Types Of Facets Research Articles

Synthesis, characterization, and preliminary insights of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles into potential applications, with a focus on gas sensing

This work presents a hydrothermal-based facile method for synthesizing ZnFe2O4, whose size can be controlled with the concentration of sodium acetate used as a fuel and its physical changes at nanoscales when exposed to two different gases. The structural, morphological, compositional, and electronic properties of the synthesized samples are also presented in this paper. The crystal structure of the synthesized samples was determined using an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). The results revealed fluctuations in the size, lattice parameter, and strain in the nanoparticles with increasing the concentration of sodium acetate. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to determine synthesized materials’ morphology and particle size. It revealed that the particles possessed approximately spherical morphology whose size decreased significantly with the increasing amount of sodium acetate. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was utilized to determine the structure, morphology, and elemental distributions in particles at the nanoscale, and it confirmed the findings of XRD and FESEM analyses. The high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) imaging analysis of the nanoparticles in our studied samples revealed that the particles predominantly possessed (001) type facets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and core-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) showed an increasing fraction of Fe2+ with the decreasing size of the particles in samples. The Brunauer, Emmett, and Tellers (BET) analysis of samples revealed a higher surface area as the particle size decreases. In addition, the determined surface area and pore size values are compared with the literature, and it was found that the synthesized materials are promising for gas-sensing applications. The ab initio calculations of the Density of States (DOS) and Band structure of (001) surface terminating ZnFe2O4 were carried out using Quantum Espresso software to determine the bandgap of the synthesized samples. They were compared to their corresponding experimentally determined bandgap values and showed close agreement. Finally, in-situ TEM measurement was carried out on one of the four studied samples with robust properties using Ar and CO2 as reference and target gases, respectively. It is concluded from the presented study that the size reduction of the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) tunes the bandgap and provides more active sites due to a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies. The in-situ TEM showed us a nanoscale observation of the change in one of the crystal structure parameters. The d spacing of ZnFe2O4 NPs showed a noticeable fluctuation, reaching more than 5% upon exposure to CO2 and Ar gases.

Oxygen Loss on Disordered Li-Excess, Mn-Rich Li-Ion Cathode Li2MnO2F through First-Principles Modeling.

Oxygen evolution energies were calculated for the {100}, {110}, {111}, and {112} type facets of the rock-salt-structured cation-disordered Li-excess, Mn-rich Li-ion (DRX) cathode Li2MnO2F at the fully lithiated, 25% delithiation, and 50% delithiation states. Our calculations showed that Li2MnO2F remains much more robust to O loss than its nonfluorinated counterparts, as has been shown in experimental work. In particular, the {110} and {112} facets are the most resilient against O loss. Focusing on the {100} type facet, which previous work has shown to be the most likely exposed facet of Li2MnO2F, it was found that higher proportions of Li in an O coordination shell lead to lower O evolution energy (ẼO) and facilitate O loss. It was also found that at higher states of delithiation, surface fluorine had a weaker effect in increasing ẼO, meaning the protective effect of F against O loss is more effective at higher lithiation states. Electronic structure chemical bonding analysis revealed weaker bonding interactions between Li and O correlated with lower ẼO and hence a higher propensity for surface O loss..

Morphology of Fibular Incisura is a Deciding Factor Between Posterior Malleolus Avulsion Fracture or Syndesmotic Ligament Injury in Ankle Fractures

The bone anatomy of tibiofibular syndesmosis has been a topic of interest. Fibular incisura morphology has been analyzed on cadaver specimens, plain radiographs, or CT images. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of fibula incisura features and fibula morphology in ankle injuries, especially involving posterior malleolus and posteroinferior tibiofibular ligament injuries. From 2017 through 2022, A total of 59 patients with isolated lateral malleolar fracture, Mason-Malloy type 1 posterior malleolar fracture, syndesmosis injury in those without posterior malleolar fracture, supination external rotation type 3 injuries according to Lauge-Hansen classification, and preoperative bilateral ankle computed tomography images were included in the study. Fibula morphologies and syndesmosis measurements were made from preoperative computed tomography images using axial CT images from 1 cm proximal to the tibial plafond. The diagnosis of posterior malleolar fractures was made using the CT classification system of Mason and Malloy, and the diagnosis of syndesmosis injury was made with a cotton test during surgery. Age, gender, fractured side, incisura type, incisor depth, width, anterior and posterior facet lengths, incisor version (antevert-retrovert), the angle between the anterior and posterior facets, and fibula type were recorded. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in posterior facet length and incisura width. Morphological features of fibular incisura may be the determinant of PITFL injury or PMA injury in fibular fractures caused by an external rotation mechanism.

Computationally assisted, surface energy-driven synthesis of Mn-doped Co3O4 fibers with high percentage of reactive facets and enhanced activity for preferential oxidation of CO in H2

Surface engineering is central to heterogeneous catalysis. For Co3O4-based catalysts, the bulk extended Co3O4 {110} surface has been shown to be one of the most active surfaces. However, most available Co3O4 nanocrystals are terminated by the thermodynamically stable {111} and {010} facets, rather than the active {110} facets. The increasing portion of {110}-type facets in the Co3O4-based catalysts correlates with an enhancement of the catalytic activity, and synthesis strategies need to pursue them. Here, with the aid of theoretical calculation, we present doping-assisted growth strategy to modulate the facet termination of Co3O4-based nanocatalysts. Both theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that Co3O4-based catalysts undergo profound surface termination changes in response to Mn bulk doping. Doping of Mn into Co3O4 lowers the surface energy of {110}-type facets, and reproduces hierarchy of surface energies as {111} > {010} ≈ {110}, providing thermodynamic driving force for morphology change and surface termination transformation. The resulting Mn-doped Co3O4 catalysts are mostly composed of fiber-like shapes, exposing a large fraction of {110} and {010} surfaces. In contrast, Mn-free Co3O4 consists of octahedron-shaped nanoparticles with planar geometries of {111} and {010} as their major and minor specific exposed facets. The Mn-doped Co3O4 catalysts reported herein also show high activity and excellent stability for preferential oxidation of CO in H2 during 40 h of reaction at 60 ℃. We anticipate that our theoretical and experimental findings provide a basis for the design and synthesis of new and high-performance catalysts though surface engineering strategies.

Systematic Mapping Study on RFID Technology

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that not only serves to identify objects but also communicates other information, allowing the real-time monitoring of objects at each step in a mobile object network and the reporting of information on their current status. RFID has become one of the most promising research areas and has attracted increasing attention. This interest sparks a huge amount of literature in the field of RFID. However, the research has been conducted from different perspectives and, as a result, has led to a growing body of knowledge dispersed in different fields. To fill this gap, we carried out a systematic mapping study (SMS) based on a well-established research methodology from the medical and software engineering scientific communities, which aims to study and identify the approaches used, quantity and quality of publications, types of research, and publication trends that shaped the field of RFID research over the past two decades. Its results were based on 219 studies, rigorously selected from among 4294 studies identified in the IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science digital libraries and classified according to the research type facet, research area facet, citation facet, and application domain facet. We synthesized and interpreted the results of this SMS to devise future research directions in the RFID domain. This breadth-first SMS provides a solid, comprehensive, and reproducible picture of state-of-the-art RFID technology; the obtained results may have implications for practitioners willing to understand and adopt RFID, including researchers, journal editors, reviewers, and universities. The results obtained revealed that (1) there is a considerable and continuous rise of RFID research activities around different parts of the globe, including in the USA and China, and other English-speaking developed countries, such as Australia, Canada, and the U.K., have a significant influence on this growth; (2) with the technological progress of RFID hardware components and increasingly demanding application domains, RFID technology brings opportunities in some new areas, such as “IoT applications”, “Complex Environments”, and “Industry 4.0”; (3) despite the high number of studies carried out in the field of RFID, especially in the hardware design and performances subfield, a limited number of works have detailed or focused on the “middleware” component of RFID systems, indicating that RFID data processing and management remain an open research issue; and (4) RFID domain challenges, gaps, and feasible future recommendations were highlighted in this study.

Shaping an optical dome: The size and shape of the insect compound eye

The insect compound eye is the most abundant eye architecture on earth. It comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which are exquisitely adapted to specific ecosystems. Here, we explore the organisational principles and pathways, from molecular to tissular, that underpin the building of this organ and highlight why it is an excellent model system to investigate the relationship between genes and tissue form. The compound eye offers wide fields of view, high sensitivity in motion detection and infinite depth of field. It is made of an array of visual units called ommatidia, which are precisely tiled in 3D to shape the retinal tissue as a dome-like structure. The eye starts off as a 2D epithelium, and it acquires its 3D organisation as ommatidia get into shape. Each ommatidium is made of a complement of retinal cells, including light-detecting photoreceptors and lens-secreting cells. The lens cells generate the typical hexagonal facet lens that lies atop the photoreceptors so that the eye surface consists of a quasi-crystalline array of these hexagonal facet-lenses. This array is curved to various degree, depending on the size and shape of the eye, and on the region of the retina. This curvature sets the resolution and visual field of the eye and is determined by i) the number and size of the facet lens – large ommatidial lenses can be used to generate flat, higher resolution areas, while smaller facets allow for stronger curvature of the eye, and ii) precise control of the inter facet-lens angle, which determines the optical axis of the each ommatidium. In this review we discuss how combinatorial variation in eye primordium shape, ommatidial number, facet lens size and inter facet-lens angle underpins the wide variety of insect eye shapes, and we explore what is known about the mechanisms that might control these parameters.

A stromal progenitor and ILC2 niche promotes muscle eosinophilia and fibrosis-associated gene expression.

SUMMARYDespite the well-accepted view that chronic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the function and regulation of eosinophils remain an unclear facet of type II innate immunity in dystrophic muscle. We report the observation that group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are present in skeletal muscle and are the principal regulators of muscle eosinophils during muscular dystrophy. Eosinophils were elevated in DMD patients and dystrophic mice along with interleukin (IL)-5, a major eosinophil survival factor that was predominantly expressed by muscle ILC2s. We also find that IL-33 was upregulated in dystrophic muscle and was predominantly produced by fibrogenic/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs). Exogenous IL-33 and IL-2 complex (IL-2c) expanded muscle ILC2s and eosinophils, decreased the cross-sectional area (CSA) of regenerating myofibers, and increased the expression of genes associated with muscle fibrosis. The deletion of ILC2s in dystrophic mice mitigated muscle eosinophilia and impaired the induction of IL-5 and fibrosis-associated genes. Our findings highlight a FAP/ILC2/eosinophil axis that promotes type II innate immunity, which influences the balance between regenerative and fibrotic responses during muscular dystrophy.

Software Engineering Applications Enabled by Blockchain Technology: A Systematic Mapping Study

The novel, yet disruptive blockchain technology has witnessed growing attention, due to its intrinsic potential. Besides the conventional domains that benefit from such potential, such as finance, supply chain and healthcare, blockchain use cases in software engineering have emerged recently. In this study, we aim to contribute to the body of knowledge of blockchain-oriented software engineering by providing an adequate overview of the software engineering applications enabled by blockchain technology. To do so, we carried out a systematic mapping study and identified 22 primary studies. Then, we extracted data within the research type, research topic and contribution type facets. Findings suggest an increasing trend of studies since 2018. Additionally, findings reveal the potential of using blockchain technologies as an alternative to centralized systems, such as GitHub, Travis CI, and cloud-based package managers, and also to establish trust between parties in collaborative software development. We also found out that smart contracts can enable the automation of a variety of software engineering activities that usually require human reasoning, such as the acceptance phase, payments to software engineers, and compliance adherence. In spite of the fact that the field is not yet mature, we believe that this systematic mapping study provides a holistic overview that may benefit researchers interested in bringing blockchain to the software industry, and practitioners willing to understand how blockchain can transform the software development industry.

Knowledge Graphs in Manufacturing and Production: A Systematic Literature Review

Knowledge graphs in manufacturing and production aim to make production lines more efficient and flexible with higher quality output. This makes knowledge graphs attractive for companies to reach Industry 4.0 goals. However, existing research in the field is quite preliminary, and more research effort on analyzing how knowledge graphs can be applied in the field of manufacturing and production is needed. Therefore, we have conducted a systematic literature review as an attempt to characterize the state-of-the-art in this field, i.e., by identifying existing research and by identifying gaps and opportunities for further research. We have focused on finding the primary studies in the existing literature, which were classified and analyzed according to four criteria: bibliometric key facts, research type facets, knowledge graph characteristics, and application scenarios. Besides, an evaluation of the primary studies has also been carried out to gain deeper insights in terms of methodology, empirical evidence, and relevance. As a result, we can offer a complete picture of the domain, which includes such interesting aspects as the fact that knowledge fusion is currently the main use case for knowledge graphs, that empirical research and industrial application are still missing to a large extent, that graph embeddings are not fully exploited, and that technical literature is fast-growing but still seems to be far from its peak.

In Situ Monitoring of Thermally Induced Effects in Nickel-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode Materials at the Atomic Level.

The thermal stability of cathode active materials (CAMs) is of major importance for the safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A thorough understanding of how commercially viable layered oxide CAMs behave at the atomic length scale upon heating is indispensable for the further development of LIBs. Here, structural changes of Li(Ni0.85Co0.15Mn0.05)O2 (NCM851005) at elevated temperatures are studied by in situ aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM). Heating NCM851005 inside the microscope under vacuum conditions enables us to observe phase transitions and other structural changes at high spatial resolutions. This has been primarily possible by establishing low-dose electron beam conditions in STEM. Specific focus is put on the evolution of inherent nanopore defects found in the primary grains, which are believed to play an important role in LIB degradation. The onset temperature of structural changes is found to be ∼175 °C, resulting in phase transformation from a layered to a rock-salt-like structure, especially at the internal interfaces, and increasing intragrain inhomogeneity. The reducing environment and heat application lead to the formation and subsequent densification of {003}- and {014}-type facets. In the light of these results, postsynthesis electrode drying processes applied under reducing environment and heat, for example, in the preparation of solid-state batteries, should be re-examined carefully.

Type C Personality: Conceptual Refinement and Preliminary Operationalization.

In this paper, we have presented our proposal for reconceptualization and operationalization of Type C (cancer-prone) personality. Based on theoretical analyses, taking into account both the literature on Type C and models of personality structure, we have proposed a two-facet structure of Type C, comprising Submissiveness (the interpersonal aspect) and Restricted Affectivity (the intrapersonal aspect). The study devoted to the validation of the measure of Type C involved 232 participants aged 18–70 (M = 29.35, SD = 8.93; 54% male). We used (a) our proposed measure of Type C personality and (b) the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits Questionnaire (CPM-Q-SF; Strus and Cieciuch, 2017), assessing personality metatraits. The measure of Type C proved to have acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.85 for Submissiveness and 0.78 for Restricted Affectivity). The measurement model in confirmatory factor analysis with two latent variables proved to be well-fitted to the data. We have also confirmed the hypothesis concerning the location of the two facets of Type C personality close to each other in the theoretically predicted area between the Delta-Plus/Self-Restraint and Beta-Minus/Passiveness metatraits (in the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits). The clinical value of the theoretically refined Type C can be tested in the next step in research on patients with cancer.

Dynamic software updating: a systematic mapping study

Dynamic software updating (DSU) is shifting gears to modify software systems without a halt. Even though extensive research has been conducted on DSU, it is necessary to synthesise and map the results of recent studies on DSU for prospective research highlights. This study aims to highlight the current state-of-the-art, to recognise trends, and to identify existing open issues in DSU. A systematic mapping study (SMS) was conducted with a set of six research questions. A total of 1066 papers published from 2005 to 2019 were recorded. After a filtering process, 112 primary studies were selected and inspected. This study highlights the current state-of-the-art of DSU including approaches, tools, models, and techniques. Also, this study outlines application domains, research type, and contributions type facets in DSU. In addition, this study demonstrates benchmarks, datasets, evaluation metrics, and existing open issues for future research in DSU. The results of this investigation can be used to highlight current state-of-the-art of DSU, to show trends of DSU, and to demonstrate existing open issues in DSU.

A Stromal Progenitor and ILC2 Niche Promotes Eosinophilia in Skeletal Muscle

Chronic muscle inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal muscle disorder attributed to dystrophin gene mutations. However, the function and regulation of eosinophilia, an unappreciated facet of type II innate immunity in dystrophic muscle, remain poorly understood. Here, we report the novel observation that group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are present in skeletal muscle and are the principal regulators of muscle eosinophilia during muscular dystrophy. Eosinophils were elevated in DMD patients and dystrophic mice, along with the major eosinophil survival factor, interleukin-5 (IL-5). ILC2s were present in healthy skeletal muscle, were activated and expanded in number during muscular dystrophy in mice, and were the sole source of IL-5. Muscle ILC2s were expanded by IL-33, which was upregulated in dystrophic muscle and was predominantly produced by fibro/adipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs). Exogenous IL-33 also promoted muscle eosinophilia, which was further augmented by combined treatment with IL-2 complex (IL-2c). The deletion of ILC2s in dystrophic mice prevented eosinophilia and mitigated the IL-33/IL-2c-mediated increase of muscle eosinophils and IL-5 expression. Our findings establish that interactions between FAPs and ILC2s regulate type II innate immunity in dystrophic muscle and promote muscle eosinophilia during muscular dystrophy.

Privacy and data protection in mobile cloud computing: A systematic mapping study.

As a result of a shift in the world of technology, the combination of ubiquitous mobile networks and cloud computing produced the mobile cloud computing (MCC) domain. As a consequence of a major concern of cloud users, privacy and data protection are getting substantial attention in the field. Currently, a considerable number of papers have been published on MCC with a growing interest in privacy and data protection. Along with this advance in MCC, however, no specific investigation highlights the results of the existing studies in privacy and data protection. In addition, there are no particular exploration highlights trends and open issues in the domain. Accordingly, the objective of this paper is to highlight the results of existing primary studies published in privacy and data protection in MCC to identify current trends and open issues. In this investigation, a systematic mapping study was conducted with a set of six research questions. A total of 1711 studies published from 2009 to 2019 were obtained. Following a filtering process, a collection of 74 primary studies were selected. As a result, the present data privacy threats, attacks, and solutions were identified. Also, the ongoing trends of data privacy exercise were observed. Moreover, the most utilized measures, research type, and contribution type facets were emphasized. Additionally, the current open research issues in privacy and data protection in MCC were highlighted. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the current state-of-the-art of privacy and data protection in MCC, and the conclusion will help to identify research trends and open issues in MCC for researchers and offer useful information in MCC for practitioners.

The Peripheral Peril: Injected Insulin Induces Insulin Insensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes.

Insulin resistance is an underappreciated facet of type 1 diabetes that occurs with remarkable consistency and considerable magnitude. Although therapeutic innovations are continuing to normalize dysglycemia, a sizable body of data suggests a second metabolic abnormality-iatrogenic hyperinsulinemia-principally drives insulin resistance and its consequences in this population and has not been addressed. We review this evidence to show that injecting insulin into the peripheral circulation bypasses first-pass hepatic insulin clearance, which leads to the unintended metabolic consequence of whole-body insulin resistance. We propose restructuring insulin therapy to restore the physiological insulin balance between the hepatic portal and peripheral circulations and thereby avoid the complications of life-long insulin resistance. As technology rapidly advances and our ability to ensure euglycemia improves, iatrogenic insulin resistance will become the final barrier to overcome to restore normal physiology, health, and life in type 1 diabetes.

Elastic Variation of Quasi-One-Dimensional Cubic-Phase GaN at Nanoscale

The elastic properties of the cubic (c-) phase GaN confined in a nanoscale one-dimensional (1D) v-grooved Si(001) substrate are investigated. Along a ∼900 nm-wide v-groove formed with two facing Si(111)-type facets, sub-micrometer-wide c-GaN is achieved by the hexagonal- to c-phase (h–c) transition from the h-GaN which plays the role of an interlayer in its epitaxy on Si. The resulting nonplanar stack of c-GaN/h-GaN on Si has complicated stress distribution. This work focuses on the elastic properties the c-GaN, which are critically affected by its low dimensionality, and presents experimental evidence for it with an analytical stress modeling. A reciprocal lattice map reveals that the c-GaN in each groove consists of several micrometer-long single crystals which are microscopically tilted from each other in their serial coalescence, as its unit structures. The corresponding micrometer-scale lateral correlation length, dc, results from the h–c transition that is interrupted by the groove imperfections gen...

A Systematic Mapping Study of Cloud Resources Management and Scalability in Brokering, Scheduling, Capacity Planning and Elasticity

Cloud computing allows for resource management through various means. Some of these include brokering, scheduling, elasticity and capacity planning and these processes helps in facilitating service utilization. Determining a particular research area especially in terms of resources management and scalability in the cloud is usually a cumbersome process for a researcher, hence the need for reviews and paper surveys in identifying potential research gaps. The objective of this work was to carry out a systematic mapping study of resources management and scalability in the cloud. A systematic mapping study offers a summarized overview of studies that have been carried out in a particular area of interest. It then presents the results of such overviews graphically using a map. Although, the systematic mapping process requires less effort, the results are more coarse-grained. In this study, analysis of publications were done based on their topics, research type and contribution facets. These publications were on research works which focused on resource management, scheduling, capacity planning, scalability and elasticity. This study classified publications into research facets viz., evaluation, validation, solution, philosophical, option and experience and contribution facets based on metrics, tools, processes, models and methods used. Obtained results showed that 31.3% of the considered publications focused on evaluation based research, 19.85% on validation and 32% on processes. About 2.4% focused on metric for capacity planning, 5.6% focused on tools relating to resource management, while 5.6 and 8% of the publications were on model for capacity planning and scheduling method, respectively. Research works focusing on validating capacity planning and elasticity were the least at 2.29 and 0.76%, respectively. This study clearly identified gaps in the field of resources management and scalability in the cloud which should stimulate interest for further studies by both researchers and industry practitioners.

915 nm半导体激光器新型腔面钝化工艺

915 nm半导体激光器新型腔面钝化工艺

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 10:35 AM – 12:00 PM Understanding Lumbar Stenosis/Spondylolisthesis: 17. Preoperative lumbar corticosteroid injections and infection rates in lumbar arthrodesis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Lumbar corticosteroid injections are commonly employed in the nonoperative management of lumbar spinal pathology. Their effect on subsequent surgery is unclear. Some studies suggest an elevated risk of postoperative infection, while other studies do not demonstrate an elevated risk. PURPOSE We sought to characterize the overall postoperative infection rate in patients undergoing lumbar spine arthrodesis in a military health system patient population and evaluate the correlation of lumbar corticosteroid injections to postoperative infection rate. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE All patients within the Military Health System Data Repository. OUTCOME MEASURES Postoperative infection rate. METHODS The Military Health System Data Repository was searched for all patients who underwent single level lumbar arthrodesis from 2009 to 2014. CPT codes were used to identify the subset of patients who also received preoperative lumbar corticosteroid injections. These patients were stratified by timing, type, and number of injections. Postoperative infection within 90 days of surgery was identified using ICD-9 codes. Infection rates were compared to the control group of patients who did not receive preoperative lumbar corticosteroid injections. RESULTS The search identified 3,403 patients who had undergone lumbar arthrodesis from 2009 to 2014 within the military health system. A total of 612 patients had received lumbar corticosteroid injections prior to surgery (348 epidural, 264 facet). The control group consisted of the remaining 2,791 patients. Overall postoperative infection rate was 1.47% with an infection rate in the injection group of 1.14% versus 1.54% in the control group. When stratified by time, infection rates ranged from 0% to 1.85% in the injection groups. No differences between control and injection groups reached statistical significance in any subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates postoperative infection rate is not significantly increased in patients receiving lumbar corticosteroid injections prior to lumbar arthrodesis. No differences were observed in infection rates based on the type (facet vs. epidural) or number of injections prior to surgery. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed based on the timing of injections prior to surgery. This study demonstrates the safety of preoperative lumbar corticosteroid injections in the setting of lumbar arthrodesis. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

A first principles study of commonly observed planar defects in Ti/TiB system

TiB exhibits a hexagonal cross-section with growth faults on (1 0 0) planes and contains B27-Bf bicrystals. The hexagonal cross-section is presently explained by surface free energy minimization principle. We show that interfacial energy calculations explain the longer (1 0 0) facet compared to (1 0 1) type facets whereas free surface energy arguments do not provide the true picture. No quantitative explanation of stacking faults and B27-Bf interfaces in TiB exists. We show that the low formation energy of stacking faults and B27-Bf interfaces explain their abundance. The low energy barrier for Bf formation is shown to be responsible for their presence in TiB.