The Keio journal of medicine
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There have been few reports published in English on emergency medicine (EM) in Japan; the main reason for this is that the concept of EM was different in Japan from that in western countries. In the 1960s, legislation was passed in Japan that implemented emergency medical services, and emergency hospitals were designated by the government. There were no emergency medicine specialists, and so surgeons/physicians without specialist training in emergency medicine provided care to emergency patients (the multispecialist-type model). ⋯ The JAAM established a committee to promote the ER-type model of EM in 2003. By 2007, more than 150 JAAM-affiliated hospitals had implemented this type of EM. In conclusion, emergency medicine in Japan is currently based on a mixture of three models: the multispecialist-type, the ICU-type and the ER-type models.
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Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) are a potential endogenous source for neuronal cell replacement in the diseased adult central nervous system (CNS). However, the recruitment of adult NSCs for repair is hampered by the current lack of knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control their behavior in vivo. ⋯ In this review I will examine in vitro and in vivo the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuronal fate instruction of adult NSCs by the local astrocyte population in the adult hippocampus. In particular, I will focus on the Wnt family of proteins, which we have found to be expressed in adult hippocampal astrocytes; our preliminary studies have also shown that these proteins enhance the generation of neurons from adult NSCs in vitro.
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The medical curriculum at King's College London School of Medicine is a 5 year course; an extended program (6 years) and a graduate entry program (4 years) are also available. The first 2 years of the curriculum comprise phases 1 and 2. The curriculum consists of core material that is common to all students and student-selected components (students undertake three such components in the first 2 years). ⋯ Assessment consists of in-course assessment (e.g., presentations, tests and essays) and end-of-year examinations which consist of written papers and an objective structured clinical examination at the end of year 2. The main strengths of the program include the scenario format of learning and the practice of medicine early on. The difficulties arise mainly from the large numbers of students (420 per year).
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Historical Article
Imatinib (Gleevec) as a paradigm of targeted cancer therapies.