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Our aim was to compare the stroke outcomes of a direct transfer (DT) to a thrombectomy-capable center vs. initial care at two local stroke centers: a nearby hospital (NH, 36 km) and a distant hospital (DH, 113 km). Patients who underwent a mechanical thrombectomy were analyzed (February 2017–October 2021), and the outcome was considered favorable if the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score was ≤ 2 at three months. A total of 300 patients were included, 55 of which were transferred from the NH and 58 from the DH. There was a difference in the median (IQR) transfer time of 39 min between the hospitals (149 min for the NH vs. 188 min for the DH, p = 0.003). After adjusting for confounding variables, a secondary transfer from the DH, compared to a DT, was associated with a lower functional independence: mRS score ≤ 2 (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.14–0.97, p = 0.043), without significant differences in the mortality between the groups. These differences were not observed in patients from the NH. Conclusions: A secondary transfer from a distant hospital was associated with a poorer functional outcome at 3 months. This unfavorable outcome was not observed among patients transferred from a nearby hospital. These findings highlight the importance of categorizing the suitability of one transfer model over another based on the proximity of hospitals to the thrombectomy center, but also in accordance with organizational and geographic characteristics that vary within each health region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avaliou-se o desenvolvimento pós-descongelamento de embriões bovinos produzidos in vitro (PIV) criopreservados pela técnica de vitrificação e de congelamento lento em diferentes dias após a fertilização in vitro (FIV). Foram realizadas 9 réplicas de PIV. Nos dias 7; 7,5 e 8 após a FIV, foram selecionados embriões no estágio de blastocisto expandido de grau de qualidade 1 e 2 (de acordo com o manual IETS). Os embriões (n=472) foram divididos aleatoriamente para serem criopreservados por congelamento lento (n=257) ou vitrificação (n=215). Organizou-se os embriões em 6 grupos de acordo com a técnica de criopreservação e o dia: 1) Grupo DT7 (embriões submetidos ao congelamento lento no D7, n= 140); 2) Grupo DT7,5 (embriões submetidos ao congelamento lento 12 horas após o D7, no D7,5; n= 61); 3) Grupo DT8 (embriões submetidos ao congelamento lento no D8, n=56); 4) Grupo VIT7 (embriões vitrificados no D7, n= 127); 5) Grupo VIT7,5 (embriões vitrificados 12 horas após o D7, no D7,5; n= 49); 6) Grupo VIT8 (embriões vitrificados no D8, n= 39). Os dados foram transformados para arcoseno e analisados por Análise de Variância utilizando o procedimento GLIMMIX do SAS (SAS 9.2) com P0,05). Porém embriões de grau 1 re-expandiram mais rapidamente (às 24 h) que embriões grau 2. Embriões grau 1 apresentaram melhores resultados com a técnica de vitrificação do que com congelamento lento. Os grupos experimentais representaram a interação técnica*dia e não diferiram entre si quanto as taxas de re-expansão e eclosão (P>0,05).

A promising paradigm for drug administration that has garnered increasing attention in recent years is the direct transfer (DT) of nanoparticles for transcellular drug delivery. DT requires direct cell-cell contact and facilitates unidirectional and bidirectional matter exchange between neighboring cells. Consequently, DT enables fast and deep penetration of drugs into the targeted tissues. This comprehensive review discusses the direct transfer concept, which can be delineated into the following three distinct modalities: membrane contact-direct transfer, gap junction-mediated direct transfer (GJ-DT), and tunneling nanotubes-mediated direct transfer (TNTs-DT). Further, the intercellular structures for each modality of direct transfer and their respective merits and demerits are summarized. The review also discusses the recent progress on the drugs or drug delivery systems that could activate DT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA promising paradigm for drug administration that has garnered increasing attention in recent years is the direct transfer (DT) of nanoparticles for transcellular drug delivery. DT requires direct cell-cell contact and facilitates unidirectional and bidirectional matter exchange between neighboring cells. Consequently, DT enables fast and deep penetration of drugs into the targeted tissues. This comprehensive review discusses the direct transfer concept, which can be delineated into the following three distinct modalities: membrane contact-direct transfer, gap junction-mediated direct transfer (GJ-DT), and tunneling nanotubes-mediated direct transfer (TNTs-DT). Further, the intercellular structures for each modality of direct transfer and their respective merits and demerits are summarized. The review also discusses the recent progress on the drugs or drug delivery systems that could activate DT.

In a judiciary setting, questions regarding the mechanisms of transfer, persistence, and recovery of DNA are increasingly more common. The forensic expert is now asked to evaluate the strength of DNA trace evidence at activity level, thus assessing if a trace, given its qualitative and quantitative features, could be the result of an alleged activity. The present study is the reproduction of a real-life casework scenario of illicit credit card use by a co-worker (POI) of its owner (O). After assessing the shedding propensity of the participants, differences in DNA traces' qualitative and quantitative characteristics, given scenarios of primary and secondary transfer of touch DNA on a credit card, a non-porous plastic support, were investigated. A case-specific Bayesian Network to aid statistical evaluation was created and discrete observations, meaning the presence/absence of POI as a major contributor in both traces from direct and secondary transfer, were used to inform the probabilities of disputed activity events. Likelihood Ratios at activity level (LRα) were calculated for each possible outcome resulting from the DNA analysis. In instances where only POI and POI plus an unknown individual are retrieved, the values obtained show moderate to low support in favour of the prosecution proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Prehospital activation of the cardiac catheter laboratory is associated with significant improvements in ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) performance measures. However, there are equivocal data, particularly within Australia, regarding its influence on mortality. We assessed the association of prehospital activation on performance measures and mortality in patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention from the Queensland Cardiac Outcomes Registry (QCOR). Methods and Results Consecutive ambulance‐transported patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 from the QCOR. The total and direct effects of prehospital activation on the primary outcomes (30‐day and 1‐year cardiovascular mortality) were estimated using logistic regression analyses. Secondary outcomes were STEMI performance measures. Among 2498 patients (mean age: 62.2±12.4 years; 79.2% male), 73% underwent prehospital activation. Median door‐to‐balloon time (34 minutes [26–46] versus 86 minutes [68–113]; P

Pu Zhang1 *, Haibao Zhang2 *, Bin Zheng1 *, Heng Wang,1 Xiaolong Qi,1 Shuai Wang,1 Zhenghong Liu,1 Li Sun,1 Yang Liu,3 Xiaowen Qin,1 Weijiao Fan,1 Minghai Ma,2 Wing-Fu Lai,1 Dahong Zhang1 1Urology & Nephrology Center, Department of Urology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 3Cancer Center, Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dahong Zhang; Wing-Fu Lai, No. 138 Shang Tang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13705711671, Email zppurology@163.com; rori0610@graduate.hku.hkIntroduction: Bladder cancer (BCa) is among the most prevalent cancers worldwide. However, the effectiveness of intravesical therapy for BCa is limited due to the short dwell time and the presence of the permeation barrier.Methods: Nanocomplexes were self-assembled between DNA and hendeca-arginine peptide (R11). Stepwise intravesical instillation of R11 and the generated nanocomplexes significantly enhanced the targeting capacity and penetration efficiency in BCa therapy. The involved mechanism of cellular uptake and penetration of the nanocomplexes was determined. The therapeutic effect of the nanocomplexes was verified preclinically in murine orthotopic BCa models.Results: Nanocomplexes exhibited the best BCa targeting efficiency at a nitrogen-to-phosphate (NP) ratio of 5 but showed a lack of stability during cellular uptake. The method of stepwise intravesical instillation not only increased the stability and target specificity of the DNA component but also caused the delivered DNA to more effectively penetrate into the glycosaminoglycan layer and plasma membrane. The method promotes the accumulation of the delivered DNA in the clathrin-independent endocytosis pathway, directs the intracellular trafficking of the delivered DNA to nonlysosome-localized regions, and enables the intercellular transport of the delivered DNA via a direct transfer mechanism. In preclinical trials, our stepwise method was shown to remarkably enhance the targeting and penetration efficiency of DNA in murine orthotopic BCa models.Conclusion: With this method, a stepwise intravesical instillation of self-assembled nanocomplexes, which are generated from hendeca-arginine peptides, was achieved; thus, this method offers an effective strategy to deliver DNA to target and penetrate BCa cells during gene therapy and warrants further development for future intravesical gene therapy in the clinical context.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: bladder cancer, intravesical therapy, DNA delivery, direct transfer

Attracting new customers and gaining the attention and trust of the target audience is one of the key tasks for the development of businesses of any size and scope. Brand cannot be considered the object of one science because of its integrative nature, special social specificity and complex structure that can be interpreted in different scientific paradigms. Accordingly, brand research today is conducted in the context of various sciences: psychology, sociology, marketing, philosophy, culturology, law and, finally, linguistics. This article presents an attempt to consider brand communication from the linguistics point of view. The possibility of linguistic interpretation is explained by the fact that the communicative approach to brand and branding is distinguished in the works of specialists of other sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pre-hospital activation and direct cardiac catheterisation laboratory (CCL) transfer of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has previously been shown to improve door-to-balloon (DTB) times yet there is limited outcome data in the Australian context. We aimed to assess the impact of pre-hospital activation on STEMI performance measures and mortality.Methods: Prospective cohort study of consecutive ambulance transported STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients over a 10-year period (1 January 2008-31 December 2017) at The Prince Charles Hospital, a large quaternary referral centre in Brisbane, Queensland Australia. Comparisons were performed between patients who underwent pre-hospital CCL activation and patients who did not. STEMI performance measures, 30-day and 1-year mortality were examined.Results: Amongst 1,009 patients included (mean age: 62.8 yrs±12.6), pre-hospital activation increased over time (26.6% in 2008 to 75.0% in 2017, p<0.001). Median DTB time (35 mins vs 76 mins p<0.001) and percentage meeting targets (DTB<60 mins 92% vs 27%, p<0.001) improved significantly with pre-hospital activation. Pre-hospital activation was associated with significantly lower 30-day (1.0% vs 3.5%, p=0.007) and 1-year (1.2% vs 7.7%, p<0.001) mortality. After adjusting for confounders and mediators, we observed a strong total effect of pre-hospital activation on 1-year mortality (OR 5.3, 95%CI 2.2-12.4, p<0.001) compared to patients who did not have pre-hospital activation. False positive rates were 3.7% with pre-hospital activation.Conclusion: In patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI, pre-hospital activation and direct CCL transfer is associated with low false positive rates, significantly reduced time to reperfusion and lower 30-day and 1-year mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Pre-hospital severity-based triaging using the Ambulance Clinical Triage For Acute Stroke Treatment (ACT-FAST) algorithm has been demonstrated to substantially reduce time to endovascular thrombectomy in Melbourne, Australia. We aimed to model the cost-effectiveness of an ACT-FAST bypass system from the healthcare system perspective. Methods: A simulation model was developed to estimate the long-term costs and health benefits associated with diagnostic accuracy of the ACT-FAST algorithm. Three-month post stroke functional outcome was projected to the lifetime horizon to estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness between two strategies (ACT-FAST vs. standard care pathways). For ACT-FAST screened true positives (i.e., screened positive and eligible for EVT), a 52 mins time saving was applied unanimously to the onset to arterial time for EVT, while 10 mins delay in thrombolysis was applied for false-positive (i.e., screened positive but was ineligible for EVT) thrombolysis-eligible infarction. Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was employed as the outcome measure to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the ACT-FAST algorithm and the current standard care pathway. Results: Over the lifetime, ACT-FAST was associated with lower costs (–$45) and greater QALY gains (0.006) compared to the current standard care pathway, resulting in it being the dominant strategy (less costly but more health benefits). Implementing ACT-FAST triaging led to higher proportion of patients received EVT procedure (30 more additional EVT performed per 10,000 patients). The total Net Monetary Benefit from ACT-FAST care estimated at A$0.76 million based on its implementation for a single year. Conclusions: An ACT-FAST severity-triaging strategy is associated with cost-saving and increased benefits when compared to standard care pathways. Implementing ACT-FAST triaging increased the proportion of patients who received EVT procedure due to more patients arriving at EVT-capable hospitals within the 6-h time window (when imaging selection is less rigorous). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose:Pre-hospital severity-based triaging using the Ambulance Clinical Triage For Acute Stroke Treatment (ACT-FAST) algorithm has been demonstrated to substantially reduce time to endovascular thrombectomy in Melbourne, Australia. We aimed to model the cost-effectiveness of an ACT-FAST bypass system from the healthcare system perspective.MethodsA simulation model was developed to estimate the long-term costs and health benefits associated with diagnostic accuracy of the ACT-FAST algorithm. Three-month post stroke functional outcome was projected to the lifetime horizon to estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness between two strategies (ACT-FAST vs. standard care pathways). For ACT-FAST screened true positives (i.e., screened positive and eligible for EVT), a 52 mins time saving was applied unanimously to the onset to arterial time for EVT, while 10 mins delay in thrombolysis was applied for false-positive (i.e., screened positive but was ineligible for EVT) thrombolysis-eligible infarction. Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was employed as the outcome measure to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the ACT-FAST algorithm and the current standard care pathway.ResultsOver the lifetime, ACT-FAST was associated with lower costs (–$45) and greater QALY gains (0.006) compared to the current standard care pathway, resulting in it being the dominant strategy (less costly but more health benefits). Implementing ACT-FAST triaging led to higher proportion of patients received EVT procedure (30 more additional EVT performed per 10,000 patients). The total Net Monetary Benefit from ACT-FAST care estimated at A$0.76 million based on its implementation for a single year.ConclusionsAn ACT-FAST severity-triaging strategy is associated with cost-saving and increased benefits when compared to standard care pathways. Implementing ACT-FAST triaging increased the proportion of patients who received EVT procedure due to more patients arriving at EVT-capable hospitals within the 6-h time window (when imaging selection is less rigorous).

Because of the importance of osmoregulation in success of the juvenile Caspian Roach (Rutilus caspicus) release, maintenance and their restoration, this study was performed with the aim of the evaluation of these fish (average weight of 1.4 g± 0.018 g) to the salinity tolerance of the Caspian Sea by abrupt and gradual transfer methods on two different occasions of short -term (24 hours) and long - term (21 days). For this reason, 360 juvenile roaches were distributed to 9 different experimental treatments (each of them with 3 replicates) with 1) increased abrupt salinity (direct transfer to the Caspian Sea water), 2) increased gradual salinity (3 ppt for every 24 hrs) and 3) the Control group (freshwater). In order to evaluate the ion regulation, osmolality, Na+, K+ and Cl - were measured in fish. Some immune responses related to the increased salinity (immunoglobulin and lysozyme) and stress indices (cortisol and glucose) were also measured. Based on the obtained results, the fish in both treatments of increased salinity showed high percentage of survival. All parameters related to ion regulation were decreased after a primary increase. Furthermore, the trend of cortisol and immunoglobulin changes were negatively correlated showing decreased stress response and increased immune system for both salinity transfer methods. Thus, the roach juveniles (1 -2 g) are able to be transferred into the Caspian Sea directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Rapid and effective revascularization is the cornerstone of acute ischemic stroke treatment. Endovascular thrombectomy reperfusion has dramatically changed patients' outcomes with large vessel occlusions. Results of randomized controlled trials have shown that the benefit of this treatment is highly time-sensitive. The purpose of this review is to introduce a new approach to acute stroke treatment – direct angiographic intervention for selected patients. Methods & Results:We examined the issues related to the current guideline-based practice, emphasizing whether the benefit of using advanced multimodal imaging is worth the potential resultant disability generated by delayed reperfusion times. The published evidence supporting this novel concept was reviewed, its safety and feasibility discussed, and appropriate predictive tools for patient selection explored.Conclusion:This new approach may provide benefits for appropriately selected patients. Further prospective trials are needed to clarify the risk-versus-benefit of this approach. Abbreviations and Acronyms: AHA: American Heart AssociationAIS: acute ischemic strokeASA: American Stroke AssociationASPECTS: Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography ScoreCT: computed tomographyCTA: computed tomography angiographyCTP: computed tomography perfusionDMVO: distal, medium vessel occlusionDSA: digital subtraction angiographyED: Emergency DepartmentEVT: endovascular thrombectomyFD: flat detectorIA: intra-arterialIV: intravenousICH: intracerebral hemorrhageMR: magnetic resonanceMRA: magnetic resonance angiographyMSU: mobile stroke unitNIHSS: National Institutes of Health Stroke ScaleNCCT: non-contrast computed tomographyPLVO: proximal, large vessel occlusionPPV: positive predictive valuePWI: magnetic resonance perfusion-weighted imaging [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryo transfer entails many procedures and techniques, of which embryo freezing is an important component in bovine embryo transfer. Embryo freezing techniques have been developed over the last 40 years, allowing practical availability, and have become essential for cattle reproduction management under field conditions. The direct transfer methods of frozen-thawed, in vivo-derived, and in vitro-produced (IVF) bovine embryos using 1.5 M ethylene glycol (EG) with or without sucrose (SUC) are used widely under on-farm conditions, not only in Japan but also globally. The direct transfer method using 1.5 M glycerol (GLY) and 0.25 M SUC (GLY-SUC) is used mainly in Japan. The pregnancy rate with direct transfer of frozen-thawed bovine embryos in either EG or GLY-SUC has been found to not differ from conventional freezing with GLY and traditional dilution techniques. Pregnancy rates following direct transfer of frozen-thawed bovine embryos were affected by the developmental stage of the embryos and the parity of the recipients. The use of ultrasound-guided on-farm ovum pickup is ushering in a new revolution for the commercial application of IVF embryos. Globally, for the first time more IVF bovine embryos were transferred in 2017 than produced in vivo. More than 60% of IVF embryos were transferred fresh due to a low pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed IVF embryos. Many factors seemed to be involved in improving the survival rate of frozen-thawed IVF embryos. Therefore, further research is needed to improve the freezing tolerance of IVF embryos to develop efficient direct transfer methods analogous to those used for in vivo embryos.

Expedited conversion of O2 to H2O with minimal amounts of Pt is essential for wide applicability of PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs). Therefore, it is imperative to develop a process for catalyst management to circumvent unnecessary catalyst loss while improving the Pt utilization, catalytic activity, and durability. Here, the fabrication of a self‐standing nanofiber electrode is demonstrated by employing electrospinning. This film‐type catalyst simultaneously contains Pt–Co alloy nanoparticles and Co embedded in an N‐doped graphitized carbon (Co–Nx) support derived from the electrospun zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. Notably, the flexible electrode is directly transferrable for the membrane‐electrode assembly of high temperature PEMFC. In addition, the electrodes exhibit excellent performance, maybe owing to the synergistic interaction between the Pt–Co and Co–Nx as revealed by the computational modeling study. This method simplifies the fabrication and operation of cell device with negligible Pt loss, compared to ink‐based conventional catalyst coating methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Peru, there has been an introduction of new sheep breeds in order to reorient the production of this species, towards products of greater value and demand, which has taken on greater importance in the last 10 years. Thus, for the importation of these embryos it is required to comply with the strict sanitary regulations and quality control in the process. The objective of the study was to evaluate the embryonic survival of cryopreserved ovine embryos and transferred in one step to recipients located in two ecological environments. The ovine embryos (n = 190) cryopreserved were imported from Australia and used using the one-step freezing method for direct transfer. The number of embryos per breed were Dohne Merino (n = 70), East Friesian (n = 70) and Dorper (n = 50). The embryos were transferred surgically (ventral laparotomy with laparoscopic help) into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the ovary with the functional corpus luteum. Crossbred recipient ewes (East Friesian x Barbados Black Belly and Corriedale x Criollo) were synchronized in two ecological environments; Peruvian Coast (Trujillo, at sea level) and central Andean mountains (Ayacucho, 3 704 masl) respectively. The sheep embryos were distributed according to the number of recipients available in each ecological environments; Peruvian Coast (n = 150) and central Andean mountains (n = 40). Our criterion for determining embryonic survival was based on the birth of a live lamb. The results were analyzed by the Chi square test in the contingency table and subdivision of the contingency table. The overall rate of pregnant recipients was 43.15%. The survival rate of the embryos in the two ecological environments was statistically different (p

Vitrification is a superior method for cryopreservation of IVF embryos, but due to complicated warming protocols, it is not commonly used for commercial bovine embryos routine. To overcome the need of laboratory embryo preparation during warming, we developed an in-straw warming protocol compatible with most vitrification devices for embryo transfer without sucrose gradient steps and embryo evaluation. Surprisingly, one of the tested protocols improved embryo survival (95.0%* vs 83.1% expansion rate and 74.2%* vs 51.5% hatching rate) compared to conventional in-plate warming. Embryo quality was also increased, taken by the higher total cell numbers (160.7 ± 8.6* vs 99.0 ± 7.9) and lower apoptosis index (4.9 ± 0.6* vs 11.5 ± 2.4) 48 h after warming. Pregnancy rates were similar between vitrified-warmed embryos and fresh embryos (40% vs 43%). Based on our results, we suggest in-straw warming should always be used for vitrified embryos due to beneficial effects. Direct transfer can be safely performed using this protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to reveal whether there is unintentional reverse transfer L2→L1 (English-Spanish) in the oral L1 production of university learners in formal contexts. The languages used by learners influence each other, and this transfer may occur from the first to the second language (direct transfer), or from the second to the first (reverse transfer), the focus of this work. Thus, an exploratory study was implemented with two groups of participants with different L2 proficiency levels. They had to retell, using their L1, a soundless video. Their production was recorded, transcribed and examined. Consistent with other studies, results suggest unintentional reverse transfer occurs more frequently when there is a lower level of L2 competence, or, alternatively, its effects have a more evident negative outcome for these learners. Pedagogically speaking, being able to identify successful reverse transfer strategies with a positive outcome may have important implications for bilingual educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents: Cryopreservation of in vitro‐derived bovine embryos is a crucial step for the widespread reproduction and conservation of valuable high‐merit animals. Given the current popularity of bovine in vitro embryo production (IVP), there is a demand for a highly efficient ultra‐low temperature storage method in order to maximize donor ovum pickup (OPU) turn‐over, recipient availability/utilization and domestic/overseas commercial trading opportunities. However, IVP bovine embryos are still very sensitive to chilling and cryopreservation, and despite recent progress, a convenient (simple and robust) protocol has not yet been developed. At the moment, there are two methods for bovine IVP embryo cryopreservation: slow programmable freezing and vitrification. Both of the aforementioned techniques have pros and cons. While controlled‐rate slow cooling can easily be adapted for direct transfer (DT), ice crystal formation remains an issue. On the other hand, vitrification solved this problem but the possibility of successful DT commercial incorporation remains to be determined. Moreover, simplification of the vitrification protocol (including warming) through the use of an in‐straw dilution without the use of a microscope is a prerequisite for its use under farm conditions. This review summarizes the bovine IVP embryo cryopreservation achievements, strengths and limitations of both freezing systems and prospective improvements to enhance cryosurvival, as well as perspectives on future directions of this assisted reproductive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of an accurate dental cast framework that meets the implant objective of passive fit demands an understanding of potential processing errors. Working casts fabricated from impressions using two different transfer copings as provided by a leading implant manufacturer, were investigated for differences in accuracy. A five-implant mandibular model was used to produce seven casts by both the indirect and direct transfer coping techniques. Comparison was made by using a dental cast framework fitted to the master cast. Differences in distances measured between each group and the master cast were analyzed to establish differences between methods. For the model used, the direct technique produced more accurate working casts. A concern for potential impression distortion given the specific clinical situation underscores the method of choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe two transfer approaches for building sentiment analysis systems without having gold labeled data in the target language. Unlike previous work that is focused on using only English as the source language and a small number of target languages, we use multiple source languages to learn a more robust sentiment transfer model for 16 languages from different language families. Our approaches explore the potential of using an annotation projection approach and a direct transfer approach using cross-lingual word representations and neural networks. Whereas most previous work relies on machine translation, we show that we can build cross-lingual sentiment analysis systems without machine translation or even high quality parallel data. We have conducted experiments assessing the availability of different resources such as in-domain parallel data, out-of-domain parallel data, and in-domain comparable data. Our experiments show that we can build a robust transfer system whose performance can in some cases approach that of a supervised system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We prove that the solution of any linear mechanical system can be expressed as a linear combination of signal transmission paths. This is done in the framework of the Global Transfer Direct Transfer (GTDT) formulation for vibroacoustic problems. Transmission paths are expressed as powers of the transfer matrix. The key idea of the proof is to generalise the Neumann series of the transfer matrix – which is convergent only if its spectral radius is smaller than one – into a modified Neumann series that is convergent regardless of the eigenvalues of the transfer matrix. The modification consists in choosing the appropriate combination coefficients for the powers of the transfer matrix in the series. A recursive formula for the computation of these factors is derived. The theoretical results are illustrated by means of numerical examples. Finally, we show that the generalised Neumann series can be understood as an acceleration (i.e. convergence speedup) of the Jacobi iterative method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Prehospital activation of the cardiac catheter laboratory is associated with significant improvements in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) performance measures. However, there are equivocal data, particularly within Australia, regarding its influence on mortality. We assessed the association of prehospital activation on performance measures and mortality in patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention from the Queensland Cardiac Outcomes Registry (QCOR). Methods and Results Consecutive ambulance-transported patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 from the QCOR. The total and direct effects of prehospital activation on the primary outcomes (30-day and 1-year cardiovascular mortality) were estimated using logistic regression analyses. Secondary outcomes were STEMI performance measures. Among 2498 patients (mean age: 62.2±12.4 years; 79.2% male), 73% underwent prehospital activation. Median door-to-balloon time (34 minutes [26-46] versus 86 minutes [68-113]; P <0.001), first-electrocardiograph-to-balloon time (83.5 minutes [72-98] versus 109 minutes [81-139]; P <0.001), and proportion of patients meeting STEMI targets (door-to-balloon <60 minutes 90% versus 16%; P <0.001), electrocardiograph-to-balloon time <90 minutes (62% versus 33%; P <0.001) were significantly improved with prehospital activation. Prehospital activation was associated with significantly lower 30-day (1.6% versus 6.6%; P <0.001) and 1-year cardiovascular mortality (2.9% versus 9.5%; P <0.001). After adjustment, no prehospital activation was strongly associated with increased 30-day (odds ratio [OR], 3.6 [95% CI, 2.2-6.0], P <0.001) and 1-year cardiovascular mortality (OR, 3.0 [95% CI, 2.0-4.6]; P <0.001). Conclusions Prehospital activation of cardiac catheterization laboratory for primary percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with significantly shorter time to reperfusion, achievement of STEMI performance measures, and lower 30-day and 1-year cardiovascular mortality.

We present a flexible approach to transfer metallic photonic crystals (MPCs) onto end facets of optical fibers. The MPCs were initially fabricated on a glass substrate with a spacer layer of indium tin oxide (ITO), which was used as a buffer layer in the transferring process. The fiber ends were firstly welded on the top surface of the MPCs by a drop of polymer solution after the solvent evaporated. The ITO layer was then etched by hydrochloric acid (HCl), so that the MPCs got off the substrate and were transferred to the fiber ends. Alternatively, the MPCs may be also etched off the substrate first by immersing the sample in HCl. The ultra-thin MPC sheet consisting of gold nanolines interlaced with photoresist gratings was then transferred to cap the fiber ends. In the later approach, we can choose which side of the MPCs to be used as the contact with the fiber facet. Such methods enabled convenient nanostructuring on optical fiber tips and achieving miniaturized MPC devices with compact integration, extending significantly applications of MPCs. In particular, the fabrications presented in this manuscript enrich the lab-on-fiber engineering techniques and the resultant devices have potential applications in remote sensing and detection systems.