Integrated and Contextual Basic Science Instruction in Preclinical Education: Problem-Based Learning Experience Enriched With Brain/Mind Learning Principles

Recently, integrated and contextual learning models such as problem-based learning (PBL) and brain/mind learning (BML) have become prominent. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a PBL program enriched with BML principles. In this study, participants were 295 first-year medical students. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods (mixed design). First, the students' hemispheric preferences were defined using the Human Information Processing Survey and reassessed using event-related potentials (ERPs). Then, by considering BML principles, a six-week PBL program was revised and evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative tools, including evaluation forms, exam scores, expert observations, document reviews, and interviews. With regard to hemispheric preferences, 59.9% of the students preferred both hemispheres, 28.9% preferred the right, and 11.2% preferred the left, and these partially correlated with ERP P300 recordings. The evaluation study showed that compared with the standard PBL program, the students and tutors were more satisfied with the BML-enriched PBL program, and the students' average exam scores were higher and the differences were statistically significant (p < .001). These results demonstrate that various learning models can be improved using BML principles, resulting in increased satisfaction and academic success

Gestational treatment of folic acid attenuates blood-brain barrier leakage in pregnant-and prepubertal rats after pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure

Objectives: Folic acid (FA) is physiologically important in mammals and is a common vitamin supplement used during pregnancy and lactation. Numerous studies have reported that FA significantly improves endothelial function. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in maintaining the microenvironment required for neuronal function, but its unique structure is damaged by epileptic seizures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential protective role of FA on BBB leakage, as well as on the reactive astrogliosis in pregnant rats and their prepubertal offspring during pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced epileptic seizure

Treatment with milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), ursodeoxycholic acid, or their combination attenuates cholestatic liver injury in rats: Role of the hepatic stem cells

WOS: 000414982100010PubMed ID: 29086715Background/Aims: Cholestasis, which results in hepatic cell death, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure, is associated with oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of milk thistle (MT, Silybum marianum) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) or their combination on the activation of hepatic stem cells and on the severity of cholestasis liver injury in rats. Materials and Methods: Under anesthesia, bile ducts of female Sprague Dawley rats were ligated (BDL) or had sham operation. BDL rats were administered saline, UDCA (15 mg/kg/d), MT (600 mg/kg/d), or UDCA+MT by gavage for 10 days. On the 11th day, rats were sacrificed and blood and liver samples were obtained. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were measured. Hepatic injury, a-smooth muscle actin expression, and stem cell markers c-kit, c-Myc, Oct3/4, and SSEA-1 were histologically determined. Results: Histological scores, serum ALT, and hepatic MDA levels were higher in BDL group than in the sham rats, while all treatments significantly reduced these levels. The reduction in ALT was significantly greater in UCDA+MT-treated group than in other treatment groups. c-Kit, c-Myc, Oct3/4, and SSEA-1 were increased in saline-treated BDL group with respect to sham-operated control group, and these markers were significantly reduced in all treatment groups. Conclusion: In addition to a modulatory effect on the stem cell-induced regenerative response of the liver, UDCA, MT, and their combination demonstrated similar anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects on cholestasis-induced hepatic injury