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Dental students require a basic ability to explain and apply general principles of pathology to systemic, dental, and oral pathology. Although there have been recent advances in electronic and online resources, the academic effectiveness of using self-directed e-learning tools in pathology courses for dental students is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if blended learning combining e-learning with traditional learning methods of lectures and tutorials would improve students' scores and satisfaction over those who experienced traditional learning alone. Two consecutive cohorts of Bachelor of Dentistry and Oral Health students taking the general pathology course at Griffith University in Australia were compared. The control cohort experienced traditional methods only, while members of the study cohort were also offered self-directed learning materials including online resources and online microscopy classes. Final assessments for the course were used to compare the differences in effectiveness of the intervention, and students' satisfaction with the teaching format was evaluated using questionnaires. On the final course assessments, students in the study cohort had significantly higher scores than students in the control cohort (p<0.01). Analysis of questionnaire results showed improved student satisfaction with the course in the study cohort. These findings suggest that the use of e-learning tools such as virtual microscopy and interactive online resources for delivering pathology instruction can be an effective supplement for developing dental students' competence, confidence, and satisfaction. Dr. Ariana is at

BackgroundThe ability to interpret an X-Ray is a vital skill for graduating medical students which guides clinicians towards accurate diagnosis and treatment of the patient. However, research has suggested that radiological interpretation skills are less than satisfactory in not only medical students, but also in residents and consultants.MethodsThis study investigated the effectiveness of e-learning for the development of X-ray interpretation skills in pre-clinical medical students. Competencies in clinical X-Ray interpretation were assessed by comparison of pre- and post-intervention scores and one year follow up assessment, where the e-learning course was the ‘intervention’.ResultsOur results demonstrate improved knowledge and skills in X-ray interpretation in students. Assessment of the post training students showed significantly higher scores than the scores of control group of students undertaking the same assessment at the same time.ConclusionsThe development of the Internet and advances in multimedia technologies has paved the way for computer-assisted education. As more rural clinical schools are established the electronic delivery of radiology teaching through websites will become a necessity. The use of e-learning to deliver radiology tuition to medical students represents an exciting alternative and is an effective method of developing competency in radiological interpretation for medical students.

The findings provide practical information about that the minimum number of lymph nodes that could be harvested at the time of collection of lymph nodes for pathological examination for patients with colorectal cancer. The minimum number of lymph nodes harvested depends on demographic (age) and clinical (location and dimension of cancer) characteristics of the patients with colorectal cancer.

Most viral infections do not require any specific treatment except in patients who are immunosuppressed or immunodeficient. Appropriate diagnosis and timely management of orofacial viral lesions are important irrespective of whether it is localized or a manifestation of a systemic infection.

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Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes growth of blood or lymphatic vessels, termed angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. These share several basal mechanisms, including cross-talk between VEGF-A, C and their receptors, which may be important in the development of malignancies. Study aimed to identify relationships between VEGF-A, VEGF-C and their impact in angiogenesis and metastases in thyroid cancers.We studied VEGF-A and VEGF-C mRNA expression in 123 thyroid cancers, 40 lymph node metastases and 7 non-malignant thyroid control tissues using qPCR. Protein expressions for both VEGFs were determined by immunohistochemistry.VEGF-A and VEGF-C mRNA over-expression was noted in 51% (n=62) and 27% (n=33) of the thyroid cancers respectively. VEGF-A and VEGF-C protein over-expression was also identified in 70% (n=86) and 62% (n=76) of the thyroid cancers. ANOVA showed significant expression differences for VEGF-A and VEGF-C in subtypes of thyroid carcinoma, lymph node metastasis and normal controls (P=1x10-6 and 1x10-5 respectively). VEGF-A mRNA was significantly higher in cancers with lymph node metastases compared to non-metastatic cancers (p=0.001) however, most metastatic tumors under-expressed VEGF-C (p=0.0002). Similarly, VEGF-A protein expression was higher in metastases and VEGF-C protein was higher in non-metastatic lesions, though not significantly. Finally, we used linear regression analysis to test previous proposals about physiological interactions of VEGF-A and VEGF-C expression. Our model indicated that in metastatic cancers, 32% of the expression of VEGF-A could be predicted by a positive influence of VEGF-C production (model p=0.0002). These findings add weight to previous hypotheses concerning VEGF-A and C interaction. Early lymphangiogenic events were proposed to regulate angiogenesis, and changes to VEGF expression in this cancer population bear this out, with VEGF-C in early tumors giving way to VEGF-A in metastases. The commonality of local metastasis in thyroid cancer makes it a useful model to further examine mechanisms of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in cancer metastasis. Keywords: thyroid cancer, VEGF-A, VEGF-C Citation Format: Ali Salajegheh, Robert A. Smith, Sahar Pakneshan, Vinod Gopalan, Alfred KY Lam. VEGF-A and VEGF-C: potential coregulators in angiogenic event in thyroid cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 381. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-381

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