External validation of the Moroccan Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer colorectal(CR29)module:Monocentric study

BACKGROUND Quality of life(QoL)outcomes are a focal endpoint of cancer treatment strategies.AIM To externally validate the Moroccan Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC)QoL Questionnaire(QLQ)for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients(CR29).METHODS Both Moroccan Arabic modules of QLQ-CR29 and QLQ-C30 were administered to Moroccan CRC.Psychometric properties were retested by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for reliability and Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)to examine test-retest reproducibility.The multitrait-scaling analysis was performed to demonstrate the validity of the instrument and known-groups comparison was used to test the score’s ability to discriminate between different groups of patients.RESULTS In total,221 patients were included in our study and 34 patients completed the questionnaire twice.The Urinary Frequency scale and Stool Frequency scale had good internal consistency with alpha Cronbach coefficients of 0.79 and 0.83 respectively,while the same coefficients were moderately lower for the Blood and Mucus in Stool scale(0.61)and the Body Image scale(0.67).The ICCs ranged from 0.88 to 1 indicating good to excellent reproducibility.In multitrait scaling analyses,the criterion for item convergent and divergent validity was satisfactory.The known-group comparison showed statistically significant differences between patients according to age,gender,stoma status,tumor location,and radiotherapy.CONCLUSION The Moroccan Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 is a valid and reliable tool that can be used safely for research and clinical purposes in Moroccan CRC patients.

The Way to Open Access-French Strategies to Move Forward

In France, the movement in favour of open access to scientific research output is getting increasingly coordinated and supported at the political level. The CNRS, a leading research organization in Europe and signatory of the Berlin Declaration, has an evident strategic role to play in this development. Various initiatives that have emerged in the French academic world in recent years have led, for example, in early 2005 to the joint announcement, by four major research institutions, of a common policy to promote open access to published material and other types of digital resources, and to set up institutional archives. The article highlights some key issues of this policy, gives an overview of the current and past CNRS involvement in open access and describes the principal functions, as well as the related challenges, of the future institutional repositories.

Sustainable career development for R&D professionals:Applying a career development system in Basque country

The goal of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a career development system implemented at a research and technology organization at satisfying the context requirements of a decree issued by the Basque Country government.Through in-depth surveying of 80 R&D professionals over the five years,the authors aimed to determine whether a career development system,when it is linked to context requirements and researchers’contributions,could offer researchers feedback about their career aims and increase their job satisfaction.During the five years of the study,the researchers’capacity to meet career requirements improved by 20%,and job satisfaction,although it declined at first,increased substantially in the last two years,reaching a historic high for the employee satisfaction survey.