Peak Procedural ACT Is Associated With All-Cause Mortality After Femoral Access PCI.

Background: A minimum threshold activated clotting time (ACT) to guide heparin dosing during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with lower ischemic complications. However, data are variable regarding the risk of high ACT levels. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of peak procedural ACT on complications and mortality for transfemoral and transradial access PCI.

Improved dielectric performance of graphene oxide reinforced plasticized starch.

High dielectric constants with less dielectric loss composites is highly demandable for technological advancements across various fields, including energy storage, sensing, and telecommunications. Their significance lies in their ability to enhance the performance and efficiency of a wide range of devices and systems. In this work, the dielectric performance of graphene oxide (GO) reinforced plasticized starch (PS) nanocomposites (PS/GO) for different concentrations of GO nanofiller was studied.

Randomized Comparison of Novel Low-Dose Sirolimus-Eluting Biodegradable Polymer Stent vs Second-Generation DES: TARGET-IV NA Trial.

Background: Drug-eluting stents (DESs) with controlled antiproliferative drug release reduce restenosis risk, but durable polymers can delay healing and inhibit reendothelialization. The Firehawk biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) has a fully biodegradable sirolimus-containing polymer coating localized to recessed abluminal grooves on the stent surface and delivers roughly one-third the drug dose of other DESs.

Objectives: We report the primary results of the TARGET-IV NA (Firehawk Rapamycin Target Eluting Coronary Stent North American Trial) randomized controlled trial comparing clinical outcomes with BP-SES vs currently used second-generation DESs.