Claims based on observational studies that a treatment has certain effects are often met with counterclaims asserting that the treatment is entirely without effect, that all associations with treatment are produced by biased treatment assignment. Some counterclaims undermine themselves in the following specific sense: presuming the counterclaim to be true may strengthen the support that the ori...

The (so-called) pharmaceutical safety system is struggling. Part of the problem is failure to define the complexity of the system and design processes which are evidenced based and both adaptable and flexible for those who work in them. The size of the challenge is huge and global. This is why ACRES (Alliance Clinical Research Excellence and Safety) was established as a not-for-profit internati...

For centuries, the wisdom of the West of investing in basic science and technology led to its dominance in world politics and economics. Today, this wisdom is being put aside: fundamental research is losing its appeal to funding agencies and as a professional asset for job hunters. This state of affairs could exacerbate a dearth of innovations and lead to a transition of the "haves" into the "h...

Fundamental observations about nature sometimes take a circuitous and utterly unpredictable course from bright idea to demonstrably practical impact. The tale of how Carl Woese's basic insights about microbial diversity eventually contributed to the emergence of a new field of science with numerous potential applications is just such a story.

background: the increased concern for accountability and quality improvement is inducing universities throughout the world to evaluate and control performance. hence, this study was conducted to assess basic science department of sabzevar medical school to improve the quality of the department. methods: this study is a descriptive cross sectional study. we asked faculty members, managers, inter...