Investigating the affordances of AI-powered mathematics learning platforms

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2020S1A5A2A03044887)

Attitudes toward Using and Teaching Confidence Intervals: A Latent Profile Analysis on Elementary Statistics Instructors

The use of confidence intervals (CIs) for making a statistical inference is gaining popularity in research communities. To evaluate college statistics instructors’ readiness to teach CIs, this study explores their attitudes toward teaching CIs in elementary statistics courses, and toward using CIs in inferential statistics. Data were collected with a survey that classifies instructors’ attitudes on the basis of three previously established pedagogical components: affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Based on the survey responses from 270 participants, we created three profiles (subgroups) via latent profile analysis, and identified each profile’s pattern of attitudes toward CIs and common characteristics of the instructors that fit each profile. In addition, we compared the profiles across groupings created by six variables: gender, academic background, statistics teaching experience, subject preference, degree level, and desire to improve teaching. The results of the latent profile analysis support three profiles within the population of statistics instructors, and the results of the comparative analysis of teacher characteristics indicate that the six variables are moderate to strong predictors of the grouping of the sample into three profiles

Radiomics and imaging genomics in precision medicine

“Radiomics,” a field of study in which high-throughput data is extracted and large amounts of advanced quantitative imaging features are analyzed from medical images, and “imaging genomics,” the field of study of high-throughput methods of associating imaging features with genomic data, has gathered academic interest. However, a radiomics and imaging genomics approach in the oncology world is still in its very early stages and many problems remain to be solved. In this review, we will look through the steps of radiomics and imaging genomics in oncology, specifically addressing potential applications in each organ and focusing on technical issues

Comparison of postoperative changes in the distal and proximal segments between conventional and sliding mini-plate fixation following mandibular setback

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the postoperative three-dimensional (3D) changes in the proximal segments after mandibular setback sagittal split ramus osteotomy and to compare the changes between the conventional mini-plate fixation and semi-rigid sliding plate fixation

Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors: A Report on a Patient Treated with Sorafenib

A 31-yr-old man with abdominal pain was diagnosed with a pancreatic endocrine tumor and multiple hepatic metastases. Despite optimal treatment with interferon alpha, a somatostatin analog, local therapy with high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for multiple hepatic metastases, and multiple lines of chemotherapy with etoposide/cisplatin combination chemotherapy and gemcitabine monotherapy, the tumor progressed. As few chemotherapeutic options were available for him, sorafenib (800 mg/day, daily) was administered as a salvage regimen. Sorafenib was continued despite two episodes of grade 3 skin toxicity; it delayed tumor progression compared to the previous immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Serial computed tomography scans showed that the primary and metastatic tumors were stable. Thirteen months after beginning targeted therapy, and up to the time of this report, the patient is well without disease progression. We suggest that sorafenib is effective against pancreatic endocrine tumors

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with disease activity in patients with Crohn’s disease

Background/Aims Previous data suggest that vitamin D has a significant role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We investigated the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in Korean patients with IBD and the correlation between serum vitamin D level and disease activity. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with IBD whose serum vitamin D levels were checked. Deficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was defined as <20 ng/mL. Disease activity was evaluated using the partial Mayo score for ulcerative colitis (≥2 defined as active disease) and Harvey-Bradshaw index for Crohn’s disease (≥4 defined as active disease). Results We enrolled 87 patients with IBD (ulcerative colitis [UC], 45; Crohn’s disease [CD], 42). Among them, 65.5% (57/87) were men, with a mean age of 44.9±15.1 years (range, 18–75 years). The mean duration of disease was 4.7±4.8 years (range, 0.1–17.1 years). Vitamin D deficiency was found in 73.6% (64/87) of patients with IBD. Patients with IBD (mean vitamin D level, 16.3±9.0 ng/mL) showed lower vitamin D level than the healthy control group (mean vitamin D level, 20.4±7.0 ng/mL), with no statistically significant difference (P=0.136). Disease activity was inversely correlated with vitamin D deficiency in patients with CD (P=0.007). However, no correlation was observed in patients with UC (P=0.134). Conclusions Approximately 75% of Korean patients with IBD showed vitamin D deficiency state. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with disease activity, particularly in patients with CD

Exophytic Benign and Malignant Hepatic Tumors: CT Imaging Features

Our objective is to describe the CT features of exophytic hepatic tumors those may pose a diagnostic challenge because of the uncertainty of tumor origin. The beak sign and the feeding artery of a tumor are useful diagnostic indicators of exophytic hepatic tumors. Two- or three-dimensional reformation images are also helpful for diagnosis. The CT features of exophytic hepatic tumors are similar to those of the usual intrahepatic tumors except for their location