Accounting for Research Induced Environmental Impacts Using Life Cycle Assessment

Since the 1970's the number of scientific publications with sustainability as a keyword has increased from 1 in 1975 to 13,628 in 2019. Research, like all human endeavors, has impacts on the environment due to the activities required to generate the supporting data (i.e., use of vehicles, resources, and materials). Researchers have a responsibility to minimize their impacts as part of their work and to make environmentally responsible decisions. A life-cycle approach is currently the best-developed means of assessing the impact of a group or organization. This article presents a case study of organizational life cycle assessment (O-LCA) of a research project. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate the impact of the project, focusing on travel. (ii) Use a post hoc approach to determine impact reduction opportunities. (iii) Apply O-LCA as a decision-making tool in project management of research and (iv) profile the environmental impact of the project using public data (manufacturers figures) and proprietary datasets. The results of this study indicate that the greatest impact arising from the project was due to commuting followed by conference and training attendance, fieldwork and meetings. Scenarios modeling, alternative vehicle use, flexible working arrangements and stakeholder events highlighted the reduction potential that could have been implemented as part of the project. O-LCA proved to be an appropriate tool for assessing the impact of a research group and that it has the potential to inform decisions and management of academic projects and events. It should be noted that the ability of research groups or personnel to bring about change might be limited, typically due to their placement within a larger organization (e.g., a higher education institute). The recent COVID-19 pandemic, has hastened the shift to remote working practices for many organizations. Recent surveys indicate that more than 80% of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, after the pandemic. This modal shift in working practices offers an immediate opportunity for environmental relief. It is recommended that O-LCA be incorporated into groups and organizations to support their decision-making practices to foster responsible and sustainable research. Copyright © 2021 Cooney, Tahar, Kennedy and Clifford.

Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial Research Adaptation Following COVID-19 Pandemic Onset: National Sample of Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium Sites.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in clinical research operations that required immediate and lasting changes. OJBECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore adaptations to clinical trial research due to COVID-19 and develop a theoretical framework of emergent strategies related to pandemic mitigation in a national network of Alzheimer's disease clinical trial sites. DESIGN: This qualitative study used a grounded theory approach including semi-structured interviews, constant comparative methods, and multi-level, iterative coding. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six member sites of the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium participated with a total of 49 participants. RESULTS: Findings demonstrate processes of adaptation following COVID-19 onset including establishing safety as priority, focus on scientific preservation, accommodations (creating policies, leadership mindset, maintaining operations, and determining research procedures), and evaluation of changes throughout the course of the pandemic. Communication and maintaining integrity were vital throughout these processes. CONCLUSION: Processes of accommodation among clinical research sites during the pandemic provide critical insights and direction for future clinical trials development and emergent methods in Alzheimer's disease and other therapeutic areas.

Single Nucleus Expression Profiling of Human Sciatic Nerve After Traumatic Amputation: Predicting Pain and Functional Outcomes

A majority of service members who undergo traumatic amputation develop chronic phantom or chronic residual limb pain with 10-15% of these patients developing severe, disabling, long-term pain. 30-40% of traumatic amputees, however, have no clinically significant chronic pain. We believe this dichotomy of outcome is the key to understanding the development of chronic neuropathic pain after nerve injury. Preclinical studies using rodent models have provided some insights into the pathological sequelae of nerve injury, but this knowledge has not resulted in successful translation to the clinic. Recent evidence suggests that interspecies differences are a major barrier to successful translation, since rodent sensory neurons diverge considerably from their human counterparts. Accordingly, in order to better understand the pathological processes that lead to neuropathic pain after nerve injury, it is necessary to comprehensively study injured human nerves. Our colleagues at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center spent three years obtaining sciatic nerve samples from service members undergoing primary amputation revision surgery after suffering traumatic amputation on the battlefield. These unique samples allow, for the first time, study of nerve regeneration and neuroinflammation in humans during the days following traumatic amputation. Utilizing bulk tissue and single nuclei RNA-sequencing and unbiased global proteomics of the distal portion of sciatic nerve collected 1-14 days after initial traumatic amputation, we aim to establish the distinctive transcriptional, protein and glial/immune cell profile of injured sciatic nerve during injury and regeneration.