Screening Stage Research Articles

Management of Premenstrual Disorders: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 7.

To provide recommendations for the management of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, collectively referred to as premenstrual disorders, based on assessment of the evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of available treatment options. An overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of premenstrual disorders also is included to provide readers with relevant background information and context for the clinical recommendations. Reproductive-aged adults and adolescents with premenstrual symptoms. This guideline was developed using an a priori protocol in conjunction with a writing team consisting of two specialists in obstetrics and gynecology appointed by the ACOG Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines-Gynecology and one external subject matter expert. ACOG medical librarians completed a comprehensive literature search for primary literature within Cochrane Library, Cochrane Collaboration Registry of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PubMed, and MEDLINE. Studies that moved forward to the full-text screening stage were assessed by two authors from the writing team based on standardized inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included studies underwent quality assessment, and a modified GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluations) evidence-to-decision framework was applied to interpret and translate the evidence into recommendation statements. This Clinical Practice Guideline includes recommendations on the following evidence-based treatment options for premenstrual disorders, with an acknowledgement that many patients may benefit from a multimodal approach that combines several interventions: pharmacologic agents (hormonal and nonhormonal), psychological counseling, complementary and alternative treatments, exercise and nutritional therapies, patient education and self-help strategies, and surgical management. Recommendations are classified by strength and evidence quality. Ungraded Good Practice Points are included to provide guidance when a formal recommendation could not be made because of inadequate or nonexistent evidence. Based on review of extrapolated data from adult populations and expert consensus, it was determined that the recommendations also apply to adolescents, with a few exceptions that are noted in the Clinical Practice Guideline.

The impact of student engagement, quality of student faculty relationship and student loyalty on quality of higher education: A systematic literature review

The aim of this research work is to find the impact of student engagement, the quality of the relationship between the faculty and students, and student loyalty on higher education by conducting a systematic review. The data for this research work have been collected from the major databases, which include JSTOR, PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. This research work targeted the peer-reviewed journal articles that were published in the English Language from 2013 to 2023. The research works contain empirical data analysis included in this work for conducting the systematic review on the basis of inclusion and the exclusion criteria the PRISMA analysis used for the screening of the literature. In the initial stage, 289 primary articles were selected related to this research, and after the removal of the duplicates, the number of articles was reduced to 250; in the next stage of screening, 190 articles were excluded because the researcher did not find these articles relevant to the objectives of the study. The abstract of the remaining 60 studies analyzed, and 20 more articles have been excluded at this stage. The remaining 40 articles go through a comprehensive full-text review for the assessment related to suitability for inclusion in the study. After the completion of the assessment, the ten articles have been finalized for the final review. The results extracted from the review indicate that student engagement, the quality of student-faculty relationships, and student loyalty have a positive and significant association with the quality of higher education. The recommendations of this research are that the comprehensive review must be conducted at the primary school level and also at the secondary school level.

Analysis of the selenoprotein P (rs7579) gene polymorphism and expression in patients with chronic pancreatitis combined with hypothyroidism

Background. The specific role and place of genetic factors in the development of chronic pancreatitis and hypothyroidism, which determine the activity of glutathione antioxidant protection, have not been clarified. They are interconnected with changes in the fat and carbohydrate metabolism, and also affect the transport and signaling pathways of key nutrients for the work of the immune, endocrine and nervous systems. The purpose of the study is to investigate the selenoprotein P (SEPP1) (rs7579) gene polymorphism and expression in patients with chronic pancreatitis combined with hypothyroidism. Materials and methods. Forty-nine patients with chronic pancreatitis and hypothyroidism and 30 practically healthy individuals passed the screening stage. The SEPP1 (rs7579) gene polymorphism was determined by the polymerase chain reaction. Results. The study showed that out of 98 isolated alleles in patients with chronic pancreatitis and hypothyroidism and 60 alleles of the control group, the G allele of the SEPP1 gene (rs7579, 25191G/A) dominated over the A allele: in the examined patients — by 34.7 % (χ2 = 23.59; p < 0.001), in the practically healthy group — by 53.34 % (χ2 = 34.13; p < 0.001). At the same time, the relative frequency of individual genotypes, as well as wild-type and mutant alleles, probably did not differ between the experimental and control groups. The A allele of the SEPP1 gene (rs7579) slightly increases the risk of chronic pancrea­titis in the studied population, but non-significantly [risk ratio (RR) = 1.43; RR 95% CI (confidence interval): 0.91–2.26; odds ratio (OR) = 1.65; OR 95% CI: 0.88–3.08; p = 0.115]. Conclusions. In patients with chronic pancreatitis who are residents of Northern Bukovyna, mutation of the SEPP1 gene (rs7579, 25191G/A) in the homozygous state occurs with a frequency of 10.2 %, while it is absent in practically healthy people. In both groups, the G allele dominates over the A allele: in the examined patients — by 34.7 % (χ2 = 23.59; p < 0.001), in controls — by 53.34 % (χ2 = 34.13; p < 0.001). SEPP1 gene polymorphism (rs7579, 25191G/A) does not determine the risk of chronic pancreatitis in the population. However, the A allele increases the risk of hypothyroidism in chro­nic pancreatitis patients twice [OR = 2.0; OR 95% CI: 1.09–3.66; p = 0.023], with the lowest chances of its appearance in carriers of the G allele [OR = 0.50; OR 95% CI: 0.27–0.91; p = 0.023]. Mapping of the expression quantitative trait loci on both sides of the SEPP1 gene (rs7579) transcription start site evidenced 152 statistically significant cis-variants of rs7579 of the SEPP1 gene (SELENOP) associations with the expression of 20 genes in 35 different organs and tissues and 22 phenotypic traits.

Efficacy of mHealth Interventions for Improving Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Hypertensive Disorders: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent medical conditions that arise during pregnancy, resulting in maternal and neonatal complications. Mobile health (mHealth) has emerged as an innovative intervention for delivering maternal and child health care services. The evidence on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions in improving the health outcomes of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders is lacking. Therefore, there is a need for evidence synthesis using systematic review methods to address this evidence gap. This review aims to determine the efficacy of mHealth interventions in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with hypertensive disorders. The review will answer the following research questions: (1) What are the types of mHealth interventions used in pregnant women with hypertensive disorders? (2) Are the various mHealth interventions effective in improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes, health behaviors, and their knowledge of the disease? and (3) Are mHealth interventions effective in supporting health care providers to make health care decisions for pregnant women with hypertensive disorders? This review will include randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, and cohort studies focusing on mHealth interventions for pregnant women with hypertensive disorders. Studies reporting health care providers use of mHealth interventions in caring for pregnant women with hypertensive disorders will be included. The search strategy will be tailored to each database using database-specific search terms. The search will be conducted in PubMed-MEDLINE, ProQuest, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL. Other literature sources, such as trial registries and bibliographies of relevant studies, will be additionally searched. Studies published in English from January 2000 to January 2023 will be included. A total of 2 review authors will independently perform the data extraction and the quality appraisal. For quality appraisal of randomized controlled trials, the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool will be used. The Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-1) tool will be used for nonrandomized controlled trials, and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for cohort studies will be used. Any disagreements between the 2 reviewers will be resolved through discussion and a third reviewer if required. A meta-analysis will be performed based on the availability of the data. As per the protocol, the study methodology was followed, and 2 independent reviewers conducted the search in 6 databases and clinical registries. Currently, the review is in the full-text screening stage. The review will publish the results in the first quarter of 2024. The evidence synthesized from this systematic review will help guide future research, support health care decisions, and inform policy makers on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions in improving the maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders. PRR1-10.2196/51792.

Implementation of Realistic Mathematics Education in Madrasah (2018-2022)

This article contains the results of a systematic and comprehensive investigation of articles that discuss the realistic mathematics education applied to mathematics learning in madrasah published from 2018 to 2022. This study uses the systematic literature review method with its stages of identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion. The results of the investigation were grouped into five major themes in response to the research questions. The findings of this investigation include (1) the realistic mathematics education has experienced significant development when applied to mathematics learning in madrasah in terms of implementation, effectiveness and development; (2) the realistic mathematics education in madrasah has a positive impact on student development in terms of knowledge, attitudes and skills; (3) the research approaches to realistic mathematics approaches applied in madrasah are quite diverse; (4) the methods used in testing the effectiveness of realistic mathematics education are carried out with pretest-posttest, interviews and questionnaires and (5) the material topics discussed related to research on realistic mathematics education in madrasah are mostly still on the aspects of numbers and geometry. Overall, the main contribution of this systematic literature review is that a realistic mathematics education applied to mathematics learning in madrasah is a positive and promising thing. Furthermore, this study provides additional insight for us about how a realistic mathematics education is applied to learning mathematics in madrasah.

Comparative evaluation of recommendations for preclinical studies of transporter-mediated drug–drug interactions

Scientific relevance. Sound recommendations for preclinical studies of transporter- mediated pharmacokinetic interactions of medicinal products can help increase the likelihood of identifying potentially nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic medicinal products at the development and authorisation stages. However, overly strict requirements for the number of studies to be performed may lead to a significant increase in the cost of finished medicinal products.Aim. The aim was to compare regulatory documents on studying transporter-mediated drug–drug interactions (DDIs).Discussion. This review examines changes in regulatory requirements for studying DDIs in chronological order from the first guidelines that appeared in 1997. As exemplified in this article, the multiplicity of transporters and the lack of specific inhibitors pose significant challenges in assessing the role of a particular transporter in drug distribution and drug–drug interactions. This comparative review shows that extrapolating from in vitro transporter inhibition studies to in vivo pharmacokinetics can be misleading.Conclusions. A unified approach to studying transporter-mediated DDIs will increase the likelihood of identifying potentially toxic agents at the stage of new molecule screening. At the same time, it is advisable to limit the number of in vitro and in vivo transporter studies and recommend conducting these studies only for medicinal products with a narrow therapeutic index.

The Impact of Environmental and Behavioral Factors on the Incidence of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Indonesia: Meta-analysis

Cases of dengue fever in Indonesia will increase to 143,000 by the end of 2022. The aim of the research is to examine the impact of environmental and behavioral factors on the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Indonesia. This research uses the Meta-Analysis Method with PICOS technology. Some sources of information used include Google Scholar, Research Gate, and Plos ONE, with the help of keywords such as "Environmental factors" and "Behavior." 193 articles were obtained, 151 articles came from Google Scholar, 37 articles from Research Gate, and 5 articles from Plos ONE. The articles obtained were filtered using inclusion criteria such as articles that had a 2x2 table, and discussed dengue fever and behavior with the number of selected articles being 21. At the screening stage, researchers used a cross-sectional research design. JASP application version 0.16.3.0 was used to process meta-analysis data. The key findings show that the habit of hanging clothes has a 2.386 higher risk as a cause of dengue hemorrhagic fever, with the pooled OR value as follows e0.87 = 2.386 (CI 95% 0.17-1.57). The presence of larvae has a risk of 2.075 for dengue fever with the following pooled value e0.73 = 2.075 (CI 95% 0.12-1.33). Meanwhile, the 3 M movement has a risk of 0.406 for the incidence of dengue fever with the following pooled value e-0.90 = 0.406 (CI 95% -1.66-0.15). the conclusion is There is an influence of the habit of hanging clothes, the presence of larvae and the 3M movement on the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Air pollution and oxidative stress in adults suffering from airway diseases. Insights from the Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD) multi-case control study

Air pollution is a leading risk factor for global mortality and morbidity. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism underlying air-pollution-mediated health effects, especially in the pathogenesis/exacerbation of airway impairments. However, evidence lacks on subgroups at higher risk of developing more severe outcomes in response to air pollution. This multi-centre study aims to evaluate the association between air pollution and oxidative stress in healthy adults and in patients affected by airway diseases from the Italian GEIRD (Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases) multi-case control study. Overall, 1841 adults (49 % females, 20–83 years) were included from four Italian centres: Pavia, Sassari, Turin, and Verona. Following a 2-stage screening process, we identified 1273 cases of asthma, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, or COPD and 568 controls. Systemic oxidative stress was quantified by urinary 8-isoprostane and 8-OH-dG. Individual residential exposures to NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O3 were derived using an innovative five-stage machine-learning-based approach. Linear mixed regression models tested the association between oxidative stress biomarkers and air pollution tertiles, adjusting by age, sex, BMI, smoking, education and season, with recruiting centres as random intercept. Only cases exhibited higher levels of log-transformed 8-isoprostane and 8-OH-dG in association with NO2 (β: 0.30 95 % CI: 0.08–0.52 and 0.20 95 % CI: 0.03–0.37), PM10 (0.34 95 % CI: 0.12–0.55 and 0.21 95 % CI: 0.05–0.37) and PM2.5 (0.27 95 % CI: 0.09–0.49 and 0.18 95 % CI: 0.02–0.34) as compared to the first tertile of exposure. No significant associations were observed for summer O3. Our findings suggest that exposure to air pollution may increase systemic oxidative stress levels in people suffering from airway diseases. This introduces a potential novel approach available for future epidemiological studies and Public Health for effective prevention strategies oriented at the quantification of early biological effects in susceptible people, whose additional risk level might be currently underrated. Air-pollution-mediated exacerbations, driven by oxidative stress, still deserve our attention.

ASSESSING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS USING SACERS INTERNATIONAL SCALES: A BIBLIOMETRICPERSPECTIVE

To establish optimal conditions for school-age learners’ best educational outcomes, research-evidenced documentation is a requirement prior to any significant change. This bibliometric analysis investigated articles published on School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) from 2017 to 2023 (n=10). Data collection involved identification, screening, exclusion, and eligibility stages. The bibliometrics R-package was used for data analysis on the Bibliometric cloud-based platform, focusing on publication patterns, citation networks, and bibliographic insights. Key findings indicate limited research-related publications on SACERS, possibly due to country-specific adaptations and variants in local languages. The scientific production varied annually, with few publications during 2017-2023. Canada, Russia, and the USA led SACERS research, implementing changes based on findings in target educational institutions. It was also found that research publications imply a university’s intellectual and epistemological contribution; this also offers insights for academic institutions to enhance research strategies and academic influence. Based on these findings, we concluded that SACERS is an invaluable tool for globally evaluating educational environments. Its comprehensive assessment empowers educators to foster enriching learning environments for all students. Keywords: SACERS scale, assessment, school-age children, bibliometrics, educational conditions.

Machine learning and knowledge engineering for cognitive memory assessment of age groups by anomalies in a serious game

In psychology, clinical instruments are often used for assessing the cognitive domains and detecting mental alterations. Nevertheless, after the screening stage, the recommendation of activities for training or new assessments could take a long time. Other instruments such digital serious games are commonly used to train cognitive domains, unlike classical instruments, can collect extra data on players' behavior without altering a person's state. In the other hand, decision-making tools are based mainly on two techniques, machine learning for revealing hidden data patterns, and knowledge engineering for building knowledge-based systems. However, the synergy among these both techniques is not completely leveraged, otherwise, when it is, this intelligent data analysis allows the creation of hypotheses and validate contradictions. In this context, this paper presents a tool for supporting the cognitive memory assessment of people based on machine learning and knowledge engineering (M&K-CogMem). The source of data is a matching game for memory training, and after that, this tool determines the memory status of players among their respective age groups, it based on the scores and times in the game. In case of detecting a cognitive memory alteration, it recommends activities for memory improvement through its inference engine. Testing its adoption in industry, an empirical evaluation carried out by psychologists through a technology acceptance model showed positive indicators.

A Study of Reciprocal Job Recommendation for College Graduates Integrating Semantic Keyword Matching and Social Networking

With the surge in college graduate numbers, a disparity has emerged where the supply of jobs falls short of demand, intensifying employment pressures annually. College graduates, due to their lack of historical employment data compared with job seekers in the broader society, encounter a ‘cold start’ issue in the job recommendation process. Additionally, the nature of job recommendations, which differs fundamentally from unilateral recommendations, requires consideration of reciprocity between both parties involved. This article introduces a new approach to job recommendations using college graduates as the object of study. In the screening stage, a semantic keyword iterative algorithm is applied to compute the similarity between the resume and recruitment texts. This algorithm enhances the intersectionality of keywords in the calculation process, maximizing the utilization of resume information to enhance the accuracy of text similarity calculations. The ranking phase utilizes in-school data to build a social network between college graduates and graduated students and solves the system’s cold-start problem using the social network to recommend jobs for college graduates where graduated students are employed. We introduce a dual-dimensional matching approach that incorporates both specialty and salary, building upon the amalgamated semantic keyword iterative algorithm and the social network job recommendation method, to enhance the reciprocity of job recommendations. The job recommendation method introduced herein outperforms other methods in terms of the average satisfaction rate (AR) and normalized discounted cumulative gain (NDCG), thereby confirming its superior ability to meet the job-seeking preferences of graduates and the recruitment criteria of employers. This job recommendation method offers effective assistance to graduates lacking employment experience and historical employment data, facilitating their search for more suitable job opportunities.

The value of a three-microRNA panel in serum for prostate cancer screening.

Globally, prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in males. Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) may function as non-invasive and innovative biomarkers for various cancers. Our study aimed to determine potential miRNAs for prostate cancer screening. A three-stage study was accomplished to ascertain crucial miRNAs as markers. In the screening stage, we searched PubMed for aberrantly expressed miRNAs relevant to prostate cancer and selected them as candidate miRNAs. In training and validation stages, with serum specimens from 112 prostate cancer patients and 112 healthy controls, expressions of candidate miRNAs were identified through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The diagnostic capabilities of miRNAs were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves. Bioinformatic analysis was utilized to explore the function of the critical miRNAs. Expression of six serum miRNAs (miR-34b-3p, miR-556-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-369-3p, miR-485-3p) were significantly altered in prostate cancer patients contrasted with healthy controls. The optimal combination of critical miRNAs is a three-miRNA panel (miR-34b-3p, miR-200c-3p, and miR-361-5p) with good diagnostic capability. FLRT2, KIAA1755, LDB3, and NTRK3 were identified as the potential genes targeted by the three-miRNA panel. The three-miRNA panel may perform as an innovative and promising serum marker for prostate cancer screening.

Title-plus-abstract versus title-only first-level screening approach: a case study using a systematic review of dietary patterns and sarcopenia risk to compare screening performance

BackgroundConducting a systematic review is a time- and resource-intensive multi-step process. Enhancing efficiency without sacrificing accuracy and rigor during the screening phase of a systematic review is of interest among the scientific community.MethodsThis case study compares the screening performance of a title-only (Ti/O) screening approach to the more conventional title-plus-abstract (Ti + Ab) screening approach. Both Ti/O and Ti + Ab screening approaches were performed simultaneously during first-level screening of a systematic review investigating the relationship between dietary patterns and risk factors and incidence of sarcopenia. The qualitative and quantitative performance of each screening approach was compared against the final results of studies included in the systematic review, published elsewhere, which used the standard Ti + Ab approach. A statistical analysis was conducted, and contingency tables were used to compare each screening approach in terms of false inclusions and false exclusions and subsequent sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive power.ResultsThirty-eight citations were included in the final analysis, published elsewhere. The current case study found that the Ti/O first-level screening approach correctly identified 22 citations and falsely excluded 16 citations, most often due to titles lacking a clear indicator of study design or outcomes relevant to the systematic review eligibility criteria. The Ti + Ab approach correctly identified 36 citations and falsely excluded 2 citations due to limited population and intervention descriptions in the abstract. Our analysis revealed that the performance of the Ti + Ab first-level screening was statistically different compared to the average performance of both approaches (Chi-squared: 5.21, p value 0.0225) while the Ti/O approach was not (chi-squared: 2.92, p value 0.0874). The predictive power of the first-level screening was 14.3% and 25.5% for the Ti/O and Ti + Ab approaches, respectively. In terms of sensitivity, 57.9% of studies were correctly identified at the first-level screening stage using the Ti/O approach versus 94.7% by the Ti + Ab approach.ConclusionsIn the current case study comparing two screening approaches, the Ti + Ab screening approach captured more relevant studies compared to the Ti/O approach by including a higher number of accurately eligible citations. Ti/O screening may increase the likelihood of missing evidence leading to evidence selection bias.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO Protocol Number: CRD42020172655.

A Sistematic Literature Review : Implementasi Asesmen Diagnostik pada Kurikulum Merdeka

This research aims to examine scientific articles that are relevant and related to the implementation of diagnostic assessments. The research method used in writing this article is a literature review. The literature review was obtained from articles published in the last 5 years, namely from 2019 to 2023. The literature search was focused on the keyword "Diagnostic Assessment" so that a total of 29 articles were obtained, for research at the secondary school level, which were accessed via the Publish or Peerish application. However, after going through the screening stage there were 17 articles in the open access category and relevant to the topic of discussion. Based on the results of the literature review analysis, there are doubts from teachers to carry out diagnostic assessments because teachers have not received a lack of socialization regarding the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum (IKM), so that training and guidance for teachers needs to be carried out. Apart from that, in the implementation of diagnostic assessments, it was found that (1) diagnostic assessments can be implemented in the independent curriculum at primary and secondary school levels, (2) implementation of diagnostic assessments can also help students overcome learning problems with various learning styles. (3) Diagnostic assessments can evaluate students' strengths and weaknesses (4) while from the educator/teacher side they can be used to plan learning strategies. Apart from that, there are also diagnostic assessment tools that teachers can use, such as the Fout-tier Test Diagnostic and Google Form.

Site selection decision for biomass cogeneration projects from a sustainable perspective: A case study of China

Biomass energy has made significant contributions to energy demand and environmental protection. The purpose of this study is to establish a new integrated method adapted to the site selection of biomass cogeneration projects. The highlight lies in the integration of Multiple Criterion Decision Making methods with Geographic Information System at different stages. This study takes Henan Province as an example to introduce the application of this model. Stage I preliminary screening stage: use Geographic Information System and Fuzzy Best Worst Method to classify the suitability level of project site selection within the research area. Identify alternative solutions in areas with high suitability and large patch area. Stage II selection stage: Calculate the indicator weights using Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation method first; Then use the Multi-attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison method to select the optimal factory site. Using geographic information system technology, the factory is selected to be built in an area with a suitable value greater than 7 in Xiangcheng County, Zhoukou City. Finally, the obstacle model diagnoses the direction of optimizing the location environment. This study provides a theoretical reference for the new construction, renovation and expansion of biomass cogeneration projects.

Skills and competencies in health data analytics for health professionals: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionHealthcare data analytics is a methodological approach to the systematic analysis of health data, and it provides opportunities for healthcare professionals to improve health system management, patient engagement, budgeting, planning...

SEA and EIA: uncertain boundaries in Spain

ABSTRACT Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of projects and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of policies, plans and programmes allow environmental aspects to be incorporated into decision-making. The literature and regulations sometimes present SEA and EIA as isolated silos, but in practice there are intermediate approaches. This paper discusses a number of case studies where the application of EIA and SEA is conceptually unclear, although legally appropriate. The application of SEA or EIA depends in practice on the name of the planning document used, rather than its strategic character, with non-strategic SEAs and strategic EIAs due to a mismatch between planning and EA. The gradual transition between SEA and EIA makes it advisable to establish similar administrative procedures, as well as a common screening stage to determine not only whether or not the proposal should be subject to EA, but also the most appropriate approach. More than one EA process may be necessary throughout the planning cycle, requiring effective tiering. The regulations should define what is considered strategic, and regulate the tiering between SEA and EIA processes.

A mapping review of study designs and statistical methods used in early COVID-19 impact research

Abstract Background The COVID-19 Pandemic has prompted a significant amount of research investigating the direct and indirect impacts of the disease on the population's health and well-being. However, the plethora of published literature on the topic requires its analysis to identify commonalities and potential areas for improvement. This study aims to describe the use of study designs and statistical methods in COVID-19 research to inform evidence-based decision-making. Methods PubMed was searched using “covid-19” and “data” terms to retrieve records until November 2020. Articles reporting direct or indirect impacts of COVID-19 were included based on predefined criteria, and their methods sections were analysed using the R software. The full text was considered if the methods section could not be found parsed. Text-mining-related R packages were used to identify terms reporting study designs and statistical methods. Results Of the 19837 records retrieved, 5473 were included after the screening stage, and 4463, for which the full text or methods section could be fetched, were analysed. Direct impacts of COVID-19 were reported in 2771 articles (62.1%) and indirect in 1692 (37.9%). Surveys, cohorts, trials, and cross-sectional designs were the most used in early COVID-19 research, with their frequencies differing between studies assessing direct and indirect impacts. Descriptive statistics were the most mentioned statistical method (88% of studies, n = 3937), followed by student's t-test (25.5%, n = 1138), logistic regression (23.3%, n = 1038) and chi-square test (22.3%, n = 997). Conclusions This comprehensive overview of methodologies of early COVID-19 research highlights potential implications for the level of evidence produced by studies investigating the direct and indirect impact of the disease. The findings can guide policymakers and stakeholders on which evidence can support recommendations and which research gaps need to be addressed for better preparedness in future pandemics. Key messages • Early COVID-19 research employed different study designs and statistical methods in studies assessing its direct or indirect impacts, with potential implications in the evidence produced. • A comprehensive overview of methodologies used in early COVID-19 research can help evidence-based decision-making, address research gaps, and better prepare for future pandemics.

Integration of Social Return on Investment with Health Impact Assessment and evaluation frameworks

Abstract Background To enable sustainable investment in public health to aid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and other global adversities, it is necessary to incorporate social, economic and environmental outcomes and value measurement into decision-making processes. Holistic frameworks, such as Social Return on Investment (SROI), look to capture this through understanding stakeholder impact and committing to valuing and monetizing their perceived outcomes. However, opportunities for conducting standalone SROI analyses may be limited due to resources. A solution is to undertake an SROI analysis alongside other analytical frameworks, impact assessments or evaluation methods. Methods In 2023, two innovative case studies in Wales, United Kingdom, integrated SROI into evaluations and assessments. The first is in conjunction with a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on a sexual health self-testing service in a prison setting, while the second is in combination with an evaluation of a breastfeeding and infant nutrition programme. Results SROI offers a broad framework through which to integrate a holistic health economics lens to different types of evaluation and impact assessment. Traditional evaluations and HIA share common elements with SROI, for example developing a theory of change in evaluations and the screening and scoping stages of a HIA. Learning reflections for future integration were identified, for example ensuring quality assessment approaches align and ensuring design is scoped to enable effective integration from study outset. Conclusions SROI is the predominant tool used to assess the wider value of policies or programmes by identifying and evaluating holistic outcomes which have traditionally been difficult to measure. However, opportunities for standalone SROI studies may be limited for several reasons. As demonstrated, integrating SROI into different methods and approaches offers the opportunity to expand thinking on understanding value in a resource efficient way. Key messages • Social Return on Investment (SROI) can be effectively integrated into different evaluation approaches and Health Impact Assessment. • Integration of approaches has been shown to be resource efficient and beneficial to better understanding value and impact on health and well-being.

Evidence and gap map of infodemic management interventions in emergencies: a case of COVID-19

Abstract Background Because infodemic management (IM) is an evolving field that is bridging science into practice, it is often conducted in the field in an ad-hoc manner, focusing on implementation to address immediate challenges, and is less evaluated or reported in the scientific literature. This project used the Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) as a tool to provide an overview of investments in research and evidence for IM interventions. Methods A WHO working group advised development of protocol and of taxonomy of IM interventions and outcome measures based on literature review and expert discussion. Search was conducted on electronic databases and grey literature. Screening/coding of the studies was carried out independently by reviewers in two stages: the title and abstract and the full-text screening stage. Data extraction/critical appraisal was carried out for the included studies. Results 983 studies were included from 29,117 search records. Among impact studies that measured and reported outcomes, the reported interventions were on ‘science & health communication’ (n = 30), ‘education & training’ (n = 30), and ‘engagement’ (n = 10). ‘Individual knowledge, attitude and behaviors’ was the most frequently measured outcome. In descriptive studies not measuring outcomes, majority reported an intervention of ‘monitoring/detection of narratives, questions, concerns, and misinformation in the information ecosystem’ (580 studies), by ‘science + health communication’ (n = 258), ‘education + training’ (n = 86), ‘engagement’ (n = 86) and ‘laws, regulation + ethics’ (n = 60). Conclusions The EGM reviewed the evidence base on IM interventions. The analysis shows scarcity of impact evaluation studies in this area. Moreover, the map reflects concentrations of research in social media analytics studies, model studies for misinformation detection, individual level interventions. Major gaps exist in systems level interventions that address the information environment, and in broader impact measures. Key messages • Research funders should prioritize impact evaluation studies for systemic interventions to address infodemic to support solutions in design and implementation of such complex studies. • More research on infodemic management interventions is needed in LMICs and at health system level.