Advancements in APOE and dementia research: Highlights from the 2023 AAIC Advancements: APOE conference.

INTRODUCTION: The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is an established central player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with distinct apoE isoforms exerting diverse effects. apoE influences not only amyloid-beta and tau pathologies but also lipid and energy metabolism, neuroinflammation, cerebral vascular health, and sex-dependent disease manifestations. Furthermore, ancestral background may significantly impact the link between APOE and AD, underscoring the need for more inclusive research. METHODS: In 2023, the Alzheimer's Association convened multidisciplinary researchers at the "AAIC Advancements: APOE" conference to discuss various topics, including apoE isoforms and their roles in AD pathogenesis, progress in apoE-targeted therapeutic strategies, updates on disease models and interventions that modulate apoE expression and function. RESULTS: This manuscript presents highlights from the conference and provides an overview of opportunities for further research in the field. DISCUSSION: Understanding apoE's multifaceted roles in AD pathogenesis will help develop targeted interventions for AD and advance the field of AD precision medicine. HIGHLIGHTS: APOE is a central player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. APOE exerts a numerous effects throughout the brain on amyloid-beta, tau, and other pathways. The AAIC Advancements: APOE conference encouraged discussions and collaborations on understanding the role of APOE.

Proceedings from the Neurotherapeutics Symposium on Neurological Emergencies: Shaping the Future of Neurocritical Care.

Effective treatment options for patients with life-threatening neurological disorders are limited. To address this unmet need, high-impact translational research is essential for the advancement and development of novel therapeutic approaches in neurocritical care. "The Neurotherapeutics Symposium 2019-Neurological Emergencies" conference, held in Rochester, New York, in June 2019, was designed to accelerate translation of neurocritical care research via transdisciplinary team science and diversity enhancement. Diversity excellence in the neuroscience workforce brings innovative and creative perspectives, and team science broadens the scientific approach by incorporating views from multiple stakeholders. Both are essential components needed to address complex scientific questions. Under represented minorities and women were involved in the organization of the conference and accounted for 30-40% of speakers, moderators, and attendees. Participants represented a diverse group of stakeholders committed to translational research. Topics discussed at the conference included acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, neurogenic respiratory dysregulation, seizures and status epilepticus, brain telemetry, neuroprognostication, disorders of consciousness, and multimodal monitoring. In these proceedings, we summarize the topics covered at the conference and suggest the groundwork for future high-yield research in neurologic emergencies.

Proceedings of the inaugural International Summit for Medical Nutrition Education and Research.

Medical Nutrition Education (MNE) has been identified as an area with potential public health impact. Despite countries having distinctive education systems, barriers and facilitators to effective MNE are consistent across borders, demanding a common platform to initiate global programmes. A shared approach to supporting greater MNE is ideal to support countries to work together. In an effort to initiate this process, the Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme group, in association with their strategic partners, hosted the inaugural International Summit on Medical Nutrition Education and Research on August 8, 2015 in Cambridge, UK. Speakers from the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and India provided insights into their respective countries including their education systems, inherent challenges, and potential solutions across two main themes: (1) Medical Nutrition Education, focused on best practice examples in competencies and assessment; and (2) Medical Nutrition Research, discussing how to translate nutrition research into education opportunities. The Summit identified shared needs across regions, showcased examples of transferrable strategies and identified opportunities for collaboration in nutrition education for healthcare (including medical) professionals. These proceedings highlight the key messages presented at the Summit and showcase opportunities for working together towards a common goal of improvement in MNE to improve public health at large.

Statistical model and method for analyzing AI conference rankings: China vs USA.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing field of research that attracts significant funding from both the state and industry players. Such interest is driven by a wide range of AI technology applications in many fields. Since many AI research topics relate to computer science, where a significant share of research results are published in conference proceedings, the same applies to AI. The world leaders in artificial intelligence research are China and the United States. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of the bibliometric indicators of AI conference papers from these two countries based on Scopus data. The analysis aimed to identify conferences that receive above-average citation rates and suggest publication strategies for authors from these countries to participate in conferences that are likely to provide better dissemination of their research results. The results showed that, although Chinese researchers publish more AI papers than those from the United States, US conference papers are cited more frequently. The authors also conducted a correlation analysis of the MNCS index, which revealed no high correlation between MNCS USA vs. MNCS China, MNCS China/MNCS USA vs. MSAR, and MNCS China/MNCS USA vs. CORE ranking indicators.

Abstracts from the 2022 Research and Thesis Poster Session of the 57th Annual American Dance Therapy Association Conference, Renewed Connections: Dance/Movement Therapy Fostering Community Healing, October 27-30, 2022.

We are honored to present this collection of abstracts from the Research and Thesis Poster Session of the 57th American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) Conference in Montreal, Canada held from October 27-30, 2022. This paper features eleven abstracts that showcase the latest research in dance therapy from various perspectives and approaches. These abstracts were selected and curated by Research and Practice committee members, Karolina Bryl, Cecilia Fontanesi, and Chevon Stewart, who were responsible for organizing the Research and Thesis Poster Session. The Research and Thesis Poster Session is a vital component of the ADTA Conference, providing a platform for researchers and practitioners to share their work, exchange ideas, and connect with colleagues. The abstracts presented in this paper offer insights into a broad range of topics, including the use of dance therapy in clinical and community settings, the integration of technology in dance therapy, and the examination of cultural and social factors that impact the practice of dance therapy. We hope this collection of abstracts will inspire and inform future research in dance therapy, and we extend our appreciation to all the presenters for their contributions.

Proceedings of the 2022 annual meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders study group.

The 2022 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) meeting was held in coordination with the 45th annual Research Society on Alcoholism conference on June 25th, 2022. The theme of the meeting was "Enhancing the Relevance of Research for the Community." The program began with a moderated panel discussion on the value of community-engaged research, which included two self-advocates and a clinical and pre-clinical researcher. Invited plenary speakers included Jill Locke, Ph.D., who provided an engaging introduction to implementation science, and Jared Young, Ph.D., who discussed cross-species domain task specificity. The meeting also included updates from three government agencies, short presentations by junior and senior investigators showcasing late-breaking FASD research, trainee award winners, and a presentation on the Toward Health Outcomes intervention roadmap by Jacqueline Pei, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the 2023 Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference.

The Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research, a multi-university collaboration established by the state of Florida in the USA, hosted its third annual Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference (CCORC) in May 2023. CCORC was held as a hybrid conference, with a scientific program consisting of in-person sessions, with some sessions livestreamed to virtual attendees. CCORC facilitated and promoted up-to-date research on the clinical effects of medical cannabis, fostering collaboration and active involvement among scientists, policymakers, industry professionals, clinicians, and other stakeholders. Three themes emerged from conference sessions and speaker presentations: (1) disentangling conflicting evidence for the effects of medical cannabis on public health, (2) seeking solutions to address barriers faced when conducting clinical cannabis research - especially with medical cannabis use in special populations such as those who are pregnant, and (3) unpacking the data behind cannabis use and mental health outcomes. The fourth annual CCORC is planned for the summer of 2024 in Florida, USA.

Fifty years of SPIE Medical Imaging proceedings papers.

Purpose: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first SPIE Medical Imaging meeting, we highlight some of the important publications published in the conference proceedings. Approach: We determined the top cited and downloaded papers. We also asked members of the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Imaging to select their favorite papers. Results: There was very little overlap between the three methods of highlighting papers. The downloads were mostly recent papers, whereas the favorite papers were mostly older papers. Conclusions: The three different methods combined provide an overview of the highlights of the papers published in the SPIE Medical Imaging conference proceedings over the last 50 years.

Proceedings from the Second Annual Conference of the Norwegian Network for Implementation Research.

In 2019, Norwegian implementation researchers formed a network to promote implementation research and practice in the Norwegian context. On November 19th, 2021, the second annual Norwegian implementation conference was held in Oslo. Ninety participants from all regions of the country gathered to showcase the frontiers of Norwegian implementation research. The conference also hosted a panel discussion about critical next steps for implementation science in Norway. The conference included 17 presentations from diverse disciplines within health and welfare services, including schools. The themes presented included stakeholder engagement, implementation mechanisms, evaluations of the implementation of specific interventions, the use of implementation guidelines and frameworks, the development and validation of implementation measurements, and barriers and facilitators for implementation. The panel discussion highlighted several critical challenges with the implementation of evidence-informed practices in Norway, including limited implementation competence and capacity among practice leaders and workforces, few opportunities for education in implementation science, limited implementation research in the Norwegian context, scarce funding possibilities for implementation research, and a lack of long-term perspectives on implementation processes. Overall, the 2021 Norwegian implementation conference showed an encouraging sign of a maturing field of science in Norway. The more voluminous proceedings from the 2020 conference called for several important advancements to improve implementation science and practice in Norway, and the 2021 conference indicates that steps have already been taken in favorable directions in terms of, for instance, research designs and measurements. However, there are still unexploited potentials for improvements in implementation research, funding, policies, and practice. Norwegian implementation researcher should be mindful of the challenges and potential pitfalls implementation science currently face as a scientific discipline. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43477-022-00069-w.

Abstracts from the 2021 Research and Thesis Poster Session of the 56th Annual American Dance Therapy Association Conference, Dance/Movement Therapy: Ancient Healing, Modern Practice, Virtual Conference, October 14-17, 2021.

The Research and Practice Committee of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) presents the research and thesis poster session at each annual conference. The abstracts reported in this paper were selected by the authors for the 2021 Virtual Research and Thesis Poster Session at the 56th Annual ADTA Conference. This year, the 56th Annual ADTA conference took place online, on a virtual platform, and Research and Thesis Poster Session featured two themes: (1) DMT Towards building Resiliency; and (2) DMT Insights from Practice. The following six abstracts have been selected for their quality and contributions to dance/movement therapy literature and feature a wide range of scholarly works in current research.

Partnering to Advance Health Equity and a Welcome Opportunity to Gather: Proceedings From the 28th Annual Conference of the Health Care Systems Research Network.

In April 2022, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) - a consortium of 20 research institutions affiliated with large health systems spread across the United States (and one in Israel) - held its 28th annual conference in Pasadena, California, with 275 researchers, health care colleagues, and external academic partners in attendance. With a conference theme of "Promoting Collaboration and Partnerships to Advance Health Equity," the scientific program was assembled by a multisite planning committee with input from representatives of informal local host Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Objectives of the annual conference are to showcase scientific findings from HCSRN projects and to spur collaboration on research initiatives that improve health and health care for individuals and populations. To those ends, the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory sponsored a preconference workshop on the essentials of embedded pragmatic clinical trials, and more than a dozen scientific interest groups and active research project teams held ancillary sessions throughout the conference. This welcome opportunity for network members to meet in-person followed a 2-year hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which HCSRN conference proceedings were conducted through virtual and written communication platforms.

Proceedings of the 2022 Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference.

The Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research, a multi-university collaboration established by the state of Florida in the USA, hosted its second annual Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference (CCORC) in May 2022. CCORC was held as a hybrid conference, with a scientific program consisting of in-person and virtual sessions. CCORC fostered and disseminated current research on clinical outcomes of medical marijuana while stimulating collaboration and engagement between the scientific community, policymakers, industry representatives, clinicians, and other interested stakeholders. Three themes emerged from conference sessions and speakers: (1) disentangling research findings comparing use and outcomes of medical and nonmedical cannabis, (2) addressing barriers and promoting facilitators for clinical cannabis research, and (3) resolving uncertainties around cannabis dosing. The third annual CCORC is planned for the summer of 2023 in Florida, USA.

Adapting the Israeli national health insurance law to the 21st century- a report from the 19th Dead Sea Conference.

Passage of the National Health Insurance Law (NHIL) in 1995 marked a turning point in the history of the Israeli healthcare system, ensuring sustainable, high-quality medical care to all eligible Israeli residents. Over 100 amendments have been made to the law over the years, yet additional adaptations are required to ensure the law's relevance in years to come. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the passage of the law, the 19th annual Dead Sea Conference brought together prominent figures in the Israeli healthcare system for a discussion on "25 Years to the NHIL: Suggested Changes and Adaptations". Key topics discussed in the conference were regulatory aspects related to the healthcare system, administration of medical services, and financial aspects pertinent to the NHIL. The following meeting report summarizes the insights and recommendations from this conference.

Proceedings of the 2021 Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference.

The Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference (CCORC) 2021 was held virtually on April 8 and 9, 2021. The conference was hosted by the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research, a research organization instituted by the state legislature of Florida in the United States. The inaugural annual CCORC 2021 was organized as a scientific meeting to foster and disseminate research on medical marijuana (MM) clinical outcomes, while promoting engagement among MM researchers, patients, clinicians, policymakers, and industry partners. Key conference themes included: (a) the disconnect between policy, practice, and evidence and steps towards reconciliation, (b) approaches to overcome common barriers to MM research, and (c) the use of focused translational approaches utilizing both mechanistic and clinical research methodology to tackle the complexities of MM outcomes. CCORC 2022 is planned for spring 2022 in Orlando, Florida, United States.

Clinical data for paediatric research: the Swiss approach : Proceedings of the National Symposium in Bern, Switzerland, Dec 5-6, 2019.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Continuous improvement of health and healthcare system is hampered by inefficient processes of generating new evidence, particularly in the case of rare diseases and paediatrics. Currently, most evidence is generated through specific research projects, which typically require extra encounters with patients, are costly and entail long delays between the recognition of specific needs in healthcare and the generation of necessary evidence to address those needs. The Swiss Personalised Health Network (SPHN) aims to improve the use of data obtained during routine healthcare encounters by harmonizing data across Switzerland and facilitating accessibility for research. The project "Harmonising the collection of health-related data and biospecimens in paediatric hospitals throughout Switzerland (SwissPedData)" was an infrastructure development project funded by the SPHN, which aimed to identify and describe available data on child health in Switzerland and to agree on a standardised core dataset for electronic health records across all paediatric teaching hospitals. Here, we describe the results of a two-day symposium that aimed to summarise what had been achieved in the SwissPedData project, to put it in an international context, and to discuss the next steps for a sustainable future. The target audience included clinicians and researchers who produce and use health-related data on children in Switzerland. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: The symposium consisted of state-of-the-art lectures from national and international keynote speakers, workshops and plenary discussions. This manuscript summarises the talks and discussions in four sections: (I) a description of the Swiss Personalized Health Network and the results of the SwissPedData project; (II) examples of similar initiatives from other countries; (III) an overview of existing health-related datasets and projects in Switzerland; and (IV) a summary of the lessons learned and future prospective from workshops and plenary discussions. IMPLICATIONS: Streamlined processes linking initial collection of information during routine healthcare encounters, standardised recording of this information in electronic health records and fast accessibility for research are essential to accelerate research in child health and make it affordable. Ongoing projects prove that this is feasible in Switzerland and elsewhere. International collaboration is vital to success. The next steps include the implementation of the SwissPedData core dataset in the clinical information systems of Swiss hospitals, the use of this data to address priority research questions, and the acquisition of sustainable funding to support a slim central infrastructure and local support in each hospital. This will lay the foundation for a national paediatric learning health system in Switzerland.

Conference presentations: A research primer for low- and middle-income countries.

Presenting research at a conference is an opportunity to disseminate the findings, network with other researchers, and to develop your academic track record. Although every conference will have some local differences, there are common approaches to presenting your research in the best manner. This will differ depending on whether it is an oral or a poster presentation. This research primer aims to support researchers in the early stages of their careers to undertake the best possible presentation.

Conclusions of the digital health hub of the Transform Africa Summit (2018): strong government leadership and public-private-partnerships are key prerequisites for sustainable scale up of digital health in Africa.

BACKGROUND: The use of digital technologies to improve access to health is gaining momentum in Africa. This is more pertinent with the increasing penetration of mobile phone technology and internet use, and calls for innovative strategies to support implementation of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage on the continent. However, the huge potential benefits of digital health to advance health services delivery in Africa is yet to be fully harnessed due to critical challenges such as proliferation of pilot projects, poor coordination, inadequate preparedness of the African health workforce for digital health, lack of interoperability and inadequate sustainable financing, among others. To discuss these challenges and propose the way forward for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable deployment of digital health in Africa, a Digital Health Hub was held in Kigali from 8th to 9th May 2018 under the umbrella of the Transform Africa Summit 2018. METHODS: The hub was organized around five thematic areas which explored the status, leadership, innovations, sustainable financing of digital health and its deployment for prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa. It was attended by over 200 participants from Ministries of Health and Information and Communication Technology, Private Sector, Operators, International Organizations, Civil Society and Academia. CONCLUSIONS: The hub concluded that while digital health offers major opportunities for strengthening health systems towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals including Universal Health Coverage in Africa, there is need to move from Donor-driven pilot projects to more sustainable and longer term nationally owned programmes to reap its benefits. This would require the use of people-centred approaches which are demand, rather than supply-driven in order to avoid fragmentation and wastage of health resources. Government leadership is also critical in ensuring the availability of an enabling environment including national digital health strategies, regulatory, coordination, sustainable financing mechanisms and building of the necessary partnerships for digital health. RECOMMENDATIONS: We call on the Smart Africa Secretariat, African Ministries in charge of health, information and communication technology and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the key recommendations of the hub are implemented.

Transfusion Medicine in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conference Summary.

In November 2014, a 3-day conference devoted to transfusion medicine in sub-Saharan Africa was held in Kampala, Uganda. Faculty from academic institutions in Uganda provided a broad overview of issues pertinent to transfusion medicine in Africa. The conference consisted of lectures, demonstrations, and discussions followed by 5 small group workshops held at the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service Laboratories, the Ugandan Cancer Institute, and the Mulago National Referral Hospital. Highlighted topics included the challenges posed by increasing clinical demands for blood, the need for better patient identification at the time of transfusion, inadequate application of the antiglobulin reagent during pretransfusion testing, concern regarding proper recognition and evaluation of transfusion reactions, the expanded role for nurse leadership as a means to improve patient outcomes, and the need for an epidemiologic map of blood usage in Africa. Specialty areas of focus included the potential for broader application of transcranial Doppler and hydroxyurea therapy in sickle cell disease, African-specific guidelines for transfusion support of cancer patients, the challenges of transfusion support in trauma, and the importance of African-centered clinical research in pediatric and obstetric transfusion medicine. The course concluded by summarizing the benefits derived from an organized quality program that extended from the donor to the recipient. As an educational tool, the slide-audio presentation of the lectures will be made freely available at the International Society of Blood Transfusion Academy Web site: http://www.isbtweb.org/academy/.