scholarly journals Cancer Research in the Time of COVID-19: A Colombian Narrative

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Murillo ◽  
Ginna Fernández-Deaza ◽  
María Zuluaga ◽  
Grant Lewison ◽  
Diana Usgame-Zubieta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Research Output ◽  
National Level ◽  
Technology Literacy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Recovery Times ◽  
Governmental Institutions ◽  
The Impact

Cancer research is deficient in Colombia and efforts and resources diverted due to the COVID-19 pandemic could worsen the situation. We explore the impact of the pandemic on cancer research funding, output, and conduct. We sought information at national level and used the experience of an academic reference center to contrast the impact at institutional level. We searched databases and official documents of national governmental institutions, trial registries, hospital registries, and the Web of Science. We interviewed principal investigators (PIs) to retrieve information on the conduct of cancer research. A decline in resource availability and new proposals was observed at the national level with a shift to COVID-19 related research. However, at institutional level there was no decline in the number of cancer research proposals. The predominance of observational studies as opposed to the preponderance of clinical trials and basic science in high-income countries may be related to the lower impact at institutional level. Nevertheless, we found difficulties similar to previous reports for conducting research during the pandemic. PIs reported long recovery times and a great impact on research other than clinical trials, such as observational and qualitative studies. No significant impact on research output was observed. Alternatives to ensure research continuity such as telemedicine and remote data collection have scarcely been implemented given limited access and low technology literacy. In this middle-income setting the situation shows a notable dependency of international collaborations to develop research on COVID-19 and cancer and to overcome challenges for cancer research during the pandemic.

Defining Preterm Birth and Stillbirth in the Western Pacific: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 101053952110260
Author(s):  
Mairead Connolly ◽  
Laura Phung ◽  
Elise Farrington ◽  
Michelle J. L. Scoullar ◽  
Alyce N. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Preterm birth and stillbirth are important global perinatal health indicators. Definitions of these indicators can differ between countries, affecting comparability of preterm birth and stillbirth rates across countries. This study aimed to document national-level adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of preterm birth and stillbirth in the WHO Western Pacific region. A systematic search of government health websites and 4 electronic databases was conducted. Any official report or published study describing the national definition of preterm birth or stillbirth published between 2000 and 2020 was eligible for inclusion. A total of 58 data sources from 21 countries were identified. There was considerable variation in how preterm birth and stillbirth was defined across the region. The most frequently used lower gestational age threshold for viability of preterm birth was 28 weeks gestation (range 20-28 weeks), and stillbirth was most frequently classified from 20 weeks gestation (range 12-28 weeks). High-income countries more frequently used earlier gestational ages for preterm birth and stillbirth compared with low- to middle-income countries. The findings highlight the importance of clear, standardized, internationally comparable definitions for perinatal indicators. Further research is needed to determine the impact on regional preterm birth and stillbirth rates.

scholarly journals Impact of national interventions to promote responsible antibiotic use: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Mingjie Lim ◽  
Shweta Rajkumar Singh ◽  
Minh Cam Duong ◽  
Helena Legido-Quigley ◽  
Li Yang Hsu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
National Level ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Antibiotic Consumption ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Global recognition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an urgent public health problem has galvanized national and international efforts. Chief among these are interventions to curb the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. However, the impact of these initiatives is not fully understood, making it difficult to assess the expected effectiveness and sustainability of further policy interventions. We conducted a systematic review to summarize existing evidence for the impact of nationally enforced interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in humans. Methods We searched seven databases and examined reference lists of retrieved articles. To be included, articles had to evaluate the impact of national responsible use initiatives. We excluded studies that only described policy implementations. Results We identified 34 articles detailing interventions in 21 high- and upper-middle-income countries. Interventions addressing inappropriate antibiotic access included antibiotic committees, clinical guidelines and prescribing restrictions. There was consistent evidence that these were effective at reducing antibiotic consumption and prescription. Interventions targeting inappropriate antibiotic demand consisted of education campaigns for healthcare professionals and the general public. Evidence for this was mixed, with several studies showing no impact on overall antibiotic consumption. Conclusions National-level interventions to reduce inappropriate access to antibiotics can be effective. However, evidence is limited to high- and upper-middle-income countries, and more evidence is needed on the long-term sustained impact of interventions. There should also be a simultaneous push towards standardized outcome measures to enable comparisons of interventions in different settings.

Household Air Pollution in Low and Middle Income Countries

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A. Ochieng ◽  
Cathryn Tonne ◽  
Sotiris Vardoulakis ◽  
Jan Semenza
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
National Level ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Solid Fuels ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Biomass Fuels ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Household air pollution from use of solid fuels (biomass fuels and coal) is a major problem in low and middle income countries, where 90% of the population relies on these fuels as the primary source of domestic energy. Use of solid fuels has multiple impacts, on individuals and households, and on the local and global environment. For individuals, the impact on health can be considerable, as household air pollution from solid fuel use has been associated with acute lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and other illnesses. Household-level impacts include the work, time, and high opportunity costs involved in biomass fuel collection and processing. Harvesting and burning biomass fuels affects local environments by contributing to deforestation and outdoor air pollution. At a global level, inefficient burning of solid fuels contributes to climate change. Improved biomass cookstoves have for a long time been considered the most feasible immediate intervention in resource-poor settings. Their ability to reduce exposure to household air pollution to levels that meet health standards is however questionable. In addition, adoption of improved cookstoves has been low, and there is limited evidence on how the barriers to adoption and use can be overcome. However, the issue of household air pollution in low and middle income countries has gained considerable attention in recent years, with a range of international initiatives in place to address it. These initiatives could enable a transition from biomass to cleaner fuels, but such a transition also requires an enabling policy environment, especially at the national level, and new modes of financing technology delivery. More research is also needed to guide policy and interventions, especially on exposure-response relationships with various health outcomes and on how to overcome poverty and other barriers to wide-scale transition from biomass fuels to cleaner forms of energy.

scholarly journals CRISPR/Cas9 and cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Mimoune ◽  
Mohamed Wail Bahouh ◽  
Said Boukhechem ◽  
Djamel Khelef ◽  
Rachid Kaidi
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Genome Engineering ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Powerful Method ◽  
Efficient Technology ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Mouse Models Of Cancer ◽  
The Impact

CRISPR/Cas9 has become a powerful method for making changes to the genome of many organisms. First discovered in bacteria as part of an adaptive immune system, CRISPR/Cas9 and modified versions have found widespread use in genome engineering and in the activation or repression of gen expression. As such, CRISPR/Cas9 promises to accelerate cancer research by providing an efficient technology to dissect mechanisms of tumorigenesis, identify targets for drug development, and possibly arm cells for cell-based therapies. Here, we review the current applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology for cancer research and therapy. We highlight the impact of CRISPR/Cas9 in generating organoid and mouse models of cancer. Finally, we provide an overview of the first clinical trials applying CRISPR/Cas9 as a therapeutic approach against cancer.

The changing atlas of clinical research in cancer: Measuring accessibility to clinical trials.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e14123-e14123
Author(s):  
Luca Mazzarella ◽  
Giulia Tini ◽  
Pammolli Fabio ◽  
Righetto Lorenzo ◽  
Giuseppe Curigliano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Site Location ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Trial Conduct ◽  
Global Economic Growth ◽  
The Impact

e14123 Background: The recent global economic growth produced dramatic social changes that impacted healthcare. Private industries, low and middle income countries increased their interest in clinical research. How these changes impact on accessibility to clinical trials has not been sufficiently studied, an issue becoming more relevant as trials increasingly constitute a relevant source of access to innovative drugs. Methods: We analyzed changes related to funding source, phase and locations involved in all interventional clinical trials on cancer extracted from clinicaltrials.gov from 2005 to 2019. We studied the evolution of accessibility to clinical trials on worldwide scale, by developing a family of indexes weighted on population, distance from the site location, numbers of trials. These indexes were also used to simulate different resource allocation models. Results: The absolute involvement of industry in clinical trials consistently increased (~6 fold over 2005), with a significant bias for phase 1 trials; however, its relative impact has globally remained the same. The geographical distribution of trial sites changed dramatically: some nations (China, Korea) increased their total number of trials 50 fold. The number of countries with ≥10 multicentric studies grew from 3 to 16. Our accessibility index (Table, relative increment on 2005 in parenthesis) shows that Asia had the highest improvement, with Korea and Taiwan as leading countries. The analysis captures significant trends associated with changing policies on trial conduct, such as the introduction in 2012 and abandonment in 2015 of centralized ethical committees in Brazil, or the introduction of EUdract in Europe in 2015. Simulations allowed to identify specific resource allocations to maximize accessibility. Conclusions: Accessibility to clinical trials is improving worldwide, but with important differences across continents and countries, which follow social, economic and political changes. Our accessibility indexes can inform national and continental healthcare/research policies, as they predict the impact of different resource allocation models, representing useful tools to facilitate access to innovative treatments. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Building the Global Cancer Workforce: Assessing the Cancer Research and Control Progress of Low- and Middle-Income Country Participants in the National Cancer Institute Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 29s-29s
Author(s):  
Camille Morgan ◽  
Makeda Williams
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cancer Research ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Cancer Prevention ◽  
National Cancer Institute ◽  
Fellowship Program ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract 48 Background: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention, hosted by NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, has provided interdisciplinary training to physicians, scientists, nurses, and other cancer health care professionals in the principles and practice of cancer prevention, control, and molecular biology and genetics. Since 1998, the summer curriculum has enrolled an increasing number of international participants, with many nominees from All-Ireland NCI Cancer Consortium and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy. NCI’s Center for Global Health selects meritorious international participants, specifically from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and has offered limited travel and subsistence scholarships. In spring 2016, the Center for Global Health conducted an evaluation of LMIC participants from 1999 to 2015 to assess the impact of the summer curriculum on participants’ engagement and activities in cancer research and control, including peer-reviewed publications, grants received, scientific presentations, cancer control planning, and advocacy. Methods: We surveyed participants about these topics by using an electronic survey system (Questionnaire Design Studio, v3.0) and analyzed responses in SPSS (SPSS, Chicago, IL) and Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). Results: Of 427 LMIC participants from 1999 to 2015, 357 were surveyed via e-mail invitations to an online survey link, of which 156 responded (44%) during a 4-week study period with follow-up. Overall, 97% report using the knowledge and skills acquired frequently or sometimes, and 80% reported training at least one other person in course content. Nearly 50% reported publishing and 27% reported receiving research funding, of which 84% had not received a grant before participation. Conclusion: Participation of international attendees at the NCI Summer Curriculum builds a global cancer community, utilizing the expertise of Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program in training the cancer health care workforce. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No COIs from either author.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets: The international collaboration trilemma in interdisciplinary research

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh-Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Quan-Hoang Vuong
Keyword(s):  
International Collaboration ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Research Output ◽  
National Level ◽  
Scientific Productivity ◽  
Scientific Quality ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Aichi Biodiversity Targets ◽  
The Impact

Given the pros and cons of tourism on biodiversity, at least 12 of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets are directly or indirectly related to tourism. Meanwhile, Target 19 aims to raise the generation, transfer, and application of knowledge on the topic of biodiversity. The objective of this study is, therefore, to evaluate the impact of Aichi Biodiversity Targets on the interdisciplinary research output, quality, and collaboration at the national scale regarding biodiversity and tourism. The Hamiltonian MCMC technique, incorporating the bibliometric analysis, was performed on 1,003 documents extracted from the Web of Science database. The current investigation revealed two prominent findings. First, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets induced positive effects on scientific productivity, quality, and international collaboration at the national level. Still, more than half of the countries on Earth (55.02%) had not acquired any interdisciplinary publication on the topic of biodiversity and tourism.Moreover, international collaboration was found to be an effective measure to improve scientific quality and quantity in both periods before and after the Aichi Targets. Nevertheless, whereas the effect of international collaboration on scientific output was similar between the two periods, its impact on scientific quality during 2011-2020 was lower than during 1991-2010. Thus, we argue that international cooperation cannot be used as a "silver bullet" strategy for advancing knowledge in the interdisciplinary field between biodiversity and tourism due to the trilemma between quantity, quality, and cost. Eventually, we recommend policymakers, funding evaluators, and researchers to put culture into perspective for lessening the cost of interdisciplinary research.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets: The international collaboration trilemma in interdisciplinary research

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh-Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Quan-Hoang Vuong
Keyword(s):  
International Collaboration ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Research Output ◽  
National Level ◽  
Scientific Productivity ◽  
Scientific Quality ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Aichi Biodiversity Targets ◽  
The Impact

Given the pros and cons of tourism on biodiversity, at least 12 of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets are directly or indirectly related to tourism. Meanwhile, Target 19 aims to raise the generation, transfer, and application of knowledge on the topic of biodiversity. The objective of this study is, therefore, to evaluate the impact of Aichi Biodiversity Targets on the interdisciplinary research output, quality, and collaboration at the national scale regarding biodiversity and tourism. The Hamiltonian MCMC technique, incorporating the bibliometric analysis, was performed on 1,003 documents extracted from the Web of Science database. The current investigation revealed two prominent findings. First, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets induced positive effects on scientific productivity, quality, and international collaboration at the national level. Still, more than half of the countries on Earth (55.02%) had not acquired any interdisciplinary publication on the topic of biodiversity and tourism.Moreover, international collaboration was found to be an effective measure to improve scientific quality and quantity in both periods before and after the Aichi Targets. Nevertheless, whereas the effect of international collaboration on scientific output was similar between the two periods, its impact on scientific quality during 2011-2020 was lower than during 1991-2010. Thus, we argue that international cooperation cannot be used as a "silver bullet" strategy for advancing knowledge in the interdisciplinary field between biodiversity and tourism due to the trilemma between quantity, quality, and cost. Eventually, we recommend policymakers, funding evaluators, and researchers to put culture into perspective for lessening the cost of interdisciplinary research.

Global Economic Consequences And Possible Solutions To COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwan M. AbouRaya ◽  
◽  
Polina Petrova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
National Level ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Human Wastes ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of the self-isolation regime due to the pandemic on the world economy and the economies of economically developed and developing countries, as well as the prospects for the development of GMO technologies and human wastes into biogas and electricity to obtain positive effects in the socio-economic and environmental spheres of society. Countries can use а new polices and new technologies such as (Genetically Modified Crops, Animals Cloning and Turning the human wastes into biogas and electricity) that can help us to face and overcome this recession and increase the GDP in a short time. Research methods include: historical approach to the object of research, methods of quantitative statistical analysis. Conclusions and results of the study include: comparison of the economic situation under the influence of coronavirus in Russia and Egypt showed the similarity of problems due to the similar structure of the economy, the high role of the state in solving crisis economic situations; to ensure the availability of food products in the conditions of constantly decreasing consumer solvency of the majority of the world’s population with low and middle income, the authors presented the achievements and advantages of GMO products in crop and livestock production and – the authors justify a set of measures to implement the policy of support and development of the production of GMO goods and services at the global and national level and human wastes into biogas and electricity.

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