Research Prioritization Research Articles

Cancer in general practice research priorities in Australia.

The Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4) is funded by Cancer Australia to support the development of new cancer in primary care research. We undertook a research prioritisation exercise to identify cancer research priorities in Australian general practice. We adapted the nominal group technique, including a literature search and stakeholder survey. An expert group from the Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group consolidated and ranked priorities. A second stakeholder survey reviewing the top 50 priorities informed a final prioritisation workshop. Overall, 311 priorities were identified across the cancer continuum. Nearly one-third of priorities were related to cancer survivorship and included strategies to detect recurrence, behavioural interventions and tools to assess physical and psychosocial aspects of survivorship. Prevention/early detection comprised 43.4% of priorities. Palliative care produced the least priorities (9.6%). Cross cutting research priorities (15.1%) included quality and models of care. This is the first study to identify cancer research priorities for general practice in Australia. It could be used to inform the development of targeted research and funding to improve the care and outcomes for Australians affected by cancer.

Research priorities for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in humanitarian crises: A global prioritisation exercise

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions should provide access to safe water and sanitation, and promote good hygiene practices with dignity, comfort and security. Multiple systematic reviews have noted evidence gaps and is a paucity of good quality evidence related to the effectiveness and implementation of WASH programmes and interventions in humanitarian crises. The aim of this study was to generate consensus-based actionable research priorities for the humanitarian WASH sector. A research prioritisation exercise was conducted by adapting the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method. Research questions were compiled from a rapid scoping review, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Questions were reviewed by a technical expert group. An online survey was circulated to score research questions according to five criteria. An overall prioritisation score was calculated and weighted to prioritise questions. A diverse range of 286 global WASH and health experts engaged in the CHNRI process. A list of 128 questions were generated and scored by experts. Prioritised research questions focussed on evaluating existing interventions or programmes, and making iterative changes to current programmes. Other important questions centred on describing WASH conditions and associated health risks in crises contexts. Priorities were also stratified by gender, organisation and region to understand differences globally. The WASH in Crises Research Agenda has identified key research questions of most importance to those implementing WASH in humanitarian crises and has established a list of research priorities. The identified priorities reinforce how more evidence is needed, and underlines the need for research to evaluate current practices in order to improve the quality of humanitarian response. Stakeholders, including donors, international and national organisations, governments and academic institutions, are invited to use this research agenda to encourage, inspire and enable relevant and high-quality research that will be used to inform humanitarian responses.

Overview Policies, Problems and Prospects of Higher Education in India

Indian education system traditionally served a particular segment of the society belonging to selected groups and elites. Colonial rule under the British Government developed concept of a modern state, modern economy and modern education system. After Independence, Jawaharlal Nehru visualized India as a secular democratic state. School curriculum was based on twin themes of inclusiveness and national pride, ensuring that India’s different communities could live together peacefully as one nation. Higher education through institutions like IITs and IIMs formed a major contribution to the Nehruvian vision of a selfreliant and modern India. Drawing on Nehru’s vision and articulating most of his themes, the Kothari Commission was set up in 1964 to formulate a coherent education policy for India. Kothari Commission felt education is meant to improve productivities, promote national and social harmony, consolidate democracy, modernize the country and develop social, moral and spiritual values. Attainment of this objective is possible only through the education policy which would provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14. According to Kothari Commission, Education policy must feature development of languages, equality of educational opportunities to all social groups and development and prioritization of scientific education and research. The Commission also lay emphasis on the removal of illiteracy and provision of adult education. The theme of the present paper is Policies, Problems and Prospects of Higher Education in India. The main objective of the present paper is to be analyze the policies, problems and prospects of Higher Education in India.

“We have to change our mindsets”: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators in research collaboration across integrated care system organisations

The introduction of Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in England aimed to increase joint planning and delivery of health and social care, and other services, to better meet the needs of local communities. There is an associated duty to undertake collaborative research across ICS partners to inform this new integrated approach, which might be challenging given that organisations span health, local authority, voluntary and community sector, and research. This study aimed to explore the appetite for collaborative Research and Innovation (R&I) across ICSs, potential barriers and solutions. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 24 stakeholders who held senior positions within organisations across two ICS areas (Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin). Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive and deductive analysis, first mapping to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), then considering key influences on organisational behaviour in terms of Capability, Opportunity and Motivation from the COM-B Behaviour Change Wheel. There were fundamental limitations on organisational opportunities for collaborative R&I: a historical culture of competition (rather than collaboration), a lack of research culture and prioritisation, compounded by a challenging adverse economic environment. However, organisations were motivated to undertake collaborative R&I. They recognised the potential benefits (e.g., skill-sharing, staff development, attracting large studies and funding), the need for collaborative research that mirrors integrated care, and subsequent benefits for care recipients. Related barriers included negative experiences of collaboration, fear of failing and low confidence. Capability varied across organisations in terms of research skills and confidence, which reflected the range of partners (from local authorities to NHS Trusts, primary care, and academic institutions). These findings indicate a need to shift from a culture of competition to collaboration, and to help organisations across ICS to prioritise research, and share resources and skills to mitigate the limiting effects of a constrained economic environment. This could be further explored using a systems change approach, to develop the collaborative research efforts alongside the overarching move towards integrated care.

Protective factors for adverse childhood experiences: Scoping review and evidence gap map.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) negatively impact mental, physical, and behavioral health of adults. To develop empirically supported interventions to reduce the impact of ACES, we need to have a strong empirical base of research on modifiable protective factors that reduce the link between ACES and health outcomes. The current review is focused on assessing the state of the literature on modifiable protective factors on the ACE-health outcome relationship in adults. We conducted a scoping review in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A systematic search for peer-reviewed literature published in English was conducted in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from inception of the databases to January 5, 2023. We then constructed an evidence gap map to provide an innovative, visual approach to guide research prioritization. Seventy-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that the majority focused on mental health outcomes (59%), and investigated individual (52%) and general social support (23%) protective factors. Also, the majority of the work was done in North America (65%) with predominantly female samples. Future studies should focus on addressing gaps in our understanding of what factors may buffer the influence of ACES on physical health outcomes and risky health behaviors and our understanding of family and nonfamily relationships and community and cultural protective factors on the ACE-health outcome relationship in adults. Additionally, research is needed that focuses on samples that are more gender diverse and from countries outside of North America. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Wonderings to research questions: Engaging patients in long COVID research prioritization within a learning health system.

An integral component of research within a learning health system is patient engagement at all stages of the research process. While there are well-defined best practices for engaging with patients on predetermined research questions, there is little specific methodology for engaging patients at the stage of research question formation and prioritization. Further, with an emerging disease such as Long COVID, population-specific strategies for meaningful engagement have not been characterized. The COVID-19 Focused Virtual Patient Engagement Studio (CoVIP studio) was a virtual panel created to facilitate patient-centered studies surrounding the effects of long-term COVID ("Long COVID") also known as post-acute SARS-CoV-2 syndrome (PASC). A diverse group of panelists was recruited and trained in several different areas of knowledge, competencies, and abilities regarding research and Long COVID. A three-step approach was developed that consisted of recording panelists' broad wonderings to generate patient-specific research questions. The "wonderings" discussed in panelists' training sessions were analyzed to identify specific populations, interventions, comparators, outcomes, and timeframes (PICOT) elements, which were then used to create a survey to identify the elements of greatest importance to the panel. Based on the findings, 10 research questions were formulated using the PICOT format. The panelists then ranked the questions on perceived order of importance and distributed one million fictional grant dollars between the five chosen questions in the second survey. Through this stepwise prioritization process, the project team successfully translated panelists' research wonderings into investigable research questions. This methodology has implications for the advancement of patient-engaged prioritization both within the scope of Long COVID research and in research on other rare or emerging diseases.

Using photo editing to understand the impact of species aesthetics on support for conservation

Abstract Many threatened species suffer from a lack of conservation attention compared to others. Prioritisation of funding, research and conservation efforts seem to be driven by reasons beyond conservation need. This could be due to a ‘beauty bias’, whereby aesthetically pleasing species receive more attention. We examined how editing an image to increase a species' aesthetic appeal may impact donation choices and public attitude towards that species. We posed two research questions; first, ‘do people make different donation choices when they see original images of a species compared to when they see images of the same species that have been edited to match aesthetic preferences?’ Using hypothetical donation experiments, we asked respondents to allocate funds to the conservation of three pictured species, one ‘aesthetically appealing’, one ‘aesthetically unappealing’, and one whose image was either edited to reflect common aesthetic preferences or left unedited. Our findings suggest that images edited to make an animal more visually appealing tend to receive higher hypothetical donation amounts than original images. We also posed a second research question; ‘How do people of varying conservation expertise respond to original versus edited images of wildlife?’ To investigate this, we ran three focus groups with individuals unfamiliar with our test species, those familiar with two or more of our test species, and with conservation professionals, which showed mixed reactions both within and between groups. Focus group participants with less conservation expertise noted that edited images often seemed ‘cuter’ than unedited images, and were more likely to compare them to cartoon characters. Participants with more conservation expertise and species familiarity reported greater empathy towards unedited images, and noted that the edited images prompted an ‘uncanny valley’ response, highlighting the need for further scrutiny in how photo editing might be used in conservation messaging. Our findings support the beauty bias hypothesis and highlight that decisions on conservation support should acknowledge that less aesthetically pleasing species are disadvantaged in public attention and funding. In addition, the findings highlight the role of conservation expertise in impacting viewer reactions, as well as the ethical implications of editing images of wildlife. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Expanded Systematic Evidence Map for Hundreds of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Comprehensive PFAS Human Health Dashboard.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a class of chemically and structurally diverse compounds that are extensively used in industry and detected in the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap describes national research plans to address the challenge of PFAS. Systematic Evidence Map (SEM) methods were used to survey and summarize available epidemiological and mammalian bioassay evidence that could inform human health hazard identification for a set of 345 PFAS that were identified by the US EPA's Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE) for in vitro toxicity and toxicokinetic assay testing and through interagency discussions on PFAS of interest. This work builds from the 2022 evidence map that collated evidence on a separate set of PFAS. Like our previous work, this SEM does not include PFAS that are the subject of ongoing or completed assessments at the US EPA. SEM methods were used to search, screen, and inventory mammalian bioassay and epidemiological literature from peer-reviewed and gray literature sources using manual review and machine-learning software. For each included study, study design details and health end points examined were summarized in interactive web-based literature inventories. Some included studies also underwent study evaluation and detailed extraction of health end point data. All underlying data is publicly available online as interactive visuals with downloadable metadata. More than 13,000 studies were identified from scientific databases. Screening processes identified 121 mammalian bioassay and 111 epidemiological studies that met screening criteria. Epidemiological evidence (available for 12 PFAS) mostly assessed the reproductive, endocrine, developmental, metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Mammalian bioassay evidence (available for 30 PFAS) commonly assessed effects in the reproductive, whole-body, nervous, and hepatic systems. Overall, 41 PFAS had evidence across mammalian bioassay and epidemiology data streams (roughly 11% of searched chemicals). No epidemiological and/or mammalian bioassay evidence were identified for most of the PFAS included in our search. Results from this SEM, our 2022 SEM on PFAS, and other PFAS assessment products from the US EPA are compiled into a comprehensive PFAS dashboard that provides researchers and regulators an overview of the current PFAS human health landscape including data gaps and can serve as a scoping tool to facilitate prioritization of PFAS-related research and/or risk assessment activities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13423.

Abstract IA010: Unraveling mutation and selection to better understand early cancer evolution

Abstract Molecular variants drive tumorigenesis. The degree by which specific molecular variants drive cell proliferation varies between tissues, is dependent upon mutational background within tissues, and also varies along the progression from normal tissue development through cancer growth. Knowledge regarding the magnitude by which variants drive cell proliferation, quantifiable as the scaled selection coefficient or cancer effect size of variants, throughout the trajectory from healthy tissue into cancer informs early cancer evolution, detection, and diagnosis—and also has direct relevance to clinical trials, targeted therapeutics, and basic research prioritization. However, in order to quantify these scaled selection coefficients one must disentangle the prevalence of fixed substitutions from the rate at which they occur within cells—the mutation rate. These mutation rates also vary between tissues, throughout genomes, and over stages of tissue development and carcinogenesis within the same tissue lineage. Here, we present a novel methodology to quantify scaled selection coefficients in a stepwise manner over several discrete steps in tissue evolution and tumorigenesis. We highlight results from ongoing work in two tissue types: the esophagus and the endometrium. Within the normal esophagus and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma we find that mutation rates vary substantially along the trajectory from embryogenesis through normal tissue and from normal tissue through tumorigenesis. Accordingly, we also find that selective advantages vary between these steps of evolution, with variants of NOTCH1, NOTCH2, and FAT1 having measurable proliferative advantage within normal tissues but no detectable proliferative advantage during tumorigenesis, and variants of PIK3CA, TP53, NFE2L2, and FBXW7 being selected to fix within both normal and tumorigenic tissues. Intriguingly, we complement this analysis with a quantification of pairwise epistasis and find that mutation of NOTCH1 decreases the selective advantage of variants within TP53 and other drivers, informing recent research suggesting NOTCH1 substitutions may actively inhibit tumorigenesis. We similarly deconvolute mutation and selection between embryogenesis through atypical hyperplasia of the endometrium and atypical hyperplasia through Stage 1 endometrial carcinoma and find that variants within CTNNB1 and PTEN have higher selective advantage within hyperplasia, whereas variants within ARID1A and PIK3R1 are more highly selected through Stage 1 tumorigenesis. Overall, we demonstrate how accounting for differences in mutational processes and rates among discrete steps in tumorigenesis and epistatic interactions allows one to determine which variants are contributing to clonal expansion within normal tissues, which variants are contributing to tumorigenesis, which variants are important to both, and in certain instances which variants may impede the progression of a tumor. Citation Format: Vincent L. Cannataro, Kira A. Glasmacher, Mary Summers, Jeffrey D. Mandell, J. Nic Fisk, Mia Jackson, Sem Asmelash, Jeffrey P. Townsend. Unraveling mutation and selection to better understand early cancer evolution [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Translating Cancer Evolution and Data Science: The Next Frontier; 2023 Dec 3-6; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_2):Abstract nr IA010.

Extracting Spatio-Temporal Trends in Medical Research Prioritization Through Natural Language Processing of Case Report Abstracts.

Medical research prioritization is an important aspect of decision-making by researchers and relevant stakeholders. The ever-increasing availability of technology and data has opened doors to new discoveries and new questions. This makes it difficult for researchers and relevant stakeholders to make well-informed decisions about the research areas they want to support and the nations they should look for collaborations. It is, therefore, useful to look at the spatio-temporal trends of medical research prioritization to gain insight into popular and neglected areas of research as well as the allocation of prioritization of each nation. In this study, we develop a system that collects, classifies, and summarizes case report abstracts according to the location, time, and disease category of the report. The additional classifications allow us to visualize and monitor the trends in medical research prioritization by location, time, and disease category.

Wildlife vaccination strategies for eliminating bovine tuberculosis in white-tailed deer populations.

Many pathogens of humans and livestock also infect wildlife that can act as a reservoir and challenge disease control or elimination. Efficient and effective prioritization of research and management actions requires an understanding of the potential for new tools to improve elimination probability with feasible deployment strategies that can be implemented at scale. Wildlife vaccination is gaining interest as a tool for managing several wildlife diseases. To evaluate the effect of vaccinating white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), in combination with harvest, in reducing and eliminating bovine tuberculosis from deer populations in Michigan, we developed a mechanistic age-structured disease transmission model for bovine tuberculosis with integrated disease management. We evaluated the impact of pulse vaccination across a range of vaccine properties. Pulse vaccination was effective for reducing disease prevalence rapidly with even low (30%) to moderate (60%) vaccine coverage of the susceptible and exposed deer population and was further improved when combined with increased harvest. The impact of increased harvest depended on the relative strength of transmission modes, i.e., direct vs indirect transmission. Vaccine coverage and efficacy were the most important vaccine properties for reducing and eliminating disease from the local population. By fitting the model to the core endemic area of bovine tuberculosis in Michigan, USA, we identified feasible integrated management strategies involving vaccination and increased harvest that reduced disease prevalence in free-ranging deer. Few scenarios led to disease elimination due to the chronic nature of bovine tuberculosis. A long-term commitment to regular vaccination campaigns, and further research on increasing vaccines efficacy and uptake rate in free-ranging deer are important for disease management.

Biological characteristics of Australian threatened birds

ABSTRACT Over 750 native bird species reside in or regularly migrate to Australia, many of which have experienced rapid changes in habitat extent over the past two centuries. By 2020, eight taxa were considered Extinct and 10% threatened with extinction. Understanding the underlying extrinsic and intrinsic factors that increase extinction risk can allow prioritisation of conservation management and research. Here, we use state-of-the-art phylogenetic comparative models to reveal the most important biological traits that predispose Australian bird species to elevated extinction risk. We use an extensive database of their biological traits and relate these to each species’ national and global IUCN extinction risk status as assessed over the past three decades (in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). We show that high evolutionary distinctiveness (uniqueness), island endemism, and an inability to take advantage of agricultural habitats were the most important traits explaining elevated extinction risk in species when phylogeny is controlled for, suggesting that extinction risk is disproportionately high in species with high evolutionary distinctiveness. Extinct taxa were characterised by large body mass and island endemism compared to taxa extant in 2020. Our study provides the largest and most up-to-date analysis of the intrinsic traits of Australian birds in relation to their extinction risk, and can be used as a baseline in future studies, for prioritisation of conservation actions, and for policy advice on a broad scale.

Virtual Research Prioritization: Innovations for Research Agenda Development With Impacted Communities

Involving communities in research prioritization is an important component of developing relevant research, policy, and healthcare questions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an increased need for research prioritization methods which align with public health protections. The Research Prioritization by Affected Communities (RPAC) protocol is a participatory method which directly involves historically excluded communities in developing and prioritizing research questions. We adapted the RPAC protocol for the virtual environment (RPAC-ve) to understand the research, healthcare delivery, and policy priorities of greatest importance to communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to pregnancy in the United States. RPAC-ve included the use of a web-based platform, sharable documents for listing and ranking research questions, and a scribe to capture a visual representation of RPAC-ve sessions. RPAC-ve is a flexible and effective priority setting method which can be used to engage high risk populations.

Ab. No. 24 Role of Physical Rehabilitation Strategies Used in Dysphagia Management in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors- A Systematic Review

Introduction: Dysphagia is a common complication in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who have undergone cancer treatment. Such patients have disrupted swallowing problems with decreased swallowing function even after 5 years post treatment. Rehabilitation strategies have been designed to enhance the mechanics of swallowing to achieve long lasting improvements. To quantitatively assess the previous research studies and to derive conclusion about various physical rehabilitation strategies focusing in decreasing dysphagia problems and improving Quality of Life (QOL) in Cancer survivors. Relevance: Systematic review shall help summarize existing research and contribute to informed, efficient, and reliable knowledge synthesis which will guide evidence-based decision-making in clinical practice, and research prioritization. Materials and Methods: Electronic search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, PEDro, and COCHRANE databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated using PEDro scale and Modified McMaster Critical review form for quality appraisal. A descriptive synthesis was undertaken due to heterogeneity of the included studies. Analysis and Results: Total of 17 studies were assessed for Risk of Bias which comprised of 15 clinical trials, 1 Case Series, 1 Case Report that applied swallowing exercises, manoeuvres, Neuromuscular Electrical stimulation (NMES), to the HNC survivors. The outcomes highlighted improvement in swallowing, the oral intake status and QOL as assessed by various swallow/oral intake scales, radiographic examination and QOL scales. Conclusion: The review recommends application of swallowing exercises, manoeuvres, to HNC survivors however, authors speculate diminished use of NMES in such cases. It’s recommended that a well-designed larger sample size with randomization and double blinding would generate better evidence for combined utilization of NMES along with swallowing exercise for HNC survivors. Implications: This systematic review helps to know the lacunae in treatment and how we could strengthen the evidence.

Senior Management Succession Challenges for U.S. Healthcare Facility Operations

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this research was to better understand current state of mid- and senior-level healthcare facility managers to explore potential roadblocks to FM succession related to demographics, backgrounds, and perceptions in supporting future research prioritization for healthcare facility executive leadership development. Methodology A survey was designed to collect information on facility managers’ gender, race, age, job level, employer industry, retirement timeframe, educational attainment, and perceptions of their employers’ recruiting and succession planning. The survey was sent electronically in February 2021 to more than 12,400 FM professionals with a 29% response rate. Only information from U.S. respondents working in healthcare facility operations was used in this study. Findings The healthcare industry is struggling to attract and retain senior-level facility managers. The difficulty in finding qualified facility managers to fill senior-level positions does not appear to be related to a lack of interested candidates or pay. Factors impeding recurring facility workforce development and succession to senior healthcare FM roles may be related to low succession planning adoption by healthcare organizations, an aged facility workforce, and limited undergraduate education achievement from traditional candidates. Originality Healthcare organizations may prioritize these factors in addressing ongoing FM workforce attrition and development challenges to ensure a sustainable pipeline of qualified facility managers prepared to successfully navigate the unique expectations of leading the healthcare built environment.

How can community pharmacists be supported to manage skin conditions? A multistage stakeholder research prioritisation exercise

ObjectiveTo establish research priorities which will support the development and delivery of community pharmacy initiatives for the management of skin conditions.DesignAn iterative, multistage stakeholder consultation consisting of online survey, participant...

Involving older adults and unpaid carers in the research cycle: reflections on implementing the UK national standards for public involvement into practice

PurposeThis paper aims to share how the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research co-designs research within a national programme of work to improve the lives of older adults and those affected by dementia. Through examples of this work, the authors identify the barriers and enablers to participatory approaches and lessons to inform future involvement activities.Design/methodology/approachThis study reflects on implementing the UK National Standards for Public Involvement into practice. Of international relevance, the observations span the research process from research prioritisation and design to research implementation and knowledge exchange.FindingsThis study demonstrates the importance of using a relational approach, working toward a common purpose and engaging in meaningful dialogue. Only through offering choice and flexibility and actively learning from one another can co-design lead to synergistic relationships that benefit everyone.Research limitations/implicationsKey implications for researchers engaged in patient and public involvement are be receptive to other people’s views and acknowledge expertise of those with lived experience alongside those with academic expertise. Training, resources and time are required to effectively support involvement and meaningful relationships. A nominated contact person enables trust and mutual understanding to develop. This is an ongoing collective learning experience that should be embedded throughout the entire research process.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates how the standards are implemented with people who are often excluded from research to influence a national programme of work.

Food, nutrition, and fertility: from soil to fork

Food and nutrition-related factors, including foods and nutrients consumed, dietary patterns, use of dietary supplements, adiposity, and exposure to food-related environmental contaminants, have the potential to impact semen quality and male and female fertility; obstetric, fetal, and birth outcomes; and the health of future generations, but gaps in evidence remain. On 9 November 2022, Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the school's Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships between food, nutrition, and fertility. Topics addressed included male fertility, female fertility and gestation, and intergenerational effects. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting.Regarding male fertility, a positive association exists with a healthy dietary pattern, with high-quality evidence for semen quality and lower quality evidence for clinical outcomes. Folic acid and zinc supplementation have been found to not impact male fertility. In females, body weight status and other nutrition-related factors are linked to nearly half of all ovulation disorders, a leading cause of female infertility. Females with obesity have worse fertility treatment, pregnancy-related, and birth outcomes. Environmental contaminants found in food, water, or its packaging, including lead, perfluorinated alkyl substances, phthalates, and phenols, adversely impact female reproductive outcomes. Epigenetic research has found that maternal and paternal dietary-related factors can impact outcomes for future generations.Priority evidence gaps identified by meeting participants relate to the effects of nutrition and dietary patterns on fertility, gaps in communication regarding fertility optimization through changes in nutritional and environmental exposures, and interventions impacting germ cell mechanisms through dietary effects. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and fertility.

Microplastic effects in aquatic ecosystems with special reference to fungi–zooplankton interaction: identification of knowledge gaps and prioritization of research needs

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles <5 mm in size, that end up ultimately in marine and freshwater ecosystems, adversely affecting various ecological functions. With the multifaceted roles of fungi and their diverse modes of interaction such as saprobic, epibiotic, endobiotic, parasitic, and symbiotic or being a nutritionally enriched food source in aquatic ecosystems, the effect of MPs on fungi–plankton interactions is still less explored. Properties of MPs such as (i) size range similar to those of microeukaryotes, (ii) substrate for unique microbiota, (iii) ability to be transported from the source to faraway waterbodies, and (iv) sorption of pollutants, have adverse effects on various guilds of ecological organization. MPs also tend to alter nutrient cycling and inhibit efficient energy transfer through microbial and mycoloop in an ecosystem. This paper comprehensively reviews the effect of MPs at the population and community level on the complex ecological (fungi–phytoplankton–zooplankton) interactions with an emphasis on the role of fungi in the aquatic ecosystem. Examination of existing literature revealed that MPs can interfere in ecosystem functioning by acting in synergy with fungi, while antagonistically affecting the community and vice-versa. Herein, we explore current understanding of the effect of MPs on major components of microbial and mycoloop in the marine food web, elaborating MPs-mediated changes in the ecosystem functioning, identifying research gaps, and highlighting the need for future research.

A strategic neurological research agenda for Europe: Towards clinically relevant and patient-centred neurological research priorities.

Neurological disorders constitute a significant portion of the global disease burden, affecting >30% of the world's population. This prevalence poses a substantial threat to global health in the foreseeable future. A lack of awareness regarding this high burden of neurological diseases has led to their underrecognition, underappreciation, and insufficient funding. Establishing a strategic and comprehensive research agenda for brain-related studies is a crucial step towards aligning research objectives among all pertinent stakeholders and fostering greater societal awareness. A scoping literature review was undertaken by a working group from the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) to identify any existing research agendas relevant to neurology. Additionally, a specialized survey was conducted among all EAN scientific panels, including neurologists and patients, inquiring about their perspectives on the current research priorities and gaps in neurology. The review revealed the absence of a unified, overarching brain research agenda. Existing research agendas predominantly focus on specialized topics within neurology, resulting in an imbalance in the number of agendas across subspecialties. The survey indicated a prioritization of neurological disorders and research gaps. Building upon the findings from the review and survey, key components for a strategic and comprehensive neurological research agenda in Europe were delineated. This research agenda serves as a valuable prioritization tool for neuroscientific researchers, as well as for clinicians, donors, and funding agencies in the field of neurology. It offers essential guidance for creating a roadmap for research and clinical advancement, ultimately leading to heightened awareness and reduced burden of neurological disorders.