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BACKGROUND CONTEXT Several previous randomized controlled trials have documented the success of cervical disc replacement (CDR) in treating radiculopathy and/or myelopathy, but many did not systematically compare outcomes of patients with radiculopathy versus those with myelopathy. Currently, there is still controversy about whether CDR utilization in patients with components of myelopathy can result in equivalent outcomes when compared to its use in patients with only radiculopathy. PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to compare the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) across multiple patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients undergoing CDR for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy versus myeloradiculopathy. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients who underwent one or two-level CDR with radiculopathy versus myeloradiculopathy. OUTCOME MEASURES Neck Disability Index (NDI), VAS-Neck, VAS-Arm, Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) Physical Component Score (PCS), SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS), PROMIS Physical Function (PF). METHODS Demographic variables and operative characteristics were analyzed for differences between patients with radiculopathy versus myeloradiculopathy. PROs were assessed for differences between the two diagnosis groups as well as improvements within each group following surgery. An MCID analysis of PROs for each diagnosis group was performed and the percentage of patients achieving the MCID was compared between the two diagnosis groups. RESULTS A total of 85 patients were included in the present study, of which 48 (56%) had radiculopathy and 37 (44%) had myeloradiculopathy. Average follow-up was 13.4 months. There were no significant differences in preoperative demographic variables, or the number and distribution of cervical levels treated between the two diagnosis groups. There were no significant differences in preoperative NDI, Neck-VAS, Arm-VAS, SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS, and PROMIS PF scores between the two groups. At the final postoperative visit, there was no significant difference in each PRO assessed between the radiculopathy and myeloradiculopathy groups and both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement in each PRO compared to preoperative values (P CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to compare the MCID across various PROs in patients with radiculopathy versus myelopathy undergoing CDR. The percentage of patients achieving the MCID was not significantly different at each postoperative period assessed in the radiculopathy and myeloradiculopathy groups. In addition, the percentage of patients achieving the MCID continued to increase from 6-weeks to final follow-up in both groups for almost all PROs assessed. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

The reliability of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels based on amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) is investigated. It is revealed that the a-IGZO TFT LCDs also have sand mura issue at high operation temperature. Analysis shows that the sand mura is caused by the positive Vth shift of the a-IGZO TFTs. To suppress the Vth shift, fabrication process of the a-IGZO TFTs is optimized with a-IGZO channel layer annealed at 300 °C and etch-stop layer deposited at 250 °C. The process optimization lessens the absorbed and non-bonded oxygen atoms in the a-IGZO channel layer and desorbed water molecules on the back channel surface. The results show that the Vth shift is significantly alleviated and the sand mura is thus effectively minimized with the optimized process.

This paper presents an UHD Active Barrier auto stereoscopic 3D module, including its base panel, 3D technology, 3D design, structure, and performance estimation. In order to achieve an optimized 3D image, two kinds of 3D mapping designs were compared. With the different module structure, different manufacture process was also studied, especially how the alignment accuracy between base panel and Active barrier affect the 3D image quality. Finally, the UHD Active Barrier 3D module was estimated to ensure it has the potential for home application.

Recovery of heavy-metallic component from a waste solution of factory was undertaken by the solar cell electricity. The solution was obtained from an electrolytic etching process of 316L stainless steel. The electrolysis of the solution for recovery of heavy metallic components was made with platinum plated titanium mesh anode and copper plate cathode. Analysis for the solution and electro-winned materials were made by EDS, XRD and SEM. Iron, chromium, and sulfur components were recovered on the cathode from the solution. Result of EDS analysis for the electro-winned materials revealed that some metal oxide were contained in the recovered material. The recovered materials were expected to have metallic form only by the electrolysis, but metal compounds were contained because of weak solar cell power. Nickel and manganese component in the solution doesn`t recovered by this electrolysis process, but they made a sludge with phosphoric acid in the solution.

The porous PVDF hollow fiber membranes with the particulate morphology were successfully prepared through the modified TIPS process and the addition of solvent into non-solvent in the coagulation bath. The structures of formed membranes were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction measurement, and scanning electron microscopy together with the corresponding microfiltration performances such as water flux, rejection rate, and elongational strength. Initially, the asymmetric membranes having spherical particles formed due to crystallization of PVDF transformed to skinless porous structure, leading to the change of crystalline structure from α to β-form crystallines PVDF with increasing solvent into a coagulant bath. Thereby, water flux and mean pore size increased at the expense of reduction of rejection rate and mechanical strength.

The effect of high-temperature spinning and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) additive on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction measurement, and scanning electron microscopy, together with the corresponding microfiltration performances such as water flux, rejection rate, and elongational strength. Using high-temperature spinning, porous hollow fiber membranes with particulate morphology were prepared through PVDF crystallization. The particulate structure of the membranes was further modified by the addition of miscible PVP with PVDF. Due to these effects, the rejection rate and strength of the fibers were increased at the expense of reduced water flux and mean pore size, which indicates that high-temperature spinning and PVP addition are very effective to control the morphology of PVDF hollow fiber membranes for microfiltration.

In summary, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were selectively deposited on the PDMS surface to give patterned PDMS composite films using UV induced photo-grafting method. The spectroscopic evidence suggests that the nanotubes were chemically attached to the PDMS surface through covalent bonding with the mainly methyl radicals generated by the photodecomposition of methyl groups in the PDMS during photooxidation. This simple and efficient patterning method with carbon nanotubes can allow the patterning of CNTs onto diverse substrates and provide practical and potential applications in a variety of CNT based transistors and sensing devices.

To check the stability and reliability of ion beam irradiated polyimide as a liquid crystal alignment layer for the fringe-field switching (FFS) mode, we measured the cell parameters and anchoring energy of liquid crystal cells. By applying FFS to an actual 10.4'' XGA (1024×768) panel, the image sticking and reliability were checked and compared with those of the conventional rubbing process. In this study, we found that an LC alignment layer based on ion beam irradiated polyimide is possible.

We report the enhancement of ferroelectric properties in vanadium-doped Bi4Ti3O12 (BIT) thin films deposited by a sol–gel method. Compared to the undoped BIT, V-doped BIT (BTV) showed higher polarizations and a better fatigue resistance as reported in ceramic systems recently [Noguchi et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1903 (2001)]. BTV showed a remanent polarization (2Pr) of 15.9 μC/cm2, higher than the value for BIT, 12.5 μC/cm2. The polarization of the BTV thin film capacitor decreased by 19%, while that of the BIT decreased by 23% after the fatigue test with 4×1010 switching cycles.

This paper is concerned with the result of AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) test field experiment, which was constructed by using power lines from MV (Medium Voltage) and LV (Low Voltage) test fields of underground power distribution line. 75 households from 7 multiplex houses in Ansan-si Choji-dong were selected as objects of study, and the test field was constructed in which the power usage could be observed in real time, and the possibility of constructing a network using BPLC in both the MV and LV test fields of the underground power distribution line was verified. In the underground MV test field, the network is constructed using a BPLC (Broad PLC) repeater and a neutral inductive coupler, and in the underground LV test field, the network is constructed using a BPLC modem and three phase capacitor couplers. The places in the MV and LV test fields where the BPLC modem is installed are composed so that the power usage can be observed in real time, by using AMR server program. This paper shows that AMR using BPLC is possible in the underground power distribution line, and shows that PLC can play an important role in the construction of AMR system in the future.

We have studied the preparation of low band gap hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and the photovoltaic applications of this material. We obtained a-Si:H film with optical band gap of 1.60 eV at the substrtate temperature of 280°C and made solar cells using this material with single and double-stacked structures. The optical gaps for top and bottom i-layers of the stacked solar cells are 1.78 and 1.60 eV, respectively. Both cells show high stability against long light illumination.

Alpha and beta tubulin genes were cloned from the Capsicum annuum leaves using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that 1,353 bp Capsicum annuum alpha/beta-tubulin (CAnm alpha/beta-TUB) encodes a protein of 450 amino acids (aa) each. The recombinant alpha/beta tubulin was overexpressed mainly as an inclusion body in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), upon induction with 0.2 mM isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), and its content was as high as 50% of the total protein content. Effective fusion protein purification and refolding are described. The average yields of alpha and beta tubulin were 2.0 and 1.3 mg/l of culture respectively. The apparent molecular weight of each tubulin was estimated to be 55 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The tubulin monomers were found to be assembly competent using a standard dimerization assay, and also retained antigenicity with anti-His/T7 antibodies. The purified tubulins were polymerized to microtubule-like structures in the presence of 2 mM guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP).

We studied the preparation of low‐band‐gap amorphous silicon(a‐Si) and the photovoltaic applications of this material. We obtained a‐Si with optical band gap between 1.60 and 1.65 eV with hydrogen content less than 6 at.% and used this material as the bottom i layer of a‐Si double‐stacked solar cells. The conversion efficiency is about 9% and the degradation is less than 4% after light exposure for 100 h under 350 mW/cm2.

We have studied the depositions of amorphous silicon, silicon carbon alloy, doped microcrystalline silicon in order to apply these films as the component materials for the p-i-n and double stacked solar cells. We have obtained low band gap a-Si:H by decreasing the deposition rate under the proper preparation conditions and highly conductive, thin microcrystalline Si and SiC layers. We have developed a stable a-Si/a-Si double stacked solar cell with a conversion efficiency of ∼ % using narrow band gap a-Si:H as a i-layer of bottom cell.The performance of this cell does not degrade until 100 hrs illumination under 350 mW/cm2.

— A 12.1-in. tablet liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel with integrated amorphous-silicon row driver circuits has been developed using a standard TFT process and Advanced Fringe-Field Switching (AFFS) technology. An XGA-resolution 768-stage shift-register circuit with two-phase clocks has been designed and fabricated. The circuit parameters were optimized in order to obtain a highly reliable a-Si row-driver-circuit structure. Thermal Humidity Operation (THO) test results at 50°C and 80% humidity during 500 hours of operation shows that the fabricated panel is reliable during long-term operation and any abnormal display phenomenon was not observed at 0°C.

SLS crystallization and CMOS LTPS process have been developed for high performance and uniform characteristics. By strictly optimizing SLS optics in conventional 2 shot SLS process, threshold voltage variation of 720 pixel TFTs in 2.2-inch QVGA panel (240×RGB) was remarkably decreased from 1.89 V to 0.56 V of 3sigma value. Mobility of the channel doped NTFT and PTFT for circuits were 146 and 38 cm2/Vs, respectively. Functional unit circuits for SOG were also fabricated and properly operated.

To realize a bright TFT-LCD for the mobile phone, we propose the QVGA RGBW TFT-LCD with Data Rendering Innovation Matrix (DRIM) technology and a commercial one-chip driver IC. A more efficient design with eight sub-pixels makes high brightness and high contrast ratio possible with only 150 mW, low power consumption.