Does regional quota status affect the performance of undergraduate medical students in Japan? A 10-year analysis.

Objectives: This study aims to determine whether there is a difference in the academic performance of medical students based on admission type and examine the extent to which entrance examinations predict their performance. Methods: This observational study utilized existing data from Asahikawa Medical University. Participants were 1057 medical students who had enrolled between 2010 and 2019. Analysis of variance and Tukey's test were utilized to identify differences between admission types. The multiple linear regression explored predictors of cumulative grade point average for each type. Results: Analysis of variance showed significant differences in the National Center Test (F(3, 1053) =70.78, p <0.001) and cumulative grade point average (F(3, 1053) =3.93, p <0.01). Tukey's post hoc test revealed that two types of general admission students (M=83.52, SD=3.22; M=85.57, SD=3.01) were significantly higher on the National Center Test than two types of regional quota students (M=81.61, SD=3.93; M=80.65, SD=3.61). The cumulative grade point average of a regional quota group (M=2.23, SD=0.34) was significantly higher than two types of general admissions (M=2.11, SD=0.36; M=2.12, SD=0.34). High school grade point averages and females were significant in predicting cumulative grade point averages for each admission (16.0-28.3% variance). Conclusions: Regional quota students earned a higher cumulative grade point average than those from general admissions, despite their significantly lower scores on the National Center Test. Enhanced utilization of regional quota admissions could become an effective strategy to increase the rural physician workforce.

Evaluation logic in practice: Findings from two empirical investigations of American Evaluation Association members.

Surveys of two independent random samples of American Evaluation Association (AEA) members were conducted to investigate application of the logic of evaluation in their evaluation practice. This logic consists of four parts: (1) establish criteria, (2) set standards, (3) measure performance on criteria and compare to standards, and (4) synthesize into a value judgment. Nearly three-fourths (71.84% ±â€¯5.98%) of AEA members are unfamiliar with this logic, yet a majority also indicate its importance and utility for evaluation practice. Moreover, and despite unfamiliarity with the four steps of the logic of evaluation, many AEA members identify evaluative criteria (82.41% ±â€¯3.34%), set performance standards (60.55% ±â€¯7.39%), compare performance to standards (62.14% ±â€¯5.98%), and synthesize into an evaluative conclusion (75.00% ±â€¯5.80%) in their evaluation practice. Much like the working logic of evaluation, however, application of the general logic varies widely.

Initial open trial of a computerized behavioral activation treatment for depression.

This article presents preliminary findings from use of a novel computer program that implements an evidence-based psychological intervention to treat depression based on behavioral activation (BA) therapy. The program is titled "Building a Meaningful Life Through Behavioral Activation". The findings derive from an open trial with moderate to severely depressed individuals (N = 15) in an Intention to Treat sample. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses revealed significant change over time on Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) scores, Revised Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, and significant contribution to BDI-II score variance by participant age over time, change over time in negative automatic thoughts, and change over time in BA scores. Piecewise HLM analyses revealed that significant change over time was associated uniquely with active treatment and not during 3 weeks of baseline measurement. In addition to treatment-associated significant change on all dependent measures over time, effect sizes were in the moderate to large range. Limitations are small sample size, nonrandomized control, research-recruited patients instead of purely treatment-seeking patients, possible rating bias by independent assessors who had knowledge that participants had received active treatment in this open trial, and the influence of additional services received in the post acute-treatment phase by some participants could have contributed to maintenance of gains reported for that period.

Immunity against mouse thymus-leukemia antigen (TL) protects against development of lymphomas induced by a chemical carcinogen, N-butyl-N-nitrosourea.

Mouse thymus-leukemia antigens (TL) are aberrantly expressed on T lymphomas in C57BL/6 (B6) and C3H/He (C3H) mice, while they are not expressed on normal T lymphocytes in these strains. When N-butyl-N-nitrosourea (NBU), a chemical carcinogen, was administered orally to B6 and C3H strains, lymphoma development was slower than in T3(b)-TL gene-transduced counterpart strains expressing TL ubiquitously as self-antigens, suggesting that anti-TL immunity may play a protective role. In addition, the development of lymphomas was slightly slower in C3H than in B6, which seems to be in accordance with the results of skin graft experiments indicating that both cellular and humoral immunities against TL were stronger in C3H than B6 mice. The interesting finding that B lymphomas derived from a T3(b)-TL transgenic strain (C3H background) expressing a very high level of TL were rejected in C3H, but not in H-2K(b) transgenic mice (C3H background), raises the possibility that TL-specific effector T cell populations are eliminated and/or energized to a certain extent by interacting with H-2K(b) molecules.