The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS). An analysis of pass rates of the July 1984 through July 1987 examinations

This report examines the experience of 48,509 (40,393 foreign nationals and 8,116 U.S. citizens) foreign medical students and graduates (FMGs) who took any part of the first seven Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS) administered by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. The pass rate on all three sections (basic science, clinical science, and English) was 23.0%. Almost one-half (47.2%) of all FMGEMS examinees were between 25 and 29 years of age, 73.9% were men, 71.5% took FMGEMS after medical school graduation, and 79.7% claimed as their native tongue languages other than English. Correlates of pass rates included taking FMGEMS before medical school graduation (30.0% pass) and being a native English speaker (37.5% pass). The rates for foreign national FMGs (FNFMGs) and United States FMGs (USFMGs) were 22.5% and 25.2%, respectively. Native English-speaking FNFMGs achieved a 43.3% pass rate; native English-speaking USFMGs, 32.6%; non-native English-speaking FNFMGs, 19.9%; and non-native English-speaking USFMGs, 11.2%. Whereas FMGs were educated in 114 countries, 74.2% of USFMGs were educated in just eight countries, all located in the West Indies and Mexico. Logistical regression analysis showed that the strongest factors predicting full pass rates were being both younger than 30 years of age and a native English speaker. Conclusions are that approximately 3,200 FMGs per year pass FMGEMS and that FMGs with the highest probability of passing share characteristics of U.S. and Canadian medical graduates who pass the National Board medical examinations, which suggests that the latter examinations, when offered to FMGs, may have limited effect on overall pass rates.     

Actions of D-cycloserine at the N-methyl-D-aspartate-associated glycine receptor site in vivo.

The antibiotic, D-cycloserine has been shown to be a partial agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-coupled, strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor by in vitro receptor binding. This partial agonism was further investigated in an in vivo system, by monitoring changes in levels of cyclic guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP), a well characterized second messenger response, mediated by the NMDA receptor complex, in the cerebellum of the mouse. Parenteral injections of D-cycloserine produced a biphasic dose-response curve which suggested partial agonism. In support of this contention, when intracerebellar injections were made together with D-serine, a glycine agonist, D-cycloserine attenuated the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated increase in levels of cGMP. Likewise, systemic administration of D-cycloserine attenuated increases in cGMP induced by pentylenetetrazol. These data are relevant to the study of N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated neurotransmission, since D-cycloserine is a parenterally bioavailable compound, with both agonist and depressant properties at the N-methyl-D-aspartate-associated glycine receptor.     

Stress in carers of individuals with dementia and Community Mental Health Teams: an uncontrolled evaluation study

AIM: The aim of this was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions provided by a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in reducing stress in carers of individuals with dementia. BACKGROUND: The CMHT had been created to working specifically with older people with mental health problems and their carers. Following initial multidisciplinary assessment a range of interventions were provided to both clients and carers according to assessed need. There is an established need for mental health services to focus on the need of carers and the study attempts to see if the interventions provided were useful in reducing carer stress. METHOD: The study used a time series design over a 2-year period on all referrals to the CMHT. All carers of individuals with dementia or clearly identified memory problems were invited to participate and a total of 26 carers consented and participated in all stages of data collection. Data were collected on initial assessment, as well as 3 and 6 months following the initial assessment using the Caregiver Strain Index (CSI). A questionnaire was also administered which collected basic demographic information and details of symptoms demonstrated by the carer's relatives. RESULTS: On initial assessment the mean CSI score for the overall sample was 9.23. The mean CSI reading at 3 months (6.63) and 6 months period (4.12) demonstrated statistically highly significant reductions in carer stress (P = 0.000). A linear stepwise regression analysis of the impact of the different interventions on reductions in the CSI scores showed a statistically significant relationship between respite care and reduction in carer stress (B = 1.705, t = 2.586, P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: The results add support to the role of multidisciplinary community based services for individuals with dementia, offering a range of interventions to both clients and their carers, in reducing carer stress. The authors also argue for the routine use of the CSI in such teams as means of monitoring the well-being of carers as well as evaluating the effectiveness of service delivery.     

Molecular mechanisms of metastasis in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer （PCa） preferentially metastasizes to the bone marrow stroma of the axial skeleton. This activity is the principal cause of PCa morbidity and mortality. The exact mechanism of PCa metastasis is currently unknown, although considerable progress has been made in determining the key players in this process. In this review, we present the current understanding of the molecular processes driving PCa metastasis to the bone.     

Gonadotropin hormone releasing hormone agonists alter prefrontal function during verbal encoding in young women

Gonadotropin hormone releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are commonly used in clinical practice to suppress gonadal hormone production in the management of various gynaecological conditions and as a treatment for advanced breast and prostate cancer. Animal and human behavioural studies suggest that GnRHa may also have significant effects on memory. However, despite the widespread use of GnRHa, the underlying brain networks and/or stages of memory processing that might be modulated by GnRHa remain poorly understood. We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effect of GnRHa on verbal encoding and retrieval. Neuroimaging outcomes from 15 premenopausal healthy women were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks after Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone analogue (GnRHa) treatment. Fifteen matched wait-listed volunteers served as the control group and were assessed at similar intervals during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. GnRHa was associated with changes in brain response during memory encoding but not retrieval. Specifically, GnRHa administration led to a change in the typical pattern of prefrontal activation during successful encoding, with decreased activation in left prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, and medial frontal gyrus. Our study suggests that the memory difficulties reported by some women following GnRHa, and possibly at other times of acute ovarian hormone withdrawal (e.g. following surgical menopause and postpartum), may have a clear neurobiological basis; one that manifest during encoding of words and that is evident in decreased activation in prefrontal regions known to sub-serve deep processing of to-be-learned words.     

Activation of human B cells by the agonist CD40 antibody CP-870,893 and augmentation with simultaneous toll-like receptor 9 stimulation

The main regulator of neovascularization is Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). We recently demonstrated that QK, a de novo engineered VEGF mimicking peptide, shares in vitro the same biological properties of VEGF, inducing capillary formation and organization. On these grounds, the aim of this study is to evaluate in vivo the effects of this small peptide. Therefore, on Wistar Kyoto rats, we evaluated vasomotor responses to VEGF and QK in common carotid rings. Also, we assessed the effects of QK in three different models of angiogenesis: ischemic hindlimb, wound healing and Matrigel plugs. QK and VEGF present similar endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. Moreover, the ability of QK to induce neovascularization was confirmed us by digital angiographies, dyed beads dilution and histological analysis in the ischemic hindlimb as well as by histology in wounds and Matrigel plugs. Our findings show the proangiogenic properties of QK, suggesting that also in vivo this peptide resembles the full VEGF protein. These data open to new fields of investigation on the mechanisms of activation of VEGF receptors, offering clinical implications for treatment of pathophysiological conditions such as chronic ischemia.     

Examination of concordance between maternal and youth reports in the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder

Objective:  While concordance between mother and child report continues to be the gold standard in the assessment of pediatric bipolar disorder, uncertainty develops when a mother's report is not endorsed by the youth. To this end we compared discordant (mother positive and youth negative) and concordant (mother and youth positive) cases.
Methods:  Subjects were 98 adolescents (12–19 years of age) derived from family studies of bipolar disorder in youth who had both self-reported and mother-reported assessments. Comparisons were made between discordant (n = 35) and concordant (n = 59) cases on a wide range of clinical correlates.
Results:  Mothers in both groups reported similar rates of symptoms of mania and depression. Within the concordant group, mothers and youth reported similar rates of symptoms of mania. There were no differences between the concordant and discordant groups in onset, duration, or impairment of mania, rates of psychiatric hospitalization, cognitive variables, or rates of disorders in family members.
Conclusions:  The similarities between discordant and concordant reports in symptomatology of mania and depression, rates of comorbidities, treatment needs, and other clinical correlates suggest that a mother-based diagnosis of mania should not be discounted in discrepant cases in which the youth fails to endorse the diagnosis.