This study explored the differences in academic achievement and psychological/emotional well-being between criterion-referenced evaluation (CRE) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRE) at a medical school. The objective was to address concerns about declining academic performance and to propose evaluation methods that promote a more supportive learning environment for students. In total, 90 first-year medical students who completed the basic medical curriculum in 2022 and 2023 were surveyed and analyzed. The sample consisted of 45 students assessed by NRE in 2022 and 45 students assessed by CRE in 2023. Academic performance was measured using school grades in basic medical subjects and scores from the Basic Medical Education Evaluation. Psychological and emotional well-being were assessed through scales measuring academic burnout, academic motivation, coping efficacy, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results indicated that students assessed by CRE achieved significantly higher academic scores in certain subjects than those assessed by NRE. Additionally, the CRE group exhibited more positive psychological and emotional states, including lower levels of academic burnout, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that CRE may have a beneficial impact on students’ emotional well-being and overall academic experience. The study concludes that CRE plays a critical role in improving both academic performance and emotional health among medical students, and that transitioning to CRE may alleviate concerns about declining grades while promoting a more supportive learning environment.

This study explored the differences in academic achievement and psychological/emotional well-being between criterion-referenced evaluation (CRE) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRE) at a medical school. The objective was to address concerns about declining academic performance and to propose evaluation methods that promote a more supportive learning environment for students. In total, 90 first-year medical students who completed the basic medical curriculum in 2022 and 2023 were surveyed and analyzed. The sample consisted of 45 students assessed by NRE in 2022 and 45 students assessed by CRE in 2023. Academic performance was measured using school grades in basic medical subjects and scores from the Basic Medical Education Evaluation. Psychological and emotional well-being were assessed through scales measuring academic burnout, academic motivation, coping efficacy, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results indicated that students assessed by CRE achieved significantly higher academic scores in certain subjects than those assessed by NRE. Additionally, the CRE group exhibited more positive psychological and emotional states, including lower levels of academic burnout, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that CRE may have a beneficial impact on students’ emotional well-being and overall academic experience. The study concludes that CRE plays a critical role in improving both academic performance and emotional health among medical students, and that transitioning to CRE may alleviate concerns about declining grades while promoting a more supportive learning environment.

This study explored the differences in academic achievement and psychological/emotional well-being between criterion-referenced evaluation (CRE) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRE) at a medical school. The objective was to address concerns about declining academic performance and to propose evaluation methods that promote a more supportive learning environment for students. In total, 90 first-year medical students who completed the basic medical curriculum in 2022 and 2023 were surveyed and analyzed. The sample consisted of 45 students assessed by NRE in 2022 and 45 students assessed by CRE in 2023. Academic performance was measured using school grades in basic medical subjects and scores from the Basic Medical Education Evaluation. Psychological and emotional well-being were assessed through scales measuring academic burnout, academic motivation, coping efficacy, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results indicated that students assessed by CRE achieved significantly higher academic scores in certain subjects than those assessed by NRE. Additionally, the CRE group exhibited more positive psychological and emotional states, including lower levels of academic burnout, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that CRE may have a beneficial impact on students’ emotional well-being and overall academic experience. The study concludes that CRE plays a critical role in improving both academic performance and emotional health among medical students, and that transitioning to CRE may alleviate concerns about declining grades while promoting a more supportive learning environment.

This study explored the differences in academic achievement and psychological/emotional well-being between criterion-referenced evaluation (CRE) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRE) at a medical school. The objective was to address concerns about declining academic performance and to propose evaluation methods that promote a more supportive learning environment for students. In total, 90 first-year medical students who completed the basic medical curriculum in 2022 and 2023 were surveyed and analyzed. The sample consisted of 45 students assessed by NRE in 2022 and 45 students assessed by CRE in 2023. Academic performance was measured using school grades in basic medical subjects and scores from the Basic Medical Education Evaluation. Psychological and emotional well-being were assessed through scales measuring academic burnout, academic motivation, coping efficacy, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results indicated that students assessed by CRE achieved significantly higher academic scores in certain subjects than those assessed by NRE. Additionally, the CRE group exhibited more positive psychological and emotional states, including lower levels of academic burnout, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that CRE may have a beneficial impact on students’ emotional well-being and overall academic experience. The study concludes that CRE plays a critical role in improving both academic performance and emotional health among medical students, and that transitioning to CRE may alleviate concerns about declining grades while promoting a more supportive learning environment.

This study explored the differences in academic achievement and psychological/emotional well-being between criterion-referenced evaluation (CRE) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRE) at a medical school. The objective was to address concerns about declining academic performance and to propose evaluation methods that promote a more supportive learning environment for students. In total, 90 first-year medical students who completed the basic medical curriculum in 2022 and 2023 were surveyed and analyzed. The sample consisted of 45 students assessed by NRE in 2022 and 45 students assessed by CRE in 2023. Academic performance was measured using school grades in basic medical subjects and scores from the Basic Medical Education Evaluation. Psychological and emotional well-being were assessed through scales measuring academic burnout, academic motivation, coping efficacy, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results indicated that students assessed by CRE achieved significantly higher academic scores in certain subjects than those assessed by NRE. Additionally, the CRE group exhibited more positive psychological and emotional states, including lower levels of academic burnout, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that CRE may have a beneficial impact on students’ emotional well-being and overall academic experience. The study concludes that CRE plays a critical role in improving both academic performance and emotional health among medical students, and that transitioning to CRE may alleviate concerns about declining grades while promoting a more supportive learning environment.

Combination therapy with checkpoint inhibitors blocks inhibitory immune cell signaling and improves clinical responses to anticancer treatments. However, continued development of innovative and controllable delivery systems for immune-stimulating agents is necessary to optimize clinical responses. Herein, we engineered Salmonella to deliver recombinant granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in a controllable manner for combination treatment with a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor. The engineered Salmonella enabled delivery of recombinant GM-CSF into mouse tumors, activating recruitment of immune cells, such as M1-polarized macrophages, dendritic cells, and CD8⁺ T cells. Combination treatment with the PD-L1 inhibitor and engineered Salmonella increased the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice by 25%. New tumor growth was strongly suppressed, and visible tumors disappeared at 120 days post-infection (dpi) in mice rechallenged with additional tumor implantation at 100 dpi. The number of memory T cells increased >2-fold in tumor-rechallenged mice. Our findings demonstrate superiority of the engineered Salmonella as a cancer therapeutic agent with precise targeting ability, immune-boosting activity, and ease of combination with other therapeutics.

PURPOSE: To compare the choroidal thickness of a branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) lesion and that of other areas in the eyes. METHODS: Patients who visited the Ophthalmologic Clinic of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital for BRVO between March 2015 and October 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. We performed basic ophthalmologic exam and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography in 48 eyes of 24 patients with BRVO. The choroidal thickness was compared in a total of 4 places, the branch retinal vein occlusion lesion, the symmetric site in the same eye, and the equivalent sites in the fellow eye by paired t-test. All measurements were performed by 2 independent observers. RESULTS: Choroidal thickness had strong inter-observer correlation. Choroidal thickness of the BRVO lesion was significantly thicker than that in the symmetric site of same eye, the equivalent site of lesion, and the equivalent site of the symmetric site to lesion in the fellow eye. CONCLUSIONS: Choroidal thickness in acute BRVO lesions was thicker than choroidal thickness in other areas of the eyes. It is thought that both hydrostatic pressure and the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor influence choroidal thickness in the acute phase of BRVO.
Choroid* ; Humans ; Hydrostatic Pressure ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A