Countering Supervisor Exploitation

PhD supervisor-student relationship

Dear Editor, The relationship between the PhD supervisorand the PhD student is a complex one. Whenthis relationship is neither effective nor efficient,it may yield negative consequences, such asacademic failure (1).The intricacy of the supervisor-studentrelationship may be in part comparable to the onebetween the physician and his/her patient [see,for example (2)]. Both interactions develop ove...

Countering Vaccine Hesitancy.

Immunizations have led to a significant decrease in rates of vaccine-preventable diseases and have made a significant impact on the health of children. However, some parents express concerns about vaccine safety and the necessity of vaccines. The concerns of parents range from hesitancy about some immunizations to refusal of all vaccines. This clinical report provides information about addressi...

Beneficial Microorganisms: Countering Microbephobia

“Microbes run the world. It’s that simple.” (Committee on Metagenomics, 2007). Microbial communities make the essential elements of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur available for other life on our planet. Without microbial decomposer communities, life would be smothered in dead organisms. Microorganisms also carry out almost half of the photosynthesis on our planet, increasing oxygen levels...

Countering Hostile Forensic Techniques

Countering antivaccination attitudes.

Three times as many cases of measles were reported in the United States in 2014 as in 2013. The reemergence of measles has been linked to a dangerous trend: parents refusing vaccinations for their children. Efforts have been made to counter people's antivaccination attitudes by providing scientific evidence refuting vaccination myths, but these interventions have proven ineffective. This study ...