ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This paper aims to introduce the design of multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) as a tool to assess medical school applicants' attributes in alignment with the school's educational goals and to evaluate its utility. METHODS: In this MMI, candidates rotated through six stations (10 minutes per station), in which specific interview topics were drawn by mapping the school's educational goals with the core competencies for entering medical students. We conducted post-MMI surveys of all of the interviewers and candidates to investigate their experiences of MMIs. The G-coefficient and interclass correlation were analyzed to investigate the reliability of this test. Additionally, the candidates' MMI scores were compared across different backgrounds and a univariate analysis was used to estimate correlations between their MMI scores and prior academic achievements. RESULTS: A total of 164 candidates (a 98.8% response rate) and 19 interviewers (a 100% response rate) completed the surveys in the years 2014 and 2015. Both candidates and assessors showed positive responses to MMIs. The G-coefficient of MMI scores was 0.88 and the interclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.58 to 0.75. The participants' total MMI scores did not differ across genders or undergraduate backgrounds and were not associated with age, undergraduate graduate point averages, nor the Korean medical school admission test (Medical Education Eligibility Test) scores. CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates the utility of MMIs that utilize the institution's educational goals to identify attributes to be pursued in the admission interviews in alignment with the institution's core values. Future research is warranted of the predictive validity of this MMI.
Subject(s)
Humans , Education , Education, Medical , Interviews as Topic , School Admission Criteria , Schools, Medical , Students, MedicalABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The acidic saline animal model of pain has been suggested to mimic fibromyalgia (FM). In this model, repeated intramuscular (IM) injections of acidic saline produce a widespread hyperalgesia that persists without evidence of significant peripheral tissue damage or inflammation, and is believed to be centrally maintained. We examined the changes of pain-related neurotransmitters in specific brain regions of this model after deep-sea water (DSW) drinking. METHODS: Rats were injected with 100microliter of acidic saline (pH 4.0) at days 0 and 5 into the left gastrocnemius muscle. Control rats received identical injections of physiological saline (pH 7.2) on the same schedule. Two acidic saline rats were given DSW from 1 week following the last IM injection to sacrifice. All rats were sacrificed on day 20. All regions of interest were examined for the changes of pain-related neurotransmitters with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Preliminary results showed that compared to controls, acid injected rats demonstrated strong expression of serotonin in red and raphe nucleus. Acid injected rats showed significant reductions of the serotonin expression in red and raphe nucleus after DSW drinking. CONCLUSION: IM acid injections increased the expression of serotonin in red and raphe nucleus of rats. The overwhelming reduction of serotonin expression in the nuclei after DSW drinking suggests DSW might be helpful for pain and anxiety. These preliminary data support the validity of acidic saline treatment as a model of FM, and provide a foundation for future analyses of specific brain regions that contribute to this syndrome.
Subject(s)
Rats , AnimalsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Two types of chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs), COS I and COS II, were investigated for the effects on ascitic tumor and enzymes for cancer chemoprevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chitosan oligosaccharides were administered once daily for 10 days after the tumor implantation. The change of body weight was observed for 20 days, and the survival rate of mice was determined after 21 days. Chitosan oligosaccharides were administered once daily for 10 days before the tumor implantation (1 106 cells). The number of ascitic tumor cells were measured at 6 days after tumor implantation. Chemopreventive potential of chitosan oligosaccharides was examined by the induction of quinone reductase and inhibition of cytochrome P450 1A1. RESULTS: Chitosan oligosaccharides exerted antitumor activity by inhibiting the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vivo. Mice given Ehrlich cells and 10 or 100 mg/kg body weight of chitosan oligosaccharides had 33% survival after 21 days. Quinone reductase activity was increased with chitosan oligosaccharides. There were 26% and 33% inhibition in the activity of cytochrome P450 1A1 enzyme with the treatment of COS I and COS II, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that chitosan oligosaccharides has antitumor activity and cancer chemo preventive potential by inducing QR activity and inhibiting cytochrome P450 1A1.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Body Weight , Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor , Chemoprevention , Chitosan , Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System , NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) , Oligosaccharides , Survival RateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alpha-interferon achieves HBeAg seroconversion in about 30 to 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis B, and recently discovered lamivudine, an oral nucleoside analogue, inhibits hepatitis B virus replication and reduces hepatic necroinflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B effectively. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of alpha-interferon, lamivudine and their combination regimen. METHODS: Fourty chronic hepatitis B patients, who were diagnosed through HBV DNA, HBeAg positivity, alanine aminotransferase elevation, and liver biopsy were enrolled in this study. Twelve patients were treated with 500 MU of alpha-interferon subcutaneously 3 times a week for 6 months, 9 patients were treated with 150 mg of lamivudine and alpha-interferon, and 19 patients were treated with 150 lamivudine daily for 6 months. RESULTS: After treatment, all of the three groups showed rapid decline in HBV DNA level, but lamivudine group showed more clearance of HBV DNA than interferon group (alpha-interferon: 75%, combination group: 89%, lamivudine group: 100%, respectively) (p=0.04). HBeAg seroconversion rate was 25% for interferon group, 11% for combination group, 26% for lamivudine group, showing no difference between three groups (p=0.705). Mean serum ALT level and rate of ALT normalization during therapy showed no differnece (83% for interferon group, 78% for combination group, 84% for lamivudine group). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the efficacy of combination interferon/lamivudine therapy appears disappointing and further study should be done for appropriate combination or monotherapy of lamivudine for patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alanine Transaminase , Biopsy , DNA , Hepatitis B e Antigens , Hepatitis B virus , Hepatitis B, Chronic , Hepatitis, Chronic , Interferon-alpha , Interferons , Lamivudine , LiverABSTRACT
OBJECT: The aim of this study is to determine whether exposure to chlorpromazine causes mutagenicity and genetic disorders. METHOD: Ames (Salmonella typhimurium) test and Rec assay (Bacillus subtilis) were used as indicators for DNA damage. Furthermore, the levels of umu operon expression by measuring the beta-galactosidase activity were monitered with the SOS umu test using S. typhimurium 1535 containing plasmid pSK1002. And the host-mediated assay was used to investigate the muta-genicity of chlorpromazine after the activation with in vivo metabolic systems. RESULTS: From the results, chlorpromazine did not affect DNA of S. typhimurium and B. subtilis strains and showed no mutagenicity at the all concentrations tested. These phenomena was also similar to that after metabolic activation of chlorpromazine in in vivo system. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that chlorpromazine did not show the mutagenicity and genotoxicity by four different methods used in this study.
Subject(s)
beta-Galactosidase , Biotransformation , Chlorpromazine , DNA , DNA Damage , Operon , PlasmidsABSTRACT
It has been shown that wornen with endometriosis have several immunological defects. The effect of interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of induced endometriosis in rat was studied. The results obtained are as followings: proliferation of epithelium is increased, and the inner surface is undulated with 1.5 nM IL-2. In 7.5 nM IL-2, the epithelial cells are changed to columar ones, and secretory hobs are observed at the apex of individual cell. Secretory activity of epithelium is increased with 0.5 nM IL-2, and apoptosis of the epithelial cell is observed in 15 nM IL-2. The levels of progesterone and estradiol in sera of rat were increased after treatment with IL-2 and were highest in the concentration of 1.5 nM IL-2. The results of this study can be a guide in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of endometriosis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Rats , Apoptosis , Endometriosis , Epithelial Cells , Epithelium , Estradiol , Interleukin-2 , ProgesteroneABSTRACT
At the time in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, patients with unsuitable endometrium recovered by hormone. However, the overtreatment of hormone causes indispositionly the uterus internal secretion and finally induces endometriosis. Therefore, this study was done to inverstigate the effects of interleukin-2, which was known to differentiator and proliferator of T cells, on proliferation of the endometrial stromal cells in vitro. We have exammined the effects of interleukin-2, on the proliferation of bovine endometrial stromal cells in vitro, assessed by ['H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay methods. Results indicate that we isolated endometrial stromal cells from bovine uterus and established in vitro culture system. And interleukin-2 showed distint stimulatory effect on proliferation of the established stromal cells. These stimulative effects were not affected by estrogen and progesterone indirectly. In conclusion, these data imply that interleukin-2 may proliferate bovine endometrial stromal, cells, and it provides clue for understanding of direct actions of cytokines on the endometriat cells.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Cytokines , Embryo Transfer , Endometriosis , Endometrium , Estrogens , Fertilization in Vitro , Interleukin-2 , Interleukins , Progesterone , Stromal Cells , T-Lymphocytes , UterusABSTRACT
Highly specific and sensitive immunoassay method for soluble human recombinant interleukin-6 (hu rlL-6) was established by two different immunization methods. One is conventional method by Freund's adjuvant method and the other is special method which is directly injected to mouse spleen. Among seven established monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), two typical monoclonal antibodies, designated YB3 (IgG1) and NY2 (IgM), were further characterized. These mAbs highly bound to IL-6, however did not show cross reactivity with IL-1B and IL-2. As the results of ELISA inhibition assay and western blotting method, it was further identified that YB3 and NY2 had high binding specificity with IL-6. And the limiting detection amount of rlL-6 for YB3 was 5 ng/ml and for NY2 was 0.5 ng/ml. Furthermore, N-glycosylated human rlL-6 was also bound to YB3 on ELISA. On the other hand YB-3 furtherly recognized N-glycosylated human rlL-6 by sandwich ELISA method. These mAbs may be of use to diagnose the gynecopathy which contains abortion and preterm labor.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Humans , Mice , Pregnancy , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Blotting, Western , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Freund's Adjuvant , Hand , Immunization , Immunoassay , Interleukin-2 , Interleukin-6 , Obstetric Labor, Premature , Sensitivity and Specificity , SpleenABSTRACT
Panax ginseng (PG) has been used as an important analeptic in traditional medicine. This study was purposed to investigate the effect of PG on immune responses induced by glucocorticoid in mice. PG solution was injected into CV6 and BL23, which are the classical acupuncture points, for 7 days after injection with glucocorticoid. And then B and T cell proliferation and cytolytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells were measured. B cell proliferation by 'H-thymidine incorporation was decreased by about 25% in control group as compared with normal group. However, B cell proliferation was significantly increased 1.8-fold in CV6 group and 2.5-fold in BL23 group as compared with normal group. T cell proliferation by H- thymidine incorporation was decreased by about 15% in control group as compared with normal group. On the other hand, T cell proliferation was significantly increased 1.9-fold in CV6 group and 2.3-fold in BL23 group as cornpared with normal group. Furthermore in purified T cell, the proliferation was furtherly increased rather than in non-purified T cell. The activity of NK cell was remarkably decreased in control group as compared with normal group. However, the activities of NK cells in CV6 and BL23 groups were recovered to the above levels of normal group. On the other hand, the activity of NK cell in the blank locus group was slightly increased compared with control group. However this increasement was not reached the levels of CV6 and BL23 groups. And in the case of purified NK cell, the cytolytic activity of NK cell was respectively increased 1.6-fold in normal group, 1.4-fold in control group, 2.0-fold in blank locus group and 2.0-fold in CV6 group and 1.4-fold in BL23 group as compared to the non-purifed NK cell. These results suggest that PG aqua-acupuncture at CV6 and BL23 may proliferate B and T cells that is suppressed by glucocorticoid, and activate NK cell activity.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Acupuncture Points , Acupuncture , Cell Proliferation , Hand , Killer Cells, Natural , Lymphocytes , Medicine, Traditional , Panax , T-Lymphocytes , ThymidineABSTRACT
No abstract available.
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No abstract available.