Establishing Aboriginal health research priorities in Victoria

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) conducted a research project to find out the impact of social determinants such as education, employment, income, racism and housing on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal peoples. Forums and workshops were conducted to establish future research outcomes and priorities. The project will help in developing localised and community-oriented solutions to Aboriginal health issues.

Establishing Aboriginal health research priorities in Victoria

Short overview of the VACCHO Social Determinants Research Forum (2010).

Indigenous livelihoods policy reference group: Research priorities identified from the first meeting, 28th April 2010

The CSIRO Indigenous Livelihoods Project sought to work with Indigenous communities, government and non-government stakeholders to bring together western science and Indigenous knowledge in order to understand the potential livelihood benefits of enterprises based on natural resource management. The research focus was to enhance livelihood opportunities for Indigenous communities derived from new enterprises and activities based on natural resource management in regional and remote Australia. Underpinning outcomes were: · Identification of effective policy and institutional arrangements required to establish and maintain sustainable livelihoods; · Improved systems understanding of factors that enhance or inhibit sustainable livelihoods based on natural resource management; · Tools and methods for measuring the livelihood benefits of natural resource management; · Education, training, employment and capacity building for Indigenous communities and researchers.

Mango anthracnose disease: Present status and future research priorities

Occurrence and Importance: Anthracnose is presently recognized as the most important field and post-harvest disease of mango worldwide (Ploetz and Prakasli, 1997). It is the major disease limiting fruit production in all countries where mangoes are grown, especially where high humidity prevails during the cropping season. The post-harvest phase is the most damaging and economically significant phase of the disease worldwide. It directly affects the marketable fruit rendering it worthless. This phase is directly linked to the field phase where initial infection usually starts on young twigs and leaves and spreads to the flowers, causing blossom blight and destroying the inflorescences and even preventing fruit set.

Materials Research Priorities

R. Chidambaram is the principal scientific advisor to the government of India and is past president of the Materials Research Society-India. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in 1962, became its director in 1990, and is currently the Department of Atomic Energy Homi Bhabha Chair Professor. He served as chair of the Atomic Energy Commission and secretary to the government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy from February 1993 to November 2000. Chidambaram is a fellow of all of the major science academies in India and also of the Third World Academy of Sciences in Trieste, Italy. He chaired the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during 1994–1995. Until recently, he was vice president of the International Union of Crystallography. Chidambaram is currently chair of the council and the governing body of the Technology Information, Forecasting, and Assessment Council (TIFAC). He received his PhD and DSc degrees from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and holds honorary DSc degrees from several Indian universities.

Regional research priorities in brain and nervous system disorders

The characteristics of neurological, psychiatric, developmental and substance-use disorders in low-and middle-income countries are unique and the burden that they have will be different from country to country. Many of the differences are explained by the wide variation in population demographics and size, poverty, conflict, culture, land area and quality, and genetics. Neurological, psychiatric, developmental and substance-use disorders that result from, or are worsened by, a lack of adequate nutrition and infectious disease still afflict much of sub-Saharan Africa, although disorders related to increasing longevity, such as stroke, are on the rise. In the Middle East and North Africa, major depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder are a primary concern because of the conflict-ridden environment. Consanguinity is a serious concern that leads to the high prevalence of recessive disorders in the Middle East and North Africa and possibly other regions. The burden of these disorders in Latin American and Asian countries largely surrounds stroke and vascular disease, dementia and lifestyle factors that are influenced by genetics. Although much knowledge has been gained over the past 10 years, the epidemiology of the conditions in low-and middle-income countries still needs more research. Prevention and treatments could be better informed with more longitudinal studies of risk factors. Challenges and opportunities for ameliorating nervous-system disorders can benefit from both local and regional research collaborations. The lack of resources and infrastructure for health-care and related research, both in terms of personnel and equipment, along with the stigma associated with the physical or behavioural manifestations of some disorders have hampered progress in understanding the disease burden and improving brain health. Individual countries, and regions within countries, have specific needs in terms of research priorities.

CGIAR aquatic research priorities revisited: a case for a higher priority for reservoir-lake system research

The case presented in this article clearly indicates that reservoir and lake resource systems, reservoirs in the Asian context lakes plus reservoirs in the African context, have been given a lower priority than deserved.

Neurology and psychiatry: waking up to opportunities of sleep. State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.

In recent years, evidence has emerged for a bidirectional relationship between sleep and neurological and psychiatric disorders. First, sleep-wake disorders (SWDs) are very common and may be the first/main manifestation of underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders. Secondly, SWDs may represent an independent risk factor for neuropsychiatric morbidities. Thirdly, sleep-wake function (SWF) may influence the course and outcome of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the most important research and clinical findings in the fields of neuropsychiatric sleep and circadian research and medicine, and discusses the promise they bear for the next decade. The findings herein summarize discussions conducted in a workshop with 26 European experts in these fields, and formulate specific future priorities for clinical practice and translational research. More generally, the conclusion emerging from this workshop is the recognition of a tremendous opportunity offered by our knowledge of SWF and SWDs that has unfortunately not yet entered as an important key factor in clinical practice, particularly in Europe. Strengthening pre-graduate and postgraduate teaching, creating academic multidisciplinary sleep-wake centres and simplifying diagnostic approaches of SWDs coupled with targeted treatment strategies yield enormous clinical benefits for these diseases.

Data mining approach identifies research priorities and data requirements for resolving the red algal tree of life

Background. The assembly of the tree of life has seen significant progress in recent years but algae and protists have been largely overlooked in this effort. Many groups of algae and protists have ancient roots and it is unclear how much data will be required to resolve their phylogenetic relationships for incorporation in the tree of life. The red algae, a group of primary photosynthetic eukaryotes of more than a billion years old, provide the earliest fossil evidence for eukaryotic multicellularity and sexual reproduction. Despite this evolutionary significance, their phylogenetic relationships are understudied. This study aims to infer a comprehensive red algal tree of life at the family level from a supermatrix containing data mined from GenBank. We aim to locate remaining regions of low support in the topology, evaluate their causes and estimate the amount of data required to resolve them. Results. Phylogenetic analysis of a supermatrix of 14 loci and 98 red algal families yielded the most complete red algal tree of life to date. Visualization of statistical support showed the presence of five poorly supported regions. Causes for low support were identified with statistics about the age of the region, data availability and node density, showing that poor support has different origins in different parts of the tree. Parametric simulation experiments yielded optimistic estimates of how much data will be needed to resolve the poorly supported regions (ca. 103 to ca. 104 nucleotides for the different regions). Nonparametric simulations gave a markedly more pessimistic image, some regions requiring more than 2.8 105 nucleotides or not achieving the desired level of support at all. The discrepancies between parametric and nonparametric simulations are discussed in light of our dataset and known attributes of both approaches. Conclusions. Our study takes the red algae one step closer to meaningful inclusion in the tree of life. In addition to the recovery of stable relationships, the recognition of five regions in need of further study is a significant outcome of this work. Based on our analyses of current availability and future requirements of data, we make clear recommendations for forthcoming research.

Research priorities of adult intensive care nurses in 20 European countries: a Delphi study.

Aims: This paper is a report of a three round Delphi study of intensive care nursing research priorities in Europe (October 2006–April 2009).

Background: Internationally, priorities for research in intensive care nursing have received some attention focusing on healthcare interventions and patient needs. Studies as early as the 1980s identified priorities in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia. Research priorities of intensive care nurses across the European Union are unknown.

Methods: The participants, invited in 2006, included 110 intensive care nurses, managers, educators and researchers from 20 European Critical Care Nursing Associations. Delphi round one was an emailed questionnaire inviting participants to list important areas for research. The list was content analysed and developed into an online questionnaire for rounds two and three. In round two, participants ranked the topics on a scale of 1–6 (not important to extremely important). Mean scores of round two were added to the questionnaire of round three and participants ranked the topics again.

Results: There were 52 research topics in 12 domains. There was a dominance of priorities in five main areas: patient safety; impact of evidence based practice on outcomes; impact of workforce on outcomes; well being of patients and relatives; and impact of end-of-life care on staff and practice.

Conclusions: The results reflect worldwide healthcare concerns and objectives and highlight topics that nurses view as fundamental to the care of critically ill patients. These topics provide a platform for future research efforts to improve clinical practice and care of patients in intensive care.

Research priorities associated with family caregivers in palliative care:international perspectives

Reviews of the literature have consistently highlighted significant gaps with regard to research associated with family caregivers within the context of palliative care. We sought to determine a priority driven research agenda for this field of inquiry.

Identifying research priorities in long term care homes

Concerns about the quality of care in long term care (LTC) homes range from inadequate daily care to understaffing and insufficient funding. LTC decision makers are challenged to keep up with the changing demographics of residents admitted to LTC who have increasingly complex care needs. Decisions regarding LTC policies and procedures need to be informed by research that identifies the most effective and efficient care practices.This study solicited feedback from LTC decision makers in Ontario, Canada, regarding research priorities to guide improvement in the quality of care in LTC homes. Representatives from 134 LTC homes responded (53.6% response rate). Nine thematic areas of research were identified: delivery of care; staffing; organization and structure of homes; funding; indicators, standards, policies, and procedures; managing difficult behaviors; education; safety; and infectious disease control. It is anticipated that these themes will steer research down a path that is responsive to the information needs of practitioners in LTC homes. © 2012 American Medical Directors Association, Inc.

Identifying research priorities on infections in older adults:Proceedings of an interdisciplinary workshop

Background: Infections pose a substantial burden to the health of older adults. In this report, we describe the proceedings of a workshop to formulate and prioritize research questions about infections in older adults using an interdisciplinary approach. Methods: Researchers from four sectors (basic science, clinical sciences, health services and epidemiology/determinants of health) and representatives from various Canadian local, provincial, and federal stakeholder groups were invited to a two-day workshop. Five multi-disciplinary groups and stakeholders from each of three healthcare settings (long term, acute care and community) discussed research priorities for each of the settings. Five to ten research questions were identified for each setting. Results: The research questions proposed ranged from risk factors and outcomes for different infections to the effect of nutrition on infection and the role of alternative and complementary medicine in treating infections. Health service issues included barriers to immunization, prolongation of hospital length of stay by infection, use of care paths for managing infections, and decision-making in determining the site of care for individuals with infections. Clinical questions included risk factor assessment for infection, the effectiveness of preventative strategies, and technology evaluation. Epidemiologic issues included the challenge of achieving a better understanding of respiratory infections in the community and determining the prevalence of colonization with multi-resistant bacteria. Conclusions: The questions are of direct relevance to researchers in a wide variety of fields. Bringing together a multi-disciplinary group of researchers to frame and prioritize research questions about aging is feasible, participants valued the opinions of people working in other areas.