Phase IV study evaluated Deep TMS for major depression in community settings. Data were aggregated from 1753 patients at 21 sites, who received Deep TMS (high frequency or iTBS) using the H1 coil. Outcome measures varied across subjects and included clinician-based scales (HDRS-21) and self-assessment questionnaires (PHQ-9, BDI-II). 1351 patients were included in the analysis, 202 received iTBS. For participants with data from at least 1 scale, 30 sessions of Deep TMS led to 81.6% response and 65.3% remission rate. 20 sessions led to 73.6% response and 58.1% remission rate. iTBS led to 72.4% response and 69.2% remission. Remission rates were highest when assessed with HDRS (72%). In 84% of responders and 80% of remitters, response and remission was sustained in the subsequent assessment. Median number of sessions (days) for onset of sustained response was 16 (21 days) and for sustained remission 17 (23 days). Higher stimulation intensity was associated with superior clinical outcomes. This study shows that beyond its proven efficacy in RCTs, Deep TMS with the H1 coil is effective for treating depression under naturalistic conditions, and the onset of improvement is usually within 20 sessions. However, initial non-responders and non-remitters benefit from extended treatment.

As early as March 2020, anecdotal reports and some news stories began trickling in about COVID-19 related restrictions and their impacts on strategic mineral supply chains, and the miners who labor in the informal mining sector. However, these reports were few and far between. Imperative was the need for a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the situation, should development partners wish to respond rapidly and accurately to the possible crisis developing in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The World Bank, along with a range of development partners,11Partner organizations: Agere Treasures (Ethiopia), Alliance for Responsible Mining (Burkina Faso), Artisanal and Small Scale Mining National Federation of Mongolia (Mongolia), Terah DeJong & Sebastian Pennes (Central African Republic), GemFair (Sierra Leone), Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (Democratic Republic of Congo), IMPACT (Democratic Republic of Congo), Levin Sources (Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Uganda, Zimbabwe), Pact (Colombia-Afai Consulting, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria), Resources Consulting Services (Chad), Synergy Global Consulting (Democratic Republic of Congo-Innovation Hub for Research in Africa), University of Surrey (Ghana, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Malawi), University of São Paulo NAP-Mineração ‘Centre for Responsible Mini ng’ (Brazil), United Nations Development Programme (Ecuador), World Bank (Indonesia-Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta, Niger) set out to understand how COVID-19 is influencing the development trajectories of select ASM communities (Delve, 2020a). By way of a standardized short questionnaire administered by telephone, researchers conducted rapid surveys on a bi-weekly basis with miners in ASM communities spread across 22 countries (Delve, 2020a) and mining a total of nine minerals.22Cobalt, diamonds, gemstones, gold, quarry stone, sand, tantalum, tin, and tungsten. The questionnaire contained seven main areas of inquiry: (i) knowledge on COVID-19 and its prevention; (ii) access to work; (iii) food security; (iv) human security; (v) service delivery; (vi) supply chains; and (vii) recovery perspectives. More than 3400 responses were gathered over the full data collection period, providing rich snapshots of the impacts being felt by mining communities. The results, as discussed in this viewpoint piece, suggest that whilst ASM continues to offer important livelihoods, even amidst crisis such as COVID-19, the sector is yet to be fully integrated into sustainable development discussions. Formalization, a broad term to capture efforts to strengthen the legitimacy of ASM, is at a critical juncture where the disruption brought about by the global pandemic could yield new, vibrant and promising measures to further support the growth and sustainability of this important global productive sector.

Conflicts of Interest: Aron Tendler, Yiftach Roth and Abraham Zangen have a financial interest in BrainsWay. Aron Tendler, Steven A. Harvey, Mark DeLuca, Jimmy Stehberg, Richard Naimark, David Schmidt, Owen Muir, Carlene McMillan, Saad Shakir, Todd Antin, Diana Ghelber, Walter Duffy, Natalie Lender, Michael Goodman, Moshe Isserles, Kenneth Melman, Juan Cabrera Jr., Faisal A. Munasifi, David Jones, Jagdeep Kaur, Irkali Mania, Sabeen Faris, Zeeshan Faruqui, Shahid Insaf, Deborah Kim, Susan Rushing and Brent Nelson have a financial interest in commercial TMS.