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Background/Purpose: Preoperative templating is essential for the planning of total hip replacement. Digital templating has gained popularity due to the availability of digital images. Scaling is the critical step that calibrates magnified digital images to the actual dimension, for subsequent digital templating. We compared the accuracy of two scaling methods: (1) radiological marker; and (2) fixed magnification factor. Methods: Forty-five postoperative radiographs in 21 patients who had undergone either total hip replacement or hip hemiarthroplasty were evaluated. The sizes of femoral head components in the digital radiographs were estimated using the two scaling methods. The estimated values were then compared to the true values stated in operation records. The absolute error (AE) and relative error (RE) of both scaling methods were calculated and compared. Results: Both the mean AE and RE were smaller in Method 2 (fixed magnification factor), and were statistically significant (p

Background: We undertook this prospective, randomized, surgeon-blinded study to compare the accuracy of using of a magnification marker on preoperative radiographs for templating vs using a standard 21% magnification.Methods: One hundred consecutive total hip arthroplasties were randomized to preoperative templating using a 25-mm magnification marker (50 patients) or a standard 21% magnification (50 patients). Intraoperative data were collected regarding the actual and predicted size of the femoral and acetabular components.Results: The 2 groups were found to be comparable with respect to body mass index (28.9 vs 27.9, P = .26) and gender (P = .69). In the magnification marker group, we predicted the femoral size within 1 size in 80% of the cases and the acetabular component in 94%. In the group of a standard 21% magnification, we predicted the femoral size within 1 size in 90% of the cases and the acetabular component in 96%. These proportions did not statistically differ (femur: χ2P = .16, odds ratio = 2.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.7-7.1; acetabulum: χ2P = .65, odds ratio = 1.5, 95% confidence interval = 0.3-9.6).Conclusion: We did not detect a statistically significant difference in accuracy by using one method over the other when comparing the accuracy of component size selection. As the use of the magnification marker adds to the time and expense of preoperative radiographic acquisition, we feel using a standard 21% magnification is an equally accurate technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As health care reform drives providers to reduce costs and improve efficiencies without compromising patient care, preoperative planning has become imperative. The purpose of this study is to determine whether height, weight, and gender can accurately predict total knee arthroplasty (TKA) sizing.Methods: A consecutive series of 3491 primary TKAs performed by 2 surgeons was reviewed. Height, weight, gender, implant, preoperative templating sizes, and final implant sizes were collected. Implant-specific dimensions were collected from vendors. Using height, weight, and gender, a multivariate linear regression was performed with and without the inclusion of preoperative templating. Accuracy of the model was reported for commonly used implants.Results: There was a significant linear correlation between height, weight, and gender for femoral (R2 = 0.504; P < .001) and tibial sizes (R2 = 0.610; P < .001). Adding preoperative templating to the regression analysis increased the overall model fit for both the femoral (R2 = 0.756; P < .001) and tibial sizes (R2 = 0.780; P < .001). Femoral and tibial sizes were accurately predicted within 1 size of the final implant 71%-92% and 81%-97% using demographics alone or 85%-99% and 90%-99% using both templating and demographics, respectively.Conclusion: This novel TKA templating model allows final implants to be predicted to within 1 size. The model allows for simplified preoperative planning and potential implementation into a cost-savings program that limits inventory and trays required for each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a computer-directed process leading to the layered synthesis of scaled models. The popularity and availability of the technique has exponentially increased over the last decade, and as such is seeing a greater number of medical and surgical applications. Methods: We report 3 cases involving the use of 3D printing as an aid to operative planning in the revision of wrist surgery. Results: All patients underwent successful operative interventions with a £34 average cost of model creation. Conclusions: A growing number of reports are emerging in reconstructive surgical specialities including maxillofacial, orthopedic, and plastic surgery; from our experience, we advocate the economically viable use of 3D printing for preoperative templating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in tissue engineering, cell biology, microfabrication, and microfluidics have led to the development of a wide range of vascular models. Here, we review platforms based on templated microvessel fabrication to generate increasingly complex vascular models of (i) the tumor microenvironment, (ii) occluded microvessels, and (iii) perfused capillary networks. We outline fabrication guidelines and demonstrate a number of experimental methods for probing vascular function such as permeability measurements, tumor cell intravasation, flow characterization, and endothelial cell morphology and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a colloidal sol-gel and templating method to elaborate sols as precursors for nanostructured and nanocrystallized nc-UO 2 materials. Several parameters were controlled in order to obtain such sols and materials, such as nanoparticles size, sol stability, target pore size and pores organization. In this study, the nanoparticles formation was managed controlling the thermodynamics of the surfactant solution and the U(IV) species polycondensation kinetics The kinetics of the nanoparticles formation has been limited by the availability of the uranium species either by their complexation either by their diffusion limitation. To reach this goal, two types of surfactant at a concentration allowing to obtain micelles were used: a carboxylate surfactant with a non-ionic ployethoxylated part able to complex multicharged ions (AKYPO ® RO 90 VG), and alkyl polyglucosides (Glucopon ® 215) in sufficient concentration allowing the decrease of the uranium species diffusion. The surfactant solutions, the sols elaborated by indirect precipitation from U(IV) solution, the sols after freeze-drying and the final materials were characterized by Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering, Infrared Spectroscopy and microscopy at various scale. The results show that the complexation by AKYPO and the good degradation of these molecules allowed to obtain stable sols and a promising partially nanostructured nc-UO 2 materials. With Glucopon, its high concentration in the sol, led to a carbon enriched material with few nc-UO 2 zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the performance of plasmonic silicon (Si) solar cells fabricated using silver (Ag), indium (In), and aluminum (Al) nanoparticles (NPs) of specific dimensions. The nanoparticles were produced using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template as a deposition mask. AAO masks with a thickness of 700 nm and pore diameter of 100–110 nm were fabricated using a single-step anodization and pore widening process aimed at controlling the dimensions and coverage of the metallic NPs with a high degree of precision. Our ultimate objective was to facilitate a comparison of plasmonic effects induced by the various metallic NPs in Si solar cells. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the thickness, pore dimensions, and pore size distribution of the AAO template as well as the dimensions and coverage of the deposited metallic NPs. Measurements of optical reflectance and external quantum efficiency were used to characterize the plasmonic effects of the various metallic NPs. Measurements of photovoltaic current density-voltage under AM 1.5G simulation were used to confirm the enhancements in performance resulting from the plasmonic effects induced by the metallic NPs. Ag NPs increased the short-circuit current density (Δ J sc ) of the Si solar cells by 10.58% (from 29.49 to 32.61 mA/cm 2 ), In NPs increased Δ J sc by 7.81% (from 29.31 to 31.60 mA/cm 2 ), and Al NPs increased Δ J sc by 3.27% (from 28.73 to 29.67 mA/cm 2 ). When using metallic nanoparticles (average size of 106 nm and average coverage of 32.67%), the plasmonic effects in cells with Ag NPs exceeded the effects observed in cells fabricated using In-NPs or Al-NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturally occurring biomolecules are sustainable and green precursors for the development of new materials. Within this family of natural materials, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as one of the most promising materials because of their outstanding physico-chemical properties and the possibility to produce them in large quantities. One key trait of CNCs is their ability to self-assemble into a chiral nematic liquid crystalline phase. In this review, we discuss how templating can be used to transfer the three-dimensional structure of liquid crystalline CNC phases onto solid materials. This is followed by examples that illustrate the fascinating properties and potential applications that arise from the resulting nanostructured materials such as sensing and catalysis. We then summarize efforts to use the liquid crystalline phase of a selection of other biopolymers for templating. While nanocrystalline chitin, having very similar properties to CNCs, has been successfully employed to make a variety of new materials, efforts to template liquid crystal phases of other biomolecules have been met with limited success. However, we discuss virus nanoparticles and collagen as examples to highlight further possibilities for materials research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal particles endowed with specific time-dependent interactions are a promising route for realizing artificial materials that have the properties of living ones. Previous work has demonstrated how this system can give rise to self-replication. Here, we introduce the process of colloidal catalysis, in which clusters of particles catalyze the creation of other clusters through templating reactions. Surprisingly, we find that simple templating rules generically lead to the production of huge numbers of clusters. The templating reactions among this sea of clusters give rise to an exponentially growing catalytic cycle, a specific realization of Dyson’s notion of an exponentially growing metabolism. We demonstrate this behavior with a fixed set of interactions between particles chosen to allow a catalysis of a specific six-particle cluster from a specific seven-particle cluster, yet giving rise to the catalytic production of a sea of clusters of sizes between 2 and 11 particles. The fact that an exponentially growing cycle emerges naturally from such a simple scheme demonstrates that the emergence of exponentially growing metabolisms could be simpler than previously imagined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of pre-operative digital templating to minimize complications including limb length discrepancy (LLD), intraoperative fractures and early dislocations in patients with intracapsular femoral neck fractures.Methods: We retrospectively compared 23 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) for intracapsular femoral fractures with pre-operative digital templating and 48 patients without templating.Results: The mean post-operative LLD was significantly lower in patients who had pre-operative templating than in the control group (6.7 vs. 11.5 mm, p = 0.023). Only three patients (13 %) with templating had LLD greater than 1.5 cm, compared to the 15 patients (31 %) without templating (p = 0.17). In eight cases the final femoral stem size matched the templated size, while 19 patients were within two size increments. Complications included one dislocation and one intra-operative fracture in the control group.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that careful pre-operative planning may reduce LLD in patients undergoing THA due to intracapsular hip fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline SnO 2 1D nanostructures with diameters of 150–200 nm and consisting of uniformly sized single-crystallites of ~ 10 nm in size were produced via aqueous sol-gel and hard template assisted methods. Stable sols were prepared from tin oxalate precursor, citric acid and H 2 O 2 . Solution chemistry and parameters influencing the stability of the sol and morphological structure of the resulting materials are addressed. Morphological and structural characterization revealed uniform and porous structure of the nanostructured SnO 2 . Hollow nanotubular structures were produced from solutions of lower concentration. Results of XPS analysis revealed that a sub-stoichiometric phase with surface composition of SnO 1.8 was obtained indicating the formation of oxygen vacancies. The optical properties were investigated and optical band gap energy for the powder samples was estimated to be 3.61 eV. An environmentally friendly aqueous sol-gel route developed to prepare homogeneous nanostructures of 1D SnO 2 will enable facile fabrication of various oxide based nanostructured materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of porous materials with multiple physical, chemical and biological properties has been an emerging topic in recent years. In this work, we propose a method using a spray drying and templating technique to fabricate a micro-meso-macroporous lactose material with a flower-like shape. The flower-like lactose has a large surface area of 25 m 2 /g and a high pore volume of 0.31 cm 3 /g. BJH analysis from the N 2 adsorption isotherm shows significant pore distributions with peaks at 1.4, 2.2, 6.5 and 17.5 nm (diameter). The mechanism of pore-structure formation has been probed by two analysis techniques, including confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and focused ion beam (FIB) etching. As the porous flower-like lactose is a food-grade material, this work may offer new applications in food and pharmaceutical fields where the micropores and macropores are both beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, the influence of structural parameters of zeolites in the transformation of ethanol into 1,3-butadiene has been investigated. Therefore, two material series were synthesized. First, a zeolite-β has been desilicated to achieve a hierarchical structure. This zeolite turned out being too unstable. Nevertheless conducted reactions confirmed, that there is a connection between crystallinity, microporous structure and conversion. The second series comprised conventional and mesoporous LTAs. We synthesized similar materials with mean pore widths of 5.9 and 7.0 nm, respectively. Using those in the considered reaction led to a significant increase of the conversion with the pore size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical SnO 2 /α-Fe 2 O 3 bilayer hollow spheres with thin inner shell were successfully synthesized by using SnO 2 contained carbon spheres as sacrificial templates. The heterojunction formed at the interface as well as the hierarchical structures which provide an effective gas diffusion path resulted in significant enhancement in sensing response to ethanol and acetone as compared to pristine urchin-like α-Fe 2 O 3 . Response values of the hollow spheres based sensors towards 100 ppm acetone and ethanol could reach to 47.1 and 29.5. Moreover, in contrast to many other types of α-Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 composites reported previously, gas sensors based on the bilayer hollow spheres here exhibited ultra-fast response and recovery speed. The dynamic transients of the sensors demonstrated both their fast response (3–4 s) and fast recovery (6–9 s) towards acetone in the concentration of 10–100 ppm. The unique hierarchical hollow structure with thin inner shell might be responsible for the ultra-fast gas sensing properties. This simple template based strategy is expected to be extended for the fabrication of similar hollow structure semiconductor oxide composites, and this work might provide an effective principle for designing high performance hybrid gas sensing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous tungsten oxide films have been reported via numerous processing routes namely dip-coating, spin-coating, electrodeposition etc. and different porous architectures have been emerged. However, the templating strategy becomes more challenging when associated with the more industrially compelling spraying methods. The confined environement of the droplets, the temperature gradient during the droplets trajectory along with the relatively high substrate temperature might severely alter the delicate kinetics of the mesophase process. In this publication, we attest that templating can be effectively combined with the Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis method by a careful control of the deposition conditions. The emerging films are structurally characterized in the presence and absence of a surfactant over a temperature range (100 °C-390 °C) in order to determine the optimal deposition temperature. Smooth, uniform films are obtained at lower deposition temperatures (100 °C and 190 °C) and only in the presence of a surfactant. Therefore, surfactants are essentially acting as both wetting and templating agents at the same time. Finally, we emphasize on the role of porosity on enhancing the electrochromic properties of the films. Noticeably improved optical contrast (59 vs. 4%), coloration efficiency (40 vs. 6 cm 2 .C −1 ) and capacity (20 vs. 5 mC cm −2 ) is observed for the porous films compared to their dense counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When performing total hip arthroplasty (THA) on a dysplastic hip, proper positioning of the acetabular component may not allow for more than 70% coverage. Structural support in the form of an autograft or a high porosity metal augment may be necessary. The purpose of the study was to investigate the value of preoperative templating and deformity classification in predicting cup coverage and the need for structural support.~Background~Background~65 cases of THA for DDH were retrospectively analysed. 2 observers independently classified each dysplastic hip according to Hartofilakidis and determined the extent of cup coverage via templating software on preoperative digital AP pelvic radiographs.~Methods~Methods~Weighted kappa interobserver agreement was 0.68 for cup coverage and 0.76 for Hartofilakidis type. Structural support was necessary in 10 hips. No structural support was necessary in Hartofilakidis type 1, dysplasia cases. However, 27-30% of cases with type 2 or type 3 dysplasia required structural support. All cases with templated cup coverage of 65% or less required structural support. Templated coverage within 65-75% and over 75% resulted in 20% and 10% of patients receiving structural augmentation, respectively.~Results~Results~Preoperative planning for THA in the setting of hip dysplasia is crucial and can provide valuable insight to the need for column augmentation. However, the 3-D severity of the deformity may be underestimated in the 2-D radiographs.~Conclusions~Conclusions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices with chaotic microfibrous channels were fabricated for the continuous production of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfibrous matrices with different diameters (3.6 ± 0.3, 6.3 ± 0.4, and 12.2 ± 0.8 µm) were used as a template to develop microfibrous channels. The lipid solution (in ethanol) and water phase were introduced into the microfluidic device as the discontinuous and continuous phases, respectively. The smaller diameter of microfibrous channels and the higher flow rate of the continuous phase resulted in the smaller LNPs with a narrower size distribution. The multiple-splitting of the discontinuous phase and the microscale contact between the two phases in the microfibrous channels were the key features of the LNP production in our approach. The LNPs containing doxorubicin with different average sizes (89.7 ± 35.1 and 190.4 ± 66.4 nm) were prepared using the microfluidic devices for the potential application in tumor therapy. In vitro study revealed higher cellular uptake efficiency and cytotoxicity of the smaller LNPs, especially in the HepG2 cells. The microfluidic devices with microfibrous channels can be widely used as a continuous and high-throughput platform for the production of LNPs containing various active agents. [Display omitted] • Microfluidic device was fabricated using a templating method for nanoparticles. • Multiple micro-orifices prevented the growth of initial lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). • The resultant LNPs had high drug encapsulation efficiency of 80 %. • Drug-loaded LNPs reduced the viability of tumor cells to less than 20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intramedullary screw fixation of the proximal ulna can be used for fixation of the ulnar component in total elbow arthroplasty. Our purpose was to use computed tomography (CT) to characterize proximal ulna anatomy with respect to intramedullary screw fixation, and then to validate this templating process by inserting intramedullary screws into 3-dimensional (3D)-printed models., Methods: Thirty elbow CT scans were reformatted in the axis of the proximal ulna. Screw placement was templated by fixing a length at 78 mm distal to the centerline of ulnohumeral rotation and measuring diameter, and then fixing the screw pitch diameter to 5.5 mm and measuring length. Three-dimensional models were printed for 5 patients, and intramedullary screws were advanced as distal as possible until endosteal fit was achieved., Results: All patients had an anatomic limit for intramedullary screw fixation, due to dorsal angulation, varus angulation, or both. At 78 mm distal to the centerline of rotation, mean screw diameter was 5.4 mm (range, 3.2-8.0). When fixing screw diameter to 5.5 mm, the mean screw length was 79.9 mm (range, 64.2-107.9). All intramedullary screws were placed in the 3D models within 3 mm of the templated length, with correlation coefficient 0.992., Conclusion: This study characterized proximal ulna anatomy in the context of intramedullary screw fixation. Templating allows surgeons to predict intramedullary screw sizing, and a broad range of screw lengths and diameters is required when attempting intramedullary screw fixation for placement of the ulnar component in uncemented total elbow arthroplasty.

Complex nanoemulsions involving nanodroplets with a defined inner structure have great potential for encapsulation and templating applications. We report a method to form novel complex oil-in-water-in-oil nanoemulsions using a combination of high-energy processing with mixed nonionic surfactants that simultaneously achieve ultralow interfacial tension and frustrated curvature of the water-oil interface. The method produces multinanoemulsions possessing morphologies resembling water-swollen reverse vesicles with core-shell and multicore-shell morphologies of water in cyclohexane. A combination of macroscopic and microscopic characterization conclusively verifies and quantifies the complex morphologies, which vary systematically and reproducibly with water content for water volume fractions between 0.01 and 0.10. The complex morphologies are stable tens of hours, providing a route for their use as liquid templates for internally structured nanoparticles. As a demonstration, we test the complex nanoemulsions' ability to template complex polymer nanogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plankton, corals, and other organisms produce calcium carbonate skeletons that are integral to their survival, form a key component of the global carbon cycle, and record an archive of past oceanographic conditions in their geochemistry. A key aspect of the formation of these biominerals is the interaction between organic templating structures and mineral precipitation processes. Laboratory- based studies have shown that these atomic-scale processes can profoundly influence the architecture and composition of minerals, but their importance in calcifying organisms is poorly understood because it is difficult to measure the chemistry of in vivo biomineral interfaces at spatially relevant scales. Understanding the role of templates in biomineral nucleation, and their importance in skeletal geochemistry requires an integrated, multiscale approach, which can place atom-scale observations of organic-mineral interfaces within a broader structural and geochemical context. Here we map the chemistry of an embedded organic template structure within a carbonate skeleton of the foraminifera Orbulina universa using both atom probe tomography (APT), a 3D chemical imaging technique with Ångström-level spatial resolution, and time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), a 2D chemical imaging technique with submicron resolution. We quantitatively link these observations, revealing that the organic template in O. universa is uniquely enriched in both Na andMg, and contributes to intraskeletal chemical heterogeneity. Our APT analyses reveal the cation composition of the organic surface, offering evidence to suggest that cations other than Ca2+, previously considered passive spectator ions in biomineral templating, may be important in defining the energetics of carbonate nucleation on organic templates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varus inclination of the uncemented stem is not necessarily a technical error. The proximal femoral anatomy of hips with a coxa vara deformity frequently predisposes varus inclination.~Background~Background~We reviewed a series of 200 patients undergoing primary uncemented THA with the Corail® hip system. Preoperative data were based on patient demographics, diagnosis, and radiographic information (preoperative templating-CT measurements), and compared postoperative alignment for each stem and type of stem used. Proximal femoral traits which can alert surgeons, when templating preoperatively, to potential varus alignment were noted.~Methods~Methods~All stems were inserted either in neutral or varus alignments. Low neck shaft angle is strongly predictive of increased varus stem alignment (p<0.001). Stems inserted with higher varus alignment were associated with the preoperative morphological traits associated with coxa vara hip deformities - increased femoral offset (p<0.001), greater trochanteric overhang (p<0.001), greater trochanteric height (p<0.046), and a lower canal flare index (p<0.046).~Results~Results~Varus stem alignment is neither unexpected nor necessarily a technical failure when using this particular uncemented stem system. Coxa vara deformities, due to a combination of morphological traits, are more likely to be inserted with higher varus alignment than hips with normal or higher neck shaft angles. Surgeons need to be aware of this when carrying out preoperative templating and intraoperative assessment, in order to prevent over-compensation for offset, length or stability.~Conclusions~Conclusions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue engineering has great potential to create tissue and organ constructs of clinically relevant sizes. The main obstacle to creating volumetric tissue constructs was the lack of a technique for fabricating dense and perfusable vascular networks in vitro within the constructs. In significant efforts to develop such a technique, hydrogels have been used as materials for templates and support architectures of vascular-like networks because of their excellent properties, such as high biocompatibility, flexibility, and the rapid diffusion of oxygen and nutrients compared with solid materials. Herein, we reviewed current hydrogel-based strategies to fabricate vascular-like networks in vitro . The first strategy was based on the ability of vascular endothelial cells to form capillary-like tubes. The second was an engineering-based strategy that can be categorized into templating, modular assembly, microfabrication, rapid prototyping technique, and their hybrid model. Finally, we discussed future directions in tissue engineering for creating transplantable and volumetric constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solving the increasing contamination from toxic heavy metal ions in wastewater is an imperative issue in photocatalysis research area. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) porous SrTiO 3 microspheres have been fabricated by a sol–gel-templating method using the agarose gel bead containing SrCO 3 granules as the template. The resultant SrTiO 3 microspheres, several tens of micrometers in diameter, exhibit a bimodal pore structure, in which the macropore about 70–150 nm in size stems from SrCO 3 granules and the mesopore about 3 nm is formed via removing the agarose fiber embedded in the composite microspheres. The porous framework of SrTiO 3 microspheres is assembled by regular single-crystalline SrTiO 3 nanocubes with an edge length of 100 ± 10 nm. The highly interconnected porous network renders numerous pathways for the rapid mass transport, strong adsorption of reactants and multi-reflection of incident light. Moreover, the as-prepared SrTiO 3 microspheres exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance for the Cr(VI) reduction under simulated sunlight, which can reduce nearly 100% Cr(VI) at pH 2 within 2 h and retain a relatively high reduction ability after six recycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is a definitive surgical procedure for treating rheumatoid arthritis and (posttraumatic) osteoarthritis of the elbow and is also useful in comminuted elbow fractures. Pre-operative digital templating may theoretically improve the surgical implantation of TEA, but reliability and predictive values of templating are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the intra- and inter-observer reliability and the validity of pre-operative digital templating for TEA. Materials and Methods: All pre-operative plain anterior-posterior and lateral calibrated elbow radiographs from patients who underwent TEA in our center from 2008 to June 2014 were reviewed. Two independent assessors templated implant sizes using digital overlays twice. Intra- and inter-observer reliability were evaluated with Cohen's kappa. Two experienced elbow surgeons reviewed post-operative radiographs for evaluation. The predictive value of templating was the percentage of the correctly templated sizes, with the optimal implant size as the reference standard. Results: Twenty-one cases were included. Intra-observer reliability was substantial to almost perfect (κ = 0.61 and κ = 0.90) for humeral implants, moderate to substantial (κ = 0.54 and κ = 0.73) for ulnar implants. Inter-observer reliability was substantial (κ = 0.67) for humeral implants and moderate (κ = 0.60) for ulnar implants. The predictive value was 53 % for both implants. Conclusions: Pre-operative digital templating for TEA is a reliable method to plan implant sizes. However, the predictive value is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been growing interest in the research and development of hierarchical zeolites possessing at least two levels of porosity in order to reduce diffusion limitations in reactions catalyzed by microporous zeolites. Engineering and manipulation of the hierarchy of pore structures are required to facilitate transport of large reactants and to improve the accessibility of active sites in zeolite catalysts. Various strategies and approaches have been proposed and developed in order to introduce secondary porosity, which is usually in the mesopore range, for conventional zeolites. From controllable post-synthetic modifications to designed direct synthesis with or without mesopore templating agents, significant progress has been made over the past several years in making hierarchical zeolites. In this paper, recent innovations in the synthesis of hierarchical zeolites by different methods will be reviewed, including post-synthetic demetallation, hard- and soft-templating approaches, and template-free routes. We will also discuss separately the progress of hierarchical structures derived from two-dimensional (2D) zeolite nanosheets. A summary and outlook will also be discussed with the focus on providing industrial perspectives of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much liquid crystal research is on either thermotropic liquid crystals or on lyotopic, surfactant systems, a fascinating third class of materials is that of chromonic liquid crystals. These systems show fascinating properties but are, as yet, poorly understood. This article reports a recent meeting in which the status of our current knowledge is reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report a mathematical method to assess the vertical and horizontal positions of spherical radiopaque objects of known size in conventional radiographs. Methods: The reliability and validity of the method were tested in an experimental setting and applied to 100 anteroposterior pelvic radiographs with external calibration markers and unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). Results: We found excellent reliabilities; intraclass correlation coefficients for interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities were 0.999-1.000 (P = .000). The mean normal height of THA was 198 mm (range: 142-243 mm, standard deviation: 18 mm) above the detector. Vertical and horizontal external marker positions differed significantly from the true hip center (THA; P < .001 and P = .017). Conclusion: This method could enhance patient safety by enabling automated detection of malpositioned calibration markers by templating software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-operative digital templating allows the surgeon to foresee any anatomical anomalies which may lead to intra-operative problems, and anticipate appropriate instruments and implants required during surgery. Although its role is well-established in successful elective total hip arthroplasty, little work has been done on its use in hip hemiarthroplasty in neck of femur fractures. We describe our initial experience of digital templating in 40 consecutive patients who have undergone cemented hip hemiarthroplasty, assessing templating accuracy between templated implant sizes to actual implant sizes. 81% of implanted heads were templated to within two head sizes, and 89% of implanted stems were templated to within two sizes. Although there was a moderately strong correlation of 0.52 between templated and actual head sizes, this correlation was not demonstrated in femoral stem sizes. Mean leg length discrepancy was -2.5mm (S.D. 8.5), and the mean difference in femoral offset between the operated and non-operated hip was -1mm (S.D. 4.4). Digital templating is a useful adjunct to the surgeon in pre-operative planning of hip hemiarthroplasty in the restoration of leg length and femoral offset. However, its accuracy is inferior to that of elective total hip arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Flexion contracture in the knee joint before knee replacement surgery has been implicated as one of the factors that could affect the accuracy of digital templating. Aim The aim of the study was to detect the accuracy of digital templating in predicting the size of knee implants and to detect the effect of preoperative flexion contracture in the knee joint on the accuracy of digital templating. Material and methods The flexion contracture of the knee joint was measured in every patient prior to knee replacement surgery and digital templating of the knee joint was made in mediolateral (ML), anteroposterior (AP) and AP long leg views. The sizes of prosthetic components predicted by templating were compared to the sizes of prosthetic components implanted during the surgery. The effect of flexion contracture on the accuracy of digital templating was analyzed using χ 2 test and Mann–Whitney U test. Results and discussion The size of the prosthetic component predicted by templating matched the size of the implanted component in 45.2%–62.9% of the cases, in 91.9%–98.4% of the cases it was within the range of one size. Statistically significant effect of the flexion contracture in the knee joint on the accuracy of digital templating was observed in the femoral component, AP view if the flexion contracture exceeded 10°. Conclusions Digital templating is very accurate method in predicting the size of knee implants. Flexion contracture in the knee joint that exceeds 10° diminishes the accuracy of digital templating of the femoral component in AP view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous crystalline hematite is a material difficult to prepare by soft-templating with conventional techniques, because of its high crystallization temperature associated to the crystal-to-crystal goethite-to-hematite phase transition. In a previous work, it has been reported that with very careful calcination steps, it is possible to prepare mesoporous hematite films with the spin-coating technique. However, with less conventional techniques such as surfactant-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, the deposition usually leads to non-porous oxide films or to films with interstitial porosity. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the proof-of-concept of block-copolymer templating of hematite thin films by the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. Despite the fast thermal decomposition during spray deposition, a regular, monodisperse packing of spherical pores is observed after deposition on pre-heated substrates (250 °C) and after a careful post-annealing step at 470 °C. Moreover, with the use of a silica scaffold, we successfully preserved porosity up to a temperature as high as 800 °C. These films are highly crystalline and they are composed by randomly oriented nanocrystallites with sizes as small as 25 nm. Furthermore, we show that the crystallization evolution with temperature is influenced by the presence of the templating agent and also by the preparation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information in the literature on methods of preparation, structure, adsorption properties, and physicochemical characteristics of micromesoporous zeolite materials, including hierarchical porosity, has been summarized and analyzed. Special features were noted and promise was indicated for the use of mesoporous zeolites in catalysis, adsorption, and matrices for new micromesoporous materials. Possible directions for further investigation of the physical chemistry of zeolites and micromesoporous zeolite materials were examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in 3D printing has greatly increased since 2013. With 3D printing high part complexity at no additional costs can be achieved, beside of efficiently using the raw material. This article reviews recent developments in 3D printing, with respect to the use of wood. Three examples are given on how wood could come to 3D printing: development of bio-based filaments, printing wood-like 3D objects, and perform „self-replication" of wood by combining 3D printing with microtomography. Biobased printing filaments require extremely fine wood powder, to ensure a homogenious printing process without nozzle-blocking. The wood-like appearance seems to be of higher priority than the wood-based content as such. The wood „self-replication" is a new approach fostering bio-inspired materials research and biomimetics. Wood-related 3D will certainly have a future, but will most likely occupy „niche market" for e.g. complex-shaped wood products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Templating of the acetabular cup size in Total Hip Replacement (THR) is normally done using conventional radiographs. As these are being replaced by digital radiographs, it has become essential to create a technique of templating using digital films. We describe a technique that involves templating the digital films using the universally available acetate templates for THR without the use of special software. Materials and methods Preoperative digital radiographs of the pelvis were taken with a 30 mm diameter spherical metal ball strapped over the greater trochanter. Using standard acetate templates provided by the implant company on magnified digital radiographs, the size of the metal ball (X mm) and acetabular cup (Y mm) were determined. The size of the acetabular cup to be implanted was estimated using the formula 30*Y/X. The estimated size was compared with the actual size of the cup used at surgery. Results Using this technique, it was possible to accurately predict the acetabular cup size in 28/40 (70%) of the hips. When the accuracy to within one size was considered, templating was correct in 90% (36/40). When assessed by two independent observers, there was good intra-observer and inter-observer reliability with intra-class correlation coefficient values greater than 0.8. Conclusion It was possible to accurately and reliably predict the size of the acetabular cup, using acetate templates on digital films, without any digital templates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Surgical complications may be avoided by preoperative templating in trauma hemiarthroplasty. Materials and methods: Digital templates for the Stryker™ range of Thompson's prostheses were created and fifty trauma patients that had undergone cemented hemiarthroplasty were retrospectively templated by 2 blinded surgeons. Results: Templating for prosthesis size was highly accurate with excellent Inter and intra-observer reproducibility. Sensitivity for identifying femoral canals too narrow for a Thompsons was 100%. Conclusions: Templating is a valuable tool and should be standard practice in trauma. We have demonstrated that it is possible to generate custom templates to allow accurate templating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and simple transcription strategy has been designed for the template-synthesis of CePO4·xH2O nanofibers having an improved nanofibrous morphology using a pH-sensitive nanofibrous hydrogel (glycine-alanine lipodipeptide) as structure-directing scaffold. The phosphorylated hydrogel was employed as a template to direct the mineralization of high aspect ratio nanofibrous cerium phosphate, which in-situ formed by diffusion of aqueous CeCl3 and subsequent drying (60 °C) and annealing treatments (250, 600 and 900 °C). Dried xerogels and annealed CePO4 powders were characterized by conventional thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG), and Wide-Angle X-ray powder diffraction (WAXD) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. A molecular packing model for the formation of the fibrous xerogel template was proposed, in accordance with results from Fourier-Transformed Infrarred (FTIR) and WAXD measurements. The morphology, crystalline structure and composition of CePO4 nanofibers were characterized by electron microscopy techniques (Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy/High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy working in High Angle Annular Dark-Field (STEM-HAADF)) with associated X-ray energy-dispersive detector (EDS) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-Electron Energy Loss (STEM-EELS) spectroscopies. Noteworthy, this templating approach successfully led to the formation of CePO4·H2O nanofibrous bundles of rather co-aligned and elongated nanofibers (10–20 nm thick and up to ca. 1 μm long). The formed nanofibers consisted of hexagonal (P6222) CePO4 nanocrystals (at 60 and 250 °C), with a better-grown and more homogeneous fibrous morphology with respect to a reference CePO4 prepared under similar (non-templated) conditions, and transformed into nanofibrous monoclinic monazite (P21/n) around 600 °C. The nanofibrous morphology was highly preserved after annealing at 900 °C under N2, although collapsed under air conditions. The nanofibrous CePO4 (as-prepared hexagonal and 900 °C-annealed monoclinic) exhibited an enhanced UV photo-luminescent emission with respect to non-fibrous homologues.

Many orthopaedic surgeons use a 'standard' stem offset length, typically 37.5 mm and 44 mm for females and males respectively, in total hip arthroplasty. With increasingly personalized surgery, 'standard' one-size-fits-all stem lengths may be outdated. This study aims to test whether pre-operative templating affects stem length choice and whether 'standard' stem sizes are therefore outdated. We performed a retrospective chart review of all total hip arthroplasty patients using Stryker's Exeter cemented femoral hip system in our centre between 2016 and 2020. Demographic and surgical data were collected. Data from surgeons who templated pre-operatively were compared to data from those who did not. 780 patients were included (309 male, 471 female), average age 71.4 years (range 23–96). We found a significant difference between male and female offset lengths; more males had an offset length of 44 mm and more females had an offset length of 37.5 mm (p = 0.004). Among surgeons who did not template pre-operatively, 20.6% of female patients and 10.3% of male patients had other 'non-standard' offset lengths. Among surgeons who did template pre-operatively, the proportion of both female and male patients who had other 'non-standard' offset lengths was significantly higher (43.1% and 23.4%, respectively p < 0.05) The difference between templating and non-templating surgeons' stem choice revealed significant individual variability between males and females. 'Standard' offset lengths for males and females were still used in the majority of our cohort. However, with the emergence of mainstream robotic arthroplasty, we feel that pre-operative templating has become a minimum standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Templating is an integral part of pre-operative planning in elective hip arthroplasty to achieve favourable long-term outcomes, but its applications in trauma surgery remain limited. When templating from radiographs without a calibration marker, there is always an element of magnification which must be accounted for. Our aim was to establish our institute-specific magnification and to determine whether using this to predict femoral head size in hemiarthroplasty was more accurate than using set magnifications previously reported in the literature. Fifty consecutive patients who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty were retrospectively identified, their pre-operative radiographs reviewed and femoral head measured with templating software. Intra- and inter-observer reliability analyses were performed. Using this value, and two set values of 15% and 21% magnification, we attempted to predict femoral head sizes of our original cohort. The results were compared using paired t -test to ascertain if there was any significant difference in accuracy. We established our institute-specific magnification as 17%. Inter- and intra-observer reliability were excellent. However, using this magnification we were only able to correctly predict to within ± one femoral head size in 49% of patients. There was no significant difference in accuracy comparing our institute-specific magnification with other magnifications from the literature. We would not recommend using magnification factor in digital templating software as this could potentially lead to errors in predicting final femoral head size in hip hemiarthroplasty and adversely affect patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]