No flight, no bite: 'Mosquito grounding' bed net nearly halves malaria infection in Tanzanian children: First new insecticide for 40 years that's shown to be safe and effective for use on nets could save many young lives - Science Daily | Canada News Media
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No flight, no bite: 'Mosquito grounding' bed net nearly halves malaria infection in Tanzanian children: First new insecticide for 40 years that's shown to be safe and effective for use on nets could save many young lives – Science Daily

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A novel class of bed net that kills mosquitoes resistant to traditional insecticides by making them unable to move or fly, significantly reduces malaria infection in children, according to new research published in The Lancet.

Unlike other insecticides which kill the mosquito via the nervous system, the effects of the new bed net mean the mosquito dies from starvation or being unable to fend for itself.

The two-year community randomised trial involved more than 39,000 households and followed over 4,500 children aged 6 months to 14 years in Tanzania. It found that a long-lasting insecticidal net treated with two insecticides, chlorfenapyr and pyrethroid (chlorfenapyr LLIN), reduced the prevalence of malaria by 43% and 37% in the first and second year respectively, compared to the standard pyrethroid only long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN).

Chlorfenapyr LLIN also reduced clinical episodes of malaria by 44% over the two years and the number of malaria-infected mosquitoes captured by 85%.

The study was conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), National Institute for Medical Research, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College in Tanzania, and the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Long-lasting insecticidal nets are the cornerstones of malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the past few years the decline in malaria has stalled and even reversed in some countries. In 2020, there were 627,000deaths from malaria, mainly in Africa and occurring mostly in children.

Malaria’s resurgence is partly due to the bed nets’ effectiveness being compromised by widespread resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Anopheles mosquitoes. Chlorfenapyr works very differently to pyrethroid, causing wing muscle cramps that stop the flight muscles from functioning. This prevents mosquitoes from making further host contacts or biting, ultimately leading to their death.

The research team says the novel net could lead to significant malaria control gains in sub-Saharan Africa, but more research is needed to examine feasibility of scale-up, and on resistance management strategies needed to preserve their effectiveness long term.

Dr Jacklin F. Mosha from the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, the study’s first author, said: “Malaria remains a huge problem across sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the leading causes of death in Tanzania. We urgently need new interventions to get control efforts back on track and protect young people from this deadly disease. These exciting results highlight that we have another effective tool to help control malaria.”

Children from 72 villages in Misungwi, where high levels of resistance to pyrethroids have been reported, were randomised into groups and received one of three of the most promising new generation of bed nets. Children were then tested for malaria at the end of each rainy season.

After 24 months, malaria infection was reduced by 37% in children that received the chlorfenapyr LLIN (326/1272) compared to those receiving standard pyrethroid LLIN (549/1199).

A bednet treated with a piperonyl butoxide (PBO) to enhance the potency of pyrethroid reduced malaria infection by 27% over the first 12 months of the trial, but after two years malaria infection in this group was similar to the standard net. This is likely due to it being used less regularly as holes appeared in this net more quickly.

A third type of bednet, treated with pyrethroid and pyriproxyfen which sterilises female mosquitoes, had little additional effect compared to the standard pyrethroid net. The reason is not fully understood but likely due to insufficient pyriproxyfen remaining on the net over time.

Dr Manisha Kulkarni, a scientist at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine, said: “By essentially ‘grounding’ the mosquito, our work on adding chlorfenapyr to standard pyrethroid bed nets has great potential to maintain control of malaria transmitted by resistant mosquitoes in Africa.”

The higher costs of the chlorfenapyr LLIN were offset by the savings from reducing the number of malaria cases requiring treatment. Distributing chlorfenapyr nets is therefore expected to cost households and society less overall than standard, PBO, or pyriproxyfen nets.

Dr Natacha Protopopoff, from LSHTM and study Principal Investigator, said: “We’ve shown chlorfenapyr LLINs are safe, decrease malaria infection in children and are cost-effective. This is important evidence for the World Health Organization and malaria control programmes when they are assessing whether these new nets should be deployed in areas of insecticide resistance when standard bed nets have failed.

“However, caution is needed. The massive scale-up of standard pyrethroid LLINs 10-20 years ago led to the rapid spread of pyrethroid resistance. The challenge now is to preserve chlorfenapyr’s effectiveness by developing rational resistance management strategies.

“National malaria control programs and stakeholders should urgently advocate for better textile and insecticide durability for all novel classes of bed nets to maximise their longevity and potential.”

LSHTM scientists first identified the potential of the chlorfenapyr insecticide on malaria mosquitoes almost 20 years ago. The chlorfenapyr LLIN was subsequently developed by the manufacturer BASF in Germany, together with LSHTM.

Professor Mark Rowland, from LSHTM, explained: “When it comes to resistance to standard nets we were running out of options, but chlorfenapyr has come to the rescue. Although it may appear this has happened overnight, in reality there were twists and turns over many years to show how the new class of insecticide truly works ,to develop improved formulations to confirm effectiveness and safety on nets, and finally to demonstrate control of malaria in large scale trials.

“What really threw us for a long time was that in daytime tests the chlorfenapyr was not very toxic to the mosquito, but at night when the malaria mosquitoes naturally fly up against the treated bednet it gets a severe case of muscle cramps so it buckles and falls to where it is likely to be carried off by scavenging ants. No other mosquito insecticide works like this, and because of the unique mode of action it kills all kind of mosquito that have evolved resistance to other insecticides. It should have a long future.”

Professor Franklin W. Mosha, Principal Investigator from the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College, Tanzania, said: “This achievement has only been made possible through partnership between research institutes, manufacturing industry and funding agencies like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and then the Innovative Vector Control Consortium We can all take pride in our respective roles in getting us to this exciting point.”

The authors acknowledge limitations of the study, including the rapid decrease in use of trial LLINs, within a context of high overall net usage, which may in part explain the relative lack of effectiveness of PBO LLINs and pyriproxyfen LLINs over the two years compared to standard LLINs.

This is the first of two trials of chlorfenapyr nets. The second in Benin in West Africa with the Centre de Recherche Entomologique de Cotonou and LSHTM is due to report later this year. This will confirm if chlorfenapyr LLINs are also more effective in a different malaria setting and if pyriproxyfen LLINs could perform better when net usage is higher.

The research was funded by the Joint Global Health Trials: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Medical Research Council, Wellcome and Department of Health and Social Care.

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What’s the greatest holiday gift: lips, hair, skin? Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

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Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting

Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.

In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.

“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.

There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.

Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.

Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.

In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.

 

Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.

Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Pediatric group says doctors should regularly screen kids for reading difficulties

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The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.

New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.

The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.

Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.

Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.

“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”

McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.

But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.

The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.

He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.

“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.

“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.

McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”

McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.

He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.

“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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