Cross-sectional study to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services and clinical admissions using statistical analysis and discovering hotspots in three regions of the Greater Toronto Area.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare services, leading to the cancellation of non-urgent tests, screenings and procedures, a shift towards remote consultations, stalled childhood immunisations and clinic closures which had detrimental effects across the healthcare system. This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical admissions and healthcare quality in the Peel, York and Toronto regions within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Design: In a cross-sectional study, the negative impact of the pandemic on various healthcare sectors, including preventive and primary care (PPC), the emergency department (ED), alternative level of care (ALC) and imaging, procedures and surgeries is investigated.

New Neotropical and Nearctic species of water beetles in the genera Hydraena Kugelann and Ochthebius Leach, a key to North American genera and subgenera of the family, new distribution records, and a synopsis of ecology, behavior and morphology related to aquatic life (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae).

Twenty-six new species of Hydraenidae are described, including new species from Belize (2), Mexico (16), Panama (3), St. Vincent (1), and the U.S.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups.

Impact of bedside ultrasound on care in specialist palliative care units: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the experiences of palliative care doctors regarding the clinical impact of ultrasound in specialist palliative care units (SPCUs).

Methods: The study adopted a qualitative research design using semistructured interviews and a reflexivity journal. Six participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling.

The first report of meningitis in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus).

The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a large species of shark found in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and is believed to be the longest living vertebrate. Relatively little is known about its biology, abundance, health or diseases. In March 2022, only the third reported UK stranding of this species occurred and it was the first to undergo post-mortem examination.

Development of polylactic acid based antimicrobial food packaging films with N-halamine modified microcrystalline cellulose.

Bio-based "green" films with superior antimicrobial activity were developed from polylactic acid (PLA) and cyclic N-halamine 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC) grafted microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) fibers (herein referred to as g-MCC). The structure of g-MCC was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results indicated N-halamine MC was successfully grafted onto MCC fibers, with a grafting percentage of 10.

Thirty-three new species of water beetles in the genus Hydraena Kugelann from Cameroon (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae).

Thirty-three new species of Cameroonian water beetles in the genus Hydraena Kugelann are described, based on the examination and databasing of 355 specimens from 19 localities/events. Male genitalia are illustrated, and high resolution habitus images of the holotypes are provided, as are distribution maps. The following new species of Hydraena are described: H.

Taxonomic revision of African water beetles in the genus Ochthebius Leach (1815), subgenus Aulacochthebius Kuwert (1887) (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae).

The African species of the water beetle genus Ochthebius Leach (1815), subgenus Aulacochthebius Kuwert (1887) are revised. Nine new species are described, based on the examination and databasing of 5,911 specimens from 101 localities. Male genitalia are illustrated, and high resolution habitus images of the holotypes and specimens of previously described species are provided.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups.

Antimicrobial film based on poly(lactic acid) and natural halloysite nanotubes for controlled cinnamaldehyde release.

Using nanocarriers to load antimicrobial agent instead of direct incorporating into film matrix could avoid burst release. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are natural clays with a unique tubular structure; therefore in many studies it served as carriers to achieve a controlled release of active agents. However, when HNTs biocomposites were loaded into packaging film, the antimicrobial activity was reduced too seriously to preserve the packaged food.

The carbon footprint of a hospice.

Objectives: Environmental sustainability is an important concern within the National Health Service. Compared with other specialties, there has been little research within palliative care. This study aims to calculate the carbon footprint of a specialist palliative care unit.

Electrocution Risk of Capacitive Discharge Shocks: Application to Electric Vehicle Charging.

It is difficult to electrocute (induce ventricular fibrillation) with capacitive discharge shocks. With small capacitance values, the high voltages required for the necessary charge are rarely seen in industrial situations (e.g.

A Sustainable and Antimicrobial Food Packaging Film for Potential Application in Fresh Produce Packaging.

N-halamines are a group of compounds containing one or more nitrogen-halogen covalent bond(s). This high-energy halide bond provides a strong oxidative state so that it is able to inactivate microorganisms effectively. In this study, a sustainable film was developed based on polylactic acid (PLA) with incorporated N-halamine compound 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC), as a promising antimicrobial food packaging material.

Impact of CD19 CAR T-cell product type on outcomes in relapsed or refractory aggressive B-NHL.

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor-engineered (CD19 CAR) T cells are novel therapies showing great promise for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Single-arm studies showed significant variations in outcomes across distinct CD19 CAR T-cell products. To estimate the independent impact of the CAR T-cell product type on outcomes, we retrospectively analyzed data from 129 patients with R/R aggressive B-NHL treated with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine lymphodepletion followed by either a commercially available CD19 CAR T-cell therapy (axicabtagene ciloleucel [axicel] or tisagenlecleucel [tisacel]), or the investigational product JCAR014 on a phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT01865617).

Improved therapeutic index of an acidic pH-selective antibody.

Although therapeutically efficacious, ipilimumab can exhibit dose-limiting toxicity that prevents maximal efficacious clinical outcomes and can lead to discontinuation of treatment. We hypothesized that an acidic pH-selective ipilimumab (pH Ipi), which preferentially and reversibly targets the acidic tumor microenvironment over the neutral periphery, may have a more favorable therapeutic index. While ipilimumab has pH-independent CTLA-4 affinity, pH Ipi variants have been engineered to have up to 50-fold enhanced affinity to CTLA-4 at pH 6.

Behaviours of Patients Who Take Their Strong Opioids as Unmeasured 'Sips'.

Context: Some patients take their strong opioid painkillers as unmeasured sips.

Objectives: To investigate how and why patients take their medication in this way.

Methods: Patient receiving specialist palliative care who take their strong opioid painkillers as unmeasured sips were recruited.

Hands-on defibrillation with safety drapes: Analysis of compressions and an alternate current pathway.

Background: Hands-on defibrillation (HOD) could theoretically improve the efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) though a few mechanisms. Polyethylene drapes could potentially facilitate safe HOD, but questions remain about the effects of CPR on polyethylene's conductance and the magnitude of current looping through rescuers' arms in contact with patients.

Methods: This study measured the leakage current through 2 mil (0.

Humidity and Ventricular Fibrillation: When Wet Welding can be Fatal.

Introduction: Arc welding is generally considered very safe electrically. There have been electrocution cases with welders in high humidity environments. When dry, the flux coatings tend to have sufficient electrical resistance to limit the current below that required for the induction of VF (ventricular fibrillation).

Output of Electronic Muscle Stimulators: Physical Therapy and Police Models Compared.

Introduction: Both physical therapists and police officers use electrical muscle stimulation. The typical physical therapist unit is attached with adhesive patches while the police models use needle-based electrodes to penetrate clothing. There have been very few papers describing the outputs of these physical therapy EMS (electrical muscle stimulator) units.

Ventricular Fibrillation Threshold vs Alternating Current Shock Duration.

Introduction: International basic safety limits for utility-frequency electrical currents have long been set by the International Electrotechnical Commission 60479-1 standard. These were inspired by a linear-section plot proposed by Biegelmeier in 1980 with current given as a function of the shock duration. This famous plot has contributed to safe electrical circuit design internationally and has properly earned significant amount of respect over its 35 years of life.

Taxonomy of water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817, from Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae).

The taxonomy of Bolivian, Brazilian and Paraguayan water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817 is presented. The known fauna now consists of 77 species, 37 of which are described as new species. The new species are diagnosed, and high-resolution images of the habitus and male genitalia of each species are given, as are distribution maps.

Taxonomy of Central American water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817 (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae).

The taxonomy of Central American water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817 is presented, including the Mexican fauna. The known fauna now consists of 26 species, nine of which are described as new species. The new species are diagnosed, and high-resolution images of the habitus and male genitalia of each species, and detailed descriptions of the male genitalia are given.