When are anti-fat attitudes understood as prejudice versus truth? An experimental study of social influence effects

Background/Objectives If people who hold anti-fat attitudes believe these attitudes to be true, then anti-prejudice appeals are likely to be unsuccessful, if only because the targets will not see their attitudes as in need of change. The current study examined processes that may lead people to see their anti-fat attitudes as 'truth' or as 'prejudice'. Subjects/Methods Participants (N = 482) read anti-fat statements and were then presented with an interpretation of these statements as 'truth' or 'prejudice'. The source of this interpretation was either an (i) in-group or out-group member and (ii) expert or non-expert. Participants' judgements of the statements were expected to vary such that in-group others and experts would exert more influence than would out-group others and non-experts. Results Participants aligned their own interpretations of an anti-fat statement with those of an expert, but not with those of a non-expert, F(1,466) = 8.97, p <0.05, eta(2)(p) = 0.02. The group membership variable had no effect on judgements of 'truth' or 'prejudice' of the anti-fat statement. Conclusion The expressions that people believe constitute anti-fat prejudice versus truth about people described as overweight are influenced by exposure to expert opinion (in this case, by medical doctors). Implications for the success of weight-based anti-prejudice appeals and for healthcare provision are discussed

Adverse Reactions to Wheat or Wheat Components

Wheat is an important staple food globally, providing a significant contribution to daily energy, fiber, and micronutrient intake. Observational evidence for health impacts of consuming more whole grains, among which wheat is a major contributor, points to significant risk reduction for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and colon cancer. However, specific wheat components may also elicit adverse physical reactions in susceptible individuals such as celiac disease (CD) and wheat allergy (WA). Recently, broad coverage in the popular and social media has suggested that wheat consumption leads to a wide range of adverse health effects. This has motivated many consumers to avoid or reduce their consumption of foods that contain wheat/gluten, despite the absence of diagnosed CD or WA, raising questions about underlying mechanisms and possible nocebo effects. However, recent studies did show that some individuals may suffer from adverse reactions in absence of CD and WA. This condition is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS). In addition to gluten, wheat and derived products contain many other components which may trigger symptoms, including inhibitors of α-amylase and trypsin (ATIs), lectins, and rapidly fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs). Furthermore, the way in which foods are being processed, such as the use of yeast or sourdough fermentation, fermentation time and baking conditions, may also affect the presence and bioactivity of these components. The present review systematically describes the characteristics of wheat-related intolerances, including their etiology, prevalence, the components responsible, diagnosis, and strategies to reduce adverse reactions

Biblical Theology of Life in the Old Testament

Life is a primary theme in Scripture, expressed in the rich diversity of the various books, corpora and genres of Scripture. Much has been published on what Scripture teaches about life and death. To date, however, no comprehensive biblical theology in which the concept of life is traced throughout the different books and corpora of the Old and New Testament has been published. It is this lacuna that this book aims to fill, assuming that such an approach can provide a valuable contribution to the theological discourse on life and related concepts. The primary aim of this book is to give an indication of the different nuances of the concept of life in the various books and corpora of the Old and New Testament by providing the reader with a book-by-book overview of the concept of life in Scripture. The secondary aim is to give an indication of the overall use and function of the concept of life in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Scripture as a whole. The latter is provided by using the findings of the book-by-book overview of the concept of life in Scripture to draw the lines together

Biblical Theology of Life in the Old Testament

Life is a primary theme in Scripture, expressed in the rich diversity of the various books, corpora and genres of Scripture. Much has been published on what Scripture teaches about life and death. To date, however, no comprehensive biblical theology in which the concept of life is traced throughout the different books and corpora of the Old and New Testament has been published. It is this lacuna that this book aims to fill, assuming that such an approach can provide a valuable contribution to the theological discourse on life and related concepts. The primary aim of this book is to give an indication of the different nuances of the concept of life in the various books and corpora of the Old and New Testament by providing the reader with a book-by-book overview of the concept of life in Scripture. The secondary aim is to give an indication of the overall use and function of the concept of life in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Scripture as a whole. The latter is provided by using the findings of the book-by-book overview of the concept of life in Scripture to draw the lines together

Intratympanic gentamicin treatment for Ménière's disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on dose efficacy - results of a prematurely ended study

Background: Gentamicin is used as a therapeutic agent for Ménière's disease because of its vestibulotoxicity causing chemo-ablation of the vestibular sensory epithelia. Its use has increased in recent years. However, there is still no consensus about the dose regimen of gentamicin in the treatment of Ménière's disease. In this study two different dose regimen treatment protocols are compared in a placebo controlled study design. The primary objective is to quantify the treatment effect on dizziness, the secondary objective is hearing evaluation.Methods: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with unilateral Ménière's disease according to the AAO-HNS guidelines resistant to conservative medication. Three groups received four injections, administered weekly (four intratympanic injections with 40 mg/mL gentamicin solution, two injections gentamicin solution and two injections of placebo in random order, or four injections with placebo). Outcome measures were the score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and pure tone audiometry (PTA). Intended follow-up was 2 years.Results: During follow-up one patient exceeded the accepted amount of hearing loss. Further, enrollment was very slow (until 12 months between two patients) and new insights showed an apparent benefit of intratympanic gentamicin treatment (ITG). Therefore we performed an unscheduled interim analysis which showed that PTA threshold shifts reached the stopping criteria in two more patients. Because of this, this study was ended. Of the three patients with the significant PTA threshold shift two were enrolled in the gentamicin group.Conclusion: No conclusions can be drawn concerning doses regimens. Now that new publications have shown that ITG treatment can be an effective and safe treatment, a placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial may not pass the ethical committee because of these recent reports in literature. Still, a dose regimen study (without placebo) on ITG treatment needs to be performed.Trial registration: This trial was registered in The University Medical Center Utrecht/ Gelre hospital Apeldoorn. Protocol ID: 07/343, EudraCT number 2006-005913-37

Two randomized crossover multicenter studies investigating gastrointestinal symptoms after bread consumption in individuals with noncoeliac wheat sensitivity: do wheat species and fermentation type matter?

Background: Many individuals reduce their bread intake due to the belief that wheat is the cause of their gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Different grains and processing methods may impact tolerability. Objective: We investigated the effects of six different types of bread on GI symptoms in individuals with self-reported non-coeliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS). Methods: Two parallel randomised double-blind crossover multicentre studies were conducted. NCWS individuals, in whom coeliac disease and wheat allergy were ruled out, received five slices of (study A, n=20) yeast fermented (YF) or (study B, n=20) sourdough fermented (SF) bread made of bread wheat, spelt or emmer on three separate intervention days. Each test day was preceded by a run-in period of 3 days and separated by a wash-out period of at least 7 days. GI symptoms were evaluated by change in symptom score (test day minus average of the 3-day run-in period) on a 0-100mm visual analogue scale (delta VAS). Responders were defined as an increase in delta VAS of at least 15mm for overall GI symptoms, abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, bloating and/or flatulence. Results: The overall change in GI symptoms did not differ between breads of different grains (YF p=0.267; SF p=0.144). The number of responders was also comparable for both YF (6 to wheat, 5 to spelt, and 7 to emmer, p=0.761) and SF breads (9 to wheat, 7 to spelt, and 8 to emmer, p=0.761). Conclusion: The majority of NCWS individuals experienced GI symptoms for at least one of the breads, but on a group level, no differences were found between different grain types for either YF or SF breads. Clinical Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0408447

Рідке мило на основі соапстоків після нейтралізації олій та жирів в нейтралізуючому розчині, що містить етанол

Development and application of statistical models for medical scientific researc

Exposure to soluble platinum salts in precious metal refinery workers over a 17-year period

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to soluble chlorinated platinum (Pt) salts, commonly called chloroplatinates, is a known cause of Pt salt sensitisation (PSS) and occupational asthma. We aimed to model inhalable soluble Pt salts exposure levels based on measurements in precious metal refineries for use in a retrospective cohort study on PSS. METHODS: Five platinum refineries located in the United Kingdom (3 sites), United States, and South Africa provided time weighted average inhalable soluble Pt salts exposure data, measured in 2,982 personal air samples over a 17-year period (2000-2016). We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate geometric mean (GM) exposure levels for each refinery and job title over time. RESULTS: The GM of measured exposure levels over all facilities was 92 ng/m3 with a geometric standard deviation (GSD) of 9.07. Facility-specific GMs ranged from 48 ng/m3 (GSD 15.3) to 242 ng/m3 (GSD 5.99). Exposure modelling showed that soluble Pt salts exposure levels declined approximately 10% per year in two of the five facilities, but there were no clear time trends in the other facilities. A priori specified exposure groups captured most of the between-jobs differences, which helps to accurately predict exposures for jobs with no measurement data available. CONCLUSIONS: We applied exposure modelling to estimate time, refinery, and job-specific soluble Pt salts exposures. A significant annual decline in exposure levels was observed in two of the five participating facilities. Modelled exposure levels can be linked to individual workers' job history for exposure-response analysis of PSS in an epidemiological study

Transnational social capital: the socio‐spatialities of civil society

Civil society remains a contested concept, but one that is widely embedded in global development processes. Transnationalism within civil society scholarship is often described dichotomously, either through hierarchical dependency relations or as a more amorphous networked global civil society. These two contrasting spatial imaginaries produce very particular ideas about how transnational relations contribute to civil society. Drawing on empirical material from research with civil society organizations in Barbados and Grenada, in this article I contend that civil society groups use forms of transnational social capital in their work. This does not, however, resonate with the horizontal relations associated with grassroots globalization or vertical chains of dependence. These social relations are imbued with power and agency and are entangled in situated historical, geographical and personal contexts. I conclude that the diverse transnational social relations that are part of civil society activity offer hope and possibilities for continued civil society action in these unexpected spatial arrangements

Recruiting participants for interventions to prevent the onset of depressive disorders: Possibile ways to increase participation rates

Background: Although indicated prevention of depression is available for about 80% of the Dutch population at little or no cost, only a small proportion of those with subthreshold depression make use of these services. Methods: A narrative review is conducted of the Dutch preventive services in mental health care, also addressing the problem of low participation rates. We describe possible causes of these low participation rates, which may be related to the participants themselves, the service system, and the communication to the public, and we put forward possible solutions to this problem. Results: There are three main groups of reasons why the participation rates are low: reasons within the participants (e.g., not considering themselves as being at risk; thinking the interventions are not effective; or being unwilling to participate because of the stigma associated with depression); reasons within the health care system; and reasons associated with the communication about the preventive services. Possible solutions to increasing the participation rate include organizing mass media campaigns, developing internet-based preventive interventions, adapting preventive interventions to the needs of specific subpopulations, positioning the services in primary care, integrating the interventions in community-wide interventions, and systematically screening high-risk groups for potential participants. Discussion: Prevention could play an important role in public mental health in reducing the enormous burden of depression. However, before this can be realized more research is needed to explore why participation rates are low and how these rates can be improved