Capacity building in health research generally, and helminthiasis research particularly, is pivotal to the implementation of the research and development agenda for the control and elimination of human helminthiases that has been proposed thematically in the preceding reviews of this collection. Since helminth infections affect human populations particularly in marginalised and low-income regions of the world, they belong to the group of poverty-related infectious diseases, and their alleviation through research, policy, and practice is a sine qua non condition for the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Current efforts supporting research capacity building specifically for the control of helminthiases have been devised and funded, almost in their entirety, by international donor agencies, major funding bodies, and academic institutions from the developed world, contributing to the creation of  North–South “partnerships”. There is an urgent need to shift this paradigm in disease-endemic countries (DECs) by refocusing political will, and harnessing unshakeable commitment by the countries' governments, towards health research and capacity building policies to ensure long-term investment in combating and sustaining the control and eventual elimination of infectious diseases of poverty. The Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4), established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. This paper discusses the challenges confronting capacity building for parasitic disease research in DECs, describes current capacity building strategies with particular reference to neglected tropical diseases and human helminthiases, and outlines recommendations to redress the balance of alliances and partnerships for health research between the developed countries of the “North” and the developing countries of the “South”. We argue that investing in South–South collaborative research policies and capacity is as important as their North–South counterparts and is essential for scaled-up and improved control of helminthic diseases and ultimately for regional elimination. During their deliberations, and in the previous reports of this collection Building research capacity is a long-term process that requires a systemic and inter-sectoral approach to developing appropriate regulatory frameworks , building and maintaining physical infrastructure, and investing in human resources, equipment, and training in an environment conducive to research commitment and institutional support Inter-country differences are mainly due to major investments that have been made by the developed world towards research and development (R&D) activities, especially in the proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) that the countries' governments are willing to invest in research for an expected return. In some developed countries, long-term investment has resulted in extensive infrastructure, existence of national expertise and national and international academic prestige, a tradition in research funding, and a more expeditious path between basic and clinical, translational research and its implementation into public health policy and practice. Investments in research and innovative technologies have tremendously improved health in the developed world because of these countries' clear health research policies, including the setting up of priorities at institutional, national, and regional levels. The readily available and opportune deployment of such resources has led to rapid advances in controlling infectious agents that have epidemic potential. However, in the developing world, and especially in most African countries, adequate investments by most DECs in research capacity building to support prevention, control, and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty are insufficient. In addition to the paucity of highly trained researchers, there is a considerable brain drain of the already scarce numbers of trained professionals, fragmentation of research with much duplication of efforts, and a lack of focus on distinct national needs. According to Chauhan The purpose of this review is to examine the level of capacity building in DECs, highlight some of the challenges that hinder the development of health research capacity with particular reference to poverty-related infectious diseases, summarise (not exhaustively) available research capacity building initiatives and policies and their implications for helminthiasis research and control, and provide recommendations for improvement of research capacity building towards the control and elimination of human helminthiases. ACBF, African Capacity Building FoundationAPOC, African Programme for Onchocerciasis ControlAusAID, Australian Agency for International DevelopmentBioMalPar, Biology and Pathology of Malaria Parasite NetworkB&MGF, Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationCAPES, Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate EducationCDTI, Community-Directed Treatment with IvermectinCGMRC, Centre of Geographical Medicine Research CoastCNPq, National Research Council of BrazilCSRS, Swiss Centre for Scientific Research, Côte d'IvoireDBL, Danish Bilaharziasis Laboratory-Institute for Health Research and DevelopmentDEC, disease-endemic countryDFID, Department for International Development, United KingdomDIMACS/MBI, Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science/US–African Biomathematics InitiativeDRG4, Disease Reference Group on Helminth InfectionsEFINTD, European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical DiseasesFIOCRUZ, Oswaldo Cruz FoundationGDP, gross domestic productHKI, Helen Keller InternationalICEMR, International Center of Excellence for Malaria ResearchIDRC, International Development Research Centre, CanadaIRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, FranceJAF, Joint Action Forum (APOC)JICA, Japan International Cooperation AgencyKEMRI, Kenya Medical Research InstituteKFPE, Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries, SwitzerlandKNUST, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaMDG, Millennium Development GoalM&E, monitoring and evaluationMRC, Medical Research Council, United KingdomNGDO, non-governmental development organisationNTD, neglected tropical diseaseOCP, Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West AfricaPDP, product development partnershipRAPLOA, rapid assessment procedure for loiasisR&D, research and developmentREA, rapid epidemiological assessmentREMO, rapid epidemiological mapping of onchocerciasisRNSA, Regional Network for Schistosomiasis in AfricaRNAS+, Regional Network for Asian Schistosomiasis and other Zoonotic HelminthsSCI, Schistosomiasis Control InitiativeSCORE, Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and EvaluationSPHD, Section of Parasitology, Health and Development (of former DBL)STH, soil-transmitted helminthiasisSwiss TPH, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteTB, tuberculosisTDR, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical DiseasesTWAS, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing WorldUNICEF, United Nations Children's Fund UNDP, United Nations Development ProgrammeUSAID, United States Agency for International DevelopmentVBD, vector-borne diseaseWHO, World Health OrganizationThere is great disparity in research capacity for parasitic diseases between the developed countries of the North and the developing countries of the South as well as among, and within, the latter. Inequalities in health research§ contribute to inequalities in health and ultimately wealth. These inequalities are even more pronounced in the case of infectious diseases of poverty and helminthiasesThere have been a number of high-level meetings on research for health in disease-endemic countries (DECs)‡, with the Bamako Call to Action 2008 concluding that to remedy the above, a greater proportion of the countries' GDP should be invested in science and technology and at least 2% of the ministries of health's budgets should be invested in research and research capacityThose countries of the South  that have invested substantially in biomedical research and research and development (R&D) have greatly increased their scientific output, halted or reversed brain drain, and excelled at product development partnerships and innovation Capacity building is a long-term, systemic, and inter-sectoral process, of which training of scientists is only a component. A more comprehensive approach requires physical infrastructure, appropriate equipment, conducive research environment, regulatory frameworks including the establishment of ethical review boards, attractive pay and working conditions, and substantial government support, including a competitive national research funding agency and monetary investmentThere are a number of international initiatives aiming to strengthen capacity building and establish interdisciplinary and multinational teams addressing infectious diseases of poverty in general and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and helminthiases in particular. Nearly all are funded by industrialised nations, accentuating North–South alignment. Although these initiatives are very welcome, they remain somewhat unbalanced§An umbrella term referring in this paper to research in biomedical, public health, social science, and environmental (among others) disciplines related to human health.‡In the context of this paper, DECs are countries endemic for poverty-related infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and emerging, zoonotic, and neglected tropical diseases.Research must focus on national priorities and high disease burden conditions in DECs, with emphasis on evaluating interventions that aim to strengthen research capacity and health systems, and activities that translate knowledge into action and benefits to the local population To achieve the MDGs, several recent high-level meetings on research capacity and policy have called for action on health research  interest for potential support, be transparent and conduct open competitions for the best projects, scientifically and in terms of potential impact, have the possibility for a level of sustainability, integrate research and training, and help leverage external funding to support the national and regional efforts in research and training.It is evident that more interaction among nations with similar health problems and common infectious diseases is essential to facilitate exchange of experiences as well as training of individuals to help achieve the MDGs. This requires a great deal of investment from both international and national funding bodies to develop the facilities and the capabilities of scientists who can drive research aimed at developing more effective tools and strategies to fight infectious diseases of poverty. Improving prevention and control strategies for NTDs will result in poverty alleviation and consequent achievement of the MDGs. However, this will require a sincere commitment, a governmental political resolve, and competitive and transparent mechanisms to use health research as a driver towards sustainable human resource development, economic growth, and poverty reduction. Collaborative research is surely one of the best means for strengthening such research capacity, and in general, it has been the case that scientists in DECs welcome collaboration with the more industrialised nations of the North as a vehicle for overcoming barriers to conducting research, obtaining training and funding, and promoting the exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, scientists of DECs seem less enthusiastic about collaboration between countries within their own continents and regions http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/grants/calls/grants-dec-investigators-2010). More recently, in 2010, the TDR has sponsored research and training exchanges between African scientists from Niger, Nigeria, and Uganda and the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Shanghai regarding schistosomiasis control. This has resulted in a fruitful South–South connection between two previously separate TDR-supported networks in schistosomiasis, namely, the Regional Network for Asian Schistosomiasis and other Zoonotic Helminths  and the Regional Network for Schistosomiasis in Africa . Through this newly cemented collaboration, the two networks can learn from one another to build their capacity and expertise (http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/documents/tdrnews86.pdf). Another significant step in the right direction is the proposed relocation to Africa of the TDR-supported Initiative to Strengthen Health Research Capacity in Africa (ISHReCA), at present based at TDR/WHO in Geneva, and sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, among other funders (http://ishreca.org/).It is also true that most efforts towards health research and NTD capacity building in DECs have been made with the impulse of institutions based in industrialised countries. One of the major international organisations that has played an important role in building research capacity is the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), based at the World Health Organization (WHO). The TDR has over the past 30 years sponsored the training of graduates from DECs at both master's and doctorate levels, notwithstanding specialist technological training, and further support (in the form of re-entry grants) to return to their own countries and establish productive research. The emphasis is on developing the research, management, and leadership capacities of DEC scientists and fostering research environments for long-term sustainability, quality processes, and strategic partnerships (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2009/WTX055742.htm). This is in addition to longer-established African-based programmes such as the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme at the Centre of Geographical Medicine Research Coast (CGMRC), in Kilifi, Kenya (http://www.kemri-wellcome.org/). There are many other such programmes, and http://www.acbf-pact.org/).In 2009, the Wellcome Trust funded the African Institutions Initiative, aiming to develop institutional capacity to support and conduct health-related research vital to enhancing people's health, lives, and livelihoods through the formation of seven new international and pan-African consortia , with eahttp://www.cnpq.br). This scheme funds meetings, research, and seed money to evaluate potential on collaborative efforts. In partnership with the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World , an autonomous international organisation based in Italy that promotes scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South, CNPq also supports students from African countries to be trained in Brazil at post-graduate and post-doctoral levels. Furthermore, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), with support from the Brazilian government, recently established an initiative with the Mozambican National Institute of Health to create a master's programme in health sciences, with the goal of providing qualified human resources for health research and innovation for Mozambique Regarding South–South initiatives, Brazil has, since 2008, supported collaboration and training of African scientists through the Pro-Africa Program for Thematic Cooperation in Science and Technology of the National Research Council  incur very low national investments in research in general, and have a low productivity in science and technology Establishing and nurturing collaborations in research is undoubtedly one of the best vehicles for building and strengthening research capacity in DECs, and emphasis should be placed on long-term partnerships. Efforts to incorporate as co-workers multinational members of interdisciplinary teams can be of immense value, which should be encouraged and cultivated http://www.worldbank.org/); the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ; the Carter Center (http://www.cartercenter.org/index.html); Fogarty International Center (http://www.fic.nih.gov/); GlaxoSmithKline (http://www.gsk.com/); Helen Keller International ; the Japan International Cooperation Agency . The challenge is how to ensure that low-income countries create a stable demand for sustainable control, anthelmintic distribution, and the research that supports these activities. In responding to this demand, it is crucial that there is an appropriate supply of trained personnel at various levels, and that the countries are able to raise adequate resources to complement or eventually replace what is already received from external sources, thus sustaining the success of control and elimination efforts made once donor fatigue occurs, or donor funding is diverted somewhere else. An excellent example of such a transition from external donor funding to internal, DEC funding is the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). APOC is funded entirely from voluntary contributions channeled through the APOC Trust Fund, and has fostered North–South, North–South–South, and South–South partnerships  such as the World Bank ; it manages the APOC Trust Fund and reports annually to the Joint Action Forum (JAF) on the financial situation of APOC. Community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) activities are funded through three mechanisms: trust funds available through APOC, contributions from the national governments of APOC countries, and funds from non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs). To extend APOC activities until 2015, US$60 million were raised during the JAF meeting in Brussels in December 2007, when in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the donation of Mectizan (ivermectin), the manufacturer and donor of the drug, Merck & Co., Inc., also became a financial donor of APOC.http://www.who.int/apoc/about/funding/en/index.html).Over 80% of funds are spent on technical and operational activities in endemic countries. Simulium yahense, which have led to the elimination of this vector species on the Bioko island of Equatorial Guinea Not only are the treatment activities of CDTI financed through this mechanism, but also APOC provides funds to encourage operations research and enable evaluation of its impact by multidisciplinary and international teams with a strong cadre of African scientists. Examples are the studies for the feasibility of elimination through insecticidal larviciding of the Bioko form of APOC is an example of North–South support being extended to South–South cooperation. APOC and TDR have supported relevant operations research in the areas of rapid epidemiological mapping of onchocerciasis (REMO), rapid epidemiological assessment (REA) of onchocerciasis, rapid assessment procedure for loiasis (RAPLOA), and CDTI as a community-empowering strategy. All this has contributed significantly to improved capability and increased number of researchers in onchocerciasis-endemic countries of Africa. APOC has supported research in the onchocerciasis-endemic countries either financially  or by maThe successes achieved by control programmes, like the former Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP), the current APOC, and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), have been partly realised because of the fundamental and operations research carried out within the umbrella of the programmes activities In many DECs, scientists and/or lecturers from research institutions and universities work mainly as individuals rather than as teams. This leaves the new entrant, the young scientist/lecturer, in a place where there is little or no guidance, direction, or an environment that will facilitate his/her career development and progression. Moreover, facilities and inputs for scientific research available to the young scientist are limited. To facilitate research capacity in DECs, there is a need for senior scientists/faculty staff members at higher levels to mentor junior researchers. Having a mentor with expertise, peer esteem, and networking skills provides an invaluable triad function: guidance and direction for the development of a career pathway; research facilities, laboratories, and group support for practical experience; and access to a network of contacts for projection in the national and international arenas. Mentors and role models provide not only exposure to robust and demanding academic and research environments and a vision of what is expected and possible to achieve, but also opportunities to participate and present in international conferences, and obtain feedback on research dissemination activities, manuscripts, oral presentations, and grant preparation. The introduction of the junior fellowships by the European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTDs)  is a stehttp://www.biomedcentral.com/developingcountries/events/openaccessafrica). However, a considerable amount of investment by higher education and research institutions is needed to maintain the necessary funding for electronic journals, digitised archives, bibliographic databases, and printed literature that are not easily available in DECs. Furthermore, fast and reliable Internet access is sometimes lacking in DECs, which in turn limits the access of researchers in those countries to open-access information via the Internet. For a compilation of web-based bibliography databases of epidemiology, parasitology, and tropical medicine resources from the Spanish-speaking Latin America and Caribbean regions, see http://www.cambridgetrusts.org/partners/capes-brazil.html).Strict open-access publication policies, subsidies by the research funders of wealthier nations, and the growth of prestigious and high impact open-access journals  have ameliorated the access of scientists in DECs to high quality and updated peer-reviewed research. In particular, BioMed Central has recently launched “Open Access Africa”, a collection of initiatives designed to increase the output and visibility of scientific research published by African learning institutes. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, is the first African Foundation Member to participate in BioMed Central's free membership scheme , bioinformatics, and computational biology that can, in the medium and long term, have a major impact on disease control or elimination http://www.finlay.sld.cu/english/eindex.htm), and was recently licensed to GlaxoSmithKline The path forward is not impossible, however. Some DECs in South America, the Caribbean, and the African regions, despite similar challenges, have been able to develop adequate research capacity. For example, Brazil, Cuba, and South Africa have made major technological advancements in the field of functional genomics, bioinformatics, and vaccine development. Notably, the scientific output and impact of these countries' researchers have increased internationally, and consequently the brain drain has been reduced or halted A further challenge hampering the effective development of research capacity building is the lack of application of the same rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices to capacity building work that are implemented in other areas, with most activities lacking standard quality assurance processes at the design stage, and not being routinely tracked, monitored, and evaluated Given the lack of political will and financial commitment by most DECs to support research capacity building, the role of global and regional efforts has become crucial in supporting and sustaining the control of helminth infections. These efforts include various established research partnerships between the developed countries and the developing nations. Establishing these North–South partnerships in the form of consortia, networks, and collaborations between research institutions has made valuable contributions to research capacity and should be encouraged, although this requires significant financial investments For such partnerships to work effectively, they should include major players such as local research institutions, universities, and researchers on infectious diseases of poverty, managers of control programmes, and policy-makers. They should also provide a forum for an active involvement of the DECs and their scientists to ensure that the priority needs of these countries, as well as the training of local human resources, are met. For a more comprehensive account of “desirables” in establishing “win-win” partnerships between the North and the South, readers are referred to the “11 Principles for Research in Partnership with Developing Countries” prepared and published by the Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) Malaria research initiatives are good examples of such integrated successes. Although it is a large and highly competitive field, a number of networks exist to foster collaboration, communication, and interactions not only amongst international members, but also among local members. An example is the Biology and Pathology of Malaria Parasite , a network of excellence funded by the European Commission, which has been successful in establishing and strengthening malaria communities and laboratories in both Europe and malaria-endemic countries In addition to these North–South partnerships, research capacity building can be reinforced by facilitating and providing more opportunities for South–South collaborations http://ec.europa.eu/health/programme/funding_schemes/index_en.htm); the training and capacity building programmes of the Section for Parasitology, Health and Development  of the former Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory , and of the former Swiss Tropical Institute ] in Basel, http://www.swisstph.ch/); the US Agency for International Development , and in particular the USAID's Neglected Tropical Disease Program (http://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/index.html); the Neglected and Other Infectious Diseases Program of the B&MGF (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/topics/Pages/neglected-diseases.aspx); the New York-based Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (http://www.fordifp.net/); the International Development Research Centre of Canada ; AusAID (http://www.ausaid.gov.au/) in Australia; the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement  in France; the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom ; the Wellcome Trust (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/), and the Medical Research Council  also in the UK, as well as other foundations, initiatives, and programmes , bioinformatics, and computational biologyDetection and monitoring of resistance to anti-parasitic and anti-vectorial measuresOptimisation of existing, and development of novel diagnostics, drugs, and vaccinesEconomic evaluation of the health impact of helminthiases and of deployed interventions for cost-effectiveness analysis of control programmesIn order to increase DEC research output, gain external visibility, and improve success rates in obtaining studentships, fellowships, and research awards in an increasingly competitive environment, capacity building strategies should include formal training in paper-writing, oral presentation skills, and grantsmanshipMonitoring and evaluation (M&E) instruments should be devised and deployed to assess the effectiveness of research capacity building strategies in the same rigorous way they are applied to quantify the impact of control interventions. This would provide evidence-based arguments for the continuation and improvement of capacity buildingFigure S1Concept and Strategy of the Hashimoto Initiative for Global Parasite Control. WB: World Bank; WHO: World Health Organization; MFA: Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs; MHW: Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare; JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency; G8: The Group of Eight ; NMIMR: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research; WACIPAC: West Africa Centre for International Parasite Control; KEMRI: Kenya Medical Research Institute; ESACIPAC: Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control; ACIPAC: Asian Centre of International Parasite Control (adapted from reference (PDF)Click here for additional data file.Table S1Examples of Current Research Capacity Building Initiatives in the Area of Health Research, Helminthiases, and other Infectious Diseases of Poverty with Particular Reference to Africa.(PDF)Click here for additional data file.Text S1Examples of North–South and South–South Research and Capacity Building Initiatives in Helminthiases and other Infectious Diseases of Poverty.(PDF)Click here for additional data file.


Toward a New Psychiatry: Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Classification, Diagnosis and Care' http://www.biomedcentral.com/series/newpsychiatry.This Editorial introduces the thematic series on ' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association, which upon release in spring of 2013, is hoped to instantiate greater consistency, and improve the ways that psychiatric disorders are classified and diagnosed [In the main, medicine has progressed substantially in recent years due to technological advances that have arguably enhanced methods to analyse research data, improved diagnostic techniques, and enabled more effective therapeutics. Such advancements are also being employed increasingly in psychiatry; in particular, progress in neuroimaging and other neurophysiological techniques, developments in behavioural sciences and psychotherapies, and developments in psychiatric genetics have all contributed to knowledge of mental illnesses. However, we must ask if, and in what ways these developments actually have affected the science, practice and clinical value of psychiatry. In addition, psychiatry is also confronting increasing diversity in socio-cultural values, norms and perspectives. The constructs of normality and abnormality, mental health and disorder, and the need for varying types of preventive and therapeutic interventions are undergoing iterative change. In part, this is reflected in, and influenced by the fifth edition of the Such re-assessment and revision will be important as worldwide social changes prompt new challenges and opportunities in psychiatric research and practice: international ethnic, religious and political beliefs and behaviours are becoming evermore prevalent, and the field is gaining prominence in non-western nations such as Japan, China and India. These changes necessitate reflection and insight in the philosophical and scientific bases of the profession, the ethical, legal, and social implications, as well as questions and problems that may be incurred through its articulation. Namely, how will - and perhaps should - advances in neuroscience, neurotechnology and genetics alter studies, concepts and the practise of psychiatry? In what ways might the DSM-5 affect the practical, ethical and legal aspects of the field, and its role in society? How might psychiatric diagnostic and therapeutic practices be best suited to meet the contingencies of non-Western societies? What specific constructs, paradigms, tools and techniques might shape and define this future path?Toward a New Psychiatry: Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Classification, Diagnosis and Care', addresses these questions, concepts, problems and possible solutions from multi-disciplinary perspectives. The issue begins with a paper by Shadia Kawa and James Giordano that presents the historiography of the DSM and posits the implications of both the history of the DSM, and the potential of the DSM-5 to affect the current and future canon and practice(s) of psychiatry [This thematic issue, 'ychiatry . James Pychiatry . In respychiatry .The use, utility and real value of the psychopharmacological (vs psychotherapeutic) approach to depression is addressed in a point-counterpoint dialectic provided by John Ioannidis, and John M Davis and colleagues, which then raises important questions about the actual nature of psychiatric disorder ,6. IndeeAs a result of advancements in the neurosciences, studies of brain-behaviour relationships have increasingly become part of the psychiatric literature, as evidenced by the application of neuroimaging tools, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). But neurotechnological approaches, while important, are not without limitations, and like any tool, must be used in ways that are technically correct, ethically sound, and effective in practise. Kristina M Visscher and Daniel H Weissman argue that advances in cognitive neuroscience research can be facilitated by greater sharing of raw fMRI data between researchers, thereby allowing effective comparison, syntheses and validation of research-based information that can be translated into more meaningful clinical diagnostics and therapeutics . StudiesWhile striving to define notions of technical rectitude, and individual and social good are crucial to the practise of any form of medicine, we must ask what new developments in the neurosciences, and changes in society portend for the future of psychiatry, and its place in contemporary cultures? Jennifer H Radden explicitly deals with such issues in her examination of patient rights, the nature, values and varied needs of mental health consumers, and the ways that reconstructive cultural semantics may influence clinical, ontological and socio-legal distinctions relative and relevant to psychiatric care . ExplicaPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine). Submissions addressing these themes are invited to the following journals for inclusion: BMC Medicine; BMC Neurology; Genome Medicine BMC Psychiatry; BMC Neuroscience; and Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine.The ideas and opinions detailed in these papers represent insights to the ways that changing conceptualisations of mental function, health, disorder and illness inform and direct the current and future practices of psychiatric research and treatment. We aim to continue to publish important articles which address these issues, and invite you to submit your manuscript to this cross-journal, thematic series , will be explored further in a two-day conference: BMC Medicine at BioMed Central. Jigisha Patel is the Medical Editor for BMC-series journals at BioMed Central. James Giordano is the Editor-in-Chief for Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine.Sabina Alam is the Editor of


To address the issue on Person Centered Health Professional Education, members of the Board of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine (ICPCM) and participants of the First International Congress of the ICPCM met during the Congress in Zagreb, Croatia on November 8th, 2013.We, participants in the First International Congress of Person-centered Medicine and the Board of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine, call for action to promote person-centered health for all through transformative educational concepts, programs and actions.Person Centered Medicine seeks to place the whole person in context at the center and as the goal of clinical practice and public health. It articulates science and humanism to achieve health care actions that are ethical, holistic, culturally sensitive, relationally attentive, individualized and seek common ground for joint diagnostic understanding and shared decision-making for prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and health promotion. It also endeavors for people-centered development of health services and public health policies, all supported by person-centered education, training and research.In order to advance person-centered medicine and health through educational efforts, we derive strength, inspiration and guidance from the many international bodies that regularly participate in our discussions, among them the World Federation for Medical Education, the International Association of Medical Colleges, and academic institutions from across the world. We also draw information and documentation from the proceedings of relevant events such as the the Geneva Conferences and International Congresses of Person-centered Medicine as well as from pertinent publications such as the International Journal of Person Centered Medicine.Person-centered educational efforts need to be attentive to the different aspects and levels of the educational domain, including conceptual bases, institutional organization and culture, selection and development of health professional students, instructors and mentors, interactional mechanisms among students, teachers, patients and families, educational settings, curriculum development and evaluation, educational methods, and broader issues on education, health and society.We therefore propose the following educational and related actions:1. Enhancement of the conceptual bases of professional training and public education by grounding them in ethics and human rights, knowledge of the bio-psycho-socio-cultural determinants of ill health and positive health, attention to personal values and preferences, and the flourishing of well-being and life projects.2. Analysis and optimization of the organization and culture of educational institutions to be supportive of person-centered health for and with students, faculty and administrative colleagues.3. Selection of students who are suited to the goals and responsibilities required of health professionals and commitment to their personal development in addition to their broad technical training.4. Selection of instructors and mentors who are suited to their educational responsibilities and commitment to their continuing professional and personal development.5. Facilitation of dynamic interactions among students, instructors, patients and families by ensuring opportunities for dialogue at all levels, promoting inter-disciplinary training, and engaging patients as instructors.6. Promoting curricular developments that have person-centered guiding principles, that include curricular experiments and mechanisms for their evaluation, that consider a balance between concentrated blocs and longitudinal integration for the achievement of educational objectives, and that incorporate the continuum of health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.7. Exploring the design, implementation and evaluation of person-centered educational methods such as experiential and reflexive learning, communicational exercises, training groups with patients and families, shadowing mentors, employing video recordings for feedback purposes, community visits and practice, utilization of narratives, practice of artistic activities, motivational interviewing, establishing common ground among clinicians, patients and families for diagnosis and care, articulation of competence- and performance-training, and ability to work with patients from different cultures and social conditions in a respectful and collaborative manner.8. Promoting health in individual patients and in society by active education of patients, addressing broad issues on determinants of health and the impact of cultural, religious and social factors on health and health care, identifying and reducing health hazards in the environment and society, and being all involved in shaping sound health policies.The International College of Person-centered Medicine is committed to the above listed recommendations and calls on governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to collaborate on the advancement of these educational efforts toward the promotion of person-centered medicine and health.


Vivienne Ho was not included in the author byline. She should be listed as the third author and affiliated with Center for Vascular Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America. The contributions of this author are as follows: Conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, and contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools.


Jun Saegusa was incorrectly omitted from the list of authors of the article. Dr. Saegusa should be indicated as the eighth author and affiliated with Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America. The contributions of this author are as follows: Performed the experiments and analyzed the data.


In Rinderpest and Peste des Petits Ruminants: Virus Plagues of Large and Small Ruminants, Tom Barrett (now deceased), of the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Surrey, UK, and his co-editors have subtly presented the main developments in the quest to conquer these diseases. The instructive text, which touches on the key dynamics of both deadly diseases, incorporates considerable historical detail, infection biology, and information on disease diagnosis, control, and eradication. This book consists of high quality scientific and historical research based on the editors’ experience with morbilliviruses and collaborations with other researchers worldwide. In total, 22 scientists have contributed their expertise on various infectious diseases to the monograph’s 17 chapters.Throughout, the contributors have tried to maintain an appropriate balance between peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and rinderpest (RP). This hypothesis-based balancing act is important to understand PPR. A future significance of PPR can be realized by the phrase stated by the editors, “If rinderpest becomes a disease of the past, PPR is certainly a disease of the future.” The book starts with an historical account of the RP and PPR diseases accompanied by photographs from the 18th century. These photographs are detailed, illustrative, and fascinating. Of particular interest are a condolence letter, written by Emile Roux from Institute Pasteur to the widow of Joseph Hamoir, with whom Emile Roux worked on rinderpest, and a group photo, including Robert Koch, of his visit to the Imperial Veterinary Laboratory  in 1897 where he conducted experiments to immunize cattle with the bile taken from an animal that had succumbed in a virulent outbreak of rinderpest. The book focuses on the following issues: relative position of each member in the genera, comparative molecular biology, pathophysiology of the infectious diseases, global epidemiologic patterns, contribution of countries in the eradication of the disease under the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign Programme and the Pan African Programme for the Control of Epizootics, viral immune suppression, and molecular diagnostic approaches being developed. For all these issues, the importance for clinicians of accurate diagnosis and management and prevention of infectious diseases is highlighted. Because of the current sensitivity about an emergence of PPR and the successful Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme, the contributors believe that PPR can be controlled similarly and its spread prevented. Thus, the last 7 chapters emphasize the traditional prophylactic measures, potency of vaccines and possibility of vaccine use, the history of vaccine improvement, recent advances in vaccine development, implementation of international control campaigns for the eradication of RP and PPR by using vaccine, and a brief overview of the pathogenesis and eradication of measles virus. Finally, the editors assess the real cost and benefits of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme campaign and predict that the world will soon be free of RP, at comparatively little cost.Although the book discusses many aspects of the current situation, such as epidemiological distribution, progress in vaccine development, and advances in the diagnosis of PPR diagnostic procedures, information regarding the most recent developments is lacking; a few chapters were written in ≈2000 before the increase in PPR research. Still, I consider this to be the only book that comprehensively describes PPR. It is suitable not only for academics and researchers, but also for virologists, infectious disease specialists, vaccine researchers, and clinicians. Moreover, this book provides appropriate scientific source material suitable for undergraduate and graduate studies.


This e-book presents a collection of research and review articles related to the spread, control and basic understanding of vector borne diseases all over the world. It is well known that a multidisciplinary point of view is necessary in order to develop a global vision of this emergent problem. Therefore, in order to promote this holistic approach to the knowledge of vector borne diseases, this e-book contains a total of 19 collaborations of entomologists, epidemiologists, virologists, parasitologists, bacteriologists, zoologists and veterinarians of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. The title perfectly reflects some of the global factors that are behind the emergence and/or reemergence of vector borne diseases.It is now well known that several climatic, environmental and sociodemographic changes that have occurred over the past years are some of the most important causes for the resurgence of many diseases worldwide. However, global change, defined as the impact of human activity on the fundamental mechanisms of biosphere functioning, includes not only climate change, but also habitat transformation, water cycle modification, biodiversity loss, synanthropic incursion of alien species into new territories, or the introduction of new chemicals in nature.Although there is a large and varied group of vectors worldwide, in this e-book we have examined the two most important disease vectors in our opinion: mosquitoes and ticks. Studies about the presence and transmission rates of viruses like West Nile, assays about mosquito control with new and encouraging methods, studies related to the importance of vector control strategies, research results about the role of asymptomatic cases of anthroponosis like Dengue, and investigations about the impact of climate trends on diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes, are some of the issues that can be found in this Research Topic.As editors of this Research Topic, we would like to acknowledge sincerely all coauthors for their valuable and interesting contributions and we wish the readers of this e-book a productive and enjoyable reading of some of the most innovative work related to vector borne diseases.


We inadvertently failed to include the complete list of all coauthors for this work . The fulAW is an employee of Bristol-Myers Squibb which produces dasatinib and BMS911543. The remaining authors declare that they have no competing interests.FMJ conceived and designed the project, supervised all the experiments, and wrote the manuscript. SP, BS, and TM helped to design and performed all the animal and bench experiments. CJC and YZ performed the gene expression analysis and prepared the corresponding figures. JM, DB, MDW, and SYL assisted with the study design and tissue acquisition, critically reviewed the data, and reviewed the manuscript. Additionally MDW performed all the histologic tissue analyses including interpretation of the IHC and prepared the corresponding figures. AW and ML were involved with the pre-clinical development of BMS-911543 and assisted with the study design and preparation of the manuscript. All authors gave final approval of the manuscript.


It is my great privilege to take over as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Epidemiology after Dr. Tomotaka Sobue, who served in that role between 2008 and 2010. Under the outstanding leadership of Dr. Sobue and his team, an online submission system was started in 2008, and the number of manuscripts from abroad has substantially increased. In 2010, 40% of submitted articles were from Japan, 12% from Europe, 11% from China, 9% each from Taiwan and countries in the Middle East, 5% from Korea, 6% from other Asian countries, 6% from the United States, and 2% from South America. The average impact factor from 2007 through 2009 was 1.73.The journal will continue to cover a broad range of high-quality epidemiological research throughout the world and to contribute to the basic, clinical, public health, and political sciences. The editorial team seeks to maintain our high international standard by publishing original and review articles on a variety of research topics in order to eventually establish us as one of the leading journals in epidemiology.Hiroyasu Iso, MD, PhD, MPHEditor-in-Chief, Journal of EpidemiologyProfessor of Public HealthDepartment of Environment and Social MedicineOsaka University Graduate School of Medicine


There is an error in the funding statement. The correct funding statement is, "This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grants No. 61174150, No. 70771011, and No. 60974084, the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education of China (No. NCET-09-0228), and fundamental research funds for the Central Universities of Beijing Normal University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."


The affiliation for the third author is incorrectly assigned. The correct affiliation for Giovanni Colonna is the first affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and CRISCEB - , Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.


Reports of secondary bloodborne transmission of vCJD add to the uncertainty about the future of the vCJD outbreak. The only variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) patient identified in the United States died in 2004, and the diagnosis was confirmed by analysis of autopsy tissue. The patient likely acquired the disease while growing up in Great Britain before immigrating to the United States in 1992. Additional vCJD patients continue to be identified outside the United Kingdom, including 2 more patients in Ireland, and 1 patient each in Japan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the Netherlands. The reports of bloodborne transmission of vCJD in 2 patients, 1 of whom was heterozygous for methionine and valine at polymorphic codon 129, add to the uncertainty about the future of the vCJD outbreak. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of tonsillar biopsy tissue demonstrated the presence of protease-resistant prion protein, which supported the diagnosis of vCJD. By September 2002, the patient was bedridden. An experimental treatment with quinacrine was given to the patient for 3 months, but she showed little improvement. She remained in a state of akinetic mutism and died in June 2004, ≈32 months after illness onset.The patient was born in Great Britain in 1979 and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1992. She had no history of surgery or receipt of blood or blood products, and she was never a blood donor. Consistent with findings for vCJD patients in the United Kingdom associated with potential foodborne exposure, this patient was homozygous for methionine at polymorphic codon 129 of the prion protein gene. A full autopsy was performed, and neuropathologic examination of brain tissue showed the presence of florid plaques and severe cortical atrophy . ImmunohThis patient is the only US resident with a confirmed diagnosis of vCJD. She was likely exposed to BSE while growing up in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1992, which suggests an incubation period of 9–21 years . The illAs of early August 2005, 157 vCJD patients were reported from the United Kingdom: 13 have been reported from France, 3 from Ireland, and 1 each from Canada, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States . SimilarCertain characteristics distinguishing vCJD from classic CJD raised early concerns about possible secondary bloodborne spread of vCJD, especially in light of the lack of experience with this newly emerged disease. Of specific concern was the detection of the agent in lymphoid tissues and the possibility of prionemia as the agent spreads from the gut to the brain. In 1997, to monitor for the possible bloodborne transmission of vCJD, researchers in the United Kingdom began investigating recipients of blood components obtained from donors who subsequently died of vCJD , predominantly psychiatric manifestations at illness onset, delayed appearance of frank neurologic signs, absence of a diagnostic electroencephalographic pattern, presence of the pulvinar sign on MRI, and a longer median illness duration  (http://www.cjdsurveillance.com), which was established to facilitate autopsy performance and testing (In June 2005, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed BSE in an ≈12-year-old cow born and raised in Texas. This is the first time an indigenous BSE case was detected in the United States. A previous BSE-positive cow identified in Washington State was imported from Canada (


This review traces the evolution of modern medical education in India on the one hand and the formation of the Indian Psychiatric Society and the progress of postgraduate psychiatric education on the other hand, all in the context of Indian psychiatry. The topic is covered under the headings standard of psychiatric education, the goals, competencies required, impact of psychiatric disorders, relation of medicine to psychiatry, and the directions for the future of postgraduate psychiatric training. Modern medical education in India began in 1822, in a medical school at Calcutta. The medium of instruction was the language of the region, into which English medical books were translated. In the year 1833, Lord William Bentick, the then Governor General of India, appointed a Committee to examine the question of medical education in India. The committee recommended the abolition of the medical school and the establishment of a medical college in its place. Consequently in the year 1835, two medical colleges were started in India, one in Calcutta and the other in Madras. The duration of the medical course was four years, which was extended to five years in 1845.[The Indian Medical Council Act No. XXVII of 1933, was brought into force on 1 November 1933, and the Medical Council of India (MCI) was constituted thereunder on15 February 1934. From time to time, amendments have been made in this Act. The council has been primarily concerned with undergraduate medical education, but during the last six decades, particularly after the new Medial Council Act of 1956, it empowered the Council to look after Postgraduate Medical Education. According to Section 20(1), the Council may prescribe standards of postgraduate medical education. Consequently, the Postgraduate Medical Education Committee of MCI has made valuable recommendations regarding the nomenclature of postgraduate degrees, the courses and period of studies, examination systems, recognition of training institutes, and postgraduate teachers.There has been a tremendous growth in medical education since 1935, but more so, during the last three decades. Today there are 313 recognized medical colleges and admit35133 students every year. As on July 2010, there are 112 Medical Colleges and Postgraduate Institutes, which admit266 M.D. degree students in Psychiatry each year, besides which, 55 Medical Colleges have training facilities for 124 D.P.M. students. In addition 50 to 60 Postgraduates appear for D.N.B. of the National Board of Examination. It may be important to mention that the first M.D. Psychiatry course was started by Medical College at Patna in 1941 and the first M.D. Candidate was late Prof. L.P. Verma, a Past President of I.P.S. and Past Editor of Indian Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology.The Indian Psychiatric Society was founded in January 1947 and significantly in the same year the Society appointed a committee on Post-graduate Psychiatry Education. The need for P.G. training in Psychiatry was mentioned by Dr. C.C. Saha during his Presidential address by him in 1962 at Agra. Since th20This trend is gradually changing, and during the last four decades, dramatic developments have taken place regarding the growth of psychiatry. Today it is obvious that like most other specialties, psychiatry is becoming increasingly specialized and fragmented.The development of psychiatric education, including its objectives and standards is guided by the Medical Council of India, a statutory body established in 1933. Since 1956 it has had a permanent Committee on Postgraduate Medical Education, whose function it is to formulate rules and curricula of studies and the minimum requirements for teaching centers. It also maintains the quality of teachers and examinations conducted by the universities, so as to bring about uniformity of standards.In many ways the recommendations of the Council are mandatory and should be fulfilled before an institute/ college is recognized as a Postgraduate Department, and the following areas are essential:(a) The teaching staff must be adequate and qualified(b) The student to teacher ratio must be satisfactory, normally one postgraduate student (MD) per teacher per year-recently this ratio has been changed to two MDs for one teacher from 2010(c) The ratio of student to number of patients he handles must be satisfactory(d) Each postgraduate teacher must have at least 40 in. patients with out-patient, follow-up and adequate laboratory facilities, and a library for research, in the unitThe selection of MD students must be strictly on merit, and in some institutions credit must be given to their work in rural areasThe duration of a postgraduate degree course must be for a minimum of three years and for the diplomas two years, after one year of compulsory rotatory internship in a recognized medical institution. This period of three years training has to be full-time, and every postgraduate student must be either a full-time resident or a full-time scholarWith regard to the content and method of training, the main purpose must be to expose the student, by graded residency posts, to all branches of clinical psychiatry and also neurology. The student must participate in the care and management of patients, and must be given increasing responsibility as his experience develops. By the time he is in his last year of training, he must be able to diagnose and initiate treatment independently. He has to become conversant with the allied subjects, such as, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurobiochemistry, including electroencephalography, neuroradiology, psychology, and social work, during his trainingOrganization of the teaching program is a complex task for anyone given this kind of responsibility. It is easy to preach ideals but difficult to practice, and at present our leaders face two formidable tasks: First, to train and provide service to the mental healthcare of 1.2 billion population, and second, to maintain high standards in the scientific field in order to ensure a high quality of teaching and research activityMD Three yearsDPM Two yearsThe modular approach in teaching is essential. Training must involve learning experiences targeted at the needs of the community and also at exposing the students to community-based activities. A combination of both formative and summative assessment is vital.To produce competent and knowledgeable specialists and/ or medical teachers and to research in psychiatry.To achieve this, it is recommended that postgraduate students recognize the health needs of the community, and be able to carry out professional obligations ethically. To master most of the competencies, it is necessary to grasp the speciality required for the needs at the secondary and tertiary levels, and be aware of the contemporary advances in the discipline. To acquire a spirit of scientific inquiry, research methodology and epidemiology are essential. Further it is suggested that they acquire the basic skills in teaching the medical and paramedical professionals.Sufficient understanding of the basic sciences relevant to the concerned specialityTo diagnose and manage the majority of conditions in the specialityTo plan and advise measures for the prevention and rehabilitation of the mentally sickTo demonstrate skills in the documentation of individual case records of morbidity and mortalityTo have empathy and a humane approach toward patients and their familiesTo have skills for the implementation of a national health program effectively and efficientlyTo organize and supervise healthcare services, demonstrating adequate managerial skills in the clinic/ hospital settingTo develop a self-directed learning ability, recognize continuing educational needs; select and use the appropriate learning resourcesTo develop skills in using educational methods and techniques for teaching of medical studentsTo demonstrate being an effective leader of a health teamSimilar to every discipline, every postgraduate student in psychiatry shall aim at the development of specific competencies, defined and spelt out in clear terms. Each department shall produce a statement and bring it to notice of the trainees at the start of the program so that he or she can direct the effects toward the attainment of these competencies.Components of the postgraduate curriculumThe major components of the postgraduate curriculum shall be to include relevant theoretical knowledge and to develop practical and clinical skills and attitudes, including communication skills, training in research methodology, and thesis writing skills.Basic sciences, in Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Genetics, Neurochemistry, Neuroimaging, Psycho pharmaclogy, Psychology, and Social Sciences, including Statistics and EpidemiologyDiagnostic assessment of all psychiatric diseases including a basic knowledge of Internal Medicine and NeurologyEtiopathogenesisTherapeutics relevant to all Psychiatric disordersPrognosis of various disordersNecessary knowledge about prevention and mental health promotion and research methodologyA written curriculum is necessary, as it defines competency and expectation, program evaluation, and helps in the proper assessment of learners.After the completion of training, the trainees must be knowledgeable about the aspects of those bio-medical, social, and psychological sciences that underpin the practice of clinical psychiatry. In particular, trainees should be able to demonstrate the knowledge of those aspects of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, and other biological sciences, which are relevant to understanding psychiatric disorders, including those aspects of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and other social sciences, which are relevant to psychiatric disorders. It must also focus on the various biological, psychological, social, and cultural models of the etiology of psychiatric disorders. The theoretical underpinnings of the major treatment modalities for psychiatric disorders, including biological, psychotherapeutic, and social and family interventions are essential.A minimum of six months in Neurology and Primary Care,18 months minimum in General Psychiatry, which includes inpatient, day hospital, rehabilitation, and outpatient services, is necessary. Rotations can include adult, geriatric, child, and adolescent patients. A minimum of six months of complimentary didactic/clinical rotations will be available. It must include three months in consultation and liaison psychiatry and three months in community-based psychiatry.The evaluation of the training process should focus on motivation and empathy. Knowledge in psychiatry, including patient care, communication skills, professionalism, and empathetic development, must be evaluated. Formative and summative assessment should be an integral part of the evaluation process.Appropriate assessment devises should be used for evaluation; for instance, objective structured clinical examination, examination on written or computer-based, multiple-choice questions, chart-stimulated recall oral examination, case logs, and so on. The self-assessment evaluation process should take into consideration the cultural and regional factors.The present evaluation process for the MD degree is not very satisfactory and needs improvement. It should include faculty evaluation by residents, to improve the teaching and development of the faculty. Program evaluation by residents and faculty must be used to improve educational programs. Evaluation of teaching materials and tools must also take place regularly. The role of an individual supervisor in the evaluation process is essential to convey the accumulated evaluation data. Oral and written evaluation must take place twice a year, to determine the level of educational progress and the quality of the curriculum and not just at the end of three years. Patients’ log books must be an integral part of the evaluation process.The evaluation must be compatible and must encompass clinical psychiatry, including clinical assessment and the delivering and monitoring of treatment, and also multiprofessional case management, with ethical professional practice, as also management and leadership issues. The evaluation must also include research, informatics, and knowledge management, and must be demonstrable, culturally sensitive, and deliverable in terms of available local training facilities. Training must have explicit, assessable learning objectives, which must be reviewed and revised as necessary. Similarly evaluation must be rooted in evidencebased practice. There must be feedback from the trainees and the evaluation methods must be modified accordingly.After the completion of their training, the trainees must be knowledgeable about the epidemiology, etiology, psychopathology, clinical features (including complications), and natural history of psychiatric disorders and psychological reactions in both the individual and the caregiver, including concepts of the impairment, disability, and handicap. A sound knowledge of the assessment and care of these conditions is also expected. In particular, trainees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge of the incidence and prevalence of illnesses at different ages and in various populations, as also the history of the evolution of the concepts of psychiatric disorders and principles of treatment. Similarly understanding of the influence of specific factors on the assessment and care of psychiatric disorders, including: Age, intellectual capacity, co-medical illness, gender, culture, spiritual beliefs, and socioeconomic status, are important.They must also understand the influence of various factors that affect the outcome of treatment and the principles underlying the choice and integration of interventions in psychiatric disorders, including relative cost effectiveness. The principles of legislation, which relate to the practice of psychiatry, with particular emphasis on mental health legislation, including its local application, must also be gathered. The phenomenology of psychiatric disorders, including the definitions of psychiatric symptoms and their significance, psychiatric diagnosis, and the criteria on which these are based, within the framework of one of the widely accepted classification systems such as ICD or DSM, the possible causative or exacerbating factors in psychiatric disorders, the natural history of the disease process in psychiatric disorders, which enables identification of the severity of the disease, the urgency of the need for treatment, the stage of the need for treatment, and the prognosis must be understood.Similarly, after the completion of training, trainees must be knowledgeable about the impact of psychiatric disorders on patients, their families, caregivers, and significant others. They should also have knowledge about the impact on patients with psychiatric disorder and their treatment, including the broader potential impact on multiple areas of the patients’ life and lifestyle. They must also know the particular impact on patients with psychiatric disorder and their treatment, when this treatment involves hospitalization and involuntary treatment. The impact of the psychiatric disorder on the families and caregivers, including an awareness of their needs and their role in the care of a patient is important. Community consequences of psychiatric disorder and implications for the community of policies for the care and treatment of people so affected, is another aspect that trainees need to gain knowledge about, along with understanding the attitudes and responses of the community to psychiatric disorder, including the implications of stigma to the patients, their families, and caregivers.The trainees must have a knowledge about the appropriate management plans for psychiatric disorders, including(a) Physical and psychological investigations and assessments,(b) Psychotherapeutic techniques, (c) Psychopharmacological and other physical therapies, (d) Situations in which referral to or consultation with colleagues in psychiatry and other disciplines is appropriate, (e) understanding of rehabilitation programs.After the completion of training, trainees must be knowledgeable about the general medical and common surgical conditions. Higher levels of knowledge, tempered by maturity and experience, are expected in those areas of general medicine that are particularly related to psychiatric practice. In particular, trainees must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the presentation, investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions, particularly in those areas related to psychiatric practice. Their knowledge of further investigations that are necessary to confirm or reject diagnostic hypotheses, to aid the patient’s management, the basic principles involved in the management of significant medical illnesses, the interaction between medical and psychiatric disorders, the psychosocial and cultural aspects of medical illness and its significance to patients and their families, with regard to both the illness and its treatment, are desirable.The long case history is an essential component of the final examination. Time – one hour, personal style, format – case history, identifying data, How the patient presented his problem – which led to his presentation to the clinic, history must be sufficient, with details – which help to give meaning and substance to the diagnostic formulation and help to arrive at a diagnosis, and the context in which therapy would be affected, including a rehabilitation plan. It must also include physical examination – neurological, cardiovascular system, respiratory system and eye-fundus.Title – 15 minutesPersonal StyleMental status examinationNeurological examination if requiredBrief history – relevantSymptomsSignsDiagnostic formulation with tentative diagnosis, with justificationTreatment planningFormat must includeViva must includePharmacotherapyBehavior therapyPsychotherapyForensic psychiatryHistory of psychiatryClinical syndromesRecent researchAny other aspectsSpot test must includePsychological testsEEGX-rays + MRI + CATPsychiatrists have played a prominent role in shaping the mental health program and providing mental health care to patients in every country. It is true for India too. However, their influence is in part a byproduct of their own professional preparation. The global information about the quality and quantity of training of psychiatrists is largely unavailable. Similarly, there is a wide variation in the training programs, in spite of MCI regulations and guidelines. There is a constant need for retrospective introspection. How satiRecently, WHO in collaboration with the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has brought out an interesting publication‘Atlas: Psychiatric Education and Training Across the World 2005’. This isThe structure and requirements of the healthcare delivery system in each countryThe role of legal and other accreditation bodies such as the MCI, established under the law of the land, which define and set standards of postgraduate medical education in the universities and medical institutions, which maintain and implement standards and impart trainingIt needs to be emphasized that the goal of postgraduate training in all specialties, including the field of psychiatry, is to produce competent and knowledgeable specialists and teachers, who can meet the needs of the community, carry out professional obligations ethically, be aware of contemporary advances in the discipline, and have some foundation in the principles of research methodology.There are some established systems in the education system that are applicable in the field of postgraduate training in medicine, including psychiatry, which can be usefully incorporated to help in this direction, namely, (a) uniform admission policies, (b) some uniformity in the content of the training program, (c) the organization of the curriculum, which can be evaluated (d) the outline of the training program including the standard methods of instruction, (e) objective assessment methods, (f) to develop acceptable guidelines with regard to the relationship between the institution/College/University and the external, national or Today, specialists licensed in one country rarely have extended practice privileges in another country. In some countries, the license for specialists is even restricted for practice in only some provinces of the country. The implications are obvious–the assessment method must be harmonized within the country and some international standards need to be developed–WHO is an established body under the U.N. Organization. Accordingly, WHO is a body that can take the necessary steps to meet this goal. It is not an easy path, but needs patience and sustained efforts to meet the challenge.The WHO, whose primary mission is that of directing and coordinating International Health Work, must take vigorous steps to develop the standards of medical education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and strengthen the accreditation process. This will certainly improve the quality of health care.


After publication of this work , we noteMEM, SAK, VRG and DEL contributed to the design of the experiments; MEM, HEG, SAK and XZ, performed the experiments; TAPFD and PB designed the plasmids used to express the recombinant proteins that formed the nanoparticles; TAPFD and YY made the gold nanoparticles; MEM and DEL wrote the manuscript. All authors read, were involved in interpretation of results and approved the final manuscript.


More than 90 people attended a March 25–27, 2004, conference on Ethics and Epidemics. This conference was sponsored by the Albany Medical College–Graduate College of Union University Masters in Bioethics Program, the University at Albany School of Public Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. Attendees came from Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Among the 24 papers and panels, presentations were made by George Annas, professor and chair of Health Law at the Boston University School of Public Health; Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics of the Magnuson Center of the National Institutes of Health; Thomas R. Freiden, commissioner, New York City Department of Health; Matthew Wynia, director of the Institute of Ethics of the American Medical Association; Kenyan bioethicist Angela Wassuna associate for International Affairs of the Hastings Center; and 19 other bioethicists and health professionals.Presentations ranged from case studies to health policy debates. Many reviewed the history of epidemics, emphasizing their global nature and the imperative of global strategies for epidemic control. Several papers examined recent epidemics and explored new strategies for dealing with epidemic control while respecting human rights. The consensus was that the old policeman model of public health needs updating. Discussion focused on how best to balance public safety, professional responsibility, personal liberty, and human rights, while effectively containing epidemics. Emanuel and Wynia reaffirmed the responsibility of physicians and first responders to put their health and lives at risk in combating epidemics. Yet, noting the vulnerability of first responders (in the Toronto severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] outbreak and elsewhere), they distinguished between bravery and foolhardiness, arguing that just as professionals have a responsibility to protect the public from disease, the public, in turn, has a responsibility to provide the training, equipment, and resources to minimize the need to take risks.Virtually all conferees observed that the public health infrastructure needs substantial rebuilding to cope effectively with epidemics. Annas, however, noted that in bioterrorist assaults the control of biologic agents is a public health problem to be dealt with by public health officials, not by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He further stated that policies on epidemic control that involve consistent, open, and truthful communication with the public—like those used in New York and Toronto during the recent SARS outbreak—create cooperative environments that minimize conflicts between freedom and safety and limit the effects of isolation and quarantine. However, Emanuel et al. asserted that the traditional enforcement authority of public health law was essential and needed as a fallback. The result of the debate was that 21st century methods need to be developed to control infectious disease epidemics that reconcile the need to protect public health and respect human rights.http://www.bioethics.union.edu under "News." For further information contact bioethics@union.edu or 518-388-8045.The conference program is available on


News from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance The Society has begun 2011 on multiple highpoints, yet these have been tempered by a recent and particularly saddening low - the untimely death of Stefan Fischer. For those of you unaware, Stefan was the Director of Clinical Science for Philips Healthcare, North America, an important developer of CMR pulse sequences, tools and equipment that remain critical standards today; he was a long-standing member of SCMR with friends too numerous to count in our Society and field. I had known Stefan for well over a decade, and knew him as fiercely intelligent, strong-willed yet gently firm in his guidance, purposeful in increasing the benefits we impart to patients with our technology, and always practical. His passing leaves a gap that is impossible to fill, both in our Society, and in our hearts. I trust that the work we pursue in this Society will continue to live up to those characteristics and ideals that he embodied.To recap key Society events thus far, the year began with the 2011 SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions held in conjunction with the Euro CMR Working Group in Nice, France. It was a great success with a record number of participants from around the world. Much of that success can be attributed to the constant and hard work put forth by the Program and Abstract Chairs, Sven Plein, MD, and Raymond Kwong, MD, who put together an outstanding scientific program with a compelling array of scientific presentations, excellent posters, invited talks, and thought provoking case-sessions. The opening plenary was an important prelude to the thrust of the meeting where Michael Lauer, MD, of the NHLBI, emphasized the critical importance of CMR investigators and clinicians to design trials that alter patient outcome, as opposed to simply providing a superior diagnosis - a theme that was emphasized repeatedly as necessary to maximize CMR's impact on clinical care.During the meeting, the Society awarded its first Gold Medal Award, given for distinguished and extraordinary service to the field of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and to the Society. Fittingly, Gerald Pohost, MD, and Charles Higgins, MD, two long-standing and esteemed leaders in CMR and the Society were the inaugural winners of this annual award.Outside of the annual meeting fantastic news was received about our journal: the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance saw its impact factor increase from 2.28 to 4.33!, placing it within the upper tiers of both cardiovascular and imaging journals. This near doubling reflects the committed leadership of Journal Editor-in-Chief, Dudley Pennell, MD, to continually increase both the quality and quantity of CMR scientific publications, and to expand the reach and impact of the JCMR within the field of cardiovascular investigation. Great thanks are to be extended to Dr. Pennell and to the journal's Editorial Board for their tireless efforts on behalf of the JCMR. Please continue to send your important scientific work to our flagship journal.Elsewhere, the Society continues to make progress in standardization of CMR, aspects that are essential for its continued adoption. In recent years the publication of recommendations for standardization of data acquisition  and repoVictor Ferrari, MD, the prior Education Committee Chair, along with James Moon, MD, the Web Editor, and his team have recorded and posted the majority of presentations from the 2011 meeting, making them available for continued review. In addition, the team has recently completed and made available on the Society's website, the first SCMR Online Course in CMR covering topics including CMR Physics, Safety, Techniques, and up to 35 Clinical Cases. These new educational courses are available for credit toward Level 1, 2, and 3 training in CMR, and should help facilitate training for those new to CMR. To further advance the Society's educational goals, SCMR has joined with the Euro CMR Working Group to develop an international standard credentialing examination for CMR to serve the needs of CMR practitioners world-wide. The exam will be available by the 2013 Annual meeting.Moving now beyond recent accomplishments and looking to the immediate future, the Society's Board of Trustees has spent multiple days of intensive meetings in Strategic Planning that have led to refining the Society's Vision and Mission statements, along with identifying a series of themes - Societal Alliances & Partnerships, Clinical Evidence, Education, Communication, and Technological & Efficiency Advances - from which many new projects and directives have been developed. These Strategic Planning sessions, held at this year's annual meeting and at the mid-year Board meeting in Philadelphia in June of this year, have given us a roadmap of where we would like to go and how we can get there, as well as the tools for doing so more effectively. Expect that these projects will engage the Board, committees, and many of our members to help drive the numerous new initiatives.As an international Society we have for years embraced a more global perspective, though one that remained relatively U.S., Europe, and Japan-centric; nonetheless, the rapidity and breadth of globalization necessarily requires a further expansion of our vision and ability to adapt. To date we are doing an admirable job: as highlights, a Middle East working group has been formed and a new imaging society in India seeks opportunities to collaborate; increasing activity from our Latin American group has led them to request that the Society consider holding an annual meeting in Latin America ; and through the efforts of former President Gerald Pohost, MD, we are making plans for a jointly sponsored meeting in China in the fall of this year, along with the development of a Chinese working group. To come full circle, the European Chapter (via the Euro CMR Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology) has developed an outstanding CMR registry that already has resulted in multiple publications; there are further ongoing efforts to expand the registry with help from the U.S. and Asia study groups, pushing it further toward a truly global CMR registry.The Society is also expanding its outreach efforts and has recently nominated an SCMR member to a U.S. governmental advisory panel for imaging reimbursements, and in the process, and for the first time, collaborated with and cross-sponsored candidates from sister imaging societies . We expect more such policy-influencing nominations to come. Perhaps most importantly the Society is in process of a broad collaborative effort bringing together vendor partners, contrast manufacturers, the NIH and FDA, corelab and post-processing experts, and CMR thought leaders for design and initiation of a large-scale, multi-center clinical trial to push CMR to the forefront by demonstrating its clinical relevance and superiority - efforts that bring to reality the themes Michael Lauer, MD, emphasized at the 2011 annual meeting earlier in this report.So in summary, I believe that this is an exciting and invigorating period for the Society, where the coming years will see growth along multiple avenues, continuing robustness and preference for CMR in cardiovascular care, and greater collaborative efforts that will further advance the field and the Society. The Board is working hard, and despite the challenging times we face today, the future continues to look bright.To conclude, let me add that we are finalizing plans for the 2012 SCMR meeting. Raymond Kwong, MD, and Jeanette Schulz-Menger, MD, our Program and Abstract Chairs, respectively, have put together a terrific program. Multiple tracks aimed at clinicians, basic scientists, and pediatric CMR imagers are planned. Immediately prior to the annual meeting SCMR will hold a two-day joint workshop in concert with ISMRM: "Exploring New Dimensions of Cardiovascular Flow and Motion". We expect that this will be another spectacular annual meeting, and one you won't want to miss. Please remember the abstract deadline of October 3rd, and make your plans to come to Orlando, Florida, during February 2-5, 2012, where we hope to welcome many familiar and even more new faces to the meeting. For those making plans further ahead, be sure to pencil in your calendars the dates for the 2013 meeting to be held February 1-4, 2013 in San Francisco, California.


Over the past 20 years the Fundacion Salud de Ayurved Prema Argentina has spread the knowledge of Ayurveda throughout Latin America. The Fundacion is based in Buenos Aires in the Argentine Republic, where it now runs courses in two of the country’s major medical schools - at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, and the National University of Cordoba’s School of Medicine. Based on an MoU with Gujarat Ayurveda University, at Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Fundacion has been accredited as a Collaborating Center for teaching, assistance and research in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in Argentina. This has led to successful missions to other countries in the region where the Fundacion and its associates have been able to start dialogues with governments, and in places hold sizeable courses. The knowledge of Ayurveda is now spreading throughout South and Central America and hardly a country remains untouched by it. The Fundación de Salud Ayurveda Prema  is a nonprofit organization registered with the Argentine government. Its goal is to contribute to the promotion of Ayurveda medicine and all its preventive and therapeutic resources of value in the health field. The aim of the Foundation is to help Ayurveda attain the best possible status within Argentina’s medical community and with the general public. Our vision is to improve and perfect the health of the peoples of Latin America using Ayurveda.We have now been spreading Ayurveda in the Argentine Republic and Latin America for over 20 years, focusing our efforts on both the medical profession and the people. Throughout this time, our interest has been to integrate useful elements of traditional approaches to medicine such as Ayurveda, which is our specific field of knowledge, with mainstream medicine and scientific research methods in an atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgment, and positive assessment. Currently, we are conducting four postgraduate courses on Ayurvedic medicine, all certified by the most prestigious universities in the country. In the fields of teaching and research, our goal is to preserve the wealth and purity of Ayurveda’s teachings, and to demonstrate its usefulness for modern biomedical science.On January 5, 2001, after obtaining approval from India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health, the Fundación de Salud Ayurveda Prema signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Ayurveda University  in the presence of Shailaja Chandra , the Governor of the Gujarat State, and other top Indian officials. The MoU accredited the foundation as a collaborating center for teaching, assistance, and research in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in Argentina.In 2000, the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires approved our first postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine. Founded Officials from five different departments of the School of Medicine had examined the course program for a year. Without exception, they deemed it of interest to the medical community as a whole. They considered that it had appropriate objectives, a well-developed analytical curriculum, sufficient instructional resources, an adequate schedule, as well as good infrastructure and assessment procedures. The course was finally approved by the School Board and the Dean. It is intended for medical doctors, psychologists, pharmacists, and other professionals in the health field. Several Indian ambassadors to Argentina like Pramathesh Rath (2006 and 2007) and R. Viswanathan (2008) have also delivered lectures to the course.Later, in 2002, an annual advanced postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine, accredited by the University’s School of Medicine and designed for health professionals, was added. from theAYUSH, S. S. Savrikar; Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Teaching and Research, and former Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat State Ayurved University, M.S. Baghel; Director National Institute of Ayurved, Jaipur, Ajay Kumar Sharma; and Professor of Ayurveda, Gujarat State Ayurved University, H. M. Chandola.Well-known and respected Ayurvedic scholars and doctors from leading Indian institutions have supported the courses through their articles, including, among others, former Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan Ayurveda University, R. H. Singh; former Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat State Ayurved University, and Ayurvedic Advisor, Dept. of Support of top academics from India’s major educational institutions devoted to Ayurvedic studies has made it possible for us to transmit Ayurveda’s fundamentals and its most relevant therapeutic tools completely faithfully. It has also enabled us to enrich course content through scientific interchange with well-known institutions at the highest academic level. All this was made possible by the MoU with Gujarat State Ayurveda University.In April 2010, a new biennial postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine exclusively for medical doctors was started at the National University of Cordoba’s School of Medicine. The UnivMore than 450 professionals, 250 of whom were medical doctors, have now taken our postgraduate courses, while another 500 nonprofessional students have participated in courses on Ayurvedic principles and Ayurvedic massage. Students come from many countries in addition to Argentina, including Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the USA.For the last 3 years, we have been participating in an optional Course on Complementary Medicine for students of the School of Medicine at the University of El Salvador, in Buenos Aires. We also run regular courses on Ayurvedic massage for health technicians. These give technicians a more integrated and holistic approach to patient care, and have attracted great interest.Since 2005, we have also offered online courses on the principles of nutrition in Ayurveda. By implementing several educational strategies that establish a more personal relation with students, and so replacing the direct contact in normal courses, we have achieved a very positive response. This has enabled our students, who come from all Spanish-speaking countries, to share their personal growth and transformation experiences; the latter often extend to their families, making it possible for whole family groups to acquire better health habits.We have also conducted lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences on various Ayurveda topics in Ministries of Health, Schools of Medicine, and professional and scientific associations in most Latin American countries: Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile, even Spain and India .For example, in 2002 we coordinated and taught a course at the University of the Americas, Panama. The course, which led to a “Diploma in the Ayurveda Nutrition System, Manual Therapies and Body Aesthetics for Healthier Tourism,” was conducted with assistance from the Panama Institute for Tourism. We also conducted training workshops for low-income families on the Ayurvedic use of local medicinal plants. Another example: in 2006 and 2007, we were invited to take charge of Ayurveda training at an Online Course on Complementary Medicine at the School of Medicine, National University of Chile.A crucial aspect of successfully introducing Ayurveda practice in Latin America has been our approach to Ayurvedic medicines. We have counseled the appropriate Health Departments within the Health Ministries of Venezuela and Costa Rica to give them scientific information, and help their personnel understand the background of the therapeutic use of such medicines, thus facilitating their official registration.At present, Ayurvedic medicines produced in India are officially registered in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. In other Latin American countries, we make use of local herbal medicines. We have taken immense trouble to make accurate correspondences between local medicinal plants and those originating in India. For example, we have developed a list of medicinal plants from Latin America and the West that can be used in Panchakarma procedures.In order to spread Ayurveda most effectively, we took a step we regarded as essential: translation of some of the important, classical Ayurveda texts into Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world. Similarly, we brought out Spanish language publications on distance courses on Ayurvedic medicine,–9 and a The translation of the six volumes of Charaka Samhita, a task tSome papers resulting from our research work and surveys on different subjects, such as “The International Acceptance of Ayurvedic Formulations,” “PhysiolOur relationship with Gujarat Ayurveda University has led to four Intensive Training Seminars in Jamnagar, in which students from our own Foundation, other Latin American countries, and Spain have participated. The Seminars included training classes, observation of Ayurvedic procedures, visits to botanical gardens, and scientific exchanges with professors of the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, as well as with other teachers at the University. Reciprocally, Indian professors and experts from many Western countries, such as Subhash Ranade and Robert Svoboda, have participated in workshops and seminars in Argentina.As a result of our postgraduate courses, and seminars conducted in many countries of the Latin American region, and in India, some of our students have been able to establish new Ayurvedic centers in their countries of origin.Ayurveda offers practical solutions to many problems in modern life. In Argentina, as in other countries in the last few years,18 there Put to the test in several cultures, Ayurvedic principles have proved useful in both prevention and cure the world around. Our course participants come from many countries, and have subsequently attested to the validity and wisdom of these principles.The World Health Organization has recognized Ayurveda to be a very sophisticated system of traditional medicine. Ayurveda21What the new millennium specifically requires is integrated training of health professionals to fulfill increasing demands in the West. Health professional teams, patients, and the general public are all experiencing a deep need for a system that integrates body, mind, and spirit. Our time demands a personalized approach to prevention, and effective, natural methods of treatment, with low levels of side effects or adverse responses.In the world’s most prominent universities, there is currently a trend to include courses on complementary and alternative medicine. A 1998 survey of American schools of medicine found that, of the 117 which answered the questionnaire out of 125 surveyed, a total of 123 courses were taught at 64% of the university medical schools.[It has always been held that universities are the proper place for evolution of thinking as they offer an environment of freedom for discussion of ideas, and encouraging the advancement of science. Our postgraduate courses have been approved since they offer a framework for mutual respect and tolerance for different ways of viewing health and treating illness. As narrated above, these considerations have led to our courses being recognized by Argentina’s best traditional learning institutions such as the University of Buenos Aires and the National University of Cordoba.The World Health Organization has urged that interchanges between traditional and modern medicine be promoted. To achieOf all systems of traditional medicine, Ayurveda seems to be best understood by people in Latin America and the West, and thus most up-to-date. Experience confirms that its ancient wisdom is easily accepted and incorporated both by professionals, health workers, and the general public. We find increasing numbers of people and institutions turning to its concepts and resources to care for individuals and families, and to heal disease. Participants in our courses tell us that Ayurveda’s holistic and scientific approach improves and deepens the practical work of physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, nurses, yoga teachers, nutrition counselors, manual therapists, and other health professionals and technicians.Fundación de Salud Ayurveda Prema is open to possible forms of collaboration with other Ayurvedic institutions: (a) in order to organize training visits for its members to Ayurvedic centers in India, and visits of foreign Ayurvedic professors to Argentina; (b) to carry out scientific research projects to demonstrate to the biomedical community the value and usefulness of Ayurvedic resources and remedies; and (c) to support work on the provision of Ayurvedic texts in Spanish.Ayurveda has shown its potential to solve some of our age’s greatest health problems. We are glad to be a part of this movement. Those trained in this ancient Science of Life will be at the forefront of a highly positive and enriching trend in the field of health.