Integrating the Teaching and Assessment of Moral Reasoning into Undergraduate Medical Education to Advance Health Equity.

Moral reasoning skills among medical students have regressed despite the implementation of ethics teachings in medical education curricula. This inability to retain moral reasoning capability is attributed to difficulty transitioning to the principled thinking stage of moral reasoning as well as worsening of ethical decision-making skills during clerkship education due to the "hidden curriculum." Prior studies have examined the efficacy of individual strategies for moral education, but there is insufficient analysis comparing multiple educational interventions and moral reasoning assessment tools.

Addressing racial inequality and its effects on vaccination rate: A trial comparing a pharmacist and peer educational program (MOTIVATE) in diverse older adults.

The mortality, morbidity, health care utilization, and cost attributable to vaccine-preventable diseases are substantial for those aged 50 years and older. Although vaccination is the most cost-effective strategy to prevent common infectious diseases in older adults, vaccination rates remain below US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benchmarks, especially among racial minorities. Historical mistrust, structural racism within the US medical system, and misinformation contributed to lower immunization rates among minorities, especially Black Americans.

Racial Identity and Relevance in Teaching Clinical Skills and Diagnostic Medicine: A Small/Pilot Focus Session to Engage Medical Educators.

Background The relevance and importance of using racial and ethnic categories in medical education is an area requiring richer discussion and engagement among all health professions educators. Objectives There is a genuine need to identify opportunities for leveraging social and structural determinants of health to address health disparities within medical education. We designed a focus session led by a team of diverse clinical and basic science faculty to analyze how medical curricula can integrate racial/ethnic identity as a clinical indicator.

The impact of moderate physical activity and student interaction on retention at a community college.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a voluntary walking program that combined moderate physical activity and student interaction on student retention at a community college. A sample of 69 students at a suburban community college voluntarily joined a walking program and logged the number of minutes they walked and the number of people they spoke to each day. Using a Chi-Squared Test of Independence, the study sample was compared to a matched sample of nonparticipating students.

Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis.

Investigators from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden report on their findings comparing quality of life (QoL) measures in both pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) and adult-onset multiple sclerosis (AOM).

Low-cost, open-source, variable speed and incline treadmill for studying impacts of neonatal locomotion.

There is a need for a small-scale, laboratory treadmill to investigate impacts of neonatal locomotion on neuromuscular and musculoskeletal development in small animal models. Adult mice and rats are routinely assessed using commercially available treadmills, but these treadmills can be relatively expensive and they may lack features needed to evaluate developing animals. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, a new treadmill was designed, built and calibrated.

Team-Based Learning in a Pipeline Course in Medical Microbiology for Under-Represented Student Populations in Medicine Improves Learning of Microbiology Concepts.

As part of an undergraduate pipeline program at our institution for students from underrepresented minorities in medicine backgrounds, we created an intensive four-week medical microbiology course. Team-based learning (TBL) was implemented in this course to enhance student learning of course content. Three different student cohorts participated in the study, and there were no significant differences in their prior academic achievement based on their undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and pre-course examination scores.

Infiltration of commercially available, anode supported SOFC's via inkjet printing.

Commercially available anode supported solid oxide fuel cells (NiO-8YSZ/8YSZ/LSCF- 20 mm in diameter) were anode infiltrated with gadolinium doped ceria (CGO) using a scalable drop-on-demand inkjet printing process. Cells were infiltrated with two different precursor solutions-water based or propionic acid based. The saturation limit of the 0.

Inkjet printing infiltration of Ni-Gd:CeO anodes for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Abstract: The effect of inkjet printing infiltration of GdCeO in NiO-GdCeO anodes on the performance of symmetrical and button cells was investigated. The anodes were fabricated by inkjet printing of suspension and sol inks. Symmetrical cells were produced from composite suspension inks on GdCeO electrolyte.

Sexual infantilism in a normal karotypic female related to ovarian agenesis associated with Müllerian agenesis--Case report.

Purpose: To describe an unusual case of Müllerian agenesis associated with gonadal agenesis and thus sexual infantilism.

Materials And Methods: Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sonography were performed and MRI of the kidneys. Pelvic sonography and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were also obtained.

Improvement in symptoms of the syndrome of mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like symptoms (MELAS) following treatment with sympathomimetic amines--possible implications for improving fecundity in women of advanced reproductive age.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of sympathomimetic amine therapy on a mitochondrial abnormality known as the mitochondrial encephalopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like symptoms syndrome (MELAS syndrome).

Materials And Methods: Dextroamphetamine sulfate 15 mg extended release capsule was prescribed to a woman with a 25 year history of MELAS syndrome refractory to most other therapies.

Results: Within one month of therapy the woman noticed considerable improvement in her chronic fatigue, pain, and edema.

Defective oocytes are not a common cause of unexplained infertility as determined by evaluation of sharing oocytes between infertile donors and recipients.

Purpose: To determine if defective oocytes or sperm may be a common etiologic factor in unexplained infertility.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective comparison of fertilization rates and pregnancy rates from infertile donors with unexplained infertility trying to conceive with in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and their respective recipients, who shared the other half of the oocytes with the recipient's male partner for financial compensation was performed. Pregnancy rates from donors and recipients were also compared to other donor recipient pairs sharing oocytes from infertile donors with tubal or male factor or financially-compensated donors providing oocytes to two recipients.

Adding luteinizing hormone to follicle stimulating hormone from day 3-5 improves pregnancy outcome in normal but not poor responders using gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists.

Purpose: To determine if the addition of luteinizing hormone (LH) to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) protocols using gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists improves pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Materials And Methods: All IVF-ET cycles using a GnRH antagonist were evaluated according to whether FSH was used exclusively or if LH was added. The cycles were further stratified according to age (< or = 39 and 40-42 years) and according to good responders (> or = five oocytes retrieved) or poor responders (< or = four oocytes).

No evidence to support the concept that low serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate (s) levels are associated with less oocyte production or lower pregnancy rates.

Purpose: To determine if in a population of women with diminished oocyte reserve as evidenced by day 3 serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels > 12 mIU/ml women with lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-s) levels produce fewer oocytes or have lower pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) compared to women with higher levels.

Methods: The women were divided into poor responders (producing < or = 4 oocytes) following oocyte retrieval or good responders (> or = 5 oocytes). Mean DHEA-s levels were compared in poor vs good responders and in the subgroups of those who conceived vs those who did not conceive.

Failure to have menses following progesterone withdrawal in a normal estrogenic woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome who menstruates with oral contraceptives.

Purpose: To evaluate a case of a normal estrogenic woman with amenorrhea and polycystic ovarian syndrome who fails to get menses after progesterone withdrawal but who menstruates with oral contraceptives.

Methods: The following sera assays were obtained: total testosterone (T), free T, weakly bound T, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, 17 hydroxyprogesterone, estradiol, free thyroxin, thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin, evening cortisol, LH and FSH.

Results: The total testosterone was markedly elevated but the free testosterone was normal and the free and weakly bound testosterone was the high end of normal.