A public health mission in Canada in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Many governments in the world reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by swiftly offering stimulus packages to their populations. While public unpreparedness was dramatic, it was not unexpected: many alarms had been sounded. Strategies by the federal and various provincial governments of Canada in core sectors predisposed the country to the current situation and weakened its capacity to respond adequately. This paper reviews the cumulative effects of these strategic orientations: a deficient investment strategy in fundamental science; disconnect between laboratory work and the country's capacity to produce vaccines and antiviral drugs; the priority of cost efficiency that led to overwhelming dependency on foreign production of medical supplies; and dramatic spending cuts in public health. We will discuss a Mission strategy to exit the crisis that takes a long-term perspective, in which public interest and public health, combined with a strong State leadership, stimulate innovation and collaboration between national and international actors.

[Goals, motivations, and difficulties of young oncology residents]

INTRODUCTION

The Association for education and research of interns in oncology (AERIO) conducted a national survey of the 2020-year oncology residents promotion in the "phase socle". The objective was to collect and analyze their motivations, as well as the objectives and limitations in the life and career of the residents during this first year of residency.

METHODS

A questionnaire included 45 closed questions divided into 6 sections describing: the demographic characteristics of the population, the commitment of the students' and their clinical and academic expectations in the, their training, their life and career objectives, and their commitment in associative life.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight of 119 residents participated (66%), of which 68 (87.2%) completed the questionnaire entirely. The population was predominantly women (60%) with a median age of 24 years. The choice between medical or radiation oncology was mostly undefined (87%) and 15% of the residents considered to change their medical specialty. The average hospital work time reported was predominantly between 45 and 65hours per week (83%). Sixty-nine percent were primarily interested in clinical research. One out of two residents (52%) did not have access to their half-day of training per week.

DISCUSSION

This national survey made possible to analyze the perception of oncology young residents, as well as their career aspirations and their relationship to research.

[A GERCOR-AERIO national survey of oncology residents in France: Current setting and expectations regarding post-internship and research]

INTRODUCTION

The demographics of oncology residents has changed since 2010 with the increase in the size of promotions. The evolution of the residents' aspirations towards research and their future exercise in parallel with these demographic changes has not been assessed.

METHODS

A questionnaire was developed by a working group from GERCOR (cooperative group in oncology), involving clinicians, researchers, GERCOR members, and residents. It consisted of 62 questions divided into 7 sections: demographics, medical thesis, post-residency, mobility, publication activity, basic research, and clinical/translational research. The national survey was published online by the Association d'enseignement et de recherche des internes en oncologie (AERIO).

RESULTS

In total, 143 residents participated, of which 116 (81.1%) completed the questionnaire entirely. The population was representative of the current demographics, with a majority of women (65.0%), a median age of 28 years, and 39.7% of residents from Paris region. The unsupervised analysis revealed four profiles of residents, including one group strongly committed to research (16.8%), one group with moderate involvement (41.3%) and one group that did not seem interested in research (14.7%). Uncertainty about future position and lack of time and interaction with researchers appeared to be the main barriers to involvement of residents in research.

DISCUSSION

This national survey provided useful information about the residents' perspective to academic research. It may serve as a basis for proposing measures adapted to their expectations.

Publications on experimental physical methods to investigate ultra high dilutions--an assessment on quality

INTRODUCTION

Our first evaluation of fundamental research into the physics and physiology of Ultra High Dilution (UHD) was conducted in 1994. Since then, in 2003, Becker-Witt et al. conducted a more systematic evaluation of the literature and established the Score for Assessment of Physical Experiments on Homeopathy (SAPEH). While this evaluation focused on experimental methodologies, Stock-Schröer et al., in 2009, formulated a detailed guideline for authors on Reporting Experiments in Homeopathic Basic research (REHBaR) to promote a high standard in research as well as in its communication in scientific literature.

METHOD

In this paper, we evaluate publications on basic research into the physics of UHD since the decade following the presentation of the SAPEH score (2004-2014), and present the state of progress in this field.

RESULTS

Fundamental research into the physics of UHD has been reported at a steady rate over the past 60 years. Reported research of high quality as per SAPEH scoring appears to be still the exception rather than standard.

CONCLUSION

Considering the importance of a fundamental understanding of what makes a UHD preparation, results of this study suggest that it may be beneficial to this field of fundamental research if grant challenges are approached in strategic way similar to other grant challenges in science.

Experimental physical methods and theories--then and now

INTRODUCTION

A first evaluation of fundamental research into the physics and physiology of Ultra high dilutions (UHDs) was conducted by the author in 1994(1). In this paper we revisit methods and theories from back then and follow their paths through their evolution and contribution to new knowledge in UHD research since then.

METHOD

Physical methods and theories discusses in our anthology on UHD in 1994(1) form the basis for tracing ideas and findings along their path of further development and impact on new knowledge in UHD.

RESULTS

Experimental approaches to probe physical changes in homeopathic preparations have become more sophisticated over past two decades, so did the desire to report results to a scientific standard that is on par with those in specialist literature. The same cannot be said about underlying supporting theoretical models and simulations.

CONCLUSION

Grant challenges in science often take a more targeted and more concerted approach to formulate a research question and then look for answers. A concerted effort to focus on one hypothesized physical aspect of a well-defined homeopathic preparation may help aligning experimental methods with theoretical models and, in doing so, help to gain a deeper understanding of the whole body of insights and data produced.

Blueprint for an Indian nobel laureate in psychiatry

There are a number of spoofs and light-hearted writings in blogs, journalistic pieces and book form (even from former Nobel Laureates), which attempt at ‘understanding’ the secret of getting a Nobel. This is not one of them. It is more pedantic without necessarily being dry. It first analyses the meaning of the concept, ‘the greatest benefit of mankind’, which is the crux of the Nobel Will and the overarching requirement for a Nobel in Medicine. Further discussion in the paper is divided into 5 parts:

(1)

General qualities for a Nobel: The need to be really bright is a given; what is necessary is to be sufficiently crazy about a research topic to make it an obsession; be ready to forgo many creature comforts for long stretches of time; and after all this, be ready to accept that the Nobel may never happen, yet continue to do a type of research solely because it is intrinsically worth doing.

(2)

Nobel in Physiology or Medicine: Here, the key is to do fundamental/basic research to answer persistent, nagging, unanswered questions of medicine which others neglect because they are discomforting. Or, find treatments that change the whole manner a disease has been hitherto treated.

(3)

Nobel in Psychiatry: There are many Nobels waiting to be won, provided: (a) The branch becomes more precise; (b) Science, quantitative study and biology remain its bedrock; and (c) There is an almost obsessive preoccupation with unravelling the mysteries of the brain. One has to choose wisely where to put in efforts, e.g., fields like fundamental research into the causes of psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorders. Or their definitive treatments. Or, work at the cellular or molecular level of the neuron and brain; or, the glandular or genetic level of the systems connected with psychiatric disorders; or, in brain radio imaging. If other, or allied, fields are chosen, to work with finding quantitative data and attempt to pinpoint their precise biological correlates.

(4)

Indian Nobel in Medicine: There is first the need to give up the colonial mindset that everything trend-setting in science comes only from the West. As also, for Departmental Heads, to protect and nurture those with research excellence rather than the mediocre and the sycophants. For governments, to set up an autonomous Research Excellence Council to expressly and exclusively cater to promoting research excellence, with a sizeable fund to put this into practice.

All these four points are summarised as four rules.

(5)

Indian Nobel in psychiatry: Practical suggestions are presented in the form of an 11 Point Action Plan based on 1-4 above.

Geographical and temporal distribution of basic research experiments in homeopathy

The database HomBRex (Homeopathy Basic Research experiments) was established in 2002 to provide an overview of the basic research already done on homeopathy (http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/hombrex). By this means, it facilitates the exploration of the Similia Principle and the working mechanism of homeopathy. Since 2002, the total number of experiments listed has almost doubled. The current review reports the history of basic research in homeopathy as evidenced by publication dates and origin of publications. In July 2013, the database held 1868 entries. Most publications were reported from France (n = 267), followed by Germany (n = 246) and India (n = 237). In the last ten years, the number of publications from Brazil dramatically increased from n = 13 (before 2004) to n = 164 (compared to n = 251 published in France before 2004, and n = 16 between 2004 and 2013). The oldest database entry was from Germany (1832).