Gestational diabetes is treated with medical nutrition therapy, delivered by healthcare professionals; however, the optimal diet for affected women is unknown. Randomised controlled trials, such as the DiGest (Dietary Intervention in Gestational Diabetes) trial, will address this knowledge gap, but the acceptability of whole-diet interventions in pregnancy is unclear. Whole-diet approaches reduce bias but require high levels of participant commitment and long intervention periods to generate meaningful clinical outcomes. We aimed to assess healthcare professionals’ views on the acceptability of the DiGest dietbox intervention for women with gestational diabetes and to identify any barriers to adherence which could be addressed to support good recruitment and retention to the DiGest trial. Female healthcare professionals (n 16) were randomly allocated to receive a DiGest dietbox containing 1200 or 2000 kcal/d including at least one weeks’ food. A semi-structured interview was conducted to explore participants’ experience of the intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using NVivo software. Based on the findings of qualitative interviews, modifications were made to the dietboxes. Participants found the dietboxes convenient and enjoyed the variety and taste of the meals. Factors which facilitated adherence included participants having a good understanding of study aims and sufficient organisational skills to facilitate weekly meal planning in advance. Barriers to adherence included peer pressure during social occasions and feelings of deprivation or hunger (affecting both standard and reduced calorie groups). Healthcare professionals considered random allocation to a whole-diet replacement intervention to be acceptable and feasible in a clinical environment and offered benefits to participants including convenience.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases. We have a placenta-specific nanoparticle gene therapy protocol that increases placental expression of human insulin-like growth factor 1 (hIGF1), for the treatment of FGR in utero. We aimed to characterize the effects of FGR on hepatic gluconeogenesis pathways during early stages of FGR establishment, and determine whether placental nanoparticle-mediated hIGF1 therapy treatment could resolve differences in the FGR fetus. Female Hartley guinea pigs (dams) were fed either a Control or Maternal Nutrient Restriction (MNR) diet using established protocols. At GD30-33, dams underwent ultrasound guided, transcutaneous, intraplacental injection of hIGF1 nanoparticle or PBS (sham) and were sacrificed 5 days post-injection. Fetal liver tissue was fixed and snap frozen for morphology and gene expression analysis. In female and male fetuses, liver weight as a percentage of body weight was reduced by MNR, and not changed with hIGF1 nanoparticle treatment. In female fetal livers, expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (Hif1α) and tumor necrosis factor (Tnfα) were increased in MNR compared to Control, but reduced in MNR + hIGF1 compared to MNR. In male fetal liver, MNR increased expression of Igf1 and decreased expression of Igf2 compared to Control. Igf1 and Igf2 expression was restored to Control levels in the MNR + hIGF1 group. This data provides further insight into the sex-specific mechanistic adaptations seen in FGR fetuses and demonstrates that disruption to fetal developmental mechanisms may be returned to normal by treatment of the placenta.

The cornerstone of obesity treatment is behavioural weight management, resulting in significant improvements in cardio-metabolic and psychosocial health. However, there is ongoing concern that dietary interventions used for weight management may precipitate the development of eating disorders. Systematic reviews demonstrate that, while for most participants medically supervised obesity treatment improves risk scores related to eating disorders, a subset of people who undergo obesity treatment may have poor outcomes for eating disorders. This review summarises the background and rationale for the formation of the Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy (EDIT) Collaboration. The EDIT Collaboration will explore the complex risk factor interactions that precede changes to eating disorder risk following weight management. In this review, we also outline the programme of work and design of studies for the EDIT Collaboration, including expected knowledge gains. The EDIT studies explore risk factors and the interactions between them using individual-level data from international weight management trials. Combining all available data on eating disorder risk from weight management trials will allow sufficient sample size to interrogate our hypothesis: that individuals undertaking weight management interventions will vary in their eating disorder risk profile, on the basis of personal characteristics and intervention strategies available to them. The collaboration includes the integration of health consumers in project development and translation. An important knowledge gain from this project is a comprehensive understanding of the impact of weight management interventions on eating disorder risk.

High-quality evidence from prospective longitudinal studies in humans is essential to testing hypotheses related to the developmental origins of health and disease. In this paper, the authors draw upon their own experiences leading birth cohorts with longitudinal follow-up into adulthood to describe specific challenges and lessons learned. Challenges are substantial and grow over time. Long-term funding is essential for study operations and critical to retaining study staff, who develop relationships with participants and hold important institutional knowledge and technical skill sets. To maintain contact, we recommend that cohorts apply multiple strategies for tracking and obtain as much high-quality contact information as possible before the child’s 18th birthday. To maximize engagement, we suggest that cohorts offer flexibility in visit timing, length, location, frequency, and type. Data collection may entail multiple modalities, even at a single collection timepoint, including measures that are self-reported, research-measured, and administrative with a mix of remote and in-person collection. Many topics highly relevant for adolescent and young adult health and well-being are considered to be private in nature, and their assessment requires sensitivity. To motivate ongoing participation, cohorts must work to understand participant barriers and motivators, share scientific findings, and provide appropriate compensation for participation. It is essential for cohorts to strive for broad representation including individuals from higher risk populations, not only among the participants but also the staff. Successful longitudinal follow-up of a study population ultimately requires flexibility, adaptability, appropriate incentives, and opportunities for feedback from participants.

Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, many investors responded by unloading their Russian sovereign debt holdings. However, data from Bloomberg show that at the time of the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine, ESG funds – investment funds pursuing environmental, social and governance goals – still held at least $8.3 billion in Russian assets;1 and while more than a thousand companies have curtailed their Russian operations and over 500 are holding off on new investments in the wake of Russia’s invasion,2 investors have been accused of being ‘missing in action’.3

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: In 2021, Duke University expanded the myRESEARCHsuite (MRS) of research support services with the launch of myRESEARCHpath (MRP), an interactive roadmap for navigating the project lifecycle. MRP integrates with the existing MRS services, which include a personalized research portal (myRESEARCHhome) and team of experts (myRESEARCHnavigators). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: MRP was developed as a collaborative effort to centralize essential research-related information across Duke University into one location. MRP provides a web-based platform to integrate policies, processes, and resources from over 40 research support offices, organized into topic-based pages throughout the project lifecycle. Each topic-based page provides integrated guidance, categorized related resources, and contact information for personalized support from subject matter experts. Additional features of MRP include a curated search function, and filters that refine the topic-based pages and related resources to only those applicable to selected project inclusions and organizational unit. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Since the launch of MRP in January 2021 through the third quarter of 2021, 5,947 unique users accessed MRP for a total of 17,452 sessions. The most commonly accessed topic-based pages during this time period were: Activity disclosures (Other Support and Current and Pending) – 3,231 pageviews Animal welfare – 1,882 pageviews Proposal review and submission – 1,306 pageviews NIH research grants (R series) – 686 pageviews Proposal planning – 669 pageviews The most frequently searched terms (including spelling variants) were Other Support, Biosketch, NIH, and no-cost extensions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This data suggests users are accessing MRP for guidance on new or recently updated requirements. Maintaining clear, unified, and current site content should be prioritized to continue emphasizing MRP as a central location for research-related information. Duke also plans to explore further integration of MRP with the other MRS services.