Practical Results Research Articles

Preparing the Laboratory for Neoadjuvant Cancer Immunotherapy: Insights from a Pathology Learning Collaborative

Abstract Introduction/Objective Neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NIT) is an emerging strategy to treat multiple types of early- stage resectable cancers by inducing a systemic anti-tumor immune response and increasing the likelihood of complete pathological response (pCR). The evaluation of pathological response following NIT is challenging and requires specific expertise. Traditional response criteria may be difficult to apply since immunotherapy may lead to unique changes in the tumor bed. Moreover, many laboratories may not feel prepared to evaluate pathologic response following immunotherapy given their lack of experience and the time required to accurately assess specimens and report findings. Methods/Case Report To explore ways to help laboratories prepare for these challenges, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) formed an immuno-oncology learning collaborative to engage pathologists from different institutions and subspecialties. The group met over six months to review and discuss the implications of relevant literature, guideline recommendations, and emerging trends such as tumor-specific recommendations (eg, IASLC Neoadjuvant Therapy Pathologic Response Initiative) to pan-tumor immune-related pathologic response criteria (irPRC). ASCP then developed a series of educational resources based on recommendations made by the group. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Members of the ASCP learning collaborative identified and prioritized several topics to help laboratories prepare and equip their teams to perform pathologic assessment after neoadjuvant immunotherapy in routine clinical practice. These included: definition and classification of pathological response criteria, assessing unique changes in the tumor bed (ie, regression bed), interpreting data from clinical trials, reporting results in routine clinical practice, organizing educational resources, and staffing workload. The group also emphasized the importance of collaborating with oncologists and surgeons and promoting communication about these topics within each institution. Conclusion Based on promising results from neoadjuvant immunotherapy clinical trials, we can expect more FDA approvals for neoadjuvant indications and a growing number of patients receiving this treatment. Pathologists and laboratory professionals need to prepare their institutions for a future where the assessment of pathological response in routine clinical practice will impact treatment decisions following surgical resection.

Integrated AGC Approach for Balancing the Thickness Dynamic Response and Shape Condition of a Hot Strip Rolling Control System

Thickness and shape are two significant indices in the tandem hot strip rolling process. Excessive thickness correction can cause rolling force imbalance, leading to deteriorated shape conditions. Aiming at this problem, we propose a new monitor automatic gauge control (M-AGC) with consideration of the rolling force distribution to not only keep the shape condition but also improve the robustness of the rolling process. First, the M-AGC with the Smith predictor control structure was studied. Second, based on the rolling force and thickness correction redistribution algorithm, shape balance automatic gauge control (SB-AGC), the phenomenon of rolling force imbalance was improved. Third, the transient response was improved by adding a command prefilter to the upstream stands, which is asynchronous shape balance automatic gauge control (ASB-AGC). The proposed algorithms can be applied to all steel grades and are easy to implement. Finally, cross-validation was conducted through numerical simulations and application results, confirming the alignment between the theoretical derivation and practical implementation. The simulation results show improvements in both the rolling force balance and the thickness response. The practical application results also confirm that better flatness conditions and thickness response can be achieved, significantly reducing the amount of head-end cutoff losses.

A INFLUÊNCIA DAS METODOLOGIAS ATIVAS NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE TENDO EM VISTA AS CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA APRENDIZAGEM BASEADA EM PROBLEMAS

This study investigates the influence of active methodologies in teacher training, focusing on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The research aims to understand how PBL can empower early childhood educators by providing them with dynamic tools to address contemporary classroom challenges. The methodology includes a comprehensive literature review, examining a wide range of academic sources and case studies on the implementation of PBL in various educational contexts. Findings from this theoretical investigation indicate that PBL not only enhances teachers' ability to engage students more effectively but also fosters a more collaborative and critical learning environment. By exploring the theoretical foundations and practical outcomes of this approach, the study seeks to identify effective strategies for implementation and evaluation in specific educational contexts. The research emphasizes the importance of adequate teacher training in ensuring the quality of education, contributing to the holistic development of children. Additionally, the study provides valuable insights for educational managers and policymakers in developing more effective training policies and programs. It is believed that the knowledge gained from this research can offer a solid foundation for the continuous improvement of education provided to preschool-aged children.

Making citizens, procedures, and outcomes: Theorizing politics in a co-productionist idiom.

The literature engaging political theory in STS often puts forward a deficit model view of STS, in which homegrown STS ideas about politics, such as co-production, are either treated as having an insufficient account of the political or not read as political theory at all. This article challenges the deficit discourse by reading co-production as a full-blown political theory in its own right, in particular by showing how it investigates normative questions of 'the good' that are central to any theorization of politics. Where political theory often concerns itself with the construction and application of universal political ideals-such as of the good citizen, legitimate procedures or smart outcomes-co-production looks at empirical sites where citizens, procedures, and outcomes articulate understandings of the good held by political actors in situ. By looking at the making of citizens, procedures, and outcomes in practice, we can better understand co-production as political theory. In particular, co-production elaborates on how the making of citizens, procedures, and outcomes constitute (and are constituted by) ideal normative positions, including: authoritative views about what citizens may claim to know, culturally-situated understandings of procedural legitimacy, and political values and ideologies embedded in seemingly 'objective' measurements of outcomes.

EPortfolio practice for student well-being in higher education: A scoping review

The aim of the study was to map and assess published empirical studies on the contribution of ePortfolio practice to student wellbeing in higher education. Our leading research question was: What is known in the existing literature on the wellbeing outcomes of ePortfolio practice in higher education? A scoping review was conducted to identify affective outcomes of ePortfolio pedagogy. The review included 23 papers. Six thematic groupings around student well-being were identified among the included papers: ePortfolios for achieving human potential, ePortfolios leading to self-awareness, ePortfolios enhancing identity formation, ePortfolios supporting connectedness, ePortfolios fostering self-regulation, ePorfolios as stressors.

Measurement of Tunable Optical Delay Using Wavelength Conversion and Fiber Dispersion

In fiber communication system, delay elements are essential for coherent receivers and in the situation of time division multiplexing. Optical communication is transmitted with light. It has a propagation delay. So, in this system, the performance of optical delay element is demonstrated on wavelength conversion, effects of single mode fiber (SMF) dispersion and fiber length. A numerical simulation is used to predict the performance of delay element for different experimental conditions. It has been proven that when the wavelength is changed and its element covers the entire C band. The system is used with the suitable optical pump power and various fiber lengths. It is accomplished with the various parameters by using Opti-system Software. The system operates near 1550 nm and generates delays time approximately 2.65 nanoseconds. In this paper, the performance value is also stated the table which is comparison of theorical result and practical result of delay time.

Research on Medical Device Software Based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technologies

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies, new opportunities for innovation and application in medical device software have emerged. This paper explores the current research on medical device software based on AI and ML, analyzing the practical applications and outcomes of these technologies in the medical field. First, the basic concepts of AI and ML and their significance in medical devices are introduced. Then, an in-depth analysis of the functional requirements of medical device software, user experience, and relevant regulations is provided. Next, the paper discusses the specific applications of AI and ML in data processing, model training, and software implementation, showcasing their practical effects through case studies. Finally, the paper summarizes the current technical challenges and future opportunities, hoping to provide insights for further development in the medical device industry.

Individual placement and support (IPS): duration of employment support and equity of access and outcome in routine clinical practice.

To explore the duration of support, reach, effectiveness and equity in access to and outcome of individual placement and support (IPS) in routine clinical practice. A retrospective analysis of routine cross-sectional administrative data was performed for people using the IPS service (N = 539). A total of 46.2% gained or retained employment, or were supported in education. The median time to gaining employment was 132 days (4.3 months). Further, 84.7% did not require time-unlimited in-work support, and received in-work support for a median of 146 days (4.8 months). There was a significant overrepresentation of people from Black and minority ethnic communities accessing IPS, but no significant differences in outcomes by diagnosis, ethnicity, age or gender. Most people using IPS services do not appear to need time-unlimited in-work support. Community teams with integrated IPS employment specialists can be optimistic when addressing people's recovery goals of gaining and retaining employment.

Patterns of intrinsic capacity trajectory and onset of activities of daily living disability among community-dwelling older adults.

Global population ageing has brought about new challenges for elderly care. Exploring intrinsic capacity (IC) over time, which is designed as a composite measure of an individual's physical and mental capabilities, is essential for promoting healthy ageing and preventing dependency, such as that emerging from disability in activities of daily living (ADL). We aimed to identify and examine the differences between classes of IC trajectory and onset of ADL disability. We conducted an observational study using data from three waves (2011-15) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, comprising 2609 participants with 6034 observations. IC was measured by five domains, including locomotion, cognition, psychological, sensory capacities, and vitality. We used joint latent class modelling to identify distinct classes with similar patterns of IC trajectory and onset of ADL disability, as well as to explore the variation in IC trajectory and predict five-year risks of ADL disability considering the heterogeneity in the elderly population. The average baseline IC score was 7.15 (range: 0-15). We observed that IC scores slowly decreased with age, with 17.25% of participants developing ADL disability. We identified three classes of IC, which could be described as moderate health (class 1: n = 1634, 62.63%), at-risk (class 2: n = 716, 27.44%; had the highest risk of ADL disability), and optimal health (class 3: n = 259, 9.93%; had the lowest baseline risk of ADL disability). The probability of being in the moderate health class was decreased the most by emotional problems (odds ratio (OR) = 0.219; P < 0.001). Having a self-rated poor standard of living substantially reduced the chances of moderate (OR = 0.308; P = 0.001) and optimal health (OR = 0.110; P < 0.001). Observing IC trajectories and the onset of ADL disability can stratify the elderly into heterogeneous groups, as well as provide data for implementing person-centred care plans to reverse the trend and delay the adverse outcomes in clinical practice.

Ballasts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem

Entrepreneurial ecosystem research has developed into a distinct field of study and extant frameworks and models consider the heterogeneous characteristics of ecosystems as a focal point for policymakers seeking to bolster regional entrepreneurial performance. Despite theoretical consensus on these issues, however, entrepreneurial ecosystem research has achieved only modest results in practice for catalyzing entrepreneurial activity. This is largely due to current models providing opaque targets for policymakers to focus their energies, a quandary that this qualitative study attempts to resolve. This research suggests that practical results can be improved by concentrating resource allocations on regional entrepreneurial ecosystem ballasts, which represent the various stakeholders who serve important roles as connectors, vettors, promoters, and chroniclers to catalyze entrepreneurial activity and support cultural heterogeneity. Concomitantly, this research also builds upon previous scholarship which has attempted to connect ecosystem attributes with the benefits that they provide to entrepreneurs.

Electrical vehicles impact on unbalanced distribution networks considering different loads and energy prices

The expansion of distributed generation and erratic loads create many challenges for electricity distribution networks (DN), like grid congestion and load unbalance. Technological advances in recent years have made the use of electric vehicles (EVs) more economical and justified for network connection. The use of smart EVs in the network scale, in addition to the peak shedding, if it is used in a single phase, it can also lead to the improvement of load unbalance. This paper proposes an energy and cost management model for the appropriate and distributed deployment of single phase EVs in distribution networks to provide network support for a DN including renewable resources. By connecting or disconnecting single-phase smart EVs to the DN, unbalanced loads in this network will be balanced as much as possible. To evaluate the proposed model, a network of 13 buses has been used, and the calculations of these energy costs have been measured during 24 h by two types of household and industrial loads. These loads are unbalanced in the DN and single-phase EVs have the ability to improve the unbalanced load of the DN. Also, the energy price is variable during the day and depends on the peak load. From the sensitivity analysis and with the relative increase or decrease of load, load change effects on the cost of each DN per-unit power have been measured and compared with the presence or absence of single-phase smart EVs to obtain more practical results. According to this paper, the use of EVs, in addition to improving the load of the DN, greatly reduces the costs of DN.

Risk factors-adjusted performance and persistence during the post-subprime crisis period: evidence from Indian mutual fund industry

PurposeThe main objective of the paper is to find evidence of abnormal returns and performance persistence of actively managed equity funds in the Indian context on an annual basis during the post-subprime crisis period between 2009 and 10 and 2019 and 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe study is exploratory and empirical, used daily net asset value (NAV) of 180 equity funds for 10 years and applied the risk-adjusted, Jensen's (1968) single-factor, Fama and French's (1993) three-factor model and Carhart's (1997) four-factor model to evaluate the performance. The performance persistence has been tested using cross-section regression (Bollen and Busse, 2005), the non-parametric contingency approach, along with the robustness measure, i.e. Malkiel's (1995) Z-score, Brown and Goetzmann's (1995) cross-product ratio (CPR) and Kahn and Rudd's (1995) χ2 value.FindingsThe results show that the Indian equity funds are unable to generate abnormal returns, and the size, value and momentum strategies applied by the fund managers in generating abnormal returns do not work effectively. However, funds provide strong evidence of significant performance persistence on an annual basis in the short-term, mid-term and long-term periods. Both parametric as well as non-parametric tests provide identical evidence of persistence, and the performance persistence is independent of the choice of models, as all the models (i.e. two, three or four-factor models) provide significant evidence of persistence.Research limitations/implicationsThough the study is comprehensive and covered a longer period, there is a scope for future research by examining the influence of fund characteristics, fund rating and macroeconomic factors on performance and persistence. It can be extended over to a longer period covering the post-COVID-19 period, a larger sample size and a comparative study of Indian and foreign mutual funds (MFs).Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this research paper can help wealth-maximizing investors in the identification of persistent equity funds and can apply the previous period’s performance information as a useful investment strategy to generate higher returns in the future. We believe that these outcomes will have significant ramifications for all MF stakeholders and policymakers, especially for the Indian industry in ensuring and establishing the credibility of MF managers, in providing better returns as well as to make MF investment more attractive to Indian retail investors.Originality/valueDespite the exponential growth in the Indian MF industry, limited evidence is available on performance and persistence covering a large sample size during the post-sub-prime crisis period using different return models and parametric and non-parametric approaches. The study is based on the daily data set of a larger sample size representing all the Asset Management Company (AMC) and the longer period following the post-subprime crises, which affected capital flows significantly. Moreover, the application of all the measures enables us to understand performance persistence in a larger context.

The Implication, Challenges, and Pathways of College Students&amp;apos; Ideal Education in the New Era

College students&amp;apos; ideal education in the new era is different from the ideal education of any period in the past. It has a unique times implication, including three aspects of political implication, innovation implication and actual effect implication. At the same time, there is also a gap between the expected state and the actual situation. It has fallen into the realistic dilemma of &amp;quot;weak political attributes&amp;quot;, &amp;quot;insufficient reform and innovation&amp;quot;, and &amp;quot;insufficient practical results&amp;quot;. Only with a direction in heart can a person walk steadily and far. College students&amp;apos; ideal education in the new era must adhere to the correct reform path. Firstly, we need to optimize educational concepts and adhere to political attributes. Secondly, we need to activate educational motivation and innovate teaching paradigms. Finally, we must adhere to the &amp;quot;San Quan&amp;quot; education and consolidate educational effectiveness.

Information quality and students’ academic performance: the mediating roles of perceived usefulness, entertainment and social media usage

PurposeThis study evaluates the mediating roles of entertainment, perceived usefulness, and social media use on social information (content) and students’ academic performance.MethodologyPrimary data was collected from 445 students at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia using the snowball sampling strategy was employed. For data analysis, structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used.FindingsEntertainment partly mediates the link between social information quality “content” (IQ) and social media use (SMU) and SMU mediates the link between IQ and student’s academic performance (SAP). Perceived usefulness mediates the link between IQ and SAP. Suggesting that entertainment and perceived usefulness are crucially necessary for inspiring social media content to obtain optimum performance among graduate students. The study was limited to a single academic institution. Therefore, the results of the investigation cannot be generalized as a whole, and cannot track respondents’ social media activity over time. Thus, longitudinal data may be used in future investigations. Practical implicationsThe results of this study indicate that faculties can adapt and adjust their teaching methods and activities to incorporate social media, perceived usefulness, and entertaining content since it affects student performance. Social media (SM) has a significant influence on students’ social and academic performance. Thus, educational stakeholders, such as university authorities, the government, and parents and guardians, should recognize social media as a tool for achieving educational objectives.Originality/valueThe study enhances the application of UTAUT2 by examining how factors that influence the adoption of technology are connected to the subsequent influence of that adoption on students’ learning and conduct.

How is ISO14001:2015 boosting the spread of product‐oriented environmental management practices?

AbstractThis research sheds light on the impact of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 standard, particularly in its role in driving life cycle perspective (LCP) and effectively integrating product‐oriented environmental management practices (POEMPs) within manufacturing sectors. Addressing this research gap, our analysis utilizes a worldwide sample of 1951 medium and large enterprises from the Thomson Reuters environmental, social and governance (ESG) database to compare the integration of POEMPs, in certified and non‐certified companies, before and after the ISO14001 standard update with a quantitative approach. The findings reveal a higher adoption rate of the seven POEMPs analyzed among certified companies before the publication of the standard. However, its LCP‐focused revision elevates only the implementation of three of them. This highlights a predominant selection effect over the intended treatment effect of the new standard and challenges the assumption that certification to the new version represents an advance in companies' product‐related environmental strategies. The originality of this research lies in its critical analysis of the practical outcomes of ISO14001:2015, pointing the disconnection between certification and the incorporation of POEMPs into environmental management systems. It highlights the need to strengthen implementation mechanisms and provides a nuanced understanding of the role of the standard in driving environmental progress.

Detecting the Severity of Depression in Online Forum Data by Leveraging Implicit Semantic Inferences

Depression, a prevalent mental health disorder with global implications, exerts a profound negative influence on individuals’ lives. While the prediction of depression (as a binary classification task) is a well-established research area, depression severity detection is a new research direction with limited studies. In the context of detecting the severity of depression through online forum data, this research endeavors to offer two distinct solutions by employing Ada embeddings, GPT 3.5 Turbo, and LIWC as feature engineering techniques, while AutoSklearn serves as the ensemble learning algorithm. Notably, the outcomes of this study significantly outperform existing state-of-the-art models on both depression severity annotated datasets used in this research. The results also showcase the potential reuse nature of the proposed models in diverse data sources due to their high performance in both datasets. Furthermore, as a valuable practical outcome, a software prototype has been developed, capable of providing the depression severity level, along with associated symptoms and keywords, upon inputting an online forum post.

Best Practice STEM-Based Differentiated Mathematics Learning for Improving Learning Outcomes and Self-efficacy of High School Students

Learning outcomes and self-efficacy are important learning factors. Mathematics learning outcomes can reflect the extent to which students have developed as learners, while self-efficacy reflects students' self-confidence in their own abilities in solving mathematical problems. This study was based on a qualitative approach, best practice. This best practice uses the STAR flow (“Situasi, Tantangan, Aksi, Refleksi”). The situation at SMAN 1 Mande, especially class XI, shows low learning outcomes and lack of self-efficacy. The challenge faced is planning and implementing differentiated learning to improve learning outcomes and student self-efficacy. Through a STEM-based differentiated learning approach, researchers designed and implemented contextual learning on the theme of global warming with integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The results of this best practice indicate an increase in learning outcomes and student self-efficacy. STEM-based differentiated learning can also improve understanding of mathematical concepts at the high school level. Researcher recommend that educators embrace differentiated learning strategies by customizing their approaches to accommodate the diverse needs such as students' level of readiness, interests, and student’s learning profile. The significance of comprehending student characteristics, such as learning styles and thinking abilities is paramount, especially in the implementation of student-centered learning. Additionally, educators are advised to prioritize aligning learning objectives with the curriculum, ensuring relevance and engagement. This various approach aims to create a dynamic learning environment to resonates with students individualized level. Develop interventions to address students' lack of confidence in solving mathematical problems can improve self efficacy.

Assessing the Dietary Practices and Anthropometric Outcomes of Students Consuming Mid-day Meals Versus Home-Cooked Meals.

Early childhood and adolescence are prime years that people spend in school. These formative years give the school ample opportunities to impart certain aspects of lifestyle and healthcare to the student, in addition to academics. School health programs are vital in providing comprehensive education and healthcare services. The objectives of the study are to enlist the socio-demographic factors affecting the nutritional level between students who enrolled for the mid-day meal scheme and those who did not. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, which was carried out between children who enrolled in the mid-day meal program and home-cooked meals for students from 3rdto 12thgrade in Faridabad. The study was conducted by the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Faridabad, from January to June 2024. It was determined that 162 (53.6%) males and 222 (74.9%) females were obese. 332 (55.3%) believed that social media had an impact on their dietary decisions, while 268 (44.7%) disagreed. When asked to rate how many healthy food alternatives were available at their school, 53 (8.8%) of them said it was great, 194 (32.3%) said it was good, 196 (32.7%) said it was fair, and 157 (26.2%) said it was poor. 236 (78.7%) parents of the mid-day meal group never had dietary supplemental education, which is why children have indigent nutritional status. The mean waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated as 0.92 ± 0.43 and 0.88 ± 0.69 with significant values of 0.00 (p≤0.05) in the home-cooked and mid-day meal-consuming groups respectively. Students consuming home-cooked meals showed a better WHR for age than those consuming mid-day meals. Children of parents with high education levels have good nutritional status and are healthier as compared to children with parents who have low education levels. Thus, there is a dire need to include school health programs to provide healthy and nutritious food to children, in need.

Enhancing retention of biological fluid transport of magnetized thermal radiative pseudoplastic nanofluid with double diffusion convection, viscous dissipation and boundary slips

This study investigates how thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, double-diffusive convection, and slip boundaries collectively affect the peristaltic movement of a magneto-pseudoplastic nanofluid within a uniform channel. The inclusion of slip boundary conditions at the channel walls helps to accurately represent the flow behavior of the nanofluid near these boundaries. The magneto-pseudoplastic nanofluid exhibits peculiar rheological features to flow dynamics due to pseudoplastic characteristics of nanoparticles in its composition and exposure to magnetic force. The mathematical formulation of motion equations is done through appropriate technique combining the properties of heat radiation, magnetic flux, double diffusion convection, and rheological features. The equation is further simplified by suitable method. The current study aims to evaluate the peristaltic movement under influence of slip boundaries characteristics, sort of concentration, heat radioactivity, flux properties, and temperature profile. Moreover, it will assess the flow dynamics with ratio of mass and heat exchange under the effect of critical parameters which include Prandtl number, Grashof number, slip limitations, and Hartmann number. So, the research will widen the theoretical underpinning of complex fluid transportation of magneto-pseudoplastic nanofluids under peristaltic flux and explicate the practical outcomes in terms of slip boundary settings in such systems. The results and conclusions are imperative for restructuring and devising biomedicine engineering, microfluidic equipment and gadgets, manufacturing techniques for complex fluid with peristaltic flow under the influence of slip limitations and magnetic force.

An analysis of the Crossbred Algorithm for the MQ Problem

The Crossbred algorithm is currently the state-of-the-art method for solving overdetermined multivariate polynomial systems over 𝔽 2 . Since its publication in 2017, several record breaking implementations have been proposed and demonstrate the power of this hybrid approach. Despite these practical results, the complexity of this algorithm and the choice of optimal parameters for it are difficult open questions. In this paper, we prove a bivariate generating series for potentially admissible parameters of the Crossbred algorithm.