The Tyranny of Hope.

Presently, a variety of policies and measures has implemented to enhance the scientific research and innovation ability of medical students, but in the process of practice, there are many problems, such as they lack of independent topic selection ability, weak scientific research skills, lack of autonomous learning ability, the research results are simple and ineffective, limited teacher guidance time and so on. This paper attempted to build an effective model for the promotion of medical students' scientific research and innovation ability, in order to establish an efficacy evaluation model of the "Medical students' Innovative Scientific Research Program." Undergraduates, graduate assistants, and tutors were interviewed with the Behavioral Event Interview technique, and a questionnaire of efficacy evaluation characteristics concluded from the interviews was formed. The questionnaire was conducted on medical students in the Medical students' Innovative Scientific Research Program, and the constructed model was analyzed using reliability analysis, validity analysis, and variation analysis. At the same time, the experimental teaching models are summarized and combed, and compared with other methods such as independent sample test. The results show the model could effectively evaluate the efficacy of the Medical students' Innovative Scientific Research Program and its teaching model is effective in cultivating medical students' learning and scientific research ability. It can provide theoretical support and practical reference for the evaluation and reform of the teaching modes related to the cultivation of scientific and innovative ability of medical students.

IntroductionFrom the travel ban on people living with HIV (PLHIV) to resistance to needle exchange programmes, there are many examples where policy responses to HIV/AIDS in the United States seem divorced from behavioural, public health and sociological evidence. At its root, however, the unknowns about HIV/AIDS lie at biomedical science, and scientific researchers have made tremendous progress over the past 30 years of the epidemic by using antiretroviral therapy to increase the life expectancy of PLHIV almost to the same level as non-infected individuals; but a relationship between biomedical science discoveries and congressional responses to HIV/AIDS has not been studied. Using quantitative approaches, we directly examine the hypothesis that progress in HIV/AIDS biomedical science discoveries would have a correlative relationship with congressional response to HIV/AIDS from 1981 to 2010.MethodsThis study used original data on every bill introduced, hearing held and law passed by the US Congress relating to HIV/AIDS over 30 years (1981–2010). We combined congressional data with the most cited and impactful biomedical research scientific publications over the same time period as a metric of biomedical science breakthroughs. Correlations between congressional policy and biomedical research were then analyzed at the aggregate and individual levels.ResultsBiomedical research advancements helped shape both the level and content of bill sponsorship on HIV/AIDS, but they had no effect on other stages of the legislative process. Examination of the content of bills and biomedical research indicated that science helped transform HIV/AIDS bill sponsorship from a niche concern of liberal Democrats to a bipartisan coalition when Republicans became the majority party. The trade-off for that expansion has been an emphasis on the global epidemic to the detriment of domestic policies and programmes.ConclusionsBreakthroughs in biomedical science did associate with the number and types of HIV/AIDS bills introduced in Congress, but that relationship did not extend to the passage of laws or to hearings. When science matters, it cannot be separated from political considerations. An important implication of our work has been the depoliticizing role that science can play. Scientific breakthroughs helped to transform HIV/AIDS policy from a niche of liberal Democrats into bipartisan support for the global fight against the disease.

Disease characteristics, comorbidities, treatment patterns and quality of life impact in children <12 years old with atopic dermatitis: Interim results from the PEDISTAD Real-World Registry

Psychosocial adjustment, psychiatric morbidity and quality of life in adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease

Background: Patient satisfaction with quality of care is being increasingly recognized and reported as an important outcome measure in oncology. However, it has been argued by some that patients with greater satisfaction with care quality might be the ones with better self-reported quality of life (QoL). In other words, patient satisfaction has been simply purported to be a marker of underlying patient QoL. We asked the question if cancer patients who report higher satisfaction with quality of their care are indeed the ones with better QoL. Methods: 6,914 returning cancer patients treated at four Cancer Treatment Centers of America® hospitals completed a patient satisfaction survey between July 2011 and March 2013. All patients who had not responded to a service quality questionnaire within the preceding 60 days of treatment were eligible. Overall QoL (How would you rate your overall health during the last week?) was measured on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from “very poor” to “excellent”. Overall patient satisfaction (“considering everything, how satisfied are you with your overall experience?”) was also measured on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from “completely dissatisfied” to “completely satisfied”. Spearman correlation was used to investigate the association between patient satisfaction and QoL. Results: A total of 8,642 eligible cancer patients were contacted to participate in the survey. 6,914 patients responded. As a result, the response rate for this study was 80%. The median time duration between the date first seen and the date of first survey was 7.5 months. The mean age at the time of survey was 56.6 years. 4,116 patients were newly diagnosed while 2,798 had been previously treated. 2,778 were males and 4,136 were females. The most common cancer types were breast (27.6%), prostate (13.3%), lung (11.3%), colorectal (8.9%) and pancreas (5.2%). 20%, 28%, 24% and 28% patients had stage I, II, III and IV disease respectively. 1,916 (27.7%) patients reported “excellent” QoL while 5,553 (80.3%) patients were “completely satisfied” with their care. Spearman correlation coefficient between QoL and patient satisfaction for the entire patient population was 0.20 (p&amp;lt;0.001). These correlations in different patient subgroups were as follows: males (0.21), females (0.20), early-stage disease (0.19), late-stage disease (0.22), newly diagnosed (0.19), previously treated (0.20), breast (0.17), colorectal (0.24), lung (0.23), pancreas (0.18), prostate (0.20); with p &amp;lt;0.001 for all. Conclusions: Self-reported QoL has a low correlation with patient satisfaction with care quality. Contrary to what one might expect, higher levels of self-reported QoL do not translate into higher satisfaction with oncology care. This analysis shows that self-reported QoL and satisfaction with care are weakly related dimensions of the larger cancer care quality umbrella. Citation Format: Digant Gupta, James F. Grutsch, Mark Rodeghier, Christopher G. Lis. Do cancer patients with better quality of life report higher satisfaction with the quality of care they receive. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3849. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3849

Crowdfunding for medical research picks up pace

ABSTRACTProblem: Many students entering professional degree programs, particularly M.D., Ph.D., and M.D./Ph.D., are not well prepared regarding the breadth of scientific knowledge required, communication skills, research experience, reading and understanding the scientific literature, and significant shadowing (for M.D.-related professions). In addition, physician scientists are a needed and necessary part of the academic research environment but are dwindling in numbers. Intervention: In response to predictions of critical shortages of clinician investigators and the lack of proper preparation as undergraduates for these professions, the Biomedical Science (BMS) undergraduate major was created at The Ohio State University to attract incoming college freshmen with interests in scientific research and the healthcare professions. The intent of this major was to graduate an elite cohort of highly talented individuals who would pursue careers in the healthcare professions, biomedical research, or both. Context: Students were admitted to the BMS major through an application and interview process. Admitted cohorts were small, comprising 22 to 26 students, and received a high degree of individualized professional academic advising and mentoring. The curriculum included a minimum of 4 semesters (or 2 years) of supervised research experience designed to enable students to gain skills in clinical and basic science investigation. In addition to covering the prerequisites for medicine and advanced degrees in health professions, the integrated BMS coursework emphasized research literacy as well as skills related to work as a healthcare professional, with additional emphasis on independent learning, teamwork to solve complex problems, and both oral and written communication skills. Supported by Ohio State's Department of Internal Medicine, a unique clinical internship provided selected students with insights into potential careers as physician scientists. Outcome: In this educational case report, we describe the BMS undergraduate major and its outcomes after 10 years of implementation. Major outcomes include the strength of the major's matriculates (average ACT score = 32.6; average high school class percentile rank = 95.5) and the high percentage of BMS students who pursued graduate/professional degrees (91%; n = 110). Other markers of success include the strong focus on research, which resulted in 120 articles published by graduates to date (range = 0–12/student; 43% with at least 1 peer-reviewed journal article). Lessons Learned: Based on its successes, adoption of a similar program at other academic medical centers would help feed the pipeline of well-trained health professionals and biomedical researchers.

Iraq, a country with a rich history and culture, has been plagued by numerous challenges that have hindered the growth and development of its medical and scientific research community. Despite the many obstacles facing the country, there are dedicated healthcare professionals and researchers who are working tirelessly to advance medical knowledge and improve healthcare outcomes in Iraq[1].Medical scientific research in Iraq faces a critical predicament with inadequate funding and resources[2]. Due to thelimited government budget for medical research, there is an insufficient amount of support for research projects and facilities. The shortage of resources has led to a massive talent depletion,with numerous skilled medical researchers and professionals departing the country for better opportunities[3]

Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de adolescentes escolares associada aos perfis socioeconômico e demográfico e a relação com felicidade subjetiva. Métodos: Estudo transversal e quantitativo, desenvolvido de dezembro de 2018 a janeiro de 2019, com 339 adolescentes de 14 a 18 anos matriculados no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sertão Pernambucano, em Petrolina, Pernambuco. Avaliaram-se dados relativos aos perfis socioeconômico e demográfico (sexo, idade, renda, moradia, escolaridade da mãe, escola fundamental II, auxílio estudantil, atividade física, curso), assim como verificou-se a qualidade de vida pelo questionário Kidscreen-27 (saúde e atividade física; bem-estar psicológico; autonomia e relação com os pais; amigos e apoio social; ambiente escolar) e a felicidade subjetiva pela Escala de Felicidade Subjetiva. Estimaram odds ratios brutos e ajustados por modelos de regressão logística simples e múltipla, considerando o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Amostra composta por 186 (54,9%) adolescentes do sexo masculino e 153 (45,1%) do sexo feminino, com idade média de 16,4 anos (dp 1,1 ano). Os adolescentes do sexo masculino têm 4,10 vezes (IC95%: 2,31-7,26) mais chances de ter melhor qualidade de vida em saúde. Adolescentes do curso de Eletrotécnica têm 2,27 vezes (IC95%: 1,02-5,02) mais chances de ter melhor qualidade de vida em saúde que os de Química (p

Facial transplantation: what does the future hold?

HIV / AIDS is a chronic disease that can affect all aspects of a person's life. Bongas is a sub-district with the highest number of cases compared to other sub-districts in Indramayu Regency. HIV / AIDS is reported to not only cause symptoms and complications but also has a negative impact on quality of life. Quality of life will affect the health condition of people living with HIV, especially in treatment programs. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life of PLWHA in Bongas. This study used a quantitative research with descriptive approach. The sample amounted to 165 respondents with taking consecutive sampling technique. The results of the study were 118 (71.5%) respondents had a good quality of life in physical domain, 84 (50.9%) respondents had a good quality of life in psychological domain, 124 (75.2%) respondents had a good quality of life in social domain, 93 (56.4%) had a good quality of life in the independence domain, 86 (52.1%) respondents had a good quality of life in the environmental domain, and 86 (52.1%) respondents had a good quality of life in the spiritual domain. The conclusion of this study is that PLWHA in Bongas have a good quality of life. Keywords: Quality of Life, PLWHA

The challenge for “multilingual” scientists in Brazil

Are scientists a workforce? - Or, how Dr. Frankenstein made biomedical research sick: A proposed plan to rescue US biomedical research from its current 'malaise' will not be effective as it misdiagnoses the root cause of the disease.

Translational research is a modern era of medical and clinical research where basic research discoveries are brought in the clinical practice to the patient care. The medical science has been revolutionized by these discoveries and clinical outcome of diseases has improved with longer survival and better quality of life. However, low-middle income countries (LMICs) are not enjoying the magic of translational research in its true sense as they are still dependent on discoveries from high income countries. There is no lacking of talent or ideas in LMICs but there are challenges like inappropriate infrastructure, shortage of trained human resource and also there are issues of funding for translational research projects. The medical research is expensive in fact but LMICs must see it as an investment. While working on local problems and finding their solutions locally, will certainly establish local research based business and the products can reach to the patient at low cost. Thus this may be taken as opportunity.

Motivating students to pursue science careers is a top priority among many science educators. We add to the growing literature by examining the impact of a utility value intervention to enhance student's perceptions that biomedical science affords important utility work values. Using an expectancy-value perspective we identify and test two types of utility value: communal (other-oriented) and agentic (self-oriented). The culture of science is replete with examples emphasizing high levels of agentic value, but communal values are often (stereotyped as) absent from science. However, people in general want an occupation that has communal utility. We predicted and found that an intervention emphasizing the communal utility value of biomedical research increased students' motivation for biomedical science (Studies 1-3). We refined whether different types of communal utility value (working with, helping, and forming relationships with others) might be more or less important, demonstrating that helping others was an especially important predictor of student motivation (Study 2). Adding agentic utility value to biomedical research did not further increase student motivation (Study 3). Furthermore, the communal value intervention indirectly impacted students' motivation because students believed that biomedical research was communal and thus subsequently more important (Studies 1-3). This is key, because enhancing student communal value beliefs about biomedical research (Studies 1-3) and science (Study 4) was associated both with momentary increases in motivation in experimental settings (Studies 1-3) and increased motivation over time among students highly identified with biomedicine (Study 4). We discuss recommendations for science educators, practitioners, and faculty mentors who want to broaden participation in science.