An intra-articular high-flow-volume pump (200 to 270 mL) was used in ten patients, and a low-flow-volume pump (90 to 120 mL) was used in ten patients; the flow rate in the remaining patient was not documented.

The devices used 0.5% bupivacaine in twenty knees and 0.25% in one knee, with 1:200,000 epinephrine added in eleven knees. Knee symptoms affecting MEK162 manufacturer daily activities occurred at a mean of 9 7 months after the index procedure. Extensive chondrolysis with loss of articular cartilage of all three knee compartments occurred in six knees. In ten knees, two compartments were affected, and in five knees, one compartment was abnormal. All patients had marked limitations and pain with daily activities, and nineteen patients underwent forty-one subsequent

surgical procedures.

Conclusions: Severe postoperative knee https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jph203.html chondrolysis occurred after the use of a high or low-flow-volume pump infusing intra-articular bupivacaine, producing disabling knee symptoms. A variety of operative procedures failed to alleviate symptoms. Although this study does not define the incidence of knee chondrolysis after intra-articular bupivacaine pain-pump infusion, the severe complications reported here warrant its use to be contraindicated.”
“The optics of microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells with integrated light trapping structures was investigated. Periodic grating couplers were integrated in microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells and the influence of the grating dimensions on the short circuit current and the quantum efficiency was investigated by the

numerical simulation of Maxwell’s equations utilizing the finite difference time domain algorithm. The grating structure leads to scattering and higher order diffraction resulting in an increased absorption of the incident light in the silicon thin-film solar cell. The influence of the grating period and the selleck chemical grating height on the short circuit current and the quantum efficiency was investigated. Enhanced quantum efficiencies are observed for the red and infrared parts of the optical spectrum. Optimal dimensions of the grating coupler were obtained. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3232236]“
“We have investigated how the exchange bias and coercive field of NiFe/BiFeO3 bilayers on (001)SrTiO3 is affected by changes in substrate temperature, oxygen pressure, and film thickness for BiFeO3 deposition. Our results suggest that the exchange bias and the coercive field are mainly dependent on the roughness at the interface because (001)BiFeO3 has a compensated surface. The change in exchange bias associated with training effect and/or time relaxation, which are probably caused by a rearrangement of BiFeO3 domains under magnetic fields opposite to the initial magnetic field, may limit future spintronic applications of BiFeO3.