Comparative evaluation of open book and conventional assessment methods in medical undergraduate students.

Medical science is a dynamic field of knowledge that is constantly broadening with upcoming clinical research and analysis. Traditional medical education has been focused on textbook-based recall assessments-closed book assessment (CBA). However, the availability of newer technologies has made the accessibility to encyclopedic knowledge expeditious, which demands for a new approach for medical education. As medical professionals, the purpose of learning should be higher cognitive skills such as interpretation and synthesis. So, analyzing students' ability to comprehend the concepts and learning to apply it in a realistic context than merely recalling the facts has come into attention. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of 250 first-year MBBS students at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India, between closed book and open book method for biochemistry. Students were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, based on their average monthly internal assessment marks. CBA was followed by open book assessment (OBA) 1 week apart with similar questionnaire pattern and allotted time. A significant difference in average marks obtained by the two groups was observed in CBA. Group A scored better in CBA, but performance was comparable with Group B in OBA. OBA and CBA can contribute to an assessment program in part because of their complementary pros and cons, and OBA should not be thought of as an alternative to CBA, but their value may be in expanding beyond what is measured by CBA.

Upregulation of miRNA-196a and miRNA-196b correlates with Bryne's prognostic score in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: microRNA(miRNA)-196a and miRNA-196b expression has been found to be dysregulated and involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression in array of cancers through different targets. The role of these miRNAs together in clinical application is not always consistent and, its prognostic value in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still elusive. This study was performed to investigate the correlation of these miRNAs expression with histological grades of OSCC according to Bryne's histological grading system, to predict prognosis and to evaluate their relationship with clinico-pathological data. METHODS: Real-time quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was done to evaluate the expression levels of miRNA-196a and miRNA-196b in 75 pairs of OSCC tissue matched with adjacent normal mucosa, used as a control. RESULTS: miRNA-196a and 196b expression in OSCC was significantly higher than that in corresponding adjacent normal tissues (p > 0.001). Also, a significant differential correlation was found in between the expression levels of these two miRNAs (Pearson correlation test r = 0.676, p-value<0.0001). The increased expression of these miRNAs was more frequently observed in OSCC tissues with advanced clinical and pathological TNM stages (IVa and IVb, pIVb respectively, p-value<0.0001). Significant correlation was found between miRNA-196a upregulation and moderate prognostic score (p-value<0.0001) in comparison with good and poor prognostic score of histological grades of OSCC. Sensitivity and specificity for miRNA-196a were 95 % and 85 %, respectively (AUC = 1, 95 % CI = 0.617-0.850; p 0.001), while for miRNA-196b were 94 % and 86 %, respectively (AUC = 0.808, 95 % CI = 0.701-0.916; p0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the increased expression of miRNA-196a and 196b may play an important role in tumor progression in OSCC. miRNA-196a might be a useful marker for predicting the clinical outcome of OSCC, especially for advanced stages. In conclusion, our data demonstrate for the first time that these miRNAs may serve as a potent prognostic marker for tumor progression. We further highlight miRNA-196a and miRNA-196b as a promising predictor of prognostic assessment in OSCC.

Evaluation of Performance of Detection of Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M Antibody Against Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 by a Rapid Kit in a Real-Life Hospital Setting.

Background: Antibody testing is often used for serosurveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence-based antibody tests are quite sensitive and specific for such serological testing. Rapid antibody tests against different antigens are developed and effectively used for this purpose. However, their diagnostic efficiency, especially in real-life hospital setting, needs to be evaluated. Thus, the present study was conducted in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in New Delhi, India, to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of a rapid antibody kit against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: Sixty COVID-19 confirmed cases by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were recruited and categorized as early, intermediate, and late cases based on the days passed after their first RT-PCR-positive test report, with 20 subjects in each category. Twenty samples from pre-COVID era and 20 RT-PCR-negative collected during the study period were taken as controls. immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the RBD of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by rapid antibody test and compared with the total antibody against the nucleocapsid (N) antigen of SARS-CoV-2 by electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassay (ECLIA). Results: The detection of IgM against the RBD of the spike protein by rapid kit was less sensitive and less specific for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, diagnostic efficacy of IgG by rapid kit was highly sensitive and specific when compared with the total antibody against N antigen measured by ECLIA. Conclusion: It can be concluded that detection of IgM against the RBD of S protein by rapid kit is less effective, but IgG detection can be used as an effective diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection in real-life hospital setting.