A computational model of current control mechanism for long-term potentiation (LTP) in human episodic memory based on gene-gene interaction.

The establishment of long-term potentiation (LTP) is a prime process for the formation of episodic memory. During the establishment of LTP, activations of various components are required in the signaling cascade of the LTP pathway. Past efforts to determine the activation of components relied extensively on the cellular or molecular level. In this paper, we have proposed a computational model based on gene-level cascading and interaction in LTP signaling for the establishment and control of current signals for achieving the desired level of activation in the formation of episodic memory. This paper also introduces a model for a generalized signaling pathway in episodic memory. A back-propagation feedback mechanism is used for updating the interaction levels in the signaling cascade starting from the last stage and ending at the start stage of the signaling cascade. Simulation of the proposed model has been performed for the LTP signaling pathway in the context of human episodic memory. We found through simulation that the qualifying genes correction factors of all stages are updated to their maximum limit. The article explains the signaling pathway for episodic memory and proves its effectiveness through simulation results.

A comprehensive study of p53 protein.

The protein p53 has been extensively investigated since it was found 43 years ago and has become a "guardian of the genome" that regulates the division of cells by preventing the growth of cells and dividing them, that is, inhibits the development of tumors. Initial proof of protein existence by researchers in the mid-1970s was found by altering and regulating the SV40 big T antigen termed the A protein. Researchers demonstrated how viruses play a role in cancer by employing viruses' ability to create T-antigens complex with viral tumors, which was discovered in 1979 following a viral analysis and cancer analog research. Researchers later in the year 1989 explained that in Murine Friend, a virus-caused erythroleukemia, commonly found that p53 was inactivated to suggest that p53 could be a "tumor suppressor gene." The TP53 gene, encoding p53, is one of human cancer's most frequently altered genes. The protein-regulated biological functions of all p53s include cell cycles, apoptosis, senescence, metabolism of the DNA, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and immunological response. We tried to unfold the history of the p53 protein, which was discovered long back in 1979, that is, 43 years of research on p53, and how p53's function has been developed through time in this article.

Effectiveness of problem-based learning approach for teaching-learning biostatistics among medical students.

BACKGROUND: Lecturing (didactic) has been the key teaching-learning method for a long time. As per competency-based medical education, an Indian medical graduate should be competent in recommended skills. In the subject of Community Medicine of medical undergraduation, "Biostatistics" is one of the components of the curriculum. Often the students find the statistics challenging to understand and thus neglect it or prefer rote learning. In the recent era, many newer teaching-learning modalities have come up, namely problem-based learning (PBL), small group teaching, community-based learning, etc. The objective was to compare the utility and effectiveness of PBL versus traditional teaching techniques (didactic) for Biostatistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh) from March to November 2019. A total of 96 medical students of the final year were randomly divided into two groups. 'Group A' underwent didactic lecturing whereas "Group B" had problem-based learning for identified topics in Biostatistics. The teaching material and instructors were the same for both groups. Two weeks after completion of sessions, students' assessment was carried out for both groups. RESULTS: The study demonstrated that the PBL method was a more effective way of teaching-learning statistics compared to didactic lecturing. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed between the mean examination score of Group A (traditional teaching technique) and Group B (PBL). Group B had higher scores than group A in all assessment heads (Objective, Descriptive, and Viva-voce). PBL was perceived to be a student-centric Teaching-learning method promoting analytical skills, critical thinking & overall self-directed learning. CONCLUSION: PBL teaching method was found to be effective in improving the students' performance in Statistics in comparison to didactic lecturing.