[Purpose] To investigate the effects of progressive functional training on lower limb muscle architecture and motor function of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). [Subjects] The subjects of this study were 26 children with spastic CP. [Methods] Thirteen subjects in the experimental group performed general neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) and additional progressive functional trainings and 13 subjects in the control group performed only general NDT 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Ultrasonography, gross motor function measurement (GMFM) and the mobility questionnaire (MobQue) were evaluated. [Results] After the intervention, the muscle thickness of the quadriceps femoris (QF), cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris (RF), pennation angle of the gastrocnemius (GCM) and the MobQue score of the experimental group were significantly greater than those of the control group. The muscle thickness of QF correlated with the cross-sectional area (CSA) of RF and the pennation angle of GCM, and GMFM score correlated with the pennation angle of GCM. [Conclusion] Progressive functional training can increase muscle thickness, CSA, and the pennation angle of the lower limb muscles, and improve the mobility of spastic CP children making it useful as a practical adjunct to rehabilitation therapy.

Physical therapy (PT) and early mobilization for critically ill patients have been popularized to decrease the length of hospital stay and to improve the quality of life after discharge. We reviewed our experience of PT and active mobilization for patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in terms of its technical feasibility and safety. Study endpoints were safety events during PT and PT interruptions due to unstable vital signs. Of the eight patients, one patient (12.5%) had venoarterial ECMO, seven patients (87.5%) had venovenous ECMO. Among total of 62 sessions including 31 sessions (50%) of passive range of motion and electrical muscle stimulation, 17 sessions (27.4%) were performed for patients who were sitting in bed or on the edge of bed, two sessions (3.2%) were for strengthening in sitting, 11 sessions (18%) were for standing or marching in place, one session (2%) was for walking. Eight sessions (13%) of sitting were supported with invasive mechanical ventilation. Three sessions (5%) were stopped due to tachycardia (n = 1) and tachypnea (n = 2). There was no clinically significant adverse event in patients. Thus, early PT and mobilization for patients on ECMO might be feasible and safe at an experienced ECMO center.

We report the effect of a nanobump assembly (NBA) constructed with molybdenum oxide (MoO3) covering Ag nanoparticles (NPs) under the active layer on the efficiency of plasmonic polymer solar cells. Here, the NPs with precisely controlled concentration and size have been generated by an atmospheric evaporation/condensation method and a differential mobility classification and then deposited on an indium tin oxide electrode via room temperature aerosol method. NBA structure is made by enclosing NPs with MoO3 layer via vacuum thermal evaporation to isolate the undulated active layer formed onto the underlying protruded NBA. Simulated scattering cross sections of the NBA structure reveal higher intensities with a strong forward scattering effect than those from the flat buffer cases. Experimental results of the device containing the NBA show 24% enhancement in short-circuit current density and 18% in power conversion efficiency compared to the device with the flat MoO3 without the NPs. The observed improvements are attributed to the enhanced light scattering and multireflection effects arising from the NBA structure combined with the undulated active layer in the visible and near-infrared regions. Moreover, we demonstrate that the NBA adopted devices show better performance with longer exciton lifetime and higher light absorption in comparison with the devices with Ag NPs incorporated flat poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Thus, the suggested approach provides a reliable and efficient light harvesting in a broad range of wavelength, which consequently enhances the performance of various organic solar cells.

Two types of p-type thermoelectric (TE) polymers with alkyl (PCPDTSBT) and oligoethylene glycol (OEG) side chains (PCPDTSBT-A) on an sp 2 -hybridized olefinic bis-(alkylsulfanyl)methylene-substituted cyclopentadithiophene backbone are synthesized. Interestingly, the OEG-substituted polymer, PCPDTSBT-A, exhibits significant self-doping compared to PCPDTSBT, where the polaron density of the former is 2.3 × 10 16 mm −3 (vs 7.9 × 10 14 mm −3 for PCPDTSBT) without external doping. Changing the side chains also induces a completely different polymer chain orientation in the PCPDTSBT-A (face-on) and PCPDTSBT (edge-on) films. The effect of doping with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F 4 TCNQ) on the morphological and TE properties of the polymers with different side chains is studied. Sequential solution doping (SQD) is performed by overcoating the preannealed polymer films with F 4 TCNQ solution, which affords highly effective doping without disrupting the morphology of the crystalline films, especially for PCPDTSBT-A with OEG side chains. Resulting from the synergistic effect of the OEG side chains and SQD, PCPDTSBT-A exhibits remarkably improved electrical conductivity (53.8 S cm −1 ) with a higher power factor (40.4 μW m −1 K −2 ), compared to PCPDTSBT, for which the maximum electrical conductivity is 1.4 S cm −1 and the power factor is 1.8 μW m −1 K −2 . In addition, the transport coefficient of PCPDTSBT-A, determined by applying the Kang−Snyder model (2.40 × 10 −2 S cm −1 ), is superior to that of PCPDTSBT (3.59 × 10 −3 S cm −1 ), thereby showing the excellence of the developed strategy for improving the performance of TE polymers.

We demonstrate solution-processed Ga-doped ZnO incorporated as an interfacial electron transport layer into inverted organic solar cells with active layers comprising either PCDTBT or PTB7 mixed with PC 71 BM. The 5.03 at% Ga-doped ZnO showed the best efficiencies of 5.56% and 7.34% for PCDTBT and PTB7 polymers respectively.