Workshop Report Research Articles

Establishing a Core Outcome Measure for Peritoneal Dialysis-related Peritonitis: A Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology—Peritoneal Dialysis Consensus Workshop Report

IntroductionPeritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis is one of the leading causes of discontinuation of PD and is considered a critically important outcome for patients on PD. However, there is no universally accepted method of measuring this outcome in clinical trials.MethodsWe convened an online consensus workshop to establish a core outcome measure for PD-related peritonitis in clinical trials.ResultsA total of 53 participants, including 18 patients and caregivers, from 12 countries engaged in breakout discussions in this workshop. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. We identified the following 3 themes: (i) feasibility and applicability across diverse settings, which reflected the difficulty with implementing laboratory-based measures in resource-limited environments; (ii) ensuring validity, which included minimizing false positives and considering the specificity of symptoms; and (iii) being meaningful and tangible to patients, which meant that the measure should be easy to interpret, reflect the impact that symptoms have on patients, and promote transparency by standardizing the reporting of peritonitis among dialysis units.ConclusionA core outcome measure for PD-related peritonitis should include both symptom-based and laboratory-based criteria. Thus, the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) definition of peritonitis is acceptable. However, there should be consideration of reporting suspected peritonitis in cases where laboratory confirmation is not possible. The measure should include all infections from the time of catheter insertion and capture both the rate of infection and the number of patients who remain peritonitis free. A core outcome measure with these features would increase the impact of clinical trials on the care and decision-making of patients receiving PD.

IDF21-0173 Relationship between periodontal disease and gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review

Background: The scientific evidence on the links between periodontal disease and diabetes was presented in a recent consensus report of a joint workshop by the International Diabetes Federation and the European Federation of Periodontology. For the specific case of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), this consensus report stated that there was still insufficient evidence of a link between the two conditions. Aim: The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the studies evaluating an association between periodontal disease and GDM. Method: The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement was used as a guideline for the methodology of systematic reviews. A literature search was performed in January 2021 using the PubMed/MEDLINE database on articles published in the last ten years. The inclusion criteria were original clinical studies, systematic reviews or meta-analysis treating on the links between GDM and periodontal disease. A total of 16 articles have been included in a qualitative synthesis. Results: Among the 16 articles included we had 12 original studies (2 cross-sectionals, 4 case control, and 6 cohort or follow-up) and 4 systematic reviews (SR) or meta-analyses (MA). Four themes were explored: links between obesity and periodontal disease (one cross-sectional study, one cohort), links between gingivitis and GDM (two case-control studies), links between periodontitis and GDM (one cross-sectional, two case-control, two cohort studies and four SR/MA), consequences in post-partum in case of periodontal disease and GDM (three follow-up cohorts). Regarding the links between obesity and periodontal disease, both studies showed a significantly higher frequency of periodontitis for obese pregnant women and one of them find the same tendency for GDM. Regarding the links between gingivitis and GDM, both studies showed that women with GDM had more gingival inflammation and according to a study, those women presented more periodontopathogens in the oral flora and higher levels of inflammatory markers. Regarding the links between periodontitis and GDM three original studies found a significant association. Finally, regarding the post-partum consequences in patients with periodontal disease and GDM, one study found statistically significant results: C-Reactive Protein rise with glycaemia and therefore can increase the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The included systematic-reviews and meta-analyses indicated that periodontal disease could affect glycemic control and complications of GDM and may even lead to the development of T2DM. However, larger-scale and longer-term studies are needed to confirm this. Discussion: Among the 16 studies included, size of samples was often small with cofounding factors such as age, smoking status, socio-economic level etc. In addition, many variations in diagnostic criteria depending on the country and the year of the study. Therefore, more studies with consensual criteria are necessary to evaluate the relationship between those two diseases. Multidisciplinary management could improve the care of women with periodontal disease and GDM or previous GDM to prevent the development of T2DM.

Umbilical Cord Entanglement.

Umbilical Cord Entanglement.

Workshop Report: Aquatic Animal Health Education

Aquatic animals need veterinary care as any other animal species but sometimes this care is inadequately managed. The role of veterinarians in conventional farmed animal health prevention and control are undoubtedly some of the activities most commonly recognised to the veterinary profession. Although poultry, swine, beef, and other terrestrial animals have been historically considered as the main source for animal protein production, it is very important to highlight that nowadays, fisheries and aquaculture represent a substantial sources of animal protein for human consumption. Global fisheries have reached a non-sustainable breakpoint and, in this scenario, aquaculture emerges as the sustainable alternative for animal protein production for the future. Animal health and welfare, and particularly the control of impact of the diseases in finfish, crustacean and mollusc farming still represents a very important challenge for aquatic animal veterinarians. The ornamental fish sector is also a relevant area, and untapped resource for aquatic animal professionals. However, these needs are not followed by the same level of veterinary services required, indicating that there is still a lot of work to be done in this direction. Disease control and prevention, and aquatic animal health promotion across these different areas is a very challenging task for the future, and represent a tremendous source of opportunity for aquatic veterinarians.

LoGov Spain Workshop Report n°1

LoGov Spain Workshop Report n°1

Building Physician-Scientist Skills in R Programming:A Short Workshop Report.

Introduction:Statistical analysis programs require coding experience and a basic understanding of programming, skills which are not taught as part of medical school or residency curricula.Methods:We conducted a five-day course for early-career Nigerian physician-scientists interested in learning common statistical tests and acquiring R programming skills. The workshop included didactic presentations, small group learning activities, and interactive discussions. A baseline questionnaire captured participant demographics and solicited participants’ level of confidence in understanding/performing common statistical tests. REDCap questionnaires were emailed to obtain feedback on educational format and content. A post-workshop assessment covered participants’ overall impression of the program.Results:A total of 23 participants attended the program. Most participants were male (n=14, 60.9%) and at an early stage in their career (assistant professor, n=20, 87.0%). Approximately 70% of respondents indicated having received some prior training in statistics. The proportion of participants without experience using R and SAS software (90% and 85%, respectively) was greater than the corresponding proportions for Stata (55%) and SPSS (20%). Prior to the workshop, most respondents expressed being “not at all confident” in performing one-way ANOVA (60%), logistic regression (68%), simple linear regression (60%), and McNemar’s test (80%). There was a statistically significant post-workshop improvement in the level of confidence in understanding and performing common statistical tests. The course was rated on a 0–100 scale as “moderately difficult” (mean ± SD: 51.7 ± 19.5). Most participants felt comfortable in putting the knowledge learned into practice (82.2 ± 17.1).Conclusion and Public Health Implications:Introductory R can be taught to junior physician-scientists in resource-limited settings and can inform the development and implementation of similar training initiatives in analogous settings.

An Unexpected Cause of Recurrent Fetal Decelerations

An Unexpected Cause of Recurrent Fetal Decelerations

Challenges and Strategies for Improving COPD Primary Care Services in Quebec: Results of the Experience of the COMPAS+ Quality Improvement Collaborative.

IntroductionManagement of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a challenge in primary care and multiple barriers can limit implementation of COPD guidelines. Since 2016, a quality improvement (QI) collaborative, called COMPAS+, has been implemented across the province of Quebec (Canada) to support improvement of chronic disease management in primary care. The aim of this study was to describe the main COPD quality problems reported by participating teams and the strategies they proposed and implemented to improve COPD primary care services in Quebec.MethodsSixteen sites in four different regions of Quebec were engaged in the COMPAS+ intervention to improve primary care services delivered to people living with COPD. A total of 14 workshop reports, 31 QI action plans and 4 regional final reports underwent content analysis. Key COPD quality problems were first identified and, for each of them, root causes were classified according to the domains and constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Proposed strategies were organized according to the intervention function types described in the Behavior Change Wheel.ResultsFour key COPD quality problems were identified: 1) lack of organization/coordination of COPD services, 2) lack of screening services coordination, 3) lack of interprofessional communication and collaboration and 4) lack of treatment adherence. Main root causes explaining these quality gaps were 1) lack of awareness of COPD, 2) lack of professional knowledge, 3) lack of definition of professional roles, 4) lack of resources and tools for COPD prevention, diagnosis, and follow-up, 5) lack of communication tools, 6) lack of integration of the patient-as-partner approach, and 7) lack of adaptation of patient education to their specific needs. Multiple strategies were proposed to improve healthcare professionals’ education and interprofessional collaboration and communication.ConclusionQI collaborative activities can support achieving understanding of QI challenges healthcare organizations face to improve COPD services.

Update on the Features and Measurements of Experimental Acute Lung Injury in Animals: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Advancements in methods, technology, and our understanding of the pathobiology of lung injury have created the need to update the definition of experimental acute lung injury (ALI). We queried 50 participants with expertise in ALI and acute respiratory distress syndrome using a Delphi method composed of a series of electronic surveys and a virtual workshop. We propose that ALI presents as a “multidimensional entity” characterized by four “domains” that reflect the key pathophysiologic features and underlying biology of human acute respiratory distress syndrome. These domains are 1) histological evidence of tissue injury, 2) alteration of the alveolar–capillary barrier, 3) presence of an inflammatory response, and 4) physiologic dysfunction. For each domain, we present “relevant measurements,” defined as those proposed by at least 30% of respondents. We propose that experimental ALI encompasses a continuum of models ranging from those focusing on gaining specific mechanistic insights to those primarily concerned with preclinical testing of novel therapeutics or interventions. We suggest that mechanistic studies may justifiably focus on a single domain of lung injury, but models must document alterations of at least three of the four domains to qualify as “experimental ALI.” Finally, we propose that a time criterion defining “acute” in ALI remains relevant, but the actual time may vary based on the specific model and the aspect of injury being modeled. The continuum concept of ALI increases the flexibility and applicability of the definition to multiple models while increasing the likelihood of translating preclinical findings to critically ill patients.

Software Engineering and AI for Data Quality in Cyber- Physical Systems - SEA4DQ'21 Workshop Report

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) have been developed in many industrial sectors and application domains in which the quality requirements of data acquired are a common factor. Data quality in CPS can deteriorate because of several factors such as sensor faults and failures due to operating in harsh and uncertain environments. How can software engineering and artificial intelligence (AI) help manage and tame data quality issues in CPS? This is the question we aimed to investigate in the SEA4DQ workshop. Emerging trends in software engineering need to take data quality management seriously as CPS are increasingly datacentric in their approach to acquiring and processing data along the edge-fog-cloud continuum. This workshop provided researchers and practitioners a forum for exchanging ideas, experiences, understanding of the problems, visions for the future, and promising solutions to the problems in data quality in CPS. Examples of topics include software/hardware architectures and frameworks for data quality management in CPS; software engineering and AI to detect anomalies in CPS data or to repair erroneous CPS data. SEA4DQ 2021, which took place on August 24th, 2021 was a satellite event of the ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (ESEC / FSE) 2021. The workshop attracted 35 international participants and was exciting with a great keynote, six excellent presentations, and concluded on a high note with a panel discussion. SEA4DQ was motivated by the common research interests from the EU projects for Zero-Defects Manufacturing such as InterQ and Dat4.Zero.

Software Engineering Education for the Next Generation SEENG 2021 Workshop Report

The 3rd International Workshop on Software Engineering Education for the Next Generation was held remotely on May 24, 2021. The workshop was an integral component of the Joint Track on Software Engineering Education and Training at the 43rd International Conference on Software Engineering. It specifically supported the general theme of "Educating the Next Generation of Software Engineers". Building on its predecessors, the workshop used a highly interactive format, structured around eight short paper presentations to generate discussion topics, an activity to select the most interesting topics, and structured breakout sessions to allow participants to discuss those topics in detail. Participants presented the results of the breakout sessions using mind maps.

Sleep and circadian informatics data harmonization: a workshop report from the Sleep Research Society and Sleep Research Network.

The increasing availability and complexity of sleep and circadian data are equally exciting and challenging. The field is in constant technological development, generating better high-resolution physiological and molecular data than ever before. Yet, the promise of large-scale studies leveraging millions of patients is limited by suboptimal approaches for data sharing and interoperability. As a result, integration of valuable clinical and basic resources is problematic, preventing knowledge discovery and rapid translation of findings into clinical care. To understand the current data landscape in the sleep and circadian domains, the Sleep Research Society (SRS) and the Sleep Research Network (now a task force of the SRS) organized a workshop on informatics and data harmonization, presented at the World Sleep Congress 2019, in Vancouver, Canada. Experts in translational informatics gathered with sleep research experts to discuss opportunities and challenges in defining strategies for data harmonization. The goal of this workshop was to fuel discussion and foster innovative approaches for data integration and development of informatics infrastructure supporting multi-site collaboration. Key recommendations included collecting and storing findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data; identifying existing international cohorts and resources supporting research in sleep and circadian biology; and defining the most relevant sleep data elements and associated metadata that could be supported by early integration initiatives. This report introduces foundational concepts with the goal of facilitating engagement between the sleep/circadian and informatics communities and is a call to action for the implementation and adoption of data harmonization strategies in this domain.

Report of Workshop on the 10th Annual Conference of Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Information Exchange: Public Health Activities in Various Countries

Report of Workshop on the 10th Annual Conference of Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Information Exchange: Public Health Activities in Various Countries

The 10th Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Conference Workshop Report on Expert Certification System Preparatory Committee The Expert Certification System Will Be Launched Soon

The 10th Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Conference Workshop Report on Expert Certification System Preparatory Committee The Expert Certification System Will Be Launched Soon

The 10th Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Conference Workshop Report on Ethics Committee Consideration about Ethics of Research using ICT in COVID-19 Pandemic

The 10th Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing Conference Workshop Report on Ethics Committee Consideration about Ethics of Research using ICT in COVID-19 Pandemic

Maternal Facial Nerve Palsy and a Perinatal Infection.

Maternal Facial Nerve Palsy and a Perinatal Infection.

Meeting Report of the 6th EUV-FEL Workshop

Meeting Report of the 6th EUV-FEL Workshop

Report of 14th workshop for data analysis in lunar and planetary explorations

Report of 14th workshop for data analysis in lunar and planetary explorations

Emergencies cards for neuromuscular disorders 1st Consensus Meeting from UILDM - Italian Muscular Dystrophy Association Workshop report.

Acute hospitalisation may be required to support patients with Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) mainly experiencing respiratory complications, swallowing difficulties, heart failure, urgent surgical procedures. As NMDs may need specific treatments, they should be ideally managed in specialized hospitals. Nevertheless, if urgent treatment is required, patients with NMD should be managed at the closest hospital site, which may not be a specialized centre where local emergency physicians have the adequate experience to manage these patients. Although NMDs are a group of conditions that can differ in terms of disease onset, progression, severity and involvement of other systems, many recommendations are transversal and apply to the most frequent NMDs. Emergency Cards (EC), which report the most common recommendations on respiratory and cardiac issues and provide indications for drugs/treatments to be used with caution, are actively used in some countries by patients with NMDs. In Italy, there is no consensus on the use of any EC, and a minority of patients adopt it regularly in case of emergency. In April 2022, 50 participants from different centres in Italy met in Milan, Italy, to agree on a minimum set of recommendations for urgent care management which can be extended to the vast majority of NMDs. The aim of the workshop was to agree on the most relevant information and recommendations regarding the main topics related to emergency care of patients with NMD in order to produce specific ECs for the 13 most frequent NMDs.

Imaging the tarsal plate: A Mini-Review

Imaging the tarsal plate and the meibomian glands (MG) grants new opportunities for ophthalmic practitioners who work in the field of the ocular surface and dry eye across the globe. The secretory role of MG plays a fundamental part in protecting the moisture in front of the eye surface by creating an active shield made of meibum (lipid) which prevents tear evaporation and causes dry eye. Evidence from the most popular Dry Eye Workshop reports (2007 and 2016) demonstrate that MG dysfunction is the first cause of evaporative dry eye which is also the most common cause of dry eye and ocular surface discomfort. Fortunately, during the last years, a plethora of new devices for MG observation, diagnosis and follow-up have been made available in the market. These devices range from invasive to minimally invasive, high to low-tech and from being expensive to low-cost. The objective of this mini-review is to condense the latest evidence in MG imaging by providing a narrative overview on the most common technologies plus some other newer aspects which might guide clinicians and researchers in the field of the ocular surface and dry eye.