Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Ticks and Tickborne Disease among Healthcare Professionals Working in Schools in New York and Maryland.

Healthcare Professionals Working in Schools (HPWS) are responsible for providing health services to students and play a role in providing education to prevent illnesses, including tickborne diseases (TBD). Providing TBD education to children has been shown to increase prevention behaviors and knowledge of TBD symptoms, but little is known regarding the current state of TBD awareness among HPWS. In spring 2019 we conducted a cross-sectional knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey of HPWS in two states with a high incidence of Lyme disease (LD) to inform design of TBD prevention programs.

Economic Burden of Reported Lyme Disease in High-Incidence Areas, United States, 2014-2016.

Approximately 476,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the United States annually, yet comprehensive economic evaluations are lacking. In a prospective study among reported cases in Lyme disease-endemic states, we estimated the total patient cost and total societal cost of the disease. In addition, we evaluated disease and demographic factors associated with total societal cost.

Willingness to Pay for Select Tick-Borne Disease Prevention Measures in Endemic Areas.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are increasing despite prevention recommendations. We explored whether cost is a barrier to prevention use in Connecticut and Maryland, using a cross-sectional survey. Respondents were queried regarding their willingness to pay for chemical, natural, and rodent-targeted yard pesticide treatments and permethrin-treated clothing.

Love the ones you're with: Characteristics and behaviour of Maryland pets and their owners in relation to tick encounters.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate associations between pet characteristics and behaviours and risk of tick encounters among pets and pet owners. We defined a tick encounter as ticks found crawling on or attached to a pet or pet owner. Information about pet characteristics, interactions between owners and pets, and tick encounters were captured through an online survey.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tick-borne disease prevention in endemic areas.

As part of a TickNET collaboration we evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to tick-borne disease (TBD) prevention among persons living in endemic areas of Connecticut (CT) and Maryland (MD). Up-to-date information on the use of various prevention methods, as well as attitudes toward available and potential prevention options, is critical for effective promotion of recommended behaviors. During 2016-2017, printed invitations were mailed via the post office to 27,029 households requesting participation in an online survey regarding knowledge of TBD, risk perceptions, and prevention behaviors.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Leads to Cortical Under-Connectivity and Cognitive Impairment.

Under-connectivity between cerebral cortical association areas may underlie cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, including the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Using the LgDel 22q11DS mouse model, we assessed cellular, molecular, and developmental origins of under-connectivity and its consequences for cognitive function.

Impacts of misclassification on Lyme disease surveillance.

In Maryland, Lyme disease (LD) is the most widely reported tickborne disease. All laboratories and healthcare providers are required to report LD cases to the local health department. Given the large volume of LD reports, the nuances of diagnosing and reporting LD, and the effort required for investigations by local health department staff, surveillance for LD is burdensome and subject to underreporting.

Exploring an alternative approach to Lyme disease surveillance in Maryland.

In Maryland, Lyme disease (LD) is a reportable disease and all laboratories and healthcare providers are required to report to the local health department. Given the volume of LD reports and effort required for investigation, surveillance for LD is burdensome and subject to underreporting. We explored the utility of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (administrative) codes for use with LD surveillance.

Assessing diagnostic coding practices among a sample of healthcare facilities in Lyme disease endemic areas: Maryland and New York - A Brief Report.

The value of using diagnostic codes in Lyme disease (LD) surveillance in highly endemic states has not been well studied. Surveys of healthcare facilities in Maryland (MD) and New York (NY) regarding coding practices were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using diagnostic codes as a potential method for LD surveillance. Most respondents indicated that their practice utilized electronic medical records (53%) and processed medical/billing claims electronically (74%).

Characterizing Lyme Disease Surveillance in an Endemic State.

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in Maryland and the United States. Surveillance for LD is valuable for understanding the burden of the disease, particularly to assess whether the disease is spreading and to appreciate who is affected. However, not all cases of LD in Maryland are reported, and surveillance practices vary across each of Maryland's 24 local health departments (LHDs).

Review of the Mid-Atlantic Tick Summit III: A model for regional information sharing.

Ticks are the most significant vectors of infectious diseases in the United States, inspiring many researchers to study aspects of their biology, ecology, and their effects on public health. However, regional differences in tick abundance and pathogen infection prevalence result in the inability to assume results from one area are relevant in another. Current local information on tick ranges, infection rates, and human cases is needed to assess tick-borne disease risk in any given region.

Cognitive ability is associated with altered medial frontal cortical circuits in the LgDel mouse model of 22q11.2DS.

We established a relationship between cognitive deficits and cortical circuits in the LgDel model of 22q11 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS)-a genetic syndrome with one of the most significant risks for schizophrenia and autism. In the LgDel mouse, optimal acquisition, execution, and reversal of a visually guided discrimination task, comparable to executive function tasks in primates including humans, are compromised; however, there is significant individual variation in degree of impairment. The task relies critically on the integrity of circuits in medial anterior frontal cortical regions.

Intact and impaired executive abilities in the BTBR mouse model of autism.

BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) inbred mice are frequently used as a model of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as they display social deficits and repetitive behaviors that resemble the symptoms of the human syndrome. Since deficits on tasks that measure cognitive (executive) control are also reliable phenotypes in ASD, we wanted to determine whether executive abilities were compromised in the mouse model. BTBR mice were trained on two visual discrimination paradigms requiring differing degrees of cognitive control.

Spot-scanning-based proton therapy for extracranial chordoma.

Purpose: To evaluate effectiveness and safety of spot-scanning-based proton-radiotherapy (PT) for extracranial chordomas (ECC).

Methods And Material: Between 1999-2006, 40 patients with chordoma of C-, T-, and L-spine and sacrum were treated at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) with PT using spot-scanning. Median patient age was 58 years (range, 10-81 years); 63% were male, and 36% were female.

Effectiveness and safety of spot scanning proton radiation therapy for chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the skull base: first long-term report.

Purpose: To evaluate effectiveness and safety of spot-scanning-based proton radiotherapy (PT) in skull-base chordomas and chondrosarcomas.

Methods And Materials: Between October 1998 and November 2005, 64 patients with skull-base chordomas (n = 42) and chondrosarcomas (n = 22) were treated at Paul Scherrer Institute with PT using spot-scanning technique. Median total dose for chordomas was 73.

Tuberculosis control in a large urban jail: discordance between policy and reality.

Objective: This study evaluated adherence to tuberculosis control guidelines, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1996, in a large urban jail. Jails are a critical locale because of high risk for tuberculosis transmission in a congregate setting.

Methods: Symptom screening at intake into the facility was systematically observed.

Sensitivity of intensity modulated proton therapy plans to changes in patient weight.

Purpose: A retrospective study to investigate the sensitivity of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) to changes in body weight occurring during the course of radiotherapy for patients treated in the sacral region.

Materials And Methods: During therapy, important weight gain and loss were observed for two patients treated to para-spinal tumors, which resulted in both patients being re-scanned and re-planned. Both patients were treated as part of their therapy, with a narrow-angle IMPT (NA-IMPT) plan delivering a 'dose hole' around the cauda equina (CE), which was mainly formed through modulation of Bragg peaks in depth.

Postoperative spot-scanning proton radiation therapy for chordoma and chondrosarcoma in children and adolescents: initial experience at paul scherrer institute.

Purpose: To evaluate postoperative spot-scanning proton radiation therapy (PT) and intensity-modulated PT (IMPT) for chordoma and chondrosarcoma in pediatric patients.

Methods And Materials: Between 2000 and 2005, 10 patients (six male patients, four female patients; six chordomas, four chondrosarcomas), aged 10-20 years (median, 16 years), were treated at our institute. Tumor sites were in the brain (one case), skull base (five cases), cervical (three cases), and lumbar spine (one case).

Spot scanning proton therapy in the curative treatment of adult patients with sarcoma: the Paul Scherrer institute experience.

Purpose: To assess the safety and efficacy of spot scanning proton beam therapy (PT) in the curative treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) in adults patients.

Patients And Methods: We identified 13 STS patients treated with PT between July 1998 and May 2005 in our institutional database. Tumor histology varied with the most common histologic subtypes including liposarcoma and peripheral nerve sheet tumor.

Clinical and mechanistic aspects of glucocorticoid-induced chemotherapy resistance in the majority of solid tumors.

Background: Glucocorticoids have been used widely in conjunction with cancer therapy due to their ability to induce apoptosis in hematological cells and to prevent nausea and emesis. However, recent data including ours, suggest induction of therapy-resistance by glucocorticoids in solid tumors, although it is unclear whether this happens only in few carcinomas or is a more common cell type specific phenomenon.

Material And Methods: We performed an overall statistical analysis of our new and recent data with 157 tumor probes evaluated in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo.

Spot-scanning proton therapy for malignant soft tissue tumors in childhood: First experiences at the Paul Scherrer Institute.

Purpose: Radiotherapy plays a major role in the treatment strategy of childhood sarcomas. Consequences of treatment are likely to affect the survivor's quality of life significantly. We investigated the feasibility of spot-scanning proton therapy (PT) for soft tissue tumors in childhood.

Extracranial chordoma: Outcome in patients treated with function-preserving surgery followed by spot-scanning proton beam irradiation.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of postoperative proton therapy (PT) in extracranial chordoma.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-six patients were treated. Gross total resection was achieved in 18 patients.