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Although educational experts recommend the use of formative assessment, there is a dearth of empirical studies on its impact on academic achievement. In this research the authors analyse to what extent participation and performance in formative assessment are associated with positive academic outcomes of pre-graduate students of health sciences. A total of 548 students from three health science degrees (Medicine, Psychology and Biology) from four Spanish universities were involved in this study. The students who carried out mid-term formative assessment got better marks and had higher success rates in final summative assessment that the students who did not participate. In addition, success in formative assessment tests was associated with better summative marks. Interestingly, participation in formative assessment was a better predictor of final outcome than success in formative assessment, a result that supports the key role of feedback in formative assessment. Students who took the mid-term examination, irrespective of their success, obtained feedback about their achievement and probably this determined their greater involvement in the learning process. Although causal relationships between formative and summative assessment cannot be established from this research, the generalized benefits of formative assessments found here encourage the practice of them in health sciences education.

Leprosy (Hansen disease), a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affects the peripheral nervous system and involves skin and other tissues (1). Although this disease is generally a [...]

The risk of developing cancer is correlated with body size and lifespan within species, but there is no correlation between cancer and either body size or lifespan between species indicating that large, long-lived species have evolved enhanced cancer protection mechanisms. Previously we showed that several large bodied Afrotherian lineages evolved reduced intrinsic cancer risk, particularly elephants and their extinct relatives (Proboscideans), coincident with pervasive duplication of tumor suppressor genes (Vazquez and Lynch, 2021). Unexpectedly, we also found that Xenarthrans (sloths, armadillos, and anteaters) evolved very low intrinsic cancer risk. Here, we show that: (1) several Xenarthran lineages independently evolved large bodies, long lifespans, and reduced intrinsic cancer risk; (2) the reduced cancer risk in the stem lineages of Xenarthra and Pilosa coincided with bursts of tumor suppressor gene duplications; (3) cells from sloths proliferate extremely slowly while Xenarthran cells induce apoptosis at very low doses of DNA damaging agents; and (4) the prevalence of cancer is extremely low Xenarthrans, and cancer is nearly absent from armadillos. These data implicate the duplication of tumor suppressor genes in the evolution of remarkably large body sizes and decreased cancer risk in Xenarthrans and suggest they are a remarkably cancer-resistant group of mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the experience of a continuous assessment procedure carried out in the second term of a physiological psychology course during 3 consecutive academic years at a Spanish university. Each year, the academic outcomes of students under continuous assessment (the experimental group) were compared with those of students under traditional assessment (the control group), with 903 total students. To control for possible differences in prior academic achievement, grades in the first term of the same subject were used as a covariate, and progress was assessed from the first-term to the second-term evaluations in the experimental and control groups. The results provided robust evidence of the positive impact of continuous assessment on all indices of academic outcomes considered. In addition, responses to a self-report questionnaire revealed that continuous assessment improved students' satisfaction and was perceived by students as a procedure that promotes deeper learning. (Contains 3 notes.)

Background: Mycobacterium leprae was thought to be the exclusive causative agent of leprosy until Mycobacterium lepromatosis was identified in a rare form of leprosy known as diffuse lepromatous leprosy (DLL). Methods: We isolated M. lepromatosis from a patient with DLL and propagated it in athymic nude mouse footpads. Genomic analysis of this strain (NHDP-385) identified a unique repetitive element, RLPM, on which a specific real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was developed. The RLPM assay, and a previously developed RLEP quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for M. leprae, were validated as clinical diagnostic assays according to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments guidelines. We tested DNA from archived histological sections, patient specimens from the United States, Philippines, and Mexico, and US wild armadillos. Results: The limit of detection for the RLEP and RLPM assays is 30 M. leprae per specimen (0.76 bacilli per reaction; coefficient of variation, 0.65%-2.44%) and 122 M. lepromatosis per specimen (3.05 bacilli per reaction; 0.84%-2.9%), respectively. In histological sections (n = 10), 1 lepromatous leprosy (LL), 1 DLL, and 3 Lucio reactions contained M. lepromatosis; 2 LL and 2 Lucio reactions contained M. leprae; and 1 LL reaction contained both species. M. lepromatosis was detected in 3 of 218 US biopsy specimens (1.38%). All Philippines specimens (n = 180) were M. lepromatosis negative and M. leprae positive. Conversely, 15 of 47 Mexican specimens (31.91%) were positive for M. lepromatosis, 19 of 47 (40.43%) were positive for M. leprae, and 2 of 47 (4.26%) contained both organisms. All armadillos were M. lepromatosis negative. Conclusions: The RLPM and RLEP assays will aid healthcare providers in the clinical diagnosis and surveillance of leprosy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To describe intracanalicular injection of 10% N-acetylcysteine (IINAC) as adjunctive treatment for sialoceles in dogs. ANIMALS 25 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Hard copy medical records at 2 veterinary ophthalmology practices were searched to identify dogs that underwent IINAC for treatment of sialoceles from January 2000 to December 2017. Signalment, affected salivary gland, clinical signs, duration of signs, other treatments administered, diagnostic tests performed, anesthetic approach, N-acetylcysteine volume administered, complications, follow-up time, and recurrence of sialoceles were recorded. Descriptive statistics were reported. RESULTS Boxers and mixed-breed dogs were most commonly represented. Subjectively decreased globe retropulsion and conjunctival or periorbital swelling (23/25 [92%] dogs each) were the most common clinical signs, with no vision deficits in any patient. The zygomatic gland was mainly affected (23/25 [92%] dogs), followed by parotid and mandibular glands (I [4%] dog each). The condition was unilateral in 22 (88%) dogs. Ultrasonography (19/25 [76%] dogs), MRI (14 [56%]), fine-needle aspiration (20 [80%]), and biopsy (4 [16%]) were performed; however, the condition was deemed idiopathic in 22 (88%) dogs. Most IINACs were performed with local anesthesia (median volume, 5 mL/gland; range, 1.5 to 9 mL). No complications were identified. Other treatments included antimicrobials and anti-inflammatories. Mean follow-up time was 18.8 months. All recurrences (5/23 [22%] dogs) were controlled with medical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]