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Background: Precision medicine focuses on the identification of therapeutic strategies that are effective for a group of patients based on similar unifying characteristics. The recent success of precision medicine in non–critical care settings has resulted from the confluence of large clinical and biospecimen repositories, innovative bioinformatics, and novel trial designs. Similar advances for precision medicine in sepsis and in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are possible but will require further investigation and significant investment in infrastructure. Methods: This project was funded by the American Thoracic Society Board of Directors. A multidisciplinary and diverse working group reviewed the available literature, established a conceptual framework, and iteratively developed recommendations for the Precision Medicine Research Agenda for Sepsis and ARDS. Results: The following six priority recommendations were developed by the working group: 1) the creation of large richly phenotyped and harmonized knowledge networks of clinical, imaging, and multianalyte molecular data for sepsis and ARDS; 2) the implementation of novel trial designs, including adaptive designs, and embedding trial procedures in the electronic health record; 3) continued innovation in the data science and engineering methods required to identify heterogeneity of treatment effect; 4) further development of the tools necessary for the real-time application of precision medicine approaches; 5) work to ensure that precision medicine strategies are applicable and available to a broad range of patients varying across differing racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and demographic groups; and 6) the securement and maintenance of adequate and sustainable funding for precision medicine efforts. Conclusions: Precision medicine approaches that incorporate variability in genomic, biologic, and environmental factors may provide a path forward for better individualizing the delivery of therapies and improving care for patients with sepsis and ARDS.

Background: In the past two decades, many advances have been made to our understanding of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the way we approach its treatment. Despite this, many questions remain unanswered, particularly those related to how the disease and its therapies impact outcomes that are most important to patients. There is currently a lack of guidance on how to best define and incorporate these patient-centered outcomes in ILD research. Objectives: To summarize the current state of patient-centered outcomes research in ILD, identify gaps in knowledge and research, and highlight opportunities and methods for future patient-centered research agendas in ILD. Methods: An international interdisciplinary group of experts was assembled. The group identified top patient-centered outcomes in ILD, reviewed available literature for each outcome, highlighted important discoveries and knowledge gaps, and formulated research recommendations. Results: The committee identified seven themes around patient-centered outcomes as the focus of the statement. After a review of the literature and expert committee discussion, we developed 28 research recommendations. Conclusions: Patient-centered outcomes are key to ascertaining whether and how ILD and interventions used to treat it affect the way patients feel and function in their daily lives. Ample opportunities exist to conduct additional work dedicated to elevating and incorporating patient-centered outcomes in ILD research.

Smart devices have become an essential part of human life with a bunch of modern features and facilities. Even in health care, health management, education, and the science sector use intelligent devices for their convenience. With the assertion of its wellness, people forget its downside and treating smart devices as their primary need. Whereas smart devices are tracking and collecting all user movements, including interest, boredom, and daily activity. As the data remain store in vendors' servers, and lightweight smart devices follow weak security, so data leakage also makes the data available to unauthorized parties. This sensitive data uses by vendors and third-party for business and various purposes to influence and manipulate human behavior by showing content mapping to the collected data. Because of the huge involvement of the user in smart-device, marketing strategy also changed a lot. Digital marketing has been introduced and become a key to success for many businesses where a particular content/advertisement can be mapped to particular leads. The next move of a user on the internet is shaping by applying numerous strategies based on previously collected data. In the era of smart devices, our personal life and personal data are not remaining personal anymore. This paper illustrates the systematic process of collecting and using data for manipulating human behavior. The raise of human behavior manipulation has been explained and an exploratory survey is imputed to strongly support the research statement.

Here are some resources I used during my job search, including the application materials I submitted for the job I eventually took. Hopefully, they'll be helpful to over early career scholars. See the wiki for additional information.

Background: Central sleep apnea (CSA) is common among patients with heart failure and has been strongly linked to adverse outcomes. However, progress toward improving outcomes for such patients has been limited. The purpose of this official statement from the American Thoracic Society is to identify key areas to prioritize for future research regarding CSA in heart failure. Methods: An international multidisciplinary group with expertise in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, heart failure, clinical research, and health outcomes was convened. The group met at the American Thoracic Society 2019 International Conference to determine research priority areas. A statement summarizing the findings of the group was subsequently authored using input from all members. Results: The workgroup identified 11 specific research priorities in several key areas: 1) control of breathing and pathophysiology leading to CSA, 2) variability across individuals and over time, 3) techniques to examine CSA pathogenesis and outcomes, 4) impact of device and pharmacological treatment, and 5) implementing CSA treatment for all individuals Conclusions: Advancing care for patients with CSA in the context of heart failure will require progress in the arenas of translational (basic through clinical), epidemiological, and patient-centered outcome research. Given the increasing prevalence of heart failure and its associated substantial burden to individuals, society, and the healthcare system, targeted research to improve knowledge of CSA pathogenesis and treatment is a priority.

Rationale: Decisions in medicine are made on the basis of knowledge and reasoning, often in shared conversations with patients and families in consideration of clinical practice guideline recommendations, individual preferences, and individual goals. Observational studies can provide valuable knowledge to inform guidelines, decisions, and policy. Objectives: The American Thoracic Society (ATS) created a multidisciplinary ad hoc committee to develop a research statement to clarify the role of observational studies—alongside randomized controlled trials (RCTs)—in informing clinical decisions in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Methods: The committee examined the strengths of observational studies assessing causal effects, how they complement RCTs, factors that impact observational study quality, perceptions of observational research, and, finally, the practicalities of incorporating observational research into ATS clinical practice guidelines. Measurements and Main Results: There are strengths and weakness of observational studies as well as RCTs. Observational studies can provide evidence in representative and diverse patient populations. Quality observational studies should be sought in the development of ATS clinical practice guidelines, and medical decision-making in general, when 1) no RCTs are identified or RCTs are appraised as being of low- or very low-quality (replacement); 2) RCTs are of moderate quality because of indirectness, imprecision, or inconsistency, and observational studies mitigate the reason that RCT evidence was downgraded (complementary); or 3) RCTs do not provide evidence for outcomes that a guideline committee considers essential for decision-making (e.g., rare or long-term outcomes; “sequential”). Conclusions: Observational studies should be considered in developing clinical practice guidelines and in making clinical decisions.

Background: Severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (SAWS) is highly morbid, costly, and common among hospitalized patients, yet minimal evidence exists to guide inpatient management. Research needs in this field are broad, spanning the translational science spectrum. Goals: This research statement aims to describe what is known about SAWS, identify knowledge gaps, and offer recommendations for research in each domain of the Institute of Medicine T0-T4 continuum to advance the care of hospitalized patients who experience SAWS. Methods: Clinicians and researchers with unique and complementary expertise in basic, clinical, and implementation research related to unhealthy alcohol consumption and alcohol withdrawal were invited to participate in a workshop at the American Thoracic Society 2019 International Conference. The committee was subdivided into four groups on the basis of interest and expertise: T0-T1 (basic science research with translation to humans), T2 (research translating to patients), T3 (research translating to clinical practice), and T4 (research translating to communities). A medical librarian conducted a pragmatic literature search to facilitate this work, and committee members reviewed and supplemented the resulting evidence, identifying key knowledge gaps. Results: The committee identified several investigative opportunities to advance the care of patients with SAWS in each domain of the translational science spectrum. Major themes included 1) the need to investigate non-γ-aminobutyric acid pathways for alcohol withdrawal syndrome treatment; 2) harnessing retrospective and electronic health record data to identify risk factors and create objective severity scoring systems, particularly for acutely ill patients with SAWS; 3) the need for more robust comparative-effectiveness data to identify optimal SAWS treatment strategies; and 4) recommendations to accelerate implementation of effective treatments into practice. Conclusions: The dearth of evidence supporting management decisions for hospitalized patients with SAWS, many of whom require critical care, represents both a call to action and an opportunity for the American Thoracic Society and larger scientific communities to improve care for a vulnerable patient population. This report highlights basic, clinical, and implementation research that diverse experts agree will have the greatest impact on improving care for hospitalized patients with SAWS.

Background: Well-designed clinical research needs to obtain information that is applicable to the general population. However, most current studies fail to include substantial cohorts of racial/ethnic minority populations. Such underrepresentation may lead to delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of disease, wide application of approved interventions without appropriate knowledge of their usefulness in certain populations, and development of recommendations that are not broadly applicable. Goals: To develop best practices for recruitment and retention of racial/ethnic minorities for clinical research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Methods: The American Thoracic Society convened a workshop in May of 2019. This included an international interprofessional group from academia, industry, the NIH, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with expertise ranging from clinical and biomedical research to community-based participatory research methods and patient advocacy. Workshop participants addressed historical and current mistrust of scientific research, systemic bias, and social and structural barriers to minority participation in clinical research. A literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to support conclusions. The search was not a systematic review of the literature. Results: Barriers at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and federal/policy levels were identified as limiting to minority participation in clinical research. Through the use of a multilevel framework, workshop participants proposed evidence-based solutions to the identified barriers. Conclusions: To date, minority participation in clinical research is not representative of the U.S. and global populations. This American Thoracic Society research statement identifies potential evidence-based solutions by applying a multilevel framework that is anchored in community engagement methods and patient advocacy.

Semantic web and its technologies have been eyed in many fields. They have the capacity to organize and link data over the web in a consistent and coherent way. Semantic web technologies consist of...

Background: Thousands of biomarker tests are either available or under development for lung diseases. In many cases, adoption of these tests into clinical practice is outpacing the generation and evaluation of sufficient data to determine clinical utility and ability to improve health outcomes. There is a need for a systematically organized report that provides guidance on how to understand and evaluate use of biomarker tests for lung diseases. Methods: We assembled a diverse group of clinicians and researchers from the American Thoracic Society and leaders from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with expertise in various aspects of precision medicine to review the current status of biomarker tests in lung diseases. Experts summarized existing biomarker tests that are available for lung cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and other rare lung diseases. The group identified knowledge gaps that future research studies can address to efficiently translate biomarker tests into clinical practice, assess their cost-effectiveness, and ensure they apply to diverse, real-life populations. Results: We found that the status of biomarker tests in lung diseases is highly variable depending on the disease. Nevertheless, biomarker tests in lung diseases show great promise in improving clinical care. To efficiently translate biomarkers into tests used widely in clinical practice, researchers need to address specific clinical unmet needs, secure support for biomarker discovery efforts, conduct analytical and clinical validation studies, ensure tests have clinical utility, and facilitate appropriate adoption into routine clinical practice. Conclusions: Although progress has been made toward implementation of precision medicine for lung diseases in clinical practice in certain settings, additional studies focused on addressing specific unmet clinical needs are required to evaluate the clinical utility of biomarkers; ensure their generalizability to diverse, real-life populations; and determine their cost-effectiveness.

In order to make a decision about implementing evidence into practice, nurses need to be able to critically appraise research. Nurses also have a professional responsibility to maintain up-to-date practice.1 This paper provides a guide on how to critically appraise a qualitative research paper. Qualitative research concentrates on understanding phenomena and may focus on meanings, perceptions, concepts, thoughts, experiences or feelings.2 Qualitative research examines how or why a phenomenon occurs. It collects data in the form of words, texts and or images via interviews, observations, photographs or document reviews. Qualitative research does not use discrete variables like those used in quantitative approaches. In critically appraising qualitative research, steps need to be taken to ensure its rigour, credibility and trustworthiness (table 1). View this table: Table 1 Useful terms Some of the qualitative approaches used in nursing research include grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography, case study (can lend itself to mixed methods) and narrative analysis. The data collection methods used in qualitative research include in depth interviews, focus groups, observations and stories in the form of diaries or other documents.3 ### Title, keywords, authors and abstract In a previous paper, we discussed how the title, keywords, authors’ positions and affiliations and abstract can influence the authenticity and readability of quantitative research papers,4 the same applies to qualitative research. However, other areas such as the purpose of the study and the research question, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, sampling and methodology also need consideration when appraising a qualitative paper. ### Purpose and question The topic under investigation in the study should be guided by a clear research question or a statement of the problem or purpose. An example of a statement can be seen in table 2. Unlike most quantitative studies, qualitative research does not seek to test a hypothesis. The research statement should be specific to the problem and should be reflected …

Graphs are ubiquitous data structures in various fields, such as social media, transportation, linguistics and chemistry. To solve downstream graph-related tasks, it is of great significance to learn effective representations for graphs. My research strives to help meet this demand; due to the huge success of deep learning methods, especially graph neural networks, in graph-related problems, my emphasis has primarily been on improving their power for graph representation learning. More specifically, my research spans across the following three main areas: (1) robustness of graph neural networks, where we seek to study the performance of them under random noise and carefully-crafted attacks; (2) self-supervised learning in graph neural networks, where we aim to alleviate their need for costly annotated data by constructing self-supervision to help them fully exploit unlabeled data; and (3) applications of graph neural networks, where my work is to apply graph neural networks in various applications such as traffic flow prediction. This research statement, 'Graph Mining with Graph Neural Networks', is focused on my research endeavors specifically related to the aforementioned three topics.

PURPOSE: Feasibility assessments (FAs) are important to establish site capabilities to conduct clinical trials and their suitability for specific trials. However, current FA methods used by biotechnology and pharmaceutical (biotech-pharma) trial sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) are costly, inefficient, unnecessarily burdensome, and resource intensive. These methods delay trial start-up, act as a barrier to site participation, and ultimately reduce timely patient access to clinical trials and novel treatments. METHODS: An ASCO Task Force was convened to assess the specific burdens and challenges with FAs and to develop recommendations to improve their efficiencies and effectiveness. Stakeholders (including trial sites, biotech-pharma sponsors, and CROs) provided insights into challenges and offered solutions through two surveys and an in-person meeting. The Task Force used the feedback to formulate consensus recommendations to improve FAs for oncology clinical trials. RESULTS: Three key recommendations were identified for application across all biotech-pharma sponsored trials: (1) implement a streamlined and uniform FA process across trials and sponsors; (2) minimize and standardize questions; and (3) leverage technology to centralize FAs, facilitate communications, and reduce redundancies. CONCLUSION: There is an urgency to improve the current FA process, which is costly, inconsistent, inefficient, labor intensive, and of uncertain effectiveness. All stakeholders stand to benefit from implementing these recommendations, which aim to minimize burdens and ensure that more trial sites and patients have timely access to oncology clinical trials. To have meaningful impact, adoption and consistent execution of these recommendations across all trials, sponsors, CROs, and sites are essential.

This chapter addresses the practical, political and ethical concerns imbricated in activist methodologies and thus in the author’s positionality as an activist research. It initially discusses the stream of debate concerned with the positionality of the researcher during the fieldwork and the burgeoning trend of committed anthropology. The epistemological approach is then translated in the research strategy’s design, and discussed in relation to the ethnographic fieldwork started in late 2014 (e.g. how to conduct interviews; whether to use the recorder; ethnographic analysis and writing; confidentiality; anonymity; a relational understanding of consent). It also offers a research statement about the purposefulness of the dissemination of activist research in the contemporary world.

Objective. We aimed to provide practical guidance on the scoping review process, building on the methodologies and general steps outlined by Arksey and O’Malley, Levac et al. and The Joanna Briggs Institute. Methods. We reviewed the methodologies of three scoping studies conducted by the authors in the College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila between 2016 and 2017. For each project, we outlined the steps, tools utilized, good practices performed, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improving the scoping review process in relation to existing guidelines. We compared the similarities and differences across the three reviews and guidelines to come up with a list of good practices and recommendations. Results. We propose an expanded 10-step and iterative framework based on our analysis of three scoping studies: Define your research question; 2. Specify your research statement according to population, concept, and context; Prepare the necessary tools, forms, and software packages; 4. Assemble your expert panel and/or consultants; Develop your search strategy; 6. Implement the search strategy and retrieve identified studies; 7. Screen and assess studies for inclusion in the scoping review; 8. Chart the data; 9. Synthesize your results; and 10. Prepare your final report. Conclusion. Scoping reviews as a method of evidence synthesis are increasingly gaining popularity among researchers due to the scope of what can be reviewed in a relatively short amount of time. With only three scoping studies informing our proposed methodology, other issues and challenges in the conduct of a scoping review may have been missed in the expanded framework presented in this paper. We suggest future studies to apply existing scoping review methodologies, to further enhance this rapidly evolving framework in research, policy, and practice.

The study is aimed at expanding the scientific discussion about the factors of investment efficiency in regional (Russia) and sectoral (processing industry) projections. The paper presents the results of the research on the process of investing into innovations of the Russian processing industry (sample of 2009–2017). The factors of economic efficiency have been identified for investment industrial projects. The theoretical statement was formulated that in today’s economy, innovation investment efficiency is not determined that much by the internal potential of the enterprise and the infrastructure it is surrounded with (however, their significance in the balance of potentials is not denied), but rather by external, market factors - industry consolidation ratio on the platform of new technology innovation. The identified nature of innovation investment efficiency is considered as a new research statement, which has objective limitations: region- and industry-specific ones. The practical side of the obtained result can be formulated as a criterion for selecting industries (markets, lines of business) for investing into innovations by enterprises of the processing industry.

This research statement presents a roadmap for the ethical evaluation of contact tracing apps. Assuming the possible development of an effective and secure contact tracing app, this roadmap explores three ethical concerns—privacy, data monopolists and coercion- based on three scenarios. The first scenario envisions and critically evaluates an app that is built on the conceptualization of privacy as anonymity and a mere individual right rather than a social value. The second scenario sketches and critically discusses an app that adequately addresses privacy concerns but is facilitated by data monopolists such as Google and Apple. The final scenario discusses the coerced installation and use of a privacy-friendly, independently developed contact tracing app. The main worry is coercion through societal exclusion and limited societal participation. The statement concludes with three suggestions for designing an ethical contact tracing app and a research agenda.

The subject of the analysis presented in this paper are work effectiveness factors in the opinion of social workers and probation officers. The research was conducted among 121 persons: 64 probation officers executing judgments in family and minors related cases, and 57 social workers. The method of a diagnostic survey was applied during the research. The results show that 62,5% of probation officers consider their work effectiveness as moderate and 31,2% consider their work effective when 64,9% of social workers consider their work moderately effective and 31,6% claim their work is effective. Undoubtedly, the effectiveness of work of both probation officers and social workers depends largely - in the opinion of respondents - on their professional experience and skills, good contacts with the local community in which they work or work autonomy, though the high prestige of the profession is not a factor supporting effectiveness of their work. The presented research results can not refer to the entire population of representatives of these two professions, but they indicate further directions of research on the broadly understood professional identity of representatives of social services inPoland.

Byzantine fault tolerant (BFT) protocols have previously been developed mainly in C or Java. C offers high performance but is more error-prone, leading to more potential Byzantine faults, whereas Java offers memory safety at the cost of performance. The Rust programming language combines the performance advantages of C with safe memory management, and newer releases now enable the implementation of complex, non-blocking asynchronous frameworks, as is needed for efficient BFT frameworks. We present a BFT framework implementation in Rust and preliminary performance evaluations for the PBFT protocol.

Lung cancer screening (LCS) has the potential to reduce the risk of lung cancer death in healthy individuals, but the impact of coexisting chronic illnesses on LCS outcomes has not been well defined. Consideration of the complex relationship between baseline risk of lung cancer, treatment-related harms, and risk of death from competing causes is crucial in determining the balance of benefits and harms of LCS.To summarize evidence, identify knowledge and research gaps, prioritize topics, and propose methods for future research on how best to incorporate comorbidities in making decisions regarding LCS.A multidisciplinary group of international clinicians and researchers reviewed available data on the effects of comorbidities on LCS outcomes, focusing on the juxtaposition of lung cancer risk and competing risks of death, consideration of benefits and risks in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, communication of risk, and treatment of screen-detected lung cancer.This statement identifies gaps in knowledge regarding how comorbidities and competing causes of death impact outcomes in LCS, and we have developed questions to help guide future research efforts to better inform patient selection, education, and implementation of LCS.There is an urgent need for further research that can help guide clinical decision-making with patients who may not benefit from LCS owing to coexisting chronic illness. This statement establishes a research framework to address essential questions regarding how to incorporate and communicate risks of comorbidities into patient selection and decisions regarding LCS.

Background UK Hospital Trusts are charged with increasing patients' research awareness and willingness to take part in research. This includes implementing strategies to encourage patient-initiated enquiries about participation. Objectives To evaluate the impact of a research statement inserted in outpatient letters in one clinical service, and to derive suggestions on potential steps towards increasing patient-initiated recruitment. Setting A medical outpatient clinic of a research-active hospital trust, serving an inner-city multi-ethnic population across two boroughs. Methods Pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires were administered face-to-face to new patients. Questionnaires included closed questions and one open comments section. Data were analysed for frequencies, with thematic coding of open-ended responses. Results The response rates were 87% for the pre-intervention survey and 92% for the post-intervention survey. In the post-intervention survey, 85% of patients did not notice the research statement in the letter. More than half found the statement "a little unclear," whilst one-third considered it "clear." Three-quarters of respondents perceived the statement to be "a little helpful." Only one person enquired about participating in clinical research having read the statement in the outpatient letter. Conclusion The analysis suggests that simple, single-solution approaches such as including research statements in outpatient letters are unlikely to be sufficient to significantly facilitate patient-initiated recruitment. Recruitment efforts need to take into consideration the diversity of patient constituencies including the reasons they seek health care, and how patients can meaningfully access information (research literacy).

Smoking cessation counseling in conjunction with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening is recommended in multiple clinical practice guidelines. The best approach for integrating effective smoking cessation interventions within this setting is unknown.To summarize evidence, identify research gaps, prioritize topics for future research, and propose standardized tools for use in conducting research on smoking cessation interventions within the LDCT lung cancer screening setting.The American Thoracic Society convened a multistakeholder committee with expertise in tobacco dependence treatment and/or LDCT screening. During an in-person meeting, evidence was reviewed, research gaps were identified, and key questions were generated for each of three research domains: (1) target population to study; (2) adaptation, development, and testing of interventions; and (3) implementation of interventions with demonstrated efficacy. We also identified standardized measures for use in conducting this research. A larger stakeholder panel then ranked research questions by perceived importance in an online survey. Final prioritization was generated hierarchically on the basis of average rank assigned.There was little consensus on which questions within the population domain were of highest priority. Within the intervention domain, research to evaluate the effectiveness in the lung cancer screening setting of evidence-based smoking cessation interventions shown to be effective in other contexts was ranked highest. In the implementation domain, stakeholders prioritized understanding strategies to identify and overcome barriers to integrating smoking cessation in lung cancer screening settings.This statement offers an agenda to stimulate research surrounding the integration and implementation of smoking cessation interventions with LDCT lung cancer screening.

Background: Health disparities have a major impact in the quality of life and clinical care received by minorities in the United States. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare cardiopulmonary disorder that affects children and adults and that, if untreated, results in premature death. The impact of health disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcome of patients with PAH has not been systematically investigated. Objectives: The specific goals of this research statement were to conduct a critical review of the literature concerning health disparities in PAH, identify major research gaps and prioritize direction for future research. Methods: Literature searches from multiple reference databases were performed using medical subject headings and text words for pulmonary hypertension and health disparities. Members of the committee discussed the evidence and provided recommendations for future research. Results: Few studies were found discussing the impact of health disparities in PAH. Using recent research statements focused on health disparities, the group identified six major study topics that would help address the contribution of health disparities to PAH. Representative studies in each topic were discussed and specific recommendations were made by the group concerning the most urgent questions to address in future research studies. Conclusions: At present, there are few studies that address health disparities in PAH. Given the potential adverse impact of health disparities, we recommend that research efforts be undertaken to address the topics discussed in the document. Awareness of health disparities will likely improve advocacy efforts, public health policy and the quality of care of vulnerable populations with PAH.

BACKGROUND: Airway remodeling (AR) is a prominent feature of asthma and other obstructive lung diseases that is minimally affected by current treatments. The goals of this Official American Thoracic Society (ATS) Research Statement are to discuss the scientific, technological, economic, and regulatory issues that deter progress of AR research and development of therapeutics targeting AR and to propose approaches and solutions to these specific problems. This Statement is not intended to provide clinical practice recommendations on any disease in which AR is observed and/or plays a role.METHODS: An international multidisciplinary group from within academia, industry, and the National Institutes of Health, with expertise in multimodal approaches to the study of airway structure and function, pulmonary research and clinical practice in obstructive lung disease, and drug discovery platforms was invited to participate in one internet-based and one face-to-face meeting to address the above-stated goals. Although the majority of the analysis related to AR was in asthma, AR in other diseases was also discussed and considered in the recommendations. A literature search of PubMed was performed to support conclusions. The search was not a systematic review of the evidence.RESULTS: Multiple conceptual, logistical, economic, and regulatory deterrents were identified that limit the performance of AR research and impede accelerated, intensive development of AR-focused therapeutics. Complementary solutions that leverage expertise of academia and industry were proposed to address them.CONCLUSIONS: To date, numerous factors related to the intrinsic difficulty in performing AR research, and economic forces that are disincentives for the pursuit of AR treatments, have thwarted the ability to understand AR pathology and mechanisms and to address it clinically. This ATS Research Statement identifies potential solutions for each of these factors and emphasizes the importance of educating the global research community as to the extent of the problem as a critical first step in developing effective strategies for: (1) increasing the extent and impact of AR research and (2) developing, testing, and ultimately improving drugs targeting AR.

In contrast to clinical biopsies, where tissue is collected to inform patient care, research biopsies are performed for scientific purposes to potentially enhance understanding of the biologic bases of cancer and drug action, thereby improving diagnosis and treatment, but they may offer no direct benefit to participants and have known risks. The widespread use of research biopsies that do not have the potential to directly benefit participants has come under scrutiny, with critics raising ethical concerns related to the adequacy of participant protections, informed consent, and participant understanding of the risks and benefits, as well as the scientific impact of research biopsies on drug development and treatment. This manuscript presents the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO’s) ethical framework for incorporation of research biopsies in trials. The framework provides guidance on the circumstances to include optional and mandatory biopsies, as well as provides recommendations to stakeholders on necessary steps for improving the conduct of research biopsies overall.

The three main operational areas of a container terminal, namely the waterside, yard and landside area, are briefly sketched in order to enable a basic understanding of the processes relevant for the analysis in subsequent chapters. Main planning problems, which occur in the three operational areas, are introduced and described, respectively. Coming from a general view on the entire terminal operations, a closer look is taken at the yard block level being the operational area relevant for the research statement of the work. Here, basic terminology is defined and different yard block layouts, the corresponding yard crane systems and the implications for handling operations and yard crane movement are described. Within this overview, the focus is put on automation leading to a brief statement and comparison of variants of automated stacking cranes with single and multiple cranes per block. As the work is motivated from the informational context of arrival and retrieval times of containers, the properties of time information about containers at the waterside and landside are identified and possible systems of vehicle arrival management for estimating the time information are conveyed. Following from this, the problem environment of the research study is formulated.

Many advances in health care fail to reach patients. Implementation science is the study of novel approaches to mitigate this evidence-to-practice gap.The American Thoracic Society (ATS) created a multidisciplinary ad hoc committee to develop a research statement on implementation science in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The committee used an iterative consensus process to define implementation science and review the use of conceptual frameworks to guide implementation science for the pulmonary, critical care, and sleep community and to explore how professional medical societies such as the ATS can promote implementation science.The committee defined implementation science as the study of the mechanisms by which effective health care interventions are either adopted or not adopted in clinical and community settings. The committee also distinguished implementation science from the act of implementation. Ideally, implementation science should include early and continuous stakeholder involvement and the use of conceptual frameworks (i.e., models to systematize the conduct of studies and standardize the communication of findings). Multiple conceptual frameworks are available, and we suggest the selection of one or more frameworks on the basis of the specific research question and setting. Professional medical societies such as the ATS can have an important role in promoting implementation science. Recommendations for professional societies to consider include: unifying implementation science activities through a single organizational structure, linking front-line clinicians with implementation scientists, seeking collaborations to prioritize and conduct implementation science studies, supporting implementation science projects through funding opportunities, working with research funding bodies to set the research agenda in the field, collaborating with external bodies responsible for health care delivery, disseminating results of implementation science through scientific journals and conferences, and teaching the next generation about implementation science through courses and other media.Implementation science plays an increasingly important role in health care. Through support of implementation science, the ATS and other professional medical societies can work with other stakeholders to lead this effort.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) adaptation to acute and chronic pulmonary hypertensive syndromes is a significant determinant of short- and long-term outcomes. Although remarkable progress has been made in the understanding of RV function and failure since the meeting of the NIH Working Group on Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Right Heart Failure in 2005, significant gaps remain at many levels in the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms of RV responses to pressure and volume overload, in the validation of diagnostic modalities, and in the development of evidence-based therapies.METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group of 20 international experts from the American Thoracic Society Assemblies on Pulmonary Circulation and Critical Care, as well as external content experts, reviewed the literature, identified important knowledge gaps, and provided recommendations.RESULTS: This document reviews the knowledge in the field of RV failure, identifies and prioritizes the most pertinent research gaps, and provides a prioritized pathway for addressing these preclinical and clinical questions. The group identified knowledge gaps and research opportunities in three major topic areas: 1) optimizing the methodology to assess RV function in acute and chronic conditions in preclinical models, human studies, and clinical trials; 2) analyzing advanced RV hemodynamic parameters at rest and in response to exercise; and 3) deciphering the underlying molecular and pathogenic mechanisms of RV function and failure in diverse pulmonary hypertension syndromes.CONCLUSIONS: This statement provides a roadmap to further advance the state of knowledge, with the ultimate goal of developing RV-targeted therapies for patients with RV failure of any etiology.

This article is a literature review on open distance learnings (ODL) in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa (FSSA). The state of research on this question highlights many topics, such as the supporting reasons for the creation of ODL systems and their potentials. Success, difficulties, and issues linked to their implementation also hold a crucial place in this research. Besides, this literature review shows that studies on ODLs in FSSA emphasize the representations, motivations, and identities of students and university managers, including the historical and cooperative aspects of these third-generation learnings. While most of the research in this field are descriptive or exploratory, others are critical. Beyond these results, research must further explore many perspectives, mainly those related to teaching and learning practices, evaluation, social and university transformations, and the hybrid forms of learning.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common conditions; the co-occurrence of these diseases, called the overlap syndrome (OVS), has been associated with poor health outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement is to describe pathophysiology, epidemiology, outcomes, diagnostic metrics, and treatment of OVS, as well as to identify important gaps in knowledge and make recommendations for future research. Methods: Clinicians and researchers with expertise in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, or both were invited to participate. Topics were divided among the participants according to their interest and expertise. A literature search was conducted; the search was not a formal systematic review. Evidence was considered and supplemented with the panelists’ nonsystematic clinical observations. Important knowledge gaps were identified. Results: Recommendations for research to fill existing knowledge gaps were made. The recommendations were formulated by discussion and consensus. Conclusions: Many important questions about OVS exist. This American Thoracic Society Research Statement highlights the types of research that leading clinicians and researchers believe will have the greatest impact on better understanding the spectrum of disease, improving diagnosis, and optimizing therapy.

Since the mid-20th century, the scientific community has substantially improved its understanding of the worldwide tobacco epidemic. Although significant progress has been made, the sheer enormity and scope of the global problem put it on track to take a billion lives this century. Curbing the epidemic will require maximizing the impact of proven tools as well as the development of new, breakthrough methods to help interrupt the spread of nicotine addiction and reduce the downstream morbidity.Members of the Tobacco Action Committee of the American Thoracic Society queried bibliographic databases, including Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Collaborative, to identify primary sources and reviews relevant to the epidemic. Exploded search terms were used to identify evidence, including tobacco, addiction, smoking, cigarettes, nicotine, and smoking cessation. Evidence was consolidated into three thematic areas: (1) determinants of risk, (2) maternal-fetal exposure, and (3) current tobacco users. Expert panel consensus regarding current gaps in understanding and recommendations for future research priorities was generated through iterative discussion.Although much has been accomplished, significant gaps in understanding remain. Implementation often lags well behind insight. This report identifies a number of investigative opportunities for significantly reducing the toll of tobacco use, including: (1) the need for novel, nonlinear models of population-based disease control; (2) refinement of "real-world" models of clinical intervention in trial design; and (3) understanding of mechanisms by which intrauterine smoke exposure may lead to persistent, tobacco-related chronic disease.In the coming era of tobacco research, pooled talent from multiple disciplines will be required to further illuminate the complex social, environmental and biological codeterminants of tobacco dependence.

International audience; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and resource use worldwide. The goal of this official American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) research statement is to describe evidence related to diagnosis, assessment and management; identify gaps in knowledge; and make recommendations for future research. It is not intended to provide clinical practice recommendations on COPD diagnosis and management. Clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates with expertise in COPD were invited to participate. A literature search of Medline was performed, and studies deemed relevant were selected. The search was not a systematic review of the evidence. Existing evidence was appraised and summarised, and then salient knowledge gaps were identified. Recommendations for research that addresses important gaps in the evidence in all areas of COPD were formulated via discussion and consensus. Great strides have been made in the diagnosis, assessment and management of COPD, as well as understanding its pathogenesis. Despite this, many important questions remain unanswered. This ATS/ ERS research statement highlights the types of research that leading clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates believe will have the greatest impact on patient-centred outcomes. @ERSpublications ATS/ERS statement: which types of research will have the greatest future impact on patient-centred outcomes in COPD? http://ow.ly/I54Hb

In order to help researchers who have to resort to time-consuming work on collecting, analyzing, and visualizing social media data, we have developed a system, called the Social and Crowdsourced Activity Extraction System (SOCRATES). This tool supports researchers utilize a single, modularly architected, open-sourced, and standardized platform for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing social media data. In this demonstration, a follow-up to one we presented at ASIST 2014 (Matni, Choi, & Shah, 2014), we present "SOCRATES 2.0" with improved functionalities, more precisely, those that help users focus on their research problem(s) without spending time and effort dealing with details in data processing. Through a process of asking questions related to the users' interests and requests for certain analyses, the system generates one sentence about a possible research statement and provides the collected data and analysis results with one click.

Pineapple is widely planted as one of the four major crops in in south China. The handling of residual pineapple leaves is not a step for looking down upon after harvesting. So far, returning the residual on the filed is the popular method, compared to set the residual on fire, crushing and returning has distinct advantage on high-efficient and low-pollution. In the text, the technology and machine of crushing and returning is summarized, and the current problems is analyzed and discussed.

ASCO believes that high-quality observational studies can advance evidence-based practice for cancer care and are complementary to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Observational studies can generate hypotheses by evaluating novel exposures or biomarkers and by revealing patterns of care and relationships that might not otherwise be discovered. Researchers can then test these hypotheses in RCTs. Observational studies can also answer or inform questions that either have not been or cannot be answered by RCTs. In addition, observational studies can be used for postmarketing surveillance of new cancer treatments, particularly in vulnerable populations. The incorporation of observational research as part of clinical decision making is consistent with the position of many leading institutions. ASCO identified five overarching recommendations to enhance the role of observational research in clinical decision making: (1) improve the quality of electronic health data available for research, (2) improve interoperability and the exchange of electronic health information, (3) ensure the use of rigorous observational research methodologies, (4) promote transparent reporting of observational research studies, and (5) protect patient privacy.

من المعروف أن أغلب الدراسات التي تناولت تاريخ الدولة الأيوبية قد انصّبت على معالجة النواحي السياسية، والعسكرية، أما الدراسات الإقتصادية فانها تكاد تكون نادرة، ومن هذا المنطلق جاء إختيارنا لموضوع البحث لالقاء الضوء على أسواق مصر آنذاك للتعرف على دورها الحيوي في حياة الناس كونها المكان الذي كان يجتمع فيه الناس للحصول على حاجاتهم المخُتلفة، وفيه يُمارس التجار، والحرفيون، والكسبة أنشطتهم الإقتصادية المُتّنوعة، ويبدو أنّ الإستقرار النسبي الذي شهدته مصر مُقارنة مع المدن الشامية التي كانت أكثر عرضة للتقلبات السياسية، وهجمات الصليبيين قد جعل الكثير من المدن المصرية، كالقاهرة، والإسكندرية مراكز اقتصادية مُشهورة، كثرت فيها الأسواق، والأنشطة التجارية المتنّوعة، كما تعّددت فيها العمائر التجارية مثل القياسر، والخانات، وأصبحت محطات لقوافل التجّار بين مشرق العالم الإسلامي، ومغربه، وكذلك مع الغرب الأوربي. وقد إرتأينا تقسيم البحث الى ثلاثة مباحث، وخاتمة : المبحث الأول : تمّ فيه التطرق لسياسة الأيوبيين، ودعمهم للأنشطة الإقتصادية، والمبحث الثاني : جاء للحديث عن الأسواق المصرية، وأنواعها، وما كان يُباع فيها من السلع والبضائع، كما تمّ التطّرق الى أبرز العوامل المؤثرة في حركة تلك الأسواق، والمبحث الثالث والأخير : فقد خُصّص للحديث عن نظام الإشراف، والرقابة على الأسواق، والصلاحيات، والمهام التي أناطها الأيوبيون بالمحتسبة في عملهم التنظيمي، والرقابي على الأسواق، واختتم البحث ببيان أهم النتائج.

The Macao–Nagasaki connection in the early seventeenth century involved a complex set of interrelationships with regard to trade, mission, cultural intercourse, and other important topics between China, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. The rise to importance of Macao and Nagasaki was the result of the interruption of Sino–Japanese trade relations and the policy adjustments by the governments of China and Japan to bring the Portuguese under their control and administration. One of the main differences between Macao and Nagasaki was that the former remained a Portuguese settlement for centuries, while the latter was an enclave first of the Portuguese and later of the Dutch. This short article, mainly based on secondary sources by C. R. Boxer, Leonard Blussé, and others, is a tentative study of the international relations in East Asia and their changes after the appearance of the Portuguese and the Dutch in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.Two important facts make the sixteen-century international relations in East Asia different from the situation before: the appearance of the Portuguese in this area and the deterioration of Sino–Japanese relations.For the first thirty years after the Portuguese arrived on the coast of Guangdong in 1514, encounters between them and the Chinese were rife with misunderstandings and conflicts, because Portugal was not a tributary country of China; the Portuguese were totally new to the Chinese. As the Portuguese could not establish formal commercial relations with China, in order to acquire Chinese goods they sought close relations with Chinese and later Japanese smugglers and pirates. They even engaged in the slave trade, which gave them a very bad name in China.

In instituting the Fine Art Ph.D.s, the academy has triggered debate about the nature of artistic knowledge, and what constitutes art research. Research in the arts is increasingly being manipulated to focus on the production and commodification of knowledge, and ‘impact’ is now an evaluative component for the REF. Ongoing developments in neuroscience and cognitive science guide our understanding that it is the brain, in combination with other senses, and not just the eyes that ‘see’ — visual perception is now understood as a cognitive process. In the art world of image-making, how is this affecting views and consideration given to artworks made when undertaking artistic research in fulfilment of a Ph.D.? This article looks at the exhibition of paintings presented as Dan Hayes’ Research Statement -‘Screen As Landscape’ — to progress a discussion about the evolving nature of the Fine Art Ph.D. Explorations include discussion around ‘knowledge’, ‘transcognition’ and ‘digimodernism’, while themes ass...

Background: Internationally there has been increasing focus on creating health research systems. This article aims to investigate the challenges of implementing apparently simple strategies to support the development of a health research system. We focus on a case study of an English National Health Service hospital Trust that sought to implement the national recommendation that health organisations should introduce a statement about research on all patient admission letters.Methods: We apply core concepts from complexity theory to the case study and undertake a documentary analysis of the email dialogue between staff involved in implementing this initiative.Results: The process of implementing a research statement in patient admission letters in one clinical service took one year and 21 days. The length of time needed was influenced, firstly by adaptive self-organisation, underpinned by competing interests. Secondly, it was influenced by the relationship between systems, rather than simply being a product of issues within those systems. The relationship between the health system and the research system was weaker than might have been expected. Responsibilities were unclear, leading to confusion and delayed action. Conclusions: Conventional ways of thinking about organisations suggest that change happens when leaders and managers change the strategic vision, structure or procedures in an organisation and then persuade others to rationally implement the strategy. But health research systems are complex adaptive systems and these are characterised by high levels of unpredictability due to self-organisation and systemic interactions, which give rise to ‘emergent’ properties. We argue for the need to study how micro-processes of organisational dynamics may give rise to macro patterns of behaviour and strategic organisational direction and for the use of systems approaches to investigate the emergent properties of health research systems.

I am a social scientist with interests in the broad areas of labour economics. My research agenda has a strong interdisciplinary emphasis. I find various combinations of diverse disciplines for a given research problem that might include economics, psychology, and health. My interdisciplinary research provides a steady stream of innovative projects and creative investigations that aim to evaluate causal patterns, inform social planners, and establish policy implications. I use econometric modelling to accomplish my research objectives. Through my published papers, and within the scope of Acta Psychopathologica, I have examined the following relations

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis encompasses a group of lung-scarring disorders that occur owing to known or unknown insults and accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. Despite intense investigation spanning decades, much remains to be learned about the natural history, pathophysiology, and biologic mechanisms of disease. Purpose: To identify the most pressing research needs in the lung fibrosis community and to provide a roadmap of priorities to investigators, funding agencies, patient advocacy groups, and other interested stakeholders. Methods: An ad hoc international working group of the American Thoracic Society with experience in clinical, translational, and bench-based research in fibrotic lung diseases was convened. The group used an iterative consensus process to identify successes and challenges in pulmonary fibrosis research. Measurements and Main Results: The group identified five main priority areas in which substantial resources should be invested to advance our understanding and to develop novel therapies for patients with pulmonary fibrosis. These priorities include develop newer models of human lung fibrosis, engage current and new stakeholders to provide sustained funding for the initiatives, create a global infrastructure for storing patient-derived materials, establish collaborative preclinical and clinical research networks in fibrotic lung disease, and create a global lung fibrosis initiative that unites these multifaceted efforts into a single virtual umbrella structure. Conclusions: Despite recent advances in the treatment of some forms of lung fibrosis, many gaps in knowledge about natural history, pathophysiology, and treatment remain. Investment in the research priorities enumerated above will help address these shortcomings and enhance patient care worldwide. &nbsp

The editors are reproducing here an informal research statement that Dan wrote in one of his last years at the University of Maryland. It provides a rare insight into how he viewed his own work and as usual he did an excellent job in setting forth the main points in a clear way. The summary was retyped, lightly edited to correct typos, and provided with references by Ayşe Şahin. One of the editors (B.W.) added a brief appendix to cover some of the highlights of Dan’s work during the last years of his life. Following the research summary is a complete list of Dan’s publications as well as a second list for the other references cited.

Pulmonary nodules are frequently detected during diagnostic chest imaging and as a result of lung cancer screening. Current guidelines for their evaluation are largely based on low-quality evidence, and patients and clinicians could benefit from more research in this area.In this research statement from the American Thoracic Society, a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates reviewed available evidence for pulmonary nodule evaluation, characterized six focus areas to direct future research efforts, and identified fundamental gaps in knowledge and strategies to address them. We did not use formal mechanisms to prioritize one research area over another or to achieve consensus.There was widespread agreement that novel tests (including novel imaging tests and biopsy techniques, biomarkers, and prognostic models) may improve diagnostic accuracy for identifying cancerous nodules. Before they are used in clinical practice, however, better evidence is needed to show that they improve more distal outcomes of importance to patients. In addition, the pace of research and the quality of clinical care would be improved by the development of registries that link demographic and nodule characteristics with patient-level outcomes. Methods to share data from registries are also necessary.This statement may help researchers to develop impactful and innovative research projects and enable funders to better judge research proposals. We hope that it will accelerate the pace and increase the efficiency of discovery to improve the quality of care for patients with pulmonary nodules.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and resource use worldwide. The goal of this Official American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) Research Statement is to describe evidence related to diagnosis, assessment, and management; identify gaps in knowledge; and make recommendations for future research. It is not intended to provide clinical practice recommendations on COPD diagnosis and management. METHODS: Clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates with expertise in COPD were invited to participate. A literature search of Medline was performed, and studies deemed relevant were selected. The search was not a systematic review of the evidence. Existing evidence was appraised and summarized, and then salient knowledge gaps were identified. RESULTS: Recommendations for research that addresses important gaps in the evidence in all areas of COPD were formulated via discussion and consensus. CONCLUSIONS: Great strides have been made in the diagnosis, assessment, and management of COPD as well as understanding its pathogenesis. Despite this, many important questions remain unanswered. This ATS/ERS Research Statement highlights the types of research that leading clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates believe will have the greatest impact on patient-centered outcomes.

The aim of this study was to elaborate identification method of crew overload as a result of trinitrotoluene charge explosion under the military wheeled vehicle. During the study, an experimental military ground research was carried out. The aim of this research was to verify the mine blast resistance of the prototype wheeled vehicle according to STANG 4569 as well as the anti-explosive seat. Within the work, the original methodology was elaborated along with a prototype research statement. This article presents some results of the experimental research, thanks to which there is a possibility to estimate the crew's lives being endangered in an explosion through the measurement of acceleration as well as the pressure on the chest, head and internal organs. On the basis of our acceleration results, both effectiveness and infallibility of crew protective elements along with a blast mitigation seat were verified.

This research statement emphasizes the need to understand the challenges, outcomes, and implications of designing information displays to support ad hoc, interdisciplinary teams during emergency medical situations. The outcomes of this research have implications for CSCW researchers interested in using a participatory design approach to develop information systems to support the awareness of diverse users. Preliminary results describe four facets of awareness teams manage during emergency resuscitations that should be supported through display design.

Developing good research ideas is both a science and an art. Teaching students how to select and then conceptualize the research idea requires both tools and practice. This paper discusses the identification of an appropriate research question and the refinement of it into a working research plan in the format of a grant proposal. The author has used the development of a grant proposal to demonstrate the linkages between theoretical models of aging policy and aging policy research in a master's level Aging and Public Policy Course. In this course students choose, develop, and refine a research statement in response to a request for proposal from an independent foundation. The theoretical knowledge cycle is used to discuss how these students learn over time to refine and reformulate their ideas into workable research questions. Students report that writing for a real funding entity allows them to develop both proficiency with the construction of a research question and research plan and develop expertise w...