MedWorm: MCATs

Mitochondrial proteome remodelling in pressure overload-induced heart failure: the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress

Cardiovascular Research — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that scavenging mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mCAT not only attenuates most of the mitochondrial proteome changes in heart failure, but also induces a subset of unique alterations. These changes represent processes that are adaptive to the increased work and metabolic requirements of pressure overload, but which are normally inhibited by overproduction of mitochondrial ROS. (Source: Cardiovascular Research)

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The Medical College Admission Test — Toward a New Balance

New England Journal of Medicine — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:00:15 +0100

New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 365, Issue 21, Page 1955-1957, November 2011. (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)

Modeling relationships between traditional preadmission measures and clinical skills performance on a medical licensure examination

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:49:27 +0100

Abstract Medical schools employ a variety of preadmission measures to select students most likely to succeed in the program. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and the undergraduate college grade point average (uGPA) are two academic measures typically used to select students in medical school. The assumption that presently used preadmission measures can predict clinical skill performance on a medical licensure examination was evaluated within a validity argument framework (Kane 1992). A hierarchical generalized linear model tested relationships between the log-odds of failing a high-stakes medical licensure performance examination and matriculant academic and non-academic preadmission measures, controlling for student-and school-variables. Data includes 3,189 matric...

New MCAT in the works.

cmaj — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Collier R PMID: 21788416 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: cmaj)

Stable expression and purification of a functional processed Fab' fragment from a single nascent polypeptide in CHO cells expressing the mCAT-1 retroviral receptor.

Journal of Immunological Methods — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Camper N, Byrne T, Burden RE, Lowry J, Gray B, Johnston JA, Migaud ME, Olwill SA, Buick RJ, Scott CJ Monoclonal antibodies and derivative formats such as Fab fragments are used in a broad range of therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications. New systems and methodologies that can improve the production of these proteins are consequently of much interest. Here we present a novel approach for the rapid production of processed Fab' fragments in a CHO cell line that has been engineered to express the mouse cationic amino acid transporter receptor 1 (m-CAT1). This facilitated the introduction of the target antibody gene through retroviral transfection, rapidly producing stable expression. Using this system, we designed a single retroviral vector construct for the expression o...

Upgrading Undergraduate Biology Education

Eye on Education — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:25:28 +0100

On many campuses throughout the country, undergraduate biology education is in serious need of an upgrade. During the past few decades, the body of biological knowledge has grown exponentially, and as a research endeavor, the practice of biology has evolved. Education research has also made great strides, revealing many new insights into how students learn and producing effective teaching strategies. But the practice of undergraduate biology education does not reflect these advances. For many students, biology continues to be a laundry list of topics, countless new words and diagrams to memorize, and cookbook experiments to get through, rather than a conceptual understanding of the field and scientific skills. Fortunately, there are three new initiatives for improving the undergraduate bi...

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A prematriculation intervention to improve the adjustment of students to medical school.

Teaching and Learning in Medicine — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: An online prematriculation intervention can provide useful background material to interested students. Access to this material increased performance in a 1st-year basic science course and was perceived as valuable by students. PMID: 21745061 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Teaching and Learning in Medicine)

RTEF-1 Regulates HIF-1{alpha} [Molecular Bases of Disease]

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The amount of available hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α has been considered to be largely a consequence of post-translational modification by multiple ubiquitin-proteasome pathways. However, the role of transcriptional regulation of HIF-1α is less certain, and the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of HIF-1α require further investigation. Here we report that related transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (RTEF-1), a member of the TEF transcriptional factor family, transcriptionally regulates the HIF-1α gene under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The expression of HIF-1α mRNA was decreased in endothelial cells in which RTEF-1 was knocked down with siRNA. Sequential deletional analysis of the HIF-1α promoter revealed that the MCAT-like element in the HIF-1α promoter was essential f...

Do study strategies predict academic performance in medical school?

Medical Education — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:15:26 +0100

Conclusions Improving the prioritisation and organisation of study time and teaching students to predict, compose and answer their own questions when studying may help to advance student performance regardless of student aptitude, especially on course‐specific examinations. (Source: Medical Education)

Mephedrone linked to severe anxiety and suicidal thoughts

Nursing Times Breaking News — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:41:00 +0100

The adverse psychological effects of mephedrone – also known as meph, 4-MMC, MCAT, drone, miaow and bubbles – have been documented for the first time. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

Psychiatrists Document Adverse Effects Of Mephedrone, UK

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0100

Psychiatrists in Scotland have published the first known case series documenting the adverse psychological effects of mephedrone - also known by the street names meph, 4-MMC, MCAT, drone, miaow, and bubbles. The researchers studied 20 people who arrived at the emergency departments and acute mental health services in Edinburgh and Falkirk between January and June 2010, seeking treatment after taking mephedrone. Their study is published in the June issue of The Psychiatrist. 17 of the 20 patients were men... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Mitochondrial targeted catalase suppresses invasive breast cancer in mice.

BMC Cancer — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Targeting catalase within mitochondria of tumor cells and tumor stromal cells suppresses ROS-driven tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, increasing the antioxidant capacity of the mitochondrial compartment could be a rational therapeutic approach for invasive breast cancer.Please see related commentary article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/9/62 (Source: BMC Cancer)

Well: A Better Medical School Admissions Test

NYT Health — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:01:57 +0100

The MCAT is undergoing its first revision in 25 years. (Source: NYT Health)

Proposed changes would broaden MCAT's scope

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The test would move beyond the clinical sciences to better measure the wide-ranging skills physicians will need, the AAMC says. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

Opening up in the classroom: Effects of expressive writing on graduate school entrance exam performance.

Emotion — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Our study sought to determine whether experimental disclosure could improve exam performance and psychological health in students taking a graduate school entrance exam. Students preparing for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, or PCAT were randomly assigned to write expressively about their upcoming exam or to a neutral writing condition. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms and test anxiety before and after writing, and exam scores were collected. The experimental disclosure group had significantly higher test scores and significantly lower pre-exam depressive symptoms than the neutral writing group. Although benefits for depressive symptoms were found in expressive writers regardless of exam type, the advantage of expressive writing for test performance was only observed in students...

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Structural Analysis of Canscript [DNA and Chromosomes]

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Mesothelin (MSLN) may be the most “dramatic” of the tumor markers, being strongly overexpressed in nearly one-third of human malignancies. The biochemical cause is unclear. We previously ascribed this cancer-specific overexpression to an element, Canscript, residing around 50 bp 5′ of the transcription start site in cancer (Hucl, T., Brody, J. R., Gallmeier, E., Iacobuzio-Donahue, C. A., Farrance, I. K., and Kern, S. E. (2007) Cancer Res. 67, 9055–9065). Herein, we found a Canscript promoter activity elevated over 100-fold in cancer cells. In addition to a highly conserved TEAD1 (TEA domain family member 1)-binding MCAT motif, nucleotide substitution revealed the consensus core sequence (WCYCCACCC) of an SP1-like motif in Canscript. The unknown transcription factor binding to the S...

A century of premedical education.

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:30:04 +0100

This article reviews the history of premedical education, describes some recent critiques of premedical education, discusses a newer program for premedical education evolving at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and offers some suggestions for the future. PMID: 21399379 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Perspectives in Biology and Medicine)

Admission Factors Predicting Family Medicine Specialty Choice: A Literature Review and Exploratory Study Among Students in the Rural Medical Scholars Program

The Journal of Rural Health — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Statements of interest, intentions, plans, and decisions regarding family medicine should be elicited at the time of RMSP admission interview. Strong attachment to home community and commitment to serving and living in a rural area are also important. Students whose introduction to medicine was informed through shadowing or observing in urban hospitals should be considered less likely to become family physicians. Larger sample size studies are needed to assess the role of gender, race, marital status, size of rural town, and MCAT score of candidates in affecting residency choices of students selected for this rural medical education track. (Source: The Journal of Rural Health)

Mephedrone Review

The Poison Review — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:44:50 +0100

2.5 out of 5 stars Mephedrone toxicity in a Scottish emergency department. Regan L et al. Emerg Med J 2010 Dec 23; [Epub ahead of print] Abstract Mephedrone (aka Meow meow, MCAT, Bubbles, drone, and Meph) is the synthetic amphetamine 4-methylmethcathinone. It has sympathomimetic properties, causing peripheral vasoconstriction as well as anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks. Unfortunately, there is scant scientific literature describing the effects of this drug. This paper — from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — set out to review the literature on mephedrone, and report of the experience with the drug in their emergency department. They found 6 relevant papers, including 4 case reports. There were two deaths — one involving mephedrone and marijuana, t...

Targeted expression of catalase to mitochondria prevents age-associated reductions in mitochondrial function and insulin resistance.

Cell Metabolism — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Lee HY, Choi CS, Birkenfeld AL, Alves TC, Jornayvaz FR, Jurczak MJ, Zhang D, Woo DK, Shadel GS, Ladiges W, Rabinovitch PS, Santos JH, Petersen KF, Samuel VT, Shulman GI Aging-associated muscle insulin resistance has been hypothesized to be due to decreased mitochondrial function, secondary to cumulative free radical damage, leading to increased intramyocellular lipid content. To directly test this hypothesis, we examined both in vivo and in vitro mitochondrial function, intramyocellular lipid content, and insulin action in lean healthy mice with targeted overexpression of the human catalase gene to mitochondria (MCAT mice). Here, we show that MCAT mice are protected from age-induced decrease in muscle mitochondrial function (∼30%), energy metabolism (∼7%), and lipid-ind...

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Effects of comprehensive educational reforms on academic success in a diverse student body

Medical Education — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The effect sizes in these performance improvements surpassed those previously reported for isolated interventions in curriculum and student support. This success is likely to have resulted from the broad‐based, mutually reinforcing nature of reforms in multiple components of the education system. The results suggest that a narrow reductionist view of educational programme reform is less likely to result in improved educational outcomes than a system perspective that addresses the coordinated functioning of multiple aspects of the academic enterprise. (Source: Medical Education)

[Correspondence] Science as superstition

LANCET — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:43:17 +0100

I was very interested to read Donald Barr's Art of Medicine essay, “Science as superstition” (Aug 28, p 678), especially since I am entering my first year at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a participant in the humanities and medicine programme. This programme provides early acceptance to the medical school for about 35 college sophomores every year who agree to major in a humanities subject in return for not having to take organic chemistry, physics, or the Medical College Admission Test. Students in the programme this year have worked as professional actors, lived with shaman healers in Peru, taught English in Indonesia as Fulbright scholars, and pursued advanced degrees in classical music performance. (Source: LANCET)

Misfolding of CasBrE SU is reversed by interactions with 4070A Env: implications for gammaretroviral neuropathogenesis

Retrovirology — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: In this report we provided evidence that 4070A Env and CasBrE SU physically interact within NSCs leading to CasBrE SU retention on the plasma membrane, incorporation into viral particles, restoration of mCAT-1 binding, and capacity for initiation of TM-mediated fusion events. Thus, heterotropic Env-SU interactions facilitates CasBrE SU folding events that restore Env activity. These findings are consistent with the idea that one protein conformation acts as a folding scaffold or nucleus for a second protein of similar primary structure, a process reminiscent of prion formation. The implication is that template-based protein folding may represent an inherent feature of neuropathogenic proteins that extends to retroviral Envs. (Source: Retrovirology)

The Role of Institutional Selectivity in the Prediction of Podiatric Medical School Performance.

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This analysis revealed that in the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, some preadmission variables, such as institutional selectivity, undergraduate grade point average, ethnic origin, and Medical College Admission Test verbal reasoning and biological science scores, are statistically significant in predicting first-year podiatric medical school grade point average. The selectivity of a student's undergraduate institution should be considered when screening potential podiatric medical school applicants. PMID: 21084534 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association)

Effect of alkyl hydroxybenzenes on the properties of dioxygenases.

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:35:25 +0100

Authors: Solyanikova IP, Konovalova EI, El-Registan GI, Golovleva LA The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of alkylhydroxybenzenes (AHBs) and tyrosol, which belong to cell differentiation factors d(1) group of autoregulators on properties of biodegradation enzymes, catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (Cat 1,2-DO) and methylcatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (MCat 1,2-DO) of Rhodococcus opacus 6a. AHBs were found to have a greater effect on MCat 1,2-DO than on Cat 1,2-DO. It was expressed by more pronounced changes in the activity of MCat 1,2-DO with unsubstituted catechol at different AHB concentrations and by increasing thermostability of MCat 1,2-DO compared to Cat 1,2-DO under the protective action of AHBs. The compound C(7)-AHB shifted the maximum of dioxygenase activities toward...

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Serum Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Variations in Young Children During Acute Otitis Media.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Liu K, Casey J, Pichichero M Acute otitis media (AOM) is an inflammatory reaction in the middle ear, most often occurring in young children. Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat) are the most common bacteria isolated. Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is involved in the innate immune response to infection by microorganisms, in effective antigen presentation, and in subsequent T-cell activation. Here we prospectively studied levels of serum soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) before, at the time of, and after antimicrobial treatment of AOM in a group of 138 children age 6-30 months. Middle ear fluids were collected by tympanocentesis to identify otopathogens. We found that 1) serum levels of sICAM-1 were signifi...

Studying Humanities and Medicine

Sound Medicine — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Before doctors become doctors, they're kinda put through the ringer. They take heavy duty pre-med courses, sweat through the MCAT. And then, if they're lucky, the hardiest and most determined grind their way through medical school and residency. That's how it is for most wanna-be docs -- but not for all. For a very select few, there's another path to medicine, through the Humanities and Medicin.... (Source: Sound Medicine)

Students At Risk For Difficulties In Medical School Identified By Study

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Students who enter medical school with high debt levels, low scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or who are non-white are more likely to face difficulties that may prevent graduation or hinder acceptance into a residency program if they do graduate, according to a nationwide study of students enrolled in MD programs. The research, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study of more than 84,000 students who entered U.S... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Demographics Tied to Poor Med School Outcomes (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Public Health — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:48:25 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Medical school students who scored lower on the MCAT, who were of nonwhite race or ethnicity, or who had the most nonmedical debt before starting the program, were most likely to withdraw, be dismissed, or graduate without passing the necessary exams, researchers found. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

Prematriculation Variables Associated With Suboptimal Outcomes for the 1994-1999 Cohort of US Medical School Matriculants [Original Contribution]

JAMA — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:50:38 +0100

Conclusions Lower scores on the Medical College Admission Test, nonwhite race/ethnicity, and premedical debt of at least $50 000 were independently associated with a greater likelihood of academic withdrawal or dismissal and graduation without first-attempt passing scores on the US Medical Licensing Examination Step l and/or Step 2 CK. (Source: JAMA)

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Free E-Books for iPad and iPhone Until August 30

What's New on JEFFLINE — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:41:57 +0100

Educational publisher Kaplan is offering 100 free e-books through the Apple Bookstore from now through August 30, 2010. That’s a short window, and the books are only for Apple equipment (iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone), but the list includes almost 20 medically-related books available including USMLE preparation, MCAT, and CCRN books. If you have this equipment, take a moment to stop by the site and download a few. See what’s available at the iTunes Store. Read commentary from Teleread blog about Kaplan’s experimentation with free distribution. View some sample pages from the books at iMedicalApps blog. (Source: What's New on JEFFLINE)

Medical Students Do As Well With Background in Humanities

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:05:11 +0100

The achievements of medical students who did not take the MCAT and who had a humanities background were mostly comparable with those of students entering medical school with standard premed criteria. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Students With Humanities Background Equally Successful In Medical School As Traditional Students

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that students enrolled in the Humanities and Medicine (HuMed) program are as successful in medical school as students who fulfill the traditional pre-med requirements. HuMed students are accepted in their sophomore year of college and complete their studies in the humanities or social sciences before matriculating at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. They are not required to take the traditional pre-med science courses and do not have to take the MCAT... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Challenging Traditional Premedical Requirements as Predictors of Success in Medical School: The Mount Sinai School of Medicine Humanities and Medicine Program

Academic Medicine — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:21:56 +0100

Conclusions: Students without the traditional premedical preparation performed at a level equivalent to their premedical classmates. (C) 2010 Association of American Medical Colleges (Source: Academic Medicine)

Evolving Behaviors of MCAT Examinees Who Apply to U S Medical Schools

Medscape Today Headlines — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:36:29 +0100

What do the trends show us? Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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MCAT good predictor of performance in medical school

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:55:22 +0100

As the admission exam undergoes its latest revision, researchers examined 35 years of data and found predictability remained relatively stable through the years. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

Update: Have BIO2010 Goals Been Achieved?

Eye on Education — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:26:18 +0100

Leaders in biology education are celebrating the progress made since the publication of BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists. The landmark report, published in 2003 by the National Research Council (NRC), called on institutions of higher education to revamp both the curricula and teaching methods in the life sciences to meet the challenges of the 21st century. BIO2010 urged much deeper connections between the biological sciences and mathematics, the physical sciences, and computer science. In addition, the report called on faculty to move out of the lecture hall and into the field and lab to help develop hands-on learning and higher-order thinking in their students. "There's been an incredible response," says John Jungck, vice president of the Inte...

The Predictive Validity of Three Versions of the MCAT in Relation to Performance in Medical School, Residency, and Licensing Examinations: A Longitudinal Study of 36 Classes of Jefferson Medical College

Academic Medicine — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:32:59 +0100

Conclusions: Although the findings support the short- and long-term predictive validity of the MCAT, opportunities to strengthen it remain. Subsequent revisions should increase the test's ability to predict performance on United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 and must minimize the differential validity for gender. (C) 2010 Association of American Medical Colleges (Source: Academic Medicine)

Topical curcumin can inhibit deleterious effects of upper respiratory tract bacteria on human oropharyngeal cells in vitro: potential role for patients with cancer therapy induced mucositis?

Supportive Care in Cancer — Fri, 14 May 2010 09:21:18 +0100

Conclusion Curcumin, in clinically relevant concentrations for topical use, displayed strong antibacterial effect against a facultative upper respiratory tract pathogen by inhibiting bacterial growth, adherence, invasion, and pro-inflammatory activation of upper respiratory tract epithelial cells in vitro. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00520-010-0894-xAuthors Sonja Lüer, University of Bern Department of Pediatrics Inselspital 3010 Bern SwitzerlandRolf Troller, University of Bern Institute for Infectious Diseases Inselspital 3010 Bern SwitzerlandMarion Jetter, University of Bern Institute for Infectious Diseases Inselspital 3010 Bern SwitzerlandVioleta Spaniol, University of Bern Institute for Infectious Diseases Inselspital 3010 ...

Absence of Mitochondrial Toxicity in Hearts of Transgenic Mice Treated with Abacavir.

Cardiovascular Toxicology — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Kohler JJ, Hosseini SH, Green E, Fields E, Abuin A, Ludaway T, Russ R, Lewis W Abacavir (ABC) is a guanosine nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) with potent antiretroviral activity. Since NRTIs exhibit tissue-specific inhibition of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) synthesis, the ability of ABC to inhibit mtDNA synthesis in vivo was evaluated. Inbred wild-type (WT) and transgenic mice (TG) treated with ABC (3.125 mg/d p. o., 35 days) were used to define mitochondrial oxidative stress and cardiac function. Chosen TGs exhibited overexpression of HIV-1 viral proteins (NL4-3Deltagag/pol, non-replication competent), hemizygous depletion or overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2(+/-) knock-out (KO) or MnSOD OX, respectively), overexpression of mitochondrial...

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New design platform for malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase

FEBS Letters — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase (MCAT) transfers the malonyl group from malonyl-CoA to holo-acyl carrier protein (ACP), and since malonyl-ACP is a key building block for fatty-acid biosynthesis it is considered as a promising antibacterial target. The crystal structures of MCAT from Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae have been determined at 1.46 and 2.1Å resolution, respectively. In the SaMCAT structure, the N-terminal expression peptide of a neighboring molecule running in the opposite direction of malonyl-CoA makes extensive interactions with the highly conserved “Gly-Gln-Gly-Ser-Gln” stretch, suggesting a new design platform. Mutagenesis results suggest that Ser91 and His199 are the catalytic dyad. (Source: FEBS Letters)

Strategies for Identifying Students at Risk for USMLE Step 1 Failure.

Famly Medicine — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Using internal and external predictors, it is possible to identify students at risk for failing Step 1 of the USMLE. PMID: 20135567 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Famly Medicine)

Doctor and Patient: Do You Have the ‘Right Stuff’ to Be a Doctor?

NYT > Health — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:50:13 +0100

Traits like extraversion and conscientiousness might be better predictors of who makes a good doctor than a high score on a standardized test. (Source: NYT > Health)

Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of MCAT from Staphylococcus aureus

Acta Crystallographica Section F — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Malonyl-CoA:acyl-carrier protein transacylase (MCAT), encoded by the fabd gene, is a key enzyme in type II fatty-acid biosynthesis. It is responsible for transferring the malonyl group from malonyl-CoA to the holo acyl-carrier protein (ACP). Since the type II system differs from the type I system that mammals use, it has received enormous attention as a possible antibiotic target. In particular, only a single isoform of MCAT has been reported and a continuous coupled enzyme assay has been developed. MCAT from Staphylococcus aureus was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the protein was purified and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected to 1.2 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 41.608, b = 86.717, c = 43.163 Å, α = γ = 9...

Non-association between Neo-5 personality tests and multiple mini-interview

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:09:49 +0100

Abstract Most medical schools attempt to select applicants on the basis of cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Typically, interpersonal skills are assessed by interview, though relatively few applicants make it to interview. Thus, an efficient paper and pencil test of non-cognitive skills is needed. One possibility is personality tests. Tests of the five factor model of personality, and in particular the factor of conscientiousness, has proven effective in predicting future job performance. Can it serve as a screen for admissions interviews? In particular, correlation with the multiple mini-interviews (MMI) is of interest since the latter is a well validated test of non-cognitive skills. A total of 152 applicants to Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster comple...

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Pass–fail grading: laying the foundation for self-regulated learning

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:19:04 +0100

Abstract Traditionally, medical schools have tended to make assumptions that students will “automatically” engage in self-education effectively after graduation and subsequent training in residency and fellowships. In reality, the majority of medical graduates out in practice feel unprepared for learning on their own. Many medical schools are now adopting strategies and pedagogies to help students become self-regulating learners. Along with these changes in practices and pedagogy, many schools are eliminating a cornerstone of extrinsic motivation: discriminating grades. To study the effects of the switch from discriminating to pass–fail grading in the second year of medical school, we compared internal and external assessments and evaluations for a second-year class ...

11-year-olds 'selling mephedrone to younger pupils'

Telegraph Health — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:53:26 +0100

Schoolchildren as young as 11 are selling the potentially lethal drug mephedrone to fellow pupils, according to the mother of a young woman who died after taking another 'legal high'. (Source: Telegraph Health)

You Majored in What? And You're Going to Med School?

Psychology Today Work Center — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:34:04 +0100

In the world of linear career thinking we often take comfort in what we know to be "true." Pre-med students should major in biology, of course. Pre-law students should major in political science or economics. The problem is that the truth isn't nearly as obvious as it might seem. Or even true.While waiting to do a television interview about my book yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with a dentist who was waiting to do an interview about good and bad Halloween candy. (By the way did you know that pretzels and raisins can be worse for your teeth than candy? But I digress...) When he learned that my book was about chaos theory and the lack of connection between a college major and the subsequent career, he laughed. He told me that although he was a science major in college, he now ...

99 Best Blogs for Pre-Med Students

LPN to RN Blog — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:41:46 +0100

These blogs will give pre-med students the upper hand on medical knowledge, current events and health care answers. Recognized as a vital learning tool for pre-med students and patients alike, medical blogs are a must-read for education and entertainment. Whether you are applying to medical school, already enrolled or just have an affinity for medicine, these blogs will further your interest, make you laugh often and maybe even prompt you to write a blog of your own! Student Blogs All pre-med students have been in your shoes. They had to take the MCAT, apply to medical schools and make the grades to graduate. Reading helpful tips, residency stories and the ups and downs of med school will give you a better understanding of what to expect during those grueling, yet rewarding years. PreM.D....

Do MCAT verbal and MCAT writing scores correlate with performance on a third-year OSCE?

Famly Medicine — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Stephens MB, Reamy BV PMID: 19816821 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Famly Medicine)

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Removal of either N-glycan site from the envelope receptor binding domain of Moloney and Friend but not AKV mouse ecotropic gammaretroviruses alters receptor usage.

Virology — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Knoper RC, Ferrarone J, Yan Y, Lafont BA, Kozak CA Three N-linked glycosylation sites were removed from the envelope glycoproteins of Friend, Moloney, and AKV mouse ecotropic gammaretroviruses: gs1 and gs2, in the receptor binding domain; and gs8, in a region implicated in post-binding cell fusion. Mutants were tested for their ability to infect rodent cells expressing 4 CAT-1 receptor variants. Three mutants (Mo-gs1, Mo-gs2, and Fr-gs1) infect NIH 3T3 and rat XC cells, but are severely restricted in Mus dunni cells and Lec8, a Chinese hamster cell line susceptible to ecotropic virus. This restriction is reproduced in ferret cells expressing M. dunni dCAT-1, but not in cells expressing NIH 3T3 mCAT-1. Virus binding assays, pseudotype assays, and the use of glycosylation inhibi...

The influence of regional basic science campuses on medical students' choice of specialty and practice location: a historical cohort study

BMC Medical Education — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Attending a regional campus for preclinical training appears to increase the likelihood of practicing primary care medicine in local communities. (Source: BMC Medical Education)

Medical school curricula: do curricular approaches affect competence in medicine?

Famly Medicine — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Various formal curricular approaches have little differential effect on students' performance on the USMLE. PMID: 19492189 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Famly Medicine)

Supports and obstacles in the medical school application process for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: A conceptual framework that considers both supports and obstacles in the medical school application process will improve our understanding of the needs of AI/AN applicants. PMID: 19395832 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved)

UCLA ranks 11th among U.S. medical schools in annual survey

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:01:15 +0100

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA ranks 11th among the nation's research-based medical schools and 10th among primary care medical school programs, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual survey of the best graduate schools in the United States. The 2010 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools" — slated to hit newsstands April 28 and currently available online at www.usnews.com/grad — is the most comprehensive listing of its kind, with more than 1,500 graduate school programs nationwide. In addition to its overall ranking, the Geffen School of Medicine also received high marks in a number of specialty training programs, ranking third in geriatrics, sixth in AIDS, eighth in drug and alcohol abuse programs, and ninth in women's health. "We are ...

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A National Cohort Study of MD–PhD Graduates of Medical Schools With and Without Funding From the National Institute of General Medical Sciences' Medical Scientist Training Program

Academic Medicine — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:44:52 +0100

Conclusions: Women and nonwhite MD–PhD graduates more likely graduated from long-standing MSTP than non-MSTP-funded schools. Controlling for institutional MSTP funding, MD–PhD graduates with high debt were more likely to indicate non-research-related career-setting preferences. (Source: Academic Medicine)

Get Into Medical School

About.com Health Careers — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

If you have applied, or are planning to apply, to medical school, have you ever wondered how the schools select which students to accept? Many students meet the basic requirements of grades and MCAT scores, but you must have more than that to ensure your successful acceptance into medical school. (Source: About.com Health Careers)

Mcat

About.com Health Careers — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

MCAT - What is MCAT - Definition of MCAT (Source: About.com Health Careers)

Calif. court denies extra MCAT time for students with learning disabilities

American Medical News — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:16:52 +0100

Recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act may help address some concerns at issue in the case. (Source: American Medical News)

A Box-Cox normal model for response times.

The British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Entink RH, van der Linden WJ, Fox JP The log-transform has been a convenient choice in response time modelling on test items. However, motivated by a dataset of the Medical College Admission Test where the lognormal model violated the normality assumption, the possibilities of the broader class of Box-Cox transformations for response time modelling are investigated. After an introduction and an outline of a broader framework for analysing responses and response times simultaneously, the performance of a Box-Cox normal model for describing response times is investigated using simulation studies and a real data example. A transformation-invariant implementation of the deviance information criterium (DIC) is developed that allows for comparing model fit between models with differ...

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The mitochondrial theory of aging: Insight from transgenic and knockout mouse models.

Experimental Gerontology — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jang YC, Remmen HV A substantial body of evidence has accumulated over the past 35 years in support of a role for oxidative damage to the mitochondrial respiratory chain and mitochondrial DNA in the determination of mammalian lifespan. The goal of this review is to provide a concise summary of recent studies using transgenic and knockout mouse models with altered expression of mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes (MnSOD (Sod2Tg and Sod2(+/-)), thioredoxin 2 (Trx2(+/-)), mitochondrial targeted catalase (mCAT) and mutant mice models that have been genetically manipulated to increase mitochondrial deletions or mutations (Polgamma(D257A/D257A) mutant mice) to examine the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in aging. The majority of studies using these strategies do not support a c...

VITO-2, a new SID domain protein, is expressed in the myogenic lineage during early mouse embryonic development.

Gene Expression Patterns : GEP — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Mielcarek M, Piotrowska I, Schneider A, Günther S, Braun T MCAT elements and its cognate binding partners, the transcription enhancer factors (TEFs) play important roles in the regulation of expression of several muscle-specific genes. The biological effects of TEFs strongly depend on different co-factors, which might act as co-activators or anti-repressors to enable transcriptional activation of target genes by TEFs. Previously, we have cloned and characterized VITO-1, which acts as a skeletal muscle-specific transcriptional co-activator of TEFs. Here we describe the cloning and expression profile of a related gene, VITO-2 (also termed Vgl-3), which shares a high homology with VITO-1 in the SID domain responsible for interaction with TEFs. During early embryonic and feta...

Cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of malonyl-CoA–acyl carrier protein transacylase (FabD) from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Acta Crystallographica Section F — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial blight in rice, which is one of the most devastating diseases in rice-cultivating countries. The Xoo0880 (fabD) gene coding for a malonyl-CoA–acyl carrier protein transacylase (MCAT) from Xoo was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. MCAT is an essential enzyme that catalyzes a key reaction of fatty-acid synthesis in bacteria and plants: the conversion of malonyl-CoA to malonyl-acyl carrier protein. The FabD enzyme was purified and crystallized in order to elucidate its three-dimensional structure and to determine its enzymatic reaction mechanism and biological importance. The crystal obtained diffracted to 1.9 Å resolution and belonged to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 41.4, b = 74.6, c = ...

Effect of the use of instructional anatomy videos on student performance

Anatomical Sciences Education — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The objective of this study is to describe the design, usage, and effect on examination performance of eight locally developed instructional anatomy videos. First-year UCSF medical students (n = 141) had access to the videos. They reported their video usage, reason for usage, and satisfaction. The prior year students (n = 141) served as a historical control group. Anatomy and radiology examination performance was compared between groups while controlling for prior performance. The students with and without access to the videos did not differ in examination performance. Sixty-one (43%) students in the experimental group responded to the survey. Of these, 79% reported using at least one video, viewing an average of 4.75 of the eight videos. They watched 3.27 (SD = 1.57, range 1-5) of the fiv...

Acceleration of Monte Carlo-based scatter compensation for cardiac SPECT.

Physics in Medicine and Biology — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sohlberg A, Watabe H, Iida H Single proton emission computed tomography (SPECT) images are degraded by photon scatter making scatter compensation essential for accurate reconstruction. Reconstruction-based scatter compensation with Monte Carlo (MC) modelling of scatter shows promise for accurate scatter correction, but it is normally hampered by long computation times. The aim of this work was to accelerate the MC-based scatter compensation using coarse grid and intermittent scatter modelling. The acceleration methods were compared to un-accelerated implementation using MC-simulated projection data of the mathematical cardiac torso (MCAT) phantom modelling (99m)Tc uptake and clinical myocardial perfusion studies. The results showed that when combined the acceleration methods r...

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Selective effects of 8-Br-cAMP on agonists and antagonists of the glucocorticoid receptor

Endocrine — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:16:29 +0100

Abstract RU486 has been reported to be a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and a progesterone receptor (PR) antagonist. We have analysed RU486 activity on the GR in WCL-2 (CHO) cells and in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with the mouse GR and with the reporter MMTVCAT (MCAT). These cell lines do not contain any active progesterone or androgen receptors. In both cell lines RU486 is a partial agonist of the GR with 10–15% of the activity of dexamethasone. As expected, RU486 is also a partial antagonist of the GR. Treatment of COS-7 cells with 8-Br-cAMP increases the agonist activity of both dexamethasone and RU486. This cAMP induced superactivation is seen with all steroids that have full or partial agonist activity. In contrast, the activities of ZK98.299 and R5020, which...

Aptitude, achievement and competence in medicine: a latent variable path model

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:13:14 +0100

Abstract To develop and test a latent variable path model of general achievement, aptitude for medicine and competence in medicine employing data from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), pre-medical undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and demographic characteristics for competence in pre-clinical and measures of competence (United States Licensure Examination {USMLE} Steps 1, 2, and 3). Data were gathered on 839,710 participants from 1991 to 2000 on demographic and school variables, UGPA, MCAT subtest scores and Steps 1, 2, and 3 of the United Stated Licensure Examination (USMLE). However, subsets of the total 839,710 participants included in the database were used for various analyses and the testing of a latent variable path model (LVPA). A number of pre...

[EDUCATION FORUM] ASSESSMENT: Application of Bloom's Taxonomy Debunks the MCAT Myth

Science: Current Issue — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:14:51 +0100

Analyses of questions that evaluate critical thinking, from college placement and medical school admission examinations, suggest improvements to college teaching methods.Analyses of questions that evaluate critical thinking, from college placement and medical school admission examinations, suggest improvements to college teaching methods.Authors: Alex Y. Zheng, Janessa K. Lawhorn, Thomas Lumley, Scott Freeman (Source: Science: Current Issue)

Role of receptor polymorphism and glycosylation in syncytium induction and host range variation of ecotropic mouse gammaretroviruses

Retrovirology — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Virus entry and virus-induced syncytium formation using the CAT-1 receptor are mediated by a small number of critical amino acid residues in receptor and virus Env. Virus entry is modulated by glycosylation of cellular proteins, and this effect is cell and virus-specific. (Source: Retrovirology)

Analysis of factors that predict clinical performance in medical school

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:18:12 +0100

Abstract Academic achievement indices including GPAs and MCAT scores are used to predict the spectrum of medical student academic performance types. However, use of these measures ignores two changes influencing medical school admissions: student diversity and affirmative action, and an increased focus on communication skills. To determine if GPA and MCAT predict performance in medical school consistently across students, and whether either predicts clinical performance in clerkships. A path model was developed to examine relationships among indices of medical student performance during the first three years of medical school for five cohorts of medical students. A structural equation approach was used to calculate the coefficients hypothesized in the model for majority a...

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Impact of preadmission variables on USMLE step 1 and step 2 performance

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:52:52 +0100

Conclusions The results have implications that could impact the selection of applicants to medical school and the neural networks that we developed could be used in a prospective manner. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10459-007-9087-xAuthors James Kleshinski, The University of Toledo College of Medicine Department of Medicine Health Science Campus, Mail Stop 1186, 3000 Arlington Avenue Toledo OH 43614-2598 USASadik A. Khuder, The University of Toledo College of Medicine Department of Medicine Health Science Campus, Mail Stop 1186, 3000 Arlington Avenue Toledo OH 43614-2598 USAJoseph I. Shapiro, The University of Toledo College of Medicine Department of Medicine Health Science Campus, Mail Stop 1186, 3000 Arlington Avenue Toledo OH 43614-2598 USAJeff...

Fast multislice mapping of the myelin water fraction using multicompartment analysis of T2* decay at 3T: a preliminary postmortem study.

Magnetic Resonance in Medicine — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100

In this study, multicompartment analysis of T(2)(*) decay (MCAT(2)(*)) was used for the quantitative mapping of myelin water fraction (MWF). T(2)(*) decay of each voxel at multiple slice locations was acquired in fixed human brains using a multigradient-echo (MGRE) pulse sequence with alternating readout gradient polarities. Compared to prior techniques using Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) acquisition, the MGRE acquisition approach has: 1) a very short first echo time ( approximately 2 ms) and echo-spacing ( approximately 1 ms), which allows for the acquisition of multiple sampling points during the fast decay of the myelin water signal; 2) a low RF duty cycle, which is especially important for achieving acceptable specific absorption rate (SAR) levels at high field strengths. Multicompa...

Record number vied for 2007-08 medical school slots

American Medical News — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:59:10 +0100

Among allopathic applicants, MCAT scores were better than ever before, with a mean of 28 points. (Source: American Medical News)

High Cancer-Specific Expression of Mesothelin (MSLN) Is Attributable to an Upstream Enhancer Containing a Transcription Enhancer Factor Dependent MCAT Motif

Cancer Research — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Identification of genes with cancer-specific overexpression offers the potential to efficiently discover cancer-specific activities in an unbiased manner. We apply this paradigm to study mesothelin (MSLN) overexpression, a nearly ubiquitous, diagnostically and therapeutically useful characteristic of pancreatic cancer. We identified an 18-bp upstream enhancer, termed CanScript, strongly activating transcription from an otherwise weak tissue-nonspecific promoter and operating selectively in cells having aberrantly elevated cancer-specific MSLN transcription. Introducing mutations into CanScript showed two functionally distinct sites: an Sp1-like site and an MCAT element. Gel retardation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed the MCAT element to be bound by transcription enhancer fa...

Dean Reece Delivers His First State of the School Address

University of Maryland School of Medicine News Headlines — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA gave his first State of the School address September 25 in front of a standing-room-only crowd in the MSTF auditorium. The theme was "Soaring to Greater Heights, Together." In his speech, the dean compared the School of Medicine to the majestic eagle, who will continue to fly in the face of all kinds of adversity, just as the school continues to succeed despite continuing challenges. After reviewing the highlights of his first year as dean of the School of Medicine, including special segments on bicentennial events and faculty accomplishments, Dean Reece got down to business. He was proud to reveal that in spite of NIH cutbacks and other funding challenges, grants to the School of Medicine increased 6.2 percent in FY07, to $344 million. &nb...

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A validity generalization perspective on the ability of undergraduate GPA and the medical college admission test to predict important outcomes.

Teaching and Learning in Medicine — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:21:51 +0100

CONCLUSION: A validity generalization perspective of the literature supports the use of MCAT and undergraduate GPA for selection to medical school. PMID: 17564535 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Teaching and Learning in Medicine)

Moderate anxiety, whether acute or chronic, is not associated with ovarian suppression in healthy, well-nourished, Western women

American Journal of Physical Anthropology — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100

We present a two-part study of the relationship between moderate anxiety, both acute and chronic, and daily measures of ovarian steroid and corticosteroid levels in saliva. Anxiety, as a particular form of psychosocial stress, was measured by the Spielberger Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory as well as by a self-reported daily stress score. In the first part, 23 college juniors taking the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) were studied the month before and the month after the test, and again several months later, and compared at the same time points with 27 controls. In the second part, chronic anxiety levels were assessed in 95 women between 27 and 41 years of age and analyzed in relation to daily levels of salivary ovarian and corticosteroids over one menstrual cycle. The sample sizes ar...

A Validity Generalization Perspective on the Ability of Undergraduate GPA and the Medical College Admission Test to Predict Important Outcomes

Teaching and Learning in Medicine — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:30:59 +0100

Teaching and Learning in Medicine Volume 19, Issue 2, Page 95-100, Apr 2007. (Source: Teaching and Learning in Medicine)

[ARTICLES] Malonyl-CoA: acyl carrier protein transacylase from Helicobacter pylori: Crystal structure and its interaction with acyl carrier protein

Protein Science — Thu, 24 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100

In this study, the crystal structure of MCAT from Helicobacter pylori (Hp) at 2.5 Å resolution is reported, and the interaction of HpMCAT with HpACP is extensively investigated by using computational docking, GST-pull-down, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology-based assays. The crystal structure results reveal that HpMCAT has a compact folding composed of a large subdomain with a similar core as in /ß hydrolases, and a similar ferredoxin-like small subdomain as in acylphosphatases. The docking result suggests two positively charged areas near the entrance of the active site of HpMCAT as the ACP-binding region. Binding assay research shows that HpMCAT demonstrates a moderately binding ability against HpACP. The solved 3D structure of HpMCAT is expected to supply useful...

A recessive genetic screen for host factors required for retroviral infection in a library of insertionally mutated Blm-/- ES cells

Genome Biology — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This recessive genetic approach for identifying critical genes required for retroviral infection in ES cells demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of the screen, and provides a unique approach to recover other cellular factors required for retroviral infection. The resulting insertionally mutated Blm-deficient ES cell library might also provide access to essential host-cell components required for infection and replication of other types of virus. (Source: Genome Biology)

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Ligand presentation on a synthetic flexible hinge in Moloney murine leukemia virus SU supports entry via a heterologous receptor.

Virology — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Bahrami S, Duch M, Pedersen FS The envelope protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus mediates entry into mCAT-expressing cells. Attempts to change its receptor usage through the insertion of ligands at various sites have been met with varying success. We have tested several sites in Env for insertion of apelin, a small peptide ligand of the G-protein-coupled receptor APJ. Although most of the chimeric envelopes had retained their ability to infect mouse cells none showed APJ-dependent entry. Insertion of a peptide linker Ser-Gly-Gly-Ser-Gly at either side of the apelin motif in one of the chimeric envelopes resulted in an ability of the chimeric envelope to bind to and infect cells through APJ although with low efficiency. Several linker sequences isolated by library selection...

The Predictive Validity of the MCAT for Medical School Performance and Medical Board Licensing Examinations: A Meta-Analysis of the Published Research.

ACADEMIC MEDICINE — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:20:02 +0100

(Source: ACADEMIC MEDICINE)

JAMA Highlights the School of Medicine's Bicentennial

University of Maryland School of Medicine News Headlines — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0100

(Reprinted from JAMA, January 3, 2007—Vol 297) By Lynne Lamberg In early December 1807, a mob opposed to dissection of human bodies razed the building where Baltimore surgeon John B. Davidge, MD, was teaching anatomy to aspiring physicians. The crowd carried off the cadaver. Outrage over the rampage spurred introduction of a resolution in the Maryland General Assembly to establish a medical college in Baltimore. At the time, Maryland had fewer than 50 medically trained physicians. Delegates swiftly approved the bill. On December 18, 1807, the Assembly chartered the College of Medicine of Maryland, now the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the nation’s first public medical school. Only four existing US medical schools are older: those at the University of Pennsylvania ...

Ruling: MCAT must adapt for learning disabled

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:48:02 +0100

Students who sued say the California decision could move other testing agencies to provide similar arrangements. The AAMC plans to appeal. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

[Molecular Basis Of Cell and Developmental Biology] Transcription Enhancer Factor-1-dependent Expression of the {alpha}-Tropomyosin Gene in the Three Muscle Cell Types

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0100

This study represents the first analysis of the transcriptional regulation of the -Tm gene in vivo and highlights a common TEF-1-dependent regulatory mechanism necessary for expression of the gene in the three muscle lineages. (Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry)

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The Inner Life of the Cell

Medgadget — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:12:28 +0100

Here's some fantastic animation by XVIVO, LLC, a Connecticut based scientific visualization company. Developed for Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, to illustrate "a three-dimensional journey through the microscopic world of a cell", the animation was recently featured at Siggraph 2006 expo. This seems to be a collection of clips to illustrate a larger set of work, which we hope will help Harvard students do better than they have on their MCATs in the coming years. Many more animations can be viewed on company's website... UPDATE: XVIVO also offers a first-person shooter game designed to promote Genentech's Avastin, an anti-angiogenic agent approved for the treatment of cancer of the colon or rectum.... (Source: Medgadget)

A Commentary on the Use of Cut-Scores to Increase the Emphasis of Non-Cognitive Variables in Medical School Admissions

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 08:24:55 +0100

Abstract The academic performance consequences of relying solely on non-cognitive factors for selecting applicants above a GPA and MCAT threshold have not been fully considered in the literature. This commentary considers the impact of using a “threshold approach” on academic performance as assessed with the USMLE Step 1. Content TypeJournal Article JournalAdvances in Health Sciences EducationOnline ISSN 1573-1677Print ISSN 1382-4996 (Source: Advances in Health Sciences Education)