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• Dupuytren's contracture progresses with age and causes deterioration of the hand functions, resulting in hampered daily activities. • The Unité Rhumatologique des Affections dela Main scale is the first patient-reported outcome measure specific to Dupuytren's disease-associated disability. • To use this questionnaire in various countries, adequate translation and cultural adaptation are required to maintain the validity of its contents. • The Korean version of Unité Rhumatologique des Affections dela Main scale was a reliable, valid, and responsive instrument for evaluating disability in patients with Dupuytren's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the differences with respect to clinical and graft survivorship and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between lateral (LMAT) and medial (MMAT) meniscus allograft transplantation.Methods: Patients having a primary MAT between 1998 and 2016 were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were (1) patients who had a minimum 2-year follow-up and (2) patients who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) >2 years after surgery. Knees with localized grade 4 articular cartilage lesions >3 cm2 at the time of MAT were excluded. Clinical failure was defined as follows: modified Lysholm score <65, meniscectomy >50% of the graft, meniscectomy to the meniscocapsular junction zone, conversion to revision MAT, or realignment osteotomy or arthroplasty. Graft failure was defined as follows: tears involving >50% of the graft or unhealed peripheral rim observed on MRI. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test was used to compare survivorship between LMAT and MMAT. Patient-reported outcomes were compared based on the Hospital for Special Surgery, modified Lysholm, and International Knee Documentation Committee subjective scores collected preoperatively and at the final follow-up.Results: A total of 299 knees (249 LMAT, 50 MMAT, mean age 33.0 ± 9.8 years) were included. Twenty clinical [2 MMAT (4.0%), 18 LMAT (7.2%)] and 24 graft [2 MMAT (4.0%), 22 LMAT (8.8%)] failures were identified. The mean clinical follow-up period was 63.1 ± 43.1 months (range 2 to 248), and MRI follow-up period was 62.6 ± 43.8 months (range 2 to 248). No significant differences in clinical and graft survivorship were found between the LMAT and MMAT groups (P = .481, P = .271, respectively). PROs preoperatively and at last follow-up also showed no significant difference between the groups.Conclusion: No significant differences in clinical survivorship, graft survivorship, and PROs were found between the LMAT and MMAT groups.Level Of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Slot-die coating is one of the promising methods for fabricating large-area polymer solar cells (PSCs) due to its compatibility with roll-to-roll printing and one-dimensional direct patterning. In this study, we investigated correlations between conformal film morphology of intermixed poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) material and universal control factors such as shim length, substrate temperature, and coating speed. The observed correlation equation is better matched to the meniscus coating parameter equation rather than to the traditional high-viscosity extrusion slot-die coating parameter equation. Based on our findings regarding the governing factors of the thin film formation of bulk-heterojunction materials, we demonstrated the development of uniform large-area polymer solar cells with power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.07% under Air Mass 1.5condition and the possibility of high-throughput production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We propose and demonstrate a new series connection method that employs alternating conventional and inverted bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The two adjacent cells in each submodule are connected through top or bottom ‘continuous terminals’ made of aluminum or indium tin oxide (ITO), which are shared by cells with different polarities in either a top-to-top or a bottom-to-bottom manner. In comparison with the conventional series-interconnection method, our new structure offers unique advantages in that both printing methods and efficient coating methods can be applied in the manufacturing of series-connected BHJ photovoltaic modules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electro-spray (e-spray) is emerging as an attractive printing method because of its simple apparatus and high productivity for the thin-film fabrication of conjugated polymer materials. We report here a study of the e-spray deposition conditions of highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films. The highest conductivity of 800S/cm was achieved by independently optimizing the process parameters such as the solvent dilution ratio, the amount of additive, and the substrate temperature. Although the conductivity was largely governed by the morphologies of the deposited films, we found that in e-spray deposition, pure electrical scattering (irrespective of the specific morphology) also influenced the macroscopic conductivities. Using the optimized e-spraying conditions, we fabricated a top PEDOT:PSS electrode for a semitransparent inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) without any performance degradation in the underlying photoactive layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electro-spray (e-spray) is emerging as an attractive printing method for the thin-film fabrication of organic materials because of the simple apparatus and its high efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a fully e-sprayed organic solar cell (OSC) with high performance by using an additive in the poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) layer without any post-processing treatment. The P3HT:PCBM film fabricated with 6vol% 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) showed improved surface macro- and nano-morphologies, which resulted in an enhanced photovoltaic performance. Using optimized conditions, we obtained a 2.98% efficient OSC (as-prepared condition) with the e-spray method, and post-annealing increased the power conversion efficiency (PCE) slightly to 3.08%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polymer/small-molecule parallel-connected tandem organic solar cells are explored as a simple platform for high-efficiency tandem solar cells that are not subject to complications associated with complex current matching or successive solution processing. In particular, MoO x /Ag/MoO x (MAM) trilayer electrodes are investigated as an intermediate electrode that connects a front subcell composed of a solution-processed bulk heterojunction of poly{2,6′-4,8-di(5-ethylhexylthienyl) benzo[1,2-b;3,4-b]dithiophene-alt-5-dibutyloctyl-3,6-bis(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione} (PBDTT-DPP) and the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and a back subcell composed of a thermally evaporated C 70 layer doped with 1,1-bis-(4-bis(4-methyl-phenyl)-amino-phenyl)-cyclohexane (TAPC). The effect of each MoO x layer is analyzed in terms of both optical and electrical properties. A joint theoretical and experimental study indicates that the electric field is distributed along the cell depth such that the photogenerated current of the front subcell depends on the thickness of both MoO x layers, with a varied interference effect, and that of the back subcell depends primarily on the thickness of the adjacent MoO x layer, with a varied cavity resonance effect. Based on optimized conditions of MAM electrodes, parallel tandem hybrid organic solar cells having higher power conversion efficiency than that of single junction cells are successfully realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new accepter unit, phenanthro[9,10-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole, was synthesized and utilized for the syntheses of the conjugated polymers containing electron donor–acceptor pairs for OPV devices in order to describe the effect of changing the coupling position with cyclopentadithiophene unit. This novel phenanthro[9,10-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole unit with a phenanthene group possesses an electron deficient thiadiazole group and can promote planarity of the compound. The solid films of PCPDTPTm with meta linkage and PCPDTPTp with para linkage show absorption bands with maximum peaks at about 460 and 484nm and the absorption onsets at 558 and 579nm, corresponding to band gaps of 2.22 and 2.14eV, respectively. The absorption spectrum of the PCPDTPTp was red shifted as compared to that of PCPDTPTm, which reveals that PCPDTPTp has longer conjugated length caused by the coupling position. The electron density of the PCPDTPTm HOMO is distributed not only on the donor moiety but also on the thiadiazole moiety to generate intermolecular charge transfer from cyclopentadithiophene unit to phenanthrothiadiazole unit. The device with PCPDTPTm:PC71BM with TiO x layer showed V OC value of 0.97V, J SC value of 5.50mA/cm2, and FF of 0.33, giving power conversion efficiency of 1.80%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on cost-effective and ITO-free polymer solar cells (PSCs) fabricated on the copper (Cu) sheets consisting mainly of a Cu electrode and a polyimide substrate. The Cu electrode was used as a bottom cathode in inverted PSCs, and each layer above the Cu sheet was all-solution-processed. The work-functions of Cu electrodes were engineered with an interfacial dipole layer to enhance the device-performance. Highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (hcPEDOT:PSS) was used as a transparent top anode, and a photoactive layer was based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The fabricated PSCs exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ∼2.5%, demonstrating PSCs fabricated on Cu sheets have the great potential for cost-effective power generators. This study could be an important approach to the development of all-solution-processed and roll-to-roll PSCs using low-cost Cu electrodes as a cathode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]