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10.3390/cancers15225466
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Epidemiology of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms and Results of Their Treatment with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE or [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE and [90Y]Y-DOTA-TATE—A Six-Year Experience in High-Reference Polish Neuroendocrine Neoplasm Center
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Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of neoplasms arising from neuroendocrine cells. The worldwide incidence and prevalence of the NENs are estimated to be 6/100,000 and 35/100,000, respectively. Those numbers are increasing every decade, requiring higher and higher diagnosis and treatment costs. Radioligand therapy (RLT) using beta-emitting radioisotopes is an efficient and relatively safe method of treatment, typically used as a second-line treatment. RLT tolerability is higher than other available pharmacotherapies (chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors). Recent studies show an increase in overall survival among patients treated with RLT. The present study aimed to learn the epidemiology of NENs in Poland and assess the effectiveness of RLT in a high-reference center. A prospective analysis of 167 patients treated with RLT in one of Poland’s highest-reference NEN centers was performed. The analysis covered 66 months of observation (1 December 2017–30 May 2023), during which 479 RLT single administrations of radioisotope were given. The standard procedure was to give four courses of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE alone, or tandem therapy—[177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE and [90Y]Y-DOTA-TATE. Grading analysis showed that most patients had non-functioning G2 NEN with a mean Ki-67 of 6.05% (SD ± 6.41). The most common primary tumor location was the pancreas. Over two-thirds of patients did undergo surgery due to primary tumors or distant metastases. The majority of patients were using lanreotide as a chronically injected somatostatin analog. Median progression-free survival (PFS) on somatostatin analogs was 21.0 (IQR = 29.0) months. Directly after the last course of RLT, disease stabilization was noted in 69.46% of patients, partial regression was noted in 20.36% of patients, complete regression was noted in 0.60% of patients, and progression was noted in 9.58% of patients. In long-term follow-up, the median observation time among patients who underwent four treatment cycles (n = 108) was 29.8 (IQR = 23.9) months. Stabilization of the disease was observed in 55.56% of the patients and progression was observed in 26.85% of the patients, while 17.59% of patients died. Median PFS was 29.3 (IQR 23.9), and the median OS was 34.0 months (IQR 16.0). The mean age of NEN diagnosis is the sixth decade of life. It takes almost three years from NEN diagnosis to the start of RLT. In long-term observation, RLT leads to disease stabilization in over half of the patients with progressive disease. No differences in PFS or OS depend on the radioisotope used for RLT. In Poland, organized coordination of NEN treatment in high-reference centers ensures the continuity of patient care.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ai4040050
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Enhancing Tuta absoluta Detection on Tomato Plants: Ensemble Techniques and Deep Learning
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Early detection and efficient management practices to control Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) infestation is crucial for safeguarding tomato production yield and minimizing economic losses. This study investigates the detection of T. absoluta infestation on tomato plants using object detection models combined with ensemble techniques. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of utilizing a dataset captured in real settings in open-field and greenhouse environments to address the complexity of real-life challenges in object detection of plant health scenarios. The effectiveness of deep-learning-based models, including Faster R-CNN and RetinaNet, was evaluated in terms of detecting T. absoluta damage. The initial model evaluations revealed diminishing performance levels across various model configurations, including different backbones and heads. To enhance detection predictions and improve mean Average Precision (mAP) scores, ensemble techniques were applied such as Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS), Soft Non-Maximum Suppression (Soft NMS), Non-Maximum Weighted (NMW), and Weighted Boxes Fusion (WBF). The outcomes shown that the WBF technique significantly improved the mAP scores, resulting in a 20% improvement from 0.58 (max mAP from individual models) to 0.70. The results of this study contribute to the field of agricultural pest detection by emphasizing the potential of deep learning and ensemble techniques in improving the accuracy and reliability of object detection models.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.1007/s00432-023-05482-8
|
Niosomal formulation of mefenamic acid for enhanced cancer targeting; preparation, characterization and biodistribution study using radiolabeling technique
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Background: This work aimed to prepare niosomal formulations of an anticancer agent [mefenamic acid (MEF)] to enhance its cancer targeting.131I was utilized as a radiolabeling isotope to study the radio-kinetics of MEF niosomes.Methods: niosomal formulations were prepared by the ether injection method and assessed for entrapment efficiency (EE%), zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI) and particle size (PS). MEF was labeled with131I by direct electrophilic substitution reaction through optimization of radiolabeling-related parameters. In the radio-kinetic study, the optimal131I-MEF niosomal formula was administered intravenously (I.V.) to solid tumor-bearing mice and compared to I.V.131I-MEF solution as a control.Results: the average PS and ZP values of the optimal formulation were 247.23 ± 2.32 nm and − 28.3 ± 1.21, respectively. The highest131I-MEF labeling yield was 98.7 ± 0.8%. The biodistribution study revealed that the highest tumor uptake of131I-MEF niosomal formula and131I-MEF solution at 60 min post-injection were 2.73 and 1.94% ID/g, respectively.Conclusion: MEF-loaded niosomes could be a hopeful candidate in cancer treatment due to their potent tumor uptake. Such high targeting was attributed to passive targeting of the nanosized niosomes and confirmed by radiokinetic evaluation.
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14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-023-00357-9
|
Research on the Prediction of Tire Radial Load Based on 1D CNN and BiGRU
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As an important indicator of vehicle systems, tire load is a key factor in the structural design and safety assessment of vehicles. Direct measurement methods for tire loads are expensive and complicated, while conventional load identification methods are limited by low accuracy and poor robustness. This study aimed to propose a radial load identification method for rubber-tired vehicles based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU). Considering a priori information of the radial load data of tires and based on the observability of the vehicle vibration system, the proposed method selected feature sets and then retained the effective feature subsets through feature selection to construct samples with multiple time steps as input and with a single time step as output for network training. In doing so, the load prediction results were obtained, and the theoretical model was modified by integrating prediction accuracy, generalization performance, and robustness. Compared with traditional algorithms, the proposed method could effectively reduce the error of load identification, improve adaptability under different operating conditions, and handle the measurement error of different noise levels, which are of practical application value in the engineering field.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3390/cancers15235532
|
Real-World Systemic Treatment Patterns after Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States
|
Real-world (RW) evidence is needed to evaluate atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (atezo + bev) utilization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical practice. This retrospective cohort study used administrative claims databases to evaluate treatment patterns in individuals with HCC ≥18 years of age who were initiated on atezo + bev between June 2020 and June 2022. The endpoints of this study were the proportion of individuals who discontinued atezo + bev and received subsequent systemic therapies, time to discontinuation (TTD), and time to next treatment. Overall, 825 individuals were eligible (median age 67 years; 80% male). Over a median follow-up of 15.3 months, most (72%) discontinued atezo + bev, with a median TTD of 3.5 months. A minority (19%) received subsequent therapies, with the most common second-line agents being lenvatinib (6%), cabozantinib (4%), and nivolumab (4%). The median time from index to next treatment post-atezo + bev was 5.4 months. Further research is needed to identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from atezo + bev as well as later-line HCC therapies to optimize overall survival.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci13121174
|
Wicked from the Start: Educational Impediments to Teaching about Climate Change (and How Geography Education Can Help)
|
Climate change is a wicked problem, defying simple resolution. Education in various forms and at various levels has sought to improve understanding and stimulate climate change action in young people. There exists, however, a certain wickedness in education systems as well that makes climate change education difficult to enact successfully. These include an unsupportive education environment where academic standards related to climate change are missing, the lack of an inquiry-based pedagogy that can be well-suited to investigating topics like climate change with no easy answers, and ill-prepared teachers who do not fully know both the physical science and social aspects of the topic. A review of education standards in the United States and the literature on the latter two issues is used to make the argument that it is the geography classroom that can serve as the best unifying space that is most supportive of holistic and meaningful climate change education. This future is possible should we be successful in amending standards, pedagogy, and teacher preparation.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.1186/s40594-023-00458-z
|
STEM education institutional change projects: examining enacted approaches through the lens of the Four Categories of Change Strategies Model
|
Background: Enacting STEM education reform is a complex task and there are a variety of approaches that might be selected by change agents. When working on an institutional change project to impact multiple parts of the STEM education system, teams of change agents may select multiple strategies and tactics to enact at one time and over multiple years of a project. However, the literature lacks studies which document and analyze strategies and tactics used by change project teams in a way that can be useful for other change agents. The current study seeks to fill this gap by investigating National Science Foundation-funded change initiatives at three public research universities focused on encouraging the adoption of evidenced-based instructional practices by STEM faculty in order to understand the strategies used within and across projects.Results: Qualitative framework analysis using the lens of the Henderson et al. (Journal of Research in Science Teaching 48(8): 952–984, 2011. Four Categories of Change Strategies Model showed that institutional projects enact a wide range of tactics that span the four strategies represented in the four categories of the model both across institutions and within each institution. The analysis documents a number of change tactics not previously described by the model and offers expanded definitions of the change processes that operate within each category in the context of institutional change projects.Conclusion: This descriptive work advances our understanding of the breadth and depth of actions taken by institutional change initiatives and provides insights into types of variations that might be observed based on different institutional contexts. The current analysis both affirms the value of the original model and identifies expanded ways to think about the four categories within the context of institutional change projects.
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21967822
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3390/cancers15235555
|
Diffuse Gliomas with FGFR3-TACC3 Fusions: Oncogenic Mechanisms, Hallmarks, and Therapeutic Perspectives
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In 2012, whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis led to the discovery of recurrent fusions involving the FGFR3 and TACC3 genes as the main oncological driver in a subset of human glioblastomas. Since then, FGFR3-TACC3 fusions have been identified in several other solid cancers. Further studies dissected the oncogenic mechanisms of the fusion protein and its complex interplay with cancer cell metabolism. FGFR3-TACC3 fusion-driven gliomas emerged as a defined subgroup with specific clinical, histological, and molecular features. Several FGFR inhibitors were tested in FGFR3-TACC3 fusion-positive gliomas and proved some efficacy, although inferior to the results seen in other FGFR3-TACC3 fusion-driven cancers. In this review, we summarize and discuss the state-of-the-art knowledge resulting from a 10-year research effort in the field, its clinical implications for glioma patients, the potential reasons for targeted therapy failures, and the perspective of emerging treatments.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-023-00360-0
|
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Dual Siamese Anchor Points Adaptive Tracker with Transformer for RGBT Tracking
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Due to environmental conditions, such as rainy days, foggy days, and dim lighting, objects in visible light images are not prominently displayed, leading to an easy loss of targets during tracking. In recent years, many RGB visible light trackers have achieved significant success in addressing visual tracking challenges. However, these trackers perform poorly when tracking targets under special conditions, such as occlusions and low-light scenarios. In contrast, objects in thermal infrared images are more distinct in poor lighting conditions. Given this characteristic, researchers have shown increased interest in the development of trackers that combine thermal infrared and visible light imagery. However, some mainstream RGBT (red–green–blue and thermal) algorithms, such as MANET and ADNET, are based on the anchor-based theory, requiring consideration of anchor box sizes and introducing a substantial number of hyperparameters. This can lead to suboptimal performance when tracking dynamically changing targets. Moreover, these models rely on convolutional neural networks for feature extraction, which have limitations in capturing global features. In this paper, we introduce a novel training network model called DAPAT, which combines the anchor-free concept with Transformer theory. DAPAT differs from previous models in several ways. Specifically, we have designed a straightforward model to extract precise global features from template and search images. We have also incorporated two enhancement modules into the model to improve template and search images of different sizes while suppressing the impact of non-target images. We employ a dual-stream feature fusion network to reduce the loss of image feature information due to feature correlation operations. Finally, we compare the performance of the tracking model proposed in this paper with some advanced RGBT trackers on three data sets (RGBT234, RGBT210, and GTOT). The test results demonstrate that our tracker exhibits improvements in robustness and success rate, among other performance aspects.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3390/cancers15235584
|
Treatment and Outcomes of Radiation-Induced Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremities and Trunk—A Systematic Review of the Literature
|
Introduction: Radiation-induced soft tissue sarcomas (RISs) are rare secondary malignancies with a dire prognosis. The literature on the management of these tumors remains scarce due to their low incidence. Our systematic review sought to assess the treatment alternatives and outcomes of patients with RIS. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Our study was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023438415). Quality assessment was performed using the STROBE checklist. Weighted means for both continuous and categorical values were calculated. Results: Twenty-one studies comprising 1371 patients with RIS were included. The mean latency period from radiation to RIS diagnosis was 14 years, and the mean radiation dose delivered to the primary malignancy was 29.2 Gy. The most common histological type was undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (42.2%), and 64% of all tumors were high-grade. The trunk was the most common location (59%), followed by extremities (21%) and pelvis (11%). Surgery was performed in 68% of patients and, among those with an appendicular tumor, the majority (74%) underwent limb-salvage surgery. Negative margins were attained in 58% of patients. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were administered in 29% and 15% of patients, respectively. The mean 5-year overall survival was 45%, and the local recurrence and metastasis rates were 39% and 27%, respectively. Conclusions: In our study, the most common treatment was surgical resection, with RT and chemotherapy being administered in less than one third of patients. Patients with RIS exhibited poor oncologic outcomes. Future studies should compare RIS with de novo STS while controlling for confounders.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci13121189
|
Successful School Leadership in New Zealand: A Scoping Review
|
This article examines the available evidence on what it means to be a successful school leader within the current educational landscape in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It provides a nuanced understanding of common success factors and the contribution of the school principal’s leadership to that success in context. A set of factors that shaped their behaviour and actions is presented that draws attention to cultural relationships and contextual awareness, emphasising not only students’ academic success, but also students’ cultures as vehicles for learning and social change. Findings from this article provide insights into how successful school leaders consider their entire school as a complex system with interconnected parts and build social infrastructures that nurture partnerships with multiple stakeholders.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3390/ejihpe13120191
|
Nomophobia and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS Scale), among Young Adults in Greece
|
Smartphones with their numerous applications have become essential daily equipment, prompting scientific research to deal with the impact of their use on psychosocial health. Under this spectrum, the aim of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the association between nomophobia and the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress, in relation to self-esteem and sociodemographic data, among the young adult population. The study sample consisted of 1408 young adults aged 18–25 years, participating on a voluntary basis with an online anonymous questionnaire. Data were collected through the “Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q)”, “Depression Anxiety Stress Scales—short form (DASS-21)”, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The questionnaire also included socio-demographic characteristics and smartphone use variables. Data analysis showed that women were identified with severe depression and stress to a greater extent than men (63.3% vs. 55.1% for depression and 18.1% vs. 13.8% for stress scale). With respect to nomophobia, participants with severe levels of nomophobia also exhibited severe levels of negative emotional states in all DASS components, i.e., 40.6% in depression, 73.7% in anxiety, and 32.7% in stress (all p values < 0.001). Participants with severe levels of depression and anxiety were very often checking their phone and used it in all daily activities. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem had a moderating effect on the relationship between nomophobia and DASS, a fact that modifies the association between the involved variables: stronger relationships appeared between nomophobia and DASS components in individuals with normal/high self-esteem than in individuals with low self-esteem.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s00432-023-05505-4
|
SNP array genomic analysis of matched pairs of brain and liver metastases in primary colorectal cancer
|
Purpose Brain metastasis formation is a rare and late event in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and associated with poor survival. In contrast to other metastatic sites, the knowledge on chromosomal aberrations in brain metastases is very limited. Methods Therefore, we carried out single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analyses on matched primary CRC and brain metastases of four patients as well as on liver metastases of three patients. Results Brain metastases showed more chromosomal aberrations than primary tumors or liver metastases. Commonly occurring aberrations were gain of 8q11.1-q24.3 (primary CRC), gain of 13q12.13-q12.3 (liver metastases), and gain of 20q11.1-q13.33 (brain metastases). Furthermore, we found one copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (cn-LOH) region on chromosome 3 in primary CRC, three cn-LOH regions in liver metastases and 23 cn-LOH regions in brain metastases, comprising 26 previously undescribed sites. Conclusion The more frequent occurrence of cn-LOHs and subsequently affected genes in brain metastases shed light on the pathophysiology of brain metastasis formation. Further pairwise genetic analyses between primary tumors and their metastases will help to define the role of affected genes in cn-LOH regions.
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14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3389/feduc.2023.1279921
|
Models of classroom assessment for course-based research experiences
|
Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment—(1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; (2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; (3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and (4) Metacognition of Learning—along with a set of practices for each aim. These aims and practices of assessment were then integrated with previously developed models of course-based research instruction to reveal an assessment program in which instructors provide extensive feedback to support productive student engagement in research while grading those aspects of research that are necessary for the student to succeed. Assessment conducted in this way delicately balances the need to facilitate students’ ongoing research with the requirement of a final grade without undercutting the important aims of a CRE education.
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2504284X
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3390/cancers15235646
|
Towards Cancer Nanoradiopharmaceuticals—Radioisotope Nanocarrier System for Prostate Cancer Theranostics Based on Radiation-Synthesized Polymer Nanogels
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Despite the tremendous development of oncology, prostate cancer remains a debilitating malignancy. One of the most promising approaches to addressing this issue is to exploit the advancements of nanomedicine in combination with well-established nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. Following this idea, we have developed a radioisotope nanocarrier platform of electron-beam-synthesized nanogels based on poly(acrylic acid). We have developed a functionalization protocol, showing the very high (>97%) efficiency of the conjugation in targeting a ligand–bombesin derivative. This engineered peptide can bind gastrin-releasing peptide receptors overexpressed in prostate cancer cells; moreover, it bears a radioisotope-chelating moiety. Our nanoplatform exhibits very promising performance in vitro; the radiolabeled nanocarriers maintained high radiochemical purity of >90% in both the labeling buffer and human serum for up to 14 days. The application of the targeted nanocarrier allowed also effective and specific uptake in PC-3 prostate cancer cells, up to almost 30% after 4 h, which is a statistically significant improvement in comparison to carrier-free radiolabeled peptides. Although our system requires further studies for more promising results in vivo, our study represents a vital advancement in radionanomedicine—one of many steps that will lead to effective therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci13121203
|
Closing the Gap: Automated Distractor Generation in Japanese Language Testing
|
Recent advances in natural language processing have increased interest in automatic question generation, particularly in education (e.g., math, biology, law, medicine, and languages) due to its efficiency in assessing comprehension. Specifically, multiple-choice questions have become popular, especially in standardized language proficiency tests. However, manually creating high-quality tests is time-consuming and challenging. Distractor generation, a critical aspect of multiple-choice question creation, is often overlooked, yet it plays a crucial role in test quality. Generating appropriate distractors requires ensuring they are incorrect but related to the correct answer (semantically or contextually), are grammatically correct, and of similar length to the target word. While various languages have seen research in automatic distractor generation, Japanese has received limited attention. This paper addresses this gap by automatically generating cloze tests, including distractors, for Japanese language proficiency tests, evaluating the generated questions’ quality, difficulty, and preferred distractor types, and comparing them to human-made questions through automatic and manual evaluations.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.1007/s44196-023-00372-w
|
Group-Fusion One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network for Ballistic Target High-Resolution Range Profile Recognition with Layer-Wise Auxiliary Classifiers
|
Ballistic missile defense systems require accurate target recognition technology. Effective feature extraction is crucial for this purpose. The deep convolutional neural network (CNN) has proven to be an effective method for recognizing high-resolution range profiles (HRRPs) of ballistic targets. It excels in perceiving local features and extracting robust features. However, the standard CNN's fully connected manner results in high computational complexity, which is unsuitable for deployment in real-time missile defense systems with stringent performance requirements. To address the issue of computational complexity in HRRP recognition based on the standard one-dimensional CNN (1DCNN), we propose a lightweight network called group-fusion 1DCNN with layer-wise auxiliary classifiers (GFAC-1DCNN). GFAC-1DCNN employs group convolution (G-Conv) instead of standard convolution to effectively reduce model complexity. Simply using G-Conv, however, may decrease model recognition accuracy due to the lack of information flow between feature maps generated by each G-Conv. To overcome this limitation, we introduce a linear fusion layer to combine the output features of G-Convs, thereby improving recognition accuracy. Additionally, besides the main classifier at the deepest layer, we construct layer-wise auxiliary classifiers for different hierarchical features. The results from all classifiers are then fused for comprehensive target recognition. Extensive experiments demonstrate that GFAC-1DCNN with such simple and effective techniques achieves higher overall testing accuracy than state-of-the-art ballistic target HRRP recognition models, while significantly reducing model complexity. It also exhibits a higher recall rate for warhead recognition compared to other methods. Based on these compelling results, we believe this work is valuable in reducing workload and enhancing missile interception rates in missile defense systems.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3390/ejihpe13120200
|
Prevention of Work Absence Due to Back Pain: A Network Meta-Analysis
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This paper reviewed the most effective strategies for preventing work absence due to back pain (BP) and BP episodes (the number of people reporting back pain). We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of prevention strategies for BP from previous meta-analyses, PubMed, CENTRAL, and Embase and conducted a network meta-analysis. Thirteen RCTs (2033 participants) were included. Low- to high-quality evidence showed that exercise combined with ergonomics, education, back belts, and education combined with ergonomics did not prevent sickness absenteeism or BP episodes. There was moderate-quality evidence that exercise, especially resistance exercise, was the best prevention strategy to reduce the number of people reporting absenteeism due to BP (risk ratio [RR] = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.69). Moderate-quality evidence suggested that resistance and stretching exercises combined with education was the best prevention strategy to reduce pain (RR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67 to 0.96) and the number of absenteeism days for BP (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.39; 95% CI: −0.77 to −0.02). In conclusion, exercise, especially resistance and stretching exercises, and exercise combined with education were ranked as the best interventions to prevent sickness absenteeism and BP episodes.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers15245790
|
Therapeutic Targeting of Glioblastoma and the Interactions with Its Microenvironment
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumour, and it confers a dismal prognosis despite intensive multimodal treatments. Whilst historically, research has focussed on the evolution of GBM tumour cells themselves, there is growing recognition of the importance of studying the tumour microenvironment (TME). Improved characterisation of the interaction between GBM cells and the TME has led to a better understanding of therapeutic resistance and the identification of potential targets to block these escape mechanisms. This review describes the network of cells within the TME and proposes treatment strategies for simultaneously targeting GBM cells, the surrounding immune cells, and the crosstalk between them.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40359-023-01466-y
|
Mental health professionals’ perspectives on the relevance of religion and spirituality to mental health care
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Background: A large body of evidence indicates that spiritual and religious backgrounds, beliefs, and practices (SRBBPs) are related to better psychological health. Spirituality and religion (R/S) are also important aspects of multicultural diversity. There is evidence that clients would like to talk about their spirituality, and that including it in assessment and treatment planning can be beneficial. However, the extent to which practicing mental health professionals view SRBBPs as relevant to mental health and clinical practice is unclear. Methods: A survey examining several aspects of addressing SRBBPs in clinical practice was distributed to 894 professionals across mental health disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, social work, marriage family therapy, licensed professional counselors, certified chemical dependency counselors, and psychiatric mental health nurses. Results: 89% of mental health professionals agreed that clinicians should receive training in R/S competencies. There were no differences between mental health disciplines in ratings of importance of such training. Younger individuals and those who identify as more spiritual were more likely to consider R/S training as important. Although 47.1% of professionals had not received much R/S training, many perceived themselves to be highly competent in R/S clinical integration practices (57.8% considered themselves able to display them very much or completely). In addition, respondents with more R/S training evaluated themselves as more proficient in R/S clinical integration. Nearly two-thirds (65.2%) of respondents reported encountering few to no barriers to engaging in R/S competent mental health care. Conclusions: There is a growing consensus among mental health care professionals that mental health professionals should be trained in R/S competencies. Strong agreement exists that basic R/S competencies include respect, empathy, examination of bias, and routine assessment of R/S in mental health care. Four in five of those surveyed agree that more active competencies, such as identifying and addressing religious and spiritual struggles and problems and helping clients explore and access R/S strengths and resources should be included, whereas one in five report less comfort with these competencies.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ai5010001
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A Time Window Analysis for Time-Critical Decision Systems with Applications on Sports Climbing
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Human monitoring systems are already utilized in various fields like assisted living, healthcare or sport and fitness. They are able to support in everyday life or act as a pre-warning system. We developed a system to monitor the ascent of a sport climber. It is integrated in a belay device. This paper presents the first time series analysis regarding the fall of a climber utilizing such a system. A Convolutional Neural Network handles the feature engineering part of the sensor information as well as the classification of the task at hand. In this way, the time is implicitly considered by the network. An analysis regarding the size of the time window was carried out with a focus on exploring the respective results. The neural network models were then tested against an already-existing principle based on a mechanical mechanism. We show that the size of the time window is a decisive factor in a time critical system. Depending on the size of the window, the mechanical principle was able to outperform the neural network. Nevertheless, most of our models outperformed the basic principle and returned promising results in predicting the fall of a climber within up to 91.8 ms.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.3390/ai5010002
|
A Time Series Approach to Smart City Transformation: The Problem of Air Pollution in Brescia
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Air pollution is a paramount issue, influenced by a combination of natural and anthropogenic sources, various diffusion modes, and profound repercussions for the environment and human health. Herein, the power of time series data becomes evident, as it proves indispensable for capturing pollutant concentrations over time. These data unveil critical insights, including trends, seasonal and cyclical patterns, and the crucial property of stationarity. Brescia, a town located in Northern Italy, faces the pressing challenge of air pollution. To enhance its status as a smart city and address this concern effectively, statistical methods employed in time series analysis play a pivotal role. This article is dedicated to examining how ARIMA and LSTM models can empower Brescia as a smart city by fitting and forecasting specific pollution forms. These models have established themselves as effective tools for predicting future pollution levels. Notably, the intricate nature of the phenomena becomes apparent through the high variability of particulate matter. Even during extraordinary events like the COVID-19 lockdown, where substantial reductions in emissions were observed, the analysis revealed that this reduction did not proportionally decrease PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. This underscores the complex nature of the issue and the need for advanced data-driven solutions to make Brescia a truly smart city.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.3390/cancers16010027
|
Overexpression of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Glioblastoma Stem Cells Promotes Their Radioresistance
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GSCs play an important role in GBM recurrence. Understanding the resistance mechanisms in these cells is therefore crucial for radiation therapy optimization. In this study, using patient-derived GSCs, we demonstrate that GDF15, a cytokine belonging to the TGF-β superfamily, is regulated by irradiation (IR) and the transcription factor WWTR1/TAZ. Blocking WWTR1/TAZ using specific siRNAs significantly reduces GDF15 basal expression and reverses the upregulation of this cytokine induced by IR. Furthermore, we demonstrate that GDF15 plays an important role in GSC radioresistance. Targeting GDF15 expression by siRNA in GSCs expressing high levels of GDF15 sensitizes the cells to IR. In addition, we also found that GDF15 expression is critical for GSC spheroid formation, as GDF15 knockdown significantly reduces the number of GSC neurospheres. This study suggests that GDF15 targeting in combination with radiotherapy may be a feasible approach in patients with GBM.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/ejihpe14010002
|
Preschool Teachers’ Cognitions, Emotions, and Tolerance toward Children’s Hypothetical Social Behaviors in the Classroom
|
Teachers’ tolerance toward children’s social behaviors is, in part, guided by teachers’ cognitions and emotions. Few studies have examined the associations between teachers’ cognitions, emotions, and tolerance toward children’s social behaviors. This study aimed to (1) describe the cognitions, emotions, and tolerance of Portuguese preschool teachers toward children’s shy, physically and relationally aggressive, rough-and-tumble play, exuberant, and unsociable behaviors at preschool, depending on children’s sex; and (2) examine the direct and indirect associations (via teachers’ emotions) between teachers’ cognitions and tolerance toward children’s social behaviors, depending on children’s sex. One hundred and seven preschool teachers completed the Child Behaviors Vignettes. Preschool teachers displayed more negative views toward children’s physical and relational aggression, reported positive perspectives toward children’s rough play and mixed attitudes toward children’s exuberance, and differentiated shy from unsociable behaviors. Direct associations between teachers’ cognitions and tolerance were found only for physical aggression. Teachers’ anticipation of negative peer costs and academic performance appear to exert an indirect influence on teachers’ tolerance toward physical aggression and unsociability, via increased levels of worry. These findings highlight the role of teachers’ emotions for tolerance toward children’s social behaviors and the need to enhance their self-awareness.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14010006
|
Embedding Civil Engineering Understanding through the Use of Interactive Virtual Reality
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Recent skills surveys of engineering graduates have highlighted a deficit in critical thinking among graduates. A possible solution to this is to increase the number of hands-on exercises in the curriculum. This could be carried out through the integration of 3D learning tools, specifically a virtual reality (VR) program, to effectively teach civil engineering practical studies and allow repeatable and measurable exercises for students. This study aims to assess the suitability of the VR program as an additional resource alongside existing learning exercises or a substitute for hands-on experiments when needed. The methodology involved creating a VR program, compatible with VR headsets to replicate an engineering experiment, namely the loading of a concrete beam to observe its failure. Students’ understanding of the virtual experiment was evaluated through end-of-experiment questions. The findings indicate that the VR learning tool was successful in enhancing students’ understanding of the civil engineering experiment. The immersive and interactive nature of VR contributed to a solid grasp of the concepts presented, proving its potential as a valuable educational resource. By leveraging VR technology, educational institutions can provide an engaging and effective alternative to traditional laboratory sessions, ensuring uninterrupted and high-quality learning experiences for civil engineering students.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1007/s44196-023-00374-8
|
Convolution Neural Network Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory for Heartbeat Arrhythmia Classification
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Arrhythmia is a heart condition that poses a severe threat to life and requires prompt medical attention. One of the challenges in detecting arrhythmias accurately is that incorrect diagnoses can have severe consequences. In light of this, it is critical to develop a solution that is both effective and reliable. In this study, we propose a residual Convolution Neural Network Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (DeepResidualBiLSTM) model for classifying Arrhythmia types, which addresses the vanishing gradient problem and captures the relevant features in the signals’ long dependencies. The model is characterized by its simplicity, stability, and ability to extract meaningful features effectively. Using two well-known datasets, the experimental results demonstrate exceptional accuracy, precision, and recall values of approximately 99.4% at the early stage of 20 epoch training. Furthermore, the model demonstrates a remarkable ability to discriminate between Arrhythmia classes under varying thresholds using the ROC curve metric, with a high value, in most cases, of 100% for accurately detecting positive cases.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.1007/s44196-023-00376-6
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Semantic Adversarial Attacks on Face Recognition Through Significant Attributes
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Face recognition systems are susceptible to adversarial attacks, where adversarial facial images are generated without awareness of the intrinsic attributes of the images in existing works. They change only a single attribute indiscriminately. To this end, we propose a new Semantic Adversarial Attack using StarGAN (SAA-StarGAN), which manipulates the facial attributes that are significant for each image. Specifically, we apply the cosine similarity or probability score to predict the most significant attributes. In the probability score method, we train the face verification model to perform an attribute prediction task to get a class probability score for each attribute. Then, we calculate the degree of change in the probability value in an image before and after altering the attribute. Therefore, we perform the prediction process and then alter either one or more of the most significant facial attributes under white-box or black-box settings. Experimental results illustrate that SAA-StarGAN outperforms transformation-based, gradient-based, stealthy-based, and patch-based attacks under impersonation and dodging attacks. Besides, our method achieves high attack success rates on various models in the black-box setting. In the end, the experiments confirm that the prediction of the most important attributes significantly impacts the success of adversarial attacks in both white-box and black-box settings and could improve the transferability of the generated adversarial examples.
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18756883
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AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14010004
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The Individual Work Performance Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version
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Individual work performance can be defined as individual behaviour capable of generating value and a competitive advantage for the organization. Furthermore, this construct is linked to other fundamental variables that constitute worker well-being, such as job satisfaction and engagement. Although important, a complete measure of individual work performance is still lacking in the Italian context. The objective of this work is to validate the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) within the Italian organisational context. The IWPQ is a multi-dimensional construct consisting of task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior. To investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian IWPQ, 1053 participants were enrolled, whose ages ranged between 19 and 69 years. EFA, CFA, and MCFA analyses were performed to test the structural factors of the IWPQ. The results supported the validity of the IWPQ in the Italian context; the final structure consisted of 17 items. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor solution was invariant across both gender and occupational categories and found evidence of metric, uniqueness, scalar, and structural invariance. Convergent validity was also tested and demonstrated. Adequate studies on the importance of individual performance can be used to better understand and distinguish the different components affecting performance.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14010006
|
Physical Activity Time, Alcohol Consumption, Mediterranean Diet, and Anxiety in Education Science Students
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Student lifestyles change during university. This research aimed to classify university students according to their levels of physical activity, alcohol consumption, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and anxiety and studied the relationships between the variables using a multigroup equation model according to gender. The sample was composed of 549 participants (M = 23.06; S.D. = 6.22), of whom 409 were women and 140 were men. Validated and adapted instruments such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the PREDIMED Questionnaire, and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were used. The data revealed four clusters through Ward’s method and the k-means method. Regarding the exploratory model, differences were found in the effects of the variables according to sex. In conclusion, alcohol consumption was positively associated with the Mediterranean diet, and physical activity was negatively associated with the Mediterranean diet and anxiety.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14010028
|
Learning about the Coexistence between Nature and Humans in Elementary Science Education: Developing Lessons Using Folktales That Reflect Ancestors’ Views on Nature
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Understanding the coexistence between nature and humans is a basic concept required in modern society. In this study, we verify the effectiveness of folktales as teaching material in science education by incorporating folktales into the fifth-grade elementary school science unit, “Functions of Running Water and Changes in the Land”. We investigate the effects of folktales that express ancestors’ perspectives on nature on pupils’ ideas about the coexistence between nature and humans. Additionally, we explore the possibility of using folktales in science education. In November 2017, an experimental group (74 participants) explored the coexistence between nature and humans through folktales, while a control group (60 participants) explored this coexistence through discussion activities. These experiments were conducted in fifth-grade classrooms at elementary schools in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan. Our results indicate that for some pupils in the experimental group, exposure to their ancestors’ views of nature helped them develop and refine their ideas about their connection to and relationship with the river. Folktales vividly depict the nature of the past in the places where the pupils live, offering a glimpse into their ancestors’ different views on nature that differ from present-day views. It is considered that, by coming into contact with the folktale, pupils were able to enter a situation that transcended time, allowing them to think about and empathize with the people who lived with the river. It is suggested that this connection is related to the results described above.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/cancers16010125
|
SIRT1 Promotes Cisplatin Resistance in Bladder Cancer via Beclin1 Deacetylation-Mediated Autophagy
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Autophagy-dependent cisplatin resistance poses a challenge in bladder cancer treatment. SIRT1, a protein deacetylase, is involved in autophagy regulation. However, the precise mechanism through which SIRT1 mediates cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer via autophagy remains unclear. In this study, we developed a cisplatin-resistant T24/DDP cell line to investigate this mechanism. The apoptosis rate and cell viability were assessed using flow cytometry and the CCK8 method. The expression levels of the relevant RNA and protein were determined using RT-qPCR and a Western blot analysis, respectively. Immunoprecipitation was utilized to validate the interaction between SIRT1 and Beclin1, as well as to determine the acetylation level of Beclin1. The findings indicated the successful construction of the T24/DDP cell line, which exhibited autophagy-dependent cisplatin resistance. Inhibiting autophagy significantly reduced the drug resistance index of these cells. The T24/DDP cell line showed a high SIRT1 expression level. The overexpression of SIRT1 activated autophagy, thereby further promoting cisplatin resistance in the T24/DDP cell line. Conversely, inhibiting autophagy counteracted the cisplatin-resistance-promoting effects of SIRT1. Silencing SIRT1 led to increased acetylation of Beclin1, the inhibition of autophagy, and a reduction in the cisplatin resistance of the T24/DDP cell line. Introducing a double mutation (lysine 430 and 437 to arginine, 2KR) in Beclin-1 inhibited acetylation and activated autophagy, effectively reversing the decreased cisplatin resistance resulting from SIRT1 silencing. In summary, our study elucidated that SIRT1 promotes cisplatin resistance in human bladder cancer T24 cells through Beclin1-deacetylation-mediated autophagy activation. These findings suggest a potential new strategy for reversing cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14010007
|
Big Five Personality Traits and Compulsive Buying: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem
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The inter-relationships between the Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, and compulsive buying are supported by strong empirical evidence. What is yet unknown is to what extent self-esteem can channel the influence of personality traits on compulsive buying. The main objective of this study is to explore the possible mediating role of self-esteem in the link between the Big Five personality traits and compulsive buying. Path analysis results, using a sample of 487 university students, generally confirm the suitability of the proposed model in which self-esteem mediated the effects of the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness) on compulsive buying. Moreover, a direct effect of neuroticism and conscientiousness on compulsive buying was found. Finally, based on the finding that self-esteem acts as a necessary filter in the analysis of the five factors–compulsive buying relationship, several action-oriented guidelines for the prevention or intervention of this behavioral problem are suggested.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci14010058
|
Grief (Work) Is Heart (Work): A Critical Race Feminista Epistolary Exchange as an Offering on Death, Grief, and Well-Being to Academia
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This article centers around my work as a critical race feminista; an academic experiencing consistent attacks on the scholarship I produce while also being a tía (aunt), an active griever, and a godmother to my eldest nephew, Solano Garcia. This is the first time that my nephew and I will have shared our most private papelitos guardados (intimate guarded papers). In this article, we respond to the paucity of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-centered death, grief, and well-being in academia. Using a critical race feminist epistolary methodology, we document our epistolary exchanges that contain dehumanizing attempts on our bodymindspirit matrices as active grievers of color confronting the premature death of my brother, who died at the age of 37 in the summer of 2021. Unlike the ‘western’ psychotherapeutic tradition of overcoming death and grief, we stake a claim, sit with it, and affirm it as an ongoing process. We argue that recognizing and affirming death and grief is a life-making process that creates spaces for healing through our epistolary offerings. This article aims to offer BIPOC faculty, staff, students, and their families life-affirming strategies towards radical self-care, love, and intergenerational collective healing within a sociopolitical context that operates as a surveillance mechanism.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
|
10.3390/ejihpe14010010
|
Family Functioning Styles and Exercise Addiction: Disengaged, Enmeshed, and Rigid Family Patterns Are Associated with Exercise Addiction
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Physical exercise is a widely recommended practice for promoting health, but for some individuals, this activity can result in pathological and morbid behaviour. Therefore, the study of the factors contributing to the onset, development, and progression of exercise addiction is particularly relevant. Within this framework, the present study assessed the effect of family functioning, body image concerns, age, and gender on exercise addiction. A sample of 300 regular exercisers (Mage = 30.3 years, SD = 11.6; 69.7% females, 30.3% males) participated in the study and completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales–IV, Body Image Concern Inventory, and Exercise Addiction Inventory. Data were analysed by implementing a series of moderated moderated-mediations. Results showed that three significant models were relevant. First, positive associations of disengaged (p < 0.05), enmeshed (p < 0.05), and rigid (p < 0.01) family functioning with exercise addiction were found. Furthermore, body image concerns mediated all these relationships, and the interaction between gender and age significantly moderated the effects of body image concerns on exercise addiction (p < 0.05). Such data may be useful for a deeper understanding of the variables associated with the development of exercise addiction, suggesting key elements on which it might be useful to focus in clinical and/or preventive activity.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/ejihpe14010011
|
Academic Success at Social Costs: An Exploratory Study on Social Networks of Chinese Students under Academic Streaming
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In universities that require students to reside in dormitories, there are two types of social networks—study/classroom-based and social/dorm room-based. The academic streaming system may disrupt study/classroom connections, but its impact on students’ social networks is unknown. Using self-reported surveys, this study examines ego network measures of network sizes, turnover, multiplexity, and diversity among 382 students (44% female, 56% male). Surveys were administered before and after the university employed a first-semester grade-point average to demote or promote students into an honours college. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 11 honours students staying within their track and 11 students who were re-streamed to the non-honours track. Quantitative results showed that students in the non-honours college and who remained there had increasingly overlapping friendship circles between study and social environments, along with more diverse social connections, indicating stronger networks. In contrast, honours participants experienced fewer overlapping networks across domains and less dispersed social ties, especially after the academic replacement process. Qualitative results showed that the honours students faced a trade-off between academic success and social engagement in maintaining their elite status. Re-streamed students experienced otherness in social groups and decreased psychological wellbeing. This study contributes to the application of network analysis in education and provides insights into the unintended consequences of educational practice on students’ social networks.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1186/s40359-024-01524-z
|
Psychometric properties of principals’ attitudes toward inclusive education (PATIE) scale: Arabic version
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Inclusive education is critical for the successful integration of students with disabilities into general education schools, and principals’ attitudes play a crucial role in this process. Despite the recognized significance of attitudes, there remains a gap in understanding these attitudes among principals in Arabic-speaking regions concerning inclusive education practices. This study aims to bridge this gap by validating and assessing the reliability of the Arabic version of the Principals’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education (PATIE) scale. To measure these attitudes in the Arab region, the current study validated and assessed the reliability of the Arabic version of the Principals’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education (PATIE) scale using a sample of 391 principals from schools that have in place inclusion programs for students with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to validate the scale’s structural, discriminant, and convergent validity, while Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (CR) were utilized to evaluate the scale’s reliability. The results demonstrated the strong validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the PATIE, with all five factors displaying good reliability. These findings suggest that the scale can effectively measure attitudes toward inclusive education in Arabic-speaking countries. This study’s implications for research and practice are significant, as they underscore the importance of positive attitudes among principals in promoting inclusive education and provide a validated tool for measuring these attitudes.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/ai5010012
|
Bibliometric Mining of Research Trends in Machine Learning
|
We present a method, including tool support, for bibliometric mining of trends in large and dynamic research areas. The method is applied to the machine learning research area for the years 2013 to 2022. A total number of 398,782 documents from Scopus were analyzed. A taxonomy containing 26 research directions within machine learning was defined by four experts with the help of a Python program and existing taxonomies. The trends in terms of productivity, growth rate, and citations were analyzed for the research directions in the taxonomy. Our results show that the two directions, Applications and Algorithms, are the largest, and that the direction Convolutional Neural Networks is the one that grows the fastest and has the highest average number of citations per document. It also turns out that there is a clear correlation between the growth rate and the average number of citations per document, i.e., documents in fast-growing research directions have more citations. The trends for machine learning research in four geographic regions (North America, Europe, the BRICS countries, and The Rest of the World) were also analyzed. The number of documents during the time period considered is approximately the same for all regions. BRICS has the highest growth rate, and, on average, North America has the highest number of citations per document. Using our tool and method, we expect that one could perform a similar study in some other large and dynamic research area in a relatively short time.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.3390/ai5010013
|
Enhancing Thermo-Acoustic Waste Heat Recovery through Machine Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Artificial Neural Network–Particle Swarm Optimization, Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System, and Artificial Neural Network Models
|
Waste heat recovery stands out as a promising technique for tackling both energy shortages and environmental pollution. Currently, this valuable resource, generated through processes like fuel combustion or chemical reactions, is often dissipated into the environment, despite its potential to significantly contribute to the economy. To harness this untapped potential, a traveling-wave thermo-acoustic generator has been designed and subjected to comprehensive experimental analysis. Fifty-two data corresponding to different working conditions of the system were extracted to build ANN, ANFIS, and ANN-PSO models. Evaluation of performance metrics reveals that the ANN-PSO model demonstrates the highest predictive accuracy (R2=0.9959), particularly in relation to output voltage. This research demonstrates the potential of machine learning techniques for the analysis of thermo-acoustic systems. In doing so, it is possible to obtain an insight into nonlinearities inherent to thermo-acoustic systems. This advancement empowers researchers to forecast the performance characteristics of alternative configurations with a heightened level of precision.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.1186/s40359-023-01506-7
|
Basic counseling skills in psychology and teaching: validation of a short version of the counselor activity self-efficacy scales
|
Background: Counseling self-efficacy is a relevant measure to examine trainees’ beliefs about their counseling skills. This study aimed to validate three scales of the revised German version of the Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales (CASES-R) measuring basic counseling skills. To ascertain the scales’ sensitivity to change, counseling self-efficacy was assessed before and after specific training. Method: The sample comprised 163 university students enrolled either in psychology or education. Students were examined before and after participating in training focusing on basic counseling skills. We applied confirmatory factor analysis and tested internal consistency, convergent validity, and criterion validity. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure of the CASES-R scales for basic counseling skills. The scales provided acceptable to good internal consistency (α = 0.77 − 0.87). Significant relations with general self-efficacy (r =.23, p <.01) provided first indication for convergent validity. We also found a significant correlation of the CASES-R with positive affect (r =.22), and significant correlations of some subscales with empathetic concern (r =.16 −.21) and mastery goal orientation (r =.16), overall supporting criterion validity. The CASES-R scales proved to be sensitive to change, as participants’ scores were higher after (M = 6.18, SD = 1.05) than before (M = 5.37, SD = 1.16) counseling training (F(1, 309) = 42.27, p <.001). Conclusion: We found support for the proposed factor structure and reliability of the German version of the three CASES-R scales, indicating its suitability for use in basic counseling settings. Future research should further examine the scales’ validity.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01519-w
|
The interrelationships between Chinese learners’ trait emotional intelligence and teachers’ emotional support in learners’ engagement
|
Background: One noteworthy concern within the realm of education is the level of engagement demonstrated by students. Among the factor that can have a crucial role in this domain is teacher support, especially emotional support which has an impact on several aspects of learners’ education. Furthermore, various studies have investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and learners’ engagement. Methods: Accordingly, this study investigated the possible role of trait EI and the emotional support of teachers and how these constructs may work to associate learners’ engagement. For this objective, a total of 309 Chinese students across different colleges and universities in 5 provinces of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hubei, and Shaanxi were enrolled. They were 126 females and 183 males, with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years old (Mean = 24.6). Results: The results of this research through running Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) demonstrated that teachers’ emotional support and trait EI both can associate students’ learning engagement. The final measurement model shows that about 73% of changes in learners’ engagement can be associated by their trait EI and teachers’ emotional support. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of emotional support from teachers and the trait of EI in relation to students’ engagement in learning. Both factors were shown to play a significant role in associating student engagement. Moreover, this study could potentially have wider impacts on members of academic teams.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s00432-023-05530-3
|
Efficacy and safety of first-line therapy in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
|
Purpose: The numerous first-line treatment regimens for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) necessitate a comprehensive evaluation to inform clinical decision-making. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the efficacy and safety of different interventions. Methods: We systematically searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library and online abstracts from inception to June 1, 2023. NMA was performed to calculate and analyze progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events of grade 3 or higher (≥ 3 AEs). Results: Out of the 10,313 manuscripts retrieved, we included 28 RCTs involving 11,680 patients. Regarding PFS and ORR, the combination of trastuzumab with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) was more favorable than dual-targeted therapy. If only using trastuzumab, combination chemotherapy is superior to monochemotherapy in terms of PFS. It is important to note that the addition of anthracycline did not result in improved PFS. For patients with hormone receptor-positive HER2-positive diseases, dual-targeted combined with endocrine therapy showed better benefit in terms of PFS compared to dual-targeted alone, but it did not reach statistical significance. The comprehensive analysis of PFS and ≥ 3 AEs indicates that monochemotherapy combined with dual-targeted therapy still has the optimal balance between efficacy and safety. Conclusion: Monochemotherapy (Docetaxel) plus dual-target (Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab) therapy remains the optimal choice among all first-line treatment options for ABC. The combination of trastuzumab with TKIs (Pyrotinib) demonstrated a significant improvement in PFS and ORR, but further data are warranted to confirm the survival benefit.
|
14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/cancers16030476
|
Prediction of Patient Outcomes in Locally Advanced Cervical Carcinoma Following Chemoradiotherapy—Comparative Effectiveness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose Imaging
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Purpose: To evaluate the utility and comparative effectiveness of three five-point qualitative scoring systems for assessing response on PET-CT and MRI imaging individually and in combination, following curative-intent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Their performance in the prediction of subsequent patient outcomes was also assessed; Methods: Ninety-seven patients with histologically confirmed LACC treated with CRT using standard institutional protocols at a single centre who underwent PET-CT and MRI at staging and post treatment were identified retrospectively from an institutional database. The post-CRT imaging studies were independently reviewed, and response assessed using five-point scoring tools for T2WI, DWI, and FDG PET-CT. Patient characteristics, staging, treatment, and follow-up details including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes were collected. To compare diagnostic performance metrics, a two-proportion z-test was employed. A Kaplan–Meier analysis (Mantel–Cox log-rank) was performed. Results: The T2WI (p < 0.00001, p < 0.00001) and DWI response scores (p < 0.00001, p = 0.0002) had higher specificity and accuracy than the PET-CT. The T2WI score had the highest positive predictive value (PPV), while the negative predictive value (NPV) was consistent across modalities. The combined MR scores maintained high NPV, PPV, specificity, and sensitivity, and the PET/MR consensus scores showed superior diagnostic accuracy and specificity compared to the PET-CT score alone (p = 0.02926, p = 0.0083). The Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed significant differences in the PFS based on the T2WI (p < 0.001), DWI (p < 0.001), combined MR (p = 0.003), and PET-CT/MR consensus scores (p < 0.001) and in the OS for the T2WI (p < 0.001), DWI (p < 0.001), and combined MR scores (p = 0.031) between responders and non-responders. Conclusion: Post-CRT response assessment using qualitative MR scoring and/or consensus PET-CT and MRI scoring was a better predictor of outcome compared to PET-CT assessment alone. This requires validation in a larger prospective study but offers the potential to help stratify patient follow-up in the future.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci14020116
|
Transitioning to Success: The Link between E-CTE and College Preparation for Students with Learning Disabilities in the United States
|
In recent years, there has been a specific call to not only increase the number of engineering-trained individuals but also to address the lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, including individuals with disabilities. In particular, students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) make up a large portion of all students and are, therefore, a crucial population on which to focus educational and career progression efforts. One potential means of promoting persistence along the STEM pipeline—engineering specifically—is through engineering career and technical education (E-CTE) coursework in high school. Using a nationally representative dataset, we explore how E-CTE participation links to college preparation and transition activities for SWLDs, including math SAT performance, dual credit course participation, college application, and FAFSA completion. Under our more rigorous school fixed-effects models, we find that E-CTE participation is associated with beneficial results across each of our outcomes. The implications are discussed.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3390/ai5010014
|
MultiWave-Net: An Optimized Spatiotemporal Network for Abnormal Action Recognition Using Wavelet-Based Channel Augmentation
|
Human behavior is regarded as one of the most complex notions present nowadays, due to the large magnitude of possibilities. These behaviors and actions can be distinguished as normal and abnormal. However, abnormal behavior is a vast spectrum, so in this work, abnormal behavior is regarded as human aggression or in another context when car accidents occur on the road. As this behavior can negatively affect the surrounding traffic participants, such as vehicles and other pedestrians, it is crucial to monitor such behavior. Given the current prevalent spread of cameras everywhere with different types, they can be used to classify and monitor such behavior. Accordingly, this work proposes a new optimized model based on a novel integrated wavelet-based channel augmentation unit for classifying human behavior in various scenes, having a total number of trainable parameters of 5.3 m with an average inference time of 0.09 s. The model has been trained and evaluated on four public datasets: Real Live Violence Situations (RLVS), Highway Incident Detection (HWID), Movie Fights, and Hockey Fights. The proposed technique achieved accuracies in the range of 92% to 99.5% across the used benchmark datasets. Comprehensive analysis and comparisons between different versions of the model and the state-of-the-art have been performed to confirm the model’s performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The proposed model has higher accuracy with an average of 4.97%, and higher efficiency by reducing the number of parameters by around 139.1 m compared to other models trained and tested on the same benchmark datasets.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14020019
|
Mid-Term and Long-Lasting Psycho–Cognitive Benefits of Bidomain Training Intervention in Elderly Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment
|
Background: This study investigated whether combining simultaneous physical and cognitive training yields superior cognitive outcomes compared with aerobic training alone in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether these benefits persist after four weeks of detraining. Methods: Forty-four people with MCI (11 males and 33 females) aged 65 to 75 years were randomly assigned to an 8-week, twice-weekly program of either aerobic training (AT group, n = 15), aerobic training combined with cognitive games (ACT group, n = 15), or simply reading for controls (CG group, n = 14). Selective attention (Stroop), problem-solving (Hanoi Tower), and working memory (Digit Span) tasks were used to assess cognitive performances at baseline, in the 4th (W4) and 8th weeks (W8) of training, and after 4 weeks of rest (W12). Results: Both training interventions induced beneficial effects on all tested cognitive performance at W4 (except for the number of moves in the Hanoi tower task) and W8 (all p <0.001), with the ACT group exhibiting a more pronounced positive impact than the AT group (p < 0.05). This advantage was specifically observed at W8 in tasks such as the Stroop and Tower of Hanoi (% gain ≈40% vs. ≈30% for ACT and AT, respectively) and the digit span test (% gain ≈13% vs. ≈10% for ACT and AT, respectively). These cognitive improvements in both groups, with the greater ones in ACT, persisted even after four weeks of detraining, as evidenced by the absence of a significant difference between W8 and W12 (p > 0.05). Concerning neuropsychological assessments, comparable beneficial effects were recorded following both training regimens (all p < 0.05 from pre- to post-intervention). The control group did not show any significant improvement in most of the cognitive tasks. Conclusions: The greater mid-term and long-lasting effects of combined simultaneous physical–cognitive training underscores its potential as a cost-effective intervention for the prevention and management of cognitive decline. While these results are valuable in guiding optimal physical and mental activity recommendations for adults with MCI, further neurophysiological-based studies are essential to offer robust support and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these promising findings.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s00432-023-05555-8
|
Patient–physician communication about cancer-related fatigue: a survey of patient-perceived barriers
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Purpose: Cancer-related fatigue is a subjective, distressing, and common sequela of cancer which is often disregarded and underdiagnosed. Fatigue is assessed by self-report requiring communication between patient and physician. In this study, we investigated the patients’ perspective on the patient–physician communication about fatigue. Methods: On average five months after diagnosis 1179 cancer patients, recruited in Germany, completed a survey as part of the LIFT project. The survey included questions on sociodemographic data, fatigue, depression, fatigue management, patient–physician communication, and communication barriers. Data were analyzed descriptively and using logistic regression analyses. Results: Half of the participants reported that their physician had never asked them whether they felt exhausted. Patients undergoing chemo-, radio-, or immunotherapy were more likely to be asked about fatigue, while older age and major depression decreased the likelihood. Sixty-four percent of the patients felt impeded by communication barriers. Common barriers were not knowing who to turn to for fatigue (39%), time constraints (31%), and the fear of being perceived as weak (22%). Almost half of the participants indicated that their physicians were not appreciative and did not deal adequately with fatigue-related questions. Conclusion: This study revealed gaps in the patient–physician communication regarding cancer-related fatigue. Contrary to guideline recommendations a minority of physicians addressed fatigue. On the other hand, cancer patients felt reluctant to bring up this topic due to structural barriers and fears. Physicians should routinely address fatigue and adopt a communication style which encourages patients to likewise state their symptoms and raise their questions. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT04921644. Registered in June 2021.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05610-y
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Prediction of positive pulmonary nodules based on machine learning algorithm combined with central carbon metabolism data
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Background: Lung cancer causes a huge disease burden, and early detection of positive pulmonary nodules (PPNs) as an early sign of lung cancer is extremely important for effective intervention. It is necessary to develop PPNs risk recognizer based on machine learning algorithm combined with central carbon metabolomics. Methods: The study included 2248 participants at high risk for lung cancer from the Ma'anshan Community Lung Cancer Screening cohort. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) was used to screen 18 central carbon-related metabolites in plasma, recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used to select all 42 features, followed by five machine learning algorithms for model development. The performance of the model was evaluated using area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores. In addition, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was performed to assess the interpretability of the final selected model and to gain insight into the impact of features on the predicted results. Results: Finally, the two prediction models based on the random forest (RF) algorithm performed best, with AUC values of 0.87 and 0.83, respectively, better than other models. We found that homogentisic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, hippuric acid, gluconic acid, and succinic acid played a significant role in both PPNs prediction model and NPNs vs PPNs model, while 2-oxadipic acid only played a role in the former model and phosphopyruvate only played a role in the NPNs vs PPNs model. This model demonstrates the potential of central carbon metabolism for PPNs risk prediction and identification. Conclusion: We developed a series of predictive models for PPNs, which can help in the early detection of PPNs and thus reduce the risk of lung cancer.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-023-05562-9
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Early port site and peritoneal metastasis following robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a rare case report
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Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is the recommended treatment for managing muscle-invasive carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Early recurrence is observed in only about 4.1% of cases. Port-site metastasis following robot-assisted radical cystectomy is extremely rare. We encountered a challenging and a rare case of bladder cancer that manifested with port-site and peritoneal metastasis within 6 weeks of surgery.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14020129
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The Pernicious Predictability of State-Mandated Tests of Academic Achievement in the United States
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The purpose of this study was to determine the predictiveness of community and family demographic variables related to the development of student academic background knowledge on the percentage of students who pass a state-mandated, commercially prepared, standardized Algebra 1 test in the state of New Jersey, USA. This explanatory, cross-sectional study utilized quantitative methods through hierarchical regression analysis. The results suggest that family demographic variables found in the United States Census data related to the development of student academic background knowledge predicted 75 percent of schools in which students achieved a passing score on a state standardized high school assessment of Algebra 1. We can conclude that construct-irrelevant variance, influenced in part by student background knowledge, can be used to predict standardized test results. The results call into question the use of standardized tests as tools for policy makers and educational leaders to accurately judge student learning or school quality.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1007/s00432-023-05594-1
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Short-term serial circulating tumor DNA assessment predicts therapeutic efficacy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer
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Purpose We investigated the potential clinical utility of short-term serial KRAS-mutated circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) assessment for predicting therapeutic response in patients undergoing first-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods We collected 144 blood samples from 18 patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer that were undergoing initial first-line chemotherapy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GEM plus nab-PTX). Analysis of KRAS-mutated ctDNA was quantified by digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) as mutant allele frequency (MAF). This study investigated pretreatment KRAS-mutated ctDNA status and ctDNA kinetics every few days (days 1, 3, 5 and 7) after initiation of chemotherapy and their potential as predictive indicators. Results Of the 18 enrolled patients, an increase in KRAS-mutated ctDNA MAF values from day 0–7 after initiation of chemotherapy was significantly associated with disease progression (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, positive pretreatment ctDNA status (MAF ≥ 0.02%) (P = 0.585) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) values above the median (P = 0.266) were not associated with disease progression. In univariate analysis, this short-term increase in ctDNA MAF values (day 0–7) was found to be associated with significantly shorter progression free survival (PFS) (hazard ration [HR], 24.234; range, (2.761–212.686); P = 0.0002). Conclusion This short-term ctDNA kinetics assessment may provide predictive information to reflect real-time therapeutic response and lead to effective refinement of regimen in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing systemic chemotherapy.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-023-05592-3
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Exploring the expression and clinical significance of the miR-140-3p-HOXA9 axis in colorectal cancer
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Purpose: This study aims to investigate the expression patterns and clinical significance of miR-140-3p and homeobox A9 (HOXA9) in colorectal cancer (CRC) selected by bioinformatic study, while elucidating their potential interplay. Methods: The microRNA expression profiles of paired colorectal cancer and matched normal tissues were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus Database. Differentially expressed microRNAs and microRNA candidates were filtered and subjected to further analysis. Clinicopathological data, along with paraffin-embedded samples of colorectal tumor tissues were collected to facilitate comprehensive analysis. Expression levels of miR-140-3p and HOXA9 were quantified using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Survival rates were determined using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the COX regression model was utilized to identify independent prognostic factors that impact the overall prognosis. Results: MiR-140-3p was significantly downregulated in colorectal tumors compared to normal tissue, and HOXA9 was identified as a previously unreported potential downstream target. HOXA9 expression was elevated in tumors compared to normal tissues. Reduced miR-140-3p expression was associated with lymph node metastasis, while high HOXA9 expression correlated with both lymph node metastasis and lympho-vascular invasion. Patients with low miR-140-3p and high HOXA9 expression had a poorer prognosis. HOXA9 was identified as an independent risk factor for CRC patient survival. Conclusion: The miR-140-3p-HOXA9 signaling disruption is closely linked to lymph node metastasis and unfavorable prognosis in CRC. This axis shows promise as a clinical biomarker for predicting the CRC patient survival and a potential therapeutic target.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14020153
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Assessing the Linguistic Creativity Domain of Last-Year Compulsory Secondary School Students
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The importance of creativity in the training of people gained special relevance with the PISA Tests of the OECD, which, for the first time, evaluated the general creativity of 15-year-old students in 2022. This descriptive and quantitative study focuses on the evaluation of linguistic creativity, using different classical instruments to measure divergent thinking and adding new ones, such as metaphorical capacity. Participants were 454 students in their last year of secondary education from eight Spanish educational centers. Results indicate moderate performance in divergent thinking tasks, with students exhibiting limitations in generating novel metaphors, often resorting to literal responses. Statistically significant differences according to gender were found in metaphor generation and in the alternate uses task. A correlation study reveals significant associations between metaphor generation and divergent thinking tasks. These highlight the differential role of semantic memory and cognitive processes involved in metaphor generation and divergent thinking. Finally, this study underlines the complexities and multicomponent nature of creativity as a first step to develop educational policies and interventions targeting creativity. Overall, the importance of addressing creativity in a transdisciplinary way and training teachers on techniques to channel creativity are highlighted, such as through the design of challenges or writing workshops.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1007/s44196-023-00380-w
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A Quantum-Like Tensor Compression Sentence Representation Based on Constraint Functions for Semantics Analysis
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To emphasize the semantic impact of local semantic and grammatical information among adjacent words in the input text, we establish a constraint functions-based quantum-like tensor compression sentence representation model by integrating the concept of extending the pure state-based density matrix to the mixed-state projection operator in quantum mechanics. The provided model highlights the semantic significance of mixed word associations in the input text, simultaneously reducing the reliance on information derived solely from dictionary statistics. We combine the correlation coefficient with the attention mechanism to establish the correlation coefficient between words. The quantum-like sentence representation based on pure state density matrix is extended to the projection operator of mixed states. Combining the acquisition of maximum in convex optimization, a constraint functions-based quantum-like text representation pruning model is established to reduce redundant information caused by dimensional expansion of tensor operations. The experimental results on SICK-2014, STS-benchmark, and STS-companion show that the provided model is more effective than the mainstream models in mining semantic information, especially more sensitive to the negative semantics of sentences.
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18756883
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AI
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10.1007/s44196-023-00375-7
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A LDA-Based Social Media Data Mining Framework for Plastic Circular Economy
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The mass production of plastic waste has caused an urgent worldwide public health crisis. Although government policies and industrial innovation are the driving forces to meet this challenge, trying to understand public attitudes may improve the efficiency of this process. Social media has become the main ways for the public to obtain information and express opinions and feelings. This motivated us to mine the perceptions and behavioral responses towards plastic usage using social media data. In this paper, we proposed a framework for data collection and analysis based on mainstream media in the UK to obtain public opinions on plastics. An unsupervised machine learning model based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) has been employed to analyse and cluster the topics to deal with the lack of annotation of the data contents. An additional dictionary method was then proposed to evaluate the sentiment of the comments. The framework also provides tools to visualise the model and results to stimulate insightful understandings. We validated the framework's effectiveness by applying it to analyse three mainstream social media, where 6 first-level topic categories and 13 second-level topic categories from the comment texts related to plastics have been identified. The results show that public sentiment towards plastic products is generally stable. The spatiotemporal distribution of each topic's sentiment is highly correlated with the number of occurrences.
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18756883
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AI
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10.1186/s40594-024-00466-7
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STEM learning opportunities and career aspirations: the interactive effect of students’ self-concept and perceptions of STEM professionals
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Background: Students’ positive perceptions of scientists or engineers have been reported to be positively related to their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career aspirations. However, other research indicates that positive perceptions of experts in these fields might not necessarily lead to students’ pursuit of STEM careers. Self-concept, defined as one’s perceived abilities in specific academic domains, likely plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceptions and career aspirations according to the motivational theory of role modelling. Moreover, students’ perceptions of STEM professionals might be sourced from STEM-related media and school experiences. Therefore, through running a moderated mediation model, this study examined whether and how the influences of media consumption and school STEM learning opportunities on career aspirations would be mediated by perceptions of STEM professionals, and whether the mediation effect would be conditional on students’ self-concept. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey of 608 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong, and were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results: Results revealed that the students’ positive perceptions of STEM professionals were positively associated with their career aspirations, and mediated the links from media consumption and school opportunities to career aspirations. In addition, this mediated pathway depended on STEM self-concept, such that perceptions of STEM professionals were only linked with STEM career aspirations for adolescents with average or high levels of self-concept. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest the need to pay attention to the STEM perceptions and self-concept interaction while designing and implementing learning activities to connect a diversity of students with STEM careers. It is not only important to foster students’ self-concept, but also to enrich their knowledge of diverse occupations, so as to help diversify their perceptions that being professionals in these fields is desirable and attainable, and to eventually inspire more student engagement and participation in STEM.
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21967822
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EDUCATION
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1325345
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TERT promoter methylation is associated with high expression of TERT and poor prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer
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The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), the most common subtype of thyroid cancer. The overexpression of TERT in PTC was partially attributed to transcriptional activation by two hotspot mutations in the core promoter region of this gene. As one of the major epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression regulation, DNA methylation has been proved to regulate several tumor-related genes in PTC. However, the association of TERT promoter DNA methylation with TERT expression and PTC progression is still unclear. By treating PTC cell lines with demethylating agent decitabine, we found that the TERT promoter methylation and the genes’ expression were remarkably decreased. Consistently, PTC patients with TERT hypermethylation had significantly higher TERT expression than patients with TERT hypomethylation. Moreover, TERT hypermethylated patients showed significant higher rates of poor clinical outcomes than patients with TERT hypomethylation. Results from the cox regression analysis showed that the hazard ratios (HRs) of TERT hypermethylation for overall survival, disease-specific survival, disease-free interval (DFI) and progression-free interval (PFI) were 4.81 (95% CI, 1.61-14.41), 8.28 (95% CI, 2.14-32.13), 3.56 (95% CI, 1.24-10.17) and 3.32 (95% CI, 1.64-6.71), respectively. The HRs for DFI and PFI remained significant after adjustment for clinical risk factors. These data suggest that promoter DNA methylation upregulates TERT expression and associates with poor clinical outcomes of PTC, thus holds the potential to be a valuable prognostic marker for PTC risk stratification.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1298122
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The safety and efficacy of TACE combined with HAIC, PD-1 inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study
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Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC)、PD-1 inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 158 unresectable HCC patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between May 2019 and October 2022. The patients were split into two groups based on the type of treatment they received: TACE combined with HAIC,PD-1 and TKI group (THPK) and TACE combined with PD-1 and TKI group (TPK). The response was evaluated using modified solid tumor Efficacy Assessment Criteria (mRECIST). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the overall survival (OS). OS-influencing factors were identified using the Cox proportional risk regression model.Results: Finally, 63 patients who received THPK treatment and 60 patients who had TPK treatment were included. The THPK group had higher DCR (77.78% vs. 55.00%, P=0.007) and ORR (20.63% vs. 13.34%, P=0.282) than the TPK group did. The survival analysis curve also showed that the median OS was substantially longer in the THPK group than in the TPK group (OS: 21 months vs. 14 months, P=0.039). After multivariate Cox regression-corrected analysis, extrahepatic metastases (P=0.002) and methemoglobin >400 (P=0.041) were adverse influences on OS, but the THPK group (relative to the TPK group) was an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS (P=0.027). The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the addition of HAIC therapy to TPK treatment in patients with BCLC stage C, age ≦60 years, ECOG grade 0 and lobular distribution of tumors prolonged overall survival time and improved prognosis. Except for nausea, there was no difference in the adverse events between the two groups.Conclusion: In patients with unresectable HCC, the THPK group had a longer OS and similar adverse events compared to the TPK group. In the future, TACE-HAIC in combination with targeted and immunotherapy may be a more effective therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma that cannot be surgically removed.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-023-05604-2
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Skeletal muscle extramedullary plasmacytoma transformed into plasmablastic plasmacytoma: a case report
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Background Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare plasma cell malignancy, especially when the tumor originates in skeletal muscle. Plasmablastic plasmacytoma is an anaplastic round cell tumor with highly malignancy and poor prognosis. To date, there have been no reports on the transformation of skeletal muscle EMP into plasmablastic plasmacytoma. Therefore, the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cases of this pathologic transformation are unclear. Case presentation This article reports a case of an elderly male patient who presented with a painless mass in the right calf and was diagnosed with EMP by puncture pathology. Complete remission was obtained after sequential chemoradiotherapy. 6 months later, another puncture was performed due to plasmablastic plasmacytoma multiple distant metastases, and the pathology showed that EMP was transformed to plasmablastic plasmacytoma. Despite aggressive antitumor therapy, the disease continued to deteriorate, and the patient ultimately died of respiratory failure. Conclusion The transformation of EMP into plasmablastic plasmacytoma is very rare, and its diagnosis and treatment require the participation of both experienced pathologists and clinicians. We report this case in order to raise clinicians' awareness of the diagnosis and treatment of EMP and its transformation to plasmablastic plasmacytoma, and to avoid misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1255618
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Monitoring response to neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer in all treatment phases using an ultrasound deep learning model
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of a deep learning model (DLM) based on breast tumor ultrasound image segmentation in predicting pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer.Methods: The dataset contains a total of 1393 ultrasound images of 913 patients from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, of which 956 ultrasound images of 856 patients were used as the training set, and 437 ultrasound images of 57 patients underwent NAC were used as the test set. A U-Net-based end-to-end DLM was developed for automatically tumor segmentation and area calculation. The predictive abilities of the DLM, manual segmentation model (MSM), and two traditional ultrasound measurement methods (longest axis model [LAM] and dual-axis model [DAM]) for pathological complete response (pCR) were compared using changes in tumor size ratios to develop receiver operating characteristic curves.Results: The average intersection over union value of the DLM was 0.856. The early-stage ultrasound-predicted area under curve (AUC) values of pCR were not significantly different from those of the intermediate and late stages (p< 0.05). The AUCs for MSM, DLM, LAM and DAM were 0.840, 0.756, 0.778 and 0.796, respectively. There was no significant difference in AUC values of the predictive ability of the four models.Conclusion: Ultrasonography was predictive of pCR in the early stages of NAC. DLM have a similar predictive value to conventional ultrasound for pCR, with an add benefit in effectively improving workflow.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1186/s40594-024-00464-9
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Pre-service elementary teachers’ science and engineering teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectancy: exploring the impacts of efficacy source experiences through varying course modalities
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Background: Teacher efficacy is one of the most influential components for effective instruction, highlighting the importance of providing preservice teachers (PSTs) with opportunities to learn how to teach engineering during their college preparatory coursework. Making space for engineering instruction within science methods coursework could provide opportunities for PSTs to enhance their engineering teaching efficacy but also requires course instructors to give up some time previously devoted to science-focused instruction. The purpose of the current study was to explore how infusing engineering learning opportunities into a science methods course impacts PSTs’ engineering and science teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy. Results: Pre/post-surveys were completed by PSTs enrolled in a Kindergarten-8th grade science methods course offered in four modalities (i.e., face-to-face, hybrid, online, rapid shift online). The course offered multiple engineering-focused learning activities and vicarious experiences. PSTs’ science teaching efficacy beliefs, engineering teaching efficacy beliefs, science teaching outcome expectancy, and engineering teaching outcome expectancy all significantly increased from pre- to post-test. There was no significant difference between efficacy gains based on course modality. The purposeful inclusion of multiple engineering activities and vicarious experiences allows for significant gains in science and engineering teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy regardless of the modality in which the course is taken. Conclusions: This study shows that having varied efficacy source experiences while learning engineering design can result in increased efficacy, even in the absence of field experience and face-to-face coursework, and that the inclusion of these engineering experiences with science methods coursework does not detract from enhancing science teaching efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancy. Further research is needed to more closely examine individual components of science methods courses and the impacts each component has when implemented using different course modalities.
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21967822
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/ai5010018
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Automated Classification of User Needs for Beginner User Experience Designers: A Kano Model and Text Analysis Approach Using Deep Learning
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This study introduces a novel tool for classifying user needs in user experience (UX) design, specifically tailored for beginners, with potential applications in education. The tool employs the Kano model, text analysis, and deep learning to classify user needs efficiently into four categories. The data for the study were collected through interviews and web crawling, yielding 19 user needs from Generation Z users (born between 1995 and 2009) of LEGO toys (Billund, Denmark). These needs were then categorized into must-be, one-dimensional, attractive, and indifferent needs through a Kano-based questionnaire survey. A dataset of over 3000 online comments was created through preprocessing and annotating, which was used to train and evaluate seven deep learning models. The most effective model, the Recurrent Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN), was employed to develop a graphical text classification tool that accurately outputs the corresponding category and probability of user input text according to the Kano model. A usability test compared the tool’s performance to the traditional affinity diagram method. The tool outperformed the affinity diagram method in six dimensions and outperformed three qualities of the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), indicating a superior UX. The tool also demonstrated a lower perceived workload, as measured using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and received a positive Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 23 from the participants. These findings underscore the potential of this tool as a valuable educational resource in UX design courses. It offers students a more efficient and engaging and less burdensome learning experience while seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence into UX design education. This study provides UX design beginners with a practical and intuitive tool, facilitating a deeper understanding of user needs and innovative design strategies.
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26732688
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AI
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1341233
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Effective treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma with paraneoplastic leukemoid reaction with Lorlatinib: a case report
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BackgroundLorlatinib is a new generation ALK kinase inhibitor. We describe a 52-year-old patient with ALK-positive advanced lung adenocarcinoma who achieved remission after multi-line therapy combined with paraneoplastic leukemoid reaction treated with Lorlatinib.Case reportA 52-year-old male patient was diagnosed with stage IV right lung adenocarcinoma, ALK: (+), previously received oral Crizotinib and Alectinib. Blood routine showed white blood cells abnormally elevated after disease progression, and maximum white blood cell count was 179.14×10^9/L. The patient was enrolled in study entitled “a phase II, multicenter, open-label, dual-cohort study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LORLATINIB monotherapy in ALK inhibitor-treated locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients in China”. With oral Lorlatinib, the white blood cell count decreased from 179.14×10^9/L to normal after two weeks of administration. PFS was 4.5 months. When follow up imaging showed lesions progression, the white blood cell count increased again, diagnosing a paraneoplastic leukemic reaction. OS was 5.2 months.ConclusionIn this case, fourth-line Lorlatinib treatment is effiective in ALK-positive advanced patient with paraneoplastic leukemoid reaction. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03909971
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2023.1333761
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Case report: Successful treatment of a patient with relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma with thiotepa-based induction, autologous stem cell transplantation and maintenance
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Despite significant improvements in prognosis, a subset of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) remains at high risk for relapse. The treatment of relapsed and refractory (R/R) PCNSL remains a major clinical challenge. Herein, we present a 24-year-old patient with PCNSL who relapsed 4 years after initial diagnosis and subsequently became refractory to high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), temozolomide, whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), ibrutinib, and lenalidomide. She received thiotepa with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody and achieved partial remission and then underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) with thiotepa-based conditioning. Post-transplant maintenance with thiotepa and anti-PD-1 at 3-month intervals resulted in a durable complete response (CR) in this case of R/R PCNSL. Our report highlights the important role of thiotepa in the treatment of patients with R/R PCNSL.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-023-05546-9
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The effectiveness of E-health interventions promoting physical activity in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
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Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify whether E-health interventions effectively improve physical activity (PA) in cancer survivors. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to October 21, 2023. Randomized controlled trials reporting the effect of E-health interventions on PA among cancer survivors were included. Random-effect models were used to calculate standardized mean differences (SMD) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In total, 15 trials with 2,291 cancer survivors were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that E-health interventions improved moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among cancer survivors (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI 0.08, 0.43, N = 8, p < 0.001, I2 = 37%), as well as moderate physical activity (MPA) (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI 0.05, 0.38, N = 9, p < 0.001, I2 = 28%) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI 0.15, 0.54, N = 6, p < 0.001, I2 = 11%). Conclusion: E-health interventions are effective at promoting PA among cancer survivors. As current research primarily focuses on immediate post-intervention measurements with limited follow-up data, further investigation is required to explore the long-term effects of E-health interventions on PA.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1302724
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Case report: Minimally invasive primary debulking surgery for advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer
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The surgical management of advanced ovarian cancer has historically emphasized an open technique, but advances in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) have led to its increasing use in ovarian cancer. Most research has focused on the utility of MIS in the interval debulking setting. Here, we present a case of a 38-year-old patient with incidentally diagnosed advanced stage ovarian cancer. We describe the robotic surgery techniques used to achieve complete primary cytoreduction, including resection of disease on the diaphragm. The patient has completed standard adjuvant chemotherapy and maintenance treatment and remains without evidence of disease for more than 2 years. This case details the techniques utilized to achieve complete cytoreduction including trocar placement, robotic instrument preference, and rotation of the robotic boom. This patient has had successful perioperative and oncologic outcomes, and her case highlights the role for minimally invasive primary debulking surgery for select patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2023.1215426
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Neurotoxicity-sparing radiotherapy for brain metastases in breast cancer: a narrative review
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Breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) has a devastating impact on patient survival, cognitive function and quality of life. Radiotherapy remains the standard management of BM but may result in considerable neurotoxicity. Herein, we describe the current knowledge on methods for reducing radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction in patients with BCBM. A better understanding of the biology and molecular underpinnings of BCBM, as well as more sophisticated prognostic models and individualized treatment approaches, have appeared to enable more effective neuroprotection. The therapeutic armamentarium has expanded from surgery and whole-brain radiotherapy to stereotactic radiosurgery, targeted therapies and immunotherapies, used sequentially or in combination. Advances in neuroimaging have allowed more accurate screening for intracranial metastases, precise targeting of intracranial lesions and the differentiation of the effects of treatment from disease progression. The availability of numerous treatment options for patients with BCBM and multidisciplinary approaches have led to personalized treatment and improved therapeutic outcomes. Ongoing studies may define the optimal sequencing of available and emerging treatment options for patients with BCBM.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2023.1272808
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Optimization of treatment strategies based on preoperative imaging features and local recurrence areas for locally advanced lower rectal cancer after lateral pelvic lymph node dissection
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Purpose: Local recurrence (LR) is the main cause of treatment failure in locally advanced lower rectal cancer (LALRC). This study evaluated the preoperative risk factors for LR in patients with LALRC to improve the therapeutic strategies.Patients and Methods: LALRC patients who underwent total mesorectal excision (TME) with lateral pelvic lymph node (LPN) dissection (LPND) from January 2012 to December 2019 were reviewed. The log-rank test was used to assess local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and multivariate Cox regression was used to identify the prognostic risk factors for LRFS. Follow-up imaging data were used to classify LR according to the location.Results: Overall, 376 patients were enrolled, and 8.8% (n=33) of these patients developed LR after surgery. Multivariate analysis identified positive clinical circumferential resection margin (cCRM) as an independent prognostic factor for LRFS (HR: 4.94; 95% CI, 1.75-13.94; P=0.003). The most common sites for LR were the pelvic plexus and internal iliac area (PIA) (54.5%), followed by the central pelvic area (CPA) (39.4%) and obturator area (OA) (6.1%). Following a subgroup analysis, LR in the OA was not associated with positive cCRM. Patients treated with upfront surgery (n=35, 14.1%) had a lower cCRM positive rate when compared with patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) (n=12, 23.5%). However, the LR rate in the nCRT group was still lower (n=28, 36.4%) than that in the upfront surgery group (n=35, 14.%). Among patients with positive cCRM, the LR rate in patients with nCRT remained low (n=3, 10.7%).Conclusion: Positive cCRM is an independent risk factor for LR after TME plus LPND in LALRC patients. LPND is effective and adequate for local control within the OA regardless of cCRM status. However, for LALRC patients with positive cCRM, nCRT should be considered before LPND to further reduce LR in the PIA and CPA.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-023-00401-8
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Segmentation of Lung Lesions through Bilateral Learning Branches to Aggregating Contextual and Local Characteristics
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Detecting and analyzing lung lesion regions using artificial intelligence is of great significance in the medical diagnosis of lung CT images, which can substantially improve the efficiency of doctors. However, segmentation of the inflammatory region in the CT image of the lung remains challenging due to the varied sizes, blurry local details, irregular shapes, and limited sizes of datasets. Faced with these challenges, this paper proposes a novel lung lesion segmentation network that incorporates two feature extraction branches to achieve a balance of speed and accuracy. We first design a context branch (CB) to preserve the scale-invariant global context information by the transformer-like module. Besides, a shallow detail branch (DB) based on a deep aggregation pyramid (DAP) module is designed to provide detailed information. Extensive experiments are conducted on two datasets, including the public COVID-19 dataset and a private dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, the trade-off between accuracy and inference speed is achieved.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.1007/s00432-023-05539-8
|
Approved immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma: a large-scale meta-analysis and systematic review
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A meta-analysis was performed to assess the benefits and safety profile of approved immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Eligible studies were searched from Cochrane, Embase, and PubMed databases based on a well-established strategy. Following the exclusion of ineligible studies, 12 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with control group, immune checkpoint inhibitors were associated with improved ORR (OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.26–4.05, P < 0.00001), SD (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62–0.95, P = 0.02), OS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.68–0.83, P < 0.00001), and PFS (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.63–0.87, P < 0.0003). However, no significant differences were observed in DCR (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.97–1.81, P = 0.07), PD (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.67–1.21, P = 0.48), and all caused any-grade adverse events (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.62–2.39, P = 0. 57), all caused ≥ grade 3 adverse events (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.97–1.25, P = 0.14), treatment-related any-grade adverse events (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.55–2.32, P = 0.73), and treatment-related ≥ grade 3 events (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.34–1.97, P = 0.65) between the two groups. After subgroup analysis conducted, patients in the immune checkpoint inhibitor group compared with targeted drug group showed significant improvements in OS (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.66–0.84, P < 0.00001) and PFS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61–0.91, P = 0.004). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated peculiar benefits in the treatment of HCC with an acceptable safety profile. Compared to targeted drugs, immune checkpoint inhibitors still offer advantages in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there is still considerable room for further improvement.
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14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00404-z
|
Data Mesh Meets Blockchain
|
Effective dataset management is crucial for enterprises to make informed decisions and remain competitive. However, centralized dataset management approaches often result in poor scalability, unclear governance, inaccessible data silos, and duplication of efforts. This paper proposes a distributed blockchain-based framework inspired by the data mesh architecture to address these challenges. Our proposed framework leverages blockchain’s decentralized nature to enable efficient and transparent dataset sharing across enterprise business domains. By turning datasets into digital assets and business domains into peers, our framework utilizes blockchain smart contracts to allow business domains to view, request, and share datasets. In this paper, we describe the details of our framework, and we analyze it from scalability, accessibility, security, and data governance perspectives. To validate our framework, we provide a proof-of-concept implementation with a publicly available source code.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3390/educsci14020183
|
Investigating the Factors Contributing to the Formation of Secondary School Students’ Interest towards Higher Education Studies
|
The present study’s objective constitutes the examination of the prognostic factors that influence the inclination of students in secondary school towards pursuing higher education. To achieve this goal, an existing questionnaire was utilized and appropriately altered to align with the Greek educational system. The survey involved the participation of 301 secondary school students from Piraeus, which comprises one of Greece’s major cities. The outcomes of the research yield substantial endorsement for the principles outlined in the social cognitive career theory. Specifically, the study highlights the significant role of family background, encompassing the educational levels of the parents, the students’ perceptions of the family’s financial situation, and the financial support provided by the family during the students’ academic journey, in shaping the students’ intent towards pursuing higher education. Moreover, the presence of a secure attachment bond between students and their parents suggests a favorable inclination towards higher education. Conversely, students deriving from low-income families are prone to exhibit hesitancy in pursuing higher education. The acquired data reveal a constructive relationship among outcome expectations, social support, as well as the process of students’ interest in developing a desire for higher education. Conversely, factors such as gender and age, as well as the presence of siblings studying in higher education, appear to have little influence in this regard.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
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10.3390/ejihpe14020025
|
The Relation of Big Five Personality Traits on Academic Performance, Well-Being and Home Study Satisfaction in Corona Times
|
Introduction: As a result of the protective measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, German students experienced home study in the spring of 2020. The present study addressed the relation between coping with the home study situation and personality. Methods: The interrelations of the Big Five factors with students’ well-being, study satisfaction and academic performance were examined in 287 German online participants. Results: The results showed significant positive correlations of positive affect and conscientiousness, as well as of better academic performance and academic satisfaction. For extraversion, a positive supporting effect on the affective level emerged, although previous studies suggested negative influences of extraversion on affect in home study settings in other phases of the pandemic. Furthermore, in contrast, neuroticism showed a negative relation to study satisfaction and mood in home study. Conclusion: In summary, the personalities of students should be considered in order to provide protective measures and avoid negative coping effects.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/ejihpe14020026
|
The Linguistic–Cognitive Profile in an Adult Population with Parkinson’s Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation: A Comparative Study
|
Introduction. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) exhibit general impairments, particularly non-motor symptoms that are related to language, communication, and cognition processes. People with this disease may undergo a surgical intervention for the placement of a deep brain stimulation device, which improves their motor symptoms. However, this type of intervention leads to a decline in their linguistic and cognitive abilities that becomes increasingly noticeable as the disease progresses. Objective. The objective of this research was to compare the performance and linguistic–cognitive profile of individuals with Parkinson’s disease who underwent deep brain stimulation treatment based on the stage of the disease. Method. A total of 60 participants who were diagnosed with PD by their reference hospital were selected. These participants were divided into three groups based on the stage of the disease that they were in, forming three groups: a Stage I group (n = 20), a Stage II group (n = 20), and a Stage III group (n = 20). The linguistic–cognitive profile was assessed using the MoCA, ACE-III, and MetAphas tests. The design of this study was established as a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional investigation, and statistical analysis was performed using MANOVA to compare the scores between the study groups. Results. The results indicate that individuals in Stage I exhibit better linguistic and cognitive performance compared to the other groups of participants in Stage II and Stage III, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Conclusion. In conclusion, the progression of PD leads to significant linguistic and cognitive decline in individuals with this disease who have a deep brain stimulation device, greatly limiting the autonomy and quality of life for people with PD.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1326170
|
Intimate relationships and hypnosis: insecure adult attachment affects emotions and absorption during hypnosis
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Introduction Hypnosis research indicates that subjects are not equally hypnotizable. Most studies on hypnotizability focused on the relationships with personality or cognitive variables. At the same time, only a few proposed the contribution of the attachment style, defined as the result of the childhood relationship with the caregivers and influencing the adult relations. Methods In the present investigation, two studies were carried out to test the possible association between adult attachment and hypnotic responsivity. The adult attachment was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, while hypnosis was assessed through the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A; Study 1) and the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory: Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP; Study 2) in order to adopt a behavioral and a phenomenological approach, respectively. Results Analyses showed that attachment factors (anxiety and avoidance) were not associated with the level of hypnotizability, whereas it was associated with variations of consciousness during hypnosis, mainly internal dialogue, absorption and negative emotions. Overall, the insecure attachment styles yielded increased mind wandering and restlessness during hypnosis when compared to the secure style. The reason probably lies in the feeling of anxiety or danger of insecurely attached individuals when involved in intimate or confidential relationships. Conclusion These findings clarify a still poorly investigated aspect concerning the influence of attachment style on hypnotic experience and further highlight the need to consider inter-individual differences and the phenomenological perspective when assessing hypnosis and hypnotizability.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/ejihpe14020027
|
Portuguese Validation of the TAPQoL: A Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument for Children Aged 0–6 Years
|
In Portugal, there are few generic and specific instruments to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children, especially those of preschool age. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Portuguese version of the Preschool Children Quality of Life Questionnaire (TAPQoL) in a community and clinical sample of children aged 0–6 years. The parents of 409 healthy children and 137 children undergoing treatment for burns and acute lymphoblastic leukemia completed the TAPQoL and were assessed on psychological morbidity and family functioning. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed, as well as analysis of the psychometric properties as shown by internal consistency measures, convergent validity, and average variance extracted. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed an 11-factor structure with good psychometric properties. The current version of the TAPQoL is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQoL in Portuguese preschool children in community and clinical settings.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01565-4
|
The relationship between passion and athlete identity in sport: the mediating and moderating role of dedication
|
Background: In addition to the fact that the concept of passion in sports plays a significant role in the formation of the identity concept of athletes, the dedication of athletes to the sports branches they are interested in also has a significant impact on their passion for the sport they are interested in as well as their identity as an athlete. In this direction, the research aims to investigate the role of dedication as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between athlete identity and passion in sport.Methods: The research was designed using the quantitative research technique of relational surveying. As data collection instruments for the research, the athlete identity scale, the passion in sport scale, and the sports commitment scale were utilized. 237 amateur and professional athletes, of which 142 were male and 95 were female (Mage = 22.7), participated voluntarily in the study by random sampling. The data were analyzed with the PROCESS and Jamovi programs in order to examine the direct and indirect effects.Results: Significant effects of sports passion on commitment and athlete identity were found. Since both dedication and athlete identity had a significant effect on passion for sports, it was determined that passion for sports continues to influence athlete identity through the medium of dedication. The moderator significance of medium, high, and low values of devotion was determined.Ethics approval number: 226394, date of registration: 03/11/2022.Conclusion: On the basis of the results of the statistical analyses, it was determined that the concept of dedication has a mediating and moderating effect on the relationship between sports passion and athlete identity.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40594-024-00472-9
|
Students’ perspectives on the ‘STEM belonging’ concept at A-level, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels: an examination of gender and ethnicity in student descriptions
|
Women and ethnic minorities have historically been underrepresented in some STEM fields. It is therefore important to understand the factors influencing students’ persistence in STEM fields, and what STEM belonging means from the voices of socio-demographically diverse students, in order to ensure equity among students in STEM fields and to increase their belonging to this field, which has not been clearly defined in the literature, and there is a lack of agreement about the definition of belonging itself. For this purpose, the perspectives of students in England are brought together in this study in an attempt to better understand the concept of STEM belonging within a broader context of integration. The inductive thematic analysis with the voices of socio-demographically diverse 313 A-level, undergraduate and postgraduate Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry students showed that compared to male students, it was mostly female, non-binary, non-White, and first-generation students who defined STEM belonging as ‘Feeling safe and comfortable in the STEM community and settings’. This theme was defined by the participants as the group/community/learning environment in which the individual belongs, the interaction with the people in the field, and the comfort that this participation/interaction creates. Students stressed the importance of creating a supportive and welcoming STEM environment so that individuals can feel at home, as well as a safe and comfortable STEM environment for people of all identities, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Based on the participants’ responses, this study also conceptualised the concept of STEM belonging as having four phases: the ‘adaptation phase’, the ‘integration phase’, the ‘continuum phase’, and the ‘transition phase’. These four phases which comprise the STEM belonging concept are consecutive and interconnected. The study concluded that all human beings are connected in a relational way (either strong or weak) and that the concept of STEM belonging develops as a result of interactions with ‘self’ and ‘others’ who have a shared passion and an interest in STEM fields. Although individuals have intrinsic motivation and individual prompts in STEM fields (i.e. resilience, beliefs in their capacity/ability and curiosity, etc.), social determinants (i.e. receiving adequate support from members of the STEM community, social capital and social cohesion, etc.) also play a significant role in influencing individual’s sense of STEM belonging.
|
21967822
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3389/fonc.2024.1302196
|
Case report: Tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity of the breast: an additional case and review of the literature
|
Objective: The aim of this report was to comprehensively investigate the clinicopathological features, histological characteristics, and differential diagnosis of tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity of the breast (TCCRP) to enhance the understanding of this tumour for precise therapeutic interventions.Methods: The clinicopathological characteristics and differential diagnosis of a patient with TCCRP were retrospectively analysed, and a systematic literature review was extracted from relevant published studies on PubMed.Results: All patients included in the study were female, with a median age of 51 years. Microscopically, the tumour cells exhibited a solid papillary growth pattern with tall columnar morphology and reversed nuclear polarity. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the tumours were triple-negative breast cancer (negative for ER, PR, and HER-2), with a low Ki-67 proliferation index. Different degrees of expression were observed for CK7, Calretinin, and S-100 markers; however, CK5/6 showed high expression levels.Conclusions: TCCRP is an uncommon invasive carcinoma subtype found in the breast. Its histological morphology resembles that of tall cell subtype papillary thyroid carcinoma. Accurate diagnosis requires the integration of histomorphological assessment along with immunohistochemistry and molecular genetics analysis.
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2234943X
|
ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1360899
|
Bibliometric analysis of breast cancer-related lymphedema research trends over the last 2 decades
|
Objective As breast cancer cases rise globally, post-mastectomy lymphedema garners increasing scholarly attention. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema (BCRL) research from 2003 to 2022, identifying trends and providing global research insights for future studies. Method The literature for this analysis was extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, encompassing 1199 publications, including 702 articles and 101 reviews, totaling 803. Using advanced bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and CiteSpace, quantitative and visual analyses were performed to map collaboration networks, research clusters, and emerging trends. The search strategy included specific terms related to lymphedema, breast cancer, and BCRL, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the research landscape. Results The bibliometric analysis revealed a steady increase in BCRL publications over the studied period, reaching a peak in 2018. The United States emerged as the leading contributor to BCRL literature, with China also demonstrating a significant presence. Collaboration networks were visualized, showcasing the interconnectedness of institutions and researchers globally. Key research hotspots identified include preventive strategies, complex decongestive therapy, and reconstructive interventions. Conclusion In conclusion, this pioneering bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of BCRL research trends and collaborations globally. The findings contribute valuable insights into the evolution of the field, highlighting areas of focus and emerging research themes. This study serves as a foundational resource for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, fostering evidence-based practices and interventions for BCRL in the future.
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2234943X
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1345256
|
Corrigendum: Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: a conceptual analysis
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093290.].
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3389/fonc.2024.1327691
|
Development and validation of serological dynamic risk score to predict outcome in gastric cancer with adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicentre, longitudinal, cohort study
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Background: Baseline serological biomarkers have the potential to predict the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer. However, the fluctuating nature of postoperative recurrence risk makes precise treatment challenging. We aimed to develop a risk score in real-time predicting outcomes for postoperative GC patients using blood chemistry tests.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, multicentre, longitudinal cohort study from three cancer centres in China, with a total of 2737 GC patients in the pTNM stage Ib to III. Among them, 1651 patients with at least two serological records were assigned to the training cohort. Model validation was carried out using separate testing data with area under curve (AUC). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and random forest-recursive feature elimination (RF-RFE) algorithm were used to select the parameters.Results: The Cox regression model derived six risk factors to construct a composite score (low-risk: 0-2 score; high risk: 3-6 score), including CEA, CA125, CA199, haemoglobin, albumin, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. The risk score accurately predicted mortality in 1000-time bootstrap (AUROCs:0.658; 95% CI: 0.645, 0.670), with the highest AUROC (0.767; 95% CI: 0.743, 0.791) after 1 year since the gastrectomy. In validation dataset, the risk score had an AUROC of 0.586 (95% CI 0.544, 0.628). Furthermore, patients with high risk at 1 month derived significant clinical benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy (P for interaction <0.0001). Compared with the low-low-low risk group, the low-low-high risk group of the long-term state chain (risk state at baseline, 6 months, 1 year) had the worse OS (HR, 6.91; 95%CI: 4.27, 11.19) and DFS (HR, 7.27; 95%CI: 4.55, 11.63).Conclusion: The dynamic risk score is an accurate and user-friendly serological risk assessment tool for predicting outcomes and assisting clinical decisions after gastrectomy.
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2234943X
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01580-5
|
A test of pre-exposure spacing and multiple context pre-exposure on the mechanisms of latent inhibition of dental fear: A study protocol
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Background: Latent inhibition occurs when exposure to a stimulus prior its direct associative conditioning impairs learning. Results from naturalistic studies suggest that latent inhibition disrupts the learning of dental fear from aversive associative conditioning and thereby reduces the development of dental phobia. Although theory suggests latent inhibition occurs because pre-exposure changes the expected relevance and attention directed to the pre-exposed stimulus, evidence supporting these mechanisms in humans is limited. The aim of this study is to determine if two variables, pre-exposure session spacing and multiple context pre-exposure, potentiate the hypothesized mechanisms of expected relevance and attention and, in turn, increase latent inhibition of dental fear. Methods: In a virtual reality simulation, child and adult community members (ages 6 to 35) will take part in pre-exposure and conditioning trials, followed by short- and long-term tests of learning. A 100ms puff of 60 psi air to a maxillary anterior tooth will serve as the unconditioned stimulus. Pre-exposure session spacing (no spacing vs. sessions spaced) and multiple context pre-exposure (single context vs. multiple contexts) will be between-subject factors. Stimulus type (pre-exposed to-be conditioned stimulus, a non-pre-exposed conditioned stimulus, and an unpaired control stimulus) and trial will serve as within-subject factors. Baseline pain sensitivity will also be measured as a potential moderator. Discussion: It is hypothesized that spaced pre-exposure and pre-exposure in multiple contexts will increase the engagement of the mechanisms of expected relevance and attention and increase the latent inhibition of dental fear. It is expected that the findings will add to theory on fear learning and provide information to aid the design of future interventions that leverage latent inhibition to reduce dental phobia.
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20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1298357
|
Collectivism, face concern and Chinese-style lurking among university students: the moderating role of trait mindfulness
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Introduction This study focuses on understanding the unique causes and mechanisms of “Chinese-style lurking” on WeChat among university students, within a cultural context that emphasizes collectivism and face concern. The research also looks into the moderating role of trait mindfulness. Methods For the confirmation of these phenomena and to validate the theories, a structural equation model was constructed using the Stress-Strain-Outcome (SSO) theory and mindfulness buffering theory. The model was then tested and validated with data from 1,453 valid online surveys. These data were analyzed using the SmartPLS 4.0 software. Results The results indicate that collectivism increases face concern, which in turn escalates online social anxiety. Face concern completely mediates between collectivism and online social anxiety, creating a serial mediation effect between face concern, online social anxiety, and lurking behavior. Additionally, trait mindfulness was found to negatively modulate the pathways from collectivism to face concern and from online social anxiety to lurking. Discussion The findings underscore the influence of traditional Chinese culture on contemporary students' online behavior and provide a new perspective for understanding social media lurking in an Eastern context. The results suggest that a mindfulness-based approach could be used to mitigate the associated silence and anxiety.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00419-6
|
Graph Convolutional Network with Syntactic Dependency for Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis
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Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) aims to mine the sentiment tendencies expressed by specific aspect terms. The studies of ABSA mainly focus on the attention-based approaches and the graph neural network approaches based on dependency trees. However, the attention-based methods usually face difficulties in capturing long-distance syntactic dependencies. Additionally, existing approaches using graph neural networks have not made sufficient exploit the syntactic dependencies among aspects and opinions. In this paper, we propose a novel Syntactic Dependency Graph Convolutional Network (SD-GCN) model for ABSA. We employ the Biaffine Attention to model the sentence syntactic dependencies and build syntactic dependency graphs from aspects and emotional words. This allows our SD-GCN to learn both the semantic relationships of aspects and the overall semantic meaning. According to these graphs, the long-distance syntactic dependency relationships are captured by GCNs, which facilitates SD-GCN to capture the syntactic dependencies between aspects and viewpoints more comprehensively, and consequently yields enhanced aspect features. We conduct extensive experiments on four aspect-level sentiment datasets. The experimental results show that our SD-GCN outperforms other methodologies. Moreover, ablation experiments and visualization of attention further substantiate the effectiveness of SD-GCN.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330437
|
Reserve-building as a buffer for depression among individuals living with disability: a longitudinal study of current activities related to brain health
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Aims This study examined whether reserve-building activities are associated with attenuated reported depression among people who were disabled from work due to a medical condition as compared to employed, retired, and unemployed participants. Methods This secondary analysis included 771 individuals who provided data at three time points: baseline (late Spring 2020), follow-up 1 (Spring 2021), and follow-up 2 (Fall 2021). The DeltaQuest Reserve-Building Measure assessed current activities related to brain health. An analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients assessed group differences in reserve-building activity scores. Classification and regression tree (CART) modeling investigated factors associated with higher and lower reported depression by employment group. The random effects (RE) models tested two buffering hypotheses: (1) comparing all groups to the employed group and (2) examining within-group effects. Results Engaging in outdoor activities, exercise, and religious/spiritual activities was associated with reduced depression over time in the overall sample. While disabled participants endorsed lower levels of being Active in the World, Outdoor activities, and Exercise and higher levels of Inner Life and Passive Media Consumption than the other employment groups, more reserve-building activities distinguished depression levels in the disabled group's CART models compared to the others. Among the disabled, unemployed, and retired participants, engaging in any reserve-building activities was also associated with lower depression scores, which was distinct from the employed participants. In the RE models that used the employed group as the reference category, only the disabled group's level of depression was buffered by engaging in creative activities. In the within-group RE models, the disabled group's engagement in Religious/Spiritual, Outdoors, and Games was associated with substantially reduced within-group depression, which was different from the other employment groups. In contrast, reserve-building activities were not implicated at all as buffers for employed participants. Conclusion This study revealed a beneficial effect of reserve-building activities on buffering depression over time during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for disabled people. It documented that even if such individuals engaged in lesser amounts of such activities as compared to other employment groups, the buffering effect was substantial. Given the low-cost and accessible nature of reserve-building activities, it would be worthwhile to encourage such activities for disabled individuals.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1186/s40594-024-00473-8
|
Using collaborative autoethnography to investigate mentoring relationships for novice engineering education researchers
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Background: The National Science Foundation Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) program aims to increase research capacity in the field by providing funding for technical engineering faculty to learn to conduct engineering education research through mentorship by an experienced social science researcher. We use collaborative autoethnography to study the tripartite RIEF mentoring relationship between Julie, an experienced engineering education researcher, and two novice education researchers who have backgrounds in biomedical engineering—Paul, a biomedical engineering faculty member and major professor to the second novice, Deepthi, a graduate student. We ground our work in the cognitive apprenticeship model and Eby and colleagues’ mentoring model. Results: Using data from written reflections and interviews, we explored the role of instrumental and psychosocial supports in our mentoring relationship. In particular, we noted how elements of cognitive apprenticeship such as scaffolding and gradual fading of instrumental supports helped Paul and Deepthi learn qualitative research skills that differed drastically from their biomedical engineering research expertise. We initially conceptualized our tripartite relationship as one where Julie mentored Paul and Paul subsequently mentored Deepthi. Ultimately, we realized that this model was unrealistic because Paul did not yet possess the social science research expertise to mentor another novice. As a result, we changed our model so that Julie mentored both Paul and Deepthi directly. While our mentoring relationship was overall very positive, it has included many moments of miscommunication and misunderstanding. We draw on Lent and Lopez’s idea of relation-inferred self-efficacy to explain some of these missed opportunities for communication and understanding. Conclusions: This paper contributes to the literature on engineering education capacity building by studying mentoring as a mechanism to support technically trained researchers in learning to conduct engineering education research. Our initial mentoring model failed to take into account how challenging it is for mentees to make the paradigm shift from technical engineering to social science research and how that would affect Paul’s ability to mentor Deepthi. Our experiences have implications for expanding research capacity because they raise practical and conceptual issues for experienced and novice engineering education researchers to consider as they form mentoring relationships.
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21967822
|
EDUCATION
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10.1186/s40594-024-00474-7
|
Systemic advantage has a meaningful relationship with grade outcomes in students’ early STEM courses at six research universities
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Background: Large introductory lecture courses are frequently post-secondary students’ first formal interaction with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Grade outcomes in these courses are often disparate across student populations, which, in turn, has implications for student retention. This study positions such disparities as a manifestation of systemic inequities along the dimensions of sex, race/ethnicity, income, and first-generation status and investigates the extent to which they are similar across peer institutions.Results: We examined grade outcomes in a selected set of early STEM courses across six large, public, research-intensive universities in the United States over ten years. In this sample of more than 200,000 STEM course enrollments, we find that course grade benefits increase significantly with the number of systemic advantages students possess at all six institutions. The observed trends in academic outcomes versus advantage are strikingly similar across universities despite the fact that we did not control for differences in grading practices, contexts, and instructor and student populations. The findings are concerning given that these courses are often students’ first post-secondary STEM experiences.Conclusions: STEM course grades are typically lower than those in other disciplines; students taking them often pay grade penalties. The systemic advantages some student groups experience are correlated with significant reductions in these grade penalties at all six institutions. The consistency of these findings across institutions and courses supports the claim that inequities in STEM education are a systemic problem, driven by factors that go beyond specific courses or individual institutions. Our work provides a basis for the exploration of contexts where inequities are exacerbated or reduced and can be used to advocate for structural change within STEM education. To cultivate more equitable learning environments, we must reckon with how pervasive structural barriers in STEM courses negatively shape the experiences of marginalized students.
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21967822
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3390/ejihpe14030033
|
Psychological Distress and Behavioral Vigilance in Response to Minority Stress and Threat among Members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Stigmatization, hostility, and violence towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to conduct research to promote understanding of the effects of such stigmatization on the AAPI community. Accordingly, the present study used a combined minority stress and integrated threat framework to examine whether factors related to AAPI identity would moderate the relationship between stigmatization/threat associated with AAPI identity and increased psychological distress and behavioral vigilance. AAPI individuals were recruited online from both Turk Prime and Reddit and completed measures of perceived stigmatization; integrated threat; depression, anxiety, and stress; and behavioral vigilance. Perceptions of stigmatization and threat predicted relevant outcomes both as individual predictors and in multivariate analyses. However, factors relating to the strength of AAPI identification did not moderate the effects of stigmatization and threat on psychological distress and behavioral vigilance, which is a result that failed to support this aspect of the broader conceptual model on which this project was based. Instead, these proposed moderators were themselves predicted by stigmatization and threat variables. The implications of these findings for effective interventions to alleviate the negative consequences of anti-Asian stigmatization are discussed.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/cancers16050944
|
Characteristics of Early Pancreatic Cancer: Comparison between Stage 1A and Stage 1B Pancreatic Cancer in Multicenter Clinical Data Warehouse Study
|
Background: Little is known about the characteristics of early pancreatic cancer. We aimed to identify the characteristics, clues for early detection, and prognostic factors for early pancreatic cancer by analyzing a large number of patients with stage 1 pancreatic cancer. Methods: A clinical data warehouse that includes databases of all the medical records of eight academic institutions was used to select and analyze patients with pancreatic cancer that had been diagnosed from January 2010 to May 2023. Results: In total, 257 stage 1 pancreatic cancer patients were included. There were 134 men (52%), and the average age was 67.2 ± 9.9 years. Compared to patients with stage 1B pancreatic cancer (2–4 cm), patients with stage 1A pancreatic cancer (≤2 cm) had more tumors in the body and tail than in the head (p = 0.028), more new-onset diabetes and less old diabetes (p = 0.010), less jaundice (p = 0.020), more follow-up of IPMN (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, p = 0.029), and more histories of acute pancreatitis (p = 0.013). The pathological findings showed that stage 1A pancreatic cancer involved more IPMNs (p < 0.001) and lower pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (p = 0.004). IPMN was present in all 13 pancreatic tumors that were smaller than 1 cm. In multivariate analysis, positive resection margin (odds ratio [OR] 1.536, p = 0.040), venous invasion (OR 1.710, p = 0.010), and perineural invasion (OR 1.968, p = 0.002) were found to be risk factors affecting disease-free survival, while old diabetes (odds ratio [OS] 1.981, p = 0.003) and perineural invasion (OR 2.270, p = 0.003) were found to be risk factors affecting overall survival. Conclusions: IPMN is closely associated with early pancreatic cancer and may provide an opportunity for early detection. The presence of perineural invasion was a crucial prognostic factor for both overall and disease-free survival in patients with stage 1 pancreatic cancer.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci14030246
|
“Who’s the Student at Home?”: Parental Help-Giving Orientation in Learning at Home Predicted using a Parent’s Personal Characteristics
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The present study focuses on the involvement of a parent in their child’s learning processes, particularly, their help-giving orientation while learning at home. The main goal of the study was to identify the connection between the parent’s personal characteristics and the help-giving orientation the parent provides to their child: autonomous vs. dependent (parent as student) help-giving. The sample was collected using online participant recruitment surveys in Israel. In total, 306 parents aged 27–59, who had at least one child in elementary school, answered five questionnaires measuring the research variables: the short grit scale; the satisfaction with life scale; the advice/affect management–overparenting subscale; the parenting sense of competence scale; the parental help-giving orientations scale (PHGOs), and a background questionnaire. The findings identified negative associations between parental personal characteristics (grit, advice/affect management, well-being) and parent-as-student orientation and positive associations between the parent’s characteristics and parental autonomous help-giving orientation, with all of these effects at least partially mediated by parental self-efficacy (indirect effects). The results provide greater insight into the relationship between a parent’s personal characteristics and their choice of assistance to their child and contribute to the knowledge regarding parental involvement in learning at home and educational contexts in general.
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22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00427-6
|
Intelligent Vehicle Violation Detection System Under Human–Computer Interaction and Computer Vision
|
In view of the current problems of low detection accuracy, poor stability and slow detection speed of intelligent vehicle violation detection systems, this article will use human–computer interaction and computer vision technology to solve the existing problems. First, the picture data required for the experiment is collected through the Bit Vehicle model dataset, and computer vision technology is used for preprocessing. Then, use Kalman filtering to track and study the vehicle to help better predict the trajectory of the vehicle in the area that needs to be detected; finally, use human–computer interaction technology to build the interactive interface of the system and improve the operability of the system. The violation detection system based on computer vision technology has an accuracy of more than 96.86% for the detection of the eight types of violations extracted, and the average detection is 98%. Through computer vision technology, the system can accurately detect and identify vehicle violations in real time, effectively improving the efficiency and safety of traffic management. In addition, the system also pays special attention to the design of human–computer interaction, provides an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface, and enables traffic managers to easily monitor and manage traffic conditions. This innovative intelligent vehicle violation detection system is expected to help the development of traffic management technology in the future.
|
18756883
|
AI
|
10.3390/ejihpe14030035
|
No End in Sight; Assessing the Impact of Internet Gaming Disorder on Digital Eye Strain Symptoms and Academic Success
|
Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been associated with symptoms of Digital Eye Strain (DES) and poor academic performance among adolescent students. The purpose of this study is to assess whether a student’s achievement of a specific academic goal within a short period of time can be directly predicted by symptoms of IGD and DES. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of 140 high school graduates who received an examination of visual acuity as a pre-requisite for entering the written admission examinations of law enforcement and military academies. The students completed the Digital Eye Strain Questionnaire (DESQ) and the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10) and stated their own evaluation of their chances for success. They were contacted following their admission examinations, and their success or failure to be admitted was recorded. Results: The students with IGD symptomatology were more likely to present with symptoms of DES. They were also more pessimistic about their chances of success in the subsequent written admission examinations; none succeeded, while the rest of the students recorded an expected rate of success. A combination of IGD and complaints related to the prolonged fixation of the upper body in a specific viewing position was the best predictor variable set for future success in admission examinations. Conclusions: IGD is associated with a failure to achieve academic success. Combining a factor for physical discomfort during prolonged sessions of gaming with the typical criteria for IGD may expand the predictive validity of the construct of gaming disorder.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/educsci14030252
|
The Bidirectional Relationship between Meta-Creativity and Academic Performance in University Students
|
Creativity has been studied in relation to academic performance, usually from the perspective of the creative result, with fewer studies focusing on the creative process and the student’s awareness of that process, known as meta-creativity. This study aimed to analyze differences in meta-creativity based on academic performance groups (high or low) and determine the predictive power of meta-creativity belonging to the high or low academic performance groups. A total of 172 university students participated. Meta-creativity was assessed using a Meta-Creativity Questionnaire, which evaluated three dimensions (creative motivation, creative leadership, and divergent thinking). Additionally, academic performance was recorded, allowing for the classification of students based on high and low academic performance. The results of the analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences between students with high and low academic performance in the three dimensions. Discriminant analysis indicated that the dimensions of meta-creativity were able to predict who belonged to the high and low academic performance groups. The model correctly classified 86.6% of the sample. It can be concluded that academic performance is a good indicator of the level of meta-creativity, and, additionally, meta-creativity has a beneficial effect on academic performance. There is a bidirectional relationship between the two variables.
|
22277102
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3389/fonc.2024.1198555
|
A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis assessing intelectin-1 in cancer patients and healthy individuals
|
Background Intelectin-1 (ITLN1) is an adipokine with multiple physiological functions, including a role in tumour formation and development. Previous research reported variable ITLN1 levels for cancer patients and healthy individuals. This study aimed to compare ITLN1 concentrations between controls and cancer patients and to determine the adipokine’s physiological level. Methods Five databases were searched in January 2022 for studies that measured the level of ITLN1 in adults that were healthy or diagnosed with any type of cancer. After title, abstract and full-text screening, the methodological quality of the studies was assessed. The extracted data were meta-analysed using the R language and Bayesian statistical techniques. Results Overall, 15 studies compared circulating ITLN1 levels between healthy individuals (n=3424) and cancer patients (n=1538), but no differences were observed between these studies. ITLN1 was not different between groups in an analysis that evaluated high-quality studies only (n=5). The meta-analysis indicated considerably higher ITLN1 levels in gastrointestinal (i.e., colorectal, pancreatic, gastric) cancer compared to controls, while the other cancer types did not demonstrate differences between groups. The mean ITLN1 level of healthy individuals was 234 ± 21ng/ml (n=136), while the average value in high-quality studies (n=52) was 257 ± 31ng/ml. Conclusion Different types of cancer showed different circulating ITLN1 patterns. Circulating ITLN1 concentration was higher in gastrointestinal cancer compared to controls, with strong support from the meta-analytical model. Our analysis also determined the mean ITLN1 level in healthy individuals; this is a crucial starting point for understanding how this cytokine associates with diseases. Two-thirds of the studies were of low methodological quality and thus, future work in this field must focus on improved methods. Systematic review registration identifier CRD42022303406.
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2234943X
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01612-0
|
Chinese English language learners’ vocabulary retention: Investigating the effectiveness of neuro/metacognitive and socio-cultural strategies
|
The acquisition of a rich vocabulary is foundational to language proficiency. In the pedagogical pursuit of effective vocabulary teaching, educators explore diverse methodologies. Researchers investigated the impact of different neurocognitive, metacognitive, and socio-cultural strategies on enhancing vocabulary learning, particularly among Chinese English Language Learners. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of techniques derived from these theories compared to traditional teaching methods in enhancing vocabulary recall and recognition among English language learners. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was employed for the experimental and control groups, comprising 90 Chinese EFL learners selected from educational institutions in 2022–2023. The experimental group (n = 45) received instruction involving visual imagery, multisensory rotation, circle rotation, and mind mapping over eight sessions, while the control group (n = 45) received traditional teaching methods. Statistical analysis, utilizing covariance and analysis of variance with SPSS software version 22, revealed significant improvements in recall and vocabulary recognition within and between the experimental and control groups. The results indicate that incorporating techniques based on Neuro-Cognitive, Multimedia, Socio-Cultural, and Metacognitive theories positively influences vocabulary recall and recognition. This suggests the efficacy of these innovative methods in enhancing English language learning, highlighting their potential for broader integration into EFL instruction.
|
20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/cancers16051052
|
Impact of Primary Tumor Location on Demographics, Resectability, Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Finnish Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients (Subgroup Analysis of the RAXO Study)
|
The primary tumor location (PTL) is associated with the phenotype, metastatic sites, mutations, and outcomes of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients, but this has mostly been studied according to sidedness (right vs. left sided). We studied right colon vs. left colon vs. rectal PTL in a real-life study population (n = 1080). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed multi-cross-sectionally with QLQ-C30, QLQ-CR29, EQ-5D, and 15D. A chi-square, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox regression were used to compare the groups. The PTL was in the right colon in 310 patients (29%), the left colon in 396 patients (37%), and the rectum in 375 patients (35%). The PTL was associated with distinct differences in metastatic sites during the disease trajectory. The resectability, conversion, and resection rates were lowest in the right colon, followed by the rectum, and were highest in the left colon. Overall survival was shortest for right colon compared with left colon or rectal PTL (median 21 vs. 35 vs. 36 months), with the same trends after metastasectomy or systemic therapy only. PTL also remained statistically significant in a multivariable model. The distribution of symptoms varied according to PTL, especially between the right colon (with general symptoms of metastases) and rectal PTL (with sexual- and bowel-related symptoms). mCRC, according to PTL, behaves differently regarding metastatic sites, resectability of the metastases, outcomes of treatment, and HRQoL.
|
20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1186/s40594-024-00475-6
|
Beyond STEM attrition: changing career plans within STEM fields in college is associated with lower motivation, certainty, and satisfaction about one’s career
|
Background: Research and policy often focus on reducing attrition from educational trajectories leading to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but many students change career plans within STEM. This study examined how changing career plans within STEM fields was associated with psychological indicators of career readiness. We conducted a large online survey of undergraduate students (N = 1,727) across 42 courses covering every major STEM discipline at a large U.S. research-intensive public university. Students reported about their career plans, whether plans had changed, motivation for those career plans, and satisfaction with and certainty of persisting with those plans. A trained team of coders classified whether students reported having STEM career plans at the time of the survey and at the beginning of college. Results: Students who said they had changed career plans within STEM fields during college also reported lower motivation for their new career plans, satisfaction with those plans, and certainty of persisting in them, compared to students who retained consistent STEM career plans. With few exceptions, these associations held across students’ gender, race, year in school, and STEM field of study. Within-STEM career plan changes were very common, reported by 55% of fourth-year STEM students. Women reported changing career plans within STEM fields more often than men. Implications: Results suggest that changing career plans within STEM is an important phenomenon to consider in preparing a qualified and diverse STEM workforce. Students who change career plans within STEM fields may need additional supports for their career motivation and satisfaction compared to students who do not change plans.
|
21967822
|
EDUCATION
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01624-w
|
Clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and process evaluation of group schema therapy for eating disorders: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial
|
Background: Eating disorders (EDs), such as (atypical) Anorexia (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), are difficult to treat, causing socioeconomic impediments. Although enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E) is widely considered clinically effective, it may not be the most beneficial treatment for (atypical) AN and BN patients who do not show a rapid response after the first 4 weeks (8 sessions) of a CBT-E treatment. Alternatively, group schema therapy (GST) may be a valuable treatment for this ED population. Even though GST for EDs has yielded promising preliminary findings, the current body of evidence requires expansion. On top of that, data on cost-effectiveness is lacking. In light of these gaps, we aim to describe a protocol to examine whether GST is more (1) clinically effective and (2) cost-effective than CBT-E for (atypical) AN and BN patients, who do not show a rapid response after the first 4 weeks of treatment. Additionally, we will conduct (3) process evaluations for both treatments. Methods: Using a multicenter RCT design, 232 Dutch (atypical) AN and BN patients with a CBT-E referral will be recruited from five treatment centers. Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness will be measured before treatment, directly after treatment, at 6 and at 12 months follow-up. In order to rate process evaluation, patient experiences and the degree to which treatments are implemented according to protocol will be measured. In order to assess the quality of life and the achievement of personalized goals, interviews will be conducted at the end of treatment. Data will be analyzed, using a regression-based approach to mixed modelling, multivariate sensitivity analyses and coding trees for qualitative data. We hypothesize GST to be superior to CBT-E in terms of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for patients who do not show a rapid response to the first 4 weeks of a CBT-E treatment. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study protocol describing a multicenter RCT to explore the three aforementioned objectives. Related risks in performing the study protocol have been outlined. The expected findings may serve as a guide for healthcare stakeholders to optimize ED care trajectories. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05812950).
|
20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1327119
|
Examining the impact of a restorative breath-based intervention “Sudarshan Kriya Yoga” at work: a field experiment
|
Background Human capital plays a crucial role in the success of an organization and further contributes to the broader goals of growth and development of society. In this regard, it is essential to ensure the well-being of employees at the workplace. Given the positive impact of yoga on psycho-physiological aspects of health, this study aims to examine the impact of a breath-based yogic intervention, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), on stress, anxiety, thriving, general health, emotional well-being, social well-being, and psychological well-being among employees of a leading manufacturing firm in India. Methods Undertaking a randomized-control experiment design (n = 64), we examined the impact of SKY on stress, anxiety, thriving, general health, and emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Two certified instructors conducted the SKY intervention in a retreat format over 3 days. Results The analysis demonstrated positive outcomes across various aspects of participants’ well-being, i.e., it significantly reduced their stress and anxiety and increased the levels of thriving, general health, and emotional, social, and psychological well-being. These findings are valuable for understanding the potential benefits of the SKY intervention. Discussion The findings provide support for considering SKY as a potential well-being intervention for employers at the workplace and society at large. Further exploration, implementation, and research in diverse contexts will be crucial to fully understand the long-term impact and scalability of the SKY intervention in promoting holistic well-being.
|
16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/ai5010020
|
Few-Shot Fine-Grained Image Classification: A Comprehensive Review
|
Few-shot fine-grained image classification (FSFGIC) methods refer to the classification of images (e.g., birds, flowers, and airplanes) belonging to different subclasses of the same species by a small number of labeled samples. Through feature representation learning, FSFGIC methods can make better use of limited sample information, learn more discriminative feature representations, greatly improve the classification accuracy and generalization ability, and thus achieve better results in FSFGIC tasks. In this paper, starting from the definition of FSFGIC, a taxonomy of feature representation learning for FSFGIC is proposed. According to this taxonomy, we discuss key issues on FSFGIC (including data augmentation, local and/or global deep feature representation learning, class representation learning, and task-specific feature representation learning). In addition, the existing popular datasets, current challenges and future development trends of feature representation learning on FSFGIC are also described.
|
26732688
|
AI
|
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