Introduction: new technologies for genetic and newborn screening

Screening newborn infants for inherited disorders has been effective in preventing mental retardation, growth failure, and death from several metabolic disorders for more than two decades. Technical advances have provided more screening tools for both genetic and nongenetic conditions, and in the coming decades these techniques will be used not only to screen newborns but to assess genetic risks in entire populations. The financial, legal, and ethical issues which these activities raise must influence the development of public policies in order to reap the benefits promised. The conference published here was designed to address these issues for health care practitioners, health policy planners, and public health professionals.     

Poststerilization regret among women: methodological considerations for the next decade

The literature concerning regret among women following voluntary sterilization shows a lack of methodological rigor. This paper reviews the 7 prospective studies of voluntary sterilization conducted since 1973 that are judged to have adequate design and measurement standards, and suggests methodological considerations for future research. 3 of the studies were conducted in the US, 2 in the UK, 1 in Thailand, and 1 in Pakistan. Only 3 of the 7 studies used control groups and only 3 used standardized pre- and posttest psychological measures. Subjects in all the studies requested sterilization on a voluntary basis. 4 of the 7 studies evaluated contraceptive and menstrual histories before and after sterilization. All the studies varied in their poststerilization follow-up intervals ranging from 2 months and 1 year to 18 months and 2 years. Attrition rates also varied widely across the studies. Although none of these studies presented percentages for precise measures of regret, the overall effect of the sterilization procedure was found to be positive. The relationship between regret and purported indicators of regret, such as depression, anxiety, menstrual difficulties, and desire for reversal, should be documented in prospective, controlled studies. Longer poststerilization follow-up periods are recommended. Responses of childless women and male partners to sterilization should also be considered in future studies. Finally, since repeated references are made to menstrual problems following voluntary sterilization, it is important that studies assessing poststerilization responses control for oral contraceptive (OC) use because OCs reduce menstrual flow and their discontinuation results in a return to normal, although heavier, menstrual flow.     

Bioinformatic challenges for the next decade(s)

The science of bioinformatics has developed in the wake of methods to determine the sequences of the informational macromolecules--DNAs, RNAs and proteins. But in a wider sense, the biological world depends in its every process on the transmission of information, and hence bioinformatics is the fundamental core of biology. We here give a consideration of some of the key problems of bioinformatics in the coming decade, and perhaps longer.     

Trends in insomnia research for the next decade: a narrative review

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - Insomnia disorder has known striking developments over the last few years. Partly due to advances in neuroimaging techniques and brain sciences, our understanding of...     

Medications development to treat alcohol dependence: a vision for the next decade

More than 76 million people world-wide are estimated to have diagnosable alcohol use disorders (AUDs) (alcohol abuse or dependence), making these disorders a major global health problem. Pharmacotherapy offers promising means for treating AUDs, and significant progress has been made in the past 20 years. The US Food and Drug Administration approved three of the four medications for alcoholism in the last two decades. Unfortunately, these medications do not work for everyone, prompting the need for a personalized approach to optimize clinical benefit or more efficacious medications that can treat a wider range of patients, or both. To promote global health, the potential reorganization of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must continue to support the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's (NIAAA's) vision of ensuring the development and delivery of new and more efficacious medications to treat AUDs in the coming decade. To achieve this objective, the NIAAA Medications Development Team has identified three fundamental long-range goals: (1) to make the drug development process more efficient; (2) to identify more efficacious medications, personalize treatment approaches, or both; and (3) to facilitate the implementation and adaptation of medications in real-world treatment settings. These goals will be carried out through seven key objectives. This paper describes those objectives in terms of rationale and strategy. Successful implementation of these objectives will result in the development of more efficacious and safe medications, provide a greater selection of therapy options and ultimately lessen the impact of this devastating disorder.     

From bench to bountiful harvests: a road map for the next decade of Arabidopsis research

In the face of an increasing world population and climate instability, the demands for food and fuel will continue to rise. Plant science will be crucial to help meet these exponentially increasing requirements for food and fuel supplies. Fundamental plant research will play a major role in providing key advances in our understanding of basic plant processes that can then flow into practical advances through knowledge sharing and collaborations. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has played a major role in our understanding of plant biology, and the Arabidopsis community has developed many tools and resources to continue building on this knowledge. Drawing from previous experience of internationally coordinated projects, The international Arabidopsis community, represented by the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee (MASC), has drawn up a road map for the next decade of Arabidopsis research to inform scientists and decision makers on the future foci of Arabidopsis research within the wider plant science landscape. This article provides a summary of the MASC road map.