Attractive targeted sugar baits for malaria control in western Kenya (ATSB-Kenya): enrolment characteristics of cohort children and households.

Background: In western Kenya, a cluster-randomized trial is assessing the impact of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) on malaria in children enrolled in three consecutive cohorts. Here, characteristics of children and households at enrolment, and factors associated with baseline malaria prevalence are described.

Methods: Children aged 1 to < 15 years were randomly selected by cluster (n = 70) from a census database.

Diagnostic Performance of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification and Ultrasensitive Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria Screening Among Pregnant Women in Kenya.

Background: Screen-and-treat strategies with sensitive diagnostic tests may reduce malaria-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes. We conducted a diagnostic accuracy study to evaluate new point-of-care tests to screen pregnant women for malaria at their first antenatal visit in western Kenya.

Methods: Consecutively women were tested for Plasmodium infection by expert microscopy, conventional rapid diagnostic test (cRDT), ultra sensitive RDT (usRDT), and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).

Sex Differences in Thrombosis and Mortality in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19.

Gender-specific differences in thrombosis have been reported in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We sought to investigate the influence of age on the relation between gender and incident thrombosis or death in COVID-19. We identified consecutive adults aged ≥18 years hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 1, 2020, to April 17, 2020, at a large New York health system.

Beam shaping and probe characterization in the scanning electron microscope.

Here we demonstrate the use of nanofabricated grating holograms to diffract and shape electrons in a scanning electron microscope. The diffraction grating is placed in an aperture in the column. The entire diffraction pattern can be passed through the objective lens and projected onto the specimen, or an intermediate aperture can be used to select particular diffracted beams.

Factors affecting toxicity test endpoints in sensitive life stages of native Gulf of Mexico species.

Indigenous species are less commonly used in laboratory aquatic toxicity tests compared with standard test species due to (1) limited availability lack of requisite information necessary for their acclimation and maintenance under laboratory conditions and (2) lack of information on their sensitivity and the reproducibility of toxicity test results. As part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment aquatic toxicity program in response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil incident (2010), sensitive life stages of native Gulf of Mexico species were evaluated in laboratory toxicity tests to determine the potential effects of the spill. Fish (n = 5) and invertebrates (n = 2) selected for this program include the following: the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), spotted sea trout (Cynoscion nebulosus), cobia (Rachycentron canadum), red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), and the common moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita).