Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Medical Students Aware of Their Anti-obesity Bias?

Purpose Anti-obesity prejudices affect the quality of care obese individuals receive. The authors sought to determine the prevalence of weight-related biases among medical students and whether they were aware of their biases. Method Between 2008 and 2011, the authors asked all third-year medical students at Wake Forest School of Medicine to complete the Weight Implicit Association Test (IAT), a validated measure of implicit preferences for “fat” or “thin” individuals. Students also answered a semantic differential item assessing their explicit weight-related preferences. The authors determined students’ awareness of their biases by examining the correlation between students’ explicit preferences and their IAT scores. Results Of 354 medical students, 310 (88%) completed valid surveys and consented to participate. Overall, 33% (101/310) self-reported a significant (“moderate” or “strong”) explicit anti-fat bias. No students self-reported a significant explicit anti-thin bias. According to the IAT scores, over half of students had a significant implicit weight bias: 39% (121/310) had an anti-fat bias and 17% (52/310) an anti-thin bias. Two-thirds of students (67%, 81/121) were unaware of their implicit anti-fat bias. Only male gender predicted an explicit anti-fat bias (odds ratio 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.8–5.3). No demographic factors were associated with an implicit anti-fat bias. Students’ explicit and implicit biases were not correlated (Pearson r = 0.03, P = .58). Conclusions Over one-third of medical students had a significant implicit anti-fat bias; few were aware of that bias. Accordingly, medical schools’ obesity curricula should address weight-related biases and their potential impact on care.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate lowers plasma corticotropin and cortisol but does not suppress anterior pituitary responsiveness to human corticotropin releasing factor

The endocrine action of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) has been claimed to be of a glucocorticoid‐like nature. Upon clinical observation, MPA has been shown to improve life quality and overall well‐being in patients with advanced breast cancer, renal carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma, and uterine adenocarcinoma. The authors have evaluated MPA endocrine action by the administration of human corticotropin releasing factor (hCRF) in a 90‐minute assay in 15 patients with advanced breast cancer or renal cell carcinoma both, before the initiation of oral high‐dose MPA treatment (1000 mg MPA) as well as after at least 10 days of therapy. The curves for corticotropin, β‐endorphin, and cortisol responses to hCRF of tumor patients who were tested before the initiation of MPA treatment were parallel to the curves of a healthy control group of probands tested under equal conditions, although at significantly higher respective hormone levels. In patients with malignant disorders assayed after MPA administration, both basal and peak hormone levels were found to be comparable with values obtained in healthy controls. In conclusion, MPA appeared to act at a suprapituitary level since pituitary responsiveness to hCRF was preserved under MPA treatment. Moreover, it appeared that MPA brought the hormonal stress state found in patients with malignant tumors back to normal.
Short-term culture of Plasmodium knowlesi

The culture method developed by Geiman and co-workers has been modified to give average multiplication rates for Plasmodium knowlesi of at least six-fold in 24 h. Individual modifications have been assessed on the basis of parasite multiplication and [3H]leucine incorporation into parasite protein. The second cycle of in vitro development which is particularly influenced by the conditions of culture was improved by: (i) culture of washed parasitized red cells in a medium containing dialysed homologous serum screened for its ability to support parasite growth; (ii) addition of ATP, Co-enzyme A (or pantothenate) and glutamine. We thank Mr E. D. Dennis and Miss Susan Wanstall for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council and the World Health Organization.
Does Helicobacter pylori infection play a role in iron deficiency anemia? A meta-analysis.

AIM To perform a meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA). METHODS A defined search strategy was used to search Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Premedline and Healthstar. Odds ratio (OR) was used to evaluate observational epidemiology studies, and weighted mean difference (WMD) was used to demonstrate the difference between control and intervention groups. RESULTS Fifteen observational studies and 5 RCTs were identified and used for calculation. The pooled OR for observational studies was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.52-3.24, P < 0.0001). The WMD for hemoglobin (HB) was 4.06 g/L (95% CI: -2.57-10.69, P = 0.01), and the WMD for serum ferritin (SF) was 9.47 mug/L (95% CI: -0.50-19.43, P < 0.0001). Results were heterogeneous for all comparisons. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis on observational studies suggests an association between H. pylori and IDA. In RCTs, eradication of H. pylori can improve HB and SF levels but not significantly.
Evaluating the properties of two herbal mouthwashes and their effect on total leukocyte count after Phase I therapy

Introduction: Periodontal diseases are among the most common infectious diseases aff ecting human kind and can lead to destruction of the periodontal ligament, cementum, gingiva and alveolar bone. Plaque is the main etiological cause for gingival infl ammation. Since a greater part of population is not able to perform plaque control eff ectively, the onus lies on the dental health care provider to impart the correct knowledge about the oral hygiene aids and adjunctive use of various plaque control agents. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients aged between 30 to 45 years with chronic generalized periodontitis with previously untreated periodontitis were recruited from the Department of Periodontics and oral Implantology, K.D. dental college and hospital, Mathura, India. Scaling and root planning was done in single sitting for all the groups. Clinical parameters; Silness and Loe plaque index, Loe and Silness gingival index and Russell’s periodontal index were recorded at pretreatment/baseline, at 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks after SRP. Blood was collected from median cubital vein in vacutainer and was send to laboratory and TLC was measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of Phase I therapy. Study groups: Group I: 20 patients given commercially available preformulated Colgate plax Green Tea mouthwash Group II: 20 patients given commercially available preformulated Colgate plax Mint mouthwash Group III: 20 patients given saline rinse Result: 60 adult patients with previously untreated chronic generalized periodontitis were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criterias. After the statistical analysis using paired t test there was signifi cant reduction in the plaque score was observed with both the mouthwashes but to a greater extent in patients who used green tea mouthwash for one month. Conclusion: Herbal mouthwashes are valuable in the treatment of periodontal diseases by reducing the infl ammation. The present study suggest that there is a signifi cant reduction seen in the plaque, gingival & periodontal scores with both the mouthwashes but green tea mouthwash proved to be more benefi cial than mint mouthwash with modest reduction in the TLC count.Herbal products have shown promising results with minimal side eff ects.
The Serotonin Transporter Is an Exclusive Client of the Coat Protein Complex II (COPII) Component SEC24C*

The transporters for serotonin (SERT), dopamine, and noradrenaline have a conserved hydrophobic core but divergent N and C termini. The C terminus harbors the binding site for the coat protein complex II (COPII) cargo-binding protein SEC24. Here we explored which SEC24 isoform was required for export of SERT from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Three lines of evidence argue that SERT can only exit the ER by recruiting SEC24C: (i) Mass spectrometry showed that a peptide corresponding to the C terminus of SERT recruited SEC24C-containing COPII complexes from mouse brain lysates. (ii) Depletion of individual SEC24 isoforms by siRNAs revealed that SERT was trapped in the ER only if SEC24C was down-regulated, in both, cells that expressed SERT endogenously or after transfection. The combination of all siRNAs was not more effective than that directed against SEC24C. A SERT mutant in which the SEC24C-binding motif (607RI608) was replaced by alanine was insensitive to down-regulation of SEC24C levels. (iii) Overexpression of a SEC24C variant with a mutation in the candidate cargo-binding motif (SEC24C-D796V/D797N) but not of the corresponding mutant SEC24D-D733V/D734N reduced SERT surface levels. In contrast, noradrenaline and dopamine transporters and the more distantly related GABA transporter 1 relied on SEC24D for ER export. These observations demonstrate that closely related transporters are exclusive client cargo proteins for different SEC24 isoforms. The short promoter polymorphism results in reduced SERT cell surface levels and renders affected individuals more susceptible to depression. By inference, variations in the Sec24C gene may also affect SERT cell surface levels and thus be linked to mood disorders.
A concept design of a small ocean vehicle with flap-foils to harvest wave energy

Power supply is an important inhibiting factor of autonomous operation of small ocean vehicles, wave energy vibration harvest method is a viable solution. The usual vibration energy harvest device is excited by its housing frame driven by external oscillation, subject to limited vehicle geometry size, and the low frequency of ocean waves, electrical power generated is very limited. A concept vehicle design with novel energy harvest method is proposed in this paper, with a couple of flap-foils to harvest wave energy. The flap-foils are forced to rotate when ocean waves pass by, and transmit their rotation movement and force directly to the energy harvest element. Theoretical analysis and numerical computation are carried out to find the optimal parameters to generate maximum electricity, results show that this flap-foil method can greatly increase the harvest capability.
Transepithelial Resistance and Inulin Permeability as Endpoints in In Vitro Nephrotoxicity Testing

Transepithelial electrical resistance (RT) and the flux of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) across Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) strain 1 cells and porcine epithelial kidney (LLC-PK1) monolayers were compared between three laboratories for a range of nephrotoxins. The precision of the REMS AutoSampler was similar to that of the Ussing chamber and the ENDOHM® technique, but superior to using chopstick electrodes, for measurements of resistance. The nephrotoxins used were selective for the proximal tubule, and in all cases, LLC-PK1 cells were more sensitive than MDCK cells. In most cases, change in RT was a more sensitive indicator of damage than alterations in FITC flux. The REMS system provides high intra-plate precision for RT measurements and is a higher throughput system, which is applicable to screening for nephrotoxicity in vitro.
AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION OF INDICA RICE CULTIVARS GROWN IN VIETNAM

Genetic transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been performed on 5 indica cultivars grown in Vietnam. Embryogenic calli derived from mature seeds were inoculated with A. tumefaciens LBA4044 in which the T-DNA contained plasmid pSBbarB-UbiCre or plasmid pSB35L-Hyg-L-Gus. Transformation efficiency recorded as the number of independent transgenic plants showing Southern blot + per the number of embryogenic-derived calli ranged from 1.7813. 33%. Southern analyses of T0 independent transformants revealed that the transgene in most of transformants integrated into the genome as a single locus.
Antioxidant consumption during exercise in intermittent claudication

Twenty male claudicant patients and nine age‐matched controls were exercised on a treadmill. Blood and urine samples were taken before and after exercise. Total antioxidant concentration was measured using an enhanced chemiluminescent assay and microalbuminuria determined by radioimmunoassay. Claudicants had increased microalbuminuria after exercise. Mean(s.e.m.) antioxidant concentrations were similar for patients and controls at rest: 479(28) and 438(23) μmol/l respectively. Claudicants showed a significant decrease in antioxidant concentration 1 min after exercise to 428(27) μmol/l; this returned to 470(30) μmol/1 by 10 min. A correlation was found between the decrease in antioxidant concentration and the increase in microalbuminuria (rs = −0.496, P <0.05). This study supports the concept of ischaemia‐reperfusion injury in claudicant patients and has implications for treatment.
Vive La France: Three Delusional Disorders Originally Reported in the French Medical Literature

Delusions as a feature of psychosis have long captured the fascination of both psychiatry and the public at large. The French first described three famous delusions: the Cotard delusion, folie à deux, and Capgras delusion. In this article, we examine a case illustrating each delusion and the hallmark features of each as well as a brief discussion about the current understanding of these disorders.
of Productivity and Performance Management Improving productivity with self-organised teams and agile leadership

Purpose – Many organisations remain adverse to self-organised teams. The reasons are non-trivial and complex, but it is suspected that not willing to let go to direct control by senior management is at the root cause. There is a perceived security in following traditional, hierarchical chains of command under the guise of reducing risks and maintaining efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a research agenda that will empirically test in the field a range of widely held assumptions around leadership of self-organised teams. In total, 23 companies have agreed to participate in the proposed longitudinal research. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review has identified extant theories, frameworks, and methodologies adopted by researchers to gain greater understanding of self-organised teams. This knowledge will be used as the basis for generating hypotheses for subsequent testing in the field. Findings – There is a considerable knowledge base established for self-organised teams. However, there is limited understanding of the benefits or detrimental effects of self-organised teams on organisational productivity and the appropriate style of leadership. This initial research has identified several hypotheses that will be used to develop questionnaires and instruments for information collection. Research limitations/implications – The tools and techniques presented in this article need to be adapted to the organisation’s specificities as well as to the contextual situation. Practical implications – The work is of significant practical use. The research will be completed in a number of companies. There will be continuous input from operational and executive management. The findings from the work will be disseminated through various channels including workshops and conferences. Companies implementing and using self-organised teams will benefit from the knowledge generated. Social implications – Self-organised teams are used in a variety of settings – commercial businesses, not-for-profit, NGOs. The work will explore issues around behavioural networks and interintra-team relationships. Originality/value – There is much rhetoric around the adoption and uses of self-organised teams, yet there appears to be little understanding of the effect of leadership style of these teams and effect on productivity. This work will therefore contribute to the understanding of self-organised teams. While prior research has been conducted in the motivational and behavioural implications of self-organised teams, the knowledge is at best scant when leadership models for self-organised teams and operational factors are explored.
Mountain roads shift native and non‐native plant species' ranges

&NA; Roads are known to act as corridors for dispersal of plant species. With their variable microclimate, role as corridors for species movement and reoccurring disturbance events, they show several characteristics that might influence range dynamics of both native and non‐native species. Previous research on plant species ranges in mountains however seldom included the effects of roads. To study how ranges of native and non‐native species differ between roads and adjacent vegetation, we used a global dataset of plant species composition along mountain roads. We compared average elevation and range width of species, and used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to compile their range optimum and amplitude. We then explored differences between roadside and adjacent plots based on a species' origin (native vs non‐native) and nitrogen and temperature affinity. Most non‐native species had on average higher elevational ranges and broader amplitudes in roadsides. Higher optima for non‐native species were associated with high nitrogen and temperature affinity. While lowland native species showed patterns comparable to those in non‐native species, highland native species had significantly lower elevational ranges in roadsides compared to the adjacent vegetation. We conclude that roadsides indeed change the elevational ranges of a variety of species. These changes are not limited to the expansion of non‐native species along mountain roads, but also include both upward and downward changes in ranges of native species. Roadsides may thus facilitate upward range shifts, for instance related to climate change, and they could serve as corridors to facilitate migration of alpine species between adjacent high‐elevation areas. We recommend including the effects of mountain roads in species distribution models to fine‐tune the predictions of range changes in a warming climate.
Detection of multiple Epstein‐Barr viral strains in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients

We have previously shown in 3 allogeneic bone‐marrow transplant (BMT) recipients that complete replacement of recipient marrow was associated with the elimination of the pretransplant Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) strain of the recipient. To study the kinetics of EBV elimination and rein‐fection in more detail, we have performed a longitudinal study of BMT recipients combining serology, virus isolation from mouthwashes and peripheral blood, and EBV strain characterization.
Serum creatine kinase response to exercise during dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance in Quarter Horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy.

OBJECTIVE To determine effects of dexamethasone on insulin sensitivity, serum creatine kinase (CK) activity 4 hours after exercise, and muscle glycogen concentration in Quarter Horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). ANIMALS 4 adult Quarter Horses with PSSM. PROCEDURE A 2 x 2 crossover design was used with dexamethasone (0.08 mg/kg) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution administered IV every 48 hours. Horses were exercised on a treadmill daily for 3 wk/treatment with a 2-week washout period between treatments. Serum CK activity was measured daily 4 hours after exercise. At the end of each treatment period, serum cortisol concentrations were measured, a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HEC) technique was performed, and muscle glycogen content was determined. RESULTS Mean +/- SEM serum cortisol concentration was significantly lower after 48 hours for the dexamethasone treatment (0.38 +/- 0.08 mg/dL), compared with the saline treatment (4.15 +/- 0.40 mg/dL). Dexamethasone significantly decreased the rate of glucose infusion necessary to maintain euglycemia during the HEC technique, compared with the saline treatment. Muscle glycogen concentrations and mean CK activity after exercise were not altered by dexamethasone treatment, compared with the saline treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Dexamethasone significantly reduced whole-body insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in Quarter Horses with PSSM after a 3-week period but did not diminish serum CK response to exercise or muscle glycogen concentrations in these 4 horses. Therefore, a decrease in glucose uptake for 3 weeks did not appear to alleviate exertional rhabdomyolysis in these horses. It is possible that long-term treatment may yield other results.
A Five-Level Single-Phase Grid-Connected Converter for Renewable Distributed Systems

In low-power renewable systems, a single-phase grid-connected converter is usually adopted. This paper deals with a novel five-level converter topology that follows this trend. A review of the state of the art of the five-level topologies and a theoretical power loss comparison with the proposed solution is realized. The proposed converter architecture is based on a full-bridge topology with two additional power switches and two diodes connected to the midpoint of the dc link. Since the two added levels are obtained by the discharge of the two capacitors of the dc link, the balancing of the midpoint voltage is obtained with a specific pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy. Simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
A single-phase single-stage, high power factor grid-connected PV system, with maximum power point tracking

This paper proposes a single-phase, grid connected non-isolated, very compact photovoltaic (PV) processing system, which is able to inject a low-distortion current into the grid while tracks the maximum power point (MPPT) of the PV array. The arrangement is based on a buck full-bridge inverter, whose switches are gated to provide an almost sinusoidal current into the grid keeping the PV panels voltage near constant, using what is known as the simplest method of MPPT available to date. The concept is validated by a comprehensive set of theoretical equations and digital simulation results concerning a 720W PV power injected to a 127V, 60 Hz line grid. A solar radiation step response case is considered to prove the feasibility of the idea. The small number of components of the complete system confers to it a great efficiency and reliability.
Density dependence of feeding success in haematophagous ectoparasites

SUMMARY We studied the effect of density on feeding success of 2 fleas, Xenopsylla conformis and Xenopsylla ramesis, when exploiting rodents Meriones crassus and Gerbillus dasyurus. We tested 2 alternative hypotheses: (i) that intraspecific interference competition occurs and, thus, feeding success of a flea decreases with an increase in density and (ii) that facilitation via suppression of a host defence system occurs and thus, feeding success of a flea increases with an increase in density. The mean size of a bloodmeal and the proportion of highly engorged individuals in X. conformis feeding on both hosts were affected by density. When on G. dasyurus, both the size of a bloodmeal and the proportion of highly engorged individuals were lower at low (5–15 fleas per host) than at high (25–50 fleas per host) densities. The opposite was true when this flea fed on M. crassus. The mean bloodmeal size and proportions of highly engorged X. ramesis parasitizing either host were not affected by flea density. This study showed that the density dependence of feeding success of a flea (a) varied both between fleas and within-fleas between hosts and (b) indicated either intraspecific competition or facilitation via the host in a particular flea-host association.