Electrochemical Synthesis of Zeolite Coatings with Controlled Crystal Polymorphism and Self-Regulating Growth.

Zeolite coatings are studied as molecular sieves for membrane separation, membrane reactors, and chemical sensor applications. They are also studied as anticorrosive films for metals and alloys, antimicrobial and hydrophobic films for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and dielectrics for semiconductor applications. Zeolite coatings are synthesized by hydrothermal, ionothermal, and dry-gel conversion approaches, which require high process temperatures and lengthy times (ranging from hours to days).

Utilization of early supported discharge and outpatient rehabilitation services following inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

Background: Studies examining factors associated with patient referral to early supported discharge (ESD)/outpatient rehabilitation (OPR) programs and utilization of ESD/OPR services after discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation (IPR) are scarce. Accordingly, we examined utilization of ESD/OPR services following discharge from IPR and patient factors associated with service utilization.

Methods: Stroke patients discharged from IPR facilities in Alberta between April 2014 and March 2016 were included and followed for one year for ESD/OPR service utilization.

Hybridization Between the Canary Melon and a Vietnamese Non-sweet Melon Cultivar Aiming to Improve the Growth Performance and Fruit Quality in Melon (Cucumis melo L.).

Canary melon has been widely consumed as a dessert fruit due to its fragrance, sweetness, and flavorful taste. However, the cultivation of this cultivar has been challenged in Vietnam because of its weak growth performance and high susceptibility to local pathogens. In this study, we aim to generate the hybrid melon lines between the Canary melon and a local non-sweet melon that are expected to produce good quality fruits as well as to show better growth performance in the local cultivation conditions.

Effect of strain rates on the mechanical response of whole muscle bundle.

Muscle injuries frequently happen during sports activities and exercise, which could have serious consequences if not diagnosed and treated promptly. This research aims to investigate the quasi-static and dynamic responses of over 30 fresh frog semitendinosus muscles utilizing Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars (SHPB) and a material testing system under strain rates between 0.001 ~ 200 s.

Pattern completion and disruption characterize contextual modulation in the visual cortex.

Vision is fundamentally context-dependent, with neuronal responses influenced not just by local features but also by surrounding contextual information. In the visual cortex, studies using simple grating stimuli indicate that congruent stimuli - where the center and surround share the same orientation - are more inhibitory than when orientations are orthogonal, potentially serving redundancy reduction and predictive coding. Understanding these center-surround interactions in relation to natural image statistics is challenging due to the high dimensionality of the stimulus space, yet crucial for deciphering the neuronal code of real-world sensory processing.

Bipartite invariance in mouse primary visual cortex.

A defining characteristic of intelligent systems, whether natural or artificial, is the ability to generalize and infer behaviorally relevant latent causes from high-dimensional sensory input, despite significant variations in the environment. To understand how brains achieve generalization, it is crucial to identify the features to which neurons respond selectively and invariantly. However, the high-dimensional nature of visual inputs, the non-linearity of information processing in the brain, and limited experimental time make it challenging to systematically characterize neuronal tuning and invariances, especially for natural stimuli.

Economic impact of self-administered subcutaneous versus clinic-administered intravenous immunoglobulin G therapy in Alberta, Canada: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Self-administered subcutaneous immunoglobulin G (SCIg) reduces nursing time and eliminates the need for treatment at ambulatory care clinics, as compared with clinic-based intravenously administered IgG (IVIg), and are therapeutically equivalent. Estimating the economic impact of self-administered SCIg versus clinic-administered IVIg therapy may guide treatment recommendations.

Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study using administrative data from Alberta was performed; those treated with IgG between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2019 were included.

Dynamic tensile properties of porcine knee ligament.

Background: The knee plays an essential role in movement. There are four major ligaments in the knee which all have crucial functionalities for human activities. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee, especially in athletes.

Lattice Strain and Surface Activity of Ternary Nanoalloys under the Propane Oxidation Condition.

The ability to harness the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons is critical for both clean energy production and air pollutant elimination, which requires a detailed understanding of the dynamic role of the nanophase structure and surface reactivity under the reaction conditions. We report here findings of an in situ/operando study of such details of a ternary nanoalloy under the propane oxidation condition using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction coupled to atomic pair distribution function (HE-XRD/PDF) analysis and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The catalysts are derived by alloying Pt with different combinations of second (Pd) and third (Ni) transition metals, showing a strong dependence of the catalytic activity on the Ni content.

Length of Stay and Home Discharge for Patients with Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation.

Objective: To examine temporal trends and geographic variations and predict inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) length of stay (LOS) and home discharge for stroke patients.

Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years who were admitted to an IPR facility in Alberta, Canada, between 04/2014 and 03/2018 (years 2014-2017) were included. Predictors of LOS and home discharge were examined using 2014-2016 data and validated using 2017 data.

Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Spinel-Structured Solids.

Spinel-structured solids were studied to understand if fast Li ion conduction can be achieved with Li occupying multiple crystallographic sites of the structure to form a "Li-stuffed" spinel, and if the concept is applicable to prepare a high mixed electronic-ionic conductive, electrochemically active solid solution of the Li stuffed spinel with spinel-structured Li-ion battery electrodes. This could enable a single-phase fully solid electrode eliminating multi-phase interface incompatibility and impedance commonly observed in multi-phase solid electrolyte-cathode composites. Materials of composition LiM(III)TiO, M(III) = Cr or Al were prepared through solid-state methods.

The Healthcare Cost Burden in Adults with High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease.

Objective: We calculated the short- and long-term care resource use and costs in adults with high-risk conditions for cardiovascular disease (HRCVD) as defined by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society dyslipidemia guidelines.

Methods: We linked Alberta health databases to identify patients aged ≥ 18 years with HRCVD between fiscal year (FY) 2012 and FY2016. The first HRCVD event was the index event.

Lack of benefit from hospitalization in patients with syncope: A propensity analysis.

Study Objective: Patients with syncope are frequently admitted to the hospital, but whether this improves outcome is unknown. We tested whether hospitalization reduced mortality in patients who presented to emergency departments (EDs) with syncope.

Methods: We conducted a propensity analysis of the outcomes of patients ≥18 years old presenting to EDs with a primary diagnosis of syncope in April 2004-March 2013.

Surface oxygenation of multicomponent nanoparticles toward active and stable oxidation catalysts.

The need for active and stable oxidation catalysts is driven by the demands in production of valuable chemicals, remediation of hydrocarbon pollutants and energy sustainability. Traditional approaches focus on oxygen-activating oxides as support which provides the oxygen activation at the catalyst-support peripheral interface. Here we report a new approach to oxidation catalysts for total oxidation of hydrocarbons (e.

Assessment of Costs of Avoidable Delays in Intensive Care Unit Discharge.

Importance: Delays in transfer for discharge-ready patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) are increasingly described and contribute to strained capacity.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological features and health care costs attributable to potentially avoidable delays in ICU discharge in a large integrated health care system.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based cohort study was performed in 17 adult ICUs in Alberta, Canada, from June 19, 2012, to December 31, 2016.

Outcome and Cost of Optimal Control of Dyslipidemia in Adults With High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: We assessed the impact of optimal dyslipidemia control on mortality and costs in adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease (HRCVD).

Methods: We linked Alberta health databases to identify patients aged ≥ 18 years with HRCVD between April 2012 and March 2017. The first HRCVD event was considered the index event.

The Current and Future Hospitalization Cost Burden of Syncope in Canada.

Background: Single-center studies have shown the high costs associated with the hospital evaluation of syncope. National cost estimates for syncope-related hospitalizations are sparse, and none exist in Canada.

Methods: The Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database was used to identify acute care hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of syncope between fiscal years (FY) 2004 and 2015 in all provinces and territories (except Quebec).

Multilinear Compressive Learning.

Compressive learning (CL) is an emerging topic that combines signal acquisition via compressive sensing (CS) and machine learning to perform inference tasks directly on a small number of measurements. Many data modalities naturally have a multidimensional or tensorial format, with each dimension or tensor mode representing different features such as the spatial and temporal information in video sequences or the spatial and spectral information in hyperspectral images. However, in existing CL frameworks, the CS component utilizes either random or learned linear projection on the vectorized signal to perform signal acquisition, thus discarding the multidimensional structure of the signals.

A Population-Based Study Evaluating Sex Differences in Patients Presenting to Emergency Departments With Syncope.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether sex-specific differences in management and outcomes of syncope patients exist.

Background: Syncope is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) and reason for hospital admission.

Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age, presenting to the ED with a primary diagnosis of syncope in Alberta, Canada, from January 1, 2007 to December 12, 2015 were included.

Total and Cause-Specific Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Observations From the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease Registry.

Background: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are increasingly older and have a higher comorbidity burden. This study evaluated trends in 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year total and cause-specific mortality using a large, contemporary cohort of patients who underwent PCI in Alberta, Canada.

Methods: We used the lberta rovincial oject for utcome ssessment in oronary eart Disease (APPROACH) registry to identify patients aged ≥ 20 years who underwent PCI between 2005 and 2013.

A Population-Based Study of Device Eligibility, Use, and Reasons for Nonimplantation in Patients at Heart Function Clinics.

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy is lifesaving; however, real-world data regarding the proportion of patients eligible for a primary prevention ICD and subsequent use remain sparse. This study evaluated rates of primary prevention ICD eligibility and use among patients in heart function clinics (HFCs) and to identify reasons for nonimplantation.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed of patients seen at HFCs in Alberta, Canada, from 2013 to 2015.

Origin of High Activity and Durability of Twisty Nanowire Alloy Catalysts under Oxygen Reduction and Fuel Cell Operating Conditions.

The ability to control the surface composition and morphology of alloy catalysts is critical for achieving high activity and durability of catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and fuel cells. This report describes an efficient surfactant-free synthesis route for producing a twisty nanowire (TNW) shaped platinum-iron (PtFe) alloy catalyst (denoted as PtFe TNWs) with controllable bimetallic compositions. PtFe TNWs with an optimal initial composition of ∼24% Pt are shown to exhibit the highest mass activity (3.

Temporal Trends Of Pharmacologic Therapies For Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In Alberta, Canada.

Objectives: To describe the trends in pharmacologic treatment for patients newly diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta, Canada.

Methods: We linked Alberta health databases to identify patients aged ≥35 years with incident COPD between April 2010 and March 2017. Incident cases were defined as those who did not have a hospitalization or outpatient visit with COPD in the previous 2 years.

Feasibility of advancing the development of compact energy systems.

It is necessary to advance the development of compact energy systems for making energy from biomass like wood or switchgrass, as an alternative to the construction of highly capital-intensive large scale biorefineries. Compact energy systems consist of four individual components: a biomass preparation unit, a biomass converter, a fuel processor, and a powered engine. The individual unit processes within each component and the possible types of compact energy systems with different biomass converter technologies like fermentation, pyrolysis, and gasification are presented.

The Costs of Industry-Sponsored Drug Trials in Canada.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the provincial and nationwide costs of industry-sponsored drug clinical trials (CTs) in Canada.

Methods: We used the Aggregate Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT) database, and included all industry-sponsored drug CTs that were conducted in Canada and completed in 2016.