Time: an underestimated variable in minimizing the gender gap in medical college admission scores.

Background: Results of medical college admission tests in Austria demonstrate the slightly worse performance of women, and are the basis for discussions around fairness and a basic science knowledge gap among female applicants.

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to investigate a basic science knowledge gap among female candidates of the admission test at the Medical University of Graz, and to evaluate whether the point of time of taking the examination has an influence on the test results.

Methods: Observational investigations of the results of the admission test at the Medical University of Graz were performed.

Have "new" methods in medical education reached German-speaking Central Europe: a survey.

Background: Simulation-based-training (SBT) in the education of health professionals is discussed as an effective alternative for knowledge and skills enhancement as well as for the establishment of a secure learning environment, for learners and patients. In the Anglo-American region, SBT and simulation and training centers (STC) are numbered as standard for medical training. In German-speaking Central Europe, priority is still given to the establishment of SBT and STC.

Insecurities of women regarding breast cancer research: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Only 1.2%-11% of all potential study participants participate in cancer studies. Low participation rates can result in bias or in a failure to obtain data saturation.

WHO-definition of health must be enforced by national law: a debate.

Background: On its establishment, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a fundamental human right deserving legal protection. Subsequently, the Ottawa Charter reaffirmed health as a fundamental right, and emphasized health promotion as the most appropriate response to global health issues. Here we suggest that the WHO definition of health as more than simply the absence of illness is not normative, and therefore requires standardization.

Oral information about side effects of endocrine therapy for early breast cancer patients at initial consultation and first follow-up visit: an online survey.

This study was initiated to identify how physicians inform women about specific side effects of endocrine therapy for early breast cancer. It is recommended that women with early breast cancer receive endocrine treatment for at least 5 years. Although this medication is an important step in curing breast cancer, continued application by patients is far below 100%; 30-50% of all women prematurely end their prescribed therapy.

Reasons for and against participation in studies of medicinal therapies for women with breast cancer: a debate.

Background: A special challenge for research studies of breast cancer among females is low patient participation rates. We compiled this systematic review to identify reasons why women with, or at high risk of, breast cancer do or do not participate in medicinal studies of breast cancer.

Method: A systematic literature search in the databases Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline, Pascal Biomed, ACP Journal Club and CINAHL, as well as searches through reference lists of relevant texts, was performed.

Pregnancy associated hormones modulate the cytokine production but not the phenotype of PBMC-derived human dendritic cells.

Objective: Dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in initiating and polarizing immune responses. As effects of pregnancy associated hormones on phenotype and function of DC are unknown, our objective was to test the influence of progesterone, beta-estradiol and betaHCG on immature (iDC) and mature (mDC) DC.

Study Design: DC generated from peripheral-blood-monocytes were exposed to different doses of hormones.