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There has been a recent surge of eHealth programs in cancer and other content areas, but few reviews have focused on the methodologies and designs employed in these studies. We conducted a systematic review of studies on eHealth interventions on cancer prevention and control published between 2001 and 2010 applying the Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS) criteria and external validity components from the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We identified 113 studies that focused on cancer prevention and control of eHealth interventions. Most studies fell midway along the explanatory/pragmatic trial continuum, but few reported on various practical feasibility criteria for translation. Despite vast interest in cancer eHealth and the applied nature of this field, few studies considered key external validity issues. There is a need for use of alternative pragmatic study designs and transparent reporting of external validity components to produce more rapid and generalizable results.

A total of 128 survey broadcast points in each site were conducted in the municipality of Gasan, Marinduque and in the Makiling Forest Reserve that determined the species abundance, detection rate and response time to playback calls. Higher abundance and detection rate of the Philippine Scops Owls were found in Marinduque (t=5, P=0.0007, 30.46%). The species detection rate decreased as the distance from the playback station increased. Distance and response time were affected by terrain and vegetation in both areas. Availability of suitable habitat is probably the major factor that determines species’ population status.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v10i1.7768

A1 Introduction to the 8th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation: Optimizing Personal and Population Health David Chambers1, Lisa Simpson2 1Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA; 2AcademyHealth, Washington, DC, 20036, USA For the second year in a row, we are pleased to be able to share the proceedings of the Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health, a large meeting reflecting the expanding and evolving research field that seeks to optimize the use of evidence, interventions, and tools from health research within the myriad of settings where people receive health care, make health-related decisions, and increase knowledge of influences on the health of the population. We once again benefitted from a strong partnership, co-led by AcademyHealth and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with co-sponsorship from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the WT Grant Foundation. In addition, we benefitted from the collaboration of staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). NIH and AcademyHealth again co-led the program planning committee, which focused on the development of the plenary sessions, and convened a scientific advisory panel to suggest speakers and advise on the overall conference development. The planning committee identified four key areas around which to focus the plenary panels and keynote address. Dr. America Bracho, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Director of Latino Health Access in Orange County, California, spoke about the opportunities for implementation science to inform efforts to improve community health and engage underserved populations. The three plenary panels each focused on a significant future direction for dissemination and implementation (D & I) research: the interface between D&I science and population health, emerging opportunities for global implementation science, and the challenges around implementation of precision medicine. The plenary sessions were complemented by facilitated lunchtime discussions on the same three topics, which offered participants an opportunity to identify key research questions for each and brainstorm next steps. Synopses of the lunchtime discussions are included in this supplement. Given the overwhelming success of the 2014 conference and the large number of abstracts received in 2014 (660), the program planning committee identified eight program tracks for abstract submitters to respond to, and through which the concurrent sessions of the conference would be organized. These tracks—Behavioral Health, Big Data and Technology for Dissemination and Implementation Research, Clinical Care Settings, Global Dissemination and Implementation, Promoting Health Equity and Eliminating Disparities, Health Policy Dissemination and Implementation, Prevention and Public Health, and Models, Measures and Methods— were designed to enable conference participants to follow a consistent theme across the multiple sessions of the conference and form the structure of this supplement. The call for abstracts, including individual paper presentations, individual posters and panel presentations, resulted in 515 submissions, spread across the eight thematic tracks. Over one hundred reviewers devoted their time to ensuring a comprehensive and expert review, and reviews were conducted within each track and coordinated by the track leads. For the final program, 64 oral presentations, 12 panels, and 263 posters were presented over the two-day meeting. Slides for the oral presentations and panels (with the agreement of the authors) were posted on the conference website (http://diconference.academyhealth.org/archives/2015archives) and all abstracts were included on the conference webapp (https://academyhealth.confex.com/academyhealth/2015di/meetingapp.cgi). This supplement has compiled the abstracts for presented papers, panel sessions, and lunchtime discussions from the 8th Annual Meeting on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health: Optimizing Personal and Population Health. We are pleased to have the abstracts from the conference together in one volume once again, and look forward to the 9th Annual meeting, scheduled for December in Washington, D.C.

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are not broadly implemented, despite widespread availability of programs, policies, and guidelines. Systematic processes for integrating EBIs with community preference remain challenging for cancer control and prevention, as well as other areas. The Cancer Control P.L.A.N.E.T. (P.L.A.N.E.T) Web portal provides a platform to access data, EBIs, and resources to foster local partnerships and assist public health researchers and practitioners design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based cancer control programs. This article summarizes the evolution of P.L.A.N.E.T. and describes effective and innovative Web 2.0 strategies to increase Web visits, create more interactive platforms for researchers and practitioners to integrate evidence-based resources, community preferences, and the complex context in which programs and policies are implemented. Lessons learned could benefit public health settings and reach low-income, high-risk communities. Researchers, community practitioners, and government partnerships should continue to develop and test innovative ways to address pressing issues in cancer control, health disparities, and health delivery.

In 2011, shallow marine ecosystems were evaluated (0-30 m depth) in the oceanic reef complexes in the northern Colombian Caribbean, including New Shoal, Alice Shoal (Colombia-Jamaica Joint Regime Area) and Serranilla Bank, in the Seaflwer Biosphere Reserve. Sampling stations were defied a priori through visual analysis of satellite images. Ecological Rapid Assessments were conducted to record the composition and relative abundance of the most representative species and groups existing in each oceanic shoal (hard corals, macroalgae, sponges, octocorals, macroinvertebrates, seagrass beds, and fihes). The greatest number of species was registered in Serranilla Bank (341), followed by New Shoal (242) and Alice Shoal (122). Fishes were the most representative group with 135 species. Seven exclusive species were found in Alice Shoal, 42 in New Shoal and 128 in Serranilla Bank. 18 species were registered with endangered categories at a global and national level, three of which (Gorgonia ventalina, Ginglymostoma cirratum and Balistes vetula) were found in important proportions. Species richness and the diversity of marine ecosystems found in this study highlight the importance of these remote areas as reserves of biodiversity in the Colombian Caribbean.

The crop used for this research is sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). There are two identical set-ups containing sweet potatoes being planted and monitored. One of the set-up is in a controlled environment and the other one is exposed to the natural environment. The controlled environment is enclosed in a miniature greenhouse in which its temperature, relative humidity and soil moisture is being controlled using Arduino Uno microcontroller according to the profile of the sweet potato in normal conditions. Each set-up uses sensors for measuring the aforementioned parameters. With the use of a Wireless Sensor Network, the data from each sensors are collected wirelessly utilizing the Zigbee protocol using XBee as its hardware platform. The XBee's are connected to a personal computer and the data gathered is generated and interpreted using MATLAB. A graphical user interface is created in MATLAB to display the temperature and humidity of the environment and the soil moisture of the crop. From the two set-ups being compared and analyzed, the set-up in a controlled environment defines precision agriculture.

Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) often develop severe diaphragmatic and limb skeletal muscle dysfunction. Impaired muscle function in ARDS is associated with increased mortality, increased duration of mechanical ventilation, and functional disability in survivors. In this review, we propose that muscle dysfunction in ARDS can be categorized into an early and a late phase. These early and late phases are based on the timing in relationship to lung injury and the underlying mechanisms. The early phase occurs temporally with the onset of lung injury, is driven by inflammation and disuse, and is marked predominantly by muscle atrophy from increased protein degradation. The ubiquitin-proteasome, autophagy, and calpain-caspase pathways have all been implicated in early-phase muscle dysfunction. Late-phase muscle weakness persists in many patients despite resolution of lung injury and cessation of ongoing acute inflammation-driven muscle atrophy. The clinical characteristics and mechanisms underlying late-phase muscle dysfunction do not involve the massive protein degradation and atrophy of the early phase and may reflect a failure of the musculoskeletal system to regain homeostatic balance. Owing to these underlying mechanistic differences, therapeutic interventions for treating muscle dysfunction in ARDS may differ during the early and late phases. Here, we review clinical and translational investigations of muscle dysfunction in ARDS, placing them in the conceptual framework of the early and late phases. We hypothesize that this conceptual model will aid in the design of future mechanistic and clinical investigations of the skeletal muscle system in ARDS and other critical illnesses.

Tissue homeostasis and regeneration are mediated by programs of adult stem cell renewal and differentiation. However, the mechanisms that regulate stem cell fates under such widely varying conditions are not fully understood. Using single-cell techniques, we assessed the transcriptional changes associated with stem cell self-renewal and differentiation and followed the maturation of stem cell-derived clones using sparse lineage tracing in the regenerating mouse olfactory epithelium. Following injury, quiescent olfactory stem cells rapidly shift to activated, transient states unique to regeneration and tailored to meet the demands of injury-induced repair, including barrier formation and proliferation. Multiple cell fates, including renewed stem cells and committed differentiating progenitors, are specified during this early window of activation. We further show that Sox2 is essential for cells to transition from the activated to neuronal progenitor states. Our study highlights strategies for stem cell-mediated regeneration that may be conserved in other adult stem cell niches.

Background The need for high-quality evidence that is applicable in real-world, routine settings continues to increase. Pragmatic trials are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in real-world settings, whereas explanatory trials aim to test whether an intervention works under optimal situations. There is a continuum between explanatory and pragmatic trials. Most trials have aspects of both, making it challenging to label and categorize a trial and to evaluate its potential for translation into practice. Methods We summarize our experience applying the Pragmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS) combined with external validity items based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to three studies to provide a more robust and comprehensive assessment of trial characteristics related to translation of research. We summarize lessons learned using domains from the combined frameworks for use in study planning, evaluating specific studies, and reviewing the literature and make recommendations for future use. Results A variety of coders can be trained to use the PRECIS and RE-AIM domains. These domains can also be used for diverse purposes, content areas, and study types, but are not without challenges. Both PRECIS and RE-AIM domains required modification in two of the three studies to evaluate and rate domains specific to study type. Lessons learned involved: dedicating enough time for training activities related to the domains; use of reviewers with a range of familiarity with specific study protocols; how to best adapt ratings that reflect complex study designs; and differences of opinion regarding the value of creating a composite score for these criteria. Conclusions Combining both frameworks can specifically help identify where and how a study is and is not pragmatic. Using both PRECIS and RE-AIM allows for standard reporting of key study characteristics related to pragmatism and translation. Such measures should be used more consistently to help plan more pragmatic studies, evaluate progress, increase transparency of reporting, and integrate literature to facilitate translation of research into practice and policy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-014-0096-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In 2011, the National Cancer Institute launched the Research to Reality (R2R) Pilot Mentorship Program to enhance mentees' core evidence-based public health (EBPH) competencies. In this article, we describe the program and its evaluation results and the program's ability to improve participants' EBPH competencies and appropriateness of program components. Program evaluation consisted of a pre/post program competency questionnaire and interviews with mentees, mentors, mentees' supervisors, and program staff. Mentees reported the same or higher rating in every competency at end of the program, with average increase of 0.6 points on a 4-point scale; the greatest improvements were seen in policy development/program planning. Mentorship programs are a promising strategy to develop EBPH competencies, provide guidance, and disseminate and adapt evidence-based interventions within real-world context.

Despite a wealth of intervention research in cancer control, full integration of evidence-based interventions into practice often fails, at least in part because of inadequate collaboration between practitioners and researchers. The National Cancer Institute piloted a mentorship program designed for practitioners to improve their ability to navigate evidence-based decision making within a context of inadequate resources, political barriers, and organizational constraints. The National Cancer Institute simultaneously sought to provide opportunities for practitioners and researchers to share and learn from each other. We identified four key successes and challenges related to translation as experienced by mentees: (a) establishing and maintaining partnerships, (b) data collection and analysis, (c) navigating context, and (d) program adaptation and evaluation. Mentorship programs have the potential to facilitate increased and more successful integration of evidence-based interventions into practice by promoting and building the capacity for collaborative decision making and generating in-depth understanding of the translation barriers and successes as well as strategies to address the complex contextual issues relative to implementation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Sepsis is an inflammatory condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the lack of specific therapies for the condition, prevention has garnered significant interest and increased importance. The article reviews the current literature regarding the use of aspirin and statins for the prevention of sepsis. RECENT FINDINGS Aspirin and statins have been integral in the prevention of atherosclerotic disease. Additionally, statins have proven beneficial in the prevention of nonatherosclerotic conditions secondary to their pleiotropic effects. In animal models, this pleiotropism modulates many inflammatory pathways of sepsis. The platelet also plays an integral role in this inflammatory cascade of sepsis. Scientific data indicates that antiplatelet therapy, including aspirin, may attenuate these undesirable effects of platelets. Finally, observational studies have shown that patients taking statins have a decreased incidence of sepsis and septic shock, and aspirin may potentiate these benefits. SUMMARY Sepsis is a deadly and costly condition with no available, specific treatment options. The statins and aspirin are well tolerated and widely used for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Because of their effects on the immune system and inflammatory pathways, they may present viable medical options for the prevention of sepsis.

The work of the CDC, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other HHS agencies on communicable diseases in the developing world is well known. However, today, noncommunicable disease accounts for more than 60% of deaths around the world, of which 80% are in the developing world [1]. The epidemic of noncommunicable disease is growing and shifting from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where little research has been done, and minimal research capacity currently exists. Another challenge is the development of a “rapid learning science” grounded in methodology that is rigorous while also being responsive to short-term needs of communities, health systems, and policy makers [2]. There is a need to apply the lessons learned from HIV/AIDS, which ultimately converted erroneous myths that HIV was too complex, costly, and prevalent to prevent in the developing world into effective strategies to reduce costs, increase access to health services, and strengthen health systems [3]. This lesson from HIV/AIDS suggests that research conducted in LMICs could provide significant and innovative advancements in understanding, preventing, and treating chronic diseases for both developing and developed countries. Such research would likely include “disruptive innovations” as proposed by Paul Farmer [4], Clayton Christensen [5], and Santosh Krishna [6], providing needed services in innovative ways that bring a much more affordable product or service that is simple to integrate into a health service market. New international collaborations dedicated to an implementation and evaluation research agenda in chronic diseases are needed, and the behavioral and social sciences will be critical to advance research in global health. NIH, and particularly the NIH Fogarty International Center (FIC), has long supported international collaborations for research, training, health communications, and other activities related to preventing and controlling disease. One of the goals in the new FIC strategic plan is to expand training in and application of implementation science [7]. NIH, and specifically the FIC and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, are members of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases [8]. This alliance has global reach and brings together six major national health research councils. A major focus of the alliance is on chronic diseases in LMIC and among low-income and indigenous populations in developed countries. The goal is to support research on low-cost interventions and to build capacity in research, training, and healthcare delivery. Another example of NIH involvement in global health is the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) co-funding of the International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program. This program supports transdisciplinary research and capacity-building projects that address the burden of tobacco consumption in LMICs and promotes international cooperation between scientists and institutions in LMICs and investigators in high-income nations. The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project), funded by NCI, will evaluate and improve the understanding of the effect of the tobacco control policies implemented as part of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The ITC Project includes more than 20 countries, including many LMICs. It is the only international study that is specifically evaluating the effectiveness of the FCTC policies, such as implementing clean indoor air policies and graphic health warnings on cigarette packages. Disease-screening initiatives, such as the International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) sponsored by NCI, are dedicated to collaborative research aimed at identifying and fostering efficient and effective approaches to disease control worldwide through population-based screening. ICSN is a voluntary consortium of 28 countries that meets biennially and has active population-based screening programs. The 4th Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation: Policy and Practice, held on March 21–22, 2011, provided a forum for communicating and networking with international experts about the science of dissemination and implementation. One of the goals of this year’s conference was to facilitate international partnerships and expand the research base focused on global health issues. In parallel with the conference, NIH offered a workshop on impact evaluation, focused on how to incorporate rigorous impact evaluation methodologies into operations and implementation research, particularly when operating in a LMIC context. Past research suggests that international collaborations can inform efforts to identify solutions to the US health challenges in two major ways. First, the evaluation of major differences in health policy, context, and the effect of health policies on health and behavioral outcomes can inform future policies in the USA as well as LMICs. Second, study of health policy factors and outcomes within a given country likely underestimates the effect of policies because of the restricted range of policies within any given country. International comparisons can provide a better sense of multi-level effects within various contexts. The programs and activities summarized above are promising beginnings, but there are many remaining opportunities for behavioral and social sciences to address global health needs. The examples in this column are illustrative but not inclusive of all NIH global health initiatives. Global health is one of NIH Director Francis Collins’s five primary areas of focus [9], so new and continued opportunities for global health research are likely.

Grade IV astrocytoma or glioblastoma has a poor clinical outcome that can be linked to hypoxia, invasiveness and active vascular remodeling. It has recently been suggested that hypoxia-inducible factors, Hifs, increase glioma growth and aggressiveness [1], [2], [3]. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Egl 9 homolog 3 (Egln3), a prolyl-hydroxylase that promotes Hif degradation, suppresses tumor progression of human and rodent glioma models. Through intracranial tumorigenesis and in vitro assays, we demonstrate for the first time that Egln3 was sufficient to decrease the kinetics of tumor progression and increase survival. We also find that Klf5, a transcription factor important to vascular remodeling, was regulated by hypoxia in glioma. An analysis of the tumor vasculature revealed that elevated Egln3 normalized glioma capillary architecture, consistent with a role for Egln3 in eliciting decreases in the production of Hif-regulated, angiogenic factors. We also find that the hydroxylase-deficient mutant, Egln3(H196A) partially maintained tumor suppressive activity. These results highlight a bifurcation of Egln3 signaling and suggest that Egln3 has a non-hydroxylase-dependent function in glioma. We conclude that Egln3 is a critical determinant of glioma formation and tumor vascular functionality.

The prostate cancer prevention trial (PCPT) prostate cancer risk calculator was developed to aid physicians in counseling men for consideration of prostate biopsy based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other clinical risk factors. This study investigated the role of body mass index (BMI) in this assessment.BMI category was defined as25 (under/normal weight), 25.0-29.9 (overweight), 30.0-34.9 (obese [OB] I), 35.0-39.9 (OB II), and ≥ 40 (OB III). BMI-adjusted PSA for a man was determined by multiplying his PSA to the ratio of the geometrical mean of PSA for BMI25 to the geometrical mean of PSA for his BMI category. Operating characteristics of PSA and BMI-adjusted PSA were compared with PCPT risks using area underneath the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Statistical tests of differences between AUCs for different diagnostic tests were performed with the nonparametric U-statistic method.BMI-adjusted PSA equaled to unadjusted PSA multiplying 1.09, 1.20, 1.50, and 1.71 for men in overweight, OBI, OBII, and OBIII categories, respectively. The AUC for BMI-adjusted PSA values (0.84) did not differ from PSA; that of the PCPT calculator with BMI-adjusted PSA (0.87) did not differ from the calculator with PSA. Of 2816 men with a PSA less than or equal to 2.5 ng/mL who did not undergo biopsy, 126 (4.5%) would have a BMI-adjusted PSA exceeding 2.5 ng/mL.Because of lower levels of PSA, overweight and obese men may have diminished cancer detection opportunities when undergoing PSA-based screening.

Three experimental replications were used to test the effects of three doses (25, 50 or 75 micrograms/kg) of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on morphine induced changes in activity. For each dose of CCK-8, running wheel activity of golden Syrian hamsters was monitored for three hours following a series of two injections. The first injection consisted of either saline or CCK-8, the second of either saline or morphine sulfate (15 mg/kg). Thus, in each replication four groups were created: Group SAL/SAL (n = 8) received two saline injections, Group CCK/SAL (n = 8) an injection of CCK-8 followed by an injection of saline, Group SAL/MS (n = 8) an injection of saline followed by an injection of morphine and Group CCK/MS (n = 8) an injection of CCK-8 followed by an injection of morphine. Results indicated that a 25 micrograms/kg dose of CCK-8 blocked the hypoactivity elicited by morphine 40-60 min after opiate injection, whereas a 75 micrograms/kg dose of CCK-8 blocked the hyperactivity elicited by morphine 80-100 min after opiate injection. These findings are consistent with previous reports that CCK-8 antagonizes the effects of opiate agonists on a variety of behaviors and is supportive of the hypothesis that endogenous CCK-8 may antagonize endogenous opioid peptides in the control of behavior.

Background The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has supported implementation science for over a decade. We explore the application of implementation science across the cancer control continuum, including prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship. Methods We reviewed funding trends of implementation science grants funded by the NCI between 2000 and 2012. We assessed study characteristics including cancer topic, position on the T2–T4 translational continuum, intended use of frameworks, study design, settings, methods, and replication and cost considerations. Results We identified 67 NCI grant awards having an implementation science focus. R01 was the most common mechanism, and the total number of all awards increased from four in 2003 to 15 in 2012. Prevention grants were most frequent (49.3%) and cancer treatment least common (4.5%). Diffusion of Innovations and Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) were the most widely reported frameworks, but it is unclear how implementation science models informed planned study measures. Most grants (69%) included mixed methods, and half reported replication and cost considerations (49.3%). Conclusions Implementation science in cancer research is active and diverse but could be enhanced by greater focus on measures development, assessment of how conceptual frameworks and their constructs lead to improved dissemination and implementation outcomes, and harmonization of measures that are valid, reliable, and practical across multiple settings.