The SDMPH 10-year anniversary conference created an opportunity for a researcher to present at a professional association conference to advance their research by seeking consensus of statements using Delphi methodology.

Conference attendees and SDMPH members who did not attend the conference were identified as Delphi experts. Experts rated their agreement of each statement on a 7- point linear numeric scale. Consensus amongst experts was defined as a standard deviation < = 1. Presenters submitted statements relevant to advancing their research to the authors to edit to fit Delphi statement formatting.

Statements attaining consensus were included in the final report after the first round. Those not attaining consensus moved to the second round in which experts were shown the mean response of the expert panel and their own response for opportunity to reconsider their rating for that round. If reconsideration attained consensus, these statements were included in the final report. This process repeated in a third and final round.

37 Experts agreed to participate in the first round; 35 completed the second round, and 34 completed the third round; 35 statements attained consensus; 3 statements did not attain consensus.

A Delphi technique was used to establish expert consensus of statements submitted by the SDMPH conference presenters to guide their future education, research, and training.

Studies on vulnerability to interference have shown promise in distinguishing between normal and pathological aging, such as the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). However, these studies did not include a non-semantic condition essential in distinguishing between what is attributable specifically to semantic memory impairments and more generalized vulnerability to interference. The present study aimed to determine whether the increased vulnerability to semantic interference previously observed in individuals at increased risk of AD (aMCI) is specifically associated with the semantic nature of the material, or if it also affects other types of material, suggesting more generalized executive and inhibitory impairment.

Seventy-two participants (N = 72) divided into two groups (33 aMCI and 39 NC) matched for age and education were included in the study. They underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, and took the adapted French version of the LASSI-L (semantic interference test), as well as a homologous experimental phonemic test, the TIP-A. Independent sample t-tests, mixed ANOVA and ANCOVA on memory and vulnerability to interference scores with the Group (NC, aMCI) as between-group factor and the Type of material (semantic, phonemic) as within-subject factor were conducted to compare memory and interference in both contexts for both groups.

For all memory scores, results revealed a significant main effect of group (NC > aMCI), a significant main effect of the type of material (semantic > phonemic) and a significant Group x Type interaction (disproportionately poorer performance in a semantic context for aMCI compared to NC). Word recognition was equivalent in both contexts for aMCI, whereas NC were better in a semantic context. aMCI also committed more phonemic false recognition errors, were disproportionately more vulnerable to retroactive semantic interference and showed a disproportionately higher percentage of intrusion errors associated with proactive semantic interference than NC.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to meticulously compare aMCI and elderly control vulnerability to inter-list interference and its impact on memory processes in two very similarly designed conditions using different types of material (semantic vs. phonemic). Indeed, many studies on interference focused solely on intra-list buildup of interference or on semantic material. Taken together, our results suggest that aMCI patients present generalized difficulties in source memory and inhibition, but that their inability to benefit normally from the depth of processing of semantic material results in even more semantic intrusion errors during proactive interference. This superficial semantic processing also significantly impacts the ability of aMCI to show good recall after being exposed to an interference list and the passage of time, resulting in a greater vulnerability to semantic retroactive interference than controls. In summary, our results suggest that impairment of semantic memory, and, more precisely, the loss of benefit from the depth of semantic processing, represents the cornerstone of their memory and vulnerability to interference patterns. The classical level of processing theory therefore constitutes an ideal, simple framework to predict aMCI patients’ performance when facing interference, a parallel too rarely addressed in the literature.

Semantic memory deficits have been reported in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However, the nature of this decline is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to explore the patterns of semantic memory impairment in aMCI by examining performance on naming tasks, and on tests assessing both general and specific semantic knowledge.

Participants were divided in two groups matched for age and education, one comprising 33 aMCI individuals and the other 39 healthy controls. Three experimental tests assessing naming and semantic knowledge of unique items of famous persons (FACE) and places (PLACE), logos recognition (LOGO: brands and pictograms), and non-unique entities (Boston Naming Test: BNT) were administered, and the performance of the two groups was compared.

Lower scores were observed on all naming tests (PLACE, FACE, LOGO and BNT) in the aMCI group compared to controls. On the PLACE test, the general knowledge mean score (M=84.5, SD=12.9) was significantly higher than the specific knowledge mean score (M=54.2, SD=18.5) in aMCI participants (t(31)=11.9, p<.001), but not in controls (general: M=92.2, SD=11.1; specific: M=73.7, SD=15.8), and there was a significant Group X Type of knowledge interaction (F(1,1)=15.13, p <.001, n2 = 18). On the FACE test, in addition to significant group and condition (naming, semantic questions) main effects, a significant interaction was found (F(1,1)=7.19, p = .009, n2 = .09). On the LOGO task, controls were significantly better on brand items (M= 94.4, SD=10.5) than on pictograms (M=83.3, SD=12.2), while no significant difference was noted in aMCI (brands: M=81.5, SD=22.6; pictograms: M=77.5, SD=14.1). Lastly, on the BNT, aMCI participants benefited more from phonemic cues than controls (F(1,1)=16.56, p<.001, n2=19), suggesting a lexical access deficit, in addition to their semantic memory impairment.

This study adds to the growing evidence confirming the presence of semantic memory deficits in aMCI. Specific semantic knowledge seems to be more affected than general semantic knowledge, a finding reported in previous studies. Lexical access deficits, in addition to semantic decline, were also observed in the aMCI group. These results allow for a better understanding of the pattern of semantic memory deficits in the prodromal stage of AD and could potentially facilitate diagnosis of aMCI.

Despite the critical role that quantitative scientists play in biomedical research, graduate programs in quantitative fields often focus on technical and methodological skills, not on collaborative and leadership skills. In this study, we evaluate the importance of team science skills among collaborative biostatisticians for the purpose of identifying training opportunities to build a skilled workforce of quantitative team scientists.

Our workgroup described 16 essential skills for collaborative biostatisticians. Collaborative biostatisticians were surveyed to assess the relative importance of these skills in their current work. The importance of each skill is summarized overall and compared across career stages, highest degrees earned, and job sectors.

Survey respondents were 343 collaborative biostatisticians spanning career stages (early: 24.2%, mid: 33.8%, late: 42.0%) and job sectors (academia: 69.4%, industry: 22.2%, government: 4.4%, self-employed: 4.1%). All 16 skills were rated as at least somewhat important by > 89.0% of respondents. Significant heterogeneity in importance by career stage and by highest degree earned was identified for several skills. Two skills (“regulatory requirements” and “databases, data sources, and data collection tools”) were more likely to be rated as absolutely essential by those working in industry (36.5%, 65.8%, respectively) than by those in academia (19.6%, 51.3%, respectively). Three additional skills were identified as important by survey respondents, for a total of 19 collaborative skills.

We identified 19 team science skills that are important to the work of collaborative biostatisticians, laying the groundwork for enhancing graduate programs and establishing effective on-the-job training initiatives to meet workforce needs.

The current paper describes Diet In Nutrients Out (DINO), an integrated dietary assessment system incorporating dietary data entry and nutritional analysis within one platform for use in dietary assessment in small-scale intervention studies to national surveys.

DINO contains >6000 food items, mostly aggregated composites of branded foods, across thirty-one main food groups divided into 151 subsidiary groups for detailed reporting requirements, with fifty-three core nutrient fields.

MRC Human Nutrition Research (HNR), Cambridge, UK and MRC Keneba, Gambia.

DINO is used across dietary assessment projects at HNR and MRC Keneba.

DINO contains macro- and micronutrients as well as additional variables of current research and policy interest, such as caffeine, whole grains, vitamin K and added sugars. Disaggregated data are available for fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese in composite foods, enabling greater accuracy when reporting food consumption or assessing adherence to dietary recommendations. Portion sizes are categorised in metric and imperial weights, with standardised portion sizes for each age group. Regular reviews are undertaken for portion sizes and food composition to ensure contemporary relevance. A training programme and a checking schedule are adhered to for quality assurance purposes, covering users and data. Eating context questions are integrated to record where and with whom the respondent is eating, allowing examination between these factors and the foods consumed.

An up-to-date quality-assured system for dietary assessment is crucial for nutritional surveillance and research, but needs to have the flexibility to be tailored to address specific research questions.

Few studies have considered the combined effects of home-related determinants on children's diet. The present study investigated independent associations between sociodemographic and food practice (SFP) characteristics and fruit and vegetable consumption in UK children and the combined effects of SFP on consumption using pattern analysis.

Diet was assessed using 4 d food diaries, SFP were collected using computer-assisted personal interview. Linear regressions were used to test associations; principal component analysis was used to identify patterns of SFP characteristics. Regression of fruit (g/d) and vegetables (g/d) v. component scores of each pattern were performed.

UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2010).

Children aged 1·5–10 years (n 642).

Significant associations were found between fruit and vegetable consumption and household socio-economic status. Pattern 1, which was positively correlated with household structure characteristics, was associated with increased fruit consumption (P < 0·001). Pattern 2, characterised by positive correlations for socio-economic status, fruit availability and organic food purchase, and negatively correlated with household size and the number of children per household, was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption (both P < 0·001). Pattern 3, characterised by high frequency of eating out and eating takeaway, was associated with a lower consumption of both fruit (P < 0·012) and vegetables (P < 0·023).

Patterns of SFP determinants may be more informative than individual characteristics in relation to dietary outcomes. Results have public health implications on the healthfulness of meals eaten out of home and in takeaways, as well as the need to reduce diet inequality in larger households with lower socio-economic status.