A Comparative Exploration of Quality Assurance Results by the Third-Party Pharmaceutical Education Evaluation in Japan.

Background: The Standards for the Establishment of Universities in Japan were revised; subsequently, the number of schools or universities of pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences increased from 46 in 2002 to 74 in 2016.The pharmacy education programme was also changed from four to six years, which was implemented in 2006. In this study, we provide the comparative results of the first cycle of the third-party accrediting organization, the Japan Accreditation Board for Pharmaceutical Education (JABPE); Methods: The results of the first cycle of all universities or schools of pharmacy assessed by the JABPE from JABPE website were retrieved, and we collated and compared the results based on the 13 areas of the assessment standards; Results: In "improvements", the number of public universities or schools was less than that of private universities or schools, and the number of old private universities or schools was also less than the number of new private universities or schools in all assessment areas.

[Influence on Learning of a Collaborative Learning Method Comprising the Jigsaw Method and Problem-based Learning (PBL)].

Recently, the practice of active learning has spread, increasingly recognized as an essential component of academic studies. Classes incorporating small group discussion (SGD) are conducted at many universities. At present, assessments of the effectiveness of SGD have mostly involved evaluation by questionnaires conducted by teachers, by peer assessment, and by self-evaluation of students.

Expression of LGR5, an intestinal stem cell marker, during each stage of colorectal tumorigenesis.

Background: The Wnt target LGR5 has been recently identified as a murine intestinal stem cell marker. Its role during each stage of human colorectal tumorigenesis remains to be determined.

Patients And Methods: LGR5 expression was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis in 17 low-grade and 13 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias and 30 adenocarcinomas.

Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein 4 as a marker for proliferation and its clinical and clinicopathological significance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins 2-7 form a complex essential for the initiation of DNA replication. In the process to screen expression changes related to growth suppression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by a cJun dominant-negative mutant, we found that reduced expression of MCM4 was correlated with this growth suppression.

Method: We determined the relevance of MCM4 in proliferation of NSCLC by downregulating its expression with small-interfering RNA in three NSCLC cell lines.

Clinicopathological significance of expression of p-c-Jun, TCF4 and beta-Catenin in colorectal tumors.

Background: A recent study has shown that phosphorylated c-Jun (p-c-Jun) interacts with TCF4 to form a complex that cooperatively enhances their transcriptional activity in the presence of beta-Catenin, and that their interaction is critical for mouse intestinal tumorigenesis. To determine the significance of these three proteins in human colorectal tumors, we analyzed their nuclear expression by immunohistochemistry.

Methods: we analyzed their nuclear expression by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded specimens of 68 resected colorectal tumors, which consisted of 19 adenomas, 14 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGINs) and 35 adenocarcinomas.

Vitreous concentrations of triamcinolone acetonide in human eyes after intravitreal or subtenon injection.

Purpose: To compare vitreous concentrations of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) achieved by prior therapeutic intravitreal and subtenon injections.

Design: Interventional case series.

Methods: Vitreous samples were collected from patients who required vitreous surgery, six having received a subtenon injection of TA and another six, an intravitreal injection.