Chemical data evaluation: general considerations and approaches for IUPAC projects and the chemistry community (IUPAC Technical Report).

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has a long tradition of supporting the compilation of chemical data and their evaluation through direct projects, nomenclature and terminology work, and partnerships with international scientific bodies, government agencies and other organizations. The IUPAC Interdivisional Subcommittee on Critical Evaluation of Data (ISCED) has been established to provide guidance on issues related to the evaluation of chemical data. In this first report we define the general principles of the evaluation of scientific data and describe best practices and approaches to data evaluation in chemistry.

Effect of Source Type and Protective Message on the Critical Evaluation of News Messages on Facebook: Randomized Controlled Trial in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Disinformation has become an increasing societal concern, especially due to the speed that news is shared in the digital era. In particular, disinformation in the health care sector can lead to serious casualties, as the current COVID-19 crisis clearly shows. OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of information about the source and a protective warning message on users' critical evaluation of news items, as well as the perception of accuracy of the news item. METHODS: A 3 (unreliable vs reliable vs no identified source) × 2 (with protective message vs without) between-subject design was conducted among 307 participants (mean age 29 (SD 10.9] years). RESULTS: The results showed a significant effect of source information on critical evaluation. In addition, including a protective message did not significantly affect critical evaluation. The results showed no interaction between type of source and protective message on critical evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, it is questionable whether including protective messages to improve critical evaluation is a way to move forward and improve critical evaluation of health-related news items, although effective methodologies to tackle the spread of disinformation are highly needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05030883; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05030883.

The relation between young adults' trust beliefs in others and interpersonal hostility.

The research examined whether, and if so how, young adults' trust beliefs in others were associated with interpersonal hostility. The participants in Study 1 were 139 young adults from the UK (76 women; Mage = 20.8). In Study 2, 88 young adult women from the UK (Mage = 21.5) served as participants. The participants completed a standardized measure of trust beliefs in others (total with reliability, honesty, and emotional subscales). In Study 1, participants imagined they were victims of peer provocation. They were required to judge the intention for the provocation and their retaliation to it. In Study 2, the participants were engaged in a lab-based acquaintanceship interaction that involved the exchange of disclosures. They completed an adjective checklist that assessed anger and evaluated the quality of the conversation. Trust beliefs were linearly and negatively associated with the attribution of hostile intentions, retaliation, anger toward others, and critical evaluation of a developing peer relationship. As expected though, quadratic relations were found. Young adults with very low and those with very high trust beliefs (primarily emotionally based) showed greater attribution of hostile intentions, retaliation, anger toward others, and critical evaluation of a developing peer relationship than did young adults with the middle range of trust beliefs. The linear relations supported the hypothesis that trust promotes psychosocial adjustment. The quadratic relations supported the deviation from the normative trust (centralist) approach primarily for emotional trust beliefs in others.

A response to Jepsen et al. (2016).

Important findings, e.g. in ecology, should be questioned and debated. Our findings that defoliating looper outbreaks travel as waves across Europe and the response here to such a questioning could be a start of a debate (photo: winter moth carterpillar).

[Steps aimed at upgrading a pharmaceutical care sector: the case of surgery]. / Démarche pour la mise à niveau d'un secteur de soins pharmaceutiques : le cas de la chirurgie pédiatrique.

BACKGROUND: While the concept of clinical pharmacy was developed in the 1960s, clinical programs are characterized by their great variety and disparity when it comes to the presence of pharmacists in healthcare sectors. PURPOSE: This article aims to describe a method in which pharmaceutical care sectors in healthcare facilities can be upgraded. METHODS: This is a descriptive study supporting the upgrade of pharmaceutical care practiced in the surgery sector of a 500-bed mother-child university hospital center, the CHU Sainte-Justine. The pharmacy department employs more than 70 healthcare professionals. The study involved these proposed upgrading steps: firstly, a review of the literature; secondly, a description of the profile of the sector; thirdly, a description of the upgrading of pharmacist practice in surgery. RESULTS: A total of 137 articles were compiled, seven of which were selected to evaluate the impact and eight a description of the pharmacist's role in surgery. The authors did not identify any particular pharmaceutical activity based on very good quality data (A). However, there were five based on good quality data (B) and seven that lacked adequate proof (C, D) in relation to the practice of surgery. Nevertheless, a number of other authors described the development of the pharmacist's clinical role in surgery. CONCLUSION: There are few data on the impact of pharmacists in surgery. This descriptive study proposes a number of steps aimed at upgrading pharmaceutical care within a Quebec university hospital center.

Power Dynamics in Discussions of Contemporary Jungian Theory and Practice.

Groups of Jungian analysts, which included the present authors, met to discuss four key theoretical concepts, each of which was felt to have problematic aspects if used unquestioningly in contemporary practice. The concepts were: The Primitive, Inner and Outer Worlds, Contrasexuality and Participation Mystique. The discussions were informed by clinical material and specific papers chosen for their critical evaluation of the topic. Four recorded transcripts were made, with permission, for further consideration of the relationship between contemporary Jungian theory and practice using the research method of thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: Work of Analysis, Frames of Reference and Power Dynamics. The authors discuss the themes in relation to the overarching theme of power, understood as operating at conscious and unconscious levels. The artwork "Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View" by Cornelia Parker is used as a metaphor in discussing the dynamic of challenging foundational concepts. The authors suggest that power dynamics are intrinsic in both the difficulty and the benefits of critically evaluating key concepts, binding together the theoretical (what informs us) with the clinical (what we do in the consulting room) as well as blowing apart pre-conceived notions of what underpins the analyst's work.

Les auteurs de cet article ont fait partie de groupes d'analystes jungiens qui se sont rencontrés pour débattre de quatre concepts théoriques fondamentaux, chacun de ces concepts étant perçu comme problématique si on l'utilise dans la pratique contemporaine sans se poser de questions. Ces concepts sont : primitif, mondes intérieur et extérieur, contra­sexualité et participation mystique. Les discussions ont été nourries par du matériel clinique et par des articles spécialement choisis pour leur évaluation critique du sujet traité. Quatre transcriptions enregistrées furent faites, avec l'accord des personnes concernées, pour une étude plus approfondie de la relation entre la théorie et la pratique jungienne contemporaine, en s'appuyant sur la méthode de recherche de l'analyse thématique. Trois thèmes furent identifiés : le travail d'analyse, les cadres de référence, et les dynamiques de pouvoir. Les auteurs débattent de ces thèmes en les reliant avec le thème fondamental du pouvoir, perçu comme fonctionnant aux niveaux conscient et inconscient. L'œuvre de l'artiste Cornelia Parker « Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View ¼ est utilisée comme métaphore lorsqu'il est question de la dynamique de questionner des concepts fondamentaux. Les auteurs suggèrent que les dynamiques de pouvoir sont propres à la difficulté mais aussi aux bénéfices de cette remise en question, en reliant le théorique (ce qui nous informe) avec la clinique (ce que l'on fait dans la salle de consultation) et en faisant sauter les notions qui n'ont pas été questionnées, en ce qui concerne ce qui étaye le travail analytique.

Grupos de analistas Junguianos, los cuales incluyen a las presentes autoras, se reunieron para discutir cuatro conceptos teóricos fundamentales, cada uno de los cuales se consideraba que tenía aspectos problemáticos si se utilizaba sin cuestionamientos en la práctica contemporánea. Los conceptos eran: Primitivo, Mundos Interior y Exterior, Contrasexualidad y Participation Mystique. Los debates se basaron en material clínico y en artículos específicos elegidos para una evaluación crítica del tema. Se transcribieron con permiso cuatro grabaciones para un examen más detenido de la relación entre la teoría y la práctica junguiana contemporánea utilizando el método de investigación del análisis temático. Se identificaron tres temas: Trabajo Analítico, Marcos de Referencia y Dinámicas de Poder. Las autoras analizaron los temas en relación con el tema más amplio del poder, entendido como algo que opera a nivel consciente e inconsciente. La obra de arte "Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View", de Cornelia Parker, fue utilizada como metáfora para discutir acerca de la dinámica de cuestionar los conceptos fundamentales. Se sugiere que las dinámicas de poder son intrínsecas tanto a la dificultad como a los beneficios de hacer esta tarea, ligando lo teórico (lo que nos informa) con lo clínico (lo que hacemos en la consulta), así como a desarmar nociones incuestionadas de aquello que sustenta el trabajo analítico.

Critical evaluation of established risk prediction models for acute respiratory distress syndrome in adult patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To assess the performance of validated prediction models for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Eight databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, Sinomed, and VIP) were searched up to March 26, 2023. Studies developed and validated a prediction model for ARDS in adult patients were included. Items on study design, incidence, derivation methods, predictors, discrimination, and calibration were collected. The risk of bias was assessed by the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Models with a reported area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) metric were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 25 studies were retrieved, including 48 unique prediction models. Discrimination was reported in all studies, with AUC ranging from 0.701 to 0.95. Emerged AUC value of the logistic regression model was 0.837 (95% CI: 0.814 to 0.859). Besides, the value in the ICU group was 0.856 (95% CI: 0.812 to 0.899), the acute pancreatitis group was 0.863 (95% CI: 0.844 to 0.882), and the postoperation group was 0.835 (95% CI: 0.808 to 0.861). In total, 24 of the included studies had a high risk of bias, which was mostly due to the improper methods in predictor screening (13/24), model calibration assessment (9/24), and dichotomization of continuous predictors (6/24). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that most prediction models for ARDS are at high risk of bias, and the discrimination ability of the model is excellent. Adherence to standardized guidelines for model development is necessary to derive a prediction model of value to clinicians.

Nanoparticle entry into cells; the cell biology weak link.

Nanoparticles (NP) are attractive options for the therapeutic delivery of active pharmaceutical drugs, proteins and nucleic acids into cells, tissues and organs. Research into the development and application of NP most often starts with a diverse group of scientists, including chemists, bioengineers and material and pharmaceutical scientists, who design, fabricate and characterize NP in vitro (Stage 1). The next step (Stage 2) generally investigates cell toxicity as well as the processes by which NP bind, are internalized and deliver their cargo to appropriate model tissue culture cells. Subsequently, in Stage 3, selected NP are tested in animal systems, mostly mouse. Whereas the chemistry-based development and analysis in Stage 1 is increasingly sophisticated, the investigations in Stage 2 are not what could be regarded as 'state-of-the-art' for the cell biology field and the quality of research into NP interactions with cells is often sub-standard. In this review we describe our current understanding of the mechanisms by which particles gain entry into mammalian cells via endocytosis. We summarize the most important areas for concern, highlight some of the most common mis-conceptions, and identify areas where NP scientists could engage with trained cell biologists. Our survey of the different mechanisms of uptake into cells makes us suspect that claims for roles for caveolae, as well as macropinocytosis, in NP uptake into cells have been exaggerated, whereas phagocytosis has been under-appreciated.

A flexible e-learning resource promoting the critical reading of scientific papers for science undergraduates.

An important aim of undergraduate science education is to develop student skills in reading and evaluating research papers. We have designed, developed, and implemented an on-line interactive resource entitled "Evaluating Scientific Research literature" (ESRL) aimed at students from the first 2 years of the undergraduate program. In this article, we describe the resource, then use student data collected from questionnaire surveys to evaluate the resource within 2 years of its launch. Our results add to those reported previously and indicate that ESRL can enable students to start evaluating research articles when used during their undergraduate program. We conclude maximal learning is likely to occur when the resource can be embedded in the curriculum such that students have a clearly articulated context for the resource's activities, can see their relevance in relation to assessed assignments and can be encouraged to think deeply about the activities in conversation with one another and/or with staff. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):483-490, 2017.

Forming a belief: The contribution of comprehension to the evaluation and persuasive impact of argumentative text.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown substantial belief change as a result of reading text and the pervasive influence of prior belief in the evaluation of short arguments. Both outcomes have been attributed to the depth to which the text or the argument has been processed. This study brings together critical thinking and text comprehension research by employing an extended argumentative text and varying the quality of its arguments. AIM: The study examines the contribution of comprehension outcomes to the critical evaluation and persuasive impact of argumentative text. SAMPLE: One hundred and sixteen first-year graduate and third- and fourth-year undergraduate university students. METHOD: Measures of initial topic-related beliefs, perceived topic knowledge, and need for cognition were obtained. Students read one of two versions of a two-sided, implicitly persuasive argumentative text (677 words) varying in argument quality. Post-reading tasks included main claim recall, overall recall, inference generation, claim agreement, and text evaluation. RESULTS: The text was positively evaluated and highly persuasive regardless of argument quality, but half of the students either failed to identify the main claim promoted or confused it with individual arguments. Despite a modest but positive association between inference generation and text evaluation, no comprehension measure had a significant main or interactive effect. Need for cognition contributed to positive evaluations in the absence of prior topic knowledge regardless of argument quality. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a dissociation between the elaboration associated with deep comprehension and the elaboration associated with critical evaluation with implications for belief formation and the teaching of thinking.

How to find and how to read articles in neonatology.

Staying abreast of the neonatal literature is an important task. Being aware of new information and knowing how to evaluate its reliability remain essential to be able to provide the most appropriate, evidence-based, therapy to our patients. This article discusses methods for being informed of, and critically reviewing, published research in order to fulfill these tasks without being overwhelmed by the number or complexity of publications.

Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Pharmacy Students.

Objective. To create, implement, and evaluate a workshop that teaches undergraduate pharmacy students about entrepreneurship. Design. Workshops with 3 hours of contact time and 2 hours of self-study time were developed for final-year students. Faculty members and students evaluated peer assessment, peer development, communication, critical evaluation, creative thinking, problem solving, and numeracy skills, as well as topic understanding. Student evaluation of the workshops was done primarily via a self-administered, 9-item questionnaire. Assessment. One hundred thirty-four students completed the workshops. The mean score was 50.9 out of 65. Scores ranged from 45.9 to 54.1. The questionnaire had a 100% response rate. Many students agreed that workshops about entrepreneurship were a useful teaching method and that key skills were fostered. Conclusion. Workshops effectively delivered course content about entrepreneurship and helped develop relevant skills. This work suggests students value instruction on entrepreneurship.

Implementation of post treatment critical evaluation improved the quality of orthodontic care in postgraduate orthodontic clinic: A 10 years comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of post- treatment critical evaluation on the quality of orthodontic care in a postgraduate orthodontic clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthodontic treatment outcome of 109 consecutively treated cases was evaluated in Phase-I evaluation. Following Phase-I evaluation, PTCE of each case was made mandatory. After 6-years of implementation of compulsory PTCE for each case, orthodontic treatment outcome of all consecutively treated cases (n = 126) was evaluated (Phase-II). The treatment outcome was evaluated by American Board of Orthodontics Model Grading System (ABO MGS) and Subjective evaluation (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS). RESULTS: Based on the ABO scores, the cases were divided into three grades, that is, Grade-I, Grade-II, and Grade-III. The mean total ABO score was improved significantly in Phase-II evaluation (P < 0.01). The total number of cases in ABO Grade-II were increased significantly (P < 0.01) whereas cases in ABO Grade-I remained comparable. The VAS score was improved from 5.66 ± 0.77 at Phase-I to 6.02 ± 0.99 at Phase-II evaluation (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The implementation of PTCE significantly improved the quality of orthodontic care in a postgraduate orthodontic clinic. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Grading one's own treatment improves the quality of future treatment.

The time for an updated Canadian Food Guide has arrived.

Canada has published food guides since 1942 and the latest version, Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (EWCFG), was released in 2007. The EWCFG is largely based on meeting nutrient requirements, while we are now in need of a food guide with strong guidance on the role of diet in the prevention of chronic diseases. This article systematically analyses the process and assumptions behind the EWCFG and presents suggestions for needed revisions to the next food guide.

Using debate to teach pharmacy students about ethical issues.

OBJECTIVE: To create, implement, and evaluate debate as a method of teaching pharmacy undergraduate students about ethical issues. DESIGN: Debate workshops with 5 hours of contact with student peers and facilitators and 5 hours of self-study were developed for second-year pharmacy students. Student development of various skills and understanding of the topic were assessed by staff members and student peers. ASSESSMENT: One hundred fifty students completed the workshops. The mean score for debating was 25.9 out of 30, with scores ranging from 23.2 to 28.7. Seventy percent of students agreed that the debates were a useful teaching method in the degree program. CONCLUSION: A series of workshops using debates effectively delivered course content on ethical issues and resulted in pharmacy students developing skills such as teamwork, peer assessment, communication, and critical evaluation. These findings suggest that pharmacy students respond favorably to a program using debates as a teaching tool.

Odontología Basada en la Evidencia: Paradigma del Siglo XXI

La odontología basada en la evidencia, derivada de los principios y metodología de la medicina basada en pruebas, constituye un novedoso enfoque de atención mediante el cual se integra de manera juiciosa toda la información disponible, clínicamente relevante, a la experiencia del profesional, con el propósito de ofrecerle al paciente las mejores opciones para resolver su problema de salud, tomando además en consideración sus necesidades y preferencias. La evidencia se jerarquiza, en el marco de la epidemiología clínica, de acuerdo al diseño de investigación que la originó y, en este sentido, las revisiones sistemáticas y los meta-análisis, por ejemplo, generan un mayor grado de confiabilidad debido a que reúnen e interpretan de forma coherente los resultados de pruebas clínicas controladas aleatorizadas. El conocimiento de esta valiosa herramienta puede contribuir al logro de la efectividad en el ámbito de las organizaciones de salud al combinar el uso racional de los recursos, los criterios de calidad y la búsqueda de la satisfacción del paciente.

The evidence based dentistry, derived from the principles and methodology of the evidence based medicine, it constitutes a new approach of the attention by means of which it is possible to integrate of judicious way all the information available, clinically relevant, to the experience of the professional, with the purpose to offer to the patient the best options to solve its problem of health, considering the patient’s needs and preferences. The evidence is hierarchized, within the framework of the clinical epidemiology, according to the design of investigation that originated it, and in this sense the systematic reviews and the meta-analysis, for example, generate a greater degree of trustworthiness because they reunite and interpret of coherent form the results of randomized controlled trials. The knowledge of this valuable tool can contribute to the profit of the effectiveness in the domain of the health’s organizations when combining the rational use of resources, the criterions of quality and the search of the patient’s satisfaction.

A experiência psicanalítica: seus desafios e vicissitudes, hoje e amanhã

Depois de descrever brevemente os pólos estruturantes da experiência humana em geral e os elementos essenciais que definem a experiência psicanalítica, discute-se o modo como Freud avaliou criticamente a psicanálise enquanto método terapêutico no decurso da evolução de sua teoria psicanalítica e, por fim, à guisa de uma breve conclusão, coloca-se a psicanálise diante dos desafios com os quais ela se defronta hoje e se confrontará amanhã

Psychoanalytical experience: its changes and challenges, today and tomorrow. After briefly describing the structuring poles from the general human experience and the essential elements that define the psychoanalytical experience, the author discusses the way as Freud critically evaluated the psychoanalysis as a therapeutic method in evolution course in his psychoanalytical theory and, finally, in a mode of a brief conclusion, puts psychoanalysis in front of the challenges that it faces today and will confront tomorrow.

Percepção da aplicabilidade da Medicina Baseada em Evidência / Perception of Evidence-Based Medicine applicability

Na década de 90, surgiu o conceito de Medicina Baseada em Evidências (MBE), ciência baseada na lógica e no conhecimento científico, integrado à experiência prática do médico. Para ser aplicada, são necessários a atualização médico-acadêmica e o aperfeiçoamento das técnicas de procura e leitura crítica de artigos científicos. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a percepção de discentes do curso de medicina e de médicos quanto ao conhecimento, aceitabilidade e aplicabilidade da MBE, avaliando os meios utilizados para atualização médico-acadêmica e para a tomada de decisões clínicas, bem como a necessidade de elaboração de roteiros de busca e uso de informações científicas. Aplicou-se questionário contendo 11 perguntas, respondidas individual e voluntariamente por 200 acadêmicos de Medicina e 120 médicos. Verificou-se que 71,7% dos médicos e 62,4% dos acadêmicos entrevistados concordam com a utilização da MBE na prática clínica; 29,2% dos médicos e 30,9% dos alunos reconhecem dificuldades de aplicabilidade da mesma; a internet mostrou ser o principal meio utilizado para atualização médico-acadêmica (80,8% dos médicos e 80,6% dos discentes). Os achados permitem concluir que, apesar de difundidos o conceito e a concordância com a MBE, sua aplicabilidade ainda esbarra em algumas dificuldades e limitações, o que nos permite inferir que a elaboração e divulgação de roteiros podem auxiliar na construção da pergunta clínica básica e aplicação de informações científicas.

In the 90's, the concept of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) arose, a science based on logic and scientific knowledge, integrated to the practical experience of the physician. To be put into practice, medical-academic update and na improvement of the techniques of search and critical reading of scientific articles are necessary. The aim of this study was to verify the perception of Medicine graduation course students and physicians about the knowledge, acceptability and aplicability of EBM, evaluating the means used to medical-academic update and to make clinical decisions, as well as the necessity of elaboration of search scripts and scientific information use. A questionaire of 11 questions was answered individually and voluntarily by 200 Medicine graduation course students and 120 physicians. It was verified that 71,7% of the physicians and 62,4% of the students interviewed agree with the use of EBM in clinical practice; 29,2% of the physicians and 30,9 % of the students admit difficulties in its applicability; Internet has been shown as the main mean for medical-academic update (80,8% the physicians and 80,6% of the students. The findings allow us to conclude that, although the concept and agreement with EBM are diffused, its applicability still colides with some difficulties and limitations, what allow us to infer that the elaboration and the publishment of scripts can assist in the basic clinical question construction and in the scientific informations application.