Volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents for preventing mosquito bites: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents (VPSRs) can prevent mosquito-borne diseases including malaria and dengue fever, but the use of varied evaluation methods has resulted in a lack of clarity regarding their protective efficacy (PE) against contact with mosquitoes. This systematic review and meta-analysis consolidates the entomological evidence base on the PE of VPSRs against Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex mosquitoes and different test methods used.

Methods: We identified studies completed between January 2000 and September 2023 by searching through databases, conference abstracts, and personal correspondences.

Outcomes of patients receiving interventional psychiatric procedures in a large integrated healthcare system.

Interventional psychiatric procedures (IPPs) such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and ketamine intravenous treatments (KIT) are widely used for treatment resistant depression (TRD), but we lack studies of their real-world impact compared to standard outpatient medication management (MM). Longitudinal electronic health records of 22,481 patients in a large integrated healthcare system during 2018-2022 were examined to describe depression improvement via 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), changes in psychiatric admissions, and use of continuation/maintenance (C/M) treatments. Overall, each IPP group had significantly greater depression improvement at 6 weeks compared to MM: adjusted estimates TMS:1.

Asymptomatic malaria reservoirs are the last challenge in the elimination in Cambodia.

Background: Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, is a serious public health issue globally and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries worldwide. Cambodia is in the last stages of malaria elimination and aims to eliminate all species of human malaria by 2025. Despite tremendous progress, eliminating malaria in Cambodia has proven to be challenging due to pockets of residual transmission in high-risk populations sustained by untreated asymptomatic malaria reservoirs.

Identifying malaria risks amongst forest going populations in Mondulkiri province and Kampong Speu province, Cambodia: a large cross-sectional survey.

Background: Cambodia strives to eliminate all species of human malaria by 2025, requiring that foci among forest-exposed populations in remote settings be addressed. This study explores malaria risks amongst forest-exposed groups in Mondulkiri and Kampong Speu Provinces, Cambodia as part of a multi-stage study on novel mosquito bite prevention tools (Project BITE).

Methods: A serial cross-sectional survey explored the demographics, housing structure openness, mosquito bite prevention habits, and protection from malaria amongst three target groups: forest goers who work in the forest, forest dwellers who live in the forest, and forest rangers who patrol forested regions.

Genome sequencing reveals the impact of pseudoexons in rare genetic disease.

Purpose: Advancements in sequencing technologies have significantly improved clinical genetic testing, yet the diagnostic yield remains around 30-40%. Emerging sequencing technologies are now being deployed in the clinical setting to address the remaining diagnostic gap.

Methods: We tested whether short-read genome sequencing could increase diagnostic yield in individuals enrolled into the UCI-GREGoR research study, who had suspected Mendelian conditions and prior inconclusive clinical genetic testing.

Malaria risk factors amongst forest going populations in Mondulkiri Province and Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia: a large cross-sectional survey.

Background: Cambodia strives to eliminate all species of human malaria by 2025, requiring that foci among forest-exposed populations in remote settings be addressed. This study explores malaria risk factors amongst forest-exposed groups in Mondulkiri and Kampong Speu Provinces, Cambodia as part of a multi-stage study on novel bite prevention tools (Project BITE).

Methods: A serial cross-sectional survey explored the demographics, housing structure openness, mosquito bite prevention habits, and gaps in protection amongst three target groups: forest goers who work in the forest, forest dwellers who live in the forest, and forest rangers who patrol forested regions.

Child Health and Infection with Low Density (CHILD) malaria: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial to assess the long-term health and socioeconomic impacts of testing and treating low-density malaria infection among children in Tanzania.

Introduction: As malaria declines, low-density malaria infections (LMIs) represent an increasing proportion of infections and may have negative impacts on child health and cognition, necessitating development of targeted and effective solutions. This trial assesses the health, cognitive and socioeconomic impact of two strategies for detecting and treating LMI in a low transmission setting.

Methods And Analysis: The study is a 3-arm open-label individually randomised controlled trial enrolling 600 children aged 6 months to 10 years in Bagamoyo district, Tanzania.

Implementation and mixed-methods evaluation of "Walk with a Doc" program at Stony Brook.

Context: Walking groups run by trained individuals, lasting under an hour in a natural environment, may be a cost-effective way by which to encourage sustainable changes in physical activity as well as foster companionship and a shared experience of wellness among participants. Walk with a Doc (WWaD) is a national program that provides a platform for medical professionals, including physicians and medical students, to deliver a short talk on a health topic prior to walking side by side with patients and community members.

Objectives: To evaluate the WWaD Chapter at Stony Brook following implementation, a questionnaire was designed utilizing a mixed-methods approach (i.

Testing and treatment for malaria elimination: a systematic review.

Background: Global interest in malaria elimination has prompted research on active test and treat (TaT) strategies.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the effectiveness of TaT strategies to reduce malaria transmission.

Results: A total of 72 empirical research and 24 modelling studies were identified, mainly focused on proactive mass TaT (MTaT) and reactive case detection (RACD) in higher and lower transmission settings, respectively.

Applying the COM-B behaviour change model to a pilot study delivering volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents and insecticide-treated clothing to forest-exposed populations in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia.

Background: Southeast Asia is making tremendous progress towards their 2030 malaria elimination goal but needs new interventions to stop forest malaria. This study trials two new vector control tools, a volatile pyrethroid spatial repellent (VPSR) and insecticide-treated clothing (ITC), amongst forest-exposed populations in Mondulkiri Province Cambodia to inform their potential use for eliminating forest malaria.

Methods: 21 forest-exposed individuals were given a questionnaire on their perceptions of malaria and preventive practices used, after which they trialed two products sequentially.

Personalized Cancer Monitoring Assay for the Detection of ctDNA in Patients with Solid Tumors.

Background: Highly sensitive molecular assays have been developed to detect plasma-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and emerging evidence suggests their clinical utility for monitoring minimal residual disease and recurrent disease, providing prognostic information, and monitoring therapy responses in patients with solid tumors. The Invitae Personalized Cancer Monitoring assay uses a patient-specific, tumor-informed variant signature identified through whole exome sequencing to detect ctDNA in peripheral blood of patients with solid tumors.

Methods: The assay's tumor whole exome sequencing and ctDNA detection components were analytically validated using 250 unique human specimens and nine commercial reference samples that generated 1349 whole exome sequencing and cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-derived libraries.

Applying the COM-B behavior model to inform the delivery of spatial repellents and insecticide-treated clothing among forest exposed populations in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia.

Background: Southeast Asia is making tremendous progress towards their 2030 malaria elimination goal but needs new interventions to stop forest malaria. This study trials two new vector control tools, a volatile pyrethroid spatial repellent (VSPR) and insecticide-treated clothing (ITC), amongst forest-exposed populations in Mondulkiri Province Cambodia to inform their potential use for eliminating forest malaria.

Methods: 21 forest-exposed individuals were given a questionnaire on their perceptions of malaria and preventive practices used, after which they trialed two products sequentially.

Effective management of district-level malaria control and elimination: implementing quality and participative process improvements.

Although it is widely recognized that strong program management is essential to achieving better health outcomes, this priority is not recognized in malaria programmatic practices. Increased management precision offers the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of malaria interventions, overcoming operational barriers to intervention coverage and accelerating the path to elimination. Here we propose a combined approach involving quality improvement, quality management, and participative process improvement, which we refer to as Combined Quality and Process Improvement (CQPI), to improve upon malaria program management.

Mechanistic Modeling of Primaquine Pharmacokinetics, Gametocytocidal Activity, and Mosquito Infectivity.

Clinical studies have shown that adding a single 0.25 mg base/kg dose of primaquine to standard antimalarial regimens rapidly sterilizes Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. However, the mechanism of action and overall impact on malaria transmission is still unknown.

Trends in Ethnicity, Race, and Sex Among Psychiatry and Non-psychiatry Residency Applicants, 2008-2019.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine trends in racial/ethnic and gender representation among US psychiatry residency applicants compared with non-psychiatry applicants.

Methods: Using publicly available applicant data, racial/ethnic and gender distributions of psychiatry residency applicants from 2008 to 2019 were examined and compared with non-psychiatry residency applicants. Both longitudinal trends within both cohorts and cross-sectional, between-group differences were examined.

Persistence of mRNA indicative of Plasmodium falciparum ring-stage parasites 42 days after artemisinin and non-artemisinin combination therapy in naturally infected Malians.

Background: Malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa relies upon prompt case management with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Ring-stage parasite mRNA, measured by sbp1 quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR), was previously reported to persist after ACT treatment and hypothesized to reflect temporary arrest of the growth of ring-stage parasites (dormancy) following exposure to artemisinins. Here, the persistence of ring-stage parasitaemia following ACT and non-ACT treatment was examined.