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ObjectiveManagement of diet-related chronic diseases may benefit from improved nutrition education of medical students. This study aims to investigate the effects of a nutrition education course on nutritional knowledge and intentions towards nutritional counselling in Dutch medical students.DesignThis is a pre–post intervention study with a comparison group. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires on nutritional knowledge and intentions towards nutritional counselling.ParticipantsIn total, 118 medical students (64.4% undergraduate, 73.2% women) were recruited from two medical schools in the Netherlands (n=66 intervention group, n=52 comparison group).InterventionThe intervention group completed a 25-hour course in nutritional counselling (the Students Experienced in Lifestyle and Food (SELF) course) in addition to the standard medical curriculum. The comparison group followed the standard medical curriculum.Outcome measuresSelf-reported nutritional knowledge and intentions towards nutritional counselling, including attitude, self-efficacy and social support.ResultsNutritional knowledge (B: 2.42, 95% CI 1.81 to 3.02), attitude in men (B: 0.50, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.87) and self-efficacy (B: 0.78, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.95) significantly increased in the intervention group compared with the comparison group. No significant differences were found for social support (B: 0.20, 95% CI −0.02 to 0.43) and attitude in women (B: 0.08, 95% CI −0.24 to 0.31) between the two groups.ConclusionsThe SELF course increased medical students’ nutritional knowledge and stimulated their intentions towards nutritional counselling. Future research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact of nutrition education interventions on physician practice patterns and patient outcomes.

It has been shown previously that the vanadium bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum mediates the production of ( R )-methyl phenyl sulfoxide with 91% enantiomeric excess from the corresponding sulfide in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Investigation of the sulfoxidation activity of this enzyme shows that activating substituents at the para -position of the aromatic ring of methyl phenyl sulfide positively influence the selectivity of the reaction, whereas strongly electron-withdrawing groups cancel the catalyzed sulfoxidation reaction. The first evidence is presented that the vanadium bromoperoxidase catalyzes the sulfoxidation of racemic non-aromatic cyclic thioethers with high kinetic resolution.

A series of 2,5-disubstituted-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrroles were prepared via diastereoselective alkylations of sulfone 10. Ring-closing metathesis (RCM), using Grubbs’ catalyst, provided bridged ring systems with newly formed 9- to 12-membered rings in moderate to good yields. The 9-membered ring was formed as a single Z-isomer whereas the 10- to 12-membered rings were formed as mixtures of E- and Z-isomers. It was shown that the minor diastereomer obtained from the alkylation product 11c failed to undergo RCM, illustrating the crucial aspect of substrate conformation.

The steric influence of extended aryl substituents on 2,2′-bis(1,3-oxazoline) ligands was investigated in a series of asymmetric catalytic reactions such as Mukaiyama aldol and Michael reactions, hetero-Diels–Alder processes, and allylic alkylation reactions. 4,4′-(2-Naphthyl)- and 4,4′-(9-anthryl)-substituted isopropylidene-bridged 2,2′-bis(1,3-oxazolines) were synthesized and their enantioselective and catalytic properties in combination with different metals evaluated. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

Both enantiomers of 1-naphthylglycine were obtained in 99% ee by enzymatic resolution of the corresponding racemic amino acid amide, giving access to the novel ligands (R)- and (S)-naphthylbis(oxazoline). Initial studies provided insight into the scope and limitations of the (S)-naphthyl-substituted bis(oxazoline) and its steric influence compared to other bis(oxazolines) in catalytic asymmetric synthesis. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)

Objective To evaluate whether the potential of statins to lower the risk of infections as published in observational studies is causal. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo controlled trials. Data sources Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Study selection Randomised placebo controlled trials of statins (up to 10 March 2011) enrolling a minimum of 100 participants, with follow-up for at least one year. Data extraction Infection or infection related death. Results The first study selection yielded 632 trials. After screening of the corresponding abstracts and full text papers, 11 trials totalling 30 947 participants were included. 4655 of the participants (2368 assigned to statins and 2287 assigned to placebo) reported an infection during treatment. Meta-analysis showed no effect of statins on the risk of infections (relative risk 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.05) or on infection related deaths (0.97, 0.83 to 1.13). Conclusion These findings do not support the hypothesis that statins reduce the risk of infections. Absence of any evidence for a beneficial effect in large placebo controlled trials reduces the likelihood of a causal effect as reported in observational studies.