoretical formula to characterize the relationship between the geometrical concentration ratio Cg and arbitrary incidence-angle range to objectively understand the theoretical limit performance of vehicle-integrated concentrator photovoltaics (VICPVs), i.e., static and low-concentration CPVs installed on a horizontal surface. Theoretical analysis revealed that the maximum annual optical efficiency (maximum annual solar energy yield) can be achieved by selectively collecting the sunlight incident only from a specific incidence-angle range of θ1-θ2 (θ1 ≠ 0°), regardless of the geographical location, which is associated with the angular distribution of the annual solar energy on the concentrator aperture. Moreover, the results of the solar concentrator design based on the obtained formula clarified that the annual optical efficiencies of the optical systems with aspheric lens or dielectric-filled crossed compound-parabolic-concentrator lens were 64-89% of the theoretical limit depending on the location for Cg = 3.5×. Nevertheless, the concentrator design can be further improved for practical applications.

Large Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma Treated with Hypofractionated Proton Beam Therapy and Local Hyperthermia.

PURPOSE: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas. The standard treatment is adequate surgical resection; in addition, radiation therapy plays a major role in perioperative treatment in most cases. Herein, we report the case of a patient with a large MFH who was successfully treated with combined proton beam therapy (PBT) and local hyperthermia (LH). CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old man presented with a 6×4-cm mass on his left thigh. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry indicated MFH, and he refused limb amputation. He received treatment with PBT at a dose at 72 GyE in 18 fractions. To cover the entire large target lesion, we used a patch-field protocol. He also concurrently received 7 courses of LH. The combination therapy achieved long-term local control without severe acute or late toxicity during the 7-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that the combination of PBT and LH may be an option as a limb-preserving treatment for large inoperable MFH in the extremities.

Optical design and demonstration of microtracking CPV module with bi-convex aspheric lens array.

A microtracking concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) module with a bi-convex aspheric lens array was designed, and its performance was numerically and experimentally verified. The lens shape was optimized considering the yearly incidence characteristics of direct solar radiation. The lens optimized at 127 × was found to converge 68.7% of the yearly cumulative direct solar radiation to solar cells and to be robust against changes in installation azimuth and tilt angles. The incidence-angle characteristics of a prototype lens agreed well with the design analysis. In an outdoor test using a prototype microtracking CPV module with an optimized lens and a triple-junction solar cell, the power generation was 1.32 times higher than that of the 17%-efficient Si cell and nearly 30% module conversion efficiency was achieved under clear sky conditions.

Light trapping for photovoltaic cells using polarization-insensitive angle-selective filters under monochromatic illumination.

We have proposed a light-trapping concept for photovoltaic (PV) cells under monochromatic illumination with restricted incident angles. We employed a configuration consisting of a shortpass filter (SPF) on the front surface and a diffuse reflector on the rear surface of the cell. The SPF was designed so that it functioned as a polarization-insensitive angle-selective filter. We fabricated 30-80-µm-thick crystalline silicon samples for incident angles changing within 30°, and analyzed the measured results using a ray-trace simulation with the Monte Carlo method. The ratio of the absorbed intensity to the 1064 nm illumination intensity was 0.69-0.85, which was higher than those equipped with antireflection coatings instead of the SPFs by 0.19-0.13. Thus, we have proven the light-trapping concept of the SPF/diffuse reflector configuration for monochromatic illumination. The PV cells could be applied to wireless power supply, in particular from solar-pumped lasers.

Experimental measurements of a prototype high concentration Fresnel lens CPV module for the harvesting of diffuse solar radiation.

A prototype concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module with high solar concentration, an added low-cost solar cell, and an adjoining multi-junction solar cell is fabricated and experimentally demonstrated. In the present CPV module, the low cost solar cell captures diffuse solar radiation penetrating the concentrator lens and the multi-junction cell captures concentrated direct solar radiation. On-sun test results show that the electricity generated by a Fresnel lens-based CPV module with an additional crystalline silicon solar cell is greater than that for a conventional CPV module by a factor of 1.44 when the mean ratio of diffuse normal irradiation to global normal irradiation at the module aperture is 0.4. Several fundamental optical characteristics are presented for the present module.

System of laser pump and synchrotron radiation probe microdiffraction to investigate optical recording process.

We have developed a system of laser-pump and synchrotron radiation probe microdiffraction to investigate the phase-change process on a nanosecond time scale of Ge2Sb2Te5 film embedded in multi-layer structures, which corresponds to real optical recording media. The measurements were achieved by combining (i) the pump-laser system with a pulse width of 300 ps, (ii) a highly brilliant focused microbeam with wide peak-energy width (ΔE∕E ~ 2%) made by focusing helical undulator radiation without monochromatization, and (iii) a precise sample rotation stage to make repetitive measurements. We successfully detected a very weak time-resolved diffraction signal by using this system from 100-nm-thick Ge2Sb2Te5 phase-change layers. This enabled us to find the dependence of the crystal-amorphous phase change process of the Ge2Sb2Te5 layers on laser power.

Characterization of light absorption in thin-film silicon with periodic nanohole arrays.

Light absorption in thin-film nanostructured monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) in a glass/Ag(0.2 µm)/c-Si(1 µm) stack is characterized using simulations and measurements. Nanohole (NH) arrays designed for a practical thin-film solar cell configuration experimentally exhibit a significant improvement of the light absorption in the 1-µm ultrathin c-Si layer that exceeds the theoretical Yablonovitch limit in the long wavelength range. Fabricated square-lattice and hexagonal NH arrays give relative improvements of 65 and 70%, respectively, in the total absorption compared to a nonpatterned stack. The effect of an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coating is also simulated, and an empty NH configuration gives the lowest ITO parasitic absorption.

Postoperative anemia following posterior decompression surgery for lumbar spinal canal stenosis.

The incidence of lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) is increasing in Japan. Posterior lumbar decompression surgery, wide fenestration and laminectomy, for LSCS is a common treatment modality. Compared with posterior fusion surgery, posterior decompression surgery has been considered as less invasive. However, no reports regarding postoperative anemia following posterior decompression surgery have been published. In this retrospective study, we evaluated changes in hemoglobin values following wide fenestration in 80 patients with LSCS based on the number of operated levels, and also analyzed the differences between intraoperative and postoperative bleeding volume. Two patients required allogenic transfusion. The mean preoperative hemoglobin values were 13.6 g/dL and the mean postoperative minimum hemoglobin values were 11.2 g/dL. The mean hemoglobin values decreased by 1.8 g/dL in patients with one operated level (n = 15); 2.2 g/dL in those with two operated levels (n = 31); 2.6 g/dL in those with three operated levels (n = 23); and 3 g/dL in those with four operated levels (n = 11). The mean decrease in hemoglobin values was calculated as follows: 1.8 + 0.4 × (X - 1), where X was the number of operated levels. The mean intraoperative bleeding volume was 94 ml and the mean postoperative bleeding volume was 418 ml. Postoperative bleeding volume was significantly larger than intraoperative bleeding volume. Accordingly, postoperative hemoglobin values can be predicted in patients undergoing wide fenestration. Effective management of postoperative bleeding is necessary to prevent postoperative anemia.

Structural transformation of Sb-based high-speed phase-change material.

The crystal structure of a phase-change recording material (the compound Ag(3.4)In(3.7)Sb(76.4)Te(16.5)) enclosed in a vacuum capillary tube was investigated at various temperatures in a heating process using a large Debye-Scherrer camera installed in BL02B2 at SPring-8. The amorphous phase of this material turns into a crystalline phase at around 416 K; this crystalline phase has an A7-type structure with atoms of Ag, In, Sb or Te randomly occupying the 6c site in the space group. This structure was maintained up to around 545 K as a single phase, although thermal expansion of the crystal lattice was observed. However, above this temperature, phase separation into AgInTe(2) and Sb-Te transpired. The first fragment, AgInTe(2), reliably maintained its crystal structure up to the melting temperature. On the other hand, the atomic configuration of the Sb-Te gradually varied with increasing temperature. This gradual structural transformation can be described as a continuous growth of the modulation period γ.

Improvement of hip abductor muscle weakness after lumbar decompressive surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Degenerative lumbar spinal disorder is common in Japan, and the L5 nerve root is commonly involved in this disorder. The symptoms of L5 radiculopathy are irradiating lateral leg pain, and numbness and weakness of tibialis anterior and the hip abductor muscle. There has been only one report on the results of surgery for hip abductor muscle weakness caused by degenerative lumbar spinal disorder. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, we analyzed the strength of the hip abductor muscle before and after decompressive surgery in 26 cases and the relationship between the lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) groups. RESULTS: Of the total 26 cases, muscle strength improved in 23 cases (88%), with complete recovery in 17 cases (65%). In the LDH group, the improvement rate was 92%. In the LSCS group, the improvement rate was 68%. Although the improvement rate for the LDH group was higher than that for the LSCS group, the difference was not significant (P = 0.054). DISCUSSION: Decompressive surgery may be an effective method to improve hip abductor muscle weakness in degenerative lumbar spinal disorder.

Microorganisms causing pyogenic spondylitis: comparison of community and hospital-acquired types.

Abstract Pyogenic spondylitis is a common infectious disease caused by various microorganisms. It is difficult to predict the infecting microorganism at the time of initiation of treatment. Pneumonia is generally clarified into community or hospital-acquired types based on where the infection was acquired, and the infecting microorganisms are different for each type. We retrospectively analyzed 20 cases of pyogenic spondylitis treated in our hospital and categorized the cases into community and hospital-acquired types. We also identified the infecting microorganisms and the rate of sepsis in each type. There were 12 cases of community-acquired and 8 of hospital-acquired infection. The major infecting microorganisms responsible for the community-acquired type were Gram-positive cocci, and those responsible for the hospital-acquired type were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacilli. The rate of sepsis was significantly different for both groups: 16% for the community-acquired type and 75% for the hospital-acquired type. The classification of pyogenic spondylitis based on where the infection was acquired may be useful for predicting which microorganisms are responsible for the disease.

The specific sagittal magnetic resonance imaging of intradural extra-arachnoid lumbar disc herniation.

Intradural extra-arachnoid lumbar disc herniation is a rare disease. Few MRI findings have been reported. We experienced an intradural extra-arachnoid lumbar disc herniation. We reviewed the preoperative MRI findings. Lumbar spine T2-weighted sagittal MRI showed that one line of the ventral dura was divided into two by a disc herniation. We speculated that the two lines comprised the dura and arachnoid and that a disc herniation existed between them. We believe that division of the ventral dural line on T2-weighted sagittal images is a characteristic finding of intradural extra-arachnoid lumbar disc herniation. The division of ventral dural line seemed to be a "Y," and, thus, we called it the "Y sign." The "Y sign" may be useful for diagnosing intradural extra-arachnoid lumbar disc herniation.

Sacral fracture causing neurogenic bladder: a case report.

A 76-year-old man presented with a Denis Zone III sacral fracture after a traffic accident. He also developed urinary retention and perineal numbness. The patient was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder dysfunction caused by the sacral fracture. A computed tomogram (CT) revealed that third sacral lamina was fractured and displaced into the spinal canal, but vertebral body did not displace. The fracture lines began at the center of lamina and extended bilateraly. The fracture pattern was unique. The sacrum was osteoporosis, and this fracture may be based on osteoporosis. We performed laminectomy to decompress sacral nerve roots. One month after surgery, the patient was able to urinate. Three months after surgery, his bladder function recovered normally. One year after surgery, he returned to a normal daily life and had no complaints regarding urination. One-year postoperative CT showed the decompressed third sacrum without displacement.

Phototropin-dependent biased relocalization of cp-actin filaments can be induced even when chloroplast movement is inhibited.

In a recent publication using an actin-visualized line of Arabidopsis (Ichikawa et al. 2011, ref. 11), we reported a detailed analysis with higher time resolution on the dynamics of chloroplast actin filaments (cp-actin filaments) during chloroplast avoidance movement and demonstrated a good correlation between the biased configuration of cp-actin filaments and chloroplast movement. However, we could not conclusively determine whether the reorganization of cp-actin filaments into a biased configuration preceded actual chloroplast movement (and, thus, whether it could be a cause of the movement). In this report, we present clear evidence that the reorganization of cp-actin filaments into a biased distribution is induced even in the absence of the actual movement of chloroplasts. When the cells were treated with 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), a potent inhibitor of myosin ATPase, chloroplast motility was completely suppressed. Nevertheless, the disappearance and biased relocalization of cp-actin filaments toward the side of the prospective movement direction were induced by irradiation with a strong blue light microbeam. The results definitively indicate that the reorganization of cp-actin filaments is not an effect of chloroplast movement; however, it is feasible that the biased localization of cp-actin filaments is an event leading to chloroplast movement.

Crystallization of the chalcogenide compound Sb8Te3.

The crystallization of a sputtered Sb(8)Te(3) film was examined in an X-ray powder diffraction experiment. An as-sputtered, amorphous Sb(8)Te(3) film crystallized during heating into a structure of Sb-Te homologous series modulated along the stacking direction. During heating the lattice parameters and the modulation period γ were found to change significantly and continuously; this observation suggests a continuous change in the stacking sequence. A superspace analysis revealed that with heating the modulation period γ increased to a value that seemed to be determined by the atomic composition. Once γ reached this value it remained unchanged with cooling. A three-dimensional projection of the converged four-dimensional superspace structure corresponded to the homologous Sb(8)Te(3) structure.

Red light, Phot1 and JAC1 modulate Phot2-dependent reorganization of chloroplast actin filaments and chloroplast avoidance movement.

The phototropin (phot)-dependent intracellular relocation of chloroplasts is a ubiquitous phenomenon in plants. We have previously revealed the involvement of a short cp-actin (chloroplast actin) filament-based mechanism in this movement. Here, the reorganization of cp-actin filaments during the avoidance movement of chloroplasts was analyzed in higher time resolution under blue GFP (green fluorescent protein) excitation light in an actin filament-visualized line of Arabidopsis thaliana. Under standard background red light of 89 µmol m(-2) s(-1), cp-actin filaments transiently disappeared at approximately 30 s and reappeared in a biased configuration on chloroplasts approximately 70 s after blue excitation light irradiation. The timing of biased cp-actin reappearance was delayed under the background of strong red light or in the absence of red light. Consistently, chloroplast movement was delayed under these conditions. In phot1 mutants, acceleration of both the disappearance and reappearance of cp-actin filaments occurred, indicating an inhibitory action of phot1 on reorganization of cp-actin filaments. Avoidance movements began sooner in phot1 than in wild-type plants. No reorganization of cp-actin filaments was seen in phot2 or phot1phot2 mutants lacking phot2, which is responsible for avoidance movements. Surprisingly, jac1 (j-domain protein required for chloroplast accumulation response 1) mutants, lacking the accumulation response, showed no avoidance movements under the whole-cell irradiation condition for GFP observation. Cp-actin filaments in jac1 did not show a biased distribution, with a small or almost no transient decrease in the number. These results indicate a close association between the biased distribution of cp-actin filaments and chloroplast movement. Further, JAC1 is suggested to function in the biased cp-actin filament distribution by regulating their appearance and disappearance.

Design of wavelength selective concentrator for micro PV/TPV systems using evolutionary algorithm.

This paper describes the results of exploring photonic structures that behave as wavelength selective concentrators (WSCs) of solar/thermal radiation. An evolutionary algorithm was combined with the finite-difference time-domain method (EA-FDTD) to determine the optimum photonic structure that can concentrate a designated wavelength range of beam solar radiation and diffusive thermal radiation in such a manner that the range matches the photosensitivity of micro photovoltaic and thermophotovoltaic cells. Our EA-FDTD method successfully generated a photonic structure capable of performing wavelength selective concentration close to the theoretical limit. Our WSC design concept can be successfully extended to three-dimensional structures to further enhance efficiency.

Performance of see-through prism CPV module for window integrated photovoltaics.

We have examined the performance of a see-through photovoltaics module that uses a low-concentration prism concentrator by undertaking ray-tracing analysis and an on-site experiment. The incident angle dependency of the prism concentrator makes it possible to concentrate direct solar radiation onto solar cells and transmit diffuse solar radiation. Fewer solar cells can then be used without sacrificing the conversion efficiency or lighting performance. The module generates approximately 1.15 more electricity than a conventional module while operating with 63% less solar cell area. We also introduce a design method for the concentrator geometry that adjusts the incident angle dependency for different latitude and tilt angles.