2,395 research outputs found
The Dilemma of Physician Shortage and International Recruitment in Canada
No full textThe perception of physician shortage in Canada is widespread. Absolute shortages and relative discrepancies, both specialty-wise and in urban-rural distribution, have been a daunting policy challenge. International Medical Graduates (IMGs) have been at the core of mitigating this problem, especially as long as shortage of physicians in rural areas is concerned. Considering such recruitment as historical reality is naïve annotation, but when it is recommended per se, then the indication of interest overweighs the intent of ethically justified solution. Such a recommendation has not only invited policy debate and disagreement, but has also raised serious ethical concerns. Canadian healthcare policy-makers were put into a series of twisting puzzles—recruiting IMGs in mitigating physician shortage was questioned by lack of vision for Canada’s self-sufficiency. In-migration of IMGs was largely attributed to Canada’s point-based physician-friendly immigration system without much emphasizing on IMGs’ home countries’ unfavorable factors and ignoring their basic human rights and choice of livelihood. While policy-makers’ excellence in integrating the already-migrated IMGs into the Canadian healthcare is cautiously appraised, its logical consequence in passively drawing more IMGs is loudly criticised. Even the passive recruitment of IMGs raised the ethical concern of source countries’ (which are often developing countries with already-compromised healthcare system) vulnerability. The current paper offers critical insights juxtaposing all these seemingly conflicting ideas and interests within the scope of national and transnational instruments
War on drugs: the case of Bangladesh
No full textDespite decades of history of failure of the “war on drugs” (Coyne & Hall, 2017), Bangladesh recently joined this controversial journey, with policies that took at least 130 lives across the country (Gupta & Pokharel, 2018). In addition, it has added another example of a structural failure to realize, examine, foresee, and address the intricate issues surrounding drug abuse, including the principles of self-medication and harm reductions, and the supply-demand-misuse dynamics of the drug market
Nanotechnology: Recent Trends, Emerging Issues and Future Directions
No full textTechnology-based innovations fuel the knowledge-based economy, as it creates new industries, makes existing ones globally competitive, and drives future economic growth. In order to reach technology-based economic growth, it is not only necessary to invest capital, intellect and time in technology-related research and development (R&D), but also to execute processes related to technology development trends, diffusion patterns, and the adoption and implementation of technology-based innovations.Nanotechnology has contributed to remarkable advances in the field of science and technology in the past two decades, which have led to significant prospective applications in various technological domains including advanced materials, biotechnology and pharmacy, electronics, scientific tools and techniques, and industrial manufacturing processes. This ultra-small technology will drive a new technology-driven global economy, with revolutionary advances in almost all industry sectors through high utility and demands.The book is written to provide an overview of the developments made in nanotechnology to date, the ongoing trends and the future prospects, together with the supply chain practices and environmental risk challenges involved, and finally, suggests the key issues to be focused on in the future with personal directions, finishing with managerial and policy recommendations.For over a decade, Companies are faced with the challenge of harnessing the enormous potential of nanotechnologies, while also being attuned to potential environmental, health and safety issues, and social acceptability. The lack of investigations in these areas still poses a serious barrier to the commercialization of nanotechnology-based products. This book explains how nano-science, technology and technological progress are central to economic and social well-being, and why the creation and diffusion of nano-products with secure and safe development, along with an efficient supply chain are critical drivers of adopting this technology.It is urgent to apply nanotechnology to solve legacy environmental problems, and to encourage the replacement of existing products with new nano-products that are more environmentally friendly throughout their life cycles. The authors confer to the industry’s response to the pressures of the responsible development of nanotechnology, for making every reasonable effort to anticipate and mitigate the adverse implications or unintended consequences. The end users of nanotechnology, particularly the poor and developing countries, should be given opportunities to participate in the development of the technology, as the social factors are crucial in the adoption of nanotechnology.One major goal of this book is to highlight the multifaceted issues surrounding nanotechnology on the basis of case studies, academic and theoretical articles, technology transfer, innovation, economics, management and policy. More than fifty experts spread in about fifteen countries with their respective understanding, perspectives and resources provide a very broad audience to accomplish the project with. This book will be a useful reference for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and professionals in the field of science, technology, engineering, innovation, management and economics
Symmetry of odds ratio
No full textUnlike the case with normally distributed continuous variable, the Confidence Interval (CIs) of Odds Ratio (OR), the often-used measure of association in medical literature, is said NOT to be symmetrical about the point estimates. The inference is based on the conventional additive construct, which is why it is shown that the CIs of natural logarithm (ln) of OR is symmetrical about the ln(OR), and NOT the OR itself. There is consensus that the log-scale is not quite intuitive, and hence the CI of ln(OR) is later expressed (taking anti-log) in natural scale. However, after the transformation from ln(OR) to OR, the CI of OR is blamed not to have symmetry about the point estimate, and hence the construct of CI of OR remains unintuitive. However, we show mathematically that CI of OR is also symmetrical about the point estimate of OR, albeit on a multiplicative construct. The same is applicable for Risk Ratios (RR) too. Keywords
Error reporting the test statistics and significance levels, and arguable model building
No full textDear Sir,With academic and professional interests, we read the article by Ekelund et al. (1). Conducted on 443 consecutive patients with psoriasis in Sweden, this paper examined the relationship between measures of disease severity (e.g., as measured by Dermatology Life Quality Index) and associated costs in patients with plaque psoriasis.The authors used linear regression model to examine the relationship between the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI; used as continuous variable; variable name: dlqi_tot), psoriatic arthritis (dummy variable name: dum_psor) and being on systemic treatment (dummy variable name: systemic) in relation to total cost (Table III). All of these three explanatory variables were shown to be statistically signicant, as described by the authors, and depicted by the p-values in the reduced model (Table III).However, the t-values associated with the explanatory variables are too small to reach statistical signicance. It is not clear from the model what the effective sample size was (which might be attributed to missing values etc.), hence the degrees of freedom (DF) could not be denitely identied. However, as the total initial sample size was 443, we may safely assume that the maximum DF would be 439 [DF = n–(p+1); where n = effective sample size, and p = number of predictors (3 in this case) in the model] (2
Race and gender inequity in awards and recognition
No full textStudy of the Lasker Awards illustrates deep and persistent problems in academiaWhat stands as evidence of discrimination or bias, particularly when it comes to complex decisions that are inherently multifactorial and largely subjective, such as who gets certain high profile awards? In a linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-074968), Jacobs and colleagues examined inequities in the gender and ethnic group of Lasker Award winners from 1946 to 2022 and found that only 8% (31/397) of awardees were women and 4% (17/397) were from non-white minority groups (categorised as racialised in the study). Over the past 77 years, the Lasker Award—sometimes referred to as America’s Nobels because 95 of 397 Lasker laureates also received a Nobel prize—was given to only one non-white woman. The authors also found that the proportion of women among awardees did not improve significantly between the first and the last decade (15.6% in 2013-22 v 12.9% in 1946-55).1These findings are shockingly consistent with previous reports on other high profile scientific awards such as Nobel prizes.234 Like most
Gender differences in depression and condom use among sexually active Canadians
No full textBackground: Given the gendered distribution of depression, this paper aims at exploring the gender disparities in the effect of depression on condom use in last sexual intercourse in a nationally representative sample of sexually active Canadians.Methods: Data in this study came from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2009–2010 (n=124,188 aged ≥12 years). The analysis in this study was restricted to 7238 respondents aged 15–49 years who had sexual intercourse in the 12-months preceding the survey. Multivariable logistic regression, stratified by gender, was used to estimate the effect of depression on condom use adjusting for potential confounders.Results: Reported condom use was lower in females (46.9%) than in males (60.9%), while depression was more in females (13.5%) than in males (8.4%). Condom use was less among people with depression, in both males and females. However, condom use was far less frequent among females (41.2%) with depression than their male counterparts (58.1%). Depression was found to reduce the odds of condom use in last sexual intercourse both in males and females. However, the effect was statistically significant in females only (adjusted odds ratio: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.66–0.99).Limitations: Cross-sectional data, and inability to capture socio-economic status and alcohol use rigorously are some of the limitations of this study.Conclusions: Depression was found to reduce condom use significantly in females. Public health programs aimed at increasing condom use should address the issues of improving self-efficacy in condom negotiation skills in females, along with addressing mental health issues, especially depression, with a gender-sensitive perspective
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