Translational science is, by definition, groundbreaking; however, without an emphasis on quality and efficiency, some innovations in healthcare may translate into unnecessary risk, suboptimal solutions, and potentially loss of well-being and even lives. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Clinical and Translational Sciences Award Consortium’s response created an opportunity for quality and efficiency to be better defined, expediently and thoughtfully addressed, and further studied as central foundations in the translational science mission. This paper presents findings of an environmental scan of adaptive capacity and preparedness to illuminate the assets, institutional environment, knowledge, and forward-looking decision-making needed to optimize and sustain research quality and efficiency.

This paper is part of the Environmental Scan of Adaptive Capacity and Preparedness of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs, illuminating challenges, practices, and lessons learned related to CTSA hubs’ efforts of engaging community partners to reduce the spread of the virus, address barriers to COVID-19 testing, identify treatments to improve health outcomes, and advance community participation in research. CTSA researchers, staff, and community partners collaborated to develop evidence-based, inclusive, accessible, and culturally appropriate strategies and resources helping community members stay healthy, informed, and connected during the pandemic. CTSA institutions have used various mechanisms to advance co-learning and co-sharing of knowledge, resources, tools, and experiences between academic professionals, patients, community partners, and other stakeholders. Forward-looking and adaptive decision-making structures are those that prioritize sustained relationships, mutual trust and commitment, ongoing communication, proactive identification of community concerns and needs, shared goals and decision making, as well as ample appreciation of community members and their contributions to translational research. There is a strong need for further community-engaged research and workforce training on how to build our collective and individual adaptive capacity to sustain and improve processes and outcomes of engagement with and by communities—in all aspects of translational science.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health disparities and rendered them acutely more visible. Special and underrepresented populations need to be fully integrated into the translational research process from the very beginning and all the way through. This article presents findings and rapid analysis mini-case studies from the Environmental Scan (E-Scan) of adaptive capacity and preparedness of Clinical and Translational Science Award hubs, specific to the goal of integrating special and vulnerable populations in different institutional research settings. In our discussion of the findings and case studies, we flexibly apply local adaptive capacity framework concepts and characteristics, and, whenever possible, we present ideas on how to enhance capacity in those areas, based on the challenges and practices identified through the E-Scan. Although the past year has recorded incredible achievements in vaccine development, clinical trials, diagnostics, and overall biomedical research, these successes continue to be hampered by our inability to turn them into achievements equally available and accessible to all populations.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Illuminate processes and findings of the Environmental Scan of Adaptive Capacity and Preparedness of CTSAs done by the CTSA Working Group. Share challenges, strategies, and lessons learned for CTSAs to build Capacity to address clinical and translational barriers while responding to emergencies. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: An Environmental Scan approach for searching, collecting, analyzing and using information from diverse sources regarding CTSA hubs experiences during emergency as related to research implementation, translation, support, adaptation, and preparedness: - Triangulating multiple data sources and mixed methods (e.g., literature review, document/RPPR analysis, and expert review); - Secondary analysis of the JCTS COVID-19 Survey of the CTSAs: challenges, lessons learned, and practices that work in various program components/areas; - Using feedback of CTSA professionals from multiple disciplines to enhance our knowledge of emergency preparedness and efficient adaptation to public health and other crises. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The E-scan approach helped identify challenges, successful practices, and evidence-based strategies for building adaptive capacity and preparedness of CTSAs across various scientific sectors of the translational science spectrum. Some of the findings include: - Roadmaps for the creation of new collaborative research resources (biobanks; data repositories, etc.); - Rapid clinical and research decision making during public health crises; - New community-based research strategies to facilitate communication, research dissemination, and participant recruitment based on existing trust-based networks; - Innovative resource allocation to guarantee continuity of training and research opportunities for trainees. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The Environmental Scan of the Adaptive Capacity of CTSA hubs provides useful knowledge and tools to diverse clinical research stakeholders for mitigating the impact of a disaster via adjusting programs, practices, and processes, and building capacity for effective, emergency-ready and responsive research, training, and community engagement.

Regulation of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily by gonadotrophins in swine follicular cells is not fully understood. This study evaluated the expression of steroidogenic enzymes and members of the TGFβ superfamily in prepubertal gilts allocated to three treatments: 1200 IU eCG at D −3 (eCG); 1200 IU eCG at D −6 plus 500 IU hCG at D −3 (eCG + hCG); and the control, composed of untreated gilts. Blood samples and ovaries were collected at slaughter (D0) and follicular cells were recovered thereafter. Relative gene expression was determined by real-time PCR. Serum progesterone levels were greater in the eCG + hCG group compared with the other groups (P < 0.01). No differences were observed in the expression of BMP15, BMPR1A, BMPR2, FSHR, GDF9, LHCGR and TGFBR1 (P > 0.05). Gilts from the eCG group presented numerically greater mean expression of CYP11A1 mRNA than in the control group that approached statistical significance (P = 0.08) and greater expression of CYP19A1 than in both the eCG and the control groups (P < 0.05). Expression of BMPR1B was lower in the eCG + hCG treatment group compared with the control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, eCG treatment increased the relative expression of steroidogenic enzymes, whereas treatment with eCG + hCG increased serum progesterone levels. Although most of the evaluated TGFβ members were not regulated after gonadotrophin treatment, the downregulation of BMPR1B observed after treatment with eCG + hCG and suggests a role in luteinization regulation.

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This work will inform the ongoing development of adaptive capacity and preparedness of the CTSA Program and other clinical and translational research organizations in their quest of improving processes that drive outcomes and impacts, shaping effective programs and services, and strengthening their emergency readiness and sustainability. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: -Share the progress and preliminary findings of an ‘Adaptive Capacity and Preparedness of CTSA Hubs’ CTSA Working Group; -Improve our awareness and understanding of the efficient and effective changes helping CTSA hubs build robust capacity to address METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A multi-case study including: - Triangulating multiple sources of information and mixed methods (survey/interviews of research administrators, researchers, evaluators, and other key stakeholders), literature review, document and M&E system information analysis, and expert review; - Describing CTSA hubs’ experiences as related to research implementation, translation, and support during the time of emergency; - Administering a comprehensive survey of the CTSAs addressing their challenges, lessons learned, and practices that work in various program components/areas. Data collection includes aggregate and cross-sectional data, with representation based on CTSA size, maturity, and population density. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The described approach shows sound promise to investigate and share strategies and best practices for building adaptive capacity and preparedness of CTSAs -- across various scientific sectors, translational research spectrum, and the goals outlined by NCATS for the CTSA program. The anticipated results of this research will include the identified/shared innovative solutions and lessons learned for this rapidly emerging, high-priority clinical and translational science issue. ‘High-quality lessons learned’ are those that represent principles extrapolated from multiple sources and triangulated to increase transferability to new contexts and situations. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: The project provides useful knowledge and tools to research organizations and stakeholders across multiple disciplines -- for mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 disaster via effective adjusting programs, practices, and processes, and building capacity for future successful, ‘emergency ready and responsive’ research and training.

South American countries are important agricultural players worldwide. Pesticides are key components of their production systems and, in some cases, complement environmentally sound systems, such as no-till, which contributes to preserving soil productivity. In this review, presented in the symposium Global Perspective on Herbicides Being Banned during the 2019 Weed Science Society of America meeting, we describe the regulatory framework and current situation of restricted and banned herbicides in South America. We also discuss where the pressure for herbicide bans is coming from and the opportunities for improving herbicide use and public perception. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay were chosen as representative countries of the region. They all have regulatory systems in place for pesticide registration and reevaluation based on science. Glyphosate, paraquat, and some 2,4-D formulations are in the spotlight. Glyphosate is being reevaluated in Brazil and, although banned within the city limits in some cities in Argentina and Uruguay, it can still be used in agriculture. Paraquat is prohibited for aerial applications in Colombia and is the only herbicide that needs a professional prescription in Uruguay. It was reevaluated in Brazil, resulting in a use-restriction phase in effect until 2020, when it will be permanently banned. Ester formulations of 2,4-D have been banned in Brazil since the early 2000s and have restrictions in some provinces in Argentina, where 2,4-D butyl and isobutyl esters will be prohibited starting April 2021. In Uruguay, atrazine is the only herbicide banned for agricultural use. The regulatory frameworks ensure that herbicides on the market are effective and safe. Reevaluation is an important part of the system and is conducted when there are reasonable concerns. There are opportunities to continue training pesticide handlers and applicators and to communicate the importance of adopting the best management practices where herbicides are part of the production system.

Weedy rice (Oryza spp.) is considered one of the main weeds in cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) around the world, having a great impact on both yield and quality of crop rice. Recent studies have characterized the range of morphological and genetic diversity in weedy rice from different locations and have revealed that there is often great morphological diversity within growing regions. No systematic attempt to characterize phenotypic diversity of weedy rice in Colombia, where this group of weeds greatly affects rice production, has yet been carried out. This study seeks (1) to establish the range of variation in various morphological characters for weedy rice collected in the five production zones of Colombia and to compare these with commercial varieties and landraces sown in the country, (2) to determine the association between weedy rice morphotypes and rice production areas in the country, and (3) to assess whether any association exists between morphology and recently discovered genetic groupings for weedy rice in Colombia. Based on a sampling of rice production areas in Colombia and evaluation of 27 phenotypic traits, a two-step cluster analysis identified four morphological groups for weedy rice in Colombia. These groupings had some limited association with geography and the genetic ancestries of weedy rice. Clustering showed that awn and apiculus color and awn length and presence are the most important predictors in defining morphological groupings. Understanding and classifying the morphological diversity may be helpful in understanding weedy rice origins, evolution, and potential management practices.