Motives of Cheating among Secondary School Students: The Role of Self Efficacy, Peer Attitudes and behavior

Adviser: Zhang, Kaili.Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-30).Thesis (B.Ed)--University of Hong Kong, 2009.published_or_final_versionEducationBachelorBachelor of Education in Language Educatio

Experience of BRCA1/2 mutation-negative young women from families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the experience of young women who become aware of their parent’s BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA) mutation status as adolescents or young adults. There is also currently a gap in the literature pertaining to those who are found to be negative for their familial mutation. We aimed to investigate the experience of these mutation-negative young women from hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) families. METHODS: Using a semi-structured questionnaire we interviewed 8 women. All of the women were non-carriers of their familial mutation and had learned of the mutation in their family as adolescents or young adults at least 6 months prior to undergoing genetic testing. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and independently analyzed by the investigators. This was followed by an in-depth cross-case analysis, enabling the formulation of emergent themes. RESULTS: The women’s age ranged from 22 to 37 years old and all were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Prominent emergent themes from the interviews included the impact of how and when the familial mutation status was disclosed, the factors influencing when a young woman chooses to undergo predictive genetic testing, the predictors of post-test adjustment and risk perception, as well as the impact of familial cancer experience versus the familial mutation. CONCLUSIONS: By eliciting detailed patient narratives we have begun to show that this generation of BRCA mutation-negative young women is likely still affected by the degree of cancer history in their family, even with their understanding of the genetic contribution to disease. Larger studies with tightened participant characteristics, as well as studies involving women from different cultural backgrounds, are needed to further define the experience and needs of true negative young women from HBOC families

Diversity in EWAS: current state, challenges, and solutions

Here, we report a lack of diversity in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) and DNA methylation (DNAm) data, discuss current challenges, and propose solutions for EWAS and DNAm research in diverse populations. The strategies we propose include fostering community involvement, new data generation, and cost-effective approaches such as locus-specific analysis and ancestry variable region analysis

Kattis vs ChatGPT: Assessment and Evaluation of Programming Tasks in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

AI-powered education technologies can support students and teachers in computer science education. However, with the recent developments in generative AI, and especially the increasingly emerging popularity of ChatGPT, the effectiveness of using large language models for solving programming tasks has been underexplored. The present study examines ChatGPT’s ability to generate code solutions at different difficulty levels for introductory programming courses. We conducted an experiment where ChatGPT was tested on 127 randomly selected programming problems provided by Kattis, an automatic software grading tool for computer science programs, often used in higher education. The results showed that ChatGPT independently could solve 19 out of 127 programming tasks generated and assessed by Kattis. Further, ChatGPT was found to be able to generate accurate code solutions for simple problems but encountered difficulties with more complex programming tasks. The results contribute to the ongoing debate on the utility of AI-powered tools in programming education

Association of Body Mass and Brain Activation during Gastric Distention: Implications for Obesity

BACKGROUND:Gastric distention (GD), as it occurs during meal ingestion, signals a full stomach and it is one of the key mechanisms controlling food intake. Previous studies on GD showed lower activation of the amygdala for subjects with higher body mass index (BMI). Since obese subjects have dopaminergic deficits that correlate negatively with BMI and the amygdala is innervated by dopamine neurons, we hypothesized that BMI would correlate negatively with activation not just in the amygdala but also in other dopaminergic brain regions (midbrain and hypothalamus). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate brain activation during GD in 24 healthy subjects with BMI range of 20-39 kg/m(2). Using multiple regression and cross-correlation analyses based on a family-wise error corrected threshold P = 0.05, we show that during slow GD to maximum volumes of 500 ml and 700 ml subjects with increased BMI had increased activation in cerebellum and left posterior insula, and decreased activation of dopaminergic (amygdala, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions and anterior insula, regions that were functionally interconnected with one another. CONCLUSIONS:The negative correlation between BMI and BOLD responses to gastric distention in dopaminergic (midbrain, hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions is consistent with disruption of dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling in obesity. In contrast the positive correlation between BMI and BOLD responses in posterior insula and cerebellum suggests an opposing mechanism that promotes food intake in obese subjects that may underlie their ability to consume at once large food volumes despite increasing gastric distention

Factores asociados a la supresión virológica sostenida en pacientes con VIH/sida con tratamiento antirretroviral, a través del Programa TARGA del Ministerio de Salud. 2004-2009

Objetivos: Medición del indicador de supresión virológica sostenida como respuesta exitosa a los 12 meses, en pacientes que iniciaron tratamiento gratuito durante el primer año del programa TARGA (2004). Diseño: Observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal retrospectivo. Se tomó como universo a todos los pacientes adultos con VIH/sida que ingresaron al Programa TARGA durante el primer año y están registrados en bases de datos del MINSA. Institución: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, Facultad de Medicina, UNMSM. Participantes: Pacientes con VIH/sida en TARGA de Hospitales públicos y ONGs. Intervenciones: Se evaluó los resultados del dosaje plasmático de carga viral del VIH por método PCR. Se consideró como valor umbral máximo 1 000 copias virales/mL para definir presencia de supresión viral. Se hizo una medición al inicio del tratamiento y luego mediciones cada 6 meses. Principales medidas de resultados: Probabilidad de carga viral <1 000 copias/mL a los 6 y 12 meses de tratamiento. Resultados: Se demostró que, en esta cohorte, la probabilidad de alcanzar carga viral <1 000 copias/mL fue 0,16 (16%) a los 6 meses de tratamiento. Y esta probabilidad se incrementó a 0,53 (53%) a los 12 meses. Conclusiones: El indicador evaluado demuestra un nivel medio-bajo de supresión virológica sostenida para este grupo de pacientes en el periodo señalado

BRD9 is a druggable component of interferon-stimulated gene expression and antiviral activity

Interferon (IFN) induction of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) creates a formidable protective antiviral state. However, loss of appropriate control mechanisms can result in constitutive pathogenic ISG upregulation. Here, we used genome-scale loss-of-function screening to establish genes critical for IFN-induced transcription, identifying all expected members of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and a previously unappreciated epigenetic reader, bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9), the defining subunit of non-canonical BAF (ncBAF) chromatin-remodeling complexes. Genetic knockout or small-molecule-mediated degradation of BRD9 limits IFN-induced expression of a subset of ISGs in multiple cell types and prevents IFN from exerting full antiviral activity against several RNA and DNA viruses, including influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV1), and herpes simplex virus (HSV1). Mechanistically, BRD9 acts at the level of transcription, and its IFN-triggered proximal association with the ISG transcriptional activator, STAT2, suggests a functional localization at selected ISG promoters. Furthermore, BRD9 relies on its intact acetyl-binding bromodomain and unique ncBAF scaffolding interaction with GLTSCR1/1L to promote IFN action. Given its druggability, BRD9 is an attractive target for dampening ISG expression under certain autoinflammatory conditions

Principles of meiotic chromosome assembly revealed in S. cerevisiae

During meiotic prophase, chromosomes organise into a series of chromatin loops emanating from a proteinaceous axis, but the mechanisms of assembly remain unclear. Here we use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to explore how this elaborate three-dimensional chromosome organisation is linked to genomic sequence. As cells enter meiosis, we observe that strong cohesin-dependent grid-like Hi-C interaction patterns emerge, reminiscent of mammalian interphase organisation, but with distinct regulation. Meiotic patterns agree with simulations of loop extrusion with growth limited by barriers, in which a heterogeneous population of expanding loops develop along the chromosome. Importantly, CTCF, the factor that imposes similar features in mammalian interphase, is absent in S. cerevisiae, suggesting alternative mechanisms of barrier formation. While grid-like interactions emerge independently of meiotic chromosome synapsis, synapsis itself generates additional compaction that matures differentially according to telomere proximity and chromosome size. Collectively, our results elucidate fundamental principles of chromosome assembly and demonstrate the essential role of cohesin within this evolutionarily conserved process

Clustering of chronic hepatitis B screening intentions in social networks of Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands

Background Early detection, identification, and treatment of chronic hepatitis B through screening is vital for those at increased risk, e.g. born in hepatitis B endemic countries. In the Netherlands, Moroccan immigrants show low participation rates in health-related screening programmes. Since social networks influence health behaviour, we investigated whether similar screening intentions for chronic hepatitis B cluster within social networks of Moroccan immigrants. Methods We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) where each participant ("recruiter") was asked to complete a questionnaire and to recruit three Moroccans ("recruitees") from their social network. Logistic regression analyses were used to analyse whether the recruiters' intention to request a screening test was similar to the intention of their recruitees. Results We sampled 354 recruiter-recruitee pairs: for 154 pairs both participants had a positive screening intention, for 68 pairs both had a negative screening intention, and the remaining 132 pairs had a discordant intention to request a screening test. A tie between a recruiter and recruitee was associated with having the same screening intention, after correction for sociodemographic variables (OR 1.70 [1.15-2.51]). Conclusions The findings of our pilot study show clustering of screening intention among individuals in the same network. This provides opportunities for social network interventions to encourage participation in hepatitis B screening initiatives