Many patients with chlamydia and gonorrhea are not receiving CDC-recommended treatment in primary care

Treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhea in primary care and its patient-level variation: an American family cohort study

American Academy of Family Physicians

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Original Research

Background and Goal: Prompt treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhea following a confirmed diagnosis is essential to prevent complications and reduce transmission. Adherence to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) treatment guidelines in primary care settings remains a concern. This study aimed to quantify the overall treatment rate for chlamydia and gonorrhea and identify factors associated with treatment delays and disparities. 

Study Approach: Researchers analyzed electronic health record data from the PRIME registry, which includes information from over 2,000 primary care clinicians across the United States. The study included patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea between 2018 and 2022 and assessed whether they received appropriate antibiotic treatment within 30 days of diagnosis.

Main Results: 6,678 cases of chlamydia and 2,206 cases of gonorrhea confirmed by a positive test were identified.

• 75.3% of chlamydia cases and 69.6% of gonorrhea cases were treated within 30 days.

• More than 80% of treated patients received antibiotics within 7 days of diagnosis.

• Only 14% of chlamydia cases were treated with the recommended doxycycline and only 38.7% of gonorrhea cases were treated with the recommended ceftriaxone.

• Women, young adults (ages 10-29), and suburban residents were more likely to receive treatment.

• Time to treatment of chlamydia was longer for patients aged 50-59 years and for non-Hispanic Black patients.

Why It Matters: Many patients with chlamydia and gonorrhea in primary care settings do not receive the recommended treatment. This gap in care may contribute to ongoing STI transmission and adverse health outcomes, particularly among marginalized populations. 

Treatment of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in Primary Care and Its Patient-Level Variation: An American Family Cohort Study

Shiying Hao, PhD, et al

Center for Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 

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An accompanying episode of the Annals of Family Medicine Podcast, featuring study authors Shiying Hao, PhD, and Neil Kamdar, MA, will be available here beginning 9am EDT March 25.

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Journal

The Annals of Family Medicine

 

From economic struggles to culture wars: New study reveals how GDP influences polarization around the globe

City St George’s, University of London

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Polarisation in lower-income countries largely flows from economic and material issues, while social topics and identity-related debates are the most polarising subjects in richer nations, new research reveals.

The study from City St George’s, University of London analysed 40 years of global data to explore how modernisation influences ideological divides, shedding light on the factors driving ideological polarisation across different nations around the world.

As political divisions deepen in many countries, the study clarifies the complex, multifaceted implications of modernisation and highlights its influence on political polarisation. It has been published in the journal Cross-Cultural Research.

To explore how polarisation differs depending on per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the author – Dr Francesco Rigoli – drew on data from the World Values Survey, which spans more than 100 countries across seven waves of data over the past four decades.

By using per capita GDP as a measure of modernisation, Dr Rigoli found that ideological divisions in lower-income countries tend to focus on material concerns, such as economic issues, immigration, and gender equality. But as societies modernise, it was seen that ideological divides shift away from economic struggles towards debates over personal freedoms, such as abortion and divorce, and identity-related issues. This is partly due to the divide between conservative and liberal positions at play in higher-income countries, while lower-income nations tend to be more conservative.

The present findings support the idea that lower-income countries, which are those transitioning towards modernity, are predisposed to ideological polarisation partly due to the clash between traditional culture, rooted in the pre-modern lifestyle, and radical new ideas. Education may also play a role, as in lower-income countries, higher education is typically reserved for the elites at the expense of the masses.

Given their small number and privileged status, in lower-income countries, the highly educated may focus on promoting their economic values, supporting inequality and free markets and minimal government intervention.

Dr Francesco Rigoli, Reader in the Department of Psychology at City St George’s, said:

“Given the increasing political turmoil seen globally, from economic protests in developing nations to heated debates over social issues in Western democracies, understanding the roots of ideological polarisation is more relevant than ever. The findings offer crucial insights into the political challenges faced by nations at different stages of development.

“The most striking observation is that ideological polarisation appears to be higher in poor countries, but we also saw that rich countries emerge as being comparatively more vulnerable on matters of free choice. A compelling argument is that this vulnerability may explain the recent culture wars and surge of political tensions observed in the West.

“These observations may help policy makers to devise effective interventions aimed at mitigating the detrimental consequences of polarisation and at fostering social cohesion. They suggest that interventions should take into account the specific vulnerabilities of a country that in part depend on the country’s level of modernisation.”

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Journal

Cross-Cultural Research

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Publication Date

24-Mar-2025

 

Teaching kids about bugs benefits the environment

University of Adelaide

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Students involved in an insect-based citizen science project.

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Credit: Encounter Lutheran College.

Pro-environmental behaviour increases among school students who participate in insect-related citizen science projects, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.

Students who participated in citizen science project Insect Investigators, which engages students in the discovery of new insects, not only expressed an intention to change their personal behaviour but also to encourage others to protect nature.

“As a result of their involvement in this program, students expressed intentions to further engage in insect–science–nature activities,” says the University of Adelaide’s Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries, who contributed to the study.

“In addition, teachers reported increased intentions to include insect-related topics in their teaching, which was positively associated with students' own intentions for pro-environmental behaviour change.

“This suggests students’ response to the project influenced their teacher’s decision to include citizen science in their lessons.”

School-based citizen science projects facilitate authentic scientific interactions between research and educational institutions while exposing students to scientific processes.

“Teachers’ motivations for providing citizen science experiences to students was to create hands-on learning opportunities and to connect students with real science and scientists,” says Professor Patrick O’Connor AM, Director of the University’s School of Economics and Public Policy.

“Teachers reported interactions with researchers as invaluable. These interactions could take the form of in-person visits by team members, or even instructional videos and curriculum-linked teacher lesson plans.”

Incorporating insects into school-based citizen science projects can challenge widespread human misconceptions about insects and their roles in ecosystems, and foster human–insect connections.

“Given global concerns of rapid insect declines and the overarching biodiversity crisis, insect-focused, school-based citizen science projects can ultimately contribute towards equipping students with knowledge of, and actions to promote, insect conservation,” says lead author Dr Andy Howe, from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

“In Australia, approximately 33 per cent of insects are formally described, the remainder exist as ‘dark taxa’, to the detriment of environmental and biodiversity management initiatives.

“Encouraging more young people to engage in science not only engenders positive feelings in them towards the environment, it will also help to build the next generation of scientists who will fill in the vast knowledge gap that exists in the world of insects.”

The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

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DOI

10.1111/aen.70004 

 

New study reveals impact of vermicomposted olive wastes on plant defense and pest control.

Higher Education Press

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A recent study published in Soil Ecology Letters has elucidated the combined effects of soil amendments and pest attacks on plant-induced defence mechanisms and their impact on the behaviour of biological control agents. The research, conducted by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Fundación MEDINA, focused on the utilisation of vermicomposted olive mill waste as a soil amendment and its consequence on the tri-trophic interactions between olive trees (Olea europaea), the carpophagous generation of the olive moth (Prays oleae), and its natural predator, the green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea).

The study emphasizes the pivotal role of belowground ecology in plant defence within a circular economy framework. The findings demonstrate that the application of vermicomposted olive waste and the simulation of Prays oleae attacks have a significant impact on the volatile compounds emitted by olive trees. These alterations in volatile compounds affect the attraction of Chrysoperla carnea, a principal predator of the olive seed-feeding caterpillar.

It is of particular significance that the research illustrates the important contribution of belowground fungal diversity in determining the composition of aboveground plant volatiles. Moreover, this study indicates that the attractiveness of these aerial volatiles is linked to soil organic carbon content and the diversity of both bacterial and fungal root communities. It is notable that three specific volatile compounds – 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, acetic acid and nonanal – were found to consistently attract the lacewing Chrysoperla carnea.

These findings emphasise the necessity of continuous monitoring of soil amendments in order to comprehend their influence on plant-induced defence mechanisms and their potential to enhance biological control strategies. The study offers valuable insights that can inform sustainable agricultural practices and the effective reuse of organic waste as soil fertilisers.

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Journal

Soil Ecology Letters

DOI

10.1007/s42832-024-0281-z 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Microbe-mediated organic fertilization increases insect predator attraction upon fruit damage in olive trees

 

Cloud band movement influences wet spells during Indian monsoon

Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

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Artistic representation of processes responsible for the northward propagation of monsoon cloud bands in the present (left panels) and future climate (right panels)

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Credit: Aditya Kottapalli

The monsoon rains have long remained the lifeblood of India, providing the lion’s share of the water used for drinking and irrigation. The yearly arrival of the rains, which quenches the thirst of the harsh summers, is caused by the movement of cloud bands from the equator towards the north.

A recent study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has shown that contrary to previous understanding, the strength of the cloud band plays a key role in its movement as well as the density of rains that the Indian subcontinent receives during the wet spells of the monsoon.

India receives 80% of its annual rainfall during the summer monsoon months, between June and September, which are marked by several wet and dry spells along with strong winds. These wet and dry spells are controlled by the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO, also called monsoon intraseasonal oscillations) which also brings a band of clouds from the equator over to the Indian subcontinent, putting an end to the dry spell. The duration of the wet spell is determined by the size and strength of the cloud band.

Since its discovery in 1979, most theories have suggested that regardless of the strength of disturbance at the equator, the cloud band propagates northward. “Most of the existing literature says that even if you put any small instability, it should always propagate northwards,” explains Aditya Kottapalli, PhD student at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), IISc and first author of the study published in npj climate and atmospheric science. “What we have shown is that this is not the case. If the cloud band in the equator is weak to start with, then it cannot propagate north.”

The IISc team examined gaps in predictions among existing climate models and combined projections from highly efficient models to determine what factors drive the movement of the BSISO. They found that the robust northward propagation of the BSISO occurs only when the equatorial cloud band is strong. This strong cloud band increases moisture in the atmosphere over the subcontinent, via stronger winds, and triggers northward propagation. 

“Research teams at CAOS have been pursuing the topics of interaction between ocean and atmosphere for a long time, using data sets and model simulation,” says PN Vinayachandran, Professor and Chair of CAOS and corresponding author of the study. “What we found is that air-sea interaction in the equatorial Indian ocean plays a major role in driving wet spells in India. This is likely to change in the future because the atmosphere would be warmer.”

Vinayachandran adds that in the future, the background moisture – how much water vapour is already present before the rains begin – will increase over most of this region, resulting in stronger wet spells. The associated rainfall during these wet spells is expected to increase by 42% to 63% over India and the adjoining seas.

The researchers believe that these findings will help improve the efficiency of current climate models used to forecast seasonal and sub-seasonal rainfall. 

 

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DOI

10.1038/s41612-025-00959-4 

Article Title

Equatorial convection controls boreal summer intraseasonal oscillations in the present and future climates

 

Artisanal fishers are almost as accurate as satellites in producing environmental data

University of Plymouth

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The eastern Aegean Sea is home to many small artisanal fishing communities, with many fisherman having sailed the same waters every day for more than 60 years

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Credit: Konstantis Alexopoulos/University of Plymouth

Artisanal fishers can be almost as accurate as satellite data when it comes to their awareness of features that can be found in the marine environment, a new study has shown.

Published in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management, the research set out to establish the value of local ecological knowledge (LEK) and its ability to generate high quality habitat maps around five Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea.

Ten fishermen, based on their individual experience and knowledge, were asked to pinpoint areas where they believed seagrass beds could be found along the coastlines of their respective islands.

The maps they produced were then compared with satellite data of the same regions, with analysis showing an average accuracy of 78% – and a high of 92%.

The fishermen’s maps were also 11% more accurate than those used by the Greek government in the development of environmental policies, with more than half of the government maps underestimating the scale of seagrass beds found across the region.

The researchers say their findings are a clear demonstration of the value of tapping into local knowledge, and how doing so can be a low-cost means of generating environmental data without compromising the high accuracy needed for the data to be still valuable for policy use.

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Plymouth and the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. They worked closely with fishermen on the islands of Fourni, Arki, Patmos, Lipsi and Leros, each of which are home to communities made up largely of small artisanal fishing vessels.

Konstantis Alexopoulos, a BSc (Hons) Ocean Science and Marine Conservation graduate from the University of Plymouth, now pursuing a PhD with the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, is its lead author.

He said: “Some of the fishermen we spoke to had been sailing the same waters every day for more than 60 years. That experience has given them a huge amount of knowledge, but we wanted to test precisely how accurate their empirical data were in comparison to more traditional sources of information. For some personal recollections to be 90% as accurate as the data provided from satellites is really impressive, and something we should be taking into greater account. It also highlights the importance of gathering such information, as there is a huge wealth of data within local fishing communities that is otherwise at risk of being lost as fewer younger people enter the profession in the future.”

Those involved in the research say it is another example of how communities, scientists and decision makers could work in collaboration to meet ambitions set out within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

And despite it being centred around the eastern Aegean Sea, they believe their findings – and the methods used to reach them – will be relevant in other parts of the ocean.

In particular, they say LEK could play a pivotal role in generating greater understanding of deeper marine ecosystems which satellites can’t see and for which there are currently little or no maps available to guide management decisions.

Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, Associate Professor of Marine Conservation at the University and the current study’s senior author, added: “There is a huge global drive to get more people involved in projects that incorporate elements of citizen science. Despite that, expert local ecological knowledge is still being dismissed or discredited by those making decisions about the environment. But just because information hasn’t been generated by expensive technology, it doesn’t make it any less valuable. Using people’s life experiences, gathered from fishing and living in an area over many years, alongside other scientific data can help us develop and implement actions that maintain a healthy global ocean.”

 

Ten fishermen, based on their individual experience and knowledge, were asked to pinpoint areas where they believed seagrass beds could be found along the coastlines of their respective islands

Credit

Konstantis Alexopoulos/University of Plymouth

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Journal

Ocean & Coastal Management

DOI

10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107627 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Is sparse Local Ecological Knowledge accurate enough for policy? A seagrass mapping case study from five Greek islands in the Eastern Aegean Sea

Article Publication Date

24-Mar-2025