Harmonizing research outcomes for polycystic ovary syndrome (HARP), a marathon not a sprint: current challenges and future research need.

Investing in clinical research and evidence-based medicine has helped to improve the care for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, several important questions remain unanswered on the optimal prevention and management strategies for PCOS. Addressing this uncertainty is often hindered by suboptimal research conduct leading to inefficient evidence synthesis and research wastage. PCOS research is often practised by varied specialized teams in silo leading to disharmonious and fragmented efforts neglecting the lifelong impact of PCOS on women's wellbeing. Poor engagement among key stakeholders and lay consumers continues to limit the impact and benefits of research to society. Selective reporting on surrogate outcomes with a 'significant' P-value is a common malpractice in PCOS outputs. Effective adoption of the harmonizing research outcomes for PCOS (HARP) core outcome set is needed to minimize heterogeneity in reporting and promote research excellence. Small single-centre studies offer limited value to assess the varied PCOS phenotypes. Efficient large scale data-sharing is needed to address complex research questions and glean the benefits of big data research. We propose a roadmap to address these challenges and remedy future research need by promoting patient and public involvement in PCOS research to guide research efforts and address real patients' needs; engaging all key stakeholder groups to promote a multi-disciplinary lifelong approach to new research; continuously refining research needs and priorities to revise the knowledge gap and allocate resources judiciously; standardizing outcomes definitions and measurement tools to harmonize reporting and promote excellence in research; and by investing in large data-sharing infrastructure to facilitate big data research and govern ethical data sharing.

Isolation of Salmonella serotypes in wastewater and effluent: Effect of treatment and potential risk.

The characteristics of strains of Salmonella isolated in wastewater were compared before and after treatment with activated sludge (conventional sewage treatment). Of the 21 strains studied, 11 came from raw wastewater and 10 from treated water. Our objective was to determine if the treatment affected all serotypes to the same extent, and whether it had an effect on the plasmidic composition and selection of resistances to antibiotics and disinfectants. The serotypes of all strains were identified, and we also determined the sensitivity to antibiotics, the minimal bactericidal concentration of three disinfectants (peracetic acid, glutaraldehyde, and sodium hypochlorite), and plasmidic content. Results showed no significant differences in the isolated strains before versus after treatment, thus indicating that the conventional treatment of sewage does not constitute a risk factor in the selection of Salmonella strains with a greater pathogenic potential.