Union Power: The Charged Politics of Electricity in Ontario

A neoliberal electricity privatization experiment in Ontario, Canada’s largest province, was supposed to eliminate one of the country’s biggest public utilities and introduce market discipline to the system. The grand experiment would begin in 2001. But an activist campaign by an opposition coalition initiated by electricity workers was crucial in turning back the market-oriented reforms, and indeed turning it into one of the great political train-wrecks in Ontario history

The Intersection of Obesity and Sepsis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Sepsis and obesity are each global health concerns with high morbidity and mortality rates. When taken together one might expect a perfect storm in which patient outcomes are exponentially worse than with either diagnosis individually. However, in the “obesity paradox” obese individuals with sepsis survive at higher rates than non-obese individuals. Adipose tissue is an active immune and endocrine organ, when present in excess it provides a protective effect due to alterations in the host response to inflammation. Given that the newest sepsis guidelines indicate that a dysregulated host response is responsible for organ failure and death in sepsis it is important to understand the protective effect of adipose tissue in order to leverage its benefits for the larger population. This systematic integrative review of the literature will summarize the current state of the science and synthesize findings to describe future directions for research. The pathophysiology behind the “obesity paradox” will be described along with theoretical implications for future studies

Passive acoustic tracking of the three-dimensional movements and acoustic behaviour of toothed whales in close proximity to static nets

Funding: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government (Grant Number(s): ME6052; Grant recipient(s): Jamie Macaulay, Allen Kingston, Simon Northridge, Alexander Coram). University of St Andrews.1. Entanglement in net fisheries (static and drift) is the largest known cause of direct anthropogenic mortality to many small cetacean species, including harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), in UK waters. Despite this, little is known about the behaviour of small cetaceans in proximity to nets. 2. We have developed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system for tracking the fine-scale three-dimensional (3D) movements of echolocating cetaceans around actively fishing nets by localising their acoustic clicks. The system consists of two compact four-channel acoustic recorders with sample-synchronised sensor packages that use 3D motion tracking technology to accurately calculate log orientation, depth, water temperature and ambient light level. Two recorders were used in tandem, with each one attached to and floating above the net floatline. The system can be deployed during normal fishing operations by a trained researcher or experienced fisheries observer. Recordings were analysed in PAMGuard software and the 3D positions of echolocating animals in the vicinity of the system were calculated using an acoustic particle filter-based localisation method. 3. We present findings from four deployments in UK waters (each 1–2 days in duration) in which 12 distinct harbour porpoise encounters yielded a sufficient number of detected clicks to track their movements around the net. The tracks show a variety of behaviours, including multiple instances of animals actively foraging in close proximity to the fishing net. 4. We show that a relatively inexpensive PAM system, which is practical to deploy from active fishing vessels, is capable of providing highly detailed data on harbour porpoise behaviour around nets. As harbour porpoises are the one of the most difficult species to localise, this methodology is likely to be suitable for elucidating the behaviour of many other toothed whale species in a variety of situations.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Synchronised transcranial magnetic stimulation for substance use-disordered Veterans: protocol for the pilot sham-controlled acceptability trial

Introduction: Substance use disorders (SUDs) take an enormous toll on US Veterans and civilians alike. Existing empirically supported interventions vary by substance and demonstrate only moderate efficacy. Non-invasive brain stimulation represents an innovative treatment for SUDs, yet aspects of traditional neurostimulation may hinder its implementation in SUD populations. Synchronised transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) uses rotating rare earth magnets to deliver low-field stimulation synchronised to an individual\u27s alpha peak frequency that is safe for at-home administration. The current trial aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of sTMS, as well as the safety of at-home sTMS administration for substance-disordered Veterans. Methods and analysis: Sixty Veterans in substance treatment at the Providence Veterans Affairs will be randomised to receive 6 weeks of active or sham sTMS treatment. Eligibility will be confirmed by meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria for an alcohol, cocaine or opioid use disorder. Daily supervised sTMS treatment will occur either in clinic or at home through video monitoring. Clinical and self-report assessments will be completed at baseline, end of treatment and 1-month follow-up. Urine drug screening will occur once per week during the treatment phase. Primary outcomes include treatment adherence/retention and satisfaction to evaluate sTMS feasibility and acceptability in Veterans with SUDs. The safety of at-home sTMS administration will be assessed via adverse event monitoring. Ethics and dissemination: The sTMS device received a significant risk determination for at-home use by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2021. Ethics approval was obtained in August 2021 from the Providence Veterans Affairs institutional review board and research and development committee. Data collection began in September 2021 and is planned to continue through December 2023. Findings will be disseminated at national conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Results will serve to inform the development of large-scale clinical trials of sTMS efficacy for substance-disordered Veterans. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04336293)

NGO learning circle on NGO engagement with the private sector on an agenda to end poverty : case studies

French version available in IDRC Digital Library: Cercle d'études sur le travail des ONG avec le secteur privé en vue d'éliminer la pauvreté : études de ca

Outcomes for unselected, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients

Not available

Blood pressure and cardiac autonomic adaptations to isometric exercise training: A randomized sham‐controlled study

Isometric exercise training (IET) is increasingly cited for its role in reducing resting blood pressure (BP). Despite this, few studies have investigated a potential sham effect attributing to the success of IET, thus dictating the aim of the present study. Thirty physically inactive males (n = 15) and females (n = 15) were randomly assigned into three groups. The IET group completed a wall squat intervention at 95% peak heart rate (HR) using a prescribed knee joint angle. The sham group performed a parallel intervention, but at an intensity (<75% peak HR) previously identified to be inefficacious over a 4‐week training period. No‐intervention controls maintained their normal daily activities. Pre‐ and post‐measures were taken for resting and continuous blood pressure and cardiac autonomic modulation. Resting clinic and continuous beat‐to‐beat systolic (−15.2 ± 9.2 and −7.3 ± 5.6 mmHg), diastolic (−4.6 ± 5 and −4.5 ± 5.1), and mean (−7 ± 4.2 and −7.5 ± 5.3) BP, respectively, all significantly decreased in the IET group compared to sham and no‐intervention control. The IET group observed a significant decrease in low‐frequency normalized units of heart rate variability concurrent with a significant increase in high‐frequency normalized units of heart rate variability compared to both the sham and no‐intervention control groups. The findings of the present study reject a nonspecific effect and further support the role of IET as an effective antihypertensive intervention. Clinical Trials ID: NCT05025202

Delivering clinical studies of exercise in the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and adaptations using a feasibility trial of isometric exercise to treat hypertension as an exemplar

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted on the delivery of clinical trials in the UK, posing complicated organisational challenges and requiring adaptations, especially to exercise intervention studies based in the community. We aim to identify the challenges of public involvement, recruitment, consent, follow-up, intervention and the healthcare professional delivery aspects of a feasibility study of exercise in hypertensive primary care patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. While these challenges elicited many reactive changes which were specific to, and only relevant in the context of ‘lockdown’ requirements, some of the protocol developments that came about during this unprecedented period have great potential to inform more permanent practices for carrying out this type of research. To this end, we detail the necessary adaptations to many elements of the feasibility study and critically reflect on our approach to redesigning and amending this ongoing project in order to maintain its viability to date. Some of the more major protocol adaptations, such as moving the study to remote means wherever possible, had further unforeseen and undesirable outcomes (eg, additional appointments) with regards to extra resources required to deliver the study. However, other changes improved the efficiency of the study, such as the remote informed consent and the direct advertising with prescreening survey. The adaptations to the study have clear links to the UK Plan for the future of research delivery. It is intended that this specific documentation and critical evaluation will help those planning or delivering similar studies to do so in a more resource efficient and effective way. In conclusion, it is essential to reflect and respond with protocol changes in the current climate in order to deliver clinical research successfully, as in the case of this particular study