mdpi-ai/citelens huggingface dataset:
A Probabilistic Approach to Estimate the Temporal Order of Pathway Mutations Accounting for Intra-Tumor Heterogeneity
Field: ONCOLOGY

The development of cancer involves the accumulation of somatic mutations in several essential biological pathways. Delineating the temporal order of pathway mutations during tumorigenesis is crucial for comprehending the biological mechanisms underlying cancer development and identifying potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Several computational and statistical methods have been introduced for estimating the order of somatic mutations based on mutation profile data from a cohort of patients. However, one major issue of current methods is that they do not take into account intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH), which limits their ability to accurately discern the order of pathway mutations. To address this problem, we propose PATOPAI, a probabilistic approach to estimate the temporal order of mutations at the pathway level by incorporating ITH information as well as pathway and functional annotation information of mutations. PATOPAI uses a maximum likelihood approach to estimate the probability of pathway mutational events occurring in a specific sequence, wherein it focuses on the orders that are consistent with the phylogenetic structure of the tumors. Applications to whole exome sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) illustrate our method’s ability to recover the temporal order of pathway mutations in several cancer types.
Increasing Requests for Information by Preschoolers with and without Language-Based Disabilities
Field: EDUCATION

We report two experiments on the emission of questions to request the names of unfamiliar stimuli by preschoolers. In the first experiment, 19 preschoolers with and without disabilities served as participants. Experiment 1 was a descriptive analysis of whether or not the 19 participants asked questions about unfamiliar pictures and objects in one-to-one and group settings. These were dependent variables in the second experiment as well. Four participants, who did not ask any questions in the first experiment, served as participants in the second experiment. During the intervention, the participants observed the peer confederates (1) ask questions (e.g., “What is that?”), (2) receive information from the experimenter, and (3) receive praise and tokens contingent on asking a question. A multiple probe design across participants was used. The data showed that the participants increased the number of questions when we returned to baseline conditions. Results are discussed in terms of where the reinforcement exists for asking questions about unfamiliar things in one’s environment, and whether this truly measures the “need to know”.
Chinese version of the Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport (TAPAS) scale: testing unidimensionality, measurement invariance, concurrent validity, and known-group validity among Taiwanese youths
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Background and objectives: Psychosocial factors affect individuals’ desire for physical activity. A newly developed instrument (Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport; TAPAS) has been designed to assess the avoidance of physical activity. Considering cultural differences could be decisive factors, the present study aimed to translate and validate the TAPAS into Chinese (Mandarin) for Taiwanese youths, and further cultural comparisons are expected. Methods: Standard translation procedure (i.e., forward translation, back translation, and reconciliation) was used to translate the English TAPAS into the Chinese TAPAS. Following translation, 608 youths (mean [SD] age 29.10 [6.36] years; 333 [54.8%] women) participated in the study via a snowballing sampling method with an online survey. All participants completed the Chinese TAPAS and additional instruments assessing weight stigma and psychological distress. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the Chinese TAPAS and multigroup CFA to examine measurement invariance across gender (men vs. women) and weight status (overweight vs. non-overweight). Pearson correlations were used to examine the concurrent validity; independent t-tests between gender groups and weight status groups were used to examine the known-group validity. Results: Consistent with the English version, the Chinese TAPAS was found to have a one-factor structure evidenced by CFA results. The structure was invariant across gender and weight status groups evidenced by multigroup CFA results. Concurrent validity was supported by significant associations with the related constructs assessed (r = 0.326 to 0.676; p < 0.001). Known-group validity was supported by the significant differences in TAPAS total scores between gender and weight status groups (p = 0.004 and < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.24 and 0.48). Conclusion: The Chinese version of the TAPAS is a valid and reliable instrument assessing individuals’ avoidance of physical activity and sports due to underlying psychosocial issues among Taiwanese youths. It is anticipated to be applied within a large Asian population, as well as cross-cultural comparisons, for further explorations in health, behavioral and epidemiological research and practice.
A study on the relationship between yoga exercise intervention and the comprehensive well-being of female college students
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Background: Due to the influence of theories, tools, and methodologies in studying well-being, sports science has predominantly focused on subjective well-being, with less attention given to psychological well-being and even less to the integrated study of comprehensive well-being. This study aims to analyze the relationship between yoga exercise intervention and the comprehensive well-being of college students and to explore the mechanism of a yoga exercise intervention to improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students.Methods: With 92 female college students as subjects, the “Comprehensive Well-being Scale” was used, and research methods such as yoga exercise intervention, questionnaire surveys, qualitative analysis, expert interviews, and statistical analysis were employed to investigate the role of a yoga exercise intervention on the comprehensive well-being of female college students.Results: Among the nine dimensions of comprehensive well-being, the three dimensions of subjective well-being and the two dimensions of psychological well-being (health concern and personality growth) of female college students were significantly improved. Additionally, four other dimensions of psychological well-being also showed significant improvement. Furthermore, the improvement in the life satisfaction of female college students’ subjective well-being was mainly achieved through yoga meditation, while partner yoga posture practice could help individuals gradually form a stable pattern of altruistic behavior.Conclusion: Yoga exercise intervention can improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students and can be an effective counseling method for college students’ mental health education.
The impact of negative urgency on implicit mobile phone addiction tendency among college freshmen in the context of social exclusion
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of negative urgency on implicit mobile phone addiction tendency among college freshmen, and to observe whether social exclusion situations affect the relationship between negative urgency and implicit mobile phone addiction tendency.Methods: The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was used to screen 575 freshmen from a certain university. The experiment utilized a GO/NO-GO paradigm. Experiment 1 employed a 2 (negative urgency group: high negative urgency group, low negative urgency group) × 2 (word type: phone related words, phone non-related words) two-factor mixed experimental design. Experiment 2 employed a 2 (negative urgency group: high negative urgency group, low negative urgency group) × 2 (social exclusion type: priming group, non-priming group) × 2 (word type: phone related words, phone non-related words) three-factor mixed experimental design.Results: Experiment 1 results showed a significant main effect of negative urgency group and a significant interaction effect between negative urgency group and word type. Experiment 2 results demonstrated a significant main effect of negative urgency group and a significant main effect of social exclusion type. There was a significant interaction effect between word type and social exclusion type, as well as between word type and negative urgency group. The three-way interaction effect among negative urgency group, word type, and social exclusion type was significant.Conclusion: College freshmen with high negative urgency exhibit a higher tendency toward implicit mobile phone addiction. In social exclusion situations, college freshmen show a higher tendency toward implicit smartphone addiction. Social exclusion situations and negative urgency jointly influence the implicit mobile phone addiction tendency of college freshmen.
Association of body composition indicators with colorectal cancer: a hospital-based case-control study
Field: ONCOLOGY

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy that affects adults worldwide, causing a high disease burden. Few studies have examined the relationship between body composition (BC) measures and the prevalence of CRC. Our purpose was to investigate the relationship between pertinent BC indicators and CRC. Methods: Bioelectrical impedance analysis, laboratory test results, face-to-face questionnaire investigation, and nutritional risk assessment (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment) were used in this case-control study. Bioelectrical impedance analysis in the case group was performed prior to antitumor therapy/surgery. Results: From June 2018 to January 2019, a total of 303 cases and 286 controls were included. The results showed that low body fat percentage (BFP) and high visceral adiposity index (VAI) groups had a higher risk of developing CRC in comparison to the normal BFP and normal VAI groups. The risk of CRC decreased with the increase of BFP. The group with a normal BC had a lower risk of developing CRC compared to those with a greater VAI and a lower BFP, as indicated by the results of the pairwise and total combinations of VAI, fat-free mass index (FFMI), and BFP. Additionally, FFMI and VAI had positive correlations with prealbumin, serum albumin, and nutritional risk scores. Conclusion: Low BFP and high VAI are associated with higher CRC risk. FFMI and VAI are positively correlated with prealbumin, serum albumin, and nutritional risk scores in CRC patients.
Bipolar Neutrosophic Dombi-Based Heronian Mean Operators and Their Application in Multi-criteria Decision-Making Problems
Field: AI

Dombi operations based on the Dombi t-norm (TN) and t-conorm (TCN) have the advantage in terms of operational parameter flexibility in dealing with varying degrees of uncertainty and aggregation requirements. Meanwhile, Heronian mean (HM) operator is an effective technique for capturing the interrelationship between any number of inputs. Bipolar neutrosophic set (BNS) offers the ability to represent both positive and negative information as well as indeterminate information. It is beneficial in cases where there is uncertainty or insufficient information. However, the existing Dombi operator under BNS do not take into account the interrelationship between input arguments. To overcome this limitation, this study incorporates Dombi operator into HM and propose the bipolar neutrosophic Dombi Heronian mean aggregation operator. This paper introduces two type of aggregation operators namely bipolar neutrosophic Dombi-based generalized weighted Heronian mean (BND-GWHM), and bipolar neutrosophic Dombi-based improved generalized weighted Heronian mean (BND-IGWHM). The proposed operators are integrated into MCDM procedure. The influence of different parameter values on decision-making results is discussed. Finally, a comparison analysis with existing methods is also provided.
Validation of a German version of the caregiver strain questionnaire-short form 11 (CGSQ-SF11)
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Objective: Caring for a child, particularly one with special healthcare needs, is a demanding task that can lead to the experience of caregiver strain. This in turn has an effect on the caregiver’s mental health, as well as on the child and his or her treatment. To enable the identification of afflicted parents, this study aims to provide a German version of the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire–Short Form 11 (CGSQ-SF11) and to examine its factor structure and psychometric properties. Methods: Data from 698 caregivers were included in the analyses. Caregivers completed the CGSQ-SF11 along with measures of parenting stress (PSI-SF), stress (PSS-10), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-8), family-related quality of life (FLQ), and social desirability (SES-17) as additional instruments for validation. A two-week follow-up questionnaire included only the CGSQ-SF11. Exploratory factor analysis followed by a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for parents of children with and without special healthcare needs, separately. Further analyses examined the validity and reliability of the instrument. Results: For parents of children with special healthcare needs, a three-factor structure (objective, internalized subjective, externalized subjective strain) with a second-order factor (caregiver strain) was supported. For parents of children without special healthcare needs, a similar three-factor structure was found, although the second-order factor was not supported. Measurement invariance between the two groups was not confirmed. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity were largely supported in both groups. Conclusions: The results indicate that the German version of the CGSQ SF-11 is a valid and reliable questionnaire for measuring caregiver strain.
A latent class analysis on students' beliefs about teachers' practices enhancing their well-being
Field: EDUCATION

Student well-being and student voice are two interrelated concepts that can play a critical role in education. While Student well-being refers to the overall state of students' physical, mental, and emotional health, student voice represents the active involvement and participation of students in shaping their own educational experiences. Notwithstanding the intimate association, there is a limited body of research that explores how students' distinct perceptions of teachers' practices that promote their well-being influence students' actual well-being levels. To address this research gap, a study was conducted involving 486 students. The participants, with an average age of 13.5 years, completed a questionnaire. Among the participants, 51.1% identified as female, and 13.6% had experienced academic retention. The latent class results classified the 7–9 grade student's beliefs about teacher's practices into “few times,” sometimes' and “often.” The model fitting results were as follows: Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was 2,555.904, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) was 2,610.244, Adjusted Bayesian Information Criterion (aBIC) was 2,568.983, and Entropy was 0.802. Compared with the “few times” and “sometimes” class, the “often” class was more prevalent in 8th grade (p = 0.05) and among male students (p = 0.04). Findings show that class membership is a predictor of student well-being (interpersonal, life satisfaction and perceived competence). Students who feel that their teachers are attentive, supportive, and address their needs more frequently are more likely to experience enhanced well-being.
Research approaches in master-based teacher education preparing student teachers for professional work
Field: EDUCATION

Student teachers have been found to be critical toward the research approaches they learned from their master's-based teacher education programmes. Our aim is to discuss how certain research approaches learnt during a 5-year academic master's level teacher education, may bring student teachers close to practice and provide them with conceptual and practical tools for a thorough understanding of the practice of teaching. The argumentation is based on an elaboration of master's-based teacher education programs in Finland and Norway and the essential characteristics of teachers' work. We elaborate on student teachers' need to understand constative, critical and constructive research approaches. This includes critical approaches such as observations and interviews for understanding and interpretation, and constructive approaches such as action research and lesson studies. Finally, we argue that, through these approaches, student teachers make use of research knowledge in teachers' work with an inquiring orientation as well as develop and change their practice.
Determinants of Inequalities in the Exposure to and Adoption of Multiple Health Risk Behaviors among Brazilian Adolescents, 2009–2019
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

The occurrence of multiple risk behaviors among adolescents imposes challenges in the context of public policies of health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Evidence on the conditions leading to the exposure to and adoption of multiple risk behaviors allows the identification of vulnerable groups of adolescents, and may support the proposition of targeted strategies directed to individuals at risk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a quantitative analysis to identify recent trends in the exposure to and adoption of multiple health risk behaviors among Brazilian adolescents, highlighting individual-, household-, and school-level characteristics linked to inequalities among social groups. The analysis was based on cross-sectional data from the National Student Health Survey (PeNSE), conducted by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2019. The trends in the occurrence of multiple risk behaviors among adolescents were estimated according to social strata, allowing the calculation of concentration indexes and their disaggregation into major determinants of inequalities in the exposure and adoption of risk behaviors. The analyses were conducted using a complex survey design to allow representativeness at the population level. The results showed a rise in the incidence of multiple risk behaviors among youngsters in Brazil from 2009 to 2019. Factors influencing inequalities in the exposure to multiple risk behaviors were socioeconomic status and the characteristics of the household and school environments, whilst the adoption of multiple risk behaviors was also influenced by early exposure to multiple risk behaviors. Furthermore, trends in inequalities in the exposure to and adoption of multiple risk behaviors showed an intensification from 2009 to 2019, being initially concentrated among wealthier adolescents, followed by a transition to higher incidence in the lower socioeconomic strata in 2012 and 2015, respectively. The findings underscore the role of support systems for adolescents at risk within the familial and school contexts, whereas strategies of public policies of health based on the strengthening of community ties may require improvements to tackle socioeconomic inequalities in the occurrence of risk behaviors among youngsters.
Employing technology-enhanced feedback and scaffolding to support the development of deep science understanding using computer simulations
Field: EDUCATION

Constructivist learning theories consider deep understanding of the content to be the result of engagement in relevant learning activities with appropriate scaffolding that provides the learner with timely and substantive feedback. However, any group of students has a variety of levels of knowledge and cognitive development, which makes providing appropriate individual-level scaffolding and feedback challenging in the classroom. Computer simulations can help meet this challenge by providing technology-enhanced embedded scaffolding and feedback via specific simulation design. The use of computer simulations does not, however, guarantee development of deep science understanding. Careful research-driven design of the simulation and the accompanying teaching structure both play critical roles in achieving the desired learning outcomes. In this paper, we discuss the capabilities of computer simulations and the issues that can impact the learning outcomes when combining technology-enhanced scaffolding and feedback with external teaching structures. We conclude with suggestions of promising research avenues on simulation design and their use in the classroom to help students achieve deep science understanding.
Predicting Ki-67 expression levels in breast cancer using radiomics-based approaches on digital breast tomosynthesis and ultrasound
Field: ONCOLOGY

Purpose: To construct and validate radiomics models that utilize ultrasound (US) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images independently and in combination to non-invasively predict the Ki-67 status in breast cancer.Materials and methods: 149 breast cancer women who underwent DBT and US scans were retrospectively enrolled from June 2018 to August 2023 in total. Radiomics features were acquired from both the DBT and US images, then selected and reduced in dimensionality using several screening approaches. Establish radiomics models based on DBT, and US separately and combined. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were utilized to validate the predictive ability of the models. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical applicability of the models. The output of the classifier with the best AUC performance was converted into Rad-score and was regarded as Rad-Score model. A nomogram was constructed using the logistic regression method, integrating the Rad-Score and clinical factors. The model’s stability was assessed through AUC, calibration curves, and DCA.Results: Support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), and random forest (RF) were trained to establish radiomics models with the selected features, with SVM showing optimal results. The AUC values for three models (US_SVM, DBT_SVM, and merge_SVM) were 0.668, 0.704, and 0.800 respectively. The DeLong test indicated a notable disparity in the area under the curve (AUC) between merge_SVM and US_SVM (p = 0.048), while there was no substantial variability between merge_SVM and DBT_SVM (p = 0.149). The DCA curve indicates that merge_SVM is superior to unimodal models in predicting high Ki-67 level, showing more clinical values. The nomogram integrating Rad-Score with tumor size obtained the better performance in test set (AUC: 0.818) and had more clinical net.Conclusion: The fusion radiomics model performed better in predicting the Ki-67 expression level of breast carcinoma, but the gain effect is limited; thus, DBT is preferred as a preoperative diagnosis mode when resources are limited. Nomogram offers predictive advantages over other methods and can be a valuable tool for predicting Ki-67 levels in BC.