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10.3390/ejihpe14030039
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Technology-Supported Behavior Change—Applying Design Thinking to mHealth Application Development
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Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of global deaths. The risk of their development and progression is increased by modifiable behavioral risk factors. Yet, despite the known benefits of primary and secondary prevention, people often do not follow recommendations for a healthier lifestyle. To this end, mobile health (mHealth) applications offer features for behavioral interventions. Yet, reported user engagement is often low. The objective of the work presented in this article is thus to evaluate the suitability of Design Thinking (DT) as a means to inform the development of an mHealth application that helps increase long-term engagement, and consequently supports individuals in sustainably changing their lifestyle. Applying the DT approach, key user needs and challenges were investigated and used to design a first low-fidelity mHealth application prototype. Think-Aloud analysis, task completion, and post-test interviews were then used to evaluate the prototype and generate early-stage insights. Subsequently, a structured, retrospective analysis of this process, evaluating the insight-generation potential of each step in the DT process cycle, was used to reflect on its suitability to inform mHealth application development. The respective results highlight (1) the distinct value of the DT method, particularly in the early stages of a development project; (2) the strong need for interdisciplinary collaboration in such projects, so as to capture realistic end-user requirements and improve the overall effectiveness of the application design; and (3) the significance of integrating behavioral change theories into the design of mHealth applications, in order to promote long-term engagement.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14030040
|
The Effects of Nature Exposure Therapies on Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Levels: A Systematic Review
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Background: Mental well-being plays a pivotal role within the broader spectrum of health and illness, encompassing factors such as stress, depression, and anxiety. Nature-based therapeutic interventions have emerged as a promising approach to addressing these mental health challenges. This study seeks to assess the impact of these interventions on stress, depression, and anxiety levels. Methods: We conducted an extensive search for randomized clinical trials that examined stress, anxiety, and depression levels. The selected studies underwent a rigorous risk-of-bias assessment following the guidelines outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. Results: Our review encompassed findings from eight publications. Among them, two studies measuring cortisol levels revealed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test measurements within the intervention groups. In two studies that employed the Stress Response Inventory, a significant decrease in stress levels was observed within the intervention groups in contrast to the control groups. However, no significant differences were noted in studies that utilized the Restorative Outcome Scale. In the assessment of anxiety and depression levels, three studies employed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, while four studies utilized The Profile of Mood States scale; none of these studies demonstrated significant differences. Conclusions: The current body of evidence offers limited support for advocating nature-based therapeutic interventions as a primary approach to reducing stress, depression, and anxiety.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1278996
|
Cross-level transformation of creativity from entrepreneurs to organizations
|
With the intensification of competition in the business environment, organizational creativity is increasingly becoming crucial for organizations to build competitive advantages and promote organizational development. For innovative enterprises, their entrepreneurs largely determine the development orientation of the enterprise. They are one of the most critical factors determining the level of corporate innovation, but there need to be more effective creativity transformation path to pursue innovation development. The findings in this study show that entrepreneurial individual creativity has a significant positive effect on organizational creativity, platform leadership mediates the path of creativity transformation across hierarchical levels, and organizational culture has positive moderating effect between platform leadership and organizational creativity. The study results explain the transformation mechanism of creativity from the entrepreneur's perspective, expand the potential transformation path of organizational creativity, and are instructive for enhancing organizational creativity.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1307574
|
Classic and modern models of self-regulated learning: integrative and componential analysis
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Self-regulated learning (SRL) is considered a construct of great heuristic value and has attracted the attention of numerous researchers and inspired influential theoretical models. The objective of the present study was to provide an up-to-date, comparative and integrated description of the theoretical models of SRL used in current empirical research. For this purpose, we conducted a critical review of the scientific literature referring explicitly to any SRL model and we described, compared and integrated the processes and personal and situational dimensions considered in each model. The models have clearly evolved from focusing on cold self-regulation, conscious activity and individual functioning, to emphasising hot self-regulation and considering implicit activity and interindividual functioning. Among empirical research lines based on the most recent models, the following stand out: detailed analysis of SRL during its progress, the manifestation of SRL in diverse instructional formats and the role of affective/motivational self-regulation.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1298104
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The ripple effect of strain in times of change: how manager emotional exhaustion affects team psychological safety and readiness to change
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Introduction Managers assume a pivotal role during periods of organizational change, yet there exists a notable gap in our understanding of how their emotional exhaustion may impact their capacity to generate readiness to change within their teams. Grounded in the conservation of resources theory (COR), this study explores the crossover effect of managers’ emotional exhaustion on team readiness to change. We expect this to occur through higher levels of laissez-faire leadership, which impacts the teams’ psychological safety. Methodology Data was gathered within a Canadian governmental organization undergoing two significant changes—cultural change and digitalization—with a specific focus on leadership as a pivotal factor in preparing teams for change. Employing surveys from 372 team members and 62 managers affected by this change, we conducted path analysis to empirically test the proposed model across 74 teams and their respective managers. Results Managers’ emotional exhaustion has a negative indirect effect on team readiness to change. The double mediation pathway implies a positive relationship on laissez-faire leadership, which hinders psychological safety. In turn, psychological safety hampers team readiness to change. Conclusion Managers must invest significant resources to fulfill their roles and responsibilities during strategic change. Those who feel exhausted during change may look for ways to protect some of their resources by reducing the time and energy they invest leading their team. This self-preserving resource strategy has detrimental consequences on teams’ effectiveness during change due to an indirect crossover effect that affects the levels of psychological safety on the team.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00430-x
|
Optimizing Placement and Scheduling for VNF by a Multi-objective Optimization Genetic Algorithm
|
Virtual network functions (VNFs) have gradually replaced the implementation of traditional network functions. Through efficient placement, the VNF placement technology strives to operate VNFs consistently to the greatest extent possible within restricted resources. Thus, VNF mapping and scheduling tasks can be framed as an optimization problem. Existing research efforts focus only on optimizing the VNFs scheduling or mapping. Besides, the existing methods focus only on one or two objectives. In this work, we proposed addressing the problem of VNFs scheduling and mapping. This work proposed framing the problem of VNFs scheduling and mapping as a multi-objective optimization problem on three objectives, namely (1) minimizing line latency of network link, (2) reducing the processing capacity of each virtual machine, and (3) reducing the processing latency of virtual machines. Then, the proposed VNF-NSGA-III algorithm, an adapted variation of the NSGA-III algorithm, was used to solve this multi-objective problem. Our proposed algorithm has been thoroughly evaluated through a series of experiments on homogeneous and heterogeneous data center environments. The proposed method was compared to several heuristic and recent meta-heuristic methods. The results reveal that the VNF-NSGA-III outperformed the comparison methods.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1305862
|
Do you say uh or uhm? A cross-linguistic approach to filler particle use in heritage and majority speakers across three languages
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Filler particles like uhm in English or ähm in German show subtle language-specific differences and their variation in form is related to socio-linguistic variables like gender. The use of fillers in a second language has been shown to differ from monolinguals' filler particle use in both frequency and form in different language contexts. This study investigates the language-specific use of filler particles by bilingual heritage speakers in both their languages, looking at the dominant majority language in the society and their minority heritage language spoken at home. This is done based on heritage Russian and German data and majority German and English data from the RUEG corpus. Language-specific fillers were extracted from the corpus and analyzed for their occurrence and segmental form. The frequency analysis suggests an influence of bilingualism, age group, and formality of the situation on the filler frequency across all languages. The number of filler particles is higher in formal, older, and bilingual speech. The form analysis reveals an effect of language and gender on the type of filler particle. The vocalic-nasal filler particles (e.g., uhm) are more frequently found in German and English and in female speech of these languages. Heritage speakers of Russian in contact with German and English show higher use of vocalic-nasal forms also in their Russian while producing similar gender related patterns to monolingual speakers in both their languages. The higher frequency of filler particles in formal situations, older speakers and in bilingual speech, is discussed related to cognitive load which is assumed to be higher in these contexts while speech style which differs between situations and social groups is also considered as explanation. The higher use of vocalic-nasal filler particles in German and English suggests language specific filler particle preferences also related to the socio-linguistic variable gender in these languages. The results from heritage speakers suggest and influence on filler particle form in their heritage language, while also revealing socio-linguistic usage patterns related to gender which are produced by heritage speakers similarly to monolinguals in their respective language.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05655-z
|
An investigation of the effect of mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy on demoralization, body image, and sexual function in Iranian women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial
|
Background: Breast cancer is an extremely unpleasant and unbearable experience that can have a profound impact on a person’s life. Compared to other types of cancer, breast cancer has a more severe psychological impact on women. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy on demoralization, body image, and sexual function in Iranian women with breast cancer. Method: A sample of 30 women with breast cancer were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The research was conducted in the oncology division of Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah by the clinical trial method with a two-group pretest–posttest design and a 2 month follow-up. Participants in the intervention group received Mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy for eight sessions. The intervention was carried out individually in weekly 60 min sessions. While the control group received self-help treatment (through an educational book). A demographic questionnaire, Demoralization Scale (DS-II), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were used to collect data. For data analysis, means and standard deviations were calculated and repeated measures and the Bonferroni test was conducted using SPSS 26. Results: The results showed the effectiveness of mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy on demoralization, body image, and sexual function (p < 0.05). Concerning demoralization in the intervention group, the pre-test mean was 16.73 ± 3.33, and it reduced to 11.93 ± 1.49 in the post-test. The body image mean score showed a decreasing trend in the intervention group, from 12.47 ± 1.88 in the pre-test to 8.80 ± 3.21 in the post-test. The mean score for sexual function showed an increasing trend, increasing from 18.06 ± 2.29 in the pre-test to 23.07 ± 0.91 in the post-test. There was no significant difference in the mean score of the post-test compared to the pre-test and follow-up in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MICBT can be used in conjunction with pharmaceuticals and medical treatments to improve the psychological symptoms of women with breast cancer, according to this study’s results. Trial registration (IRCT20160103025817N6). 2022-04-06.
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14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00431-w
|
Diagnosis of Gallbladder Disease Using Artificial Intelligence: A Comparative Study
|
Gallbladder (GB) disease is a common pathology that needs correct and early diagnosis for the optimum medical treatment. Early diagnosis is crucial as any delay or misdiagnosis can worsen the patient situation. Incorrect diagnosis could also lead to an escalation in patient symptoms and poorer clinical outcomes. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, ranging from Machine Learning (ML) to Deep Learning (DL) to predict disease progression, identify abnormalities, and estimate mortality rates associated with GB disorders has increased over the past decade. To this end, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the AI approaches used in the diagnosis of GB illnesses. This review compiles and compares relevant papers from the last decade to show how AI might enhance diagnostic precision, speed, and efficiency. Therefore, this survey gives researchers the opportunity to find out both the diagnosis of GB diseases and AI techniques in one place. The maximum accuracy rate by ML was when using SVM with 96.67%, whilst the maximum accuracy rate by DL was by utilising a unique structure of VGG, GoogleNet, ResNet, AlexNet and Inception with 98.77%. This could provide a clear path for further investigations and algorithm’s development to boost diagnostic results to improve the patient’s condition and choose the appropriate treatment.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14030046
|
Duration Perception and Reading in Typically Developing Adults and Adults with Developmental Dyslexia: Implications for Assessment and Intervention
|
While the link between beat perception and reading skills is attributed to a general improvement in neural entrainment to speech units, duration perception (DP) is primarily linked to a specific aspect of speech perception, specifially discriminating phonemes of varying lengths. Our previous study found a significant correlation between DP and pseudoword reading in both typically developing (TD) individuals and adults with dyslexia (DD). This suggests that, like beat, DP may also enhance overall speech perception. However, our previous study employed a composite measure that did not discriminate speed from accuracy. In this study, we sought to replicate the link between DP and pseudoword reading in a new sample and explore how it might vary depending on the reading parameter being measured. We analyzed the performance of 60 TD vs. 20 DD adults in DP, word reading and pseudoword reading tasks, analyzing the latter for both speed and accuracy. Indeed, duration skills correlated positively with pseudoword reading accuracy. In TD adults, there was no association between DP and reading speed, whereas DD individuals exhibited slower reading speed alongside improved duration skills. We emphasize the potential usefulness of DP tasks in assessment and early intervention and raise new questions about compensatory strategies adopted by DD adults.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05642-4
|
Diffusion-weighted imaging-based radiomics model using automatic machine learning to differentiate cerebral cystic metastases from brain abscesses
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Objectives: To develop a radiomics model based on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) utilizing automated machine learning method to differentiate cerebral cystic metastases from brain abscesses. Materials and methods: A total of 186 patients with cerebral cystic metastases (n = 98) and brain abscesses (n = 88) from two clinical institutions were retrospectively included. The datasets (129 from institution A) were randomly portioned into separate 75% training and 25% internal testing sets. Radiomics features were extracted from DWI images using two subregions of the lesion (cystic core and solid wall). A thorough image preprocessing method was applied to DWI images to ensure the robustness of radiomics features before feature extraction. Then the Tree-based Pipeline Optimization Tool (TPOT) was utilized to search for the best optimized machine learning pipeline, using a fivefold cross-validation in the training set. The external test set (57 from institution B) was used to evaluate the model’s performance. Results: Seven distinct TPOT models were optimized to distinguish between cerebral cystic metastases and abscesses either based on different features combination or using wavelet transform. The optimal model demonstrated an AUC of 1.00, an accuracy of 0.97, sensitivity of 1.00, and specificity of 0.93 in the internal test set, based on the combination of cystic core and solid wall radiomics signature using wavelet transform. In the external test set, this model reached 1.00 AUC, 0.96 accuracy, 1.00 sensitivity, and 0.93 specificity. Conclusion: The DWI-based radiomics model established by TPOT exhibits a promising predictive capacity in distinguishing cerebral cystic metastases from abscesses.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14030047
|
Examining Students’ Acceptance and Use of ChatGPT in Saudi Arabian Higher Education
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This study examines students’ acceptance and use of ChatGPT in Saudi Arabian (SA) higher education, where there is growing interest in the use of this tool since its inauguration in 2022. Quantitative research data, through a self-reporting survey drawing on the “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology” (UTAUT2), were collected from 520 students in one of the public universities in SA at the start of the first semester of the study year 2023–2024. The findings of structural equation modeling partially supported the UTAUT and previous research in relation to the significant direct effect of performance expectancy (PE), social influence (SI), and effort expectancy (EE) on behavioral intention (BI) on the use of ChatGPT and the significant direct effect of PE, SI, and BI on actual use of ChatGPT. Nonetheless, the results did not support earlier research in relation to the direct relationship between facilitating conditions (FCs) and both BI and actual use of ChatGPT, which was found to be negative in the first relationship and insignificant in the second one. These findings were because of the absence of resources, support, and aid from external sources in relation to the use of ChatGPT. The results showed partial mediation of BI in the link between PE, SI, and FC and actual use of ChatGPT in education and a full mediation in the link of BI between EE and actual use of ChatGPT in education. The findings provide numerous implications for scholars and higher education institutions in SA, which are also of interest to other institutions in similar contexts.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3390/cancers16061189
|
Early Onset of Lung Cancer in Small Areas as a Signature of Point Pollution Sources
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The impact of air pollution on lung cancer (LC) is difficult to detect in low-populated areas due to the potentially unfocused detection of pollutants and/or limited statistical power. This study identified and measured the harmful effect of pollution in small areas by considering the early onset of LC as a signature of pollution. This novel method requires a Bayesian standard curve calculated from the median age at LC onset and the corresponding median age of reference populations. Similar medians gathered from the area/s under investigation permits a probabilistic comparison with the standard curve. Statistically significant divergences can be interpreted as early or late LC onset. The method is exemplified in the Trieste municipality (northeast Italy) using data from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cancer Registry (study population) and from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (reference population). Early LC onset has been observed near the pollution sources. Within 600 m of the iron foundry, onset ranged between 3.2 and 7.7 years earlier in men and between 11.7 and 16.8 years earlier in women. Near the shipyard, early onset was around 4 years in men and 7 years in women, while in the industrial area, early onset was 5 years in women only. Examining early LC onset may speed up the investigation of potential environmental hazards.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers16061195
|
CD44 in Bladder Cancer
|
The glycoprotein CD44, with its many isoforms and variations in carbohydrate patterning, participates in a diverse set of cellular functions. This fact leads to the protein playing a role in many normal and pathologic cellular processes including a role in cancer progression and metastasis. These same facts make CD44 a strong therapeutic target in many cancer types, including bladder cancer.
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20726694
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00447-2
|
Retraction Note: Dual Siamese Anchor Points Adaptive Tracker with Transformer for RGBT Tracking
| null |
18756883
|
AI
|
10.1186/s40594-024-00471-w
|
Promoting STEM learning perseverance through recognizing communal goals: understanding the impact of empathy and citizenship
|
Background: Previous research has indicated that placing emphasis on communal goals within the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education can yield beneficial learning outcomes. However, there remains a relative dearth of investigation into the factors that contribute to the success of STEM education programs integrating communal goals. In the present study, we sought to explore the roles of two constructs that prioritize the interests of others, namely empathy and citizenship, in promoting STEM learning perseverance within the context of a STEM-based community service learning (CSL) program. Specifically, we proposed that empathy would be associated with STEM learning perseverance through its relationship with citizenship, within a sample of 275 secondary school students from Hong Kong who participated in the said program. Results: Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the results revealed that empathy is significantly and positively associated with STEM learning perseverance, both directly and indirectly, through citizenship. The results held even after controlling for the demographic variables of school membership, gender, and age. Conclusions: This research highlights the association between understanding the needs of the community (empathy) and students' desire for community involvement (citizenship), which subsequently influences their perseverance in STEM learning. This relationship is particularly pronounced in educational settings where communal goals are emphasized.
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21967822
|
EDUCATION
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1348288
|
Assessment of knowledge and perceptions of human papillomavirus vaccine and its determinants among women who have eligible daughters in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
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Introduction Globally, cervical cancer(CC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of CC. Persistent infection with HPV accounts for 90% of all CC cases. The human papillomavirus vaccine has the great potential to prevent HPV-related infections for millions of women and men. The current study aimed to assess knowledge and perceptions towards the HPV vaccine and its determinants among women who have eligible daughters in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2, 2023, to May 15, 2023. A multistage sampling procedure was used to recruit 607 women participants. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic data. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to measure the associations between the dependent and independent variables. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results More than three-fourths of the participants, 479 individuals (80%) were currently married, and 243(40.1%) had a diploma or higher education level. Of 456(75.12) participants reported, they had information about cervical cancer. For 449(73.9%) of the participants, television was the main evidence. The majority of 352(59.99%) participants knew the HPV vaccine could be offered to a female child aged 9-14 years old. Only 215(35.4%) participants think the HPV vaccine was safe and effective. Women who had a degree and above educational level were about 9 times more likely to have good knowledge about the HPV vaccine than study participants who did not read and write (AOR=9.21; 95% CI=2.82-12.16; p=0.004). Women who did not have information about the HPV vaccine before this study were about 80% less likely to have a positive perception of the HPV vaccine than participants who had earlier information about the HPV vaccine (AOR=0.8; 95%CI=0.63-0.49; P=003). Conclusion Women had poor knowledge and perceptions about the HPV vaccine. Maternal marital status, age, and having information about the HPV vaccine were the only predictors of women’s knowledge of the HPV vaccine.
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2234943X
|
ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14030048
|
Validation of the Gaming Skills Questionnaire in Adolescence: Effects of Gaming Skills on Cognitive and Affective Functioning
|
Given the widespread popularity of videogames, research attempted to assess their effects on cognitive and affective abilities, especially in children and adolescents. Despite numerous correlational studies, robust evidence on the causal relationship between videogames and cognition remains scarce, hindered by the absence of a comprehensive assessment tool for gaming skills across various genres. In a sample of 347 adolescents, this study aimed to develop and validate the Gaming Skill Questionnaire (GSQ) and assess the impact of gaming skills in six different genres (sport, first-person shooters, role-playing games, action-adventure, strategy, and puzzle games) on cognitive and affective abilities of adolescents. The GSQ exhibited strong reliability and validity, highlighting its potential as a valuable tool. Gaming skills positively affected executive function, memory, overall cognition, cognitive flexibility, and emotion recognition, except for empathy. Various game genres had different effects on cognitive and affective abilities, with verbal fluency influenced mainly by sports, executive functions by action, strategy, and puzzle, and emotion recognition positively impacted by action and puzzle but negatively by sports and strategy games. Both age and gaming skills influenced cognitive flexibility, with gaming having a greater effect. These intriguing genre-specific effects on cognitive and affective functioning postulate further research with GSQ’s contribution.
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22549625
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ai5010021
|
Single Image Super Resolution Using Deep Residual Learning
|
Single Image Super Resolution (SSIR) is an intriguing research topic in computer vision where the goal is to create high-resolution images from low-resolution ones using innovative techniques. SSIR has numerous applications in fields such as medical/satellite imaging, remote target identification and autonomous vehicles. Compared to interpolation based traditional approaches, deep learning techniques have recently gained attention in SISR due to their superior performance and computational efficiency. This article proposes an Autoencoder based Deep Learning Model for SSIR. The down-sampling part of the Autoencoder mainly uses 3 by 3 convolution and has no subsampling layers. The up-sampling part uses transpose convolution and residual connections from the down sampling part. The model is trained using a subset of the VILRC ImageNet database as well as the RealSR database. Quantitative metrics such as PSNR and SSIM are found to be as high as 76.06 and 0.93 in our testing. We also used qualitative measures such as perceptual quality.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.3390/ai5010022
|
Trust-Aware Reflective Control for Fault-Resilient Dynamic Task Response in Human–Swarm Cooperation
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Due to the complexity of real-world deployments, a robot swarm is required to dynamically respond to tasks such as tracking multiple vehicles and continuously searching for victims. Frequent task assignments eliminate the need for system calibration time, but they also introduce uncertainty from previous tasks, which can undermine swarm performance. Therefore, responding to dynamic tasks presents a significant challenge for a robot swarm compared to handling tasks one at a time. In human–human cooperation, trust plays a crucial role in understanding each other’s performance expectations and adjusting one’s behavior for better cooperation. Taking inspiration from human trust, this paper introduces a trust-aware reflective control method called “Trust-R”. Trust-R, based on a weighted mean subsequence reduced algorithm (WMSR) and human trust modeling, enables a swarm to self-reflect on its performance from a human perspective. It proactively corrects faulty behaviors at an early stage before human intervention, mitigating the negative influence of uncertainty accumulated from dynamic tasks. Three typical task scenarios {Scenario 1: flocking to the assigned destination; Scenario 2: a transition between destinations; and Scenario 3: emergent response} were designed in the real-gravity simulation environment, and a human user study with 145 volunteers was conducted. Trust-R significantly improves both swarm performance and trust in dynamic task scenarios, marking a pivotal step forward in integrating trust dynamics into swarm robotics.
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26732688
|
AI
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10.1007/s00432-024-05689-3
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Preoperative ultrasound-guided dual localization with titanium clips and carbon nanoparticles for predicting the surgical approach and guiding the resection of Siewert type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma
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Objective: To investigate the superiority of preoperative ultrasound-guided titanium clip and nanocarbon dual localization over traditional methods for determining the surgical approach and guiding resection of Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). Method: This study included 66 patients with Siewert type II AEG who were treated at the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force 900th Hospital between September 1, 2021, and September 1, 2023. They were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 33), in which resection was guided by the dual localization technique, and the routine group (n = 33), in which the localization technique was not used. Surgical approach predictions, proximal esophageal resection lengths, pathological features, and the occurrence of complications were compared between the groups. Result: The use of the dual localization technique resulted in higher accuracy in predicting the surgical approach (96.8% vs. 75.9%, P = 0.02) and shorter proximal esophageal resection lengths (2.39 ± 0.28 cm vs. 2.86 ± 0.39 cm, P < 0.001) in the experimental group as compared to the routine group, while there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications (22.59% vs. 24.14%, P = 0.88). Conclusion: Preoperative dual localization with titanium clips and carbon nanoparticles is significantly superior to traditional methods and can reliably delineate the actual infiltration boundaries of Siewert type II AEG, guide the surgical approach, and avoid excessive esophageal resection.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1308636
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Persisting inhibition biases efficient rule inference under uncertainty
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Introduction Task set inhibition supports optimal switching among tasks by actively suppressing the interference from recently executed competing task sets. It is typically studied in cued task-switching paradigms where there is no uncertainty about the task set or rule to prepare for on each trial. While inhibition has been shown to influence the speed and the accuracy of task execution, affecting task set retrieval, preparation, or implementation in conditions of task set switching, it remains uninvestigated whether it also affects rule selection under uncertainty. Methods We implemented an ad-hoc four-rule card sorting task and categorized the rules selected by participants after a rule shift according to the recency of their last usage. We included a measure of working memory capacity (WMC) to control for its involvement in the rule selection process. Results Participants exhibited a reduced preference for recently abandoned rules than less recently abandoned ones. Furthermore, we found that such a preference was not associated with WMC. Discussion The results suggest that decision-making processes underlying rule inference and selection may be influenced by task-set inhibition, configuring as a conflict adjustment mechanism to the sequential history of rules application.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1335536
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Eye-movement reveals word order effects on comparative sentences in older adults using a verb-final language
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Objectives This study aimed to examine age-related differences in the comprehension of Korean comparative sentences with varying word orders by employing both offline and online measures, and to investigate how variations in word order affect sentence processing across different age groups. Methods A total of 52 monolingual native Korean speakers, 26 young adults, and 26 older adults, completed a sentence-picture-matching task under two word order conditions: comparative-first and nominative-first. Offline measures included accuracy and response time, while an online method involved eye-tracking within the Visual World Paradigm. Data analyses were performed using linear and generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results Older adults demonstrated lower accuracy and longer response times compared to younger individuals. Distinctive fixation patterns were observed, particularly in the sentential-final phrase, across different age groups. Specifically, nominative-first sentences elicited greater target advantage scores among younger adults, whereas older adults showed higher scores in comparative-first sentences. Conclusion The study highlights the potential of comparative sentences in elucidating age-related changes in sentence comprehension. These differences were evident not only in offline tasks but also in real-time processing, as evidenced by eye-tracking data. The findings suggest distinct processing strategies employed by young and older adults and underscore the importance of considering both syntactic and semantic cues in sentence comprehension.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1308098
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Measuring the menu, not the food: “psychometric” data may instead measure “lingometrics” (and miss its greatest potential)
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This is a review of a range of empirical studies that use digital text algorithms to predict and model response patterns from humans to Likert-scale items, using texts only as inputs. The studies show that statistics used in construct validation is predictable on sample and individual levels, that this happens across languages and cultures, and that the relationship between variables are often semantic instead of empirical. That is, the relationships among variables are given a priori and evidently computable as such. We explain this by replacing the idea of “nomological networks” with “semantic networks” to designate computable relationships between abstract concepts. Understanding constructs as nodes in semantic networks makes it clear why psychological research has produced constant average explained variance at 42% since 1956. Together, these findings shed new light on the formidable capability of human minds to operate with fast and intersubjectively similar semantic processing. Our review identifies a categorical error present in much psychological research, measuring representations instead of the purportedly represented. We discuss how this has grave consequences for the empirical truth in research using traditional psychometric methods.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05650-4
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Integrative analysis with machine learning identifies diagnostic and prognostic signatures in neuroblastoma based on differentially DNA methylated enhancers between INSS stage 4 and 4S neuroblastoma
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Introduction: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that aberrant methylation of enhancers is crucial in gene expression profiles across several cancers. However, the latent effect of differently expressed enhancers between INSS stage 4S and 4 neuroblastoma (NB) remains elusive. Methods: We utilized the transcriptome and methylation data of stage 4S and 4 NB patients to perform Enhancer Linking by Methylation/Expression Relationships (ELMER) analysis, discovering a differently expressed motif within 67 enhancers between stage 4S and 4 NB. Harnessing the 67 motif genes, we established the INSS stage related signature (ISRS) by amalgamating 12 and 10 distinct machine learning (ML) algorithms across 113 and 101 ML combinations to precisely diagnose stage 4 NB among all NB patients and to predict the prognosis of NB patients. Based on risk scores calculated by prognostic ISRS, patients were categorized into high and low-risk groups according to median risk score. We conducted comprehensive comparisons between two risk groups, in terms of clinical applications, immune microenvironment, somatic mutations, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and single-cell analysis. Ultimately, we empirically validated the differential expressions of two ISRS model genes, CAMTA2 and FOXD1, through immunochemistry staining. Results: Through leave-one-out cross-validation, in both feature selection and model construction, we selected the random forest algorithm to diagnose stage 4 NB, and Enet algorithm to develop prognostic ISRS, due to their highest average C-index across five NB cohorts. After validations, the ISRS demonstrated a stable predictive capability, outperforming the previously published NB signatures and several clinic variables. We stratified NB patients into high and low-risk group based on median risk score, which showed the low-risk group with a superior survival outcome, an abundant immune infiltration, a decreased mutation landscape, and an enhanced sensitivity to immunotherapy. Single-cell analysis between two risk groups reveals biologically cellular variations underlying ISRS. Finally, we verified the significantly higher protein levels of CAMTA2 and FOXD1 in stage 4S NB, as well as their protective prognosis value in NB. Conclusion: Based on multi-omics data and ML algorithms, we successfully developed the ISRS to enable accurate diagnosis and prognostic stratification in NB, which shed light on molecular mechanisms of spontaneous regression and clinical utilization of ISRS.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14040341
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Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Male Students’ Hesitancy to Study Biology in Ireland: Factors Effecting Intent in the Transition to Upper Secondary School
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While it is evident that Ireland has the ambition to widen access to higher education, there are challenges; especially regarding the decision-making process of socio-economically disadvantaged youth when selecting subjects for transition into higher education. This is of particular concern when there are abundant science-related courses in higher education, as well as careers, which are fundamental to the global economy, and a cohort of Ireland’s youth is disadvantaged in choosing this pathway. National statistics highlight the disproportionate participation rate across genders in upper secondary school science education. Extensive research has been invested in exploring supporting female access into male-dominated science fields (e.g., physics) but less so regarding male access into female-dominated science fields (e.g., biology) to achieve gender equity. Thus, this paper uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a theoretical framework to examine the possible psychosocial elements affecting the decision-making process of socio-economically disadvantaged male students attending DEIS schools in the Republic of Ireland and their intent to study biology as a subject at the upper secondary school level. Data collected from 344 secondary school-level students from 20 schools across nine Irish counties, and subsequently descriptively analysed, revealed that male students were considerably less likely than female students to choose biology at upper secondary level education. Many male students expressed anxiousness and hopelessness when evaluating the study of biology. Teachers were identified as lead influencers and self-efficacy was highlighted as a significant factor in male affinity to the subject. Finally, higher levels of female students’ intent to study biology at upper second level suggested the familial influence of parents and wider family contributes to their overall perspective on the relevance of science to their future prosperity. Considering the various factors influencing intent, the authors suggest that a targeted pedagogical intervention that includes the promotion of self-efficacy; male student mastery experiences through assessment; emphasis on scientific knowledge; and raising the awareness of the various career pathways that studying biology affords could ameliorate this trend amongst teenage males. Additionally, targeted messaging for parents and the wider family as well as continuous professional development for teachers should be integral to any work conducted in this area.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1186/s40594-024-00478-3
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Prior experiences as students and instructors play a critical role in instructors’ decision to adopt evidence-based instructional practices
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Background: There has been a growing interest in characterizing factors influencing teaching decisions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructors in order to address the slow uptake of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). This growing body of research has identified contextual factors (e.g., classroom layout, departmental norms) as primary influencers of STEM instructors’ decision to implement EBIPs in their courses. However, models of influences on instructional practices indicate that context is only one type of factor to consider. Other factors fall at the individual level such as instructors’ past teaching experience and their views on learning. Few studies have been able to explore in depth the role of these individual factors on the adoption of EBIPs since it is challenging to control for contextual features when studying current instructors. Moreover, most studies exploring adoption of EBIPs do not take into account the distinctive features of each EBIP and the influence these features may have on the decision to adopt the EBIP. Rather, studies typically explore barriers and drivers to the implementation of EBIPs in general. In this study, we address these gaps in the literature by conducting an in-depth exploration of individual factors and EBIPs’ features that influence nine future STEM instructors’ decisions to incorporate a selected set of EBIPs in their teaching. Results: We had hypothesized that the future instructors would have different reasoning to support their decisions to adopt or not Peer Instruction and the 5E Model as the two EBIPs have distinctive features. However, our results demonstrate that instructors based their decisions on similar factors. In particular, we found that the main drivers of their decisions were (1) the compatibility of the EBIP with their past experiences as students and instructors as well as teaching values and (2) experiences provided in the pedagogical course they were enrolled in. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that when considering the adoption of EBIPs, there is a need to look beyond solely contextual influences on instructor’s decisions to innovate in their courses and explore individual factors. Moreover, professional development programs should leverage their participants past experiences as students and instructors and provide an opportunity for instructors to experience new EBIPs as learners and instructors.
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21967822
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EDUCATION
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10.1007/s44196-024-00434-7
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Fault Detection, Classification and Localization Along the Power Grid Line Using Optimized Machine Learning Algorithms
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Distributed energy generation increases the need for smart grid monitoring, protection, and control. Localization, classification, and fault detection are essential for addressing any problems immediately and resuming the smart grid as soon as possible. Simultaneously, the capacity to swiftly identify smart grid issues utilizing sensor data and easily accessible frequency and voltage data from PMU devices is a prerequisite of this task. Therefore, this paper proposes new methods using fuzzy logic and adaptive fuzzy neural networks as well as machine learning and meta-heuristic algorithms. First, line voltage is used by a fuzzy thresholding method to estimate when a transmission line defect would develop in less than 1.2 clock cycles. Next, features taken from frequency signals in the real-time interval are utilized to classify the type of error using machine learning systems (decision tree algorithm and random forest algorithm) optimized with wild horse meta-heuristic algorithm. To locate the precise problem location, we finally use a neural fuzzy inference system that is capable of adapting to new data. We employ a simulated power transmission system in MATLAB to test our proposed solutions. Mean square error (MSE) and confusion matrix are used to assess the efficiency of a classifier or detector. For the decision tree algorithm method, the detector attained an acceptable MSE of 2.34e−4 and accuracy of 98.1%, and for the random forest algorithm method, an acceptable MSE of 3.54e−6 and accuracy of 100%. Furthermore, the placement error was less than 153.6 m in any direction along the line.
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18756883
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AI
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10.1007/s44196-024-00482-z
|
Retraction Note: Effectiveness of Mixed Fuzzy Time Window Multi-objective Allocation in E-Commerce Logistics Distribution Path
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18756883
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AI
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10.1007/s44196-024-00439-2
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Hybrid Strategies Based Seagull Optimization Algorithm for Solving Engineering Design Problems
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The seagull optimization algorithm (SOA) is a meta-heuristic algorithm proposed in 2019. It has the advantages of structural simplicity, few parameters and easy implementation. However, it also has some defects including the three main drawbacks of slow convergence speed, simple search method and poor ability of balancing global exploration and local exploitation. Besides, most of the improved SOA algorithms in the literature have not considered the drawbacks of the SOA comprehensively enough. This paper proposes a hybrid strategies based algorithm (ISOA) to overcome the three main drawbacks of the SOA. Firstly, a hyperbolic tangent function is used to adjust the spiral radius. The spiral radius can change dynamically with the iteration of the algorithm, so that the algorithm can converge quickly. Secondly, an adaptive weight factor improves the position updating method by adjusting the proportion of the best individual to balance the global and local search abilities. Finally, to overcome the single search mode, an improved chaotic local search strategy is introduced for secondary search. A comprehensive comparison between the ISOA and other related algorithms is presented, considering twelve test functions and four engineering design problems. The comparison results indicate that the ISOA has an outstanding performance and a significant advantage in solving engineering problems, especially with an average improvement of 14.67% in solving welded beam design problem.
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18756883
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AI
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354129
|
Exploring a practitioner-athlete relationship and facilitated learning throughout a psychological skills training program
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Psychological skills training (PST) programs have been consistently reported as an important part of preparation for optimal performance in high performance sport. However, there is much less research about the quality and characteristics of the working relationship between a sport psychology practitioner (SPP) and an athlete and, importantly, how that relationship facilitates learning. Therefore, the purpose of the present paper was to explore the working relationship between a SPP and a volleyball player and how that working relationship facilitated the learning processes utilized by this player, as she prepared for the demands of her sport and life. An instrumental case study methodology with a qualitative description approach was employed to illustrate different aspects of the evolving relationship and the athlete’s experiences. The results of this case reflect an approach that combined features of both a directive approach in teaching specific psychological skills and a less directive and more collaborative approach, which, in turn, allowed an athlete to begin to learn how to guide their own learning.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14040356
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Centering Educators’ Voices in the Development of Professional Learning for Data-Rich, Place-Based Science Instruction
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This self-reflective case study describes our project team’s efforts to promote equity in science professional learning (PL) by centering the voices of educators in the PL design process and within the course itself. We believe that educators’ experiences, priorities, and expertise are essential to developing professional learning that meets the needs of teachers and their students. We have a particular interest in amplifying the voices of those in historically underrepresented communities. Toward that end, we engaged science educators who work with Indigenous students and recent immigrants as collaborators in developing PL to support data-rich, place-based Earth Science instruction. In this case study, we share and critique the practices and tools that we have employed to center educator voices, rather than those of the PL designers and researchers. Our strategies for developing more equitable science professional learning include the use of: (a) equity-focused research methods, such as asset-based needs-sensing questions and peer-to-peer interviews; (b) a humanistic stance toward data-rich science learning, which emphasizes the typically unnamed sociocultural inputs and outputs that permeate all aspects of data; (c) a participatory design process that centers educators’ voices; and (d) a model of professional learning that uses representations of educator and student experiences as objects for reflection.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/ejihpe14040056
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The Moderating Effect of Body Appreciation on the Relationship between Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction
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Background: Although positive associations between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and body image have previously been established, differences in these variables by gender and age have yielded mixed results. Moreover, little is known about the interplay between self-esteem and body appreciation on life satisfaction. This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of body appreciation on the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction, considering disparities between females and males and also between emerging adults (before the age of thirty) and older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed in Poland with a sample of 449 adults aged between 18 and 75 (M = 30.41, SD = 12.72), including 68% of women. The survey included the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2). Results: Men scored higher than women in terms of life satisfaction and self-esteem, while older participants (age > 30) scored higher than younger individuals (age ≤ 30) in terms of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and body appreciation. The study confirmed positive and moderate correlations between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and body appreciation. The interactive effect of self-esteem and body appreciation on life satisfaction was also found by controlling for age and gender. Conclusions: Some intervention programs focused on increasing levels of self-esteem and body appreciation should be implemented, especially among women and emerging adults, to improve their well-being.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05638-0
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Decision regret of cancer patients after radiotherapy: results from a cross-sectional observational study at a large tertiary cancer center in Germany
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Purpose: The decision-making process regarding cancer treatment is emotionally challenging for patients and families, harboring the risk of decision regret. We aimed to explore prevalence and determinants of decision regret following radiotherapy. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center to assess decision regret following radiotherapy. The study employed the German version of the Ottawa Decision Regret Scale (DRS) which was validated in the study population. Decision regret was categorized as absent (0 points), mild (1–25 points), and strong (> 25 points). Various psychosocial outcome measures were collected using validated questionnaires to identify factors that may be associated with decision regret. Results: Out of 320 eligible patients, 212 participated, with 207 completing the DRS. Median age at start of radiotherapy was 64 years [interquartile range (IQR), 56–72], genders were balanced (105 female, 102 male), and the most common cancer types were breast (n = 84; 41%), prostate (n = 57; 28%), and head-and-neck cancer (n = 19; 9%). Radiotherapy was applied with curative intention in 188 patients (91%). Median time between last radiotherapy fraction and questionnaire completion was 23 months (IQR, 1–38). DRS comprehensibility was rated as good or very good by 98% (196 of 201) of patients. Decision regret was reported by 43% (n = 90) as absent, 38% (n = 78) as mild, and 18% (n = 38) as strong. In the multiple regression analysis, poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, low social support, and dissatisfaction with care were independent risk factors for higher decision regret after radiotherapy. Conclusions: The German version of the DRS could be used to assess decision regret in a diverse cohort of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Decision regret was prevalent in a considerable proportion of patients. Further studies are necessary to validate these findings and obtain causal factors associated with decision regret after radiotherapy.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05694-6
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Overexpression of Transmembrane Phosphatase with Tensin homology (TPTE) in prostate cancer is clinically significant, suggesting its potential as a valuable biomarker
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Purpose Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are a family of proteins typically expressed in male testicles but overexpressed in various cancer cell types. Transmembrane Phosphatase with Tensin homology (TPTE) is expressed only in the testis of healthy individuals and is a member of the family of CTAs. The current study, for the first time, examined the significance of TPTE expression in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues by generating a novel antibody marker targeting TPTE protein. Methods Polyclonal antibodies were prepared for TPTE-p1 and TPTE-p2 peptides, which are derived from the extracellular domains of TPTE. Anti-TPTE-p2 antibody was then used to study the extent and pattern of TPTE expression in 102 PCa and 48 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. The viability of cancer cell lines (PC-3 and MCF-7 cells) was also evaluated in the presence of anti-TPTE-p2 antibody using the MTT test. Results The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a significant increase in cytoplasmic and membrane TPTE expression in the PCa samples compared to the BPH group (both P < 0.0001). Cytoplasmic TPTE expression was positively correlated with Gleason score and PSA levels (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively). Significant correlations were identified between the levels of PSA and perineural invasion and the membrane expression (P = 0.01, P = 0.04, respectively). Moreover, anti-TPTE-p2 antibody inhibited PC-3 and MCF-7 cells proliferation compared to the control group for 24 h (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) as well as for 48 h (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion Our findings indicate that increased TPTE expression is associated with progression of disease. The ability of anti-TPTE-p2 antibody to recognize and target the TPTE protein makes it a potential biomarker to assess and/or target the PCa.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14040367
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Impact of Gamification on Students’ Learning Outcomes and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study Comparing Online, Traditional, and Gamified Learning
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This study aims to examine the influence of gamification in students’ learning outcomes and academic performance. A longitudinal study was conducted to compare students’ academic performance in online learning (2020–2021), traditional learning (2021–2022), and gamified learning (2022–2023). The longitudinal study lasted 3 years and a total of 1001 higher education students were involved. Three research questions were set to be explored and students’ viewpoints and experiences were also examined through a questionnaire of 20 questions. This study follows a quantitative research approach. The data refers to students’ academic performance, success rate, excellence rate, withdrawal rate, engagement, motivation, and perspectives. In the laboratory part of the course, gamified learning yielded better outcomes over online learning and traditional learning in success rate (39% and 13%), excellence rate (130% and 23%), average grade (24% and 11%), and retention rate (42% and 36%) respectively. In the theoretical part of the course, gamified learning resulted in better outcomes over online learning and traditional learning in success rate (19% and 14%), in excellence rate (125% and 79%), and in average grade (25% and 12%) respectively. In the overall course, gamified learning yielded better outcomes over online learning and traditional learning in success rate (14% and 14%), in excellence rate (122% and 70%), and in average grade (25% and 17%) respectively. The highest increase was observed in students’ excellence rate. Students highly regarded gamification as an effective educational approach that can increase their learning outcomes, engagement, productivity, and motivation and trigger both their both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The learning experience become more enjoyable and students’ basic needs in terms of autonomy, competence and sufficiency, and relatedness and sense of belonging were met. Traditional learning also resulted in better learning outcomes when compared to online learning. Gamification emerged as an effective learning approach which leads to improved learning outcomes and academic performance, learning motivation, engagement, and retention rate over online learning and traditional learning in both theoretical and applied course settings.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1186/s40359-024-01691-z
|
A brief version of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire for older Chinese adults: development and psychometric evaluation
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Background: Positive attitudes toward aging are considered essential for achieving psychological well-being in later life. However, there is currently a lack of a concise and comprehensive measurement tool specifically designed to assess attitudes toward aging among the elderly population in China. To address this gap, the present study aimed to develop a brief version of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire tailored to older Chinese individuals and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: Initially, a sample of community-dwelling older adults (Sample 1: n = 442, aged 60–88) was utilized to establish a new scale format. Subsequently, two convenience samples (Sample 2: n = 311, aged 60–90; Sample 3: n = 164, aged 60–89) were employed to evaluate the psychometric properties of this scale, including factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Results: We selected 12 items from the original questionnaire to create the brief scale. The brief scale maintained the three-factor structure of the full-format version, encompassing psychosocial loss, physical change, and psychological growth, and demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Conclusions: This development process shortens the administration time of the questionnaire while avoiding excessive loss of information. The newly developed scale serves as a reliable and valid assessment tool for measuring attitudes toward aging among older Chinese individuals and is well-suited for implementation in large-scale surveys that utilize an extensive array of questionnaires. This tool can be applied to assessing the effectiveness of interventions aimed at eliminating ageism.
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20507283
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00457-0
|
Analysis of English Classroom Teaching Behavior Mode in Environmental Protection Field Based on Deep Learning
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Learning is to use algorithms to enable machines to learn rules from a large amount of historical data, so as to intelligently identify new samples or predict the future. Deep learning can promote students’ understanding of knowledge, conduct in-depth processing of new knowledge, integrate it with the original knowledge, and apply it to new situations, solve intelligent audio–visual listening from the perspective of deep learning, and focus on cultivating students’ in-depth learning ability and individual differences in innovative thinking. As the main position of ecological education, schools should effectively strengthen the publicity and education of ecological ideas and low-carbon concepts, and integrate them into education and teaching to effectively improve students’ awareness of environmental protection. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of flipped classroom teaching model based on deep learning. Therefore, from the perspective of deep learning, this paper combs the theory of deep learning, constructs a new model of smart classroom, and provides ideas and directions for model reform. In this study, the flipped classroom teaching model based on deep learning was applied to English teaching, and an 8-week teaching experiment was conducted. In addition, this paper believes that it is of great practical significance to carry out environmental protection education with the help of English teaching.
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18756883
|
AI
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10.1186/s40594-024-00480-9
|
When perceived similarity overrides demographic similarity: examining influences on STEM students’ developmental mentor networks
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Background: While dyadic faculty–mentored relationship research currently saturates the mentoring literature, recent developments suggest the need for a broader consideration of a student's mentor network. Research taking a network approach may provide deeper insights into the formation and benefits of mentorship for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Utilizing Developmental Mentor Network Theory and ego-centric social network analysis, this pre-registered study evaluates how the characteristics of mentees and mentors relate to both the content of support and structure of mentor networks in a large sample of White and Hispanic/Latino(a) STEM undergraduates across 12 universities. Results: Results were nuanced but showed that perceived psychological similarity with their mentor(s) predicted both dyadic and network average levels of mentor support (i.e., psychosocial, career, role modeling) and relational satisfaction. Furthermore, results point to homophily and engagement in undergraduate research effects on mentor network structures. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of using a network approach to deepen our understanding of the factors (e.g., psychological similarity) that may influence the formation and maintenance of robust and diverse supportive mentoring networks.
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21967822
|
EDUCATION
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1325600
|
The strength of conspiracy beliefs versus scientific information: the case of COVID 19 preventive behaviours
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Controlling the spread of COVID-19 requires individuals to adopt preventive behaviours, but conspiracy beliefs about its origin are spreading. The aim of this paper is to better comprehend the strength of conspiracy beliefs versus objective COVID-19 information to predict people’s adherence to protective behaviours (getting vaccinated, being tracked through APPs, and keeping social distance from infected people). Study 1 shows that COVID-19 implicit theories detected in the Pre-study were activated as independent factors that constitute people’s interpretations of the virus origin. These beliefs were related to a lesser intention to engage in preventive behaviours and a higher level of mistrust in institutional information, although some beliefs generate positive expectations about COVID-19 consequences. In Study 2, conducted with a different sample, official COVID-19 information was included as an independent variable, but this new variable did not further explain results. Lastly, Study 3 consisting of both previous samples confirmed that conspiracy beliefs had a direct effect on a lesser willingness to engage in preventive actions, a higher mistrust, and positive expectations about COVID-19 consequences. We conclude that objective COVID-19 information did not buffer the effect of conspiracy beliefs; they interfere with actions to prevent it by taking institutions as scapegoats or complicit with secret powers.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1336631
|
Predictors of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents with depressive disorder: the role of alexithymia, childhood trauma, and body investment
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Purpose This study analyzes the relationship of alexithymia, childhood trauma, and body investment to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors in adolescents with depressive disorder and whether they have predictive and diagnostic value for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors in adolescents with depressive disorder. Patients and methods A total of 225 patients with a diagnosis of adolescent depressive disorder were included in the study and were divided into two groups according to the DSM-5 criteria: 98 cases without NSSI and 127 cases with NSSI. Compare the demographic data, 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and Body Investment Scale (BIS) scores between two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors contributing to NSSI behaviors in adolescents with depression, and establish four predictive models. Based on the models’ predictive probability, the ROC curves were plotted to calculate the value of the predictive diagnostic effect. Results The group without NSSI had lower scores than the group with NSSI on HAMD-24 total score, TAS-20 total score, difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally focused thinking, as well as lower scores on CTQ-SF total score, physical neglect, emotional neglect, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. In contrast, the BIS total score, body image feelings and attitudes, body care, and body protection factor scores were higher for the group without NSSI. The BIS body care factor score and the CTQ-SF emotional abuse factor score were significantly linked with adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorder who exhibited NSSI behaviors. These results provide a good diagnostic model for adolescents with depressive disorder. Conclusion Low levels of body care and childhood emotional abuse may independently contribute to the implementation of NSSI in adolescents with depressive disorder. Body investment and childhood trauma are valuable in diagnosing and predicting NSSI behaviors and should be considered as potentially important factors in clinical treatment.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14040063
|
Early Parenting Interactions and First-Time Mothers’ Postnatal Depression and Parental Competence
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Objectives: Schema Therapy, an approach that integrates cognitive-behavioural and attachment principles, helps us understand the impact of early interactions with caregivers on adult mental health. These early interactions can be assessed through Schema Therapy-informed tools; however, these tools have yet to be used with a postnatal population, which represents a period of vulnerability for new mothers. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of positive and negative early parenting interactions on a first-time mother’s mental health and her sense of competence during the postnatal period, using recently revised and newly developed Schema Therapy-informed tools. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Method: First-time mothers (N = 220) participated in an online survey within 12 months post-birth. Participants completed the Positive Parenting Schema Inventory (PPSI), Young Parenting Inventory—Revised (YPI-R2), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) scale. The data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and mediational analysis. Results: Negative early interactions with mothers and fathers led to greater postnatal depressive symptomology, while positive early interactions with mothers led to fewer postnatal depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses revealed that postnatal depressive symptoms mediated early parenting interactions and participants’ sense of parenting competence as a new mother. Conclusions: The protective effects of positive early interactions with caregivers can help first-time mothers’ postnatal emotional adjustment and their sense of competence through diminished postnatal depressive symptoms. However, the enduring effects of negative early interactions with caregivers can contribute to a first-time mother’s risk of developing postnatal depression and negatively affect her sense of parental competence.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14040383
|
Schools’ Challenges in Distance Learning during Emergency Education: Focus Group Methodology
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The present research uses the focus group discussion methodology to report the challenges met by the educational system in distance education during emergency education. It shows the different potentialities of this use. In doing this, it studies the practices used by schools during emergency education. Furthermore, the research verifies the suggestions given by a group of educationists to cope with challenges in emergency education. A focus group of nine participants met in the frame of a Ph.D. course to discuss the issues in which the present research is interested, and the number of discussion sessions was four. The research results indicated that the reasons varied for agreement and disagreement in the FGDs, where these reasons were mostly experience-based, perception-based, affiliation-based, inconsideration-based, compromise-based, and suggestion-based. Moreover, the types of agreement and disagreement were mostly complementary, vis-à-vis agreement-with-objection and agreement-with-advancement. The facilitator performed the following different functions: (1) initiator, (2) caring about the different voices in the FGD, and thus encouraging equity in the FGD, (3) making the discussion smooth, (4) advancing the discussion, (5) and orchestrating the discussion. In addition, the discussion of the participants addressed challenges related to the teachers, to the Ministry of Education, and to the resources. The schools’ and the Ministry of Education’s practices included different actions in an attempt to overcome the challenges of distance education: holding workshops related to distance education, suggesting the schools as places for the teachers to teach their online lessons, and making declarations for the public and families. The suggestions given by the participants to maintain and improve online learning included communicating with the students and holding workshops for the professional development of teachers at regular times. Close relationships between the Ministry of Education, the schools, and the parents were recommended in order to maintain an acceptable level of distance education.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1254564
|
Incorporating uncertainty within dynamic interoceptive learning
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Introduction: Interoception, the perception of the internal state of the body, has been shown to be closely linked to emotions and mental health. Of particular interest are interoceptive learning processes that capture associations between environmental cues and body signals as a basis for making homeostatically relevant predictions about the future. One method of measuring respiratory interoceptive learning that has shown promising results is the Breathing Learning Task (BLT). While the original BLT required binary predictions regarding the presence or absence of an upcoming inspiratory resistance, here we extended this paradigm to capture continuous measures of prediction (un)certainty.Methods: Sixteen healthy participants completed the continuous version of the BLT, where they were asked to predict the likelihood of breathing resistances on a continuous scale from 0.0 to 10.0. In order to explain participants' responses, a Rescorla-Wagner model of associative learning was combined with suitable observation models for continuous or binary predictions, respectively. For validation, we compared both models against corresponding null models and examined the correlation between observed and modeled predictions. The model was additionally extended to test whether learning rates differed according to stimuli valence. Finally, summary measures of prediction certainty as well as model estimates for learning rates were considered against interoceptive and mental health questionnaire measures.Results: Our results demonstrated that the continuous model fits closely captured participant behavior using empirical data, and the binarised predictions showed excellent replicability compared to previously collected data. However, the model extension indicated that there were no significant differences between learning rates for negative (i.e. breathing resistance) and positive (i.e. no breathing resistance) stimuli. Finally, significant correlations were found between fatigue severity and both prediction certainty and learning rate, as well as between anxiety sensitivity and prediction certainty.Discussion: These results demonstrate the utility of gathering enriched continuous prediction data in interoceptive learning tasks, and suggest that the updated BLT is a promising paradigm for future investigations into interoceptive learning and potential links to mental health.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1340456
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Effects of Baduanjin practice on emotional, attention and cognitive function in acupuncturists: protocol for a clinical randomized controlled neuroimaging trial
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Background In Chinese medicine, the mental focus and emotional stability of acupuncturists are key to optimal clinical outcomes. Many renowned acupuncturists utilize Traditional Chinese Qigong practices to enhance their concentration and emotional regulation abilities. Nevertheless, the existing literature lacks comprehensive evidence addressing this matter. Methods This study will enroll 99 acupuncturists and randomly allocate them to one of three groups: Baduanjin, aerobic exercise, or a waiting-list control. The Baduanjin group will undertake 24 weeks of training, with three one-hour sessions weekly. The aerobic group will engage in brisk walking for the same duration and frequency. The control group will not receive any specific training. Assessments of emotion regulation, attention, cognitive functions, finger sensation, and athletic ability will be conducted at baseline (−1 week), mid-intervention (12 weeks), and post-intervention (24 weeks). Additionally, 20 participants from each group will undergo fMRI scans before and after the intervention to explore brain functional and structural changes relating to emotion, attention, cognition, motor skills, and sensory perception. Discussion This study aims to contribute valuable insights into the effectiveness of Qigong practice, specifically Baduanjin, in enhancing emotional regulation, attention, and cognitive functions in acupuncturists and to investigate the neuroimaging mechanisms behind these effects. Ethics and dissemination Approved by the Sichuan Regional Ethics Review Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2023KL − 118) and adhering to the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be shared through policy briefs, workshops, peer-reviewed journals, and conferences. Clinical trial registration www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2300076447.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers16071425
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The Impact of Adjunct Medical Therapy on Survival after Spine Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Pooled Data Analysis
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Targeted therapy has greatly improved the outlook for patients with spinal metastatic cancers. Scoring systems like the Tokuhashi or Tomita scores are commonly used to predict prognosis and inform surgical decisions, but they are outdated and fail to consider recent advancements. We aimed to investigate the current state of the literature and treatment options pertaining to advancements in targeted therapy compared to other forms of medical management for metastatic spinal tumors. This study represents the first comprehensive systematic review that encompasses the most common primary cancers that metastasize to the spine and evaluates the median overall survival (mOS) across five different medical treatment modalities as well as surgical intervention. Additionally, our study analyzes the tumor receptor status in conjunction with these treatments. A PubMed search was conducted, and according to the PRISMA guidelines, 28 articles out of 1834 met the inclusion criteria. The pooled data analysis highlighted the superior efficacy of targeted therapy, evidenced by a significant improvement in the mOS and lower hazard ratios in patients with lung and breast cancers who received targeted therapy compared to those who did not. Our study provides valuable insights into the recent advancements in the medical management of metastatic spinal tumors. Future indications include incorporating this literature into personalized treatment approaches for metastatic spinal tumors.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00438-3
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A Manta-Ray Hill Climbing Vision Transformer Model for Predicting Ischemic Stroke Outcome
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An ischemic stroke attack can cause permanent damage to healthy brain tissue, leading to a permanent loss of motor or sensory function. It can also result in disability or death if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Early prediction of the outcome of the first stroke, such as disability or death, can help many patients by administering appropriate medications to save their lives. Additionally, early prediction of a recurrent stroke within 14 days of the initial stroke can contribute to prevent its recurrence. This paper first proposes a modified Manta-Ray Foraging Optimizer (MMRFO) to enhance the characteristics of the MRFO technique. This approach is based on incorporating the Hill Climbing methodology into the original MRFO in order to improve the exploitation phase, which is responsible for locating the promising zone in the search area. The proposed approach is then utilized to determine the appropriate hyperparameters of the Vision Transformer(ViT) model to predict stroke outcomes prior to its occurrence. To transform categorical data to numerical values, an ASCII encoder module is included. In the feature selection step, the Harris Hawk Optimization approach (HHO) is used to identify the most important elements that may define the stroke. A comparative study has been performed to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique with a Vision Transformer achieves superior results compared to state-of-the-art algorithms. The accuracy of the proposed technique was improved to 87% for the first dataset and 83% for the second, which is clearly superior to that of the other models and earlier research.
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18756883
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AI
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10.1007/s00432-024-05703-8
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Safety and clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced gastric cancer in the real world
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Background: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced gastric cancer in the real world. Methods: The retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical records of 402 patients with advanced gastric cancer who were admitted to the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between December 2017 and April 2022 and who had received immunotherapy. Observation target: drug use, treatment, adverse reaction type and grade, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: By retrospectively analyzing the data of patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with ICIs previously admitted to our medical center, we found some clinical characteristic factors associated with the occurrence of irAEs as well as the efficacy and prognosis: the presence or absence of hypertension, whether or not to receive targeted therapies can predict the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and the more the presence of irAEs, the better the prognosis. These can help clinicians in clinical drug selection. Conclusions: The results of this paper show that the occurrence of irAEs is associated with patients’ OS. irAEs occurrence can prolong patients’ OS. irAEs occurrence may serve as a surrogate marker for ICIs.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00410-1
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TrajectoFormer: Transformer-Based Trajectory Prediction of Autonomous Vehicles with Spatio-temporal Neighborhood Considerations
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Accurate trajectory prediction of autonomous vehicles is crucial for ensuring road safety. Predicting precise and accurate trajectories is still considered a challenging problem because of the intricate spatio-temporal dependencies among the vehicles. Our study primarily focuses on resolving this issue by introducing a comprehensive system called “TrajectoFormer”, which can effectively represent the spatio-temporal dependency between vehicles. In this system, we have conducted preprocessing on the NGSIM dataset by constructing an 8-neighborhood for each vehicle that represents the spatio-temporal dependency between vehicles effectively. Second, we have deployed a transformer network that captures dependencies between the target vehicle and its neighbor from the constructed neighborhood and predicts future trajectories for the target vehicle with notably reduced training times and significant accuracy compared to existing methods. Experiments on both NGSIM US-101 and US-I80 show that our proposed approach outperforms the other benchmarks in terms of showing low RMSE value for the 5-s prediction horizon of trajectory prediction. Our conducted ablation study also underscores the effectiveness of each component of our proposed TrajectoFormer model relative to traditional time-series prediction models.
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18756883
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AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14040064
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A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis of the Motivational Climate and Hedonic Well-Being Constructs: The Importance of the Athlete Level
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Motivational climate is known to relate to individual behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. Hedonic or subjective well-being includes self-assessed positive affect (i.e., pleasant affect, moods, and emotions), negative affect (i.e., unpleasant affect, moods, and emotions), and life or domain-specific satisfaction. The aim of this review was to quantify the relationships between task and ego motivational climate scales and measures representing hedonic well-being with sports participants. Potential moderators of the motivational climate and hedonic well-being were examined. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID CRD42023470462, registered 28 October 2023). From five relevant databases, one relevant review, and hand searching, 82 articles totaling 26,378 participants (46.3% female) met the inclusion criteria. The articles spanned publication dates from 1993 to 2023, representing 18 countries, various team and individual sports, and athletes competing in elite (e.g., Olympic) to grassroot (e.g., club sport) competitions. To meta-analyze the motivational climate and hedonic well-being relationships, the random-effects model was used. For the moderation analyses, the mixed-effects model was used. The task or mastery climate relationships were medium in magnitude with positive affect and satisfaction and small with negative affect. The ego or performance climate relationships were small in magnitude for positive affect, negative affect, and satisfaction. Evidence of bias existed in the motivational climate and hedonic well-being relationships. For moderation analyses, athlete level (i.e., elite vs. non-elite) moderated (p < 0.05) the task (elite, r = 0.23; non-elite, r = 0.34) and ego motivational climate (elite, r = −0.02; non-elite, r = −0.13) and positive affect and satisfaction combined relationships. In conclusion, the motivational climate and hedonic well-being relationships were stronger for the task climate than for the ego climate. The finding that elite athlete correlations appeared dampened is important for future research. Even with the damped relationships, practitioners, from the Olympics to local clubs, should ensure the promotion of the task climate to maximize positive affect and satisfactions in and around the sport experience.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14040065
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The Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation Inventory among Portuguese Adolescents: Factor Structure and Gender Invariance
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Suicide worldwide is an issue that needs to be addressed, and adolescents are an at-risk group. Assessing suicidal ideation is central to tackling the issue of suicide. The Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation inventory is a widely validated measure of suicidal ideation, and yet, very little is known about its invariance across various groups. The present study aimed to adapt and test the PANSI’s structure in a Portuguese sample while testing its gender invariance. A total of 750 middle and high school students were recruited for the study, and data were collected on various suicide risk and protective factors, including the Portuguese-translated PANSI. Data were put through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Kaiser’s criterion and scree plot both extracted two factors (64.10% variance explained). Confirmatory factor analysis also supported the PANSI’s structure (TLI = 0.943). The PANSI showed good reliability (α ≥ 0.83) and good construct and discriminative validity. The PANSI also exhibited scalar, but not strict, invariance. Overall, these results were similar to previous versions of this scale. The PANSI is a reliable measure of suicide risk among Portuguese adolescents. Future studies should further replicate these results in other cultures and expand on them by testing for invariance across other demographic variables.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05687-5
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Prognostic and onco-immunological value of immune-related eRNAs-driven genes in lung adenocarcinoma
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Background We aimed to comprehensively analyze the clinical value of immune-related eRNAs-driven genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and find the potential biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic response to improve the survival of this malignant disease. Materials and methods Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to identify the immune-related eRNAs-driven genes. Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were used to construct this prognostic risk signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were used to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism. The single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was conducted to evaluate the immune status based on the signature. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to evaluate the expression value of the signature genes between LUAD tissues and adjacent lung tissues. Results Five immune-related eRNAs-driven genes (SHC1, GDF10, CCL14, FYN, and NOD1) were identified to construct a prognostic risk signature with favorable predictive capacity. The patients with high-risk scores based on the signature were significantly associated with the malignant clinical features compared with those with low-risk scores. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that the sample in the low-risk group had a prolonged survival compared with those in the high-risk group. This risk signature was validated to have a promising predictive capacity and reliability in diverse clinical situations and independent cohorts. The functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that humoral immune response and intestinal immune network for IgA production pathway might be the underlying molecular mechanism related to the signature. The proportion of the vast majority of immune infiltrating cells in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group, and the immunotherapy response rate in the low-risk group was significantly higher than that in the high-risk group. Moreover, BI-2536, sepantronium bromide, and ULK1 were the potential drugs for the treatment of patients with higher risk scores. Finally, the experiment in vivo and database analysis indicated that CCL14, FYN, NOD1, and GDF10 are the potential LUAD suppressor and SHC1 is a potential treatment target for LUAD. Conclusion Above all, we constructed a prognostic risk signature with favorable predictive capacity in LUAD, which was significantly associated with malignant features, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy response and may provide clinical benefit in clinical decisions.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05684-8
|
The role of histological subtype and chemotherapy on prognosis of ureteral cancer
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Objective: To date, there have been few studies examining the prognostic implications of histological subtypes in ureteral cancer. And chemotherapy plays a crucial role in the treatment of ureteral cancer, while many factors influence the efficacy of chemotherapy. This study aimed to utilize the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to assess the impact of histological type on ureteral cancer prognostic outcomes and discovered how histological type and T-stage influence the efficacy of chemotherapy. Methods: Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, we reviewed 8915 records of patients with primary ureteral cancer from 18 centers between 2000 and 2018. We focused on the overall survival and cancer-specific survival of the records and used Kaplan‒Meier method to calculate survival curves. Results: In the comparison of prognostic outcomes, atypical subtypes exhibited a less favorable prognosis compared to typical ureteral carcinoma. Notably, patients diagnosed with papillary urothelial carcinoma demonstrated the most favorable overall survival (p = 0.005). Statistically significant benefits were observed in the prognosis of patients with non-papillary urothelial carcinoma who received chemotherapy (HR = 0.860, 95% CI 0.764–0.966, p = 0.011), while chemotherapy did not yield a statistically significant effect on the prognosis of patients with papillary urothelial carcinoma (HR = 1.055, 95% CI 0.906–1.228, p = 0.493). Chemotherapy had an adverse impact on the prognosis of patients with T1 ureteral cancer (HR = 1.235, 95% CI 1.016–1.502, p = 0.034), whereas it exhibited a positive prognostic effect for T3/T4 cases (HR = 0.739, 95% CI 0.654–0.835, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Histological type affects the prognosis of ureteral cancer. And evaluation of cancer histological type and T stage in ureteral cancer patients prior to chemotherapy is mandatory.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers16081503
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Measurable (Minimal) Residual Disease in Myelodysplastic Neoplasms (MDS): Current State and Perspectives
|
Myelodysplastic Neoplasms (MDS) have been traditionally studied through the assessment of blood counts, cytogenetics, and morphology. In recent years, the introduction of molecular assays has improved our ability to diagnose MDS. The role of Measurable (minimal) Residual Disease (MRD) in MDS is evolving, and molecular and flow cytometry techniques have been used in several studies. In this review, we will highlight the evolving concept of MRD in MDS, outline the various techniques utilized, and provide an overview of the studies reporting MRD and the correlation with outcomes.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05719-0
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Platinum-based adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma
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Purpose The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness and toxicity of platinum-based adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (POCRT) in comparison to postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma (HNACC). Materials and methods This retrospective study analyzed patients diagnosed with HNACC at our center between January 2010 and April 2020. A 1:1 propensity score matching method was used to create a matched cohort. Results In this study, 206 patients were analyzed, with 147 patients (71.4%) receiving postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and 59 patients (28.6%) receiving POCRT. Twenty-one patients experienced local–regional failure. The 3-, 5-, and 10-yr local–regional control (LRC) rate for the cohort were 92.0%, 90.6%, and 86.9%, respectively. In both the entire cohort and the matched cohort, the POCRT group exhibited superior LRC compared to the PORT group (Gray's test, all P < 0.05*). Multivariate analysis identified adjuvant concurrent chemotherapy as an independent prognostic factor for LRC (Competing risks regression, HR = 0.144, 95% CI 0.026–0.802, P = 0.027*). In addition, the POCRT group had higher incidences of upper gastrointestinal toxicity and hematologic toxicities, including leukopenia, neutropenia, and anemia (all P < 0.05*). Conclusion In terms of reducing locoregional failures in HNACC patients, POCRT may potentially offer a more effective therapeutic approach than using PORT alone, although it also entails an augmented burden of treatment-related toxicity.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05723-4
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Identification and validation of a lactate metabolism-related six-gene prognostic signature in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
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Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly malignant and fatal liver tumor with increasing incidence worldwide. Lactate metabolism has been recently reported as a crucial contributor to tumor progression and immune regulation in the tumor microenvironment. However, it remains poorly identified about the biological functions of lactate metabolism in iCCA, which hinders the development of prognostic tools and therapeutic interventions. Methods: The univariate Cox regression analysis and Boruta algorithm were utilized to identify key lactate metabolism-related genes (LMRGs), and a prognostic signature was constructed based on LMRG scores. Genomic variations and immune cell infiltration were evaluated in the high and low LMRG score groups. Finally, the biological functions of key LMRGs were verified with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Results: Patients in the high LMRG score group exhibit a poor prognosis compared to those in the low LMRG score group, with a high frequency of TP53 and KRAS mutations. Moreover, the infiltration and function of NK cells were compromised in the high LMRG score group, consistent with the results from two independent single-cell RNA sequencing datasets and immunohistochemistry of tissue microarrays. Experimental data revealed that lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) knockdown inhibited proliferation and migration in iCCA cell lines and tumor growth in immunocompetent mice. Conclusion: Our study revealed the biological roles of LDHA in iCCA and developed a reliable lactate metabolism-related prognostic signature for iCCA, offering promising therapeutic targets for iCCA in the clinic.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ai5020027
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ANNs Predicting Noisy Signals in Electronic Circuits: A Model Predicting the Signal Trend in Amplification Systems
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In the proposed paper, an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm is applied to predict the electronic circuit outputs of voltage signals in Industry 4.0/5.0 scenarios. This approach is suitable to predict possible uncorrected behavior of control circuits affected by unknown noises, and to reproduce a testbed method simulating the noise effect influencing the amplification of an input sinusoidal voltage signal, which is a basic and fundamental signal for controlled manufacturing systems. The performed simulations take into account different noise signals changing their time-domain trend and frequency behavior to prove the possibility of predicting voltage outputs when complex signals are considered at the control circuit input, including additive disturbs and noises. The results highlight that it is possible to construct a good ANN training model by processing only the registered voltage output signals without considering the noise profile (which is typically unknown). The proposed model behaves as an electronic black box for Industry 5.0 manufacturing processes automating circuit and machine tuning procedures. By analyzing state-of-the-art ANNs, the study offers an innovative ANN-based versatile solution that is able to process various noise profiles without requiring prior knowledge of the noise characteristics.
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26732688
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AI
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10.1007/s00432-024-05709-2
|
Imaging for local recurrence of breast cancer
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Purpose Isolated locoregional recurrence of breast cancer (ILRR) and contralateral breast cancer (CBC) affect up to 20% of all breast cancer (BC) patients in the first 20 years after primary diagnosis. Treatment options comprise surgical interventions and further systemic therapies depending on the histological subtype. Patients with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer (HBOC) undergo MRI, mammography, and ultrasound in the aftercare of BC, while non-HBOC (nHBOC) patients do not regularly receive MRI. Since early detection is crucial for morbidity and mortality, the evaluation and constant improvement of imaging methods of the breast is necessary. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 1499 former BC patients that received imaging of the breast at a tertiary-care university hospital between 2015 and 2020. The analysis comprised various patient characteristics, such as breast density, age, tumor size and subtype, and their influence on BC detection rates by the different imaging methods. Results Within the patient sample, 176 individuals (11.7% of former BC patients) were diagnosed with either ILRR or CBC. CBC was observed in 32.4% of patients, while both ILRR and secondary breast cancer occurred in 20.5% and 23.9% of all patients. Sensitivity of MRI, mammography, and ultrasound for recurrent malignancy was 97.9%, 66.3%, and 67.8%, respectively. ILRR and CBC detection rates were similar for patients with and without HBOC history. Lower breast density and larger tumor size increased the detection rates of all imaging modalities. Conclusion In breast cancer survivors, MRI might improve the early detection of ILRR and CBC in both HBOC and nHBOC patients.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14040072
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The Relationship between Attitudes toward Death and Emotional Intelligence, Personality, Resilience, and Justice Beliefs: A Cross-Sectional Study of Midwives in Greece
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Midwifery practice inevitably includes miscarriages, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between attitudes toward death and emotional intelligence, personality, resilience, and justice beliefs among midwives in Greece. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2022 among 348 midwives employed in public hospitals, in regional health authorities, or as independent professionals. Research instruments included the Death Attitude Profile—Revised, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Belief in a Just World scale. The results revealed that greater emotional intelligence was significantly associated with higher scores in the escape acceptance subscale. Midwives scored low on the neutral acceptance subscale (2.9 ± 0.8), with the highest score being recorded in the escape acceptance subscale (4.6 ± 1.0), which was significantly associated with greater emotional intelligence. Neuroticism was significantly associated with the death avoidance, approach acceptance, fear of death, and escape acceptance subscales. Finally, the subscale of distributive justice beliefs for self and others was significantly associated with the subscales of death avoidance and approach acceptance. These findings highlight the nuanced perspectives within the healthcare community. As we delve deeper into the complexities of end-of-life care, understanding these diverse attitudes is crucial for providing comprehensive and empathetic support to both patients and healthcare professionals.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers16081610
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Imiquimod Is Effective in Reducing Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Introduction: Topical Imiquimod is an immune response modifier approved for the off-label use of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of Imiquimod in treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive patients. Methods: The study was prospectively registered (CRD420222870) and involved a comprehensive systematic search of five medical databases on 10 October 2022. We included articles that assessed the use of Imiquimod in cervical dysplasia and HPV-positive patients. Pooled proportions, risk ratios (RRs), and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model to generate summary estimates. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using I2 tested by the Cochran Q tests. Results: Eight articles reported on 398 patients who received Imiquimod out of 672 patients. Among CIN-2–3 patients, we observed a pooled regression rate of 61% (CI: 0.46–0.75; I2: 77%). When compared, Imiquimod was inferior to conization (RR: 0.62; CI: 0.42–0.92; I2: 64%). The HPV clearance rate in women who completed Imiquimod treatment was 60% (CI: 0.31–0.81; I2: 57%). The majority of side effects reported were mild to moderate in severity. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that topical Imiquimod is safe and effective in reducing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and promoting HPV clearance. However, it was found to be inferior compared to conization. Imiquimod could be considered a potential medication for high-grade CIN patients and should be incorporated into guidelines for treating cervical dysplasia.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14050439
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Cultivating Professional Identity: The Vital Role of Practical Teaching Experience for Future Educators
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This article endeavors to investigate the impact of three years of teaching experience acquired during student teaching training on the professional identity of aspiring educators. The ensuing literature review expounds upon the concepts of identity and professional identity. To scrutinize this subject comprehensively, a quantitative study was conducted, the details of which are elucidated in the subsequent section devoted to research methodology. The findings of this study underscore the paramount significance of fostering a sense of belonging and mission as integral components that underpin the means of support, adaptability, and PI development, particularly pertinent to student teachers and, especially, those immersed in the practical experience phase, as discerned through their self-perceptions. The principal conclusions and insights drawn from the cumulative body of research evidence underscore that, despite the recent recognition accorded the pedagogical training processes and their multifaceted impact on various aspects of a student’s life as a future educator, the teaching profession still remains underappreciated. The finding that emerged during this study underscores the heightened significance of teaching practices as an essential element in the preparation of a prospective graduate who aspires to become a pioneering educator in shaping the future of generations to come. The investigation surveyed 216 students pursuing teaching degrees, analyzing their professional identity development throughout their academic journey. Results revealed a positive association between the students’ advancement in their training curriculum and the enhancement of their professional identity. Specifically, as students progressed further in their studies, there was a discernible growth in their identification with the teaching profession.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1186/s40359-024-01725-6
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Investigating learning burnout and academic performance among management students: a longitudinal study in English courses
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This study aims to move away from the cross-sectional approach related to burnout and conduct a longitudinal study to explore the factors influencing learning burnout among management students. The study primarily adopts a questionnaire survey, with students majoring in business management. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) are used to analyze the data and validate the hypotheses. The findings are: (1) There is a significant negative relationship between English anxiety and self-efficacy and a significant positive relationship between past English learning performance and self-efficacy. (2) The changes in self-efficacy are negatively related to the changes in burnout, while the changes in workload are positively related to the changes in burnout. Additionally, there is a positive relationship between English anxiety and learning burnout. (3) There is a significant negative relationship between English learning performance and burnout. The direct impact of self-efficacy on English learning performance is not supported, but it has an indirect effect through the mediating role of burnout. The study proposes strategies to improve student outcomes and well-being: (1) making English courses more engaging to boost performance and confidence, reducing learning burnout; (2) encouraging and supporting students to enhance self-efficacy and motivation; (3) assigning tasks seen as useful and interesting to lessen perceived workload and emotional exhaustion; (4) and considering English anxiety in admissions to decrease learning burnout, especially as schools gain more autonomy in their policies.
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20507283
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00505-9
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Correction to: Multi-objective Geometric Mean Optimizer (MOGMO): A Novel Metaphor-Free Population-Based Math-Inspired Multi-objective Algorithm
| null |
18756883
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AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14050073
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Attitudes of Polish Medical Students toward Organ Donation in Cases of Brain Death
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(1) The aim of our study was to determine the attitudes of medical students toward organ donation in the case of brain death. (2) The study was conducted among 1348 medical students from three medical universities in Poland. The research tool was the Polish version of the standardized questionnaire concerning attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) [PCID-DTO RIOS: A questionnaire designed by the ‘International Collaborative Organ Donation project about organ transplantation and donation]. (3) Some sources of information on organ donation were found to have a significant impact on the recipients’ knowledge of brain death. These were books, friends, family, lectures in other centers, social media, and the Church. Medical students holding the opinion that recovery and leading a normal lifestyle after brain death is impossible were significantly more likely to donate their organs after death, not for religious reasons and not because they wanted to survive their own death. (4) The medical students in our study showed a high level of awareness and favorable attitudes toward ODT. However, the number of registered donors was low. It is important to educate students on these issues to raise the awareness of both future medical professionals and the public on organ transplantation procedures. The public should be made aware that transplantation procedures are of a high standard, and that the law protects both donors and recipients. These measures would reduce recipients’ waiting time, and certainly increase the statistics of the number of life-saving and health-saving procedures.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1286579
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Understanding and tackling meat reduction in different cultural contexts: a segmentation study of Swiss and Vietnamese consumers
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Objective: This study aims to disclose and compare meat consumer segments in Switzerland and Vietnam, which differ in terms of their socioeconomic and cultural settings (the former is a developed country, and the latter is an emerging one) to develop a set of segment-specific recommendations that might be applied to consumption in comparable contexts, that is, in other developed countries and other emerging economies.Methods: Data were collected through two online surveys: one for Swiss residents from randomly selected households and one for Vietnamese urban residents recruited via snowball sampling. The final sample size was N = 643 for Switzerland and N = 616 for Vietnam. Hierarchical cluster analyses followed by K-means cluster analyses revealed five distinct clusters in both countries.Results: Three clusters were common to both countries: meat lovers (21% in Switzerland and 19% in Vietnam), proactive consumers (22% in Switzerland and 14% in Vietnam) and suggestible consumers (19% in Switzerland and 25% in Vietnam). Two were specific to each country, namely traditional (19%) and basic (21%) consumers in Switzerland and confident (16%) and anxious (26%) consumers in Vietnam.Conclusion: Relying on voluntary actions, nudging techniques, private initiatives and consumers’ sense of responsibility will certainly be useful but will nevertheless be insufficient to achieve a planetary health diet within the given timeframe (the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development). Governments will have no choice but to activate all levers within their sphere of influence – including regulatory measures – and oblige private sector actors to commit to the measures imposed on them. A binding international agenda with common objectives and measures is a judicious approach. Unlike most previous studies, which focused on meat consumption intensity and frequency or diet type to segment consumers, our approach, based on psychographic profiles, allows the identification of segments that share common drivers and barriers and thus the development of better-targeted measures to reduce meat consumption.
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16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1186/s40359-024-01731-8
|
Relationship between academic procrastination, self-esteem, and moral intelligence among medical sciences students: a cross-sectional study
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Background: Academic procrastination is a widespread phenomenon among students. Therefore, evaluating the related factors has always been among the major concerns of educational system researchers. The present study aimed to determine the relationship of academic procrastination with self-esteem and moral intelligence in Shahroud University of Medical Sciences students.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 205 medical sciences students. Participants were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria using the convenience sampling technique. The data collection tools included a demographic information form, Solomon and Rothblum’s Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Lennick and Kiel’s Moral Intelligence Questionnaire, all of which were completed online. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests (multivariate linear regression with backward method) in SPSS software.Results: 96.1% of participating students experienced moderate to severe levels of academic procrastination. Based on the results of the backward multivariate linear regression model, the variables in the model explained 27.7% of the variance of academic procrastination. Additionally, self-esteem (P < 0.001,β=-0.942), grade point average (P < 0.001,β=-2.383), and interest in the study field (P = 0.006,β=-1.139) were reported as factors related to students’ academic procrastination.Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the majority of students suffer from high levels of academic procrastination. Furthermore, this problem was associated with low levels of self-esteem, grade point average, and interest in their field of study.
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20507283
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1186/s40359-024-01737-2
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Mental health during ecological crisis: translating and validating the Hogg Eco-anxiety Scale for Argentinian and Spanish populations
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Background: Eco-anxiety is increasingly recognized as a shared experience by many people internationally, encompassing fear of environmental catastrophe and anxiety about ecological crises. Despite its importance in the context of the changing climate, measures for this construct are still being developed in languages other than English. Methods: To contribute to global eco-anxiety research, we translated the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) into Spanish, creating the HEAS-SP. We validated this measure in samples from both Argentina (n = 990) and Spain (n = 548), performing measurement invariance and confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency of the scale and score stability over time were investigated through reliability analyses. Differences in eco-anxiety across sociodemographic variables were explored through Student’s t-tests and Pearson’s r tests. Results: The four-factor model of the HEAS-SP comprising affective and behavioural symptoms, rumination, and anxiety about personal impact demonstrated excellent model fit. We found good internal consistency for each subscale, and established measurement invariance between Spanish and Argentine samples, as well as across genders and participants’ age. Spanish participants reported higher scores on the affective symptoms and personal impact anxiety factors compared to the Argentinian sample. Also, men reported lower levels than women on the subscales of affective symptoms, rumination, and personal impact anxiety. It was found that the relationship between both age and personal impact anxiety and age and affective symptoms varies significantly depending on the gender of the individuals. Younger participants tended to report higher scores on most dimensions of eco-anxiety. Conclusions: These findings enhance the global initiative to investigate, explore and therefore comprehend eco-anxiety by introducing the first valid and reliable Spanish-language version of this psychometric instrument for its use within Spanish and Argentinian populations. This study augments the body of evidence supporting the robust psychometric properties of the HEAS, as demonstrated in prior validations for Australian, Turkish, Portuguese, German, French, and Italian populations.
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20507283
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/cancers16091678
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Proteins Involved in Focal Cell Adhesion and Podosome Formation Are Differentially Expressed during Colorectal Tumorigenesis in AOM-Treated Rats
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Colorectal tumorigenesis involves the development of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) or preneoplastic lesions, representing the earliest morphological lesion visible in colon cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in protein expression in carcinogen-induced ACF as they mature and transform into adenomas. Protein expression profiles of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced F344 rat colon ACF and adenomas were compared at four time points, 4 (control), 8, 16, and 24 weeks post AOM administration (n = 9/group), with time points correlating with induction and transformation events. At each time point, micro-dissected ACF and/or adenoma tissues were analyzed across multiple quantitative two-dimensional (2D-DIGE) gels using a Cy-dye labeling technique and a pooled internal standard to quantify expression changes with statistical confidence. Western blot and subsequent network pathway mapping were used to confirm and elucidate differentially expressed (p ≤ 0.05) proteins, including changes in vinculin (Vcl; p = 0.007), scinderin (Scin; p = 0.02), and profilin (Pfn1; p = 0.01), By determining protein expression changes in ACF as they mature and transform into adenomas, a “baseline” of altered regulatory proteins associated with adenocarcinoma development in this model has been elucidated. These data will enable future studies aimed at biomarker identification and understanding the molecular biology of intestinal tumorigenesis and adenocarcinoma maturation under varying intestinal conditions.
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20726694
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14050464
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Redesigning and Evaluating a Science Activity to Foster Mathematical Problem Solving
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According to contemporary research, there exists an imbalance within the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), wherein certain subjects are lacking representation due to the neglect or omission of mathematical elements. The purpose of this study is to address this issue through the analysis of an established learning sequence that has been well-tested to promote mathematical skills. We adapted the selected biology-based learning sequence to foster mathematical problem solving and conducted it with a school class. The qualitative analysis of the recorded video footage of this adapted learning sequence revealed that the modified task effectively stimulated mathematical problem-solving skills. This successful adaptation demonstrates one approach through which mathematics can be strengthened and effectively utilized in STEM subjects.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1404361
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The impact of tumor budding and single-cell invasion on survival in patients with stage III/IV locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma- results from a prospective cohort study
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Introduction Tumor budding (TB) refers to the presence of small clusters of tumor cells at the invasive front of a malignant tumor. Single tumor cell invasion (SCI) is an extreme variant of TB, in which individual loose tumor cells are present at the invasive front. Both TB and SCI are important histomorphologic risk factors postulated to indicate loss of cellular cohesion. In this study, we investigated the influence of TB and SCI on different survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods We included 129 patients with locally advanced OSCC (pT3-4) from a single-center, prospectively maintained cohort. We examined the association of TB and SCI with the presence of occult lymph node metastasis using a logistic regression model. Survival probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and cumulative incidence functions. The association of TB and SCI on overall survival (OS), oral cancer-specific survival (OCSS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was investigated using Cox’s proportional hazards regression models. Results TB was detected in 98 (76%) of the tumors, while SCI was observed in 66 (51%) patients. There was a significant association between TB and the occurrence of occult lymph node metastasis (OR=3.33, CI: 1.21-10.0). On multivariate analysis, TB had no detectable impact on survival outcomes. However, SCI showed a higher risk for local recurrence (Hazards ratio (HR): 3.33, CI: 1.19 – 9.27). Discussion This study demonstrates that TB and SCI in locally advanced OSCC function as an independent risk factor for occult lymph node metastases, as well as local recurrences. Both histomorphologic risk factors could serve as an additional parameter for stratifying therapy and escalating multimodal treatment approaches.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1309681
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Dynamic changes in body composition during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer
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Objectives In this study, we compared the dynamic changes in body composition during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer. Furthermore, we investigated the potential impact of these changes on the occurrence of toxic side effects. Methods Patients with gastric cancer who received adjuvant or first-line XELOX/SOX chemotherapy between January 2020 and June 2023 were enrolled. The Brief Conghua Scale was used to assess energy intake, and nutritional management was carried out with reference to the Chinese Guidelines for Nutritional Therapy of Cancer 2020. The NRS 2002 Nutritional Risk Screening Scale, PG-SGA scale, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and dynamic changes in lumbar 3 vertebral skeletal muscle index were compared between baseline and post-chemotherapy in the study. The neutropenia was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V.5.0, developed by the National Institutes of Health. Results Dynamic follow-up was completed in 39 cases, with a mean follow-up time of 117.62 ± 43.38 days. The incidence of sarcopenia increased significantly after chemotherapy, escalating from 46.2% to 51.3%. After chemotherapy, the mean L3SMI decreased from 36.00 cm2/m2 to 34.99 cm2/m2. Furthermore, when compared to pre-chemotherapy values, the body composition indexes body mass index (BMI), SL3, fat mass free index (FFMI), lean body mass (LBM), and body surface area (BSA) were significantly reduced after chemotherapy. Regardless of baseline or post-chemotherapy status, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group. Furthermore, when the skeletal muscle index decreased during chemotherapy, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia was significantly higher in both the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups compared to baseline. When the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in the post-chemotherapy sarcopenia group was compared to baseline status, the increase was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the maintenance/increase group. Conclusions Skeletal muscle mass decreased progressively during XELOX/SOX chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients, followed by a higher incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05707-4
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Dynamic change in the peritoneal cancer index based on CT after chemotherapy in the overall survival prediction of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis
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Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate the efficacy of the CT-based peritoneal cancer index (PCI) to predict the overall survival of patients with peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer (GCPM) after two cycles of chemotherapy. Methods: This retrospective study registered 112 individuals with peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer in our hospital. Abdominal and pelvic enhanced CT before and after chemotherapy was independently analyzed by two radiologists. The PCI of peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer was evaluated according to the Sugarbaker classification, considering the size and distribution of the lesions using CT. Then we evaluated the prognostic performance of PCI based on CT, clinical characteristics, and imaging findings for survival analysis using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: The PCI change ratio based on CT after treatment (ΔPCI), therapy lines, and change in grade of ascites were independent factors that were associated with overall survival (OS). The area under the curve (AUC) value of ΔPCI for predicting OS with 0.773 was higher than that of RECIST 1.1 with 0.661 (P < 0.05). Patients with ΔPCI less than −15% had significantly longer OS. Conclusion: CT analysis after chemotherapy could predict OS in patients with GCPM. The CT-PCI change ratio could contribute to the determination of an appropriate strategy for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14050482
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Culture of Interculturality, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (IDEI) Assessment: Lessons from a Social Justice-Based Intercultural Learning Certificate Program for Preservice Teachers
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Despite the pillars, rubrics, and standards provided by national education organizations and accrediting bodies, many educator preparation programs (EPPs) struggle to prepare teacher candidates to engage effectively with all children across differences in an intercultural context. The ability to engage across differences is especially important for teacher candidates as America’s public schools are more diverse than ever. To increase teacher candidates’ knowledge skills and dispositions, we propose a theory-based program focused on interculturality, diversity, equity, and inclusion (IDEI) that aligns with professional accreditation standards and weaves in effective assessment practices. By intentionally embedding assessment activities in program development, we hope to create a culture of IDEI assessment that not only meets accreditor standards but also results in program improvements and learners’ development.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.1186/s40594-024-00482-7
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Influence of career awareness on STEM career interests: examining the roles of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender
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Background: The studies of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career interests have progressed substantially over the recent years. However, the influence of career awareness on STEM career interests is an area that requires further discussion. Evidently, Chinese adolescents have limited awareness and interest in STEM careers in the context of the Chinese cultural milieu, which can potentially constrain their future career trajectories. This study explored the influence of career awareness on the STEM career interests of Chinese high school students, examining the mediating roles of self-efficacy and outcome expectations for STEM courses in this relationship. Additionally, it analyzes the impact of gender on the average levels and interrelations of these variables. A sample of high school students from both eastern and western regions of China (N = 2542) was selected, and data was analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Results: The findings indicate that while STEM career awareness impacts various types of STEM career interests, minor differences exist in these effects. Specifically, the influence of STEM career awareness on analytical STEM career interests is entirely mediated by self-efficacy and outcome expectations in STEM courses. However, for life-survival and life-healthy STEM career interests, this mediation is only partial, with respective effects accounting for 39% and 45%. Notably, significant mean-level differences exist between male and female students in STEM career interests and self-efficacy in STEM courses, yet the relationships among these variables remain consistent across genders. Conclusions: This study underscores the pivotal influence of career awareness in molding STEM career interests, shedding light on the mediating functions of self-efficacy and outcome expectations within STEM courses. Through a gender-based analysis, it offers valuable insights into the differing inclinations of male and female high school students in the STEM realm, while also revealing consistent patterns in the relationships among these variables across genders. These findings underscore the necessity for heightened efforts to bolster STEM career awareness and fortify self-efficacy and outcome expectations within STEM courses, particularly in domains characterized by notable gender disparities, aiming to foster equitable advancement within the STEM disciplines.
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21967822
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/educsci14050494
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Science Achievement of Multilingual Pupils: A Study on the Effectiveness of a Read-Aloud Assessment Accommodation
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To date, empirical investigations of the effects of test accommodations on the actual achievement of multilingual pupils have been inconclusive. In this present study, we investigated whether read-aloud accommodation contributes to better results in terms of science achievement for multilingual pupils. A computer-based science test, conducted with or without read-aloud accommodation, was administered to 1022 5th-grade pupils in 36 Flemish primary schools. We assessed the hypotheses that, first, pupils in a condition with accommodation perform better than their non-accommodated peers, and second, certain background characteristics are related to science achievement for different groups of pupils. The results indicate that read-aloud accommodation in language education does not significantly contribute to making assessments fairer. Overall, parental job status, grade retention, migration status, and self-reported oral proficiency significantly predicted pupils’ science achievement. For pupils taking an accommodated test, their age of arrival and the language they spoke at home did not significantly relate to their science achievement, but their self-rated literacy skills in the language of schooling did.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/ejihpe14050083
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Design and Evaluation of a Collective Preventive Program for Musical Performance Anxiety (ConfiDance)
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Musical performance anxiety (MPA) is considered a subtype of social phobia and affects musicians who must face musical exposure in public, potentially severely affecting their emotional stability and significantly impairing the quality of their performance. This research has utilized previous scientific knowledge on the issue and a qualitative approach to musicians’ needs through focus groups in order to design a collective preventive program for MPA that could be implemented within the training curriculum of professional musicians. To evaluate the adequacy of the preventive program ‘ConfiDance’, a pilot test was conducted with a sample of 17 professional musicians in training, all post-graduate students in classical music performance. For the pilot test, a quasi-experimental model with a repeated measures methodology (pre-post and one-year follow-up after application) was carried out. The results indicate a significant decrease in MPA after the program implementation, with a notable improvement in effect one year post-application, demonstrating an even greater positive impact over time. These data should be interpreted cautiously due to sample limitations but represent an opportunity for the future implementation of a program that can prevent and treat MPA in music education centers.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00444-5
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Chaotic-Based Mountain Gazelle Optimizer for Solving Optimization Problems
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The Mountain Gazelle Optimizer (MGO) algorithm has become one of the most prominent swarm-inspired meta-heuristic algorithms because of its outstanding rapid convergence and excellent accuracy. However, the MGO still faces premature convergence, making it challenging to leave the local optima if early-best solutions neglect the relevant search domain. Therefore, in this study, a newly developed Chaotic-based Mountain Gazelle Optimizer (CMGO) is proposed with numerous chaotic maps to overcome the above-mentioned flaws. Moreover, the ten distinct chaotic maps were simultaneously incorporated into MGO to determine the optimal values and enhance the exploitation of the most promising solutions. The performance of CMGO has been evaluated using CEC2005 and CEC2019 benchmark functions, along with four engineering problems. Statistical tests like the t-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test provide further evidence that the proposed CMGO outperforms the existing eminent algorithms. Hence, the experimental outcomes demonstrate that the CMGO produces successful and auspicious results.
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18756883
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AI
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10.3390/ai5020031
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Ethical Considerations for Artificial Intelligence Applications for HIV
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a stigmatizing disease that disproportionately affects African Americans and Latinos among people living with HIV (PLWH). Researchers are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze large amounts of data such as social media data and electronic health records (EHR) for various HIV-related tasks, from prevention and surveillance to treatment and counseling. This paper explores the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI for HIV with a focus on acceptability, trust, fairness, and transparency. To improve acceptability and trust towards AI systems for HIV, informed consent and a Federated Learning (FL) approach are suggested. In regard to unfairness, stakeholders should be wary of AI systems for HIV further stigmatizing or even being used as grounds to criminalize PLWH. To prevent criminalization, in particular, the application of differential privacy on HIV data generated by data linkage should be studied. Participatory design is crucial in designing the AI systems for HIV to be more transparent and inclusive. To this end, the formation of a data ethics committee and the construction of relevant frameworks and principles may need to be concurrently implemented. Lastly, the question of whether the amount of transparency beyond a certain threshold may overwhelm patients, thereby unexpectedly triggering negative consequences, is posed.
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26732688
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AI
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10.3390/ejihpe14050086
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Parental Responses to Online Sexual Grooming Events Experienced by Their Teenage Children
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Online sexual grooming (a manipulative process in which the perpetrator locates a young person and creates an abusive relationship with the child that involves sexual exploitation) poses significant challenges to parents. This study examined how parents of adolescent victims of online sexual grooming experienced guiding their children through the event. This qualitative study, conducted in Israel, was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 parents who guided their adolescents who had been subjected to online sexual grooming. Results indicate that the parents reported a spectrum of emotions, from insecurity and guilt to a sense of control and satisfaction in managing the situation. Also, the reluctance of some parents to engage with the education system indicates potential trust issues. The study demonstrates the urgent need for targeted interventions to equip parents and educational professionals with the necessary knowledge for prevention and effective response to online sexual grooming. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05747-w
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KIF22 promotes multiple myeloma progression by regulating the CDC25C/CDK1/cyclinB1 pathway
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Purpose: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation of malignant plasma B cells in bone marrow, and its pathogenesis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of kinesin family member 22 (KIF22) in MM and elucidate its molecular mechanism. Methods: The expression of KIF22 was detected in MM patients based upon the public datasets and clinical samples. Then, in vitro assays were performed to investigate the biological function of KIF22 in MM cell lines, and subcutaneous xenograft models in nude mice were conducted in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assay were used to determine the mechanism of KIF22-mediated regulation. Results: The results demonstrated that the expression of KIF22 in MM patients was associated with several clinical features, including gender (P = 0.016), LDH (P < 0.001), β2-MG (P = 0.003), percentage of tumor cells (BM) (P = 0.002) and poor prognosis (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, changing the expression of KIF22 mainly influenced the cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, and caused G2/M phase cell cycle dysfunction. Mechanically, KIF22 directly transcriptionally regulated cell division cycle 25C (CDC25C) by binding its promoter and indirectly influenced CDC25C expression by regulating the ERK pathway. KIF22 also regulated CDC25C/CDK1/cyclinB1 pathway. Conclusion: KIF22 could promote cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by transcriptionally regulating CDC25C and its downstream CDC25C/CDK1/cyclinB1 pathway to facilitate MM progression, which might be a potential therapeutic target in MM.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1394483
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Navigating the “frontal lobe paradox”: integrating Real-Life Tasks (RLTs) approach into neuropsychological evaluations
| null |
16641078
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.1007/s00432-024-05755-w
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Role played by MDSC in colitis-associated colorectal cancer and potential therapeutic strategies
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Colitis-associated colorectal cancer has been a hot topic in public health issues worldwide. Numerous studies have demonstrated the significance of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the progression of this ailment, but the specific mechanism of their role in the transformation of inflammation to cancer is unclear, and potential therapies targeting MDSC are also unclear. This paper outlines the possible involvement of MDSC to the development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer. It also explores the immune and other relevant roles played by MDSC, and collates relevant targeted therapies against MDSC. In addition, current targeted therapies for colorectal cancer are analyzed and summarized.
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14321335
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/educsci14050512
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Lesson Study as a Professional Development Model for Teaching Spatial Ability in Primary STEM
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This study explores the efficacy of a professional development (PD) model that employs lesson study to teach spatial ability skills in primary STEM education. The structure of the PD supported the ‘Insights’ mechanism by focusing on visualisation, mental rotation, construction and deconstruction, and spatial orientation, which are vital for nurturing students’ spatial abilities. The ‘Motivation’ mechanism was addressed through goal setting in lesson planning, motivating teachers to integrate spatial tasks into their curricula. Continuous feedback and practical support facilitated the ‘Technique’ mechanism, embedding learned skills into everyday teaching practices. Last, the ‘Embed in Practice’ mechanisms, including action planning and prompts, were effectively translated into classroom practices, evidencing the model’s operational efficacy.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3390/educsci14050525
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Facilitators of and Barriers to Inclusive Education in the Arab Community of Israel: The Parents’ Perspective
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A positive and collaborative partnership between parents and schools is required to improve the education of children with special educational needs. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the educational context in the Arab community in Israel based on the perceptions and beliefs of parents of children with special educational needs about their children’s education in relation to schools. Twenty parents of children with different special educational needs were interviewed to understand their thoughts and beliefs about special education in the Arab community in Israel. Six core categories emerged from the analysis of the interviews [i.e., (a) parenting, (b) learning at home, (c) communicating, (d) volunteering, (e) inclusion of parents in decision-making related to their children, and (f) teachers’ attitudes towards children from the perspective of parents], which were perceived as axes with high potential to improve special education in this community and guarantee an optimal education for children with special needs. The role of the school as a tool to assist parents is highlighted, with the aim of empowering them and encouraging their active participation in school processes with a clear educational policy that clarifies the demands of the school system for parents and vice versa. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the importance of teachers in a child’s life, emphasizing the potential benefits of cooperation and collaboration between teachers, students, and parents.
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22277102
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EDUCATION
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1373286
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A retrospective study of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT in differentiating the nature of pulmonary lesions
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Purpose This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of various pulmonary lesions as revealed by 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT and to determine the utility of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT in distinguishing the nature of these pulmonary lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 99 patients with pulmonary lesions, who were categorized into three distinct groups: primary lung tumors (G1), metastatic lung tumors (G2), and benign lesions (G3). Each participant underwent a 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT scan. Among these groups, variables such as the Tumor/Background Ratio (TBR), Maximum Standardized Uptake Value (SUVmax), and the true positive rate of the lesions were compared. Furthermore, the FAPI uptake in nodular-like pulmonary lesions (d<3cm) and those with irregular borders was evaluated across the groups. A correlation analysis sought to understand the relationship between FAPI uptake in primary and pulmonary metastatic lesions. Results The study’s participants were composed of 52 males and 47 females, with an average age of 56.8 ± 13.2 years. A higher uptake and detection rate for pulmonary lesions were exhibited by Group G1 compared to the other groups (SUVmax [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 9.1 ± 4.1 vs. 6.1 ± 4.1 vs. 5.3 ± 5.8], P<0.05; TBR [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 6.2 ± 2.4 vs. 4.1 ± 2.2 vs. 3.2 ± 2.7], P<0.01; true positive rate 95.1% vs. 88% vs. 75.6%]. In nodular-like lung lesions smaller than 3 cm, G1 showed a significantly higher FAPI uptake compared to G2 and G3 (SUVmax [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 8.8 ± 4.3 vs. 5.2 ± 3.2 vs. 4.9 ± 6.1], P<0.01; TBR [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 5.7 ± 2.7 vs. 3.7 ± 2.1 vs. 3.3 ± 4.4], P<0.05). Both G1 and G2 demonstrated significantly elevated FAPI agent activity in irregular-bordered pulmonary lesions when compared to G3 (SUVmax [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 10.9 ± 3.3 vs. 8.5 ± 2.7 vs. 4.6 ± 2.7], P<0.01; TBR [G1 vs. G2 vs. G3: 7.2 ± 2.1 vs. 6.4 ± 1.3 vs. 3.2 ± 2.4], P<0.01). A positive correlation was identified between the level of 68Ga-FAPI uptake in primary lesions and the uptake in pulmonary metastatic lesions within G2 (r=0.856, P<0.05). Conclusion 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT imaging proves to be of significant value in the evaluation of pulmonary lesions, offering distinctive insights into their nature.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14050092
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Analysis of Formative and Evaluative Activities on Statistical Graphs in Textbooks for Chilean Rural Multigrade Education
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The aim of this paper is to analyze the formative and evaluative activities involving statistical graphs in the new textbooks for Chilean rural multigrade education. The methodology is qualitative, at a descriptive level and uses the content analysis technique. The sample is made up of the six primary education textbooks distributed by the Ministry of Education for rural multigrade schools. The results show the predominance of the bar chart, semiotic level 3, the task of calculating and the personal context in both types of activities, although with respect to the reading level, it is evident that level 4 predominates in the formative activities and level 2 in the evaluative ones. According to the results, it is recommended to incorporate graphs proposed by the curricular guidelines of the Ministry of Education, which are absent in textbooks as well as to include evaluative activities that require reflection on the nature of the data, context, representation and conclusions obtained from them.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ejihpe14050094
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Quality of Life and Clinical Impairment in Spanish Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa Patients
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Eating disorders have serious physical, mental and social consequences that can affect the quality of life of the sufferer. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the severity of ED-related psychopathology and clinical impairment in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) as well as their perception of health-related quality of life. Eighty-six Spanish young women with AN completed a set of questionnaires assessing eating disorder pathology, clinical impairment, and quality of life. The set included the following instruments: the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Clinical Impairment Assessment, Short Form-12 Item Health Survey, and the Eating Disorder-Specific Heath-Related Quality of Life instrument. Descriptive and regression analyses were applied to identify associations between variables. Higher scores on clinical impairment domains were associated with greater impairment of mental and physical health. Moreover, clinical impairment domains and concerns due to ED were related to a lower quality of life. In conclusion, adolescents with AN have a poor quality of life. Moreover, the findings suggest that the clinical features of impairment may serve as severity indicators of quality of life.
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22549625
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PSYCHOLOGY
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10.3390/ai5020038
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The Eye in the Sky—A Method to Obtain On-Field Locations of Australian Rules Football Athletes
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The ability to overcome an opposition in team sports is reliant upon an understanding of the tactical behaviour of the opposing team members. Recent research is limited to a performance analysts’ own playing team members, as the required opposing team athletes’ geolocation (GPS) data are unavailable. However, in professional Australian rules Football (AF), animations of athlete GPS data from all teams are commercially available. The purpose of this technical study was to obtain the on-field location of AF athletes from animations of the 2019 Australian Football League season to enable the examination of the tactical behaviour of any team. The pre-trained object detection model YOLOv4 was fine-tuned to detect players, and a custom convolutional neural network was trained to track numbers in the animations. The object detection and the athlete tracking achieved an accuracy of 0.94 and 0.98, respectively. Subsequent scaling and translation coefficients were determined through solving an optimisation problem to transform the pixel coordinate positions of a tracked player number to field-relative Cartesian coordinates. The derived equations achieved an average Euclidean distance from the athletes’ raw GPS data of 2.63 m. The proposed athlete detection and tracking approach is a novel methodology to obtain the on-field positions of AF athletes in the absence of direct measures, which may be used for the analysis of opposition collective team behaviour and in the development of interactive play sketching AF tools.
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26732688
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AI
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1361603
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Patient-derived organoid elucidates the identical clonal origin of bilateral breast cancer with diverse molecular subtypes
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Bilateral breast cancer (BBC), an infrequent breast cancer subtype, has primarily been studied in terms of incidence, prognosis, and through comparative analysis of synchronous (SBBC) and metachronous (MBBC) manifestations. The advent and application of organoid technology hold profound implications for tumor research and clinical management. This study represents the pioneering use of organoid models in BBC research. We established organoid lines from two surgical tumor specimens of a BBC patient, with one line undergoing detailed pathological and genomic analysis. The BBC organoid from the right breast demonstrated a marker expression profile of ER (-), PR (-), HER-2 (0), and Ki67 index 10%, indicating that it may derived from the TNBC tissue. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) displayed consistent set of Top10 cancer driver genes affected by missense mutations, frameshift mutation, or splice site mutations in three tumor tissues and the organoid samples. The organoids’ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were more closely aligned with the TNBC tissue than other tumor tissues. Evolutionary analysis suggested that different tumor regions might evolve from a common ancestral layer. In this case, the development of BBC organoids indicated that simultaneous lesions with diverse molecular profiles shared a high degree of consistency in key tumor-driving mutations. These findings suggest the feasibility of generating BBC organoids representing various molecular types, accurately replicating significant markers and driver mutations of the originating tumor. Consequently, organoids serve as a valuable in vitro model for exploring treatment strategies and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of BBC.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.3389/fonc.2024.1335533
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From immune equilibrium to tumor ecodynamics
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Objectives There is no theory to quantitatively describe the complex tumor ecosystem. At the same time, cancer immunotherapy is considered a revolution in oncology, but the methods used to describe tumors and the criteria used to evaluate efficacy are not keeping pace. The purpose of this study is to establish a new theory for quantitatively describing the tumor ecosystem, innovating the methods of tumor characterization, and establishing new efficacy evaluation criteria for cancer immunotherapy. Methods Based on the mathematization of immune equilibrium theory and the establishment of immunodynamics in a previous study, the method of reverse immunodynamics was used, namely, the immune braking force was regarded as the tumor ecological force and the immune force was regarded as the tumor ecological braking force, and the concept of momentum in physics was applied to the tumor ecosystem to establish a series of tumor ecodynamic equations. These equations were used to solve the fundamental and applied problems of the complex tumor ecosystem. Results A series of tumor ecodynamic equations were established. The tumor ecological momentum equations and their component factors could be used to distinguish disease progression, pseudoprogression, and hyperprogression in cancer immunotherapy. On this basis, the adjusted tumor momentum equations were established to achieve the equivalence of tumor activity (including immunosuppressive activity and metabolic activity) and tumor volume, which could be used to calculate individual disease remission rate and establish new efficacy evaluation criteria (ieRECIST) for immunotherapy of solid tumor based on tumor ecodynamics. At the same time, the concept of moving cube-to-force square ratio and its expression were proposed to calculate the area under the curve of tumor ecological braking force of blood required to achieve an individual disease remission rate when the adjusted tumor ecological momentum was known. Conclusions A new theory termed tumor ecodynamics emphasizing both tumor activity and tumor volume is established to solve a series of basic and applied problems in the complex tumor ecosystem. It can be predicted that the future will be the era of cancer immune ecotherapy that targets the entire tumor ecosystem.
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2234943X
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ONCOLOGY
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10.1007/s44196-024-00506-8
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A Region-Selective Anti-compression Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Deep Networks
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In recent years, related research has focused on how to safely transfer and protect the privacy of images in social network services while providing easy access by authorized users. To safeguard privacy, we suggest an image encryption scheme that combines data hiding and image encryption. The proposed scheme successfully decrypts images after JPEG compression attacks and preserves the privacy of secret regions through the use of block scrambling encryption based on region selection. Simultaneously, the scheme can handle nonuniform secret regions and obtain more sensitive secret keys because of the incorporation of a chaotic system. The enhanced deep learning-based data-hiding technology reduces algorithm complexity by enabling the encryption position to be determined in the decryption phase without the need for any information or equipment. However, this approach also increases algorithm security, because only when the right secret data are extracted can they be decrypted successfully. According to the experimental findings, the proposed scheme can correctly decrypt images via JPEG compression while maintaining visually acceptable quality. The proposed scheme can achieve greater robustness against image processing algorithms and a wider secret key space than traditional schemes.
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18756883
|
AI
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1391258
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The effects of mobile phone dependence on athletic performance and its mechanisms
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Mobile phone dependence (also known as internet dependence, MPD), defined as a problematic behavior characterized by excessive use or intermittent craving to use a mobile phone, results in various social, behavioral, and affective problems in daily life. In sports, MPD is directly related to the physical and mental health and sports performance of athletes. The individual and environmental factors, neurobiological mechanisms and theoretical models of MPD affecting athletic performance were analyzed by reviewing previous studies, aiming to construct effective training and development protocols to prevent and control the occurrence of MPD in athletes. At present, athletic performance can be affected by MPD through individual factors and environmental factors. The neurobiological mechanisms between the two are based on the brain reward system and microwave radiation from mobile phones, with athletic performance being restricted by alterations in the corresponding brain regions. Relevant theoretical models mainly include the social cognitive model of self-regulation and the integrative model of self-control, which explain the interrelationship between MPD and athletic performance from the perspectives of athletes’ self-regulation and self-control, respectively. As an emerging phenomenon, the influence pathways and mechanisms by which MPD affects athletic performance need to be further investigated. A longitudinal perspective should be adopted to trace the dynamic impact relationship between the two, and developing relevant theoretical frameworks from an interdisciplinary research perspective should be valuable for providing theoretical support for coaches and sports administrators to formulate scientific training protocols and thus improve the mental health of athletes.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00491-y
|
Attention-Focused Eye Gaze Analysis to Predict Autistic Traits Using Transfer Learning
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental issue that affects the behavior and communication abilities of children. It is extremely needed to perceive it at an early age. The research article focuses on attentiveness by considering eye positioning as a key feature and its implementation is completed in two phases. In the first phase, various transfer learning algorithms are implemented and evaluated to predict ASD traits on available open-source image datasets Kaggle and Zenodo. To reinforce the result, fivefold cross-validation is used on the dataset. Progressive pre-trained algorithms named VGG 16, VGG 19, InceptionV3, ResNet152V2, DenseNet201, ConNextBase, EfficientNetB1, NasNetMobile, and InceptionResNEtV2 implemented to establish the correctness of the result. The result is being compiled and analyzed that ConvNextBase model has the best diagnosing ability on both datasets. This model achieved a prediction accuracy of 80.4% on Kaggle with a batch size of 16, a learning rate of 0.00002, 10 epochs and 6 units, and a prediction accuracy of 80.71% on the Zenodo dataset with a batch size of 4, a learning rate of 0.00002, 10 epochs and 4 units. The accuracy of the model ConvNextBase is found challenging in nature as compared to an existing model. Attentiveness is a parameter that will accurately diagnose the visual behavior of the participant which helps in the automatic prediction of autistic traits. In the second phase of the proposed model, attentiveness is engrossed in identifying autistic traits. The model uses a dlib library that uses HOG and Linear SVM-based face detectors to identify a particular facial parameter called EAR and it is used to measure participants' attentiveness based on the eye gaze analysis. If the EAR value is less than 0.20 for more than 100 consecutive frames, the model concludes the participant is un-attentive. The model generated a special graph for a time period by continuously plotting the value of EAR based on the attention level. The average EAR value will depict the attentiveness of the participant.
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18756883
|
AI
|
10.1007/s00432-024-05790-7
|
Genome-wide investigation of lncRNAs revealed their tight association with gastric cancer
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Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a significant health issue globally, ranking as the fifth most common cancer with over 10,000 new cases reported annually. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as a critical player in cellular functions, influencing GC's development, growth, metastasis, and prognosis. However, our understanding of lncRNA's role in the pathogenesis of GC remains limited. Therefore, it is particularly important to explore the relationship between lncRNA and gastric cancer. Methods: we conducted a comprehensive analysis of RNA sequencing data from the GEO database and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) data from the TCGA database to identify lncRNAs that exhibit altered expression levels in GC and the mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated transcription and post-transcriptional regulation were explored. Results: This study uncovered 94 lncRNAs with differential expression and, through co-expression analysis, linked these to 1508 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO functional enrichment analysis highlighted that these DEGs are involved in critical pathways, such as cell adhesion and the positive regulation of cell migration. By establishing a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network, we found that the ceRNA mechanism, particularly involving RP11-357H14.17 and CTD-2377D24.4, could play a role in GC progression. Experimental validation of selected differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs (including RP11-357H14.17-CLDN1, BBOX1, TRPM2-AS, CLDN1, PLAU, HOXB7) confirmed the RNA-seq results. Conclusions: Overall, our findings highlight the critical role of the lncRNA-mRNA regulatory network in the development and progression of GC, offering potential biomarkers for diagnosis and targets for innovative treatment strategies.
|
14321335
|
ONCOLOGY
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1392629
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A systematic literature review of the stereotype content model in the fields of psychology and marketing: main themes examined in the literature and an agenda for future research in marketing
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The stereotypes content model indicates that two traits (i.e., warmth and competence) govern individuals’ impression formation. The great variety of research that has used this theory since the early 2000s leads to a need for a structured overview of prior findings. The goal of this study is to provide a concise map of research streams and present a research agenda. We conducted a systematic literature review of 955 articles. A bibliographic coupling analysis showed four clusters, i.e., (1) the general theoretical foundations of the SCM, (2) the societal impact of key stereotypes (with emphasis on gender), (3) research in clinical psychology and child development, and (4) marketing. Taking a closer look at research in marketing (using co-occurrence analysis), six research streams were identified, including research on branding, country-of-origin, front-line service providers, prosocial consumer behavior, perception of endorsers, and, more recently, on artificial intelligence (AI). The review presents key findings and research gaps across these topics. Finally, we reviewed the few articles that, although not falling into these streams, opened important research veins. This process provided the essential information to present a promising and complete research agenda, to continue building knowledge with impactful implications in different contexts.
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16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00523-7
|
A Hybrid CNN-TransXNet Approach for Advanced Glomerular Segmentation in Renal Histology Imaging
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In the specialized field of renal histology, precise segmentation of glomeruli in microscopic images is crucial for accurate clinical diagnosis and pathological analysis. Facing the challenge of discerning complex visual features, such as shape, texture, and size within these images, we introduce a novel segmentation model that innovatively combines convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with the advanced TransXNet block, specifically tailored for glomerular segmentation. This innovative model is designed to capture the intricate details and broader contextual features within the images, ensuring a comprehensive and precise segmentation process. The model's architecture unfolds in two primary phases: the down-sampling phase, which utilizes CNNs structures within the TransXNet block for meticulous extraction of detailed features, and the up-sampling phase, which employs CNNs deconvolution techniques to restore spatial resolution and enhance macroscopic feature representation. A critical innovation in our model is the implementation of residual connections between these two phases, which facilitate the seamless integration of features and minimize loss of precision during image reconstruction. Experimental results demonstrate a significant improvement in our model’s performance compared to existing medical image segmentation methods. We report enhancements in mean Pixel Accuracy (mPA) and mean Intersection over Union (mIoU), with increases of approximately 3–5% and 3–8%, respectively. Additionally, the segmented outputs exhibit higher subjective visual quality with fewer noise artifacts. These findings suggest that our model offers promising applications in the segmentation of medical microscopic images, marking a significant contribution to the domain.
|
18756883
|
AI
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01786-7
|
A family perspective for the mechanism of parent-child conflict on maternal anxiety in Chinese children with autism
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Mothers of children with autism reported higher levels of anxiety than mothers of typical children. This study revealed the relationship between parent-child conflict, children’s problem behavior, parenting stress, and maternal anxiety from the perspective of the relationship within the family. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) were used to measure maternal anxiety and parenting stress respectively from 102 mothers of children with autism. We also collected information on parent-child relationships and children’s problem behaviors by using the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) and Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). Parent-child conflict positively predicted state and trait anxiety in mothers of children with autism. The severity of children’s psychosomatic disorders fully mediated the positive association between parent-child conflict and state-trait anxiety in mothers of children with autism. Parenting stress significantly moderated the impact of parent-child conflict on maternal state anxiety and trait anxiety. In the case of children with autism spectrum disorders, parent-child conflict can directly affect maternal anxiety levels, especially when mothers have low levels of parenting stress. Parent-child conflict can also affect children’s problem behaviors and thus indirectly affect maternal anxiety. Therefore, this study is of great significance for the alleviation of anxiety of mothers of autistic children and the family intervention for the early rehabilitation of autistic children.
|
20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1415054
|
The relationship between neonatal stress in preterm infants and developmental outcomes at the corrected age of 24–30 months
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Aim The aim of research was to study the relationship between the stress experienced by preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and developmental status in the follow up, and to establish factors, associated with their neurodevelopment. Methods The first stage of research involved measuring stress markers (cortisol, melatonin) in infants (n = 56) during their NICU stay; the second phase assessed the developmental status at the corrected age of 24–30 months. Results The total ASQ-3 score, communication, problem solving, and personal-social skills scores at the corrected age of 24–30 months were positively correlated with melatonin level determined in the neonatal period (r = 0.31, p = 0.026; r = 0.36, p = 0.009; r = 0.30, p = 0.033, and r = 0.32; p = 0.022 respectively). In the same time, ASQ-3 communication and personal-social scores were negatively correlated with cortisol level (r = −0.31, p = 0.043; r = −0.35, p = 0.022). The ROC-curve analysis revealed that a decrease of melatonin below 3.44 ng/mL and 3.71 ng/mL during the neonatal period could predict communication and problem-solving delay, respectively. An increase in cortisol above 0.64 mcg/dl is predictive in personal-social delay. Negative correlation was identified between the NICU and total hospital stay duration and ASQ-3 communication scores in the follow-up (r = −0.27; p = 0.049 and r = −0.41; p = 0.002, respectively). The duration of mechanical ventilation was negatively correlated with gross motor scores (r = −0.46; p = 0.043). Apgar score was positively correlated with ASQ-3 communication (r = 0.29; p = 0.032) and personal-social scores (r = 0.28; p = 0.034); maternal age—with ASQ-3 total (r = 0.29; p = 0.034), communication (r = 0.37; p = 0.006), and personal-social scores (r = 0.29; p = 0.041). Positive correlations were observed between gestational age and communication scores (r = 0.28; p = 0.033). Infants who suffered neonatal sepsis had significantly often delay of communication (p = 0.014) and gross motor skills (p = 0.016). Children who required mechanical ventilation were more likely to have communication delay (p = 0.034). Conclusion Developmental outcomes in preterm infants at the corrected age of 24–30 months were associated with neonatal stress. Correlations between the communication, problem-solving and personal-social development in the follow up and cortisol and melatonin levels determined in the neonatal period supported this evidence. Factors as low gestational age, duration of hospital and NICU stay, mechanical ventilation, and sepsis were associated with more frequent delays in communication, gross motor and problems-solving skills.
|
16641078
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
10.1007/s44196-024-00571-z
|
A Multiple Environment Available Path Planning Based on an Improved A* Algorithm
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The objective of the path planning for a mobile robot is to generate a collision-free path from a starting position to a target position, aiming to realize a higher quality of path planning, an improved A* algorithm and a hybrid approach incorporating the dynamic window algorithm have been proposed for robot path planning in various environments in this paper. In global path planning, first, a bidirectional search strategy was introduced into to improve the searching efficiency, and an adaptive heuristic function was designed to reduce redundant search nodes. In the meantime, a filtering function for key path nodes and an enhanced jump point optimization method help to remove redundant nodes in the path, reduce turning angles, greatly shorten the path length, and smooth the path using cubic B-spline curves. Furthermore, in local path planning, the combination of key path nodes and the dynamic window approach (DWA) algorithm is utilized to achieve obstacle avoidance in dynamic environments and adjust the heading angle of the section enables seamless locomotion of the robot. Finally, the simulation experiments and physical experiments on the robot were conducted to validate that the proposed improved algorithm significantly improves the speed of path planning while also reducing the length of the planned path and improve the reliability of the algorithm when compared with other algorithms.
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18756883
|
AI
|
10.1186/s40359-024-01866-8
|
Correction: Structural modeling of Chinese students’ academic achievement identity and basic psychological needs: do academic self-efficacy, and mindfulness play a mediating role?
| null |
20507283
|
PSYCHOLOGY
|
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